Is the T4 a step up from the Tvan, or are they very different beasts? We take a look to find out

Track Trailer is synonymous with striking design and its Tvan models are easy to identify, even from just a profile shot.

The Melbourne manufacturer recently changed its profile with the launch of the no-less striking hybrid caravan, the T4.

The T4 range consists of three variants all with names capturing a musical theme referencing a collective, a bringing together of elements Track sees as intrinsic to the model’s designation. They are Symphony, Concerto and Rhapsody. In basic terms this relates to a flexible two/four berth, a family unit and a couples’ van.

We were able to have a closer look at a Symphony on its way home to Melbourne from the Hunter Valley in the company of Track Sales Manager John Anderson. The weather conveniently turned on snow for us.

TRACK TRAILER’S NEW T4 HYBRID CARAVAN

WORDS TIM SCOTT, IMAGES LIAM FOSTER

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ABOVE Fully steel water tank bodes well for off-road travel  

CONSTRUCTION
Prior to launch, the T4 was in development for three years, and despite what some might think given the exterior design lines, the T4 is a new model, not a newer version of the Topaz hybrid.

While three years might sound a long time, the underpinnings that Track employs are much more established. The company uses all in-house designs and fabrications meaning that it controls the quality and development processes and can constantly evolve its hardware.

Most well-known of all is the MC2-R Asymmetric Link twin shock, coil spring suspension that’s supported all Tvan models and is renowned for off-road performance and robustness even to be adopted for military uses. The T4 chassis is of course hot-dip galvanised steel.

The T4 body is made from Track’s own panels that are insulated aluminium with nose, roof and rear made from reinforced fibreglass. In a unique application, the T4’s windows are integral to the walls, in automotive glass, and provide a very different view to the outside from within. They use sliding panels for ventilation in addition to the openings in the canvas section of the lift-up roof.

Examining the exterior sections of the T4 you’re provided with an aerospace or marine experience in terms of appearance and feel; it’s not caravan-esque, and definitely indicates a toughness, with longevity in mind. All seals are very thick automotive compression type with sturdy hatch locks. And these are applied to the large array of external storage or access doors.

ABOVE  Sizable, carpeted and securable storage up front // BELOW A rear cutaway designed for of-road angles and a hidden shower for when you get there

BELOW Offside secure storage pods

BELOW Spare wheel is underlsung but protected from the worst the track can throw at it

RIGHT Coils on the Track MC2-R proprietary suspension

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ABOVE Windows, a wonderful view on the outside but employed almost seamlessly here

INTERIOR DESIGN
The three T4 models offer a fair degree of customisation should you need to vary from a template. Basics like east-west or north-south beds through to unique cupboard placement are available. In this Symphony model we had an east-west bed, with bench seating for four (to six) that utilises a neat stowable table for dining and a drawer beneath. Bench space runs in an L-shape around the off-side corner, takes in the cooktop and then a bank of four deep drawers toward the entry door. This latter space is available for the ensuite in models so specified, although in this variant there’s a portable loo in the bottom drawer (geddit?).

A fridge/freezer sits under the benchtop (and augments the optional external sliding cooler). While the counter tops are white, the grey metallic facia surfaces are offset in this version with a stylish red laminate strip at head height around the walls. Some of this fascia lifts to reveal cupboards. A neat pantry section rises out of the benchtop in the rear offside corner.

The interior is heated thanks to a gas system – you will be able to specify diesel too – and it’s refreshing to see a carbon monoxide alarm fitted beneath the cooker unit, something that’s lacking in many caravans as a standard, and a vital safety item.

Finally, there are twin fans and reading lights for the bed area, a TV to mount on the front wall and with a window above that has a magnetic blind. Track has fitted what it calls Zero Gravity non-chain-driven blinds to the windows.

The underside of the roof provides the dimmable lighting from a bright laminate ceiling, that reflects nicely off the red panelling. Even on the dull winter day that we experienced the interior was bright with those windows making the walls all but disappear.

ABOVE  Raised splashback effect almost, but some surfaces won't appeal to all // BELOW Such a glasshouse could lead to being cold but gas (and diesel) heating options offset this 

ABOVE Full deployment mode, with maybe only the Manutec stabiliser legs missing, but they live in a side pod on the offside

EXTERNAL ENSUITE
In a cool deployment off the back wall the full-body-width lift-up lid allows you to unfurl the shower room walls to create a roomy ensuite. Inside the T4’s back panel there’s the shower fittings and access to the water pump too. The in-line gas taps there also allow control of supply for the cooker and heating as well as the water. This area can be utilised in different ways depending on the T4 model you buy. You can bring your portable toilet outside to create an exterior bathroom, or in the Rhapsody there’s a fully sealed tent with windows option to create an enclosed living space if the insects or conditions deem it necessary.

ABOVE  The bottom drawer // BELOW Supply taps for the gas and water and easy access to the water pump too

LEFT The business part of the shower section that's external in the Symphony model

ON THE NEAR SIDE
To the right of the substantially constructed entry door there is an equally robust looking slide-out kitchen module. Neatly designed and logoed in metal work, the cooktop and sink unit is backed up with a sliding fridge drawer meaning for the most part in decent weather you can prepare your meals outside. The area is supported by exterior lighting and a mains power outlet, with easy access to the front boot too. The awning is large and electrically operated (more later).

THE VISION
From the simplest of wishes to the most comprehensive of control systems, the T4 delivers in a surprising way. The Redarc RedVision management system in the T4 allows you to electronically operate the roof, and the awning. It gives readouts of the state of battery charge – you can have up to three house batteries on board, including lithium – and the levels in the water tanks; up to two fresh (75 and 130 litres) and one grey (at 39 or 52 litres). Or you can check the same information via the Bluetooth app and also perform the same operations you can on the RedVision unit itself. You can operate the lights too, but the simplest thing that surprises is that the T4 has central locking, and that includes the internal drawers. Everything locks at the touch of a button. And you only need one key. Imagine that.

VERDICT
Our day didn’t go exactly as planned, we didn’t get to do any towing beyond the photos so unfortunately cannot give you a definitive report. With a track of 1990mm and a width of 2050mm the T4 sat neatly behind the Land Rover Discovery with rearward vision unimpaired. At a Tare of under two tonnes we didn’t stretch the Disco in that regard either.

However, in terms of design the T4 certainly turns heads and employs ingenuity to make the most of a compact space to create a hybrid caravan that, given its maker’s heritage, is built tough. The styling and materials used throughout manage to combine a practical approach, being solid and wipe clean, to blend aesthetics of modern finishes too. With the mood lighting and blinds drawn, get the heating going of an evening and well, Rhapsody. Unless you’ve the need of the bunks and then you’ll employ your own conductor skills for a Concerto over an unruly orchestra of kids. Still, wipe clean surfaces!

For devotees of the Track range, then this is a step into larger dimensions and provides more amenity while still able to reach the destinations of the Tvan. For newcomers, then the T4 could be a standalone offering in the right optional configuration to provide a family off-road capable unit with minimal set-up time and lots of storage.

The options are there, it’s up to you to make tracks.