Are you looking for an Australian made hybrid caravan? You’ve come to the right place! In no particular order, we’ve thrown together a list of 10 of the best Australian-made hybrid caravans (or hybrid campers – it’s the same thing!) for offroad adventures.
Hybrids have absolutely exploded on the Australian market over the last decade or so, filling the gap between camper trailers and caravans. They’re perfect for couples ready to step up to a slightly larger trailer while still maintaining that camper “feel” when they’re out exploring the more remote regions of the country.
Given the comparatively light weight, compact dimensions and serious off-grid capability, hybrid caravans can be towed pretty much anywhere, giving their owners almost limitless options when planning the next Australian trip. Storage options are a lot more friendly than full-size vans too, with most fitting under the family carport without an issue.
Thanks to their popularity, there’s a huge range available on the market, with many of the more budget-oriented models coming from overseas. Many boast great quality design and inclusions – built to a standard, not necessarily a price. However, for those looking for top-shelf hybrid caravans, you still can’t go past Australian-built units, which is why we’ve thrown together a list of ten of the best from Aussie manufacturers, some of which you may not have heard of.
The list is in no particular order, just a few of our recent faves from the last few years of testing. Be sure to let us know your thoughts and if we’ve left anyone out.
Psst.
If you’re a little confused about the different types of camper trailers and caravans on the market in Australia, check out these articles first:
BRS Platinum Pursuit
From $119,000
Yep, the BRS trailers are not what you’d call cheap, but they ARE what you’d call luxury. We’re talking two internal 30L drawer fridges, an external 80L upright fridge, a fully enclosed hot shower, Cruisemaster airbag suspension, Maxxis AT rubber, 200Ah of Enerdrive lithium fed by 380W of solar and a top-flight outdoor kitchen.
The bed is a queen inner-spring number that has a huge stargazing window above it, and to get inside the caravan you press a button on a fob and the freaking electric door opens for you – look, we could bang on about these Australian made hybrid caravans (all fully customisable too) for days. But yeah, if the sticker shock isn’t an issue for you then you could do a lot worse.
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Track Trailer T4 Rhapsody
From $159,990
Another top-of-the-line Australian made hybrid caravan that offers levels of comfort and convenience more commonly reserved for five-star hotels and first-class flights. The T4 Rhapsody is undoubtedly built to offer the best of the best in terms of inclusions, while also delivering legitimate off-road capability.
The pop-top is operated by linear actuators that raise the roof at the press of a button while the queen bed can be mounted either north-south as standard or you can opt for an east-west configuration. In fact, pretty much everything is customisable by the customer. From the fridge to the batteries to the internal layout. If there’s something you want, Track can most likely make it happen.
As standard in these Australian made hybrid caravans, there’s internal and external kitchens, a stand-up shower and toilet, Track-designed proprietary MC2-R asymmetric-link suspension and the width is only 1990mm, meaning it’ll tuck in nicely behind your 4X4 no matter how tight the trail.
If you’re chasing something built to last and will keep you and your partner in supreme comfort, definitely check the T4 Rhapsody out.
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Cub H14
From $84,990
The Cub H14 is a bit of a new kid on the block in the hybrid caravans market, but it’s from one of the industry’s premier Australian manufacturers, so quality, affordability and liveability are all right up there. It features a queen north-south bed, an internal stand-up shower and toilet, an internal kitchenette, an external kitchen and a spacious and comfy interior that’ll have you feeling like Donald Trump when you rock up to camp (minus the terrible hair, legal troubles and spurious taste in women).
Cub trailers are well known for being able to be dragged over pretty much any track and have a reputation for reliability and longevity that Morgan Freeman is envious of. We’ve lived out of several of these for extended periods over the years and have never been disappointed.
Specs List:
Complete Campsite Exodus 11
From $110,550
The Exodus 11 is the smallest Australian made hybrid caravan on offer from Exodus Offroad, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on comfort or features. In fact, it really only means it’s nimbler and tows easier than pretty much all of the larger hybrids on our list.
The super-strong single-piece fibreglass camper has got everything you’ll need for an extended trip away, with a queen inner-spring bed, slide-out kitchen and fridge slide, 200L of water and a super-easy-to-set-up-and-pack-up ensuite shower tent out the back.
If you’re looking for tough track capability and enough comfort to satisfy a Kardashian, be sure to put the Exodus range on your shortlist.
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Torus RV 15ft
From $80,500
With a 10-year structural warranty, Australian made Torus RV hybrid caravans are built to last. They’re manufactured by Trackabout Trailers in QLD and offer some solid value for those looking for something tough and functional while providing a heap of off-grid comfort.
If you don’t want to muck around with pop-tops and want a compact and ready-to-go van, the 15ft Torus RV has all the options you could need and comes standard with a north-south island bed, so midnight pee breaks won’t require a degree in contortionism to make it to the nearest tree.
Simple, built to last and able to be towed just about anywhere, you won’t find many of these on the second-hand market because their owners tend to hang onto them, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality.
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Kimberley Karavan
From $125,855
The Karavan is the OG expanding hybrid. Completely hard-sided and as roomy as a much larger van when at camp, when lugged behind the tow-rig it’s as compact as a camper trailer thanks to its genius pop-up-and-pull-out system.
With an indoor and outdoor kitchen, indoor fridge, internal toilet and shower and queen bed, these Australian made hybrid caravans are as comfy as they come. It’s also got airbag suspension and proper all-terrain tyres (matched to your tow vehicle’s track width), so it’s able to handle even the most remote touring destinations as well.
Built from insulated aluminium, it’s fairly lightweight too, coming in at 1660kg tare. Pretty impressive for such a large living space we reckon.
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Alpine Campers ALP-13
From $105,000
Another Australian made hybrid caravan that’s chockers with innovative inclusions like a metric buttload of storage, optional airbag-equipped Cruisemaster suspension, an electric pop-top and even a few neat little touches like the rain channel that directs water away from the external kitchen (that’s mounted on bearings and is smooth as butter to operate).
Inside the fully insulated foam core fibreglass body of the Alpine ALP-13 is a queen bed, dinette and kitchenette with a sink that’s plumbed directly to the grey water tank – making life at camp about as stress-free as it comes.
As with all of the hybrids on this list, the customisation options available are pretty mind blowing too, so if you’re looking for a sub-2.5T camper that can be pulled fully loaded by your Ranger Raptor or Jeep Gladiator, be sure to stop into Alpine Campers.
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AOR Odyssey S3
From $91,900
With the most battery and solar power in its class, the Australian made 11-foot Odyssey hybrid caravan offers great value for money while packing in a lot of features. Internal and external cooking, a queen bed, an external ensuite shower, a dinette and a weight that’s on par with a lot of smaller camper trailers make this an attractive option for those looking to get the most mileage out of a tank of fuel.
The bed is lifted on gas struts, so the interior feels incredibly spacious for its 11-foot length, and the 130L Vitrifrigo fridge is accessible from both inside and outside, which is a practical and innovative touch. Easy to set up and pull down, comfortable to live out of and lightweight behind the 4X4, this is what hybrid camping is all about.
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Jayco Crosstrak 14ft
From $53,455
We couldn’t have a list of hybrids without Australia’s biggest manufacturer now, could we? The Jayco Crosstrak is backed by a nationwide dealer network and has a sticker price that’s on par with an imported camper. Yes, it’s a mass-produced product and as such, may not have the standard of workmanship of a built-to-order hybrid, but let’s be honest, Jayco didn’t get as big as they are by putting out garbage.
With off-road tyres, independent coil suspension and a reasonable tare weight for stress-free towing, the 14ft CrossTrak enables serious trips to be confidently tackled without having to sell a kidney on the Taiwanese black market.
These Australian made hybrid caravans have all of the mod-cons of a more expensive trailer too, with an internal toilet and shower, hot water and plenty of solar. They are a tops budget option for off-grid hybrid camping
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Mountain Trail LXV 4.7
From $149,990
It may be at the upper end of the price range on our list, but the LXV 4.7 has a host of premium features that offset the outlay. Things like a dust suppression system when underway and engineered MTRV airbag suspension with dual EFS shocks on each side. The standard inclusions list is extensive to say the least, plus there’s a host of upgrades should you feel like adding some extra amp-hours of battery or dialling things into your tastes exactly.
While it’s not ostentatious, even a cursory inspection will highlight the build quality and standard of fit and finish. The stainless kitchen slides out and swings around to sit against the wall of the van, the awning is electrically operated and the Redarc Redvision screen is a testament to the level of components used.
If you’re chasing an Australian made hybrid caravan to tow behind your Bentley Bentayga, like to one-up your mates at camp or simply just want the best of everything, get in touch with Mountain Trail.
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