Tested: Gusto Dust Reduction System

You’ve just done 400km on a corrugated, dusty highway; you’re tired, the kids are hungry, you could use a drink, but when you open the door of the van... it appears every single surface is covered in the fine bull dust you just drove through.

It’s not something you’d wish on your loudest caravan park neighbour but fortunately there are now a number of after-market Dust Reduction Systems available to prevent this problem from occurring.

When we built our custom Wonder Roo off-road caravan, the Melbourne manufacturer introduced us to a new kid on the block and we haven't looked back...

What is the Gusto DRS?

The Gusto DRS is an innovative new cabin pressurisation system which gets your typical dust reduction unit out of the precious roof real-estate and into the side wall of your van – meaning more space for solar panels. Click here for more on the new Gusto unit which was introduced in 2023 and retails for $1850 or less depending on the outlet.

If you’ve driven any sort of dirt road before, you’ll know you’re not always hitting high speeds. Our previous caravan DRS relied on the van hitting speeds of more than 20km/h or 30km/h before it got going, meaning we weren’t always pressurised on some of the slower-going dusty roads.

The thing we like about the Gusto DRS is it's on when we switch it on and it runs until we turn it off, so we’re always protected from dust ingress regardless of the travel speed.

It also made sense to mount the unit in the side of the van for other reasons. I could go on about extra solar panels on the roof and that may be what sells the system for you but for us, we’re all about the natural air-flow. Losing the DRS in the roof meant we could add a giant roof hatch instead.

Spending long periods on the road with the family, the extra dose of natural light and breeze is an absolute game-changer and makes the van a much nicer place to spend time in.

What don't we like about the Gusto DRS

Installing the system in the wall of the van meant we lost some valuable overhead cupboard space. Not a particularly large one, but definitely big enough to make it worth mentioning.

It's not a dealbreaker in our 19ft 6ft family van in which we've never filled all the cupboards anyway, and are constantly culling to ensure we stay compliant and under weight. But it could be an issue for other people who like to make the most of all the storage space available in their van.

Our other 'gripe' is there's no app or remote control to run the Gusto DRS, so you have to physically switch it off and on every time you drive. Although once ingrained in your pack-up process it's not really a hassle.

To make sure we don't forget, I leave the cupboard door open right up until we’re hitched up and ready to roll as a visual reminder to hit the switch. Last check through the van – switch on the Gusto and close the cupboard.

Can the system be retrofitted?

Short answer – yes. While it's always a smart move to get a dust reduction system installed in the van from the factory, the team at Gusto Global Industries are now working with many Australian caravan manufacturers on the retrofit option for owners. There are also several instructional videos on the Gusto website for DIY types, and you can give them a call with any installation queries.

So far, so good, and that's after putting the Gusto DRS system to the test over 15,000km to date. We're hoping it will keep up the good work as a dust repellent, when next month we tackle one of the most popular stretches of dirt in the country: the Gibb River Road in the Kimberley.

Note: The writer received a discount on the purchase of the product reviewed in this article.