YOUR RVs
At the rear are two nearside bunks . In lieu of a third , or bottom , bunk , the family decided to fit a washing machine under the lower-most bed . By fitting a panel to the rear of the washing machine , the family has been able to give the van a usable storage locker that is accessible from the outside – a neat idea . Naturally , the van is equipped with a separate bathroom , too . And what would a van such as this be without a reverse-cycle air-con ? In this case , it ’ s the Dometic IBIS 4 unit .
Joe Padula is particularly fond of the grey water tank , and how by fitting a sullage hose to the outlet valve , he can empty the tank ’ s contents into sullage points in caravan parks .
The van has two 100Ah batteries , which should be adequate for their needs , along with a single 150W solar panel .
It rides on a 15in alloy wheels , roller-rocker suspension , and has one 95L fresh water tank . The van is built atop a 6in SupaGal RHS chassis with a 6in A-frame that runs back to the suspension mounts .
The 19ft Great Alpine Bright isn ’ t intended as an offroad van , and judging by their travels so far , the Padulas don ’ t have aspirations to head too far off the beaten track . That said , it still sports 560mmhigh checkerplate protection .
In terms of weight , the van tips the scales at about 2080kg – very respectable , really . The ATM , meanwhile , is 2680kg , giving the van a reasonable payload capacity of 500kg . Taking into account the unladen ball weight of 200kg or so , the Bright is well within spec of the Triton ’ s capabilities .
Joe and Antonella are exceedingly pleased with their caravan and have enjoyed every moment of their burgeoning touring lifestyle . We wish them all the best for their future travels .
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