RV REVIEW
Sometimes I feel that I really need a new 4WD. I
love my old Land Cruiser but its towing capacity –
2500kg – seems less relevant with each passing
year. Then along comes a caravan that restores a
little faith.
I’m referring to the Bailey Rangefinder Capricorn,
an extensively equipped 27-plus-footer that old
Ruby towed with ease. Sure, there are plenty of
vans available with an ATM of 2500kg or less, but few
have the living space on display in the Capricorn.
Bailey Caravans has its roots in the UK, but with
its Rangefinder series of caravans it became
the first European manufacturer to build vans in
Australia. The company has long had a reputation
for lightweight vans. But how does it do it? Well,
the company strips unnecessary weight from the
chassis, uses lightweight ply inside, and the body
construction plays a significant part.
In short, the walls and roof are hail-resistant
fibreglass sandwich panels that incorporate a
strong composite ‘skeleton’ made of recycled
plastic. The entire structure is interlocked via
Bailey’s special Alu-Tech system.
There’s more to it than that, but suffice it to
say that Baileys aren’t your usual ‘stick and tin’
caravan.
LOADING UP
BBack to other weighty matters. Our review
Capricorn had a Tare of 2053kg, giving it a load
carrying capacity of 447kg. But you can increase
your payload capacity to up to 800kg in total as
part of a chassis upgrade.
In terms of optional extras, our van was fitted
with a nearside slide-out kitchen, an built-in
vacuum cleaner (you read that right – it’s called
the SweepOVac) and curtains.
The nearside kitchen sits in the front tunnel
boot while on the offside you’ll find a BMPRO
gorv.com.au
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