16 Jan, 2018

2017 BAV: Legend Trackline Off-Road

by Michael Borg, Peter Quilty, Ron Moon, Malcolm Street

Peter Quilty, our BAV judge who took the Legend Trackline Off-Road for a spin mere months before, reckoned it was just begging for tougher terrain.

Fast forward to Best Aussie Vans where, under the intense scrutiny of our judging panel, the Trackline earned many plaudits for its strength-to-weight ratio, offroad potential, tour-ability and comforts off-the-grid. So what was it that stood out? Read on.

ONE TOUGH TOURER

The Trackline Off-Road from Legend is a pretty cool bit of gear. Designed to be the perfect compromise between a luxury tourer and an offroad beast, it’s a great blend for the adventurous at heart. A quick glance at the chassis and you just know it means business. It all sits on a 6in Aussie-made chassis with a 4in riser, which is pretty standard these days, but it runs a few extra support beams which go a heck of a long way in terms of strength and offroad reliability. While there’s adequate clearance, I would have liked to see a tad more protection for the undercarriage. It’s got bash plates fitted but there’s electrical wiring and plumbing pipes left exposed under there that are just begging to be torn off at some point.

In saying all that, I thought the suspension system was a massive strong point for this caravan. It’s made by G&S, and is a seriously tough looking bit of gear that just oozes strength and ability. I like the mounting position of the shock absorbers – 90 degree angle, which I prefer to slanted versions these days. Weight wise, it scales in at a handy 2400kg while maintaining a 3500kg ATM, so you’ve got a well appointed 1100kg payload – perfect for touring!

The weight’s kept in check thanks to the full aluminium chassis designed to add plenty of strength to the whole package.

LUXURY LADEN

This is an impressive beast of an offroad van representing great value for money in a package where the body length is just under 6m long. Travel height is just a touch over 3m and while the Tare is 2400kg the GVM is 3.5 tonne giving it a payload of 1100kg and putting it definitely into ‘Cruiser or big rig tow territory.

The chassis is a 6in G&S Supagal frame riding on a G&S Control Rider independent dual-axle coil suspension which is backed up by 12in brakes all round. Finishing off the ride department, 16in alloy wheels are shod with all-terrain tyres.

The body of the van is built around a fully welded alloy frame and covered in smooth, good looking ali-comp cladding which is, of course, insulated. Befitting an offroad van and adding to the tough, go-anywhere look, the bottom section of the walls are all covered in tough checkerplate.

Inside the strong outer shell you will find all the luxuries and top quality appliances you’ll need for an extended trip around our great continent or for a long stays camped beside a river in our mountains. The practical kitchen has a four-burner gas top, a full size oven and microwave with a 190L three-way fridge with sturdy cupboards and drawers and smart marble-looking benchtops. Across the back end of the van is a roomy ensuite while down the front end is a large queen-sized bed.

Off-grid capability is impressive to say the least (even if there is no outside kitchen) with not only two 150W solar panels and two 120Ah AGM batteries but also two 95L water tanks and one 120L grey water tank.

What more can I say, except... I want one!

COMFORT OFFROAD

If the aim of building the Trackline was for an offroad van that’s not excessively heavy, has just about all the desired contemporary features and a comfortable living interior, then Legend has achieved it for the most part.

Underneath the van, the independent suspension and ground clearance satisfies the offroad part of things. While still underneath, the RHS railed chassis with C section cross members shows some effort at weight reduction.

Fitting the comfortable lifestyle component is the front island bed and rear bathroom layout. It comes with all the essentials and more, best illustrated by the neatly recessed hinged footrests at the end of the cafe dinette seating.

It doesn’t stop there of course, outside on the drawbar is a slide-out barbecue on one side and a slide-out for a generator on the other – both enclosed in checkerplate storage boxes.

For remote travel, the two 120Ah deep cycle batteries, two 150W solar panels and two 95L water tanks ensure the facility to stay away from civilisation for an extended period of time.

Adding to all of that is the simple fact that the Trackline van has a good look about it as well.

AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND

The tough-as-teak Legend Trackline Off-Road gives the distinct impression it could sustain some real punishment on our iconic outback trails. A bona fide offroad brute, the Trackline boasts a ruggedly handsome exterior combined with a sparkling interior – it really is a rough diamond.

One of its key external attributes is an offroad aluminium frame which, on a pound-for-pound basis, offers greater strength than a timber frame and is rot-resistant. Its offroad capability starts with a lightweight but sturdy 6in G&S Supagal chassis, with a 4in riser that provides excellent ground clearance. There’s also plenty of front of van protection supplied by a stoneshield and high checkerplate.

That’s matched by dual 120Ah AGM batteries, two 95L fresh water tanks and a 120L grey water tank, and twin 150W roof-mounted solar panels.

Another plus is its full under-body armour, ensuring airflow doesn’t get caught up in the water tanks, plumbing and so on.

From an internal perspective, I admired the voluminous storage provided by the screwed-in overhead lockers, robes with cut-outs, dressers and under-bed area, which can also be accessed at floor level.

An additional highlight is that all acrylic cupboard doors are rubber-lined and have exclusive chrome, button-less, user-friendly Italian square handles.

A modern and practical internal galley has almost all the culinary requisites, and there’s also an external kitchen complete with a slide-out Weber Q. Meanwhile, a stylish and relaxing four-seater cafe dinette has upholstery-matching recessed flip-out footrests with steel bi-fold latches for added support.

And a contemporary rear full-width ensuite features a recessed top-loading washing machine, fibreglass shower with opaque door for added privacy, and an oval-shaped washbasin built into the vanity benchtop.

Undoubtedly, the Legend Trackline Off-Road is a made-to-measure offroader for tackling the outback and trekking towards uncharted territory.