Fridge (left) has its own Compartment, with vents designed to isolate it from dust. Jerry can holders extend the Getaway's self-sufficiency range; checkerplate means strong! Plenty of comfort inside for off-roaders. Deep cycle battery in lower boot. Karl Prosenik shows off the 5.2-metre Getaway he's building for a two-year journey. Independent suspension for tough travel. Meranti frame is bolted to the 'tub'base. Shock absober head is covered with cap.

The tough Supreme Getaway continues to evolve, reflecting its builder's sound engineering approach and dedication to 'doing it the right way'. By Peter Lawson-Hanscombe According to Supreme Caravan Sale's Karl Prosenik, there are about 300 Supremes, 'out there and about'. A low volume manufacture based in Fawkner in Melbourne's north, Supreme builds a range of pop-tops and conventional caravans. These cater for a small but well-defined niche market, but their main suit is the off-road Supreme Getaway. Karl explained, "The original Getaway concept first saw light of day as a fishing trailer providing storage, shelter, cooking facilities, some comfort and necessary ground clearance and suspension to follow 4WD tow vehicles into fishing spots that were inaccessible to conventional caravans or trailers." In his time at the helm Karl has developed the Supreme product to a level that qualifies as 'niche'. The Supreme Getaway has now grown from the fishing trailer to a fully self-sufficient off-road pop-top which, as well as appearing to be bullet-proof, has all the attributes of a van that will dutifully follow in the wheel tracks of the most robust 4WD. CW had the opportunity to have a real crawl over a 4.4-metre Getaway recently. On first sight the concept is a bit daunting- the Getaway looks tough, and this is due to the fact that Karl and his team still adhere to the original concept of creating a steel 'tub' base, finished in the DuraGal process. The sidewalls of the tub are finished in sturdy looking checkerplate and reflect the Getaway's heritage of being well built shed with a back door, seated in something resembling an armor-plated 6 x 4 trailer, with independent suspension. The variant we examined was a newly developed Getaway that used aluminium throughout its base. Lightweight, lack of corrosion and durability put the stamp of efficiency on this new Supreme product. At 4.4 metres in length, and only 2 metres tall with roof down, it's a sensible size for storage and for towing… and there's heaps of head room with the pop-top deployed to 2.23 metres. The Supreme sits on the company's own independent suspension at a width of just 1.98 metres., giving a track and dimension matching the average 4WD. Karl noted, " It's a wise move to have those dimensions matching; you don't want to have the towed trailer with a wheel track exceeding that of your vehicle, and you certainly don't want any nasty surprises happening to a van's side because of a cabin with greater width than that of the towing unit- especially in tough scrub." There are lots of off-road caravans and pop-tops in the market place, some that are very capable and look like assault vehicles, others with heaps of clearance, big fat tyres and an elevated centre of gravity. Karl Prosenik says, "There's no point in increasing clearance beyond that of the average of any given tow unit; if you do all that happens is the towed unit can become unstable because of the centre of gravity being raised." There's no mistaking the Supreme Getaway as anything other than an off-roader, but its looks aren't excessive. In fact, despite its gleaming checkerplate tub, it is quite attractive. The unit reviewed by CW, equipped with an Electolux A & E awning, tares in at a handy 1400kg - expect an off-road ATM of 1700kg in ready-to-roll mode. Its interior layout is classic 14-footer pop-top. With a front kitchen, offside dinette, useful bench space on the nearside and island double bed, the comfort-laden interior of the Supreme Getaway is a real surprise. Flanking the double be are twin wardrobes with heaps of hanging space, and small bedside cabinets below. The only internal hint of the pop-top's off-road nature is the discreet protrusion of the heads of the shock absorbers through the floor- these are covered by caps, flush to the floor. There is plenty of overhead cupboards, but they are not that deep, remembering the low profile of the unit. The rear of one dinette seats, (cosy dining for two) abuts the front kitchen bench. When the seat squab is removed, under-bench storage space is revealed. Karl said, "There's a space there to store a microwave or other items, and if its is required we can equipped the bench with a hatch." Alongside the dinette there's also a glimpse of the aluminium checkerplate that makes up the walls of the tub- but don't be concerned, such a revelation adds a particular cachet to this individualistic vehicle. That distinct cachet attracts serious off-roaders in a big way. Karl quoted the example of a Central Coast, NSW, 4WD club based in Gosford, that has 25 Supreme Getaways among its ranks. He observed, " The growth of Getaway in this fairly narrow market is interesting - it would appear that 4WD people sell their used units to their friends who share the same interest- and that's how we get repeat business. " The original owner comes back to use with specifications for a better, bigger unit." An Example of this repeat business was standing in the tiny factory at Fawkner: a full off-road caravan, a big 5.2 metre unit being prepared for a couple who have already been cruising outback Australia in a smaller Getaway. According to Karl, "This time they are going out for more than two years; their previous experience has demonstrated to them what they need for the 'big haul'." In the mid-stages of its construction, the build of the big off-roader was revealed; there was serious engineering going on here! With a tub crafted from steel rather than aluminium ( the use of aluminium is a recent innovation, and according to Karl there has been an 80 percent swing to this medium as first choice) it could be clearly seen just how well made and integrated the Getaway is. The meranti timber frame is attached by numerous bolts into the tub. The furniture within the van is also attached in modules and it's interesting to note the installation of the Electrolux three- way fridge. Totally isolated from the rest of the cabinetwork, it resides within its own module, with venting arranged in such a way that dust can't penetrate the rest of the unit. This installation is excellent and indicates the builder's way of doing things properly. Karl Prosenik is a stickler for this, and it's exemplified by the way the units he builds are fitted not only with deep-cell batteries, but also with his own harness and input/ output attach points for solar equipment should it be required at a later date. "Not all buyers wish to equip with solar gear up front; by building a harness with the appropriate points of construction, installation of a solar system can be achieved later on with minimum of fuss," he explained. The Supreme Getaway comes with two boots, one in the aluminium tub section and another directly above it. The former contains the battery, the latter is slated for more conventional use and houses the base solar system writing module. Supreme mounts the spare wheel a la Toyota, with a wind-down mechanism operated from the offside of the unit, and the Getaway CW assessed featured very sexy ally wheels, a good match for the current Landcruiser tow vehicles. Everything is larger than life with the Getaway, and the pop-top's running gear is no exception. The unit's independent coil spring trailing arm suspension, with internal shockers, has been specially beefed up with heavier gauge members than normally used. The hubs are 0.3 metre diameter and the electric brake components are also heftier than found in conventional caravans. The 62-litre water tank is protected by a heavy shielding - in short not only is the unit's underside protected from penetration by destructive flying gravel, it's seriously shrapnel-proof and looks it! The Supreme Getaway is a no-compromise approach to off-road caravaning. That's the way Karl and his team regards their product. Unconventional , but not quirky, the Getaway has attracted a loyal following, and with the introduction of the aluminium tub with strength, durability and light weight, the brand seems set to expand the niche it holds so comfortably.