Heading offroad or into the Aussie outback can lead you to some pretty stunning locations, but the roads can get rough, which is why it’s important that your caravan and vehicle are thoroughly prepared before you go. Thankfully, Cruisemaster has shared some expert advice to get you on the right track.
About the company
Founded back in 1978, Cruisemaster (then Vehicle Components) began as a small industrial fabrication shop before it made the shift into the recreational trailering space. Today it has established itself as one of the most iconic brands in the industry, manufacturing caravan and camper trailer independent arm suspension systems and offroad trailer couplings. Just flick through the pages of any Caravan World magazine or online review and more often than not you’ll see Cruisemaster’s suspension and couplings listed in caravan review specs boxes.
Until recently, Cruisemaster was owned and operated by three generations of the Goddard family. In 2021 the company was purchased by the AutoPacific Group, which has continued to expand upon the Aussie brand while Andrew Goddard continues to play a key role in the development of Cruisemaster’s range of products.
Cruisemaster’s gear has been thoroughly tried and tested during the brand’s 40 plus year history. Every new product undergoes extensive remote area testings during Cruisemaster’s epic R.A.T. Run Trips before release to ensure they can withstand Aussie environments and their intended use.
Cruisemaster has become a household name in the caravan and camper trailer industries
And it’s not just Australia where Cruisemaster has become a household name in the RV world. The manufacturer is constantly evolving and expanding, especially within the US overlanding industry during recent years, and it continues to develop new cutting-edge products every year.
It’s not just about having the products — it’s knowing how to use and take care of them. To help shed some light on how offroad driving can impact your caravan’s suspension and the best way to prepare for long trips, we spoke to Nathan Smith, marketing manager at Cruisemaster.
How does driving offroad impact your van and its suspension?
When it comes to offroad caravans and camper trailers in Australia, a large part of what makes the van ‘offroad’ is its ability to withstand the uneven surfaces and frequently corrugated dirt roads that are prevalent in Australia’s more remote areas, whether that’s the outback, the depths of the Victorian High Country or the long slog up to Cape York in Far North Queensland.
“Aggressive and rapid changes in road surface puts additional strain on the suspension components and can generate substantial heat within the system’s components,” Nathan explained. “Having components such as shock absorbers, bearings and brakes specifically designed for these conditions allows the system to continue to perform as intended under these extreme conditions. And having specifically tuned components for offroad conditions will not only better manage the heat generated, but also reduce impacts (such as rough corrugations) being transferred through to the chassis and body of the caravan, and thus reduce general wear and tear.”
Cruisemaster’s top-tier ATX suspension system is a popular choice for offroad caravans
‘Offroad’ is in itself a rather loose term and can cover everything from dirt and gravel driving to sandy, rocky and rough terrains. Each kind of offroad scenario can have a different impact upon your tow vehicle and caravan suspension setup, how it operates and what you as the driver need to do.
“Some terrain types are managed by the suspension system and others by complimentary components such as managing tyre pressures,” Nathan said. “A good offroad suspension system will have generous wheel travel, allowing the system to navigate significantly uneven terrain while maintaining contact between the wheel and road surface.”
Nathan also stressed that it’s important, no matter the type of terrain, to watch out for rigid drop-offs in the road such as washouts and potholes. This might feel like an impossible task on some Aussie roads, but avoiding these hazards will help minimise the blunt force transfer sent through your suspension and van when you come into contact with a vertical lip.
Cruisemaster CRS suspension
If you’re tackling low traction terrain, such as on a beach or sandy outback roads, your tyre pressure will play more of a role than your suspension. “It is important to reduce tyre pressures the same as what you would do to the tow vehicle to allow for a larger contact area and to reduce the risk of bogging,” Nathan said.
But that doesn’t mean a good suspension setup will go unnoticed in this or any other driving scenario. Cruisemaster’s range of caravan and camper trailer suspension systems (such as the XT and ATX suspensions that are popular in offroad vans) have been designed to maintain a consistent travel height and ground clearance across different terrains, which in turn ensures you have enhanced wheel traction and control and allows suspension components, such as the shock absorbers, to have their full stroke to optimise performance.
Cruisemaster’s ATX system with M60 premium shock absorbers allows users to adjust the shocks for a firmer or softer ride
Cruisemaster has a range of suspension options available to suit different setups, but one of the perks of the top-tier ATX system is that it features the M60 premium shock absorbers, which features three levels of adjustment so that users can adjust the shock absorber for a firmer or softer ride, depending on terrain.
How does the size and weight of the van impact the system?
The weight of your van does play a large role in determining how your suspension behaves, whether you’re on the road or off.
“Cruisemaster systems have a range of airbags, coil springs and shock absorbers to offer a ride suitable to the van’s weight,” Nathan said. “Depending on the van’s ATM [aggregate trailer mass, i.e., the total legal weight of your van with the caravan's contents loaded] a suitable suspension configuration will be selected to optimise performance at that weight rating.”
There are pros and cons to each kind of setup. For example, Nathan highlighted that coil springs are designed to perform at a specific weight. This means that if you travel with your van empty, or a lot lighter, you’ll experience a much poorer ride. A way to combat this is to simply add some ‘unnecessary’ weight to the van, such as filling the water tanks or adding some extra bits of gear in order to get your van back to the ideal weight.
“These concerns are negated by an airbag system though,” Nathan said. “Airbags are about more than just convenience for levelling a van. They allow you to adjust the bags to meet the loaded weight on the van to ensure a perfect ride every time.”
And always remember, suspension systems should never exceed their designed load for your safety and the safety of others on the road.
Cruisemaster also manufactures premium quality couplings, including the DO45
Taking care of your suspension
Regular maintenance checks are a part of the caravanning lifestyle, and checking over your van’s suspension system is an important part of this process to extend their longevity and safe use. Suspension components can start to fail as they get older, and Nathan highlighted that most common failure types in a caravan’s suspension system are due to overheating or lack of maintenance.
“It is important to check that bolts are maintaining torque, especially in offroad conditions when vibrations from the terrain can transfer into these points. Similar to checking wheel nuts on the car, shock mounting bolts and alike should also be checked regularly when travelling on challenging terrain.
“Shock absorbers and bearings are also vulnerable to overheating and could potentially lead to failure. It is important when travelling in remote areas to be familiar with the signs of potential wear on these components. For shock absorbers you may see the heat effecting the outer body of the shock absorber, with visual indicators like burn marks or leaking from the seal.”
Every caravanner worth their salt should have traveller’s toolbox with all the essential items stocked, especially if they’re planning a long trip with time off the bitumen. A bit of gear that Nathan says is absolutely vital is a quality torque wrench so that you can easily make sure your bolts and wheel nuts are tightened to the correct torque, no matter where you are.
Another pro tip from Nathan concerning taking care of your suspension is to always drive to the conditions and take regular breaks to lower the risk of your components overheating. “A good rule of thumb is if you are feeling the fatigue from the conditions, your suspension could be as well.”
Pre-travel checks
In addition to regular maintenance, if you’re heading off on a trip — especially an extended one — it is always wise to give your van a full pre-travel check to ensure everything is in working order, replace any old or deteriorating components and generally find ways to prevent things going wrong once you’re travelling.
“What can often times be a simple fix at home with some basic maintenance or a trip to the shops to pick up a replacement part becomes far more complicated once travelling remotely,” Nathan said. “A little time and effort on preventative maintenance before setting off can not only save you heartbreak when holidaying but also substantial cost associated with tow trucks, accommodation and post costs to get repairs done in remote areas.”
Servicing your trailer's suspension is vital to its longevity and performance
A pre-travel check of your van can be as extensive as you like, but when it comes to checking your suspension, Nathan recommends starting with a visual inspection of all the components for unusual wear or damage. Follow this up with checking all the bolts with a torque wrench to ensure they meet the manufacturer’s spec and top up any grease points. “For those a little more hands-on, you can check your bearings and wheel alignment. These are fairly straightforward processes with easy-to-follow how-to videos available through the Cruisemaster YouTube channel.”
If something were to go wrong with your Cruisemaster gear, the suspension systems have been built with several redundancies in mind to ensure users aren’t stranded and have the opportunity to travel to the next town if repairs are required. For example, many systems have twin shock absorbers and air bags that can run on the bump stops if they fail.
This design is backed by the Cruisemaster National Service Network, which has recommended repairers nationwide.
Cruisemaster Towing Performance Centre
To support its great gear and offer expert servicing, Cruisemaster officially launched its Towing Performance Centre (TPC) in 2018. Located in northern Brisbane, Queensland, the TPC is focused on optimising towing performance in safe way that abides by legal requirements, and best yet, they look at the entire towing setup (caravan/camper/vehicle and trailer) as a complete package. People can take their caravans, campers or trailers plus their tow vehicles to get professional advice on how to optimise their towing performance, get upgrades and plenty more.
Get a full pre-travel check at the Cruisemaster Towing Performance Centre
The TPC weighs the setup in three stages: the tow vehicle, the caravan/camper/trailer and then the combination of the two in order to get both the individual axle loads as well as the combination of weights when hitched up.
TPC services include the weight assessments, caravan servicing, underbody repairs, retrofits and ATM upgrades, as well as towing focused vehicle builds covering everything from a pre and post registration suspension upgrade and towing essentials through to cargo upgrades such as roof racks and canopy fit outs.
So, whether you’re just wanting to assess your setup for regular use or you’re preparing for a long-haul caravanning trip up to the Tip or over to Western Australia, the TPC is a great place to ensure your vehicle and van combo are up to the task.
To find out more and to make bookings, head to the TPC website.
Some exciting news for us southerners is that Cruisemaster is opening a new TPC in Keysborough (southeast Melbourne), Vic. The centre will offer all the same services and expert guidance, and the doors will open in mid-2025. But the team estimates they’ll start taking bookings around February, so lock it in your calendar now.
Cruisemaster’s XT suspension system
New Cruisemaster gear
New gear on the market is always an exciting time, and Cruisemaster has recently released its Body Control System (BCS), which is the next generation of air control system.
“This system is introducing industry leading advanced air features such as horizon levelling and app connectivity to the proven Cruisemaster suspension platform,” Nathan said.
The horizon levelling aspect of this system will be a great inclusion for many caravanners. Horizon levelling allows the van to be levelled on both axes when setting up camp to achieve the perfect level both across the van and from front to rear.
The BCS system also includes a more advanced option for auto ride height, and when used in conjunction with a wheel speed sensor this feature can auto adjust to an optimised travel mode once the van begins to be towed again.
The BCS will be available for fitting on 2025 model caravans.
Find out more
Cruisemaster is an iconic and trusted name in the RV industry, with a long-proven reputation for its use of quality materials and the premium design of its products.
To find out more about Cruisemaster’s suspension systems, couplings, R.A.T. Run product testing trips across various terrains and more, head to the Cruisemaster website below.
352B Bilsen Road
Geebung, Brisbane Qld 4034
P: 07 3624 3800
E: enquiries@cruisemaster.com.au
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