Trakka Jabiru Remote 4x4

WHAT WE LIKED

• Refined ride and comforts
• Efficient, diesel powered heating and cooking
• Off-road capability

NOT SO MUCH

• Not as practical around town or tight bush tracks
• No Bluetooth audio
• Expensive!


Many of us enjoy campervan adventures on quiet tracks but are frustrated by the lack of ground clearance and capabilities of our on-road campers. So the introduction of Trakka’s Jabiru Remote 4x4 is an exciting prospect.

And judging by the amount of ‘rubbernecking’ during our road test, this Mercedes Sprinter conversion should sell, even though a price tag of $178,000 means it’s aimed at the top end of the market.

This is one refined beast of a van, with a jacked-up body painted in tasteful metallic grey and using the standard Sprinter rear cab.

Boasting switch button 4WD, diesel powered heating and cooking, and a very high standard of finish throughout its two berth interior, the Jabiru is set up to go most places.

The layout is built around the permanently fixed king sized double bed at the rear, with central kitchen and shower/toilet in the middle and dinette area up front with swivelling cab chairs for seating. 

It’s a cosy setup with limited floor space but for the adventurous couple offers a comfortable self-contained interior, finished off in a sandy lightwood veneer with trendy roller shutters on all storage.

Trakka has taken the popular, long wheel-base Sprinter chassis and incorporated some good design elements including locating the water tank over the back wheels to both protect it from damage and help centralise the load.

Ground clearance is an adequate 200mm (180mm for the cheaper 2WD version) and the combination of rear leaf spring and forward independently dampened suspension provides a firm but stable ride.

Unlike the smaller-engined 2WD Sprinter I tested a few months ago there’s none of that yawing and rolling; aided no doubt by the four, 16 inch wheels on the back axle.

UP, UP AND AWAY

Climbing up to the tall cab and slotting the five speed transmission into Drive, the lively V6 diesel pulls strongly up to 100km/h with the rev counter on 2400rpm as we head north along the Sydney motorway.

Overtaking is a breeze with plenty of acceleration and the high seat provides excellent forward vision on the road.

There’s little engine sound or wind noise in the airy cab and only a few little rattles from the rear cabin, which by the way is thickly insulated by Trakka with heavy duty foam on all exposed metal.

The fold-down arm rests are handy on longer trips, as is the radio/CD player, which blasts out the tunes at plenty of decibels, both in the front and rear cab.

For later models the radio/CD will also feature Bluetooth wireless support, Trakka tells me.

Pulling in to stock up with food before hitting the forest tracks highlights the Jabiru’s bulk; at 2.75m high and 6.94m long, reversing is a fraught affair due to the furniture restricting the driver’s view. I’d opt for the optional camera and screen ($950).

Storing a weekend’s worth of food is easy thanks to plenty of overhead lockers and under sink drawers and there’s even a wine rack and tall cupboard.

Chilled storage is also good with the full size, 136 litre fridge easily swallowing our drinks and meat.

Turning off onto a forest track with gravel surface doesn’t disturb ride comfort too much,  and as the the road narrows and declines steeply I slow to click the 4WD button beside the steering wheel before aiming the Jabiru towards the bottom of the slope.

Immediately the ride becomes more defined with less bucking from the rear end which gives me confidence to maintain a good speed in the fading daylight.

With the trees closing in on the single track section of the road, some branches scrape along the tall topsides and catch on the protrusions, which include the television aerial and solar panels at the rear. 

I’m glad the optional Dometic B3000+ air conditioner isn’t fitted as it would add a further 12cm to the already tall roof height.

With the headlights starting to pick out the creatures of the night, including some startled kangaroos, we decide to pull over for the night.

QUICK SET UP

The Jabiru’s ready-made king sized bed means very little setup effort is required.

We simply swivel our cabin chairs around, pull out the dinette table from the sliding door shelf and hey presto, our evening is under way.

Leaning overhead, I wind out the television aerial, swivelling it to adjust reception in analogue mode (the 48cm flat screen TV/CD also supports digital).

Earlier in the day the Webasto water heater had been turned up to 70C allowing a running start on the hot water for pasta, and the ducted air helps take the chill off the interior.

A single control panel above the kitchen worktop runs all systems, including the Webasto RHA 100 diesel cooker, with high temperature ring and simmer plate integrated to the ceramic hob. 

According to Trakka it uses a mere 200ml of diesel per hour and it takes about five minutes to heat up.

As our pasta boils there’s no discernable diesel smell in the cabin and only a faint whiff outside where the exhaust goes.  The only downside when cooking is that there’s only two burner rings.

Other kitchen gear includes an (optional) 12V/240 AC microwave. Although it takes up a large cabinet space it’s a worthwhile inclusion, and clicking the inverter near the underfloor electrical panel powers the 800W microwave with our pasta sauce inside.

Despite the lack of work surfaces the kitchen generally works well with plenty of quality touches including a drink water filter, soft close drawers and LED lighting in strategic places.

Trakka has even fitted a flip out desk style table in the corner which is near the inverter so an ideal place for setting up a laptop.

Below this table is a floor hatch that houses all the electrics including a Waeco 25amp house battery charger. My only gripe here is if some spillage should occur it could seep through the floor panel.

In camp mode power comes from two sealed 100ah house batteries and dual 280W solar panels which produce about 4.5amps in the midday sun. Many campers would choose to pack a petrol standalone generator as well.

System monitoring is done via the main kitchen control panel which includes digital readouts on both the house and engine batteries.

TOILET HUMOUR

My daughter loves the movable ablutions, squeezing the remote control to giggle at the toilet pan sliding along its rails. A moot point is the energy used but the system does mean a reasonably sized shower cubicle and vanity area.

The king sized bed (2.05m x 1.78m) with firm but sensitive Dunlop Enduro memory foam ensures a comfortable night’s sleep and we keep the powered skylight opened a fraction to keep condensation down.

Plenty of headroom and high locker space with LED spotlights mean the night owls can read while partners sleep on.

Privacy is also good with roll out blinds on all windows and they also separate the bedroom from the kitchen. Reflecting the quality evident throughout, heavily used fittings such as window sliders and all gas struts are substantially made.

For our alfresco breakfast the Fiamma awning is wound out and the outside table neatly clipped into a recess on the sliding door, which locks open.

The Jabiru design allows for a large storage area behind the rear double doors, not hindered by the spare wheel which hides under the chassis. 

Other good external features include a shower nozzle on the driver’s side toilet cassette locker as well as a quick deploy water hose on the passenger’s side.

VERDICT

Although it comes at a price, the 4WD Jabiru is a lesson in smart design, and reflects Trakka’s  vast experience in building motorhomes and campers, dating back to 1973.

Overall, it’s hard to fault the Jabiru because it really is a well designed, go-anywhere vehicle. It proved itself on the motorway, the twisty tarmac and rugged, steep off-road tracks. 

And in camp mode its energy efficient systems and cosy interior makes you want to remain hidden in that cosy glade for some time.

TRAKKA JABIRU REMOTE 4X4

Design: two seat, two berth campervan
Chassis: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter LWB
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6  turbo diesel
Power/torque: 140kW/440Nm
Transmission: five-speed automatic with 4ETS high/low range
Fuel tank: diesel 100 litre (80 litre optional auxiliary)
Length: 6.94m
Width: 1.99m
Height: 2.80m (2.92m with optional 240V air-con)
Wheelbase: 4.32m
Ground clearance: 200mm
Interior height: 1.78m
Suspension front: Independent spring with damper strut, transverse semi-elliptic leaf spring and stabiliser bar (front); gas shocks, longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf spring and stabiliser bar (rear)
Tare: 3700kg
GVM: 4490kg
Max towable: 2000kg
Fridge/freezer: 136 litres
Water: 160 litre (fresh), 90 litre (grey), 10 litre (hot), 20 litre (black)
Vehicle battery: 100Ah
Auxiliary batteries: 2 x 100Ah
Price: $178,000 (Drive-away, Victoria)
Supplied by: Trakka, NSW