RV FEATURE
When caravanners say they want to go offroad , they generally mean they want to have the ability to traverse some of Australia ’ s iconic dirt roads . These include the Oodnadatta Track , the Great Central Road and the Cape York Development Road . Most of these roads can be traversed by vans with more than one axle as long as the suspension is up to the task .
That said , we all know conditions of these outback roads can deteriorate quite significantly . Corrugations , exposed rock and severe gibber can make for a very rough ride . There is a school of thought that says with a singleaxle van , you only hit the corrugations once , but having dual axles spreads the load over a larger contact area , lessening the impact on each wheel .
Traversing inland tracks such as this one is easier and more relaxed with a single-axle van .
The Cruisemaster ATX independent suspension is top-shelf stuff but it has to be built strong to carry heavy loads .
This chassis will be fitted with a sophisticated , single axle independent suspension system .
In my opinion , the quality of the suspension , the strength of the van ’ s construction , appropriate tyre pressures and driving to the conditions are more important considerations than the number of axles .
As offroad conditions worsen , the more obstacles a driver will likely face , all with varying degrees of difficulty . For a caravan to traverse these conditions , it will need larger approach and departure angles , high ground clearance and greater manoeuvrability . This is when a smaller , single-axle van will have an advantage .
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