Top-10 hybrid off-road caravans

Hybrid caravans are all the rage right now, with a growing number available from cut-price Chinese-built offerings to the more upmarket Aussie-built examples.

The growth in popularity of hybrids comes off the back of more RV travellers seeking to head off-road and stay off-the-grid for longer, while increasingly not wanting to sacrifice too much in the way of creature comforts.

The trend is similar to the one which occurred when camper trailer manufacturers switched from tent-style to hard-walled models, although that was also driven by cheaper imported rivals flooding the market.

So what exactly is a hybrid off-road caravan?

There is no official definition, but we’d describe one as having a blend of off-road camper trailer and caravan features, but with more emphasis on the caravan.

So, a 16 to 18ft caravan with fixed or pop-top roof and largely outside cooking, and either an outside shower or internal combination shower/toilet instead of the larger ensuite-style bathroom you see on many traditional-style caravans.

Hybrid vans often boast full composite construction, full off-road suspension and disc brakes and are narrower than a typical caravan to better follow a 4x4 tow vehicle down tight off-road tracks.

Here’s our pick of some of the best of the current crop of hybrid caravans available on the Australian market...

Pioneer Verve

A Track Trailer in everything but name, the new Pioneer Verve is exactly what you want in a hybrid caravan: a comfy interior including including large double bed, kitchenette and small bathroom; user-friendly external kitchen; decent 200Ah lithium battery system and plenty of storage and payload for longer trips.

It’s also easy to set up with its fixed roof, and a bush-track-friendly 2077mm width, coil spring Trakmaster caravan-developed suspension, relatively light 2600kg ATM and excellent dust sealing provides confidence when heading far off the beaten track.

The fact it’s built by the same team behind the bullet-proof Tvan is also reassuring, and its circa $130,000 pricetag is more affordable than Track Trailer’s larger hybrid caravan offerings like the T4.

AOR Sinergi

Queensland’s Australian Off Road produce some of the most desirable off-road campers and caravans in Australia, and the 18ft 8in full-height off-road Sinergi is an enticing hybrid caravan option if you’re an adventurous couple wanting your creature comforts mixed in with with plenty of bushability.

While it lacks the separate shower and toilet of its larger, pricier Aurora sibling, the Sinergi delivers in many other aspects including a choice of internal or external cooking, inside dining and sleeping, big battery power and water storage, and tough fibreglass construction together with an off-road camper-trailer-style chassis and suspension set-up.

Not to mention quite a few luxuries like air conditioning and space heating.

Kimberley Kruiser

NSW’s Kimberley might have changed owners a few times over the years, but one thing that hasn’t changed too much is the high level of innovation, build quality and off-grid camping luxury spread across its model range.

The three-model Kruiser line-up tops the hybrid caravan range, with the single-axle E-Class variant shown here a great option with its caravan-style interior layout including kitchen, lounge-dinette and queen bed, complemented by outdoor cooking on its pull-out kitchen and a large front storage box.

Like any good hybrid van, the curvaceous Kruiser is designed to be towed in places most larger caravans will struggle, with its airbag suspension, 2.27m width and 2495kg ATM aiding accessibility to more rugged regions.

Vision VH Hybrid

Fledgling off-road RV brand Vision is now offering full-size caravans but it’s the more compact and lightweight Vision VH pop-tops introduced in 2019 that best fit the bill for those looking for an all-terrain hybrid caravan.

Available in 14ft and 16ft body lengths with couple and family floorplans, the single-axle VH Hybrid models have enough clearance and suspension travel to tackle beaches and Outback tracks, while delivering many caravan comforts with king beds and lounge/dinette seats or bunks, a combination shower/toilet and a range of kitchen fittings located both inside and outside the van.

Rhinomax Lost Trak

Queensland’s Rhinomax started life building tent campers, before moving into boxy hard-wall campers, and now focussing on medium and large hybrid off-road caravans.

First to arrive in the Lost Trak hybrid caravan series was the dual-axle 18ft 6in couple’s model, followed by more off-road capable versions like the single-axle 16ft full-height Lost Trak hybrid tourer.

Following the luxury off-road hybrid caravan formula, the Lost Trak vans are just 2100mm wide, allowing them to follow in the wheel tracks of large 4WDs, and while an ATM weight of up to 3500kg is not exactly light, it’s practical as it delivers as much as a one tonne-plus payload on some Lost Trak variants.

Lyfe RV Hybrid Trakker

Melbourne’s Lyfe RV is a relative newcomer to the premium Aussie-built hybrid off-road caravan market, but the small family business seems to be doing all the right things especially with hybrid caravan models like its 15ft Hybrid Pop-top.

It ticks most of the hybrid caravan boxes with its solid composite body construction, galvanised chassis and Cruisemaster suspension, and appealing mix of caravan and camper trailer features including its extra-large outside kitchen, and internal king-size bed, comfy lounge and combination shower/toilet.

The sub-2.0m-wide hybrid comes loaded up with as much lithium battery power and water storage as the customer desires, all within a relatively light 2500kg ATM.

Mountain Trail LXV 5.2

Albury, NSW-based business Mountain Trail is another local manufacturer that has turned its talents from making top-shelf camper trailers to luxury-lined off-road caravans.

The composite caravan specialist offers two lines of full off-road composite caravans: a number of larger full-width (2.495m wide) tandem models, and a skinnier (2.2m wide) range of compact and mid-size pop-top and full-height vans.

Hitting the hybrid caravan sweet-spot is the recently released single-axle 17ft LXV 5.2 model that can accommodate up to a family of four, with an internal bathroom and a mix indoor and outdoor cooking.

While there’s decent room to move around inside and plenty of on-board technology, it’s the rugged camper trailer ‘bones’ that appeal to its Outback enthusiast buyers including its laser-cut furniture, airbag suspension and dust and waterproof storage lockers.

Bruder EXP-6

Brisbane’s Bruder specialises in producing world-class off-road hybrid caravans, or expedition trailers as it likes to call them.

While the $300,000-plus, 19ft 6in range-topping EXP-8 model is hard to beat as a techno tour de force, more appealing from a financial perspective is the smaller EXP-6 trailer that’s available in fixed-roof and pop-top versions.

It gets many of the bullet-proof attributes of the larger EXP-8, including extra-thick composite panels and a bespoke chassis with unique multi-link independent air suspension, but in a smaller package that combines interior sleeping, eating and lounging areas with an inside/outside kitchen and huge battery power and water reserves.

Cub Campers C16

Sydney’s Cub Campers has been building tent campers for decades, but its first crack at a proper caravan in more than 50 years certainly fits our definition of a hybrid caravan.

At 2.23m wide, the 16ft full-height hybrid is not much wider than a Cub camper and its composite construction, galvanised chassis and trailing-arm coil suspension helps keep its tare weight down to 2000kg.

A key feature is the large camper-trailer-style pull-out external kitchen, while the inviting airy caravan-like interior features a north-south double bed, lounge/dining seating and a roomy combination bathroom.

Jayco CrossTrak

We’re rounding out our Top-10 hybrid off-road caravan list with a very appealing model from Australia’s largest RV manufacturer.

The Jayco CrossTrak first arrived as a compact 13ft couple’s model in 2019, but the homegrown Hybrid range has since expanded to include 14ft and 16ft versions in both couple and family layouts.

Apart from the CrossTrak’s enticing mix of caravan and camper features, it’s sharply priced to provide a locally built alternative to the large number of feature-packed imported hybrid caravans and pop-tops now available on the market.