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This article which appeared
in the magazine "Caravan & Motorhome" was written by John
Rooth and is reproduced with permission of John Rooth and the publisher,
Express Publications Pty Ltd. The material is subject to
copyright and may not be reproduced without the prior permission of the
author and publisher.
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There's only one place you can buy a new Pedigree caravan and
that's direct from the manufacturers - Caravan Court on Springvale Road in
Melbourne. There they have a range of vans ready for inspection and of course,
are always willing to discuss their client's individual needs so they can custom
build a caravan to suit. But unlike some caravan sales people, you don't get
rushed at Pedigree. In fact, if anything, the atmosphere is very low key.
There's no pressure and no rush evident. Just a solid belief that they're making
and selling good caravans.
Maybe it's this backbone of caravanning that's influenced Pedigree design over
the years or maybe it's just the result of more than 30 years of caravan
production but whatever the reason, there's something very special about the
Pedigree product.
It hasn't always been that way
though. Years ago the Pedigree name was associated with good quality but low
budget caravans, built to a modest price. Luxuries were few and far between and
not really the market that Pedigree sought. With their noses entrenched in the
caravan market, it was hard for the Hawkins brothers not to realise that
caravanning was changing. More and more people were looking for a level of
convenience and comfort well beyond the expectations of vanners from the past
and prepared to pay for it too. And so they pursued that goal themselves by
creating the Elite range, of which this l8ft6in solid roof tandem is an example
of one of their most popular models, the top of the line Elite GLX.
Construction of the Pedigree Elite shows the company's reputation for solid,
good value workmanship at its best. Starting with a heavy duty all steel chassis
with extra cross supports built in, Pedigree then add a 15mm bonded plywood
floor that's waterproof and both glued and screwed to the chassis for extra
strength. The A-frame extends all the way to the front spring hangers so you're
towing the whole caravan, not just the gas bottle! Pedigree utilise conventional
leaf springs and this tandem set up looks as solid and reliable as we've come to
expect. The axles are situated further back to allow for the weight bias of a
rear door caravan and there are boxed wind-down jacks for levelling on all four
corners although this van had the hydraulically operated jacks offered as an
option. Electric brakes and eight ply truck tyres mounted on Delta rims complete
the rolling chassis. The wheel arch walls are clad with aluminium to keep them
from corroding and in a typically thorough Pedigree touch there are big rubber
mud flaps on each rear wheel.
Right:
The vanity
sits
in the corner of
the
bedroom which
can
be closed off
with
a sliding
divider
Below:
The
kitchen
area
offers
good bench
space
and in the
bedroom,
the bed
slides
across to
give
access from
either
side
Wall construction utilises the industry favourite, Meranti.
The roof section is insulated as standard on all Elite models and they're all
pre-wired for solar generating systems making this option one that's easy to fit
later on if required. Pedigree offer a range of electrical options with the
Deluxe kit offering twin 100am p/hour deep cycle batteries, a battery charger to
keep them topped up from the mains, individual fuse blades protecting each
circuit and a trailer plug charging circuit to keep the batteries topped up from
the car's alternator. The batteries are stored in a sealed (from the inside)
compartment that's accessed from the outside through a lockable door. When
battery servicing is required the batteries slide out on a roller bearing runner
equipped shelf making the job a piece of cake.
At
the rear of this van, the
comfortable
high density
foam
cushions are very
comfortable
for relaxing
on.
Plenty
of storage space
in
this timbered kitchen,
complete
with fluorescent
light
over the sink and
mains
pressure water
tap.
A
feature of the Elite is the
good
capacity fridge,
excellent
for those longer
stays
away. The fridge
controls,
very conveniently,
are
at the top.
For remote operation Pedigree offer a solar panel kit featuring an 80 watt panel
that is usually fitted to the roof (unless you want to keep it portable), a
smart charge regulator that can handle a couple of panels if required, battery
voltage and solar panel current meters. The system is well thought-out and
proven to work and Pedigree include an additional socket so you can plug in
another solar panel if required. They might be Victorians but they still know
about the sun...
The big double bed has a hinged top controlled by two gas struts to utilise the
extra space for storage and the whole unit slides sideways to allow more room in
front of the shower/toilet and full-length wardrobe. This is a true bedroom that
would be easy to live with for the long run thanks to the convenience of that
ensuite shower/toilet and the sliding divider that closes off the front of the
caravan. Like the walls, all the cabinet and furniture framing is made from
Meranti with polished timber-edged bench tops and window pelmets of Tasmanian
Oak. The bed comes complete with a quilted bedspread and a pair of overhead
cupboards to add more closet space. There's also twin reading lights and even
dual speakers for the stereo/radio unit. A full 'cuddle' style lounge features
high density foam cushions with light fittings and cupboard space all seemingly
kept at a maximum yet kept from competing from the useable space too. The lounge
is upholstered in a very luxurious material distinctive to the GLX model that's
also tough and long wearing. All the windows are fitted with both heavy curtains
and roll down blinds so that privacy is ensured.
Placing the kitchenette area in between the lounge and bedroom area gives both
an air of separation while removing the 'poky' feel some caravan kitchens have.
The fridge is an Electrolux 103 litre three-way model with top mounted controls
that'll save you bending over. A Chef four-burner stove, oven and grill is large
enough to cook that Christmas lunch for the troops in comfort in this location
but there's a microwave oven, too, for those quickie heat-ups. You can tell that
a lot of thought has gone into making the most of the kitchen area with nice
touches like the standard sink cover, a high spout mains pressure tap and a 240
volt fluorescent light over the sink itself. Naturally there's a ton of storage
space, with a roll-out pantry and a large pot drawer too. All the drawers work
smoothly and will stay that way thanks to twin side runners supporting the
weight.
Shower and toilet equipped Pedigrees, like the one featured, run a dual water
system using both mains pressure (when you're connected in a caravan park or at
home) and an electric pump to back it up on the road. The pump draws from twin
water tanks located underneath the caravan and a Moreflow gas hot water system
delivers hot water to the shower, sink and vanity basin too. The cassette toilet
has an electrical flush and there's a much appreciated hatch over the shower
cabinet housing an exhaust fan. The shower door is the glass screen type and
it's interesting to note that Pedigree - no doubt from practical experience of
caravan parks - have plumbed their waste water outlet to the side of the
caravan.
Astute readers will have noticed that this Pedigree GLX has a couple of
excellent features housed on top of the caravan. The Winegard antenna is
operated by a handle allowing it to be retracted, when the time comes, simply
and easily. In front of the aerial we can see the air conditioner unit which
must rate as one of the best 'optional extras' money can buy for Australian
conditions. Pedigree offer many more options such as a fold-up draw bar, a slide
out barbecue, fold-out table extension, a water tank gauge, halogen lights, TV
or TV/VCR units and virtually anything else you can think of.
So it's easy to see that from humble beginnings and a love of caravanning,
Pedigree have matured into one of the most sensible buying options on the
Australian caravan market. They offer comfort and quality at an affordable price
and 35 years of satisfied customers willing to sing their praises is proof of
that indeed. 
Source: Caravan & Motorhome Vol 2 No 4
639
- 649 Springvale Road
