Australian conditions are some of the harshest you might subject a caravan to. Adding to those challenges, a troubling trend is seeing the weight of vans steadily increasing, causing concern for caravan manufacturer and industry leading chassis supplier, AL-KO.
To combat these concerns, AL-KO has launched their new LightR chassis, which is reported to be both lightweight & tough to suit the harsh Australian conditions.
AL-KO Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Peter Mannfolk says the chassis has been developed in response to caravans getting heavier: “Currently, there is an issue with Australian caravans – they’re becoming too heavy. Not only are caravans getting bigger, but they’re also being filled with more extras such as generators, solar panels and toolboxes, pushing legal limits and tow vehicle capacities. It also reduces the caravan’s payload allowance. There has been an overwhelming call from caravan manufacturers for a lightweight chassis that is still strong and durable and specifically designed for the tough for Australian conditions, and AL-KO has delivered.”
LightR has been designed with Enduro independent trailing arm suspension in mind, and subjected to over two years of intensive testing and development – This included tests that simulated over 100,000km of hard driving at the challenging Australian Automotive Research Centre in Anglesea, Victoria.
The European-style pressed chassis features C-channel main beams where sections of excess steel have been removed to reduce weight. The channels are pressed and their edges rolled to increase rigidity. The chassis’s main components are cut, pressed and hot-dip galvanised in Germany before being shipped to Australia for assembly.
A key element of this future-focussed design is its ability to work with modern composite, one-piece floors.
Keep an eye out online for more information. Click here to register interest in the all-new LightR.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Tim van Duyl
Coming from marine publishing Tim now oversees Caravan World and Trade-a-Boat for the Adventures Group as their Senior Editor. With experience garnered from travelling the breadth and width of his home country New Zealand in all manner of ways, his mission is to see all Australia has to offer. Having already sampled Cape York, Murray-Sunset National Park, Wilsons Promontory and the bulk of Victoria’s West, he has plans to add to the small parts of WA and NT already seen. When not on the road you can find Tim passing time at lakes around Australia or in the high country camping with his close friends and family with the Murrindindi a popular spot.
