The Innovan: A Camper for Off Roading Adventurers

Are you ready for the new generation of functional and efficient motorhomes? While many take joy in spacious and comfortable, albeit it slightly bulky, campervan rentals others bent on adventure and off-roading want something a little easier to get around in. Enter the Innovan, a new camper that is tough and lightweight, with a fibreglass shell, which makes it well suited to varied number of travel needs. The unique, versatile and, yes, expensive design came about when Welby Davidson of Toowoomba, Queensland and his wife Marg developed a prototype to fit their own adventurous needs.

"The interest it created was so amazing that we decided to go into production," Davidson told Gizmag. Fortuitously, Davidson's son is an industrial designer who then "gave the camper a more efficient aerodynamic shape and came up with a range of ideas to better integrate its amenities.” Once completed the new and improved design underwent rigorous testing--we're talking over 20,000 kilometres on tough terrain like the Simpson Desert and Fraser Island.

The Innovan is built to sleep two (choose between a single or queen bed) and can feature amenities like a shower, TV, water tanks, a refrigerator and indoor/outdoor kitchenettes. Designed to be aerodynamic during transit--the shape and lightness of the materials used help to prevent wind drag, a common problem with campervans--the Innovan is said to open up in 30 seconds. Keeping the Innovan light and easy to maneuver also means that it's a camper that can be brought into just about any type of terrain. Another great feature of the Innovan trailer is the airbag suspension.

"With the airbags fitted, I don’t even need extendable legs," Mr. Davidson explains. "I drive the rig onto a flat surface, attach a set of legs and lock them in place before deflating the airbag suspension to drop the chassis and tray. Then I just drive away from under the Innovan before reinflating the Nissan’s air bags. To reload the camper I simply reverse the procedure. At river and creek crossings I maximise the vehicle’s clearance by inflating the airbag suspension. I also raise it when negotiating deeply rutted tracks or in rocky, off-road conditions."

Innovan is currently looking for worldwide distributors and sells four camper models in Australia that range from the Trader ($20,000 AUD or about $15,000 USD) to the Voyager ($35,000 AUD or about $19,000 USD). The Innovan campers are creating such a buzz because they are versatile (fitting into a modified dual and king cab chassis or tray-back ute), lightweight and just perfect for those who want to take their camper off the beaten track.

Want ideas on routes for your Innovan camper roadtrip? Visit MotorhomeRoadtrip.Com now!

For more photos of the Innovan visit Gizmag.Com.