ARB Debuts Its First Camper Trailer
After a month of teasing customers, ARB unveiled its first van to complement years of manufacturing and selling a range of camping equipment including rooftop tents and swags. The van is shown here in its pre-production form.
It said that the Earth Camper is the culmination of almost 50 years of knowledge and experience in the 4x4 space.
AB said the camper is “an extremely capable, compact and feature-packed off road camper trailer.”
The camper is built on a steel round-tube frame claiming it is “inherently stronger” than the traditional rectangular chassis “as there are no weak points from corners.”
“This provides consistent strength along interior and exterior surfaces and offers superior resistance to flexing under load,” ARB said in its launch material.
The suspension has been designed for strength and durability with ARB using a 900mm long trailing arm that it said is “one of the longest in the market” to reduce strain on suspension components and maximise wheel travel to provide a smoother ride and better traction.
These vertically mounted Nitrocharger shock absorbers allow movement at the axle, providing maximum articulation and ride quality.
“This means the shock can always operate at 100 per cent efficiency,” ARB said.
“Normally, space constraints prohibit shocks from being mounted vertically. However, the chassis and suspension on the Earth Camper were designed first, with the rest built around it – making it truly built for purpose.”
AB claims the hard-shell camper can hav its bed ready in one minute.
It has an electric rear door that allows for quick and easy set-up at the press of a button. This door doubles as a hard floor for the annexe area.
The interior has a queen-sized bed, Sirocco fans, internal lighting, opening side window, USB and USB-C charging points, 240-volt sockets and multiple storage solutions throughout.
The ARB slide kitchen prototype started development in this camper — before being released for vehicles — to ensure it was efficient and durable for the job.
It has a large stainless steel bench area, three-burner stove and integrated sink. Alongside the kitchen bench is a dual-zone 96L ‘Zero’ fridge freezer and a pantry drawer for storing dry goods.
Above the kitchen is a built-in, freestanding awning with 180-degree coverage — when using the included extra awning piece — for shade or shielding from the rain.
ARB said all these features are standard off the showroom floor but that the Earth Camper has a full range of supporting accessories to suit each individual user's comfort requirements.
These include a diesel heater made by Webasto which is a perfect upgrade for travellers in cooler climates and cold desert nights. The Airtop 2000 model has custom brackets to secure it and a controller and output that are conveniently located next to the bed.
There is also optional awning walls to add shelter. This comes as either a narrow or wide awning wall to cover a portion of or the entire awning area.
Technical accessories include a second lithium-ion battery to run an increased capacity inverter; Redarc’s flagship edVision TVMS battery manager; and a Redarc inverter to run all the must-have 240-volt accessories while off the grid. The Earth Camper has provision to hold the 350 - 2000-watt Redarc Inverter.
ARB also offers its ‘ensuite room’ option that has two-stage doors on both sides, a side window and a clear roof panel for light. It includes hooks for a shower head, toilet roll or toiletry bag.
The best addition for any bathroom is a hot shower, with ARB listing the Joolca ‘Hottap’ V2 system that allows just that.
The system is easy to use and has a 15-hour run time on a single gas tank. It also connects to the kitchen sink to provide hot water for cooking and cleaning. The Joolca kit comes with all the hoses and connections required to set up your shower or kitchen connection.
For storage there is a wide range of canvas bags — including pole bag, pots and pans bag, and a pantry storage bag for taller food items such as long-life milk — and a hanging organiser for storing clothing and shoes or use as a hanging pantry for food storage.
ARB’s renown air compressor is another option for the Earth Camper buyer. It has either a single or twin compressor.
The compressor also has an optional fit-kit designed to integrate it into the Earth Camper. This has cut-to-length braided hose, patch harness, all mounting hardware and a remote coupling outlet fitted conveniently near the outside water tap.
For buyers who store their camper trailer close to their home when not on the road, there’s a tailor-made storage cover to protect it against the elements.
This is stitched to follow the camper's contours with four tie-down cam buckles to ensure it stays secure. For extra convenience, it has a solar panel window to allow charging while covered and a zip access to the electrical compartment.
The ARB Earth Camper starts from $74,500 (Australian East Coast Metro) and is available to order now.
For a great deal on financing your new purchase, contact Australia's best reviewed finance broker on 1300 Credit (1300 273 348) today or visit CreditOne.com.au
