Australia's camper vans generally pale in comparison to its bombproof off-road camper trailers. But if there's one name building camper vans fit to be hitched in towing tandems with the likes of the Track Tvan and Mosfab Cosmos, it's Trakka. The Sydney-area builder has a long history of turning Volkswagen's variably-sized vans into Outback-ready expedition machines. Now it focuses its attention on turning the T7 Transporter, VW's newest van, into a more versatile, rugged California-style camper van with an options sheet that trumps VW's own. And this time around, it adds a whole new twist.
The all-new T7-based Trakkadu doesn't look nearly as tough or all-terrain-ready as the T6 Trakkadu we looked at the very first time we discovered Trakka 10 years ago, but that's okay because it can easily get there. It's based on the 4Motion all-wheel-drive T7 with 168-hp 2.0-liter turbo-diesel, and any buyer who so chooses can easily add options like a suspension lift, under-body skid protection, 17-in alloy wheels shod in all-terrain rubber, and a snorkel. The bull bar that defined the entire front fascia of that 2016 Trakkadu AT is also ready for buyers to hit "select."
The 210-in (534-cm) Volkswagen Transporter is more than long enough to fit in some form of part-time bathroom, as Westfalia has proven in the past, but Trakka doesn't take things that far. Instead, it offers buyers multiple portable toilet options for easy carry-along, options that include a cassette toilet and waterless separating toilets.
As for showering, Trakkadu offers a rather elegant-looking outdoor system with side mount and rainfall shower head. Buyers can also add a Stiebel Eltron 10-L water heater to deliver some steam.
The lack of an indoor bathroom should actually prove an advantage to some buyers because it saves space for a highly roomy and flexible floor plan. Trakka improves upon its earlier Trakkadu design with three floor-integrated L-tracks that run farther forward in the cabin, ending inches behind the front seats.
Those extended tracks enable more positional adjustability for the three-seat rear bench, which easily slides forward for travel and dining and backward for more legroom and open central cabin space at camp. And because those rails are L-track, users should be able to use them to secure other gear, like bicycles or cargo boxes. Trakka also offers an extra passenger seat for mounting in front of the rear bench, turning five-seater into six-seater.
Those L-tracks improve upon the classic VW California-style side kitchen/folding bench-bed layout, and Trakka further builds upon the paradigm with a long, well-equipped galley that stretches from A-pillar to C-pillar. It outfits the cook station with a portable dual-ring induction cooktop, covered sink with extra-tall faucet, and countertop offering plenty of space to work. Below the counter, the 90-L door fridge/freezer keeps chilled foods accessible and the cabinets keep cookware organized and at the ready.
A second floor plan comes built on a Transporter with dual sliding doors. Trakka shortens the front-end of the kitchen and positions the fridge facing forward for access from both outside and inside.
Whichever kitchen block you choose, it gives way to a full-height rear wardrobe at the back of the van. There, campers can store clothes, towels and other supplies essential to life at camp and on the road. The very rear of that wardrobe console features a separate section with a tall, slim split cabinet facing rearward. Accessed through the tailgate, the top cabinet provides shelf space for soap, shampoo and other hygiene products, while the bottom area houses the shower sprayer hookup and controls.
Trakka has developed a new light, airy pop-up roof for the T7 Trakkadu, constructing the hard top from an aluminum-fiberglass composite designed for sleek aerodynamics and light, rugged performance. The roof features 390 watts of neatly integrated, form-fitting solar panels, which buyers can upgrade to 650 W. It opens at the push of a button with an electric lift system and comes with panoramic 270-degree mesh for amplified ventilation. That mesh can also close behind fabric covers, which occupants of the optional 76 x 47-in1(92 x 120-cm) roof bed will want to do in chillier, wetter weather. The roof is also built to carry large gear like bicycles and kayaks.
Trakka keeps the new Trakkadu powered up in the most distant, dusty shadows of the Outback with a new 48-V off-grid electrical architecture founded atop a 2-kWh lithium battery pack that can be upgraded up to 5 kWh. That pack charges from the aforementioned 390-W roof-mounted solar array, and there's also the option to add a freestanding 400-W solar panel.
The Trakkadu carries 60 liters of fresh water and 30 liters of gray. Living area heating and air conditioning are available optionally.
The all-new Volkswagen-based Trakkadu starts at AU$161,000 (approx. US$112,725), and the new twist is that the camper is available for the first time on a Ford Transit Custom, now the Transporter's cross-badge sibling. Folks who don't mind swapping the VW grille badge out for a blue oval will even save some money, as the all-wheel-drive Trakkadu based on Ford's Transit Custom Trail starts at AU$148,400 (US$103,925). Trakka also plans a two-wheel-drive Ford Transit Custom variant starting at AU$142,900 (US$100,050).
Trakka has not yet released photos of the Ford Transit Custom Trakkadu, so all photos show the VW T7 variant. Watch it in action in the quick 2.5-min intro clip below.
Source: Trakka
