Avan Caravans Adventure Pack

Hi Krooznalong

When we were researching, a number of caravans rapidly fell off the list when the off road badged model had a proviso like "suitable for sealed roads and occasional short trips off sealed such as into a campsite". Any caravan should be suitable for unsealed maintained rural roads. Some may suffer dust ingression, but all should stand up to these rural roads.

If you want to go beyond these roads, don't choice a badged model from a regular caravan manufacturer, but look at the brands that specialise in off road caravans. A lifted suspension and a bit of chequerplate will not change a regular (sealed roads) caravan into an off road (rough roads) caravan.

Do not worry to much about taking a Avan poptop "off the road", we have a dual axle model non "off road" with no modifications and we have taken it over some very , very rough roads ...corrugations , rocks , the lot ..and have not experienced any trouble whatsoever....maybe we have been lucky...maybe because we took our time and took it easy,,,who knows cheers

Most vans will handle off road conditions provided you drop your tyre pressure on tug, and van, and drop your speed, and drive to the conditions.
baz

All the above advice is pretty spot on. Sensibly driven you should not have a problem - or few anyway. I agree with MH 'Adventure Packs' and the like are marketing tools to extract more dollars from your wallet. Same like units badged as 'Semi Off-Road' whatever the hell that means!

A purpose built off-road van has upgraded engineering and build throughout. They are, or should be, designed for long term hard country touring, corrugations and dust. The build will include upgraded cabinet work, fittings, electrics, plumbing, chassis and suspension. Just putting a raised and stiffened suspension underneath what is essential a stock road van will just transfer the vibration and shocks up through the rest of the unit.

I have also seen stock road vans in some interesting country - would I buy one for long term touring of the more remote places ..... No.
John

All depends on where YOU intend to take it..
An offroad caravan is what ?? A huge Bushtracker won't go offroad, but it will handle corrugations on a dirt road, and that's what the extra strength is all about.
If you want to go offroad, but not to the outback on corrugated roads, then the Avan with a bigger chassis and lifted suspension will probably do the job .
Offroad, you need ground clearance.....corrugated dirt roads you need good suspension and interior that won't won't fall apart.
A cross between the two is a good thing, depending what size van you want !

In a unit designed for rough roads and offroad I would want to see a heavier chassis, higher axle rating, HD suspension and greater clearances. The main reason is to deal with the effects of a load when it drops into a dip, hits a rock or hammers a bump.