Caravan review: Legend Caravans Trackline Off-Road 17ft

Vans under $100k from premium Australian boutique builders are practically a thing of the past, even with small single axle vans. Legend Caravans, however, goes close with its Trackline Off-Road 17-footer.

Legend doesn’t cut any corners, using quality brands throughout, but strives for affordability through selecting mid-level components that get the job done for the vast majority of users.

In brief

• 5.4m (17ft 7in) single axle competent offroader
• Confidence inspiring build quality
• Cost effective, functional specification level

I am becoming quite familiar with Legend’s Trackline series, this being the third one I have reviewed in the past 12 months or so. The Trackline variants are broken up into two broad groupings — the hybrid models and the offroad models. To be honest, the names are a bit confusing because they are all offroad capable vans. However, Legend has decided to describe its smaller vans (15ft and 16ft single axle) with outdoor kitchens as ‘Hybrid’ models and its larger vans (starting at 17ft 6in single axle and going up to 23ft dual axle) without outdoor kitchens as ‘Off-Road’ models.

The Trackline Hybrid models are further broken down into vans with 12V power systems and two other models with high end 48V power systems. If you would like to learn more about the two 48V system models check out my side-by-side comparison review here.

External toolbox and tunnel boot storage

This review is all about the 17ft 6in single axle Trackline Off-Road. in other words, a van without an outdoor kitchen and a relatively simple 12V system by today’s standards. Let’s see what it has to offer.

First off it comes in at a much more attractive price ($105k) than the two 48V Trackline Hybrids I have reviewed (up to $150k). A 2.8T ATM makes it very towable by your average twin cab ute/mid-sized SUV. Nowadays just about every man and his dog drives this style of vehicle so a tow tug upgrade won’t be required for many.

Legend's build process

Not so long ago meranti timber frames were the norm and aluminium frames were somewhat of a rarity. Recently that trend has inverted, with many of the vans coming my way featuring aluminium frames and they are almost universally clad with aluminium composite sheeting. Some manufacturers weld their aluminium frames, some use plastic inserts to join the aluminium sections together and some use riveting.

Legend falls into the riveting camp and uses a self-piercing rivet system to join its aluminium frame together. According to its marketing material, the system has superior dynamic joint strength and is not susceptible to failure through vibration. Legend also uses a sophisticated fastening system known as a lockbolt to join the frame to the chassis and roof. This system uses a collar with a smooth internal bore instead of a nut. When applied with a special tool, the collar is swaged to effectively crush the collar onto the bolt thread. This makes it virtually impossible for it to rattle free under vibration and therefore maintain clamping force under the toughest of conditions. The roof and floor are both one-piece panels. The roof is a fibreglass skin with a foam core and the floor is a honeycomb material.

Ready for adventures on and off the road

The S&M brand chassis is traditional box section steel construction with a 150mm height A-frame joined to 100mm main rails with 100mm risers. As the name suggests, the risers raise the floor level which is very helpful for obstacles such as creek crossings and the caravan body is higher off the ground for better approach and departure angles. While the floor is quite high, only a single step is required to access the van, and the design still requires cut outs in the floor for wheel boxes. Other models in the Legend range use a truss chassis which raises the floor even higher above the wheel boxes for a continuous flat floor. The trade off with truss chassis vans is you generally need a twin step for van access.

Across the board Legend also offers choices underneath the chassis with mid to high-spec suspension systems with coil or airbag solutions. The Trackline Off-Road sports the high performance yet mid-spec Cruisemaster XT independent coil spring suspension. This product has been in the field for well over a decade and would have to be one off the most frequently fitted systems in the industry inspiring plenty of confidence and ready access to spare parts.

Gas plumbing and Cruisemaster XT suspension

The rear bumper is offset from the rear wheel quite a distance to allow room for an optional wood box. The downside is it pushes the spare wheel further out than it would otherwise need to be. Personally, I would be asking about a set up to bring the spare wheel closer in. The plumbing is worthy of a special mention. Legend uses brass fittings throughout rather than lower cost plastic fittings and the cover shielding the grey water outlet would have the most protection of any van I have reviewed.

Spare wheel and jerry can holders

What is the Legend Trackline Off-Road like inside?

The Trackline has a welcoming and well laid out interior. A 17-footer doesn’t give you a huge footprint to work with, but Legend has done well with the space. I will start in the middle of the van. The microfibre leather L-shaped lounge is a smart choice in a van of this size as it provides a decent amount of seating area without taking up too much length. Pondering the aesthetics of the van from the vantage of the particularly comfortable seating (for me), I took a liking to the subtle hexagonal pattern on the splashback. It’s just a bit different. As you would expect, bench space is relatively limited in a van of this size, but you can make use of the glass top above Swift oven and four gas burner cooktop. The remainder of the kitchen and living areas appliances are what you would expect from a quality van and itemised in our spec table. A dust suppression system might be a worthy addition to consider if you are aiming to head off the beaten track.

A beautiful layout despite the small sizeFront north–south bed

The sleeping zone works to a well proven formula of bed upfront surrounded by good storage above and on both sides. Nice tall windows are well positioned on either side of the bed for catching sunrises without getting out from under the doona. Also following tried and trusted patterns is locating the compact bathroom at the rear. Overhead storage is good, but under bench storage is limited due to the Aussie Traveller 3.2kg top loading washing machine living where drawers might otherwise be.

It’s worth mentioning this is the baby of the Trackline Off-Road range. If you feel you want more space, there are plenty of bigger models from which to choose but of course the price and the weight goes up.

The microfibre leather L-shape lounge was a good choice for this 17ft van

Ready for off-grid adventures

The two humble 9kg gas bottles sitting on the A-frame differentiate this van from the more upmarket members of the Legend family with 48V power systems. The gas bottles mean that you can run an oven, hot plates and hot water for extended periods off-grid. A significant outlay would be required to have an electrical system capable of delivering enough energy to do the same job.

Victron 12V system

Yet there still is a decent electrical system onboard. It’s a testament to the sophistication of the industry that the 12V system with a 200Ah lithium battery, a 30A DC to DC charger and 400W of solar is now considered a mid-range system. The premium brand Victron components are smartly wired into a neat externally accessible compartment. The absence of an inverter means you don’t have access to 240V power off-grid. This may be an option to consider ticking if running a coffee machine or hair dryer is important to you. The freshwater capacity is bang on par at 190L and the 110L of grey water capacity is a little more generous than most.

How does it tow?

Pairing the big Chevy Silverado 2500 up to the 2800kg ATM Trackline is like bringing a gun to a knife fight. As a result, we experienced effortless towing. For those who don’t aspire to owning a big Yank truck, I can share I have had a positive towing experience with a similar sized Legend Trackline hitched to a mid-sized Isuzu MU-X SUV. As I have written about on numerous occasions, a 2800kg ATM van such as this is an ideal upper limit for a regular dual cab ute/SUV. It will keep you comfortably within the gross combined mass limits of most mid-sized vehicles and the relatively light weight of the van compared to the car will reduce the chance of the ‘tail wagging the dog’.

For more information on popular tow vehicles, check out our buyers guide to dual cab utes here.

You won’t need a massive tow vehicle

What did we think of the Legend Trackline Off-Road?

The Trackline series includes models with more fancy features but the spec level of this van on review arguably delivers the best bang for your buck. Confidence in the build comes from the use of industry leading brands and savings come from selecting mid-range level components. Sure, you could go with the models with more sophisticated chassis designs, higher tech suspension systems and more off-grid capable electrical set ups but I suspect, for the majority of users, this offering will more than exceed expectations

Measuring up

Pros

• Premium build quality
• Rough road ready
• Proven layout

Cons

• This Trackline lacks off-grid 240V power capability. Optioning in a basic inverter may be worthwhile
• The spare wheel mounted on the rear of the van could be positioned closer inboard

LEGEND TRACKLINE OFF-ROAD RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

The price reflects a quality builder using premium brand mid-range components that suit the majority of users

TOWABILITY

2800kg ATM vans are a very sensible size for most vehicles and the Trackline has a reasonable payload

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

I would be confident to take this van on rough roads throughout Australia

BUILD QUALITY

I have had the opportunity to review a number of Legends now and they consistently deliver

LIVEABILITY

It’s welcoming, it’s comfortable … it just works

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Provides a good base level of off-grid power. Look to option more solar panels and possibly a basic inverter to tailor to your needs

CUSTOMER CARE

Two years on the body and fittings and five years on the chassis and suspension. Extended warranty and customer care are options

INNOVATION

It’s more a case of pulling together a lot of proven concepts and components into a well-rounded package

X-FACTOR

A premium Aussie built van that delivers a lot for the money

LEGEND TRACKLINE OFF-ROAD SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Legend Trackline Off-Road price from $104,990

OPTIONS FITTED

N/A

Legend Trackline Off-Road price as shown $104,990

MORE INFORMATION

Legend Caravans

2 Florey Court

Somerton 3062 Vic

P: 03 9308 9550

E: info@legendcaravans.com.au

THE NEXT STEP

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