John Ford visits the Bruder factory in Brisbane, follows the build of an EXP-8 through its construction and sees what makes these extreme adventure caravans so special.
We have reviewed a range of Bruder vans over the years, so on a recent visit to Queensland, I thought it was time to examine the build process for what many regard as the ultimate brand of offroad caravans and hybrids.
Bruder, German for brother, is a boutique custom manufacturer overseen by the Bosschieter brothers, Toby and Dan. The story goes that the boys were brought up on a tradition of exploring the Australian bush with adventurous parents. As the brothers grew older, they began importing rugged South African campers and learned much about engineering and the build process. When they sold that business, they hatched a plan to build the ultimate offroad van to reward their parents, and Bruder was born.
After 18 months of research, development and spending heavily on engineering specifications, the brothers had a business plan.
That first model, designed and built in 2015, became the EXP-6 — a rugged dual-axle camper. Since then, two more tandem axle versions have hit the market, as well as the single-axle EXP-4. Since its inception, the design has been to cater for international markets, with units being sold all over the globe. Bruder recently opened a dealership in the United States, partnered with another in Europe and has a strong presence in Africa and the Middle East. Its vans have been tested in extreme weather and conditions across every continent and have come out on top every time.
The EXP-8 started life based on a platform used for commercial builds, such as mobile Geological laboratories used in 50-degree conditions.
A Bruder EXP-7 previously reviewed here
Our reviews of the Bruder models over the past few years are found here, where a common theme is that these vans are incredibly good. But for more perspective, check out these comments from overseas reviews:
RV Travel: “The Bruder EXP-6 trailer is a masterpiece of rugged construction.”
The Autopian: “The body of the trailer flowed over the ledge, through the ditch, and across the mud pit as if it were on a freshly graded dirt road.”
Top Gear: “And then there’s the Bruder EXP-6. God, I want one.”
The Expedition Portal: “Their only goal was to build the ultimate trailer, and in many ways, they’ve done just that.”
r/camper: “I never wanted a camper until I saw the Bruder EXP-6.”
Brisbane based
Bruder is based in Brisbane’s west, with two factories and a showroom that includes sales, service, administration and a design team. So, it is a true Queenslander. It has a staff of more than 80 workers, many from the boat building trade, which has many similarities to Bruder’s construction.
Design in completed in Solid Works
Like most caravans, the build starts with the chassis, but the Bruder version is unlike any other and solves many design problems that allow a superior ride for increased safety and durability. A typical caravan chassis is flat, whereas the Bruder has a raised section at the wheel arch, allowing superior suspension travel and a greatly improved travel angle for the shock absorber and airbags to operate at maximum efficiency over 300mm of travel. The chassis is manufactured in an ISO 9001-accredited factory by certified welders using a combination of Australian steel grades and thickness. The 125mm x 75mm hollow RHS of the chassis are entirely airtight to protect the interior from corrosion. The square sections have round-profile crush tubes welded in place to add strength and rigidity while also allowing routing possibilities, keeping no wiring or plumbing below any part of the chassis for added protection from the elements. Once complete, they apply a durable painted coating rather than galvanising to avoid warping in the build process.
Hefty air bags and shock absorbers
The first part of the assembly is mating the suspension to the chassis. The patented Bruder suspension system is a modified trailing arm with a third link for precise tracking. This is mated to the rear of the cross members rather than the underside in traditional setups. This further protects the trailing arms from being caught up in offroad excursions. The hefty arms are laser cut from mill run high grade 75mm tube and set into a jig for precise alignment before being fitted with airbags and twin remote-reservoir upside-down shock absorbers. The airbags have an inbuilt bump stop that prevents the shock absorbers from crushing under high impact. Fresh water and brake lines are added with attention to keeping everything well protected.
The body takes shape
Meanwhile, the caravan’s body takes shape on a different production line, using locally made CNC cut composite panels — 60mm for the floor and 30mm for the roof and walls. The closed-cell foam panels are clad in quad weave fibre or optional carbon fibre and epoxy resin, which makes them extremely strong but means they have to be sanded for a smooth finish adding to build times. The sections are bonded together with epoxy glue using jigs to ensure the body is square. They then bond aluminium covers over the edges and inside for added strength and aesthetics.
Walls are braced to ensure they are square
The body cures overnight and heads to the spray booth for up to five coats of base paint and a top raptor coat in either gloss or a textured flat finish.
The bathroom is moulded in-house and installed into the van so the rear wall can be fixed into place.
The van now enters its second stage, where it is time to mount the body onto the chassis with unique rubber attachments that absorb vibration and minimise heat leakage.
After mating the body to the chassis, the unit moves to get its additional layers of insulation added at the next facility. Bruder makes its custom wiring looms according to the van’s destination, and all countries have different rules and ways. So, the electronics assemblies are prepared around Victron components in a dedicated workshop, and these are now installed along with plumbing and external trim. The furniture is a composite and lightweight ply mix and fixes permanently in place. Bruder has three auto trimmers for the soft furnishings and trims. There’s a choice of Italian leather for lounges, and three hides go into a typical build, but there are vegan options if preferred.
Wiring is very professional
Wiring looms are made in-house
A 3D printer produces carbon fibre brackets and fixings for various components, seeking to save weight, increase strength and create a bespoke vibe.
The final fitout includes fitting solar panels, an air-conditioner, the OGO composting toilet, a dust reduction system and storage lockers before the van goes through hours of quality control for fit and finish and to test all systems. Around 1200 hours go into the build, which I can easily understand because, from what I saw, the emphasis was on doing things properly the first time to ensure everything works as it should.
Upholstery underway
The Bruder is an awesome offroader with superior engineering, high-end electronics, and quality parts and appliances. The build process is meticulous and time-consuming to achieve the highest level of quality.
Starting at $343,000, the Bruder EXP-8 might be the costliest van on the market, and custom versions raise the price even higher. However, given that it is also arguably the most competent and well-engineered van anywhere, the cost is no surprise.
A Bruder under construction at the Brisbane factory
An offroad hybrid pop-top with the patented Bruder roof-lift mechanism
With its continual drive for innovation and lessons learned from international exposure, big things are on the horizon, set to launch later this year. Find out more on Bruder’s website.
THE NEXT STEP
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