Safety is of the utmost importance when you travel. You need to understand safe towing practices as well as the importance of having lightweight towing know-how.

Zone RV is one of the best Australian manufacturers of premium off-road and semi-off-road caravans. Their caravans are second to none both in terms of technicality and luxury. Research and development, or R&D testing, is a huge part of what they do before their vans make it to you, and their process for this is what makes their final product so superior to others on the market.

The Triple Crown Tour Zone RV Trip

The most recent ZONE RV trip for R&D testing was called the “Triple Crown Tour”, and saw the ZONE RV Directors David Biggar and Matt Johns travel with an entourage of ARB personnel in their rigs and caravans travel for an epic adventure over two weeks. They traversed the country from Australia’s west coast to their Coolum headquarters in Queensland, via the Gibb River Road, Tanami Highway, and Plenty Highway.

The trip was sponsored by ARB, Cooper Tire, Cel-Fi, Hema Maps, Dometic, and Cruisemaster.

These roads can be challenging for even the most experienced caravanner, and the purpose of this expedition was to test and identify any issues relating to towing caravans across these three roads. These caravans were specifically the:

  • Z-16.6 Off-Road
  • ZV-20.6 Venture
  • Z-21.6 Off-Road (only for part of the trip)

The team also ventured into areas where caravan-towing isn’t usually attempted, namely Mitchell Falls in The Kimberly WA and the top of the Big Red Sand Dune in NSW’s Birdsville.

The Australian Outback has a reputation for being relentless, thanks to challenges including thick dust, deep-water crossings, natural obstacles, and relentless corrugation of tracks and roads. Add to this the scarcity of supplies available and the distance from the nearest facilities.

The ZONE RV trip, however, found these roads to be the perfect ground for testing their caravans and rigs to their limits. Thanks to the trip, the team was able to personally experience the unforgiving conditions and unpredictable obstacles along the way, and as such, common issues with lightweight towing and more were identified and were able to be rectified with the assistance of the expertise of the expedition’s sponsors.

The ZONE RV Directors are delighted to know that all caravanners and off-road enthusiasts will benefit from their experience on this trip, and they can share this themselves – the ZONE RV Trip had been made into a short YouTube documentary and it is full of exclusive tips and advice. The documentary offers not only a wealth of technical know-how and guidance but also the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way and the entertaining and at times funny banter amongst the team members.

Visit ARB Maroochydore

Nick & the team are very proud to welcome you to ARB Maroochydore. They have many years of practical experience 4wding, camping, and touring Australia’s wide brown land, and they are delighted to share their expertise with their clients. With the real-world experience they have of road-tripping and getting off-road in Australia and overseas, they have the right inside knowledge that could be of enormous benefit to you. When it comes to customer service, the sales team at ARB Maroochydore is second to none.

Be inspired! Call or visit ARB Maroochydore today.