Pop-top efficient

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 25

Pop-top efficient

By

THEO VAN DONGEN

Recently I borrowed a Liteweight Chevron 1500 poptop caravan and a two-litre Datsun GX Bluebird (seen above with the awning partly raised). The pop-top came complete with everything needed for four persons, from a potato peeler to sheets and quilts (all part of the ‘'Carabout” holiday scheme, geared mainly towards overseas tourists who want to see New Zealand at their own pace). The 4.37-metre- pop-top I tested weighed 800 kg. By pulling vigorously on two

ceiling handles inside the roof, the top can be pulled down and secured. With a little practice, raising and lowering the roof became very easy. With the roof lowered the caravan’s height measured only 1.9 metres — a great reduction in height meaning easier and more economical towing. With the top up;' headroom increased by half a metre to provide plenty of space for all but the tallest of basketball players. With the Bluebird I managed an average towing consumption of 12.6 litres per 100 km (about 19 m.p.g.)

which was not bad considering a lot of the towing was done into head winds and over hilly terrain. The Bluebird proved a beautifully handling car and at no time did the caravan feel unsafe. The pop-top had four beds (two single, and one threequarter, although it was supposed to be a double), hot and cold water tanks, a gas cooker, and electric refrigerator. The canvas sides to the roof allowed four insectscreen windows, a welcome feature. Cupboard space was ade-

quate, but the variable roof precluded what would have been a welcome feature, a shelf. The 2.25-metre-wide poptop impressed by its spaciousness and by its ease of towing. The basic price is $7177. Awning, gas bottle, and stone guard are extra, and so are all the “Carabout” holiday items. As caravans go, this seems good value for money, and if your car is a two-litre you should have no difficulty taking this caravan anywhere. A 1.6 litre car would probably be fine, too. ' Test caravan from Liteweight Caravan Court. (More on the Bluebird next week.) ’