Otron Signature Series 3

WE LIKED

• Detailed engineering approach
• Great load carrying capacity
• Battery box out of the way, but still accessible

NOT SO MUCH

• Bland interior decor
• front heavy design could make towball weight an issue

There are a surprising number of caravan manufacturers tucked into the south-east corner of Queensland, and some aren’t particularly large. In fact, most are what you might describe as boutique or custom builders.

Quite a few of the rigs they build are deliberately well-suited for the often demanding Queensland terrain, but that doesn’t mean they won’t fit in around the rest of Australia.

One of these manufacturers is Caboolture-based Otron Caravans. Although this company is a new kid on the block, the other side of its business – Otto Tuza’s VIP Horse Floats – has been around for years. There isn’t much Otron owners Otto and Rhonda Tuza don’t know about the towing business.

When I arrived at their yard a polished 5.94m (19ft 6in) Signature Series 3 van was ready for my inspection, and I was soon hitched-up and on my way.

Well, almost. I was also given a brief factory tour to explain a couple of features of Otron caravans. One of these was a frame specially designed to demonstrate the van’s suspension system, while the other was the timber waterproofing treatment used for the internal (yes, internal) framework.

WATERPROOF FRAMEWORK

The construction of Otron vans is conventional in some ways, but quite a bit different in others. The chassis, for example, is built using SupaGal RHS grade C450LO, rather than the lighter C350LO, while the framework is entirely waterproofed.

“The waterproofing is done with a membrane specifically made for us by a chemist,” Otto explained. “The solution is an isotope-free product which consists of a sealer, a bonder and an anti-mould solution which seals the ply from the outside to the inside.”

At the pointy end of the van, the drawbar is a busy-looking place. In addition to the coupling and the Trail-A-Mate jack (in lieu of jockey wheel), there are two 9kg gas cylinders, a large alloy checkerplate storage bin, pole storage tube and two jerry can holders.

Given the tunnel boot, it’s worth keeping the towball weight in mind when loading up. I mention this because the load capacity of this van is a very impressive 900kg.

Sitting between the 150mm chassis rails are 100 litre fresh and grey water tanks. The battery box (with two 120Ah batteries) is mounted on the front offside rail.

Just about everything else has been neatly strapped up well out of the way, including the water pump, which has been placed below floor level in order to reduce the possibility of internal water leakage.

Under the chassis, the Aeroride independent suspension looks and operates a little differently to conventional setups. I asked Otto, who designed the system, for an explanation.

“Essentially, the suspension design has a rubber torsion bar as a lead point, the coils as weight reducing points and the shock absorbers as an impact area,” he said.

“Combining these three points gives a smooth and responsive ride, in both negative and positive pull, which is similar to load sharing suspension. One important aspect with this system is that there are no wearing parts, eliminating all points of pressure.”

Airbag suspension can be fitted, if required.

ABOVE THE CHASSIS

Stapled and glued meranti timber is used for the van’s structure, which is fully insulated with polystyrene and an outer aluminum skin.

One item that does take up a bit of storage space in the tunnel boot is the nearside slide-out barbecue. Two other external doors hide the battery charger and mid-offside 12V fuses and nearside entertainment unit.

On the inside, the Otron’s colour scheme does away with the timber look entirely. Instead, a glossy white for the walls is contrasted by a brown for the doors, plus the interestingly-named “Lava Mineralstone” for the benchtops.

There are no major surprises in the general layout, but that isn’t the worst thing in the world. The Otron’s front bedroom, full-width rear bathroom, offside kitchen and nearside dinette is a tried and tested design that has proven popular.

All furniture is constructed with ply and pine, but the doors are made from an expanded foam celluka, which is water and humidity-proof. The screwed drawers run smoothly in metal runners.

A Stoves four-burner cooktop/grill and stainless steel sink with drainer are fitted into the kitchen benchtop. A 184 litre Dometic three-way fridge fills the space at the bathroom end of the bench, with lockers above and below.

The microwave location came up for discussion when I was looking over the kitchen with Rhonda Tuza. In this case, it’s housed in the cupboard space under the benchtop.

Apparently noting some of my comments in previous reviews, the Tuzas opted for the lower location. This is something I prefer for safety reasons, but there are those customers who prefer the alternative high location in the overhead lockers.

Given the length of this kitchen, benchtop space is minimal, but it’s somewhat improved by the flush cooktop lid above and hinged extension at the end of the bench.

MEAL TIME

A couple of people can easily and comfortably settle down for a meal or some relaxation at the L-shaped dinette. With the flatscreen TV mounted at the forward end of the kitchen bench, one of the viewers is going to be in a more comfortable position than the other, but both can easily watch telly from the bed.

There are no real surprises in the bedroom, but again this design is popular for a reason. The innerspring mattress is surrounded by windows and a bedhead with overhead lockers, side wardrobes and bedside cabinets.

Lifting the bed reveals a good storage space – compartmentalised with a large drawer underneath. Support is only provided by a bed base made from plain  ply timber though.

If there’s one thing for which the Otron’s bathroom is notable, it’s the generous amount of storage space, even with the cassette toilet, separate shower cubicle, washbasin and washing machine. There’s even a small storage compartment behind the shower cubicle.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the bathroom door roller track, which was a cut above the usual – another Tuza touch.
 
VERDICT

On the surface this Otron Signature Series 3 van might look a bit like some of its contemporaries, but there are a few worthy differences.

I would also make the point that with any manufacturer it’s worth asking questions about construction techniques to find out what they do and why they do it.

I raise this point because one of the items I had a look at during my review was the documentation Otron gives every customer: engineer’s certification, gas and electrical compliance certificates, detailed notes on 12V wiring and a weighbridge certificate. It’s a nice touch.

All of this adds up to a well-engineered van that proved a pleasure to tow. And it looks great, too.

OTRON CARAVANS SIGNATURE SERIES 3 

Overall length: 8.15m (26ft 9in)
External length: 5.94m (19ft 6in)
External width: 2.34m (7ft 8in)
Internal height: 1.96m (6ft 5in)
Travel height: 2.9m (9ft 6in)
Tare: 2500kg
ATM: 3400kg
Ball weight: 220kg
Frame: Meranti timber
Chassis: SupaGal
Suspension: AeroFlex independent
Cooktop: Stoves four-burner and grill
Fridge: Dometic RM4605 184 litre
Microwave: LG
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Dometic cassette
Lighting: 12V LED
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Fresh water: 100 litre
Grey water: 100 litre
Price: $68,000 (tow-away, Qld)
More info: Ottron Caravans