Volkswagen Tranporter based Trakka Trakkadu ABT

Volkswagen Transporter Trakka_Trakkadu_ABT

Turbocharged engine, seven speed twin clutch gearbox, all-wheel drive, lowered sports suspension from a championship-winning motorsport team, 19 inch alloy wheels with low profile tyres, German body kit, deep black pearl paint – it’s not the equipment list you would expect for a campervan, but then the Trakka Trakkadu ABT is no ordinary campervan and its giving campervans a couple of features they’ve lacked in the past: sex appeal and sporty performance.

“The Trakkadu ABT is designed for a new type of Recreational Vehicle (RV) customer and it is an indication of the changes in the RV market as a whole,” explains Dave Berry, who, as CEO of Trakka, is celebrating 40 years of making award-winning campervans and motorhomes for the Australian market.

“The traditional campervan owner uses their vehicle to explore Australia and to have weekends away, usually staying in camp sites. But we are now seeing two new groups of owners come into the market. Firstly there are those owners who want to explore Australia, but they don’t want to stick to roads or campsites, and for these owners we have developed our off-road and ‘remote’ range of RVs that are, quite literally, going where they have never gone before.”

“On the other hand, the Trakkadu ABT answers the needs of another new group of owners. They want to use their RV  as a normal vehicle, typically replacing an SUV or even a car, during the week, while at the weekend they use it for lifestyle activities such as surfing, yachting, fishing, scuba diving, skiing – on snow or water – or any of the myriad of things with which we now fill our weekends, but  with the added benefits of being able to have a hot shower, a cold drink from the fridge, cook a meal and even have a nap on the double bed in the back,” he added.

“To fulfil this dual role, the Trakkadu ABT looks great from the outside and the sports suspension, wheels and tyres combined with the turbocharged engine and seven speed twin clutch gearbox means it drives like no other, yet, at the same time it has everything inside expected of a contemporary Trakka campervan.”

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The Trakkadu ABT is based on the Volkswagen Transporter, a vehicle on which Dave Berry and the Trakka Team have four decades of design and building experience, and uses a Volkswagen variant produced especially for Trakka, with the top drivetrain and equipment levels.

This means that it has a 132 kW Turbo Diesel engine matched to a seven speed DSG twin clutch gearbox that sends its power to the wheels through the 4Motion four wheel drive system which includes a locking rear differential. To this Trakka adds lowered sports suspension from ABT Sportline, the German motor racing and car tuning company that specialises in Volkswagen Group products, on and off the race track, and fits unique 19 inch alloy wheels and low profile tyres.

This combination endows the Trakkadu ABT with a level of performance, responsive steering, road holding and handling that enables it to give a few car drivers a surprise. Completing the exterior is an ABT Sportline body kit with revised front bumper, front air splitter and brake cooling inlets. Side skirts complete the ground-hugging appearance of the Trakkadu ABT. As standard, the Trakkadu ABT comes in deep black pearl paint with the roof in contrasting Titanium Silver.

While the leather upholstery clearly marks the Trakkadu ABT apart from the pack, the interior has all the equipment expected of a luxury Trakka, but with a few advanced technology twists. For example, with the Trakkadu there are no last minute dashes to fill gas cylinders or space lost to gas tanks. The Trakkadu uses fuel from the vehicle’s fuel tank for cooking and, as an option, room heating. This means it is always ready for an adventure and filling the fuel and water tanks means it’s ready to go.

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For the driver, the Trakkadu ABT has all the equipment of a luxury car, from a multimedia sat-nav and entertainment system to rain sensing wipers, cruise control, power windows and locks, adjustable armrests and leather trimmed steering wheel with fingertip controls.

In the back, it’s complete with an elevating roof providing plenty of head room and ventilation with a comfortable double bed, which converts into a two passenger seat with child safety seat attachments, an efficient 80 litre fridge, dual zone ceramic top stove, sink with hot and cold water, soft action drawers, roller shutter cupboards and a moveable table. At the back there is access to additional storage space and a shower that is provided with hot and cold water.

The Trakkadu family of campervans starts at $87,500 drive-away and includes the Trakkadu ABT, which is priced at $135,500 drive-away.

TRAKKA Motorhomes and Campervans is an Australian family owned company that has been designing, engineering and constructing luxury Motorhomes, Campervans and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) since being established by Dave Berry in 1973.

 

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