The most ‘Australian’ British caravan to date, has been unveiled at the 2018 Bendigo Leisurefest.
The first UK-bodied Bailey to ride on a locally-built, heavier duty chassis, Bailey Australia pulled the wraps from its latest 21ft Unicorn IV Pamploma, at the rural show last week.
New Bailey Unicorn is assembled in Australia with locally-built chassisInstead of arriving fully imported, the new van is completed at Bailey Australia’s Campbellfield, Victoria factory, where its narrower British body is bolted to a locally-designed and manufactured chassis.
The robotically-welded Austrail RV Duragal chassis is fitted with tandem axle independent rubber suspension and an off-road pin coupling from AL-KO, and incorporates two 120 litre water tanks.
All-up, the new hybrid van tips the scales at 1900kg (Tare), or around 200kg more than the equivalent UK model. Ball weight at Tare is 125kg and the ATM is 2400kg.
The local version also comes with a locally-supplied Dometic full-height door, rather than the split barn-style entry door fitted to UK models.
Before going into production in early-2019, the four-berth prototype van displayed at Bendigo is likely to have a few changes, including fitting bigger 15in wheels which will aid road clearance.
Standard features on the fibreglass van include a coil-spring queen mattress, 190 litre three-way fridge/freezer, instant hot water, 100Ah battery and 150W solar panel with 30A regulator, four-burner cooktop, grille, oven and microwave, and a 2.5kg top-load washing machine.
Unlike the Brit versions, the Australian Pamplomas won't come standard with gas central heating, although a roof-mounted air-conditioner is included.
Inside, the Oz-spec Unicorn Pamploma features the latest Euro decor including plush beige upholstery and matte black benchtops, along with Bailey's trademark panoramic 'Skyview' front window arrangement.
The familiar UK-style layout incorporates a front lounge that converts to a double bed at the front, bathroom with separate shower and toilet in the middle and bedroom with north-south walk-around bed up back.
Priced from $69,990, the new Bailey Unicorn Pamploma is likely to be joined by other ‘Oz-Brit’ models in the future if there’s sufficient demand.