Leading With a Jab

Trakka’s Jabiru with Remote Pack option opens a world of self-reliant travel

Words and Images by: TIM SCOTT

We think you’d be hard-pushed to find a sharp corner anywhere in the Trakka Jabiru. The company’s signature style in terms of design appears to be curves, and lots of them. It’s most apparent with the use of the aluminium effect roller material that fronts all storage apertures except the kitchen drawers – the leading edge of the kitchen bench greets you with its vertical roller door that slides in routed channels and augments the curved narrowing edge of the benchtop. Obviously the benchtop curves toward the door to maximise movement area in the though-way and whereas a pure square work surface might give you everso slightly more prep area, a right-angle would get sharply in the way.

Look around and the theme continues with cupboard frame-ends, and the panels that separate the van sections, storage cubbies, the bathroom door – even the rear seat cushions. It softens the appearance despite the Jabiru being a tough camping proposition (even more so with the 4X4 variant) that in this test vehicle is fitted with the Remote Pack option: solar charging system, diesel fuelled water and room heating and cooktop, and a sound and insulation package. The Jabiru Xtra accommodates four passengers; however, our test Jabiru is a two-berth campervan.

A tough tourer needs to lead with a strong – not necessarily square – jaw and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter fi ts the bill. Powered by the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 with 140kW of power available that peaks at 3800rpm, it’s the 7G-Tronic auto transmission that makes the best use of that power and 440Nm of torque. With torque kicking in at 1400rpm there are seven ratios that never let you feel like you’re in the wrong one. Changes are barely perceptible and about the only downside to the transmission set up is the fact that it’s easy to knock the lever into ‘manual mode’ with your left knee.

Our test drive headed west from Sydney, over the Bells Line of Road to Bathurst – with three nights’ camping – and a return journey that looped via Rockley through Oberon, so we had plenty of hills and open stretches on which to try to make the drivetrain falter. It didn’t miss a beat. We were travelling light, obviously, which would have changed the performance from a laden vehicle but we’d be surprised if anyone would be disappointed when set for a big trip. In fact, some cargo would have helped on the occasion we were on wet grass and mud at Burraga Dam when the rear wheels slipped a little.

While you can option leather upholstery our Jabiru retained fabric seats, with one inboard armrest on each front (swivelling) pew. The seats squabs were firm but not overly so although the backs were a little narrow for me. The handbrake drops to the floor to allow the driver’s seat to complete its 180-degree turn. In terms of audible comfort the Mercedes is quiet. Only when you require a rapid downshift does the engine noise intrude and it’s not harsh even under those circumstances.

Above you when seated in the cab are two parcel shelves and integrated grab handles for assistance with climbing into the cab. All windows are fitted with a REMIS front blind system. The cab roof is the only surface lined with typical brush-flock auto lining. That immediately gives way to Trakka’s new choice of light fabric that covers the rest of the Jabiru’s walls and ceiling.

As with virtually all campervans, there is little to discuss in terms of external storage access. On the driver’s side is the port for dealing with the Thetford toilet cassette (and outside shower) and with no gas bottle to locate on the all diesel Remote Pack Jabiru – main storage is via the rear barn doors. So let’s go there first.

With the doors opened you’re greeted with the bed base at half way under which is a well-trimmed cargo area that has a central well. On this test that well accommodated a large plastic tub full of useful items, the water hoses and two camping chairs and later an electric folding bike. Neatly shelved away were the folding camp table and the work bench that attaches to the outside of the sliding door when required. On the right of the boot is an access door to the plumbing for the diesel hot water system. The main storage area also has a 12V accessory socket and a switchable LED strip light that turns off when the doors are closed.

All finishes and materials here match the interior in terms of quality. The van rear doors each have a cargo-netted pocket and the windows have blinds and insect screens (despite not opening). The all-seeing Waeco rear-view camera peers down from the roof and its vision is displayed full time on a dash-mounted screen by the driver’s A-pillar, which is a great feature.

Pop back around to the near-side and the sliding door – on models so optioned – performs the party trick to end all for campers with arms full of supplies or just for the sake of it! Press and hold the key remote button and the slider opens all by itself. The close function has a safety reverse mode if it detects an obstacle and the door can also be operated via a touch panel on the inside by the door aperture. Add this to the electric fold-down entry step and the new Dometic electric roll-out awning and one’s entrance to any campsite is all rather grand. (And we dare you not to peek round to see who’s watching…)

Once perfected, the awning deployment routine is fluid. Set the roll out going with the push button inside the passenger door frame, and you then have time to unclip the drop-down legs. When the awning reaches full extension it will stop, and you can slot in the spring-loaded spreader bar; re-tension the awning by retracting it a little and either fasten the legs to the van sides or adjust to suit on the ground. And this is a standard feature.

Facing you on the outside of the kitchen bar area is another preparation table that folds out and above that is the control for the dimmable exterior LEDs. The silver pole that joins the benchtop to the roof is a forward mount for the 48cm TV/DVD (the other mount is in the bedroom) and the power/aerial sockets are in the panel above. The TV can be watched while outside or swivelled round and viewed from the two front chairs. An amplified Winegard TV antenna winds via a roof-mounted handle in the galley.

The area immediately behind the Mercedes seats is stepped up from the galley way, carpeted and equipped with a floor socket for the table leg (secured under the benchtop) so that one of the two dining tables can be used in combination with a fold-out table. This table extends the surface atop a two-stack drawer just behind the driver’s seat, with a crockery cupboard above. It also has an opening window (suitably screened) that nicely lights this forward dining area.

New ‘mood’ lighting is an additional feature for MY2016 Trakkas. Besides numerous 12V LEDs being recessed on the underside of all overhead cupboards, LED strips have also been incorporated in a similar way to aircraft lighting – under the benchtop lip, the accent the floor, near the sleek acrylic kitchen splashback and, as they’re dimmable, once the house lights are off it brings a very upmarket or cosy feel to your surroundings.

The Waeco 12/240V fridge and microwave module is next on the offside with the latter also behind a roller door which means light items can be stowed alongside it. There is one more storage cupboard beneath the fridge that sits on the box required to house the Thetford electric toilet that lives next door in the bathroom.

Turn round from the fridge and you have six soft-close drawers that get deeper in capacity as you descend. The highlight on the grey benchtop is the stainless sink, with glass lid and mixer tap, besides which a chrome tap delivers charcoal filtered drinking water. To the left of the water features is the smooth black Webasto diesel-fired cooktop, that’s almost flush with the work surface. It has two heat zones (and an orange light glows when it’s in use) but operation is controlled from the Jabiru’s nerve centre above the rangehood.

The use of diesel doesn’t suit everyone. It takes time to warm up, although it’s not long but it lacks the immediacy of gas. However, the Jabiru is standard with a gas cooker – this Remote Pack Jabiru caters for the camper who can forget about running out of gas, can use the space taken by cylinders for other storage and then has the added benefit of diesel hot water and diesel heating inside. (Delivered by outlets that include the bathroom.) It seems a good time to mention the Remote Pack’s Thermal and Sound Insulation Package here. Trakka uses polyethylene closed cell foam in a standard vehicle – 6mm PE foam is used through the roof and behind the fridge but in the Remote Pack 18mm foam is fitted through the roof and side panels and anywhere there is a void.

Coupled with twin 80-watt solar panels and battery charging system from the Remote Pack (two AGM deep-cycle house batteries are standard), and a 120-litre water tank the Jabiru Remote is a free-camping powerhouse, no matter where you choose to do it.

As mentioned, the control panel is behind a roller door on the overhead bank above the kitchen. There is a display for the Truma hot water and vehicle heater settings; the cooktop on/off and temperature dial and one for the fridge. On the left is a display for the battery health and water tank levels, and buttons for the water pump, the 12V circuits and the exterior lights. Above two small shelves on the kitchen wall at left are two 240V outlets and 12V/USB ports. There is an identical fitting behind the driver’s seat above the bench.

The Switch Mode Bathroom makes flexible room of the available space for personal maintenance. The Thetford toilet is operated by a remote control unit and the bowl is hidden under the small vanity unit when not required – it is revealed at the touch of a button. Three mirror wall sections surround the sink; the left opens as a useful three-shelf cupboard. The central section is inlaid with LED lighting while a circular LED two-mode downlight lives above. A mixer hot/cold combination tap directs water through the shower head which operates as the sink outlet, or when extended on its hose and placed in its holder, the shower. The shower curtain runs on a track around the walls to keep water contained and a substantial wooden shower grate allows the water to drain so you’re not standing in puddles. A screened roof vent is up top, and there are two towel rails; another roller door closes it all off from the world. Personally, I like the inclusion of a decent-size window in the bathroom.

Window-wise, every wall has one – there is no dead space. The camper is very well lit, and augmented by an electric skylight above the bedroom; another nice touch.

The bedroom offers you layout choices; two north-south singles or, with the central placement of three contoured cushions, a double. However, when used as two singles (by default a pair of lounges) a central laminate section can accommodate a slotin bedside drawer. This drawer can live in the hanging space/wardrobe at the foot of the bed if not required – it has slots there too. I can vouch for the comfort of the memory foam mattresses and the length at more than two metres should be more than adequate for most users. You might wonder how the bedroom doubles as the (carpeted) rear dining area. The laminate panel that slides out to hold the dropin cushions for the expanded mattress retracts to allow either free space or the positioning of a dining table. This larger table uses the same post that holds the other but both table tops have dedicated slide in holders within and below the bed-end wardrobe.

There is under-seat storage in the forward sections of the bed/seats, while above the bed area are four long lockers, all with an LED strip light that’s individually switchable. You can choose to watch the moveable TV from here and there are two speakers in the roof to channel your music. CDs are only playable via the TV – upfront it’s radio or iPods only. However, Becker Map Pilot satnav is standard.

VERDICT

The Trakka Jabiru is a pleasant vehicle in which to camp; it’s bright, airy, well designed and above all comfortable – we’ve used it. The Mercedes-Benz drivetrain is powerful and fuss free which helps you soak up big distances without stress – we’ve driven it. While you could opt for the 4X4 version if you know you’re heading further off-road, the 2WD Jabiru Remote Pack provides power-supply peace of mind and plentiful water to suit almost everyone else. In fact, Trakka adds a Mercedes factory 100-litre fuel tank to replace the Sprinter’s 75-litre original. Then there’s the Xtra variant if you have four passengers. A comprehensive options list allows to you add in air-con and solar to the gas-standard model but after spending a few days in the Remote Pack Jabiru we think it strikes the balance just about right for everything most travellers will want to do.