Adventurer’s Blend: Lyfe RV17 Off-Road
Love a dose of trackside agility with your touring comforts en-route and at camp? Live both in the Lyfe RV17 Off-Road
We’re all campers. But what constitutes as vital on- and off-road varies according to our abilities, experiences and ambitions. Take hybrid campers and caravans. Some say size is the core definer, with track access rating highly among adventure-seeking fans but there’s also the emphasis on outdoor living.
Lyfe RV, a manufacturer with a foot each in the hybrid market and the caravan camp, understands the benefits of both genres, beautifully blending off-road intention with tourability.
Twin Axles
Indeed, the Lyfe RV17 Off-Road embodies this ethos with its 5485 x 2170 x 2140mm dimensions on tow, allowing ample comforts at camp while retaining a narrow tow profile and chamfered tail for navigating tighter tracks. The Lyfe RV17 also features a pop-top roof lowering the centre of gravity yet rides on twin axles, adding weight. But what you gain is less reaction over undulations and a greater carrying capacity–like I said, a foot in both worlds.
Our demonstrator was fitted with a remote-controlled
Alpha Polyair Suspension, adjustable at each wheel for optimal balance and clearance, improving comfort on the road and at camp, driver safety and trackside cred.
Club Lounge
Step into the Lyfe RV17 Off-Road and you’ll find plenty to support cooking indoors including a ¾ height two-door fridge, lots of bench space, a deep square sink, an ergonomically-placed microwave (shown outdoors on our demonstrator) and power points for rainy day meals. A combination shower-toilet ensuite opposite the entry provides easy access indoors and out. But what stands out here in terms of comfort is the near-side plush upholstered club lounge–quite large for a van with body dimensions less than 5.5m long. That’s adjacent to the queen-size bed. There’s a speaker here, too, handy storage nooks and reading lights. It even has (albeit narrow) robes.
Awesome Electrics
Outdoor comforts enjoy equal footing with the Lyfe RV17, starting with the nifty external galley kitchen hosting the van’s second fridge-freezer. The slide-out cooktop with a fold-out bench, sink and cutlery drawer is the centrepiece. That’s about an arm’s length away from the inbuilt pantry accessible via a dropdown door. I really like that two people can easily work in this kitchen, the external power point’s proximity to the bench and that it is fully equipped without encroaching on the leisure space under the awning. The 12V electric system on the Lyfe RV17 is comprehensive, too, with 750W in solar taking full advantage of rooftop real estate, ably supporting the 600Ah lithium battery bank onboard–a generous fit-out for a van weighing in at about 2.65T.
This Lyfe 17RV was fitted with ALPHA airbag suspension providing a ‘leg up’ so to speak on the moguls and NCE Wombat Holes at the Club 4X4 Insurance Tough Tested 2023. See how it handled the obstacle course.
