The first time I clapped eyes on a Bushtracker was about 15 years ago when my brother-in-law decided he needed a van with serious off-road capability. They had plans to travel all around Australia via the backroads, poking into places seldom visited by more conventional rigs. This they did, and they are still doing it. And all that time they’ve had no problems with their van.
This latest Bushtracker 17-footer is of the same mould, and indeed it hasn’t changed much in appearance to the bro’s rig. The Bushtrackers have a distinctive appearance based on practicality rather than cosmetics. They look good, and they look tough. The Bushtrackers have built a fine reputation as a genuine off-road caravan, and it’s well deserved. They are a very well built caravan – inside and out.
The Bushtracker is built on a solid hot dipped galvanised chassis with independent load sharing spring suspension. On the A frame is a DO35 off-road hitch, forward of a mesh stoneshield protecting a pair of gas bottles and a pair of spare wheels tucked under a distinctive forward brow.
Heavy duty poly water tanks containing 270 litres are fitted beneath. The 180 litres of non-potable and 90 litres of potable water have separate pumps and water systems to avoid cross-contamination.
At the rear is a high cutaway to prevent the rear of the van dragging. Above this is a rear bar with lighting incorporated. Towing loops are welded to the rear chassis at the base of the cutaway.
The Bushtracker body is framed in fully welded aluminium. Why aluminium? Quite a few van manufacturers are building aluminium frames nowadays, yet most continue with timber. Certainly timber has its advantages, but as coachbuilders began with timber and moved into metals, so too has caravan manufacture. After all, when was the last time you saw a car with timberwork in the structural areas? (no, not pretty dashboard infils). External cladding is protected by heavy duty chequerplate along front and sides.
Custom-built large doors allow access to a storage area up forward, while a fording flap is fitted to cover the base of the entry door. This is a rare sight indeed on caravans – in fact Bushtrackers are the only rigs I’ve seen with them. An A&E roll out awning is fitted, along with a neat LED external light – white light or orange light (to deter the bugs). Up top is a Winegard TV antenna and a 140w solar panel, along with a four seasons hatch, a skylight hatch above the bed and an Aircommand air conditioner.
This version of the 17-footer has an entry behind the axles, with a sink and storage area at the rear, shower/toilet in the rear driver’s side corner, a lounge/dinette forward of the bathroom with kitchen opposite, and the bedroom up forward.
As you step inside you’ll be struck by the cabinetry – Tassie oak finished off in excellent detail. The corners are dovetailed, just like the genuine timber furniture you’d find in the days before chipboard. The light oak colour and pale wall and ceiling colours bring an open feel to the van.
Adjacent to the entry, across two thirds of the rear, is a benchtop with a sink, with drawers and storage space beneath. It’s backed by a window, with a pair of lockers above.
In the driver’s side corner is the shower/toilet console, with an opaque door opposite the entry. While this is a combination unit there is plenty of room inside, with a vanity unit let into the rear wall and a mirror behind the sink. There is also a storage locker for bathroom essentials in the corner. The shower head is on the end of a flexible line.
Forward of the bathroom is the lounge/dinette, a cafe-style unit with a solid table that adjusts down to form a bed. Leather seating is comfortable and the unit is roomy enough for four to dine in comfort. There is storage space beneath the lounge seats and in a nest of three lockers above a large side window.
Opposite the lounge/dinette is a kitchen area, just forward of the entry. This leaves it conveniently placed to the sink area across the rear. The benchtop holds a Swift four burner gas cooktop with grill beneath, concealed beneath a hinged section of benchtop. There is a set of drawers and cupboards beneath the benchtop, and additional lockers above. A rangehood is fixed above the cooktop and the kitchen is backed by a wide window.
The fridge console is forward of the kitchen, with a two-door 190l fridge freezer mounted above a low storage locker. A TV mounting is fixed to the rearward wall of the fridge console.
The bedroom up forward features an extra long queen sized bed positioned north south, with a raised section along each side at wheel well level. This allows a floor locker to be positioned forward of the well on each side. There is also a good sized bedside table with drawer, and a tall wardrobe, on each side of the bed.
The bedroom is well lit with a skylight hatch above and windows on the flanks, along with a forward window at the bedhead, protected externally by a rigid stoneshield. The bed lifts up on gas struts to reveal a washing machine alongside a set of storage drawers (accessible from the front) and also provides access to the electrical systems underneath.
Overall, the internal layout is very practical and well built. It’s good to see no particle board or mdf in the build – it’s all timber and waterproof ply, along with the Tassie oak. Besides practicality, the Bushtracker 17 is also a very comfortable caravan, ideal for long range tourers who yearn for bush travel away from the tar and the 240-volt umbilical.
The Bushtracker 17-footer is extremely well built, tough as old boots and, as my brother-in-law found, it’s built to last.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Bushtracker Caravans
Model: Bushtracker 17-foot Off-road
Length cabin: 5.18m
Length overall: 7.01m
Width overall: 2.4m
Height: 2.95m
Tare weight: 2460kg
Priced from $88,500
Find Out More
Bushtracker Caravans
85 Enterprise St
Kunda Park Qld 4556
Tel: 07 5476 5833
Fax: 07 5476 9253
sales@bushtracker.com