Suncamper 4x4 Conqueror gets tougher

Suncamper has launched the latest and greatest version of its 4x4 ute-based off-road camper at the 2024 Sydney Caravan Supershow, as part of an extensive series of updates across its Sydney-built campervan and motorhome range.

With a base price starting at $240,000, the new Sherwood 4x4 Conqueror 2.0 is the most expensive but also most hard-core bush-capable model based on the Suncamper E-Series which is now available with a Ford Ranger as well as Toyota HiLux base.

Replacing the Suncamper Sherwood Conqueror 4x4 first seen in late 2020, the Sherwood Conqueror 4x4 adds a number of improvements including a 100mm boost to internal floor height, a new front floor storage feature, new hot water service and fresh flat, laser-cut brush bars to replace the tubular bars on the previous Conqueror.

The new 2.0 also has the option of a Ford Ranger as well as the HiLux that Suncamper has been using as a base for its popular compact, remote area expedition vehicles for decades.

Suncamper’s Cameron Harrison said that while other Suncamper models feature a new construction, for now the Conqueror 2.0 retains its proven body structure.

“Across the whole motorhome range, we’ve gone to composite construction; a fibreglass construction with foam core and fibreglass sides, (and) still maintaining a thicker external sheet," he explained.

"But the Conqueror maintains its aluminium frame, so all around the doors, windows, hatches and vents is still surrounded by an aluminium structure. We’ve been building our motorhomes that way for about 20 years; it’s been proven, it's been tested, it’s strong.”

“In the Sherwood Conqueror (2.0) design, one of the main things we had to keep the aluminium framing for was the rear ladder, because it's bolted to the rear wall. With the point load that is on that ladder, and the roof racks, we needed to keep the framing”, he continued.

The range-topping Conqueror bush camper will follow the rest of the range with lighter, composite construction, but Suncamper isn’t going to rush the development.

“We're talking about building a full composite Conqueror, but that is in the future," Harrison said.

Like Jayco, New Age and others, Suncamper also uses lightweight poplar plywood interior panels from Italian company Fillipi, which has recently updated their colour scheme offering.

“We’ve slowly been integrating the new colour schemes into the model line-up," he said. "Everything we offer in our campers is commercial grade; they did have have some residential colour schemes, but they’re not as durable.

"We still purchase some of our timbers from an Australian company, so some are sourced locally, and some of it sourced from Italy. It just depends on colour choice; the customer still chooses flooring, cabinetry, upholstery and benchtop colours."

Among other notable interior improvements there's also a bit more stretching room in the front double bed space.

The Conqueror 2.0 continues its predecessor’s role as the best Suncamper you can buy for extreme bush travel, according to Harrison.

“Features wise, the Conqueror has it all. It's about more, travelling further longer, staying longer... (Some of the Outback-ready extras include) long range fuel tanks, bigger water capacities, bigger battery capacities, bigger solar and inverters.”

Not surprisingly, the 'gas free' Conqueror 2.0 on display had plenty of remote off-grid capacity, including 600watts of solar, 400amps of lithium batteries, and 95L fresh water, 80L dedicated drinking water and 43 grey water tanks.

However, the centrepiece of the design is the diesel water heating and air heating system designed to make life in often chilly Outback regions a lot more pleasant.

“We’ve done a diesel, water and air system, with ducting running through the whole camper. It’s all run on a digital timer, which you can set to turn on at 6am before you kick the blankets off, and you can open and close individual vents as well," he said.

The base vehicle option of either a Toyota HiLux SR 4x4 or Ford Ranger XL 2.0 (which adds $5000 over the HiLux) are both well equipped for remote off-road travel, with a snorkel, bull bar, winch, 140L long-range fuel tank, and mud-terrain tyres on an uprated lifted suspension among the modifications and accessories added.

For those concerned about the camper’s height and centre of gravity, Harrison said that Suncamper had already examined all the issues and made some '2.0' improvements.

“We’ve done a GVM upgrade to the unit, and we’ve done a study on weight distribution," he explained.

"On the previous model, the storage was at the rear. So for better load distribution, we’ve actually put a forward storage hatch under the floor. If you’re trying to balance load better, it’s great for storing recovery gear and so on. Because we’ve raised the floor level by 100mm, that’s allowed us to do that hatch.”

Like almost all new Australian-made RVs, and particularly motorhomes, there’s a considerable wait time for the new Conqueror 2.0, with customers who have already signed up not due to get their campers until sometime next year, while demo models will hit the dealerships later this year.

“Customer builds are for 2025 onwards, and production is fully booked until April next year at the moment," he said.

"We’ll produce a few units towards the end of this year to go out to our dealer network. We have developed as much of it as we can, so I suppose this is the first prototype,” Harrison added.