Parkes 16R Quad MK4

The Parkes 16R Quad MK4 is a pop-top off-road hybrid that sleeps four on a king bed and two bunks. It suits a family who want an internal ensuite and a van that leaves the bitumen.

It has a 2,470kg tare and a 3,000kg ATM (aggregate trailer mass), which leaves 530kg for water, gas and gear. Filling both fresh tanks uses 240kg of it, so weigh the van loaded. Ball weight is 190kg, and you need a car rated to tow 3,000kg braked.

The king master bed measures 2,000mm by 1,840mm and folds away to make extra seating. Each bunk runs 1,950mm by 850mm. A self-contained ensuite holds the shower and toilet, with a zippable wall extension. The kitchen has a dual induction cooktop and a Dometic NRX1130 fridge-freezer, and the slide-out external kitchen carries a three-burner cooktop.

An electric lifting system raises the pop-top roof at the press of a button. It is a 24 volt system. Ezytrail fits two 24V 235Ah lithium batteries and a Victron Multiplus-2 3,000VA inverter with a 70A charger. Ezytrail rates the bank at 12kWh, which is 940Ah measured at 12 volts. A 1,190W antishading solar array and a Victron SmartSolar 100/50 controller run the charging.

Fresh water is 240 litres across two tanks, and grey water goes to an 80L tank. Gas heats the water on demand. Climate control is a MyCoolman CCA3000 air conditioner with a 2kW diesel heater.

Ezytrail builds the van on a one-piece hot-dip galvanised chassis with an extended gooseneck drawbar. The maker certifies that chassis F5 and warrants it for life. It rides on Ezyrider V3 coil independent suspension with locking adjusters, an anti-roll bar and four Pedders Big Bore shocks. Bigfoot V3 12 inch brakes, 16 inch alloys on mud-terrain tyres and a 3,500kg off-road hitch complete the running gear.

Storage runs to a gullwing toolbox, a rear body toolbox and a tunnel-boot toolbox with a slide drawer. The van measures 7.32m long, 2.4m wide and 2.77m tall with the roof down. An EzyLite annex room, a heavy-duty three-arm electric awning and a Starlink connection point are standard.

Ezytrail hands the van over at one of its eleven showrooms rather than at your address. A flat $1,000 freight fee covers transport there, and the from-price excludes dealer delivery and on-road costs. You collect the van at that showroom, and a 10 per cent deposit holds the current price. Ezytrail covers the structure for 12 months from first ownership.