Kimberley Kruiser™ – Design Principles
The Kimberley Kruiser™ is an Off-Road “drive yourself-motorhome” that we call a “Kruiser®”.
It is a unique combination that gives you the best of both worlds for the Adventurer!
When travelling, it is a compact shape no wider than a standard vehicle and a similar height to a standard 4x4. It can take a boat on the easy to operate boat loader or tow a boat.
When camping, it un-folds into comfortable accomodation with on board hot water, integrated ensuite and cosy Queen Size bed. It has all the cooking and kitchen facilities on the outside under a Kwik Awning. In the Kruiser Limited Edition, it has vacuum toilet and great interior cooking facilities.
It takes less than a few minutes to setup.
The Kimberley Kruiser™ is designed to suit couples who wish to discover Australia and go wherever their heart takes them. It gives the freedom to travel and stay without the demands of powered camping sites and/or campground facilities. Choose your own camping site – anywhere you can safely go!
The Kimberley Kruiser™ is designed for those who wish to “travel light”. Travelling light is more than just lower fuel costs. It simplifies your trip and is one of the secrets of easy camping! You can travel light with efficient space utilization and a thoughtful design. A very generous interior standing height of over 2.1m contributes to the open feel.
Unique Folding Design
The balance between having a camper that is large enough to carry gear and be comfortable, yet small enough to travel and be manoeuvrable is no longer a dilemma. A conventional motorhome has a significant front profile area that protrudes from the vehicle profile, increasing windage and bulk making it more difficult to drive comfortably.
In our experience, a profile that is similar to a standard 4x4 vehicle with a standard width is very capable, manoeuvrable and also important for ease of driving and track access.
The difficulty in design with motorhomes is the higher the unit, the more top heavy it is and designers need to offset this with a lower road clearance height and/or wider axle and track width. Neither of these 2 options improves the ease of driving, particularly when on dirt roads.
True 4 x 4
The Kimberley Kruiser™ is an Off-Road camper using a 4x4 Cab Chassis instead of a European Van Cab.
Unlike most class C Australian motorhomes, the Kimberley Kruiser™ is based on a 4x4 chassis instead of a European van chassis. We believe that a 4x4 chassis offers superior handling with all-wheel drive in all conditions of both weather and road –or lack of it! The 4x4 also allows for travel in remote locations, through streams and water crossings and up sand dunes. Try doing any of this in a front wheel drive European Van.
Toyota Platform
After carefully evaluating the 4 x4 platforms, the Toyota Landcruiser quickly rose to the top of our list. We believe Toyota offers the best 4x4 diesel cab-chassis on the market with respect to weight, performance, fuel economy and comfort. The Toyota cab-chassis has proven chassis rails. The camper body is attached to the chassis through an energy and vibration absorbing mounting system, which greatly protects both the chassis and the camper body and its contents.
Toyota Landcruiser comes with a V8 Turbo Diesel which develops 430 NM of Torque and 151kW of power. Combine this massive torque with the expanded gear ratios of the five-speed manual transmission and ventilated front disc brakes, and you have a 4 x4 with amazing uphill torque, a good highway cruising speed and stopping power.
ISUZU Platform (standard driving licence)
After seeing the number of off road fire trucks selected in Regional Australia, the ISUZU quickly rose to the top of our list. We believe Isuzu offers the best large format 4x4 diesel cab-chassis on the market with respect to weight, performance, fuel economy and comfort.
The Kruiser Limited Edition body is attached to the chassis through an energy and vibration absorbing mounting system, which greatly protects both the chassis and the Kruiser body and its contents. The subframe is dual skin stainless steel with higher fatigue properties than galvanized steel.
The Isuzu comes with a 5 litre 4 cylinder Turbo Diesel which develops 420 NM of Torque and 115 kW of power. Combine this massive torque with the expanded gear ratios of the five-speed manual transmission and power brakes, and you have a 4 x4 with amazing uphill torque, a good highway cruising speed and stopping power.
Structural Design
Many motorhomes are pieced together with many seams using a metal and wood frame structure, and aluminium, plastic or fibreglass skin. Foam or fibreglass insulation is often used in between the framing to provide insulation.
Our camper top is the Proven Off Road Kimberley design that is completely weatherproof and very lightweight. It has side doors, rear and side windows. This unit locks down on a dust tight seal to the bottom unit when travelling.
The lower unit is structurally robust and is constructed of steel external with aluminium internal frame. A Polyethylene one piece liner seals the internal sleeping/living area to keep it dust and water proof. It has the ability to handle excessive dynamic loads with high resistance to fatigue.
To ensure structural integrity we incorporate mounting system to isolate the camper from torsional loads caused by chassis frame flex. The front and rear camper mounts are located to the chassis frame using urethane pads with special shock absorbing underpads to isolate vibrations. The rear mounts are independent to the front storage pack mounts Isolating the camper from torsional and vibration forces allows it to withstand extended periods of travel in demanding rough road conditions without damaging the interior components.
Independent Operation
Typical Motorhomes rely on LPG, generators and external power to provide the necessary power to function. Generators are frequently loud and only provide power when running. Many campgrounds prohibit the use of generators after certain hours. Any appliances that rely on generator current to run will not be operational unless the generator is running. The most scenic and desirable campsites can be found in national forests parks, and remote areas with no on-site power. The Kimberley Kruiser™ is designed for stand-alone power operation.
No LPG inside
While LPG appliances are ubiquitous in Caravans and Motorhomes, our Kimberley Kruiser™ does not have LPG inside for several reasons. First and foremost is safety. LPG is a potentially dangerous substance. Since LPG is heavier than air, if an LPG leak develops inside the LPG can accumulate at the bottom of the camper until an ignition source ignites it. An open LPG cooking flame in the relatively tight space of a camper is also a risk. It can be easy to accidentally ignite a paper towel or paper plate with an open LPG flame in the relatively tight space of a camper.
A litre of LPG only has about 65% of the energy content of a litre of diesel fuel, so much more LPG must be carried to get the same energy content as diesel fuel - a waste of both space and energy. Finally the cost of LPG may be 4 times that of diesel in camping locations.
When LPG is burned, one of the by-products is water vapour, which contributes to excessive humidity and condensation inside the camper. When travelling on most ferries LPG tanks must be sealed closed. LPG can be hard to find in remote areas, and it's difficult to top off a partially full tank.
We use LPG for external cooking only and it is mounted externally.
Diesel Hotwater
The hotwater system is a high efficiency diesel appliance. The diesel hotwater system uses less than 0.2 litre of diesel per day in typical use. It burns less than 0.2 litres of diesel per hour at the highest heat level, burns cleanly, exhausts to the outside and only draws 0.15 amps of 12-volt power after start-up.. With no open flame it is safe, and trouble free. We have over 400 units installed for upto 3 years and have not replaced one unit nor had warranty issues.
The optional heater low noise and power space heater uses the diesel hot water system circuit to maintain a comfortable interior temperature even in a Tasmanian winter. Our sister products have been in near zero weather in Tasmania without any difficulties.
Refrigeration
Most Caravans and Motorhomes use a three-way absorption refrigerator (LPG, 12-volt DC and 240V AC), which can be a constant source of frustration. When running on 12-volt, the absorption refrigerator draws too much power for the batteries making 12-volt power only practical while driving. The LPG flame would go out while driving, which meant that LPG could only be used while stationary. This resulted in a constant need to switch between 12-volt and LPG, or the refrigerator would no longer run and food would spoil. Another problem with absorption refrigerators is that they have to be level or they will not cool properly. Refrigeration is a constant problem with the three-way refrigerators and on more than one occasion the end result is a dead camper battery or spoiled food.
The Kimberley Kruiser™ uses a high efficiency 73 Litre 12-volt compressor refrigerator/freezer that uses Eutectic Technology. The technology converts the surplus energy when driving or at a powered site into a "solid phase" of material (gylcol) in the casing of the refrigerator. When not connected to a powered source , this material converts to a liquid and keeps the contents cold. It can maintain a zero degree condition for up nto 24 hours with no battery power. This refrigerator solves all LPG related refrigeration problems and can operate as a freezer on the bottom layer. The solar panels and battery easily keep up with the refrigerator, so you can let your stocked refrigerator run all the time and be ready to head out on an adventure on a moment's notice.
The Kimberley Kruiser™ Limited Edition uses a high efficiency 133 Litre 12-volt compressor refrigerator/freezer
The refrigerator is 133 litres. The compressor (danfoss) is remote mounted which has 2 benefits:
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Energy consumption is reduced as the compressor is cooled with airflow into and out of the compressor heat exchanger.
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The inside of the refrigerator is open and has a full shelf area all the way to the bottom (the compressor normally takes some of the space in internally mounted compressor refrigerators)
Does it have a freezer?
Yes, the fridge has a freezer section in the top of the unit.
Why not use a 3 way fridge?
3 way fridges use the absorption principle of refrigeration. This means the LPG is used to heat the absorption unit which “chills” the refrigerator. The problem is that the absorption unit doesn’t like the shaking around on rough roads. As a result, the fridges take a while to settle before being effective. This makes them unsuitable for off-road applications. There is also the danger of LPG plumbed inside to the refrigerator which also has to be vented for safety. Venting introduces dust.
How much energy does the fridge use?
The fridge consumes on average 19.5Watts/hr. The actual current draw is nearly 5A but the fridge “duty cycles” and this is where the energy is saved. The typical duty cycling over 24 hour period is 30%. This is very energy efficient.
We chose this refrigerator because the compressor is the exact same model as we use with the Autofridge 73Litre unit (used in our Kimberley Kampers). Our field experience has shown this to be an excellent compressor. The one drawback with an upright fridge over a chest fridge is that most of the cold air escapes when opened.
Energy
Kruiser battery power is split into 3 systems with a total of 280Ah capacity:
- Starting Battery in Vehicle - standard Toyota issue
- Standby Battery in Vehicle - can be used as a backup to starting battery or backup for house battery power
- House Batteries in Kamper - standard Kimberley Isssue
The house batteries are a bank of absorbed glass mat batteries for a total of 140 amp hours of capacity. The advantages of AGM batteries are that they require no maintenance, withstand shock and vibration better than any standard battery, are sealed against hydrogen leakage and spilling even if they are broken, and can survive most freezes. AGM batteries are "recombinant" - which means the oxygen and hydrogen recombine inside the battery. The recombining is typically more than 99% efficient, so almost no water is lost. Since the internal resistance is extremely low, there is almost no heating of the battery even under heavy charge and discharge currents. AGM batteries have a very low self-discharge rate of only 1-3% per month, so they can sit in storage for long periods without discharging.
These batteries are charged in 3 ways:
- When driving the vehicle alternator charges the batteries.
- When on a powered site, the standard 240V power “plugs in” and charges. When mobile power is available (generator site) the inbuilt power surge protector will protect your unit from power spikes and charge your batteries.
- When in good weather 2 x 50-watt solar panels can be located on top of the cab on the compact roof rack. These sit horizontally when travelling with little wind resistance and plug in charging the batteries. These photovoltaic modules have superb durability to withstand rigorous operating conditions. The batteries easily have enough power to run the refrigerator, lights, water pump, fan, and laptop computer for 2-3 days. When charging with solar panels, this can be extended to 5-6 days or longer in ideal conditions. On the rare occasions that more power is required than the solar panels can replenish during extended stays in camp, a simple idle of the engine will recharge the camper batteries. Sufficient power is simply not a problem.
No Generator Required with easy solar
By using solar panels, large alternators, large battery capacity and efficient appliances, the need for a generator has been completely eliminated. This results in a camper that is much more convenient to use and frees up valuable space normally taken by the generator. The camping experience is much more enjoyable without the noise of a loud generator.
Fresh Water - a major differentiator!
Adequate fresh water capacity is essential for extended remote camping, and Kimberley Kruiser™ has a dual water supply system.
- There are 2 independent water tanks 80 litres each with separate water fillers and separate pumps.
- The first on board water tank is designed for personal drinking water outlet.
- The second Water Tank also connects to either:
- mains water outlet
- a hose to pump out of a stream or billabong. We have tested the unit pumping at a height of 3.5m out of a stream through the hot water system.
This gives you an endless supply of water to shower or wash-up (assuming the creek or billabong is significant)
konvertible now on line
