According to the Collins English Dictionary dustproof is defined as “Impermeable of Dust”…. Simple enough I say.
I find this an amusing topic to write about – but let me explain why. Prior to purchasing our Australian Off Road Camper, we did all our camping in Oz-tents so as far as it went for me- any enclose permanent box was going to be fabulous… Thank goodness I wasn’t in charge of buying the van!
Knowing nothing about camper vans or caravans, being only a professional tenter – I didn’t know what specifics to look for when shopping around for such a big investment.
A perk to having a very thorough hubby, is that I quickly learnt things that would become incredibly important factors. Whilst listening to all the specs for a number of different vans and brands, I became particularly amused and interested in the statement of a van being 100% dustproof. Call me utterly ignorant and naive, I just assumed this was a given ‘weren’t all vans impervious to dust?’ – remember I come from a lifetime of tenting and this is as far as it went at the time.
After doing a little of my own research and then eventually allowing the man to invest in a full off road hybrid camper, it soon became evident he had made the perfect choice for our family. Since setting off on our great Aussie adventure we found we really are off road adventurers. We love getting out to the unseen and remote places, so when I watched a video of someone filming their dusty drive I was confused to hear them commenting on hoping they had sealed the van up tight enough… I had naively thought they had meant the door.
Well with my lack of knowledge, once I was corrected and after I had stopped laughing at myself – I took interest in the fact not all vans are designed to be 100% dustproof. Understandably not all vans need to be – some are bitumen blazers, which is great for those who plan their travels on the sealed sections, but for us as big fans of the dusty paths less travelled this becomes a very big asset to our off road van.
So whilst exploring the many dirt roads of our treks so far – I have seen first-hand how being 100% dustproof has saved us from countless hours of painful cleaning and scrubbing and having to dust proof the van holes/vents ourselves – as this has already been completed during the design and construction phases of all AOR campers.
Some of the many places that we have experienced maximum dust and dirt include; the red dirt of the Gundabooka National Park and the white and red dust of Darling River Run, in particular from Bourke down to Pooncarrie NSW. Then there was the deep white sand from Tibooburra through to Cameron Corner and up into Innamincka SA, through the Sturt Stoney Desert dirt of many colours and finally the red sand of the Big Red sand dunes and plains below in Birdsville QLD. The only sneaky internal dust we’ve encountered to date now has been in the trusted Prado…. but we’ve since figured out a clever way to keep the dust from creeping in to very minimum.
Needless to say investing in a van that is 100% dustproof is a specification we will never compromise on with any future upgrades. After all the proof is in the pudding.