Real list of offroad vans

Hi Rob,

Have a look at “Caravaners Forum”. Down near the bottom of the index page there is a heading for Recreational rional Vehicle suppliers etc. This is a list of “all” rv’s with the type of van listed. There are quite a few noted as being “off road”.

I personally have an AOR Quantum that I take anywhere my Nissan can tow it with no concerns.

Cheers

This is always a contentious issue because of the definition of offroad ?
I wouldn't call a big Bushtracker offroad because they are so big you really can't take them too far offroad.........but they are good for outback dirt roads where corrugations test out the build quality of a van.
See where the difference is ?
You need to determine what sort of offroad you intend to do before making a list.

I guess im thinking would i tow it into honeymoon bay up past Kalumburu? or out to mitchell falls etc

How do you measure offroadness? Robust chassis means lots of weight to tow through rough ground and over soft surfaces. Long soft leaf springs, coils, and airbags reduce the vibrations from corrugations. Offroad means different things to different people. Descriptions of road condition lack any kind of objective measure. Frames? don't get me started. Any list you might find or derive would need to disclose the criteria necessary to get inclusion on the list.

Iza

I agree with Iza that there needs to be an agreed criteria. To me offroad goes beyond construction and should include a size/weight that can reasonably be dragged along a narrow track. I am currently considering a CC Exodus 16 over less expensive larger "offroad" vans because if my vehicle can fit through the horizontal or vertical gap so can the camper in many if not most cases. The more twists and turns in the track, the more size comes into play. Having said that I doubt I would take an Exodus along the Old Telegraph Track but would certainly take it to the Mitchell Plateau or similar. Then there is the reduced towing capacity of vehicles offroad, published or not, but that's another story....

We just went though the exercise and found most "off-road" caravans meant off asphalt! We travel light but are getting up in age so had to give up the RTT for health reasons. Found the Ellis Recreational Vehicle site and settled on the Basecamp Light as what suited us. Very robust and simple, high ground clearance and can go where the Troopy can go. Just an option, to look at.

I have a Conqueror UEV490 and have been on the road full time for almost 9 years and have done close to 300,000kms including:
Cape York
Anne Beadell
CSR
Simpson
Gary Junction

All of above multiple times

And I intend to keep going

This is the latest version of the 490

https://www.conqueroraustralia.com.au/campers/uev-490-platinum/

The problem with this topic is the definition of "offroad" when applied to vehicles...there is no consensus. I chose a new Trakmaster (conventional timber framed / metal skin but with expensive independent air suspension), because they seemed quite robust, well built, well appointed and would easily handle the terrain I intend to cover*. To further muddy the waters, some manufacturers have "offroad" models that use the smooth, glossy composite sandwich type frame / wall construction. For some users, the "offroad vans with reputation" would be overkill ($$$); and there are of course plenty of vans that carry an offroad label that may well prove inadequate.
It also seems true that some makers of vans that don't use an "offroad" label will 'beef up' aspects of their products to do the job; and may well be just as good and at a good $ saving.
I think the best approach is probably to highlight the types of terrain you hope to cover and then invite suggestions on the various vans from owners. My guess is you will find some names mentioned that don't necessarily figure on traditional "offroad van" lists.

Good luck with the project....huge fun out there in the vast outback !

*I do about 95% sealed roads these days (long drives to other parts of the nation :-), with the occasional modest runs on gravel....rarely on rough ground now.

If you have a look underneath the van and see exposed plastic plumbing then, in my humble opinion, it's not only not an off road van, it's not even a gravel road van.

The other issue is what is a caravan? What should be inside the van as standard and what is OK to be outside. I have looked at a few of the makes mentioned on here and to me they are little more than beefed up camper trailers. Ie nowadays nearly every caravan made has a shower and toilet (most separate and not in the shower cubicle), a stove and fridge inside the caravan. A lot even have a TV and washing machine. A number mentioned here have a external fridge (ie for a Engel or similar) and external cooking facilites and sink. So are they caravans in the true sense or upmarket camper trailers? My 16' caravan has separate shower, and toilet, washing machine, stove, grill and oven, fridge,sink table TV air conditioning, diesel heating, Queen size bed. It says its off road but I would NEVER take it everywhere I take my 4WD. Neither the car nor the van could do it. Ie Can you take your off road up Trigg track or along the Balfour track? Or any other extreeme track? If you cannot then its not off road in the true sense. It however might just go into a few places a big van would not fit.

Hi Rob

Your question on a “real and unbiased list of true offroad vans.” cannot be answered IMHO.

Others have raised valid questions on the definition of “off road”.

It’s advisable that you carefully consider what you want to do, when towing a van, off the bitumen. There is a lot to consider.

In our case we have a Kimberley Karavan. It has proven to be reliable in difficult conditions including deep water, savage corrugations, steep side creek crossings, etc etc. HOWEVER there are many many circumstances where the Prado and the Kimberley in tow will not proceed due to conditions and rig configuration.

The rig is around 11m long and weighs 4.9t fully laden. Immediately you are faced with rig dynamics and manoeuvrability issues that severely limit your choices when off-road. On three occasions we have had to disconnect the van, then skull drag it into position, to either continue or retreat on our journey.

For us the KK has proven to be very off road unless we are in very soft sand or mud due to the van weight and the limited power of the Prado diesel.

I have seen so many “non off road vans” on ugly roads that I often question the value for money of the KK purchase. But also I have no idea what damage has occurred to those other vans.

Life lessons state that “ you get what you pay for”. This may not be the case with caravans but is a useful starting point.

Cheers John

Ok time for some clarification.
I have towed a camprite camper into king George falls(yes it can be driven to) and the CSR and out further so am not unfamiliar with outback travel. I'm not asking for recommendations on my driving ability or my ability to get a van into the places I've mentioned. What I'm after is a real run down of vans that can take the punishment of off-road travel, miles of heavy corrugations, mud, river crossings, rocks etc.
most chassis these days are pretty reasonable and with care will make any trip( even towed an old Jayco penguin through places where others fear to walk!) what I am looking for is cupboards that don't fall apart, drawers that stay snug, I guess I'm saying build quality and ruggedness.

Rob, you can break any caravan, even the toughest off-roaders. Or you can crawl over the corrugations with a middle of the range caravan. Driving to suit the road and your rig, tyre pressure, speed and maintenance all come into it. I know you didn't want questions about how to drive, but no-one can recommend a tough off roader without that qualification.

We chose a Bushtracker as the best made and toughest. There are quite a few newer ones on the market now, but most have not stood the test of times.

Rob also incude SLR caravans in your search. We did the factory tour when we were sourcing our van. They build serious off-road vehicles.

Also have a look at wonderland caravans. There build method is different using cnc cut interlocked marine ply for the walls. No restrictions where you take them , choose your own chassis build etc. After a lot of research and narrowing the field down we finally ordered a 16ft 6inch wonderland.
cheers Graeme

Australian Off Road.
All their models are made to take on just about any road. Having said that, you better have some grunt to tow them, they aren’t light.
They also have absolutely superb after sales service, assistance. See their forum to get an example of what their owners think of them.
(Yes I have an AOR quantum)
Chris