Australia's priciest triple-axle caravan breaks cover
Stunning new Kedron six tonne off-road caravan exceeds quarter million dollarsLegendary Queensland off-road caravan manufacturer Kedron has done it again, rolling out its second ADR-approved, six-tonne ATM rated triple axle caravan for a Perth couple that plan to live in their new super-luxury show-stopper full-time.
The custom-built, 26ft TopEnder TE’7 off-road couple's van is the second of its type built by Kedron, with the Brisbane-based manufacturer facing additional hurdles this time around with new government certification required for the integration of an S-Cam ABS safety unit with the fully adjustable airbag suspension and truck air brakes on the unique 6000kg ATM rated caravan chassis.
“A huge amount of R&D, testing and development went on this… (it was) about an 18 months to two-year process to get all the ADR approvals now required for the (integration of the ABS truck brake system)," Kedron’s Glen Gall said.
Like the first six tonne rated Kedron, the latest tri-axle monster van is loaded with cutting-edge technology and upmarket appliances, along with extra touches like a CCTV-type security system that provides a 360 degree view around the van from body-mounted cameras, displayed on a screen located in the master bedroom.
Other external highlights include Kedron’s KRS adjustable airbag suspension with inbuilt tyre inflation kit and unique solar shade front awning; an electric jockey wheel and bespoke lockable toolbox with twin 9kg gas bottles, bike rack and generator slide-out; another external locker for the Bose sound system; switchable white/orange external LED lighting and four external picnic tables (two on each side).
For free camping there's an Enerdrive 600Ah lithium battery system with 1140W rooftop solar and 3000W inverter, and 600 litre fresh water capacity along with a grey water tank, backed up by the latest CZone digital switching system for full, programmable control of the lighting, battery and other on-board systems.
Lavish interior fit-out
The spacious, luxury-lined interior includes an extra-long kitchen bench with domestic-style stainless sink with combined mixer/filtered tap, and a separate Zip Hydrotap for instant boiled or chilled sparkling water, along with a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawer and oven, twin gas burner cooktop and extra-large two door compressor fridge/freezer.
The leather club lounge/dinette features an adjustable table and footrests, with the recessed TV connected to an auto-tracking satellite dish and Bose sound bar, while the front master bedroom gets another TV and full height wardrobe (there's even a dedicated kitchen drawer for a Thermonix food processor, among many other internal storage options).
Other swish features includes a diesel space heater and air-conditioner, multiple Sirocco fans, a mobile phone booster repeater, wall-mounted washing machine and two roof-mounted filtered compression hatches to prevent dust getting into the van.
Befitting its steep six figure pricetag, the custom interior finish incorporates polished American Oak trim, genuine leather hide upholstery, a bamboo pocket spring queen mattress, stylish window curtains and blue ‘runway’ mood lighting, along with other Kedron niceties like etched steel travel latches, recessed towel and toilet roll holders and a powder-coated, anti-slip alloy shower base.
With Brisbane currently in a COVID-19 lockdown, the West Australian owners face a few nights 'camping' in the Kedron factory before getting the chance to hitch up the van's six tonne rated pintle hook to the Airsafe airbag suspension coupling on their dual-cab GMC Denali tow vehicle.
The mega-van's Tare weight of 4420kg provides a massive payload of 1580kg, while its circa $260,000 pricetag makes it Kedron's most expensive caravan to date, and one of the priciest conventional caravans ever built down under.
Meanwhile, in other Kedron news Gall said after years of trying, and on the eve of Kedron patriarch Barry Gall celebrating 60 years in the caravan business, the Kedron Caravans brand name was recently allowed trademark protection, providing a road block to the potential sale on the Australian market at least, of cheap Chinese rip-offs that emerged recently.
Related:
Australia's first six tonne caravan
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
