Dryden Trailers, under the direction of Gary Dryden, an old hand in the business, has 25 years’ experience producing fifth wheelers, as well as horse floats, corporate trailers and “toy haulers”.
It had been some time since I had the opportunity to look over a Dryden trailer, but at this year’s Queensland Caravan Show the Distinction caught my eye, partly because of its slide-out and attractive interior. Gary Dryden is, of course, very keen to point out that all Dryden trailers are fully compliant and built completely in Australia.

A GOOD MEASURE
At 7.9m (26ft) external length and with an ATM of 4500kg, the Distinction is larger than a ute-sized rig but smaller than some of the imported US behemoths, thus making it suitable for a good selection of tow vehicles. Gary says an Iveco Daily or LandCruiser LC70 would be good candidates.

Our Isuzu NPR 250 certainly handled the well-behaved Distinction with ease and the 3in ball coupling was very quick to hitch and un-hitch.

Like all Dryden trailers, the Distinction comes built on a DuraGal steel tube chassis which rides on tandem-axle, leaf spring suspension. Shock absorbers and brakes are fitted to all wheels. Towards the rear of the Distinction are two hydraulic stabiliser legs and a single hydraulic leg is fitted to the front. Also built into the chassis are two 125L fresh water tanks and one 125L grey water tank.

Above the chassis, fibreglass composite panel is used for the wall construction with the windows being Dometic hoppers and the door a Camec triple-locker. Several external bins are built into the Distinction: two on the offside (one of which is for the generator), one on the nearside, one under the overhang and one at the front of the overhang itself providing access to the area under the bed. The bin under the overhang is quite large and has space for two 9kg cylinders and two (6V series connected) 225Ah deep-cycle batteries. I note Dryden’s use of fist-sized holes that let you turn off your gas cylinders when the bin is closed.

EASY INTERIOR

Under the A&E awning, an electric step gives easy access to the Distinction’s interior, which as mentioned is quite attractive. All the cabinetry is nicely finished in New Guinea rosewood and the glossy white ceiling works in conjunction with large roof hatches to really light up the interior.

With a 7.9m trailer, space conservation isn’t really an issue, so the end result in this case is a rear lounge that consists of two easy chairs along the rear wall (the cabinet between the chairs is a nice touch) and a dinette in the offside slide-out. The generous kitchen bench fills the nearside wall and there’s a cabinet opposite, forward of the slide-out. In the overhang, between the living area and the front bedroom, is a split bathroom. It’s all designed for easy on-road living.

The bedroom has a ceiling height of 1.9m (6ft 2in), which should keep most users happy. Two windows on either side of the bed and a large roof hatch provide a good amount of ventilation and natural light.

The mattress of the queen-size island bed sits on a metal and timber frame. Assisted by gas struts, the frame and mattress can be lifted easily to get to the storage area underneath which, as mentioned, can also be accessed via an external door at the front of the Distinction.

This fifth wheeler’s bedhead rates quite highly. It consists of the usual overhead lockers but the side wardrobes are just shortened cupboards, therefore providing a decent amount of shelf area above the two bedside cabinets. There are halogen downlights under the overhead lockers and I liked the conveniently located bedside light switches, as well as the powerpoints.
At the foot of the bed in each corner are full-height wardrobes with two drawers and a floor locker underneath. The wardrobes do restrict walk-around access slightly, but the extra clothing storage they provide is a plus.

Although not everybody likes them, split bathrooms look good and work well. The offside toilet cubicle comes with all the essentials: Thetford cassette toilet, good-sized vanity cabinet with washbasin, cupboard underneath and shaving cabinet above. Extra features include the full-length mirror, powerpoint and towel rail.

On the opposite side, the shower cubicle comes with separate taps, a fixed shower head and a large ventilation fan. For privacy, a concertina curtain closes the bathroom off from the bedroom.

Just outside the bathroom, on the offside, is an item often found in the bathroom: a front-loading washing machine. It’s mounted at a user-friendly height and above it is a cupboard that’s good for sheets and towels.

Adjoining the washing machine cubicle is a full-height kitchen pantry. Instead of the more common wire baskets, it’s been fitted with shallow drawers that slide out quite easily – a very neat concept. Under the pantry are pots and pans drawers.

That leaves the (substantial) kitchen. Starting from the front, you’ll find a 180L Waeco compressor fridge with Sharp carousel microwave above. It also has a Stoves cooktop/grill/oven and a stainless steel sink with drainer. The rest of the kitchen comprises cupboards, drawers, overhead lockers and that generous benchtop area.

Above the microwave is the electrical control panel with 240V circuit breakers, 12V switches, Suburban hot water switch and solar panel regulator.

In the slide-out, the dinette has windows all-round and storage under the seats. The storage is also accessible via external doors. Mounted on the side of the pantry are an AM/FM radio/CD player and a 19in TV complete with DVD player. The TV can be viewed from the rear dinette seat and the easy chairs.

THE BOTTOM LINE
One thing that’s obvious about the Distinction is that it shows a great deal of experience, not just from a construction point of view but also in terms of usability.
Gary and his wife, Pat, have their own fifth wheeler which they escape in as often as possible. Perhaps that’s why the Distinction is such a desirable getaway machine – they’ve applied their own travel experience to the design.

Dryden Trailers, 1 Lions Park Road, Yatala, Qld 4207, (07) 3807 2544. For more information about Dryden Trailers, visit the website at www.drydentrailers.com.au

Dryden Trailers Distinction

External length: 7.92m (26ft)
External width: 2.5m (8ft 2½in)
Interior height: 2.13m (7ft)
Nameplate Tare: 3500kg
Nameplate ATM: 4500kg
Pin weight: 450kg
Body: Fibreglass composite walls
Chassis: DuraGal
Suspension: Leaf spring
Cooktop: Four-burner, grill and oven
Fridge: 180L Waeco compressor
Microwave: Sharp carousel
Shower: Separate cubicle
Toilet: Thetford cassette
Lighting: 12V fluorescent and halogen
Gas: 2 x 9kg
Fresh water: 2 x 125L
Grey water: 1 x 125L
Price $165,000 (drive away, Qld)

I liked

• External bin doors that give access to the under-bed and under-seat storage areas
• Easily reachable bedside light switches
• Cabinet between the easy chairs –  great for drinks, books and the iPod
• Slide-out shelves in the pantry
• User-friendly height of the washing machine

I would have liked

• More time to play, that’s for sure
• A different colour scheme. I’m not a fan of the burnt orange timber hues