Let’s just cut to the chase, the recently released ARB Earth Camper looks eerily similar in style and design to the legendary Track Trailer Tvan and the Pioneer Mitchell (which is no longer manufactured), right down to the rear-entry hatch and tent, pull-out side kitchen and off-road capabilities. But did ARB just build a slightly ‘prettier’ Tvan, or is it a whole different beast? The answer may surprise you.
| Specs | ARB Earth Camper | Track Trailer Tvan – Inspire |
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| Price | Starting at $74,500 | Starting at $76,698 |
| Warranty | 5yr suspension & chassis | 5yr suspension & chassis, 3yr body & build |
| Tare | 1,475kg | 990kg |
| Payload | 425kg | 510kg |
| ATM | 1,900kg | 1,500kg |
| Ball weight | 180kg | 110kg |
| Dimensions mm | 4667 (L) x 1990 (W) x 2324 (H) | 4900 (L) x 1920 (W) x 2050 (H) |
| Chassis & body | 90mm cylindrical, mandrel bent steel (3mm thick) for a patented, one-piece welded exoskeleton. Fibreglass reinforced polymer for the body. | Hot-dipped galvanised chassis. Proprietary aluminium sandwich panel wall constructions for the body. |
| Suspension | Vertically orientated OME Nitrocharger shocks, 900mm extra-long trailing arm |
MC2 asymmetrical multi-link trailing arm independent suspension with single custom made shocks |
| Wheels & brakes | ARB ‘EC’ edition alloy wheels 16×7.5 +20. Maxxis Razr All-Terrain tyres 265/75/R16. 12-inch electric brakes. | 16×8 alloy wheels. 265/75 Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain tyres. 10-inch electric drum brakes. |
| Hitch & jockey | Cruisemaster D035 hitch. ARK XO extreme offroad jockey wheel. | D035 hitch. Manutek jockey wheel. |
| Water | 140L (2 x 70L) | 108L |
| Electrical | 120-watt roof-mounted solar. 100AH lithium battery. REDARC Manager 30 battery management system. | 120-watt roof-mounted solar. 100Ah Revolution Lithium LiFePO4 battery. Battery management system. |
| Kitchen | 3-burner Thetford cooktop. 1200mm benchtop. Sink. 96L ZERO fridge freezer on slide. Cutlery drawer and pantry drawers. Water must be manually connected to use the sink. | 3-burner cooktop. Sink. 3 large drawers. Sliding fridge drawer. Track Trailer claim it’s the largest kitchen in the camping space. Cold water is permanently plumbed and gas is quick connect. |
| Interior | Queen size pocket spring mattress. Under mattress liner. Fabric-lined bed head. Internal command consol. Various USB points. | Queen size mattress. Under mattress liner. Fabric-lined bed head. Internal command console. Various USB points. |
| Other | Front stone shield. Underslung mud flaps. Built-in 180-degree awning. Front boot. ARB base rack. | Front stone shield. Swing awning. Front boot. |
The main point of difference between the two is in the chassis construction. The Tvan is hot-dipped galvanised and paired with a vacuum-pressed aluminium composite body. Track Trailer build their own wall panels and have developed the technology specifically for the Tvan. It’s proven, rugged, and it works.
The ARB Earth Cruiser has been constructed using a patented mandrel bent and welded 90mm steel-tube exoskeleton (3mm wall thickness), which is paired with fibreglass reinforced polymer (FRP) moulded body panels. As a result, it has a ‘rounder, roll-cage’ kind of vibe. ARB reasons that this new design will have superior resistance to flexing under load, and as there are no weak points from corners in a round tubing chassis, it will therefore be stronger than a traditional rectangular chassis.
Both ARB and Tvan have suspension built for off-road, and both tout their design as unique.
The Tvan’s suspension has been tried and tested for over 25 years, and with a background in designing and building suspension for military trailers, it’s been a unique selling point for a number of years. The Tvan features a military-grade asymmetric link independent suspension system that maintains wheel contact with the ground, even over challenging washouts and corrugations. 250mm wheel travel is achieved by the use of custom springs and shocks, and when paired with the front trailing arms, ensures the Tvan follows straight behind your 4WD when the going gets rough.
On the other hand, ARB features a vertically orientated coil over strut shock design that utilises extra-long 900mm trailing arms and Old Man Emu Nitrocharger Sport shocks. The vertical orientation allows movement at the axle to reflect directly into the shock. ARB says they designed the chassis and suspension first, and the rest of the camper was built around it.
This is where both campers are very similar. They both feature a rear hatch entry, a rear tent, an awning and a pull-out side kitchen. There are a few differences in the way they operate though.
The Tvan’s rear hatch is manual but simple. Unlatch and manually pull the back door down to transform into a hard floor. The top lifts up by a gentle push, aided by gas struts, and the canvas is housed in this top section should you wish to set up the rear shelter. If all this sounds like too much hard work, you can opt for the Skyward Lift-Up Deck, which gives you the ability to press a button to release a set of electric locks and lift the hatch and deck for full access to the rear of the van. The Skyward Lift-Up Deck does not come standard.
On the other hand, the ARB’s rear hatch is electric and lowers itself at the press of a button. There is a manual over-ride if there is ever a problem. Once the hard floor is down, manually push the roof up and into place should you wish to set up the rear tent. One noticeable difference is the visible canvas on the sides of the ARB Earth Camper that must be placed over the arm mechanisms. It looks a little untidy when compared to the Tvan with the back tent not set up. And let’s face it, there will be plenty of times when you roll in late or are only camping overnight, so you won’t bother setting up the back tent.
Both have side-awnings, with the Tvan Inspire offering a swing-out awning. Of interest is ARB’s 180-degree awning because it’s actually built into the camper itself, effectively removing the awning’s profile for tight tracks. Both offer additional options for ensuite tents and side walls, allowing you to sleep more people.
When it comes to storage, both have done a great job in a small space, but ARB have made great use of multiple ‘pigeon-hole’ type storage. Basically, once you’re set-up, everything will have a place.
Tvan is an Australian company that designs and manufactures its products in Australia. All of their components are purchased from Aussie suppliers.
ARB’s Earth Camper is designed and developed in Australia but built in ARB’s Thailand factory.
The Inspire would be around 2k more expensive, but the customer would have the backing of an Australian-manufactured product that’s been around for donkeys years. It’s also significantly lighter. On the other hand, although ARB are new to the camper game, they’ve also been around for donkeys and have a trusted reputation. If our favourite cars are being manufactured in Thailand, does it matter if our campers are as well? That’s up to you to decide.
It’s important to note that we have compared Tvan’s Inspire model, so if you’re wanting the Murranji model with a lot more extras, this will set you back nearly $100k. Upgrading the ARB Earth Camper to match will bring a similar result.
So…did ARB just make a prettier Tvan? No, they did not. What they did, was take a great concept and build on it. And isn’t that the way design works?
