New hardcore Bruder X hardtop coming

A new full-height, fixed roof version of the Queensland-built Bruder X extreme off-road caravan is set to join the current Expedition EXP-6 pop-top model in October this year.

A one-off, pre-production model built for a customer is due to break cover late next month at Nevada‘s annual Burning Man art and community Festival in United States, which has been the vehicle’s largest global market since Dan Bosschieter and his brother Toby started production of the military-style vehicle in Brisbane about 18 months ago.

The brothers were the official importers of the South African-built Conqueror UEV off-road campers for about five years before deciding to head off to produce their own vision of the ultimate off-road caravan.

Standing 300mm taller than the 2120mm-tall pop-top EXP-6, but still less than two metres wide, the principal motivation behind the new model according to Dan Bosschieter has been demand for even greater thermal insulation, with some owners choosing to travel to remote areas in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.

“Initially we expect the pop-top model to be more popular,” he said. “Many of our owners will travel for five days at 100km/h to get to remote areas and even with an EXP-6 Hardtop’s height-adjustable air suspension set at its lowest travelling level, a Landcruiser tow car will still use around 2L/100km more fuel.

“However in really cold regions, or where security is an issue, the hardtop will come into its own. Ultimately we expect that production of about one and a half Bruder X’s per week will be split 50/50 between the two models.”

Not that the cost of fuel is likely to be a major issue for buyers of EXP-6 Hardtops, which will cost more than the average $165,000 invested in their smartphone-operated, electrically-erected pop-top brothers, depending on specified options.

“We recently built an EXP-6 with floodlights on extendable poles for a customer who wanted to play beach volleyball at night,” said Bosschieter. “Our customers want specific things they can’t get on other extreme terrain vehicles and we oblige them. Out of all the EXP-6’s we have built so far, only two have been the same.”

The new Hardtop’s debut at the Burning Man festival underscored the global appeal of the Bruder X, with examples already in use in the USA, the United Arab Emirates and Angola.

Like the Pop Top EXP-6, the hardtop is a 6723mm x 1920mm off-roader with bespoke features including multi-link independent air suspension with 300mm of travel, a super-strong rolled tube chassis with a built-in winch and two nine-tonne recovery points and dual-compression rubber body mounts.

Its tare weight is expected to be similar to the EXP-6 pop-top’s depending on options, at an average 1900-1950kg.

The ground-up design also includes hi-tech convenience features such as a ‘one touch’ smart phone operation of the rear tailgate and awning and a height-adjustable kitchen accessible from both inside or outside.

While Bruder didn’t display at this year’s Queensland Caravan Show in Brisbane in June, some visitors could have easily mistaken the SniperX on the Northcoast Campers stand for one.

Seemingly drawing its inspiration from the EXP-6, the Sniper X similarly featured an electrically-operated pop-top roof, a clamshell, top-hinged rear entry door and an external pantry and kitchen along its left-hand wall.

“It had a familiar look,” admitted Bosschieter, ”but they didn’t infringe on any of our patents, including our suspension design, body construction and the roof-lifting mechanism.

“There’s a visual similarity, but it’s definitely not the same thing!”