Well they are dying here but this Company is still trying

sized van at Supershow

When West Australian couple Sean and Mandy Locke decided they wanted to live as nomads in their ultimate RV road train, they turned to Melbourne fifth-wheeler and slide-on specialist Truelux.

Three months into the build the amazing result is on display at this year’s Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow: a fully custom built, 41ft (12.6m) long fifth-wheel caravan and toy hauler that hooked up to an Isuzu truck, is one of the longest, heaviest and most expensive trailerable RVs ever manufactured in Australia.

Truelux boss Peter Groom says it’s the first time the company has built a fifth-wheeler weighing more than 4.5 tonnes that requires special engineering approval for ADR certification.

“All through the process the drawings went back and forward to the engineers, it was no easy task as it has got to be passed by Canberra to get all the plates on it to be legal,” he said.

To cope with the five tonne Tare weight and an ATM of 7.5 tonnes, Groom said the heavy-duty, painted RHS Duragal chassis has “I-beams going through made from 10mm thick steel, you couldn’t lift them!”

Other truck-like underpinnings include height-adjustable airbag suspension and air brakes, while the body is constructed from twin, 39mm vacuum bonded fibreglass composite panels for the walls and roof and 32mm fiberglass sandwich panels for the floor.

“The walls take 30 tonne on each, they’re tough… I could put two cars on the roof,” Groom claims.

Priced at around $350,000, it's no surprise there have been few compromises in the way of comfort and overall fit-out.

The master bedroom up front features a king-size bed, with room to walk around it thanks to two, unique hinged ‘wing walls’ that swing out to provide more space.

There’s also a massive double shower with two, temperature-controlled overhead shower heads that have separate pumps, along with a separate toilet and vanity.

The large, central living area features a slide-out kitchen on one side and another slide-out opposite with leather lounge and separate dinette.

While the rear ‘garage’ section is big enough to store the couples’ three motorbikes or, when the toys are out, doubles as a ‘guest wing’ with electric drop-down queen bed, LCD TV, wardrobe, toilet, washing machine and kitchen with fridge.

Set up to be self-sufficient for at least one month of free camping, the 41ft Toy hauler can carry 320 litres of fresh water, 160 litres grey water, and 320 litres of black water in tanks with macerator pumps.

Off-grid power extends to three, 120Ah AGM batteries powered by 450W solar panels, with back-up from two generators.

Three air-conditioners plus gas floor heating take care of climate control, three satellite-equipped TVs provide the entertainment, while almost everything is remote controlled, including the skylights, awning, and mood lighting.

There’s also a fully-equipped outside kitchen including bbq and fridge.

The 12 tonne-rated Isuzu NQR 450 dual-cab truck, has also been heavily customized including two reversing cameras and two rear facing side cameras for valuable assistance when backing up the big rig, which measures 60ft 8in (18.5m) from end to end.

The lockable storage box on the tray carries Sean Locke's power tools so he can work while out on the road.

A long-time truckie and former mechanic, Sean said a fear of leaving it too late to follow their dreams was a driving force behind the $550,000 investment (truck and van).

“We both lost parents in the past two years and our two children are now living independently. We took a big look at where our life was at,” he said.

“Dad had bought a new caravan but sadly died before he got to use it.

“We felt we had achieved much in our working life and didn’t want to wait too long like our parents. We decided to sell up and get on the move.

“In our mid-40s, we intend to be young nomads for at least the next 10 years, visiting places, festivals, making new friends and attending every second V8 Supercar race as we move around…"

It should be another month or so before the monster fifth-wheeler is completely finished, with the final task a vinyl wrap over the entire rig depicting “a panoramic view of Australia.”