What off road van ?

Steve,

Have a look at "Australian Off Road"

http://www.australianoffroadcampers.com.au

I looked hard and wide.
No they are not all dust proof. Look for a manufacture that has been building off road van for quite a while and then get some reference checks.
Most common problem was weight, in making the van stronger many manufactures made it heavier (which is the last thing you want when you are off road). Also be mindful of van width. If van is wider than car i.e. over 2Meters you will get a lot of damage down the sides on bush tracks.

All the best

Rob

Hi Steve, I'm heading to Melbourne this weekend to checkout UEV440/490 Conquerer cross-over camper at the 4x4show. Great looking setup & looks pretty tough.
Just my 2 bob's worth.
Cheers Rob

Hey thanks guys i'm new to this i probably need to give you more info.
I am looking for a Van not a Camper Trailer ( the wife will rough it if its a van with a toilet & Shower lol )
While i'm saying off road it won't be extreme off road and i have heard the biggest issue are suspension and bull dust so if anyone can poit me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated
Steve

Here's the ideal match for your tow vehicle:

On the Move Caravans

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Hi Steve,

As already stated weight will be an issue as off road vans are robust and heavy by definition and if your vehicle is limited to towing 2500kg that makes it pretty hard.
But it is not impossible.
If you are prepared to get a brand new van there are some issues you can consider to reduce weight on a custom made van (as we have just done). There are ways to reduce the weight of a van without compromising its strength or structural integrity:
(1) Look for manufacturers that use new materials such as sandwich panel. WE used this for our floor as it is much lighter than heavy marine ply and a far better insulator (imagine the temperature of the air just above the bitumen in summer...that is blowing up against your van floor)
(2) For all cabinetry in van use oak or mountain ash timber as it is very light and look good. Veneered particle board or MDF is very heavy. Same for door to shower...use lightweight acrylic rather other heavy material.
(3) IMO true off road vans do not have front or rear windows...this is where dust ingress is most likely due to the turbulence/vacuum effect when towing on a dirt road at speed. Also this saves weight....extra framing etc is needed for windows.
(4) Get one spare tyre for van only.... a tandem van can limp into the next town on 1 axle if need be ....1 spare means you will have to get 4 punctures before you come immobile. Carrying 2 spares is simply extra weight that is not needed.
BUT
Do not compromise on the important parts....we have 150mm galvanised chassis and heavy duty trailing arm independent suspension with 8 shock absorbers.
Our 20ft 6 in van with full ensuite incl washing machine, 2 water tanks etc etc has a tare weight of only 2300kg and an ATM of 3000kg (but fully laden ours is about 2750kg).
Our Landcruiser can tow 3500kg but I have a self-imposed tow limit of about 85% of my capacity for safety reasons. Remember the vehicles tow limit is a MAXIMUM specified by the manufacturer and related to good road conditions in good weather. Most times you do not have the prevailing parameters to tow to your maximum capacity in my opinion (in the past 12 months on our travels I have seen 3 jack-knifed van accidents...all seemingly on good sections of road).
I also choose not to tow a van that is a greater weight than my tow vehicle. I know legally I can...but I choose not to.
These are some of the issues we dealt with 12 months ago when researching what van to get. After extensive research we choose to go to a manufacturers that would help us achieve a lighter van than otherwise would be the case without sacrificing the important bits or its off road capabilities. In the end we chose a Sunland Patriot and have just completed our first trip with it (7,000km). WE are very happy with it...especially its towing parameters.
Hope these comments help your deliberations.
GemHunter caravans in another one that uses the sandwich panel method.
(sandwich panel is 2 pieces of fibreglass with foam in between).
Cheers

Steve,

Wamuranman criteria for an off road van are very similar to what I came up with when I did my research late last year.

Like yourself I had a wife insisting on an internal shower and toilet, comfortable queen bed and lots of storage, while I wanted at least 260L of water in 2 tanks (one for drinking and the other for general purpose) an electrical system with sufficient capacity for several days of independent camping and genuine off road capability. All this with 2500Kg towing capacity (Toyota Prado).

Ross M made the point “good ground clearance and supple/compliant suspension” is of the upmost importance and Wamuranman has also emphasized this via “ heavy duty trailing arm independent suspension with 8 shock absorbers.”

These views I concur with, especially the suitability of a trailing arm independent suspension with 2 shock absorbers per wheel for off road. (If one shocker goes you can still keep moving, but if you only have one to start with you stop where it failed)

We purchased a full height caravan with an ATM of 2200KG that didn’t just meet our requirements but exceed them in a number of areas: -
• Can carry 4 jerry cans so have the option of additional diesel and/or water capacity if required.
• Fold out rack for fire wood and/or up to 4 push bikes (we only need 2)
• Wheels and tyres fitted are the same as the car (so need 3 tyres destroyed before we are stopped)
• An extensive range of options

Good luck in you search

Rob

Hi Rob,

So what caravan did you buy ?

Regards Kev

We purchased a "Matrix" from AORC (in months of research and looking I could not find anything better)

http://www.australianoffroadcampers.com.au/specifications-a-prices/matrix-off-road.html

Wife very happy with en suite, kitchen with lots of storage and bench space and also the comfy bed.
Husband very happy with the extensive use of lightweight materials, the suspension system and general build quality.

All the best

Rob