Van Cruiser Outlaw PT

Traditionally, most people’s first camping experience comes under canvas: a caravan annexe, a freestanding tent, perhaps a fold-out soft or hard-floor trailer, or in the pull-out bed of an Expanda-style camper.

But that’s all changing these days. Just as many first home buyers wouldn’t dream of a house without a family room, or a car without wi-fi connectivity, so many are now by-passing canvas in favour of compact hard-roofed hybrid campers and caravans.

One of the reasons behind this trend is that we’re all becoming more time poor, valuing instant accessibility and quick set-up more highly. With one of these new hybrid campers you can check the weather on a Friday and head off on a two-night camping weekend with minimal preparation.

And if the weather turns unexpectedly, you can pack up and get home quickly without the need to unpack and dry out sodden canvas.

On the other hand, with serious battery power, you can spend more quality time off the grid and enjoy overnight camping on the fly much easier than you could with most canvas-based campers. Perhaps the Ultimate is the exception here.

The hottest spot in this mushrooming market is around $50,000, where at least 10 new RVs have already emerged, or will be released, by mid-2016. Designed for adventure lovers, they’re compact, most have serious off-road capabilities and some are young-family friendly.

An interesting example of this new genre is the Van Cruiser Outlaw PT (Pop-top). Initially launched mid-2015 as the Outlaw SUV– a hard-shell, fixed roof ‘box’ on a tough G&S chassis with provision to carry a wide range of action ‘toys’ on its long drawbar, it’s now available as a slightly larger, but much more versatile pop-top.

Typically Van Cruiser, the Outlaw PT is available in a wide range of colours, thanks to Van Cruiser founder Enzo Gnocato’s love of colourful Alucobond aluminium composite wall cladding. Our review Outlaw PT appropriately was called the ‘Bumble Bee’ because of its bright yellow and black livery.

While the original 5700mm tip-to-toe SUV with its 3200mm x 2160mm Meranti-framed body garnered plenty of attention at shows, the 6160mm overall length SUV PT with its extended 3450mm pop-top body has been getting signatures on sales contracts.

It seems that that today’s adventure campers want and are prepared to pay a little more for size and convenience.

Where the VC Outlaw PT appeals is that it comes with both inside and outside cooking facilities either as a family bunk van with an external shower, or as a couple’s hybrid with the bunks replaced by a combined shower and toilet interior ensuite.

In either configuration you can have the long A-frame set up to carry a range of ‘toys’, from trail bikes to mountain bikes, maybe a go-kart, a tinnie and outboard motor, or perhaps even an ATV – all dependent on their size and weight, of course.

‘Our’ prototype Outlaw PT came with a large (optional) checker-plate toolbox with a portable fridge slide on the rollout awning side, with room for a small generator on the other and perhaps a pair of bicycles above. However what you can put ahead on the PT’s A-frame is pretty much limited to your passion and its size and weight.

Unlike many of the latest soft and hard-floor campers, Van Cruiser’s Outlaw PT – like its new market rivals – is not particularly light. However with the latest crop of dual-cab utes rated to tow 3000-3500kg, an empty weight of 1520kg and a laden weight of 2000kg is now easy to handle.

In the case of these new hybrid SUVs, size matters more, for as long as it can follow the wheel-tracks of its tow tug, it can be hauled to most places that people and their toys will want to go.

Apart from its customisable A-frame, the other thing that sets the Van Cruiser Outlaw PT apart from the compact hybrid pack is its ability to support its occupants on an extended stay in remote areas.

This starts with its standard equipment including no fewer than three 105 Amp/hr AGM deep cycle batteries and three 100W roof-mounted solar panels as standard, along with 190 litres of fresh water in two 95L tanks and twin 9kg gas bottles up front.

Depending on your outdoor ambitions, the PT is available in two specs – ‘Dirt Road’ like our review vehicle, which means single axle rocker leaf suspension with single shockers, 10-inch electric brakes and a conventional 50mm ball hitch, or ‘Off-Road’ with Control Rider TS independent suspension, with dual shocks, heavy duty springs, 12-inch brakes and a DO-35 multi-directional hitch.

Both come with the same G&S Supagal heavy duty 150mm x 50mm diameter chassis, 245-16 off-road tyres mounted on Primal alloy wheels and a heavy-duty jockey wheel.

In our experience with the test Outlaw PT, the Dirt Road model was very comfortable going to some hard places, but if your getaway involves more wheel articulation, then we’d opt for the Off Road pack to give your toys an easier ride.

Either way the body and internal components and cabinetry seem capable of withstanding some serious punishment, with the exception that our prototype was fitted with a stock Aussie Traveller entry door with gas venting slots that let dust into the step area and onto some interior surfaces.

However, with a spirit stove instead of a gas stove inside, this was not necessary and a solid door, or a roof-mounted pressure vent, would doubtless have kept the dust at bay.

Another minor issue was one of the four clasps that secure the pop-top roof during travel working loose, but we’d expect a more sturdy arrangement on production models.

We’d also like to see some retaining straps fitted to keep the pop-top ‘windows’ in place when unfurled.

However, as you would expect, the SUV is nicely set-up for outdoor living.

There’s a long slide-out stainless steel kitchen with a three-burner cooktop and a sink with flick mixer tap and hot and cold water in one of the two front through-body lockers and a full tunnel boot in the other.

However the 9ft wide Aussie Traveller Awning fitted as standard to our prototype SUV made it necessary to extend the awning to access the kitchen – something that has been solved on production versions by interchanging the kitchen slide and storage lockers. The adjacent fridge that slides away into the optional front took box is ideally placed.

However if the weather roughs up, you can retreat indoors and cook on the Origo 2000 single burner spirit stove located above the PT’s standard 65 litre Primus compressor fridge/freezer to the left of the door, while there’s a separate stainless steel wash bowl with hot and cold water that can serve as a sink or vanity basin.

Otherwise the interior fit-out works well.

The transverse front bed with its 1540mm wide foam mattress is comfortable and surrounded on the upper walls by useful storage cupboards, while a small but useful three quarter wardrobe separates the ‘kitchen’ from the bedroom.

Opposite, on the review PT, was a three-person couch that converts into two bunk beds when a three-section hinged shelf above is unfolded and the cushions redistributed.

The good thing about this bunk set-up is that it can be left erected without interfering with other interior functions of the van. With it folded, a simple pop-up table for indoor dining or card games, etc. would be a good addition.

Other nice touches include the standard 12v Sirocco fan on one wall of the bedroom and the many storage cupboards.

The outside trigger action hot/cold shower accessed via a small hatch on the PT’s rear wall works very well, while the OzTrail portable toilet located in one of the rear lockers can be relocated inside the PT overnight, if desired.

However, it would be even more useful if it could be slid into the interior at night via a hatch beneath the lower bunk like Track Trailer does with the portable toilet in its Topaz Hybrid.

WE LIKED:

>> Well thought out compact design
>> Well equipped for extended bush living
>> Clever bunk beds
>> Indoor/outdoor cooking options

NOT SO MUCH:

>> Some dust entry via door
>> Retaining straps needed for furled pop-top ‘windows’
>> Failure of roof clasp
>> Weight when fully laden will limit ‘bushability’

VERDICT

While not perfect the VC Outlaw PT is still a great example of the newly emerging entry class of compact go-anywhere hybrid pop-tops.

Solidly built, easy to tow and quick to set up, it makes ‘camping’ more accessible to couples and families, whether a spur-of-the-moment week-ender, or for longer term remote area exploration.

VAN CRUISER OUTLAW PT ‘DIRT ROAD’

Travel length: 6160mm
External body length: 3450mm
External body width: 2000mm
Travel height: 2300mm
Interior height: 2000mm
Tare weight: 1520kg
ATM: 2000kg
Ball weight: 100kg
Body: Meranti timber frame with aluminium flat composite panels
Chassis: 150mm x 50mm G&S Supagal chassis and A-frame, 50mm ball hitch
Suspension: Single axle rocker leaf spring with single telescopic shock absorbers
Brakes: 10-inch electric yes
Stability Control: Optional
Wheels: Primal 16in alloy with LT245/75 tyres
Fresh water: 2 x 95l fresh water
Battery: 3 x 105Ah deep cycle AGM
Solar: 3 x 100W roof-mounted
Air-conditioner: Optional
Gas: 2 x 9.0kg
Hot water: 23l Suburban gas/electric
Cooking: Three-burner gas cooktop
Fridge:  Primus 60L compressor
Microwave: Optional
Toilet: OzTrail portable
Shower: External hot/cold
Lighting: LED
Price $51,990 (As tested: $54,249)
Options fitted: A-frame toolbox with Waeco 40L fridge; external Bluetooth speaker/light
Supplied by: Van Cruiser Custom Built Caravans, Carrum Downs, Vic