Are you planning to buy a new off-road caravan in Australia? There are so many companies selling all kinds of caravans in the country that it can be difficult for a beginner to make the right choice. In fact, many companies just slap the label of an off-road caravan even though it is not built for offroading. Enthusiasts often end up buying such an expensive caravan but they only discover its shortcomings once they start taking it out. Here are a few tips to help you buy the perfect off-road caravan:
True off-road caravan
One of the first things you need to make sure is that the caravan you are considering buying is a true off-road caravan. Many companies use it only as a marketing trick. This is why you need to ask the salesperson about the type of terrain it is designed to handle. Most caravans are capable of handling easy dirt roads but it does not mean that they are designed to handle challenging terrains and this isn’t something you would want to end up with.
Find the true balance
When you are purchasing an off-road caravan, you will have to find a balance between weight, comfort and strength. You can add as many luxuries to a caravan as you want but those luxuries add a lot of weight.
For example, some people like to have a lot of storage in their caravans along with a bigger bathroom but that adds a lot of weight to the vehicle which obviously affects the off-road performance of the vehicle. Ideally, you should only choose essential comforts for an off-road caravan.
The caravan needs to be well built and should have the right balance between weight and strength. The important parts of the caravan such as the drawbar or chassis should be made of heavy duty material whereas other parts should be made from materials with low weight density.
Suspension
The most important thing that’s going to keep you comfortable when offroading is the suspension system. If you are buying a true off-road caravan, make sure the suspension is designed to handle all kinds of terrains. Experts recommend independent suspension with appropriate shock absorbers.
Tyres
A caravan designed for offloading is likely to have bigger tyres as compared to similar counterparts. This is why it is important to go for all-terrain tyres unless you are going to a specific type of terrain where you need a particular set of tyres.
Warranty
Carefully go through the warranty terms. If the manufacturer is confident about the off-road capability of their caravan, the warranty terms would be generous. On the other hand, if there are a lot of terms and conditions excluding certain kinds of terrain or certain kind of use, it means that the manufacturer isn’t confident about their own product or their caravan’s capability in challenging terrains. It simply means that you should avoid those particular models or manufacturers.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there are hundreds of models of caravans labelled for off-road use but not every model out there is designed for true offroading. This is why you should pay attention to its suspension, weight, strength, comfort levels, warranty terms and other important parameters before choosing one to get the best value for your money.
