Ducato based Australian Motorhome with largish slides

RobertRyan wrote:
I see a lot heavier loads in Australia/NZ, Europe etc where a single axle does just fine. Your Class 8 trucks only run 37.2 Metric tonnes, or roughly 80,000lb. Elsewhere it is heavier or a lot heavier.

A little off topic, but our heaviest loads without overweight permits are 105,500 lbs. The limiting factor is the amount of weight allowed per axle. This has nothing to do with safety, rather it's the quality of highway construction which frankly is not very good. Permitted oversize loads can go 200,000+ but those are pretty rare. With our extensive rail system the road train concept wouldn't really pencil out economically.

Burlmart wrote:
Robert, would this have a retro chance in AU?

No not really into Retro Motorhomes, unless they are cheap and going to be used as a one off. Some old US Motorhomes are used as cheap RVing to tour country areas, then probably junked.

Ozlander wrote:

bukhrn wrote:
All in all, I like it, but I'm confused as to whether that's the main bed, or a foldout sofa. If it's the main bed, I would think the would be some sort of divider between it & the main "living room", at least a pocket door.

Who would you be hiding from?

Depends, if it's just DW & I, then no one, but if someone else goes with us,(which is rare) I'm sure no one has a desire to see me in my BVD's & depending on who it is, I KNOW I don't want to see them either. :E

Robert, would this have a retro chance in AU?

This is the Australian Winnebago Trend, made by AVIDA that used to be Winnebago here.

Paw Paw n Gram wrote:
The worst experience he has described is the wind buffet of being passed by an Australian Road Train - three to five trailers behind one big tractor being pulled down the highway at 70-90 mph

It will become more common as B Tripples up to about 90 tonne(200,000lb)
will be running on more country secondary roads. Not a true Road Train.
In Europe to cut down the number of Tractors they are going to HGV's(Heavy Goods Vehicles) 62 tonne . These are 650-700hp Cabover Tractors.

I have three internet friends who have been almost full-timing with caravans (TT) in Australia for close to six years now.

One of them has come to the US and rented Class C and Class A units at different times.

The worst experience he has described is the wind buffet of being passed by an Australian Road Train - three to five trailers behind one big tractor being pulled down the highway at 70-90 mph.

Burlmart wrote:
n US, they put tandem axles on 3000 lb cargo and RV trailers, and boats. You guys wait till you have maybe 10000-12000 lbs.

We must be over cautious or something

I see a lot heavier loads in Australia/NZ, Europe etc where a single axle does just fine. Your Class 8 trucks only run 37.2 Metric tonnes, or roughly 80,000lb. Elsewhere it is heavier or a lot heavier.

In US, they put tandem axles on 3000 lb cargo and RV trailers, and boats. You guys wait till you have maybe 10000-12000 lbs.

We must be over cautious or something