Time to Roam Magazine Issue 3 - June/July 2013 | Page 30

Kombi the next generation
Tested Trakka Trakkadu Report by Richard Robertson

The Kombi is credited with being the first global RV and the spirit
of the van that changed the world lives on
The current incarnation of the
Volkswagen van is the T5
(T for Transporter) and there are
several Australian conversion
specialists taking run-of-the-mill
T5s and turning them into highly
capable campervans.
Trakka is by far the best known, having
just celebrated 40 years since its first T2
conversion rolled out the door and today
its aptly named Trakkadu represents the
pinnacle of the Volkswagen van converters’
art. Stylish, practical and engineered
with the full wisdom of those decades of
experience, the Trakkadu is simple the best
modern ‘Kombi’ you can buy.

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Unlike its forebears, the test Trakkadu
featured here is an All Terrain model that
comes with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive
package plus a VW suspension upgrade from
3000 kg to 3200 kg, which in a vehicle this
size is a chunky amount. In addition, Trakka
has also fitted Seikel raised suspension that
lifts the T5 by 70 mm. That certainly results
in better ground clearance but has the side
effect of making the Trakkadu a little less
easy to get into undercover carparks.
For the actual conversion, the most
obvious items on the outside are the
elevating roof and the Fiamma F45 Titanium
awning. The roof, made from a composite
construction, has a very low profile and is
fitted with gas struts, making it very easy
to lift from inside. More subtle are the table

rail fitted to the sliding door and the water
tank outlet on the mid off-side. Out of sight
externally are the water tanks and the
external shower, which is actually mounted
inside the Trakkadu at the rear, but very
much for use outside, unless of course you
like water running through your camper!
Of course, the T5 Trakkadu comes with
all the cab comforts we’ve come to expect.
In making that comment, I’d make the
nostalgic observation that we’ve come a long
way since the days of the T2s that were used
in the early Trakkas! Extras include the
radio/CD player with an iPod connection and
the optional stereo upgrade with satellite
navigation and rear vision camera.
In the safety department, the T5 comes
with front airbags as standard but this