Van Cruiser expands Outlaw range

Ever inventive Van Cruiser is about to ramp up its tough new compact SUV range with two new ‘bushable’ models to be launched later this month.

This follows the rapid take-up of its initial compact SUV 'Outlaw' toy hauler caravan (pictured), with seven units sold since it first broke cover in May.

After displaying it at various shows, Van Cruiser boss Enzo Gnocato said he received many requests for a family version.

“A lot of families don’t want a full-sized caravan or a camper trailer for adventure travel,” he said. “They also want an Australian-made product because they want to know it's built to last in our conditions.”

The two larger-bodied variants that Gnocato is currently building both sit on the same bridge-like G&S chassis as the original Outlaw, but have additional chassis outriggers to allow the original 1500mm body to extend 500mm to 2000mm. However the overall mudguard-to-mudguard width remains at 2100mm.

The new models are also pop-tops, unlike their fixed roof progenitor and have a 200mm longer rear body overhang.

Both will feature Alucobond aluminium exterior cladding over a Meranti timber wall frame with the full palette of colours already offered on Van Cruiser vans on offer. To underscore this, a prototype ‘Quattro’ family van will be finished in ‘Bumblebee Yellow’.

The extra width has allowed the ‘Family’ version of the Outlaw (jokingly dubbed the ‘Inlaw’) to accommodate a transverse queen bed with twin folding bunk beds mounted on the wall behind.

These can be folded to form a daytime lounge when not in use, while a drop-in table will be supplied for in-house dining.

The other similar-sized variant is designed to appeal to couples who want more off-road comfort and will have a combined shower and toilet ensuite instead of the bunks

Gnocato’s ‘voxpop’ with potential customers at shows also convinced him that both versions needed to have inside cooking facilities, hot and cold water and fridges to allow indoor living in cold or unexpected weather.

Both will have a meth stove, a sink with a mixer tap via a Suburban 23-litre gas/electric hot water service and a 60-litre under-bench fridge to supplement the SUV’s standard exterior slide-out kitchen with BBQ and a top-loading second portable slide-out fridge.

No air conditioning is currently on offer, but twin 12V Sirocco fans for the bedroom and lounge room will be standard equipment, as will a rollout awning.

A second rear awning with zip-on walls to create a full ensuite tent – enclosing the external shower and standard portable toilet – will also be offered.

Twin 95-litre fresh water tanks, three 105Ah AGM batteries, twin 100W roof-mounted solar panels, an Enerdrive DC-DC charger, twin 9kg gas bottles alongside twin jerry cans and a large storage box on the A-frame, should ensure self-sufficiency in remote areas.

As each will be custom built to the buyer's spec, the storage box can be replaced with ramps to accommodate two trail or mountain bikes and other ‘toys’ if required.

With these specs, Van Cruiser’s new Outlaw SUVs tick most of the mandatory boxes for hybrid campers, but the feature that should get potential Quattro buyers excited is its expected $50,000 price tag – well below some of the most popular hybrid pop-top models on the market.