AOR Testimonials

I purchased my Q5 in August and have been extremely happy with the overall product.  The unit is well manufactured and robust.  One thing I love about this van is the bed – it’s so comfortable like being in an expensive motel.  I took it off grid for it’s first trip and it performed well.  I had and issue with the kitchen tap and called Graeme who assisted with my inquiry over the phone.  When packing the awning away a strong gust of wind buckled the awning and bent the rear bracket.  Note: this was user error on my part.  I called AOR and went into the factory on my way home and they replaced the bracket on the spot.  This is great after sales service and support.  I can’t recommend this company highly enough.  They have a great handover process which a lot of other companies lack.  Looking forward to my next trip away in the Quantum.

Drew Stewart

Just a quick email to say how happy we are with the Quantum, everything worked as it should with minimal fuss. The water was hot, the aircon was cold,  the quality of the product is second to none. Even pulling the van home was like it wasn’t even on the back.

The whole process from the initial meeting, dealing with Luke for the finalisation and Tina keeping us informed through the build with the photos. The handover was perfect with Alan, everything was there ready to go and its good to have someone that knew what they were talking about, and you could see that he was passionate about the brand .

Once again, thanks from both of us, AOR have the process nailed.

Darrin Gaske

Hi Luke and Tina,

Just a quick message to say thanks for the service over the last 5 or so years (if you can believe that) leading up to delivery/pick-up of our Quantum on Tuesday.

You’ve made each step in the process easy for us and nothing has ever been an issue. Finding the AOR brand, seeing the standards of what is clearly expected from its employees and how friendly/approachable all our interactions have been has been very refreshing in todays world and is a credit to you both (as well as others at AOR that we’ve worked with in the last 12 months).

While we have a lot to learn about hybrid camping and a lot to learn about the Quantum, we are all looking forward to it opening up a greater level of family time.

I follow a few other brands and their developments but I commonly see a lack of care/detail come through in comments about the brands, but very importantly, also a lack of communication throughout the process and post sales support. That’s certainly not our experience with AOR and while we’re yet to utilise post sales support, our decisions have been based on what we see others say about how AOR operate in this field and it’s fair to say we are confident of getting resolution on any issue we might have.

As for pick-up day, the Quantum did a casual 700km, took on 42 degree heat, high winds, rain and a water crossing before we rolled into home at 9:00pm! But I guess that’s what we need to do living in the sticks!

Once again thanks for everything and we will be sure to stop in and say hi when we’re in town for servicing (our 5 year old is very set on visiting Kings Beach, so I guess we will be back!).

Duncan and Sara Wallace

The whole process from start to finish was great. After sales support has been amazing, and incomparable to previous experience with another company (virtually non-existent!). We’re stoked with our Quantum, thanks AOR team!

Matt Brown

Thanks to Luke for his knowledge, guidance and assistance in helping us with our choice of our new Eclipse. We are very happy and look forward to many trips around this great country of ours.

John & Christina Moody

Extremely satisfied and love our Quantum. Since buying our trailer there has been a wonderful sense of community and thoroughly enjoy the rallies. The after sales service is second to none and so is the quality control. 

Ross and Lynn Chittick 

We bought ours second hand after happening upon one for sale on the side of the road while driving to work (we bought it 4 hours later on the way home!) but AOR were very helpful with advice at that time. We knew how good AOR campers were, as a friend had one already and we had seen them around. We have had great service since our purchase and the previous owners said likewise. We now have 2 friends with Quantums and are soon to head on another adventure to the Victorian High Country. Very happy campers.

Mick and Leonie Youngberry 

After the horrible experience we had with another brand, we researched a lot of information before purchasing our Quantum. We also spoke to every AOR owner we could find. We didn’t find any owner that had a bad word to say about their vans. We appreciate how well our Quantum is built after owning our previous van. The After Sales Service is exceptional. I have even talked my sister into buying an AOR van. (Although it didn’t take much convincing) They are picking their Matrix up in May. Thank you for our stress free camping. Love our van. 

Anne & Pat Sweeney 

Our 100 strong workforce consists of a mix of

• School based apprentices that we employ through the Queensland Government’s GenR8 youth engagement program.
• Apprentices – gaining their engineering certificate specializing in sheet metal fabrication.
• Roles in administration, sales, marketing, drafting, safety, warehousing and logistics.
• Fully qualified tradesmen and women with upholstery, manufacturing trades and detailing skills.
• Highly trained professionals who efficiently run the organization from a management level.

We have worked hard to achieve an open dialogue between all departments and staff. This helps us to maintain a transparent understanding of the businesses operations at all times. It also has a ripple effect through the high-end quality of our products and future growth opportunities.

We can also conduct factory escorted tours through the centre of our state-of-the-art Lean Manufacturing Production Facility, which is fully endorsed and accredited by the RVMAA, our industry peak governing body. Here you will see the trailers being assembled by some of our 80 plus dedicated tradespeople. You will see the craftsmanship and professional expertise that have made AOR famous throughout the industry.

There are many sections that make AOR function as a well-oiled unit. You will be shown through the fabrication area where all our chassis, suspension and external framing are constructed, the component manufacturing area where we mass produce and quality control the hundreds of parts that make our trailers so unique. Our huge assembly area and build lines allow you to inspect the various phases of assembly. This is really where you will witness and appreciate what makes a great trailer.

Also situated in this area is our very busy Servicing Section where we have a steady flow of trailers booked in from all over Australia for service and upgrades. Any warranty issues are also attended to here. Our facility also houses our Insurance repair section where we restore to original condition using factory AOR parts and build practices the damaged trailers that are freighted to us from Australia wide. Our trailers are also almost unique in the industry in being amongst a small number of caravans that can actually be repaired as they are not made from lightweight timber. Most insurance companies are happy to freight directly to our factory for our original repairs.

Externally we have provided ample parking for your showroom visit or your van servicing.

Contact AOR Sales team today

The capability of our Q+ is what we are always happy to talk to others about and is the mainstay of our support for AOR, but the Quality of service support is what has really kept my wife & I committed to AOR and why we became ambassadors. This support network is like nothing anyone with other vans has ever mentioned to us. Keep it up!

Ian G

“We have total satisfaction in the ability of AOR to produce an amazing product in the Quantum Plus 2013. Having travelled over 75,000km with the van on all road surfaces and not had one structural issue is a great credit to the company. It is not uncommon for us to be travelling with the Quantum three months at a time some time during a year, so it does really become a home away from home. Initially having looked seriously at large motor homes and lesser camper trailers we find the size of the Quantum quite adequate with all cooking outside and a decent size bed with the luxury of a hot shower and proper marine toilet with a Blackwater holding tank , and plenty of freshwater capacity which most caravanners can only envy make this unit absolutely A1 in our eyes. Congratulations AOR!”

Mel

“Finally got out in our Matrix after 2 weeks of it arriving! All the functions understood from Redarc, awning to water flushing. It really is a pleasure having it and we would all like to thank you (Luke) for the work you put into making this happen for us. I would personally like to thank everyone involved in its making from conception to finish and I feel extremely proud to have such a well built caravan. The wait was of course well worth it.”

9 March 2020, my 2009 Quantum, S/N #39 is now 10 ½ years old. Sadly it doesn’t get as much use as in past years but current circumstances prevent more frequent use.

However, she’s out on her maiden 2020 journey. At the moment we’re at Mayfield Bay campground and the plan is Frotescue Bay, Cradle Mountain and Cockle Creek, over the next 2.5 weeks.

The point of this post is to complement AOR as strongly as I can for a fantastic product.

Garrett Gundry

We really like the external shower. It still feels a bit of a luxury to be able to indulge in a hot shower when entirely off-grid and ‘in the middle of nowhere’, having come from a background of tent camping and camper trailers without hot water options. I like the fact that the shower is external as it keeps any moisture etc outside your living space. It is easy to set up and pack away.

For us, the lift-up bed system suits us nicely. When the weather is good, we cook and eat most of our time outside under the awning anyway, and not having to make-up the bed whenever it is needed (at night, obviously, but also for a nap during the day or while stopped when travelling) is very convenient. If the weather is bad or the bugs are prolific, then we can choose to put up the internal table and it works fine. Four adults can comfortably sit around the table, which is impressive given that we are in an 11’ camper.

Ross

We have just completed approx 14,000K with some very rough roads in WA and the NT a few punctures the only dust that got in was on our shoes. We love our Quantum !!!!

Colleen Hargans

A big thank you to the service team at AOR after travelling from the west along the Great Central road then the Plenty highway to the Sunshine coast we needed urgent repairs to our brakes and you did all the repairs and more asap. We also had our first look through the show room and production work shop. We where very impressed with this well streamlined professionally run business. Well done AOR.

Mark & Julie Delroy

Having done a lot of homework beforehand assessing other brands weighing up all the pluses and minuses. We went with our first AOR 2012 Odyssey. It does everything and more with its usability, toughness and overall quality.

With a need to look for a few extra comforts and a quicker set up, we then opted for the 2015 Quantum which has ticked all the boxes. For the style of camping we do we are set for a good while to come.

Stephen & Sue Jordan

After looking at numerous manufacturers, we were a little confused, so I ended up forming a spreadsheet with my priorities on it. This enabled us to make a very small shortlist. We then were able to view the vans at a show and make our final decision – the Matrix Pop Top.

The reasons for our final choice were that we would be dealing with a professional company, that produced product that performed as they said it would. We love the fact that it is not too heavy, with the same width & track as the car. Love the service received.

Phil & Myrna Chandler

I purchased the van second-hand absolutely love it. Great van would recommend it to anyone who wants to go seriously off road in comfort

Peter Buschgens

Your service department is excellent, I have great regard for Graeme – he goes out of his way to help. But that is representative of all the personnel I have spoken to from your company.

Graham Grover

We have had our Quantum since April 2017, and by August this year it will have been to Cape York and to WA and Kimberly twice – circa 65,000 kms. In every way it has met or exceeded our expectations.

We have seen dozens of alternative units on the road but the Quantum stands head and shoulders above all competitive products!

Malcolm Bamford

We upgraded from another brand trailer to an AOR Quantum in 2012. There is no going back after having the Quantum. We can go anywhere, and have, she sits perfectly balanced and comes along with us without any grief. The inside toilet and shower is a huge plus, and handy to be able to “take it outside” when you can. Ours is a 2010, so the toilet is a vacuum toilet, which we use freely, and empty every 3-4 days depending on where we are- beauty of it is it’s chemical free and we can dispose of the waste almost anywhere (we can usually dig a hole). The huge bonus is the aftersales service, and having this community at hand.

Connie & John Van Eyk

I was returning home after doing volunteer fencing with Blazeaid in Queensland. Stopped overnight at Hungerford. Enjoying a drink and the peace and quiet when 3 vehicles rolled in. 2 with just RTT’s, the 3rd a shiny “off road” camper with mud tyres etc. All went well with the setup til they tried to get a drink from the fridge. No matter what the 3 gents did they could not get the slide to move to get the fridge out. Long story short, every bolt and nut that had been holding the slide had either snapped or fallen out. I lent them some Loctite and a few nyloc nuts that were the correct size and returned to my drink.

Later they all came over to my Q and asked where I had come from etc. I explained that I had been in central Queensland and now heading home down as many gravel / dirt roads as I could find. “Doesn’t that make your camper have things fall off / break etc” asks the owner of the “off road” camper. “No ” says me, mine was put together with the best bits and pieces and the builder even encourages owners to take the AOR products off the beaten track. Nuff said. Thanks AOR!

 

John Turnbull

We’ve just spent 11 months travelling in our Q+ and couldn’t be happier! Love sleeping in it, love the freedom of the shower and toilet to go bush or in ‘self-contained only’ spots. The toilet flush is a tad noisy if in a caravan park with neighbours but in that instance, we use the park amenities.

Josephine Webb

Connie & John Van Eyk

For us, we knew we wanted to bush camp, but it took us about three years to refine our thinking about how we would use our new camper and where we wanted to travel (how remote, how long, etc). We went to two shows in Melbourne and did several factory visits to see how campers were built and assess the ‘attitude’ of each company we were considering; this helped to both eliminate and shortlist contenders. We didn’t want a big van but wanted to be able to live in it for a few months at a time rather than just a week or two; it had to be comfortable (i.e. fridge, hot water, heating, electrical power, etc) off grid in moderately remote areas, and thus cope with rough dirt roads, for lengthy periods.

Other important criteria for us were water storage for a week plus; toilet/shower arrangements (preferred indoor so as to have sufficient black water storage and an onboard tank rather than the limited capacity of cassette type toilets); a compact but workable floor plan that let 2 people move around easily (e.g. can you use the toilet while someone else cooks); good indoor kitchen with plenty of bench and storage space while also having outdoor cooking; genuine off road capability, including dust proofing; and able to sleep 3 adults, preferably 4. Quality of build, and hence reliability, and strong after sales support and service were essential; we also wanted the lightest possible camper, it had to be about the same width as the tow car (in our case that meant <2.0m) and I didn’t want timber in the structural elements, e.g. walls/floor/roof.

We compiled a checklist and scored each contender, sometimes modifying our ideas after seeing/hearing things we hadn’t thought of; a written list really helped our decision making. We initially concentrated on pop-tops but, after talking to several owners of them and full height vans, ended up getting a full height, mainly because of its better insulation (less condensation) and setup consisting mostly of opening the door, both great for when the weather is poor and mean that camping in winter is not a chore. The checklist also helps when you come to choose options, which are largely about customising to suit your personal needs and preferences.

After 3 years with our series 4 Matrix we are still very happy, it is a pleasure to own/use and works very well for us whether it’s a few days away or a few months. The expression about “quality being remembered long after price is forgotten” rings true for us. If we had the luxury of a ‘next time’, the only big change we would probably go for would be twin single beds (this wasn’t an option in 2015) rather than the queen size, tweak our outside cooking arrangements and put the diesel heater control within reach of the bed. We are also happy to have chosen AOR who have always been very supportive in resolving the few problems we’ve had, despite us being based in Hobart.

Ian and Fiona

As the very happy owners of the new Eclipse, let us say how pleased we are with the outcome of your new redesign interior, and all of the other features that are incorporated into the new design.

Our trip back to home we varied our camping situations every night, and put all features to the test. Everything worked and functioned perfectly. Loved the ease and efficient hot shower set up with the rear pod (so simple) and practical.
We were put to the test with wind, rain and storms as a number of nights they rolled in and again, not a problem of any sort.

Steve to you and all your staff, a big thank you for the quality product you produce.

Bruce & Margaret Ann

I just wanted to share the effectiveness of the air con that we optioned in our nearly new Quantum. We’re heading back to Perth via Adelaide and the Tour Down Under. It’s a heatwave and the air con is working fantastically well, day after day. So glad we got the option… if it’s too hot to manage, find a C P with 240v and plug in… terrific.

Terry Andrews

As a young family of 5 preparing for our big lap around Australia we knew we wanted a van that would be capable of going just as far as our tow vehicle would.

We researched all of the off-road caravan manufacturers which had the following specifications which suited our needs:

• Compact in size to get to those remote locations
• Around 1950mm wide
• Guaranteed dust proof
• External cooking facilities
• Capable of sleeping 5 (bunks)
• Large water carrying capacity
• Well regarded after sales service
• Great resale

The AOR Quantum Plus always topped our list each and every time we looked at different manufacturers.

Fast forward and here we are living the dream spending the last 6 x months on the road living in our Q+. We have spent 4.5 months in Outback NSW and QLD travelling along the Darling River Run, up through Innamincka and along the Birdsville track and all through Outback QLD.  We originally planned to only travel for 9 – 12 months, however we have realised to that we like to travel slowly trying to visit as much of each place as we can. We decided to remove the end date from our trip and travel indefinitely which has been one of best decisions of our trip. We have so much more freedom to change our plans and visit different locations based on recommendations from other travellers.

Choosing to spend 4.5 months in the outback with a family of 5 (3 x young boys) in an 18ft van was the best decision we had made. We were able to test the van to see how it would cope with the conditions it was built for and we were able to see how a family of 5 would manage in the smaller space. The AOR Q+ has been perfect and we couldn’t imagine travelling in a larger van, being in a smaller van although cramped at times keeps us all very connected and we have all grown so much closer as a family unit.

We love our AOR and are thrilled to be part of such a welcoming community of owners.

Amy & Ryan Murphy (Trekking Downunder)

Our Q just had a service at AOR Caloundra, and it was a pleasure to meet Mick and the team at AOR Service. We originally went in for a standard service but asked if they could do some extra work, and nothing was a problem! I had only ever dealt with AOR over the phone or via email and found the customer service excellent. Finally meeting the team face to face just cements this. You have an excellent team there, thanks to Mick, Graeme, Renee and the rest of the team.

Scott Wentworth

My wife and I happily drove from WA to pick up the completed van on 27th April this year

We took 17w to return home to Margaret River, via the longest possible route home via coastal route to Cooktown, the tip of Cape York, the Gulf, Darwin thru the Gibb to Cape Leveque, Karijine and the Murchison.

Just to let you know 2 important things, and for which I will be enthusiastically promoting your company and product to whom ever is interested:

1. The product –  the van is everything it was promoted to be, and lived up to any expectation I may have had for it.
   My wife was rather nervous driving across to pick it up, we having spent a large sum of money, sight pretty much unseen, apart from phonecalls emails and a few photos purporting to be from a company called AOR.We lived and traveled in it  without a single conflict or major incident  for over 4 months.The bed is more comfortable than our home!, we never ran out of water or power (never needed to connect to 240v) and the van followed faithfully, through some pretty rough country with numerous river crossings. The car was full of red dust, the caravan nil, apart from a very small ingress around the bottom of the entrance door which simply wiped away.
2. Your staff and after sales service – Brilliant and exceeding expectation, whomever we came into contact with.Tina at the phone is forever friendly and efficient, Luke Brown delivered and demonstrated the van very patiently despite being short staffed for the Sydney show, and special praise to Graeme Bender in service and warranty. There are inevitably a few minor issues with any new product, and he politely, enthusiastically and with  unflappable good humour dealt with each and all issues, not once making me feel stupid for asking dumb questions on the phone from various places in Australia and attending to all minor warranty items, both in Caloundra with the 1st service, and most recently for the post trip 10k service performed at The Caravan Doctor in Busselton.The van is now thoroughly cleaned and parked on jackstands in the garage, and (unbelievably) looks new again, something I doubted would happen when we got home after 4mo of dirt sand and salt.

Please accept our thanks and pass on to the Staff mentioned ( also Service helping out with an emergency phone question on a Sunday which his phone advice fixed) that we were and are very appreciative of their support.

The van is expensive, but well worth the cost, and is reflected in the quality of build and the company’s after sales service.

We have a few WA trips planned over the summer, and 2weeks in WA’s North West next winter, but not another big trip until driving to Tassie in 2020.

G & T Velterop

One of our reasons for choosing AOR was that we had heard the after-sales service well spoken of. (We had heard a few worrying stories about the after-sales attitudes of some other companies.) It mattered to us that people we met seemed to go on having a good relationship with AOR, when problems came up.

Just wanted to say that the after sales service has lived up to what we had hoped for. We had a number of minor problems with our new Quantum (but no more than one would expect with a complex manufactured item of this kind), and were so pleased to find that all our problems were taken seriously by AOR, and have been (or are still to be) dealt with thoroughly and cheerfully. Thank you for both the service, and the attitude.

I am still travelling with my Oddy since May 11
Been to the Cape , Birdsville , Flinders Range via rough Birdsville Track , back up the Oondatta Track to Coober Pedy , Alice Springs , Plenty h’way back up the Cape just to mention a few spots and loving my Oddy.
Has not missed a beat.
Four months on the road and another three to go.
Going to attend Vic get to together before heading home to WA

Read the adventures of Kobus Lorraine as they enjoy their Big Lap of Australia, which they started in February 2012:

“After finally taking delivery of a properly-chained and inspected off-road camper/trailer, we headed for Fremantle Village where we will live in the Quantum (and Land Cruiser) for the next three weeks, preparing for our Big Lap. We battled about 45 minutes to get the unique hitch unlocked from the Land Cruiser but eventually found what we were doing it wrong. Apart from the hiccups with getting the Quantum inspected and unhitched we finally got it set up and were very impressed with the quality, attention to design detail and how easy it is to set it up. Every little space is fully utilised and
designed in such a way to ensure ease of operation and functionality”.

Read the blog

Kobus & Lorraine Malan

We have started to look around for a new off road super camper and really like the quantum my one worry is the length and weight under hard braking being dangerous compared to other makes with tandem suspension also on hard off road conditions any feedback would be helpful thanks

Answers from current AOR Forum users and owners

I have the Quantum Plus about 6 months old now, done about 10,000 km one trip up to Cape York and some other shorter trips. We love the camper and
for us it suits our needs perfectly at this time, but as you will see from this forum people move from one AOR trailer to the next as they do more
traveling and feel another trailer will now better suit their travelling needs and style.

I have not experienced any issues with stability in towing and review of this forum will show discussions around how good they are and how behaved
they are. Don’t understand the engineering that achieves all this, I just appreciate the end product that I get to use and the stress-free feeling
of just driving the car knowing the trailer is happily following behind.

What you tow it with will vary the dynamics, I use the an LC 200 but many vehicles do the job just the same. Brake controller choice as well as
whether you go drum or disc brakes will vary your braking performance, but I have never heard any concerns about either option, personal choice.
As far as your primary question about tandem axial, the single axial is one of the great benefits of the Q+ in that it will go most places you
could ever want to. If you find some of the exploits and travels of Western Australian owners and where they go I think you would be convinced
the trailers are outstandingly capable. The owners who have the Aurora dual axial also go everywhere.

The fact the trailer is the same width as the car keeps things simply and for a go anywhere trailer with so many many comforts and well thought
out solutions and ongoing improvements over the generations you would be hard pressed to find better, if you do let me know as I like the best!

Good luck with your decisions.

===================

HI Cathy

All AOR product have great inbuilt stability through having the axle placed towards rear of body. This does make the ball weight a bit heavy however
the payoff is a very stable van. We have Electronic Stability Control on our Quantum which has drum brakes, and this certainly kicks in when the
van gets a little sideways in sand drifts etc.

I believe a Quantum + with twin axles, hard top and a few other bits is called an Aurora!!

===================

I am not sure why you are worried about hard braking and linking that to tandem suspension?

Anyway, have not experienced any trouble not having a tandem, but can say wholeheartedly I would not have been able to visit the places I have
with anything but a singe axle setup; soft sand, mud, tight turning etc. Plus some places simply do not allow tandem axle trailers period.

LC 200 with Quantum Plus, many extras on both

===================

We have a full-height Matrix (M4) with disc brakes (Alko IQ7 electric over hydraulic).

Tow vehicle is LC200 (GXL) with Tekonsha brake controller.

A dream to tow (very stable) and the brake system is VERY effective!

Admittedly this is not ‘technically a camper trailer’, but I guess you could call the M4 a super-camper! We came from a much lighter Ultimate
camper and found the new combo exceptionally stable when towing.

BTW the LC200 has ARB/OME BP-51’s suspension and an ARB heavy duty stabilizer bar – all of which work beautifully with the AOR trailer. 

The Q and Q+ are exceptionally popular trailers, and there is ‘eons’ of experience here on the forum to tap into 

Hope to meet you out on the tracks one of these days in your new AOR super-camper…! (you won’t be disappointed)…

===================

I’ve noticed a lot of people on other forums and web pages talk about the benefits of dual axle setups, however I really can’t see the problem if weight,
balance and brakes are adequate, which I believe they are on all the AOR products. The benefits for serious single lane gravel track travel with
a single axle system seem obvious to me.

===================

We have covered around 20,000km with our Q+ since July last year and whilst the off bitumen stuff, for us, has not been as sustained as a run to the
Cape or the GRR having done both my view is it handles fantastically in some pretty rough conditions and the braking, we have the iQ7 disc brake
system, are impressive even under ABS activation on the car and on the Meereenie Loop.

With regard to dual axles we chose single for the following reasons; less moving parts and lower cost of ownership. You can’t get into the Bungles
with dual axles and we go there every couple of years and more maneuverable. Also lighter. No idea what you classification of “hard off road conditions”
may entail but I reckon that most AOR owners have covered pretty much most of outback Australia and do so for long periods annually. No I would
not tow 2500kg across the Simpson or into the really challenging tracks of the Victorian high country and probably not the Canning.

===================

We’ve had both the previous model Quantum and now the Q+. Been exposed to some hard braking as animals run across the road etc, and handles beautifully.
There is also a lot of info here about AOR trailer towing weights. One of those threads is here – it was a result of a free “weigh in” we did :

I suppose if you wanted something shorter, lighter & smaller – the new Odyssey might be for you? I’ve been happy with the Q+ from day 1 as
it’s quite a good compromise between a “big” trailer and a “small’ one. We love beach camping and it’s about as big as I want to tow up a beach.

Anyway, the decision process is fun. But you won’t go too far wrong with the AOR stuff as they are well engineered to cope with off road beatings.

===================

Dual axle is more stable, and the weight is spread across four tyres, so should float across soft terrain more readily, and having brakes on all
four wheels is a big plus, as the weight increase is not that much.

However, tight turns scrub the tyres, so tyre wear becomes an issue, turns on sand tend to bog the trailer, rather than float over the surface.
Manouvering the van by hand in the garage becomes very difficult due to the tyre scrub. The cost is higher naturally as more components.

Single axle trailers that are well set up and balanced (AOR) tow incredibly well, and are, I imagine, very difficult to get out of control in
just about any situation. And I speak from personal experience here. I have been in some very tight, intense, scary situations and always have
come out thinking what a great van. I think the only reason to go dual axle is large van and heavy weight overloading the tyres and suspension.

The thought of needing a dual axle Quantum to carry all the toys seems like a poor choice of toys or van.

Robert and Cathy

We picked the Aurora up on the 13th March 2015 travelled 20,200km over 5 months around Australia and arrived back to AOR 13th August 2015.

We bought our Quantum 15/12/2009 owned it for 5 years to the day. The Q was a camper on its own in 2009. There were different companies that tried to copy the Q but nobody could make it like AOR.

A. Stevenson

I think of the single axle as a positive rather than a negative. It allows far more maneuverability, it is significantly lighter and it conforms to regulations For a number of off-road destinations that only allow access by single axles vans.

If you are concerned by reliability, in the 12 mths since we purchased our M4 it’s been out through the Carnarvon Ranges, to Birdsville twice, down the Inside Track, across the Walkers Crossing Track, out to Coongie Lakes, down the Strezlecki, through the Flinders, across the Donahue and Plenty Highways, across the Tanami, thru the Bungles, through Gregory National Park – and that’s just a sample. Because I still work, we’re usually on a bit of a time target, so tend not to dawdle too much.

There has been not a single issue with the suspension (nor even a tyre) and it tows with amazing stability. The van can be ‘flicked’ from side to side as one tends to do when seeking to avoid the worst of corrugations or big holes and it will just move straight back into alignment behind the vehicle.

It can even be comfortably provoked into a drift, if required, to assist if one encounters a tightening dirt track corner (a rally driving technique which is very useful, but not recommended unless you have some experience in the skill). Bottom line is that it is one of the most stable vans you’ll find.

Gary

Just a side comment……we also moved from an xxxx to a Quantum and it was the best decision we have made.

We actually don’t miss the lighter weight and smaller dimensions of the xxxx. The Q tows fantastic, is super stable at speed and the extra space and ease of setup outweighs the size increase.

And although we found the xxxx had excellent quality and some clever innovations, you’ll find the AOR products takes that to a whole new level. Everything just happens as it should, and the AOR team are always approachable.

After four months on the road this year we decided to move to something with greater capacity for off grid living and in that space IMHO there are only two, KK and AOR and they are very different and similar. Our specific requirements have been built around; significant water capacity, a toilet system we can use for weeks rather than days, greater usable space inside and out including cooking, and virtually no setup and closedown apart from the awning, pop-top and shutting the door.

But we have been incredibly impressed with the pre-sales support not only from the factory but owners as well. I agree this is a different level in form, function, fit and finish which is to take nothing away from the xxxx guys who we have know now for over five years. Simply put our needs have changed. Our days of what I classify as serious off road are pretty much over but touring in the way we approach it is almost as challenging as whilst we will not take the u-Boat across the Simpson there’s not too many places we will not be prepared to explore with it following along behind.

Whilst not a cheap decision we are confident we will make the right choice. We have been allowed access to the owner’s forum which is a vote of confidence to start with I guess and it has been a refreshingly open engagement in these threads which are quite useful.

We are looking forward to taking delivery in June as after a 2-3 week shakedown and service our plan is to head to Cape York to get it dirty.

Neil

It is easy to tow, very stable on not-so-good roads and now we can attest to its ability to weather a really decent thunderstorm cell. Janice and I will be ambassadors for AOR and the Q+ just as we were when we had our Oddy. In fact we have had enquiries already!

As a result of the need to batten down the hatches, so to speak, as the storm cell passed over, I was wondering if it is OK to have the hatch over the gas bottle closed when using the gas. Also we have been giving the aircon a decent work-out and it is excellent. I presume the water running down the panel under the conditioner and out over the hatch hinge is the normal drainage method.

Before I forget, please pass our thanks on to the the staff at AOR for the good service.

Mark & Janice

I can say that buying our Matrix has been one of the best decisions of our life.  These vans are the ultimate in luxury travel in the outback. We have been slumming it with yabbie pizzas baked on our Weber Baby Q caught fresh from whatever waterway we stumble upon with plenty of fine SA chardonnay.

Oh no, we are only a week away from getting home but already planning our next trip away.

An added bonus with the Jeep is the air suspension. Hitching and unhitching is a dream.  Don’t seem to need that windy thing on the jockey wheel at
all!

Allan

I just wanted to express my gratitude to Darryl Tunley as he helped me to install the new roller assemblies on the storage bin of my early model Quantum including removal of the front water tank for gaining access to some rivets and reducing the width of the bin to accommodate the new rollers. He has also provided advice to me when I was re positioning the stone guard and had to make up new stainless steel struts.

Darryl has been very much a part of my positive dealings with AOR. He always makes me feel welcome. This is an important issue for me and many others and, along with the quality of the concept, the design, and the build, and the support from the sales team.

I should add that we hear of many horror stories from other people in their dealings with caravan businesses, including some very well reputed companies. These companies just don’t seem to understand the importance of providing a complete package, including the after sales support. It’s a mystery to me.

D. Lancaster

I recently took my Eclipse from Brisbane to Karumba back down the Darling Run to the Murray mouth and home via Strezleki Track. No dust inside but we did
get it bogged and VERY muddy! nothing fell off and everything still works. Amazing piece of kit!

R. Smith

You guys rock! Thanks for all you did to bring our Matrix back up to scratch! Not just the job, but the awesome attitude you guys all have in the pursuit of excellence and your “can do” approach to ensure that us mere mortals, who buy AOR because of the unparalleled quality and component choice, are happy campers.

W. Gredig

We bought our first AOR Oddy in 2008 and in all the years since, have found AOR to be totally responsive, no matter what the issue or question.

Parts have been supplied to us in Perth without argument and Darryl and the rest of the team have always been most helpful.

We have been proud to have been ambassadors for AOR wherever we have travelled.

As professional Quality Assurance Consultants and very harsh critics of substandard products and service we know that AOR have well and truly successfully tapped into all of the text book secrets of customer service!

We also continually scan the market for a better ‘new’ product that may better meet our remote travelling and camping needs – haven’t found it yet.

Our new AOR Q4 is due in August! Well done and thanks Steve, Rhonda, Darryl, Luke, Mick and the team.

M & A Burton

‘We recently picked up our new Matrix and headed back home to SA. Unfortunately we discovered that the fridge kept going into “wake up” mode every 10/15 minutes.

The fans seemed to keep kicking in at regular intervals. We videoed the sound sequence and on returning home, contacted AOR.

We were rapt with the response – we were able to organise an Evakool agent to come to our place and he replaced the 2 fans within a week of our call to AOR AND since then, all has been OK.

We wanted to share “good news” stories because it is support like this that gives people confidence in doing business with companies that really do care about their customers. It is easy to criticise, but sometimes more difficult to send a positive to businesses.’

Geoff – Sometimes things play up but as part of our After Sales Service promise, we will give you support when you need it, where you need it so you can get back on the road and continue living your dream as soon as possible.

Kerry Colebrook – Couldn’t agree more, they are the best for after sales service, we brought a second hand Odyssey camper, and we spoke to them about it and they couldn’t be more helpful with any questions we had with it, and are alway there if we need anything so thank you AOR you are the best.

Geoff

My wife and I would like to congratulate you on your company.

We were impressed two years ago when we initially visited your factory to get details of the Quantum we had seen at the Adelaide Caravan Show. As all the salespeople were tied up with customers at the time, you showed us through the factory and the new series 4 Quantum that was only half completed. We were satisfied that the new layout suited our ‘camping’ needs. We signed up for the Quantum then and took delivery in February last year.

On our travels this year we experienced problems with the macerator not always working. So we changed the itinerary of our holiday and visited your factory again to have the macerator attended to. AOR Service fixed the problem.

However, on collecting the camper again, we noticed a very slight cut in the vinyl near the door. Despite being inundated with numerous phone calls and queries from staff, Service arranged for the cut to be repaired immediately. We would like to congratulate and thank Service on their professionalism which not only met our expectations, but certainly exceeded them.

Also, on this trip, we decided that perhaps the Quantum was not the ideal camper for us. It is ideal in the warm weather, but we have decided that as we are getting older, we would prefer something more suited to both indoor and outdoor camping. We do like the Quantum and have sung its praises to admirers in Caravan parks, but in cold, wet weather where we may go on other holidays, we would like indoor cooking as well.

Luke Brown took us through your factory again and showed us both versions of the Matrix. We had decided buy the full height Matrix, but over the next week, Luke continued to query us on the ability of our tow vehicle with a Matrix. So, rather than be satisfied with a quick sale, Luke was looking after our interests. He is also helping with the sale of our Quantum. We would therefor also like to thank Luke for his caring and professional approach.

We are quite content and proud to be repeat customers of your company and its products.

A&R McDougall

Mid June 2017, my wife and I drove with our 2013 Qantum from Melbourne to Alice Springs via Tibooburra,Innamincka and Mt Isa. Then out to Uluru and then the Great Central Road to Warburton WA for the start of the Connie Sue. The Connie Sue stretches from Warburton down to Rawlinna in WA. This stretch of 650km has no services, fuel or ground water, so you need to be totally self sufficient. Then we took a rough track of 145km through station country from Rawlinna to Cocklebiddy. There is no fuel at Rawlinna, so we needed to carry enough diesel for the 800km trip to Cocklebiddy.

The first 300km of the track (southbound) is very, very corrugated with many washaways, though some of the worst washaways had work arounds. Most of the track is quite narrow alternating between tall trees on either side to low scrub. The track is also quite sandy in places and takes its toll on fuel consumption. With the Q in tow, my 6 cylinder diesel Jeep normally uses around 14l/100 on hard roads and bitumen, but this first 300kms fuel use was 18.3 l/100 at an average speed of around 30kph. No other traffic passed during day 1 and we spent our first night about 140kms into the track. By the
second night we made it to Neale Junction, where the Connie Sue intersects with the Anne Beadell Highway. Neale Junction is about 315kms south from Warburton. On day 2, a group of 3 guys in 2 cars also travelling south were the only other travellers we came across. We spent a nice evening with them at Neale Junction.

From Neale Junction down to Giles Crossing (about 200kms) the track opens up and is not as corrugated, so speed increased to around 70-80 kph and fuel consumption dropped to 13l/100. However, the last 100kms to Rawlinna is very rocky with limestone ridges and loose rock. The only travellers we saw on the second half of the Connie Sue from Neale Junction to Rawlinna were 4 camel shooters heading northbound. The rail platform at Rawlinna was set up with table and chairs and fire pits ready for dinner under the stars for passengers travelling on the Indian Pacific train. The Connie Sue ends at Rawlinna, but we still needed to get down to Cocklebiddy. The 145km track to Cocklebiddy is through a couple of large sheep stations and is quite rocky though not as corrugated as we experienced on the first half of the Connie Sue. There are about 10 gates to open and close as you cross through the sheep stations. We had a Hema navigator on board which was essential for this track as it can become quite confusing with other tracks crossing it. Our speed on this leg of the journey was around 20-30kph with fuel consumption up to around 16l/100 with all the stopping and starting to avoid
large and/or sharp rocks.

It’s a great trip across beautiful country. We saw dozens of feral camels, though not much other widelife. It’s very remote, and quite a challenging drive, though if you take it slow and consider approach angles across the very rough patches and washaways it becomes relatively straightforward. We took a satellite phone and Personal Locator Beacon which gave us great piece of mind. My Jeep Grand Cherokee has just OK clearance, but despite this is a very capable 4WD vehicle and had no trouble with the track…not even a flat tyre. We did require low range on a few occasions. The Q behaved just
beautifully behind the Jeep and was a dream to jump into at the end of a long day. Absolutely nil issues with car or trailer.

Total fuel use was 16.0l/100, or around 130litres of diesel for the 800km trip. We had taken 200 litres of fuel along with 2 spare wheels for both the car and trailer to be absolutely stress free. It was very nice to hit the bitumen at Cocklebiddy!

Carrick

Just had to say we are so impressed with our AORC Eclipse II that we collected in February 2013.

The first trip home from Caloundra and the handover that was exceptional and detailed (thanks Luke) saw us travel inland to avoid (well we tried to) the floods. Despite the detours the Eclipse was fantastic. Towed beautifully behind our 100 series Landcruiser.

Even when we got rained in in Lake Nagu Nagu NP and found ourselves stuck in mud that stuck like glue, the Eclipse was fantastic. It saved us from getting wet, were able to cook inside for 4 people and slept 3 as our friends Kimberley Karavan had slipped off a culvert and was sitting at a 45 deg. angle! One slept in the car because friendship can only stretch so far! Rain and mud roads prevented us from getting out and so the Eclipse kept us all sane until help could be sought the next day! We finally made it back to Victoria after some very wet weather.

We have just returned from camping at Easter in Echuca and we set up the shower/toilet tent for the first time. It was a success of course! A bit of a struggle figuring out how to fold the shower tent back up though, really should take more notice. Finally figured it out. Very impressed – no insects inside this time (Lake Nagu Nagu had creepy crawlies getting in under the roller in the windows) and despite the abundance of flies – only a few got in.

Cannot wait now to set off for the West later in the year and enjoy our luxurious Eclipse. (ps – we fit our portaloo in the hatch next to the big drawer and there is heaps of room for the genie and bits and pieces too!).

Love, love love the Eclipse and thank AOR clan for their professionalism and expert customer service.

Jan & Ron

Bryan & I would like to say a big thanks to you all at AOR for the continuing friendly service, help and understanding shown to us. We purchased one
of the first Eclipse’s some years ago and upgraded to a Quantum last year. I believe Marty started the ‘pre owned’ section on your website to help us,
and others like us sell our existing vans and camper trailers to upgrade.

Our Quantum has now been sold through the site in 3 days and obtained our price with both the Eclipse and Quantum.

You have a great product which holds it value, excellent friendly staff with Darryl & Co in Service, Sales with Luke, Clay and Jane who are very patient
and helpful and especially Marty in Management.

We think three-times prove it…….. Great Team, but sorry guys, we intend to stop at the Matrix.

Keep up the good work,

B & K Pugsley

We are still settling into the Matrix after years with the Quantum. While we loved the Quantum dearly we are so excited about what the Matrix will offer us. I know that I have said similar things in the past but the total product that AOR offers is top shelf quality. Your concepts and designs are so strong, the build quality and attention to detail is excellent, and the after market support is exceptional. I do not know of another company that brings the total package together so well.

Of course, so much of the product is about good people. As I was lying in bed last night I could not help but be mindful of the combined effort of so many individuals that is required to deliver such a magnificent product. All the problem solving that goes into the initial concept and detailed design, and the energy that goes into all the numerous issues that have to be solved by the guys doing the work, as well as theirs commitment to quality.

I also want to give a special thanks yet again to Darryl and his crew. We had an immediate issue with the fridge which had a faulty thermostat. Normally we would have a backup fridge in the Cruiser, but we had to forgo that pleasure this time as the Cruiser was chockers with everything that had to be packed into the Matrix.

While we had joked yesterday that Darryl doesn’t mind calls in the wee small hours, I felt somewhat embarrassed when I called him last night seeking some assistance. As usual, in his “no fuss” manner, he arranged for an air con mechanic to check the fridge out and when it became evident that the replacement part would be some time away, arranged for Mark to swap the fridge with a new one.

I have to say that we were so impressed with Mark as well. Apart from his obvious technical capability and knowledge, he s so respectful of our new “home”. Without asking he just automatically removed his boots and was so careful when removing and replacing the fridge in the restricted space.

As I said, good people are so crucial to the product outcome. Anyway, thanks for heading up such a wonderful group of people who deliver such a great product – one that benefits Anne and I as well as so many other satisfied customers who have become one of the AOR broader family.

Dave & Anne

If you read the literature about placing weight in a trailer there is some good studies from the UK. The inertia effect is very important to reducing sway. If you then look at a Q it has the heaviest items positioned perfectly. The water tanks as low as possible and as close to axle line as possible. The batteries are slightly forward of axle line then the kitchen which loaded is another major weight component perfectly positioned a little further forward of that the weight is all nicely centered at the back of the triangle between tow ball and trailer axle.

P Oz

Steve I know you’re a Landrover fan but perhaps they could get some customer service 101 training from your company. I actually used your company as an example this week in a presentation to our sales team on excellent customer service. You guys have it nailed!

J Johnson

Thank you so much for your exceptionally awesome service. We are in awe of the amazing service we have received from AOR start to finish. Your correspondence throughout the build process was just awesome! We loved your friendly, fun vibe as it just ramped up our excitement even more. Just like yourself, in my personal business (and my life) customer service is just so key in success. As is acknowledging it, so thank you so much for everything you do for your customers…makes it!

A&R Murphy  (Quantum Plus Family)

Four years ownership, 400 nights’ sleep, from the Cape to Tassie, across the Nullabor and now in Karratha. Sorry, Steve, we are not upgrading to a Q, or Matrix or Aurora. We are permanently delighted with dust and water free under-canvas luxury camping.

T Bond

At Boulia on the way out to Alice Springs we had a request from family asking if we could get to the Alice asap. This is when I found out the BT-50 and Q were a very good towing combination. We took The Plenty Highway hoping it would be the quickest.

Distance 800 k’s + a bit. Left Boulia at 7.30 am arrived Alice Springs 5.30 pm, 10 hrs 2 fuel stops one from jerry cans, one at Jervois. Never once did I feel out of my depth or worried about towing the Q at speed on the dirt corrugated road. I would say that you could count the number of vans on your thumb that can be towed like this. We never passed another car till Gem Tree and only had two cattle trucks and two vans coming from the other way and we knew they were there by the CB.

I doubt few would push the car and Q to the extent I did on the Plenty ( I hope not to again ), but the BT50 proved to me it was a very capable 4×4 and felt very safe at all times.

B&J

Well, the wait is finally over!!

Picked up our new Q 1st May & are rapt!!

Full marks to AOR for putting together a top product – so refreshing to see a company where everyone is so proud of what they produce. A huge thank you to all the staff for their patience over the past year and thanks for a very comprehensive handover. Haven’t gone far yet but have experienced torrential rain & strong winds – so nice to be able to crawl in side & be warm and comfy!!

Will take a while to get everything sorted but am ecstatic re build quality & attention to detail – can certainly see where the dollars go!!

We are wandering up the coast to rendezvous with friends in Pt Douglas late May and are looking forward to many nights of 5 star accommodation.

Gardner

We took our Quantum out for a play last weekend.  Although the weather was appalling (42 degrees!!!) we continue to be more and more impressed with the ease of using the camper. The internal fan got a work out that night.

It is great to get home and not have to spend ages unpacking and cleaning, folding out canvas to clean etc (as we had to do with our old camper).

We went to the local Leisurefest recently just for a look.   It reinforced that we made a great choice going with the Quantum.

There is nothing out there than compares to the Quantum for user friendliness and construction.

P&J

We are fans of the new macerator toilet system.

Remote and country towns seem to be supporting the concept with more and more dump points to try and get caravans and travelers to stop, use the dump points, spend some money and maybe consider staying awhile. The only issue is after a few days you do need to find a dump point and plan it into your trip as they are few and far between in some areas.

The performance of the system has been excellent with the only issue really being to get the kinks out of the emptying hose. As customers we definitely value the advantages of the system and would buy another trailer with this system fitted rather than a cassette chemical toilet.

———————-

We are supporters of the macerator system. We only have to dump every 6-7 days. As we remote camp most of the time the noise is not an issue and if we stay in a van park we usually use the park facilities as that is what you pay for. I would definitely take a macerator over the chemical cassette any day.

———————

Having only had our new Q+ a month I am not sure we can be classed as experienced – especially in the toilet department. I can only say that having travelled for over 10 days before emptying it, not only was the toilet free from odour but on emptying it we were surprised to note that the end result appeared to be a non smelling liquid. Needless to say we were impressed.

After 2 years of deliberating and deciding which Caravan to purchase to picking up our sparkling new Matrix IV last November we were at last ready to take it for its maiden voyage. So in the middle of July we set off from Melbourne, after cruising up the Birdsville Track (our timing was impeccable as we missed all the rain around the Big Red Bash and also the cancellation of the Birdsville Races), the Matrix did not miss a beat.

We then headed to Mount Isa and west to Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, up to Burketown, Normanton, Karumba, and then from Dunbar across the Mitchell River (great camping spot on the South side of the Mitchell River at Sandy Crossing) to Musgrave and from there up the Peninsula Developmental Road all the way to the Tip.

The road was really bad (far worse than we had been led to believe) constant corrugations and dust and more dust and then some more corrugations

Our Matrix IV handled it with ease and when we finally arrived at Seisia the van on the outside was so covered in red dust you could hardly see the AOR signs but on the inside it was SO clean, no dust, nothing broken or even out of place, but we still had to get back.

We returned via Weipa where we encountered a slight problem with the inverter due to all the corrugations but in the usual AOR fashion it was fixed in the blink of an eye and on arrival in Cairns there was a new one waiting and fitted…what more can you ask!!!

We heard no different about AOR’s problem solving from other AOR owners that we encountered en route.

All in all, our Matrix IV after a round trip in excess off 12000km has exceeded our expectations in all areas of comfort and performance and Australian Off Road has one off the best after sales and service teams we have encountered.

Thank you to the team.

Now for our next great adventure!

KM

I don’t usually feel compelled to write to a company regarding its product, your product is my exception.

I bought Quantum #455 from AOR in September of 2013 after conducting about 5 years of research on off road campers leading up to my retirement.

In the subsequent years since buying the Q, my wife and I have travelled extensively throughout the country with the camper and always receive admiring looks and comments. Up until this year, the Q has done some “light” work like the Birdsville and Oodnadatta tracks, some high country tracks in Victoria etc. It wasn’t until this year when we gave the Q a reasonably good workout. We travelled the back roads from Melbourne to Alice Springs and then west to Warburton in WA. Then down the Connie Sue to Rawlinna and finally the ‘goat track’ through station country from Rawlinna to Cocklebiddy.

The Q has been absolutely rock solid. From the rear vision mirror looking at the bull dust, stones, red dirt and dust thrown up underneath the Q, it’s comforting to know that when we jump into the camper at the end of a long day everything works like a charm. No dust, a cold fridge, hot water on tap and batteries full of power. The macerator toilet is exceptional. The two options we love the most are the diesel heater and the wood carrier. It’s fantastic to be so self sufficient. I’ve carry a small 1kva generator for emergencies and have never used it.

I had cause to telephone your crew on 3 occasions during this latest trip. For very minor issues that had nil effect on the performance and comfort of the Q. Once to Darryl after hours. He returned my call within about 2 hours on a Fri evening and was extraordinarily helpful and courteous. Once to John in service who again was very helpful and courteous. And once to Graham to help me with an electrical issue (the RCD had flicked off during a rough patch…I felt like a dill! ), again so helpful and courteous.

Our purchase of the Q has been the single most satisfying largish purchase we have ever made. The product itself has exceeded our expectations (even after  5 years of research), and the after sales service from your team is outstanding. The Forum must be an excellent source of market research…I know it’s an excellent source of information for owners and I use it often.Three friends have since bought Q’s on our recommendation during the last 12 months….

So the reason for this note is just to tell you what an excellent product you manufacture and what wonderful people you have working with you. Congratulations on building an outstanding business.

CM

My wife and I collected our new Q+ (build number 582) last Monday. Darryl had all the paper work in hand with no fuss and did an excellent informative handover. The new internal and kitchen layout are winners no doubt.

It all happened last Oct when I had my Q in for service, Alan Stevenson said, “have you seen the Q+……”

I just want to record our thanks to you all for your efforts. You really create a quality product and whilst I have always been a proud AOR owner – this being our third unit – the Q+ with its wineberry colour is something special. I am looking forward to Friday afternoon after it has had it’s coating of Ceramic Pro 9H applied.

I did appreciate being able to have discussions with some of the inner sanctum technical gurus on particular queries I had and also the excellent advice that was offered by them. I think we may have made some small enhancements! A buyer being able to do that is just one of many things that sets AOR above the rest.

You have all been good to deal to deal with.

Marketing helped with the sale of my 2010 Q. That is a great service for those upgrading. I probably drove Sales nuts at times but they are professionals and always was very helpful.

Admin is always happy to take payments, makes good coffee and constantly looking for people who are in meetings! The technical team is great on the hard core tech stuff – well, thank you for the input and discussions. I know there is a crew of shops floor guys who put it all together into the finished product and seeing their expertise as the Q+ took shape was interesting. Great team work.

Good luck for the future.

B&S

We are back in range after a couple of weeks and at Yulara for a few days. So I thought it worth offering some observations on the first two months of ownership.

Overall a deal more bitumen than we originally planned but it took 3 weeks for us both to get over our bout of Caloundra virus. But despite this we have spent a lot of time exploring swathes of outback Qld and soaking up the local history of each town and region. Totally relaxing and rewarding this slow travel mode

Towing

Not a problem so far either on or off bitumen. See my comments on our little run down the Mereenie Loop for more on off bitumen towing. The disc brake system is superb and we have taken advantage of it more times than I thought we might with errant wildlife and caravan owners pulling out of a roadside stop around 25m in front of you at 110kph.

Comfort and liveability

Great. Really impressed with the insulation we have seen it -4C plenty of times and whilst the heater has also proved its value we have never felt uncomfortable. The weather has also proven the value of having the option to boil a kettle and/or reheat some food without having to go outside

Fuel consumption

We do not hang around and will sit on the legal speed limit on cruise anytime we can. So in the Disco that means 1800RPM and an average of 16’s to the 100km. But we have had some gale force headwinds and seen close to 20’s per 100km at times.. Overall this is exactly the range we expected so not surprised by any of it. As well if we want to get past something we do quickly and safely.

Mereenie Loop Comments

For those who have not driven this road from the Western MacDonnell Ranges around to Kings Canyon the best I can say is respect it every time you lower your tyre pressures before heading on it. It offers a perfect range of off bitumen driving with endless corrugations, long sandy patches, winding sections with blind corners, plenty of OMG creek crossings and bull dust potholes at least 300mm deep and up to 25M long we found. Oh plenty of rocks, wood-de-doos et al. Sort of a 170km combination of the GRR, Oodnadatta track, some Beadell tracks amongst others we have travelled over and yes the Tanami should
be added for its endless corrugations as well. One of the other interesting issues is the design of the road itself. It can have quite steep verge’s which are either sandy or corrugated or both. This can create rather challenging driving moments when oncoming traffic suddenly becomes sideways which is not a pretty sight. Slowing down and sharing the crown of the road in these situations is a nice safe and polite way of trying to avoid a crash.

So pressures. 26F and camper and 28psi in the rears. Speed if you can call it that ranges from barely 20kph up to 90kph at times but not for long.

The creek crossings, whilst dry, ranged from having a bit of bitumen (few indeed) to OMG that is really nasty and having the ABS on to pull the car and camper up fast and straight to wash off enough speed. Herein lies another plus for our ALKO disc brake system.

As 100% of the hire cars and hire 4WD had not lowered their pressures we did quite a bit of overtaking. Given these vehicles were lucky to be travelling faster than 60kph it is a matter of ensuring they know you are there (high beam and fog lights does the trick and you must do that to penetrate the choking dust) and then give them a wide and long berth so as to avoid covering them in rocks and even more dust.. This exercise should only be done with a very long view of the road.

Dustproof?

So do we have a dust proof Q+? Yep looks like it

Shocks/suspension

We put the laser pyrometer on the shocks at the end of the Loop. 49-54C on all except the drivers side outside one which read 69C so we need to know more as to why that may have been. Are those temperatures OK? Yes in my view colder than I had expected by around 20C.

Towing performance

Brilliant in a word. We used this section as a field evaluation process so whilst it was all safe and legal I was not hanging around either. But we sat on the same sort of speeds I would always use on these sort of roads as well. There were times when we found ourselves in the middle of a corner that turned from corrugations to bull dust and sand. The result is a slow drifting moment of car and camper van. Nothing dramatic but not the time to put the brakes on. Liftum foot and all was right again. As well suddenly finding the DIP sign actually should have said STOP or OMG this one is nasty means getting aggressive with the brakes and not once did I need to make any correction to the car as a result of the camper driving us.

Fuel consumption check

Not done as yet but certainly with lower tyre pressures we probably were up a couple of litres to the 100km but more to follow once I sort out the
log book

After doing some walking around the Rock and Olga’s we are heading South the Coober Pedy along the bitumen and from there across to William Ck on the Oodnadatta Track for a 500km or so run to the Flinders to visit some of the properties we will be using during the SA AOR Rally next year

A 10,000km service in Adelaide and to resolve a few minor niggles and install a third LifePO4 batter. Wash and clean up then sort out the garden before heading to Victoria for their Rally

Q+, #688 delivered 22 June 17. D4 tow car.

 

Thanks for the report, Looks like a great trip. I’d say the shock reading on corrugations was very low. Did you test the shocks on the car. On my initial
test of the Quantum to Cape York I did just that, and found the twin shocks to be much cooler than the car.

Yes, they were significantly hotter in the 90C range which I expected given how ruddy rough the track was. The pyrometer has a new battery and we calibrated
it before leaving Adelaide. So I was quite surprised at the readings myself but I was expecting the twin shocks to perform at a much lower temperature.
The stability the van showed in the conditions made for an incredibly stable and confidence boosting experience I have to say.

Reading the road was incredibly hard as the sun was high and no shadows even from the larger rocks so all of a sudden you would find yourself in the middle
of several loop-de-doos with the car and camper being thrown around from them. Or in the middle of a corrugated ridden corner which suddenly becomes
sand and bull dust which means you gracefully slide sideways a touch but all in a nice straight line. The best way I can describe it is the car and
camper acted in unison like a well engineered machine

At no time did we feel the camper “drive” the car in any way. This to me is another reflection of how well engineered the product is and of course what
a fantastic tow car the D4 makes

Re the shocks, don’t forget that each wheel on the camper is damping the load from 1200kg, the car is much lower. I know what you mean by the corrugations
then sudden dust holes, all in a good day on a bad dirt road. I used to enjoy the six wheel drifts in car and camper, the trick being to gently wash
off speed without too many sudden movements of the wheel, great fun.

I try to set the trailers up so that they do not influence the car in a negative way in any situation, in other words they are responsible for their
own handling and braking, sort of following the car like a faithful puppy. Our formula seems to have worked well to date as most of the trailers handle
really well. Glad you enjoyed the shakedown.

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Steve thanks and your description of how you set up the campers is a touch more eloquent than mine but hopefully my comments are in fact reflecting
and reinforcing the AOR setup. Certainly, seems so to us. Yes the drive was a great deal of fun it’s the sort of durability testing you can find time
to enjoy. Tyre pressures played a big role.

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Yes understood which is why we took all 4 within a minute of stopping the car. A 20C change is in my experience odd but given the variables may be OK.
All it means at the moment is I take more readings and see what happens

Wow, the Mereenie Loop appears to have deteriorated significantly!

The four times we’ve travelled it including the wet it was quite driveable compared to some..then again the GRR is caravan highway nowadays…

I guess it goes to show that road conditions can change significantly in a short time and not something to be taken for granted…

I guess the formula for success is as always – drive to conditions…

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The Mereenie loop road surprised us as well with how corrugated it was.We should have let a little more air out and it would have been more comfortable.
Still – car and trailer came through unscathed. Lesson learnt – dirt road – lots of air out of the tyres no matter how the condition.

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No the Loop is in its usual variable state. Never driven it graded in over 30 years and from our perspective it is not overly complex for those who are
used to long distance travel on outback roads of indifferent quality. Whereas most in the high tourist areas have not a great idea of the need for
lower tyre pressures and an “eyes up” driving style. Clearly our idea of highways differs. Last year on the GRR even the grader driver summed it up
as “crap” due to the lack of wet dry seasons. About the only problem we experienced was the oncoming traffic travelling at quite incredible speed and
subsequently covering you with rocks and dust making it impossible to see anything behind them so slow down and pull over to try and stay out of the
way. Nothing new in that anywhere from the GRR to Cape York and all tracks in between. Overall we thought it was OK and about on a par with the major
tracks in SA we travelled up on at the time.

As I have said we were not remotely perturbed by the condition of the road. Despite many of the locals we caught up with at Kings Canyon and Glen Helen
complaining about damaged suspension on all sorts of vehicles. A couple of the 4WD tourist bus drivers had some interesting observations on driving
habits I cannot repeat

Coming up from around mid next week will be a much longer evaluation as we head to William Ck from Coober Pedy then down the Oodnadatta Track to Farina
then some serious rock hopping into some of our favourite Flinders Ranges properties. Only once we have completed that will I be confident we are in
the condition I want for longer duration travel in remote areas. Nothing we have not done before just different having the camper on the back. Should
get us ready for our little sojourn from SA to WA via the Great Central Rd then to the Pilbara via a selected set of back tracks and out of the way,
sort of these days, places. Some of which you recently visited

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Yep we treat every dirt road with respect and lowering tyre pressures is always a good start. We drive a lot of the same tracks regularly every year or
so and they are always changing and generally never for the better. Water can’t be taken from underground in certain sections of several SA outback
tracks as it is far too deep, read expensive, to drop the bores any lower. Many many reasons behind this issue! As a result you cannot compact a road
surface and get it to last for very long at all and resheeting them is never going to happen. Add the increasing number of outback travellers and you
have a fascinating cocktail of risk and opportunity.

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We travelled the Loop a few weeks ago. We were initially fascinated by the avenue of camel poo for the first 10km which seemed to be regularly deposited
on both sides of the road. It was an interesting drive and good test for the Q+.

Must admit though the road into Chambers Pillar made the Loop seem like bitumen! After that trip we felt we really had put the Q + to the test which it
passed with flying colours.

Just thought I would express my gratitude towards yourself and compliment your AOR team for a well built Matrix.

I ordered my Matrix on the 1 April 2014 for a late June pick up in Caloundra (pick-up 7 July 2014). I made two conditions of purchase

1. it would not leak dust and
2. that I could give it a hard time, take it where I want to and it wouldn’t break.

After pick-up I had to be in Broome a.s.a.p. for school holidays so we done a 3 day trip Caloundra to Broome.

Since Broome we have been………….

*1st dirt road Broome to Cape Leveque and into a place called Djune Djune about 10 klms off the Cape Leveque Road just south of Cygnet Bay. Cape Leveque
Road mid Tourist season is very corrugated and extremely dusty. The road to Djune Djune is a track through trees, sand, a bit of a swamp about 20-30cm
deep and after modifying a tree we made it in. The Caretaker couldnt believe it as he just had a call from 3 camper trailers that were booked in,
to say they couldnt get in. I passed them on the Cape Leveque Road heading back to Broome.

* Our Next Major dirt trip. Perth to Broome. Halls Creek on the Tanami Road to Alice Springs, Alice Springs along the Plenty Hwy to Boulia, Windsor, Longreach
through to Caloundra for some warranty work.

* The next big trip Perth to Leonora onto the Great Central Hwy to Warburton, Docker River, Eyers Rock and then across to Finke. Finke down to Dalhousie
Springs and back to Finke for the Finke Desert Race and up to Alice Springs. From Alice up to Darwin, down to Kununurra and onto the Gibb River Road
to Mitchell Falls and the back to Broome and home. We had a lot of rain on the GCH and the road was closed so we were held up at Giles for 2 days.

*The next big trip – Perth to Broome, Halls Creek and across the Tanami Rd to Alice. Then the Oodnadatta Track to Maree ad down to Phillip Island for MotoGP.
Across to Kangaroo Island and basically traversed every road we could find on KI. Then back across the Nullabor and turned off at Norsman to take the
short cut through to Hyden and onto Perth.

*This year and now current – Perth to Meekatharra to Wiluna, Carnegie, Gunbarrel Hwy to Warburton, Eyers Rock, Alice Springs. The Gunbarrel is not a highway,
not even a track. Eleven years ago we came across the Gunbarrel towing a camper. It was very corrugated but there was a track and it was easy. This
time they have had an enormous amount of rain in the last couple of years and the track has been washed and turned into a river. The dirt on the higher
tack has all been washed into the lower track areas so you have very heavy washed sand in sections and the higher sections are just rocks or in some
places just solid rock. Much of the track was not passible and you had to make another track alongside through the trees. Where you couldnt do that
it was just a matter of 1st gear, low range and idle over the rocks. One section 13 klms took 1 hour and the whole track 3 days and we were in a hurry.

From Alice we were going to take the Sandover but after the recent Cyclones it was closed. Our destination was Cape York. We had to stick to the bitumen
until we got to Laura where they just opened the road to the Tip. Two days from Laura we arrive at Cape York Peninsular Tip. We camped at the Tip on
the 15th April, had it all to ourselves as we were the 1st Caravan through for the tourist season and basically the first tourist to arrive at the
top. We visited Somerset, camped at Pansand Bay for a night and a couple nights at Siecia Beach with a visit to Thursday Island. The Top End was very
green and lush and we had the whole lot to our selves.

From Bamaga we went back down the track South and took the short cut through to Weipa for a night. Then back on the road, back to Laura and onto Cooktown.
From Cooktown we head back west and am currently in Karumba for a couple nights before heading to Burketown, Lawn Hill and then back on the black back
to Broome.

The Top End roads were actually fairly good, the rain had washed away all the corrugations, all we had were thousands of wash a ways. The Coen bridge had
only just opened so as the Archer River bridge. The Archer on the way up had about 20cm water flowing over it. The deepest crossing on the way up was
around 30-40cm. On the way up the track was actually good but by the time we returned it had already been cut up, corrugated with a lot of wheel ruts
from heavy trucks. Parts of it were being worked on by graders etc.

I write all of this because although we had a couple of small teething problems at new the Matrix has certainly held up well with some of the most punishing
roads in Oz. I estimate we have travelled around 50,000 klms and a lot of that on gravel and rough roads. Mechanically all I have done is replaced
the break shoes and wheel bearings. Other than that there has been NO major failings, breakages or problems. I must also add that I am not a slow driver
so I will keep up the pace as much as I can.

I would like to thank you and the Team for building a great off roader that has been punished to the max but is still as good as new. A bit scratched maybe
but I wont know until I get all the red mud and dust off.

RW