Bailey of Bristol completes 850-mile off-road Australian towing challenge

by Chris Jefferies
Bailey of Bristol has taken caravan durability testing to the next level by completing an 850-mile off-road towing test.
This is the latest in a series of gruelling tests designed to show off the sturdiness of these caravans and their innovative construction technique.
When the company developed Alu-Tech back in 2009, it set about proving that the new system was fit for purpose by embarking upon an Alpine towing test.
‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news/industry/bailey-unicorn-passes-gruelling-australian-outback-challenge-$21381513.htm">Two years later, this was followed up by the first Australian test, which saw a Bailey Unicorn towed 3,500 miles across the country, facing temperatures of up to 35 degrees centigrade.
However, critics pointed to the fact that this test took place on sealed roads, and the rugged outback remained untouched.
Third time’s the charm
With this in mind, Bailey has carried out a second Australian test that took on the wild expanse of the Flinders mountain range, north of Adelaide.
This five-day journey was arranged by Bailey Australia and included a range of surfaces from dirt roads to gravel tracks.
The newest additions to the Bailey stable were used, in the form of a Unicorn Series II Cartagena and a ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/bailey/bailey-pegasus-gt65/">Bailey Pegasus GT65 Verona.
These models were built to standard Australian specification, albeit with additional front panel guards that were added to protect the nose-end from debris.
To give a comparison with the local vans, two heavy-duty models supplied by Melbourne-based dealer Regent Caravans joined them on their adventure.
Adrian Van Geelan, Managing Director of Bailey Australia, said: “We knew that Bailey Alu-Tech caravans were tough but I don’t think we really appreciated just how tough they were until we undertook this challenge”.
“It was a great way to demonstrate just what these UK-made caravans were capable of and the fact that they were able to go toe-to-toe with locally-built products clearly demonstrated that they are genuine all-terrain vehicles,” he added.
The full story of the outback towing challenge is due to be broadcast on Australian television before the end of the year.
To get a sneak preview and see the kind of terrain these caravans traversed in their 850-mile journey, click on the video below: