Off road caravans

Mate, if "it will be my last purchase ( superannuation payout running low)". then (IMHO) you only have 3 choices in true offroad cararavans.

Bushtracker www.bushtracker.com/

Kedron www.kedroncaravans.com/

Phoenix www.phoenixcaravans.com.au/

Cheers,
Geoff

Hi Geoff
Don't know your price range?. Tell people, then they know your price bracket.
Have looked at a couple, not in the market for one ourselves.
For a smaller van you can't go past the Kimberly Karavan, about 70k optioned.
Full size van, bush tracker,know people who have done some serious 4X4 with there's, cost dunno.
Cheers Lyndon

IMO if want 18+ ft with a 2500kg limit the offroaders mentioned previously are out. A 'dirt roader' with a good independent suspension should still take you where you want to go even if a little more slowly. There's any number out there - the Golf Outback is an example.

Have a look at the Trakmaster Site and ask them for an info pack. Of the generally recognised builders of "off road vans" I reckon they are closest to what your looking for from the weight/cost perspective.

They are the only people I know off who will give you any realistic weight guides etc: Their info pack is quite informative in comparison to what you will receive from other manufacturers.

I got an info pack from Bushtracker that was full of hyperbole but did not tell me much other than I should visit the factory where all would be revealed. Trakmaster included a comprehensive price guide that allowed you to calculate the cost of various add ons to their base prices.

Ian

Geoff,

Keeping an 18ft plus van built by any of the top four off road vans (mentioned above) under 2500kgs is not going to happen. You will either have to change vehicles/buy smaller/ or buy something with lighter construction/less toys.

If you need real off road and choose to go the smaller van option, Trackmaster seem to have this corner of the market covered(though the others will do it). A single axle 15 or 16fter built by these guys should be able to be kept under your tow limit with afew hundred kgs to spare. This would be my choice though depends on how long you want to spend away in the van/where you plan on going.

If you choose to go for a lighter built van-be carefull. It's a mine field out there. Plenty of the quality (very few) on road vans are very close in weight to there off road cousins-especially if all the same gear is added (solar/batteries/water tanks etc etc). As for the rest of them-there is some stuff being served up as quality that is nothing but thrown together c%$^$%p. Going down this road you can set yourself up to go off with the vehicle for a week or two at a time, doing loops into the rough stuff. Not the same but a good option for many.

Good Luck,

Matt