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Caravan review: Mountain Trail LXV 6.7

Article from RV Daily Boasting a manufacturer’s off-road guarantee and a bespoke airbag suspension system, the Mountain Trail LXV 6.7 will follow you into the back of beyond and home again. There have been some …

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Oct 28 2020

Oct 28 2020

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Article from RV Daily

Boasting a manufacturer’s off-road guarantee and a bespoke airbag suspension system, the Mountain Trail LXV 6.7 will follow you into the back of beyond and home again.

There have been some real changes at Mountain Trail RV, not the least of which is the name. Switching from Mountain Trail to Mountain Trail RV better reflects the businesses expansion into rough-road caravans as well as camper-trailers.

I met company owners Nick and Heidi Edwards at a beautiful private property on the Goulburn River near Yea, Vic to have a thorough look over their new presentation. According to Nick, “The LXV 6.7 is where luxury meets off-road performance. Designed and built for extended off-grid periods with the industry’s finest luxuries and modern conveniences […] The LXV 6.7 is a full-width off-road caravan offering five-star accommodation anywhere that you can take it”.

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Taking the ups with the downs

We might be on private property but don’t underestimate the track down to the river. There are some nasty gravel corners and a set of undulating moguls and humps that the LXV 6.7 took in its stride. Mountain Trail has designed its own independent airbag trailing arm suspension system offering three pre-programmed ride heights and a self-levelling program that ensures the rig rides level. And the ability to self-level on an uneven campsite is the icing on the cake.

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Built strong

Mountain Trail has been manufacturing its suspension system since 2009, and the LXV incorporates interchangeable stub axles and dual shock absorbers plus 12-inch electric off-road brakes. It rides on 17 x 8-inch six-stud alloy wheels wrapped in 265/70R17 all-terrain tyres with a wind-up spare mounted underneath the chassis.

The LXV 6.7 has been built onto a hi-tech chassis that offers strength but isn’t heavy, and that’s what you want. MTRV is proud that in all of its years it has never suffered a chassis failure and is confident to offer a full off-road guarantee. The company utilises hot-dipped galvanised Australian laser-cut RHS in both the chassis and drawbar eliminating fatigue and corrosion.

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The LXV 6.7 is a full-width van measuring 8700mm long (6700mm internal measurement), 3045mm high (2035mm internal) and 2495mm wide. The Tare weight is 2870kg with an unloaded ball weight of 180kg and an ATM of 3500kg. The coupling is a Cruisemaster DO35.

One of the secrets to the lightweight strength of the LXV is not just its fully insulated composite frame with aluminium internal cabinetry which helps provide rigidity. The floor, roof and wall panels are all CNC Router cut European XPS composite fibreglass with perfect gloss white finishes both inside and out. There are a range of double-glazed Euro-style windows with four roof-mounted skylights, front and rear mud flaps, two chassis-mounted recovery points, heavy-duty stabilisers, ARK jockey wheel, dual rear hitch mount receiver for toys and accessories, and an integrated stone guard and vented storage compartment at the front with a rubberised finish for stone protection. This large lockable toolbox has two 20-litre jerry can holders and a 9kg gas bottle holder plus room for accessories, recovery gear and tools.

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I loved the full-length electric awning. Combine this with the ease of the airbag levelling and an electric fold-out stairwell, and you’ll have easy camping in a jiffy. Up in front is a vast carpet-lined and dust pressurised storage compartment. On the side are a fold-down drink and food bar with an entertainment cabinet behind, complete with 12- and 240-volt power outlets, external aerial sockets for the TV plus remotes for the Fusion Bluetooth sound system for a thumping rock box with external and internal speakers.

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There’s plenty of LED lighting inside and out, including rear LED Halo lights and side clearance lights, and a lockable external door with fly screen. Mountain Trail’s minimalist yet striking decals and trims exemplify this premium product.

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What’s it like inside?

Step inside, and you will find a chic apartment that oozes luxurious appeal with touch control and smart technology. There’s plenty of storage space with loads of soft-close cabinetry overhead, to the side and under the tilting bed base. Handy pockets either side of the bed and a choice of five different mood settings, as well as two 12V fans, make the bedroom an inviting and comfortable space.

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In each corner is an internal 12V positive dust suppression system that works with the exceptional seal quality to keep the internals sparkling clean. For those with square eyes, there’s a 24-inch HD LED Smart TV with swivel wall bracket and HD sensor antenna that can be watched at the bed or the luxurious hand-stitched pleated leather face-to-face dinette. The laminate top table can drop down to form an extra bed, and there’s another smart hub for the touchscreen entertainment system plus a second display panel for information and control of the electrical system conveniently on the wall.

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Mountain Trail LXV 6.7 kitchen layout

Any chef would love the kitchen. It has plenty of storage. It comes equipped with a four-burner gas stove, grill and oven as well as a microwave that can run off the massive 3000-watt inverter. Ours even had a coffee maker as a cost-option. Opposite the kitchen is the 208-litre refrigerator and a convenient full-height slide-out pantry for food and drinks.

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The ensuite has to be seen to be believed. There’s plenty of bench, cabinet and drawer space, a large well-lit mirror, enclosed full-height shower module, toilet with plenty of elbow room, vanity basin with mirror and tap mixer and even a wall-mounted tumble washer.

Getting off the grid

To cater for remote adventures you need plenty of power and water, and the LXV 6.7 has that in spades. There are 125-litre and 85-litre food-grade plastic water tanks with 12V water pump and three-way water valve to draw from an external water source; 125-litre grey water tank, mains pressure regulator and digital level indicators. Hot and cold water is supplied both internally and externally via a diesel hot water service, with a 2kg wall-mounted washing machine included

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Redarc Redvision and Fusion in Mountain Trail LXV 6.7

According to Nick at Mountain Trail, “It is a high-tech world we live in now, and unless you are on top of it, you could be easily left behind, but not with MTRV.” It has 480-amps of lithium battery power, endless self-charging capabilities including 720-watts of roof-mounted solar, DC charging while you are towing and AC input, and smartphone integration.

The LXV 6.7 runs Redarc Redvision battery monitoring and interface with dual touch control screens that also connects to your smartphone to monitor everything while you are driving. It will turn the system on and off as well as indicating water capacity and critical information such as charging logs, power consumption, time to go and even alarms.

There’s enough power to run the reverse-cycle air conditioner when off the grid, plus you can turn on the thermostatically controlled diesel air heater from your smartphone to preheat the van before you get in.

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Mountain Trail LXV 6.7 behind a 200 Series

Verdict

The Mountain Trail LXV 6.7 is both smart and well-built, a true Aussie success story. If you’re looking for a rough-road caravan to explore the road less travelled in absolute comfort, then the LXV 6.7 should be on your shortlist.

PROS• Absolute premium unit with all the bells and whistles• Terrific water and power• Easy set-up• Tried and proven airbag suspension• Superb engineering

CONS• I don’t own it

Brief specsDimensions: Overall 8700 x 2500mm (hitch to tail lights)Tare: 2850kg (as displayed)ATM: 3500kgPrice as tested: $169,950+ORCs

More info: mountaintrailrv.com.au

Words and images John ‘Bear’ Willis.

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