Hot little number

Manufacturers are tapping into the previously overlooked B-licence camping segment and Aloe Caravans have hit the ground running with the Peri Peri.

Ask anyone under 35 years old if they have an EB licence and the answer is likely to be a resounding “no”. Or that they’re not sure. And if they don’t have one it means they’re not allowed to tow a large caravan or trailer. Allan Keyzer and his son Matthew of Aloe Caravans in Boksburg have been contemplating this predicament for some time now. While they’ve mainly been in the business of custom-building caravans and a few campers for clientele who value a more personal touch to their recreational vehicles, they’re now aiming squarely at the B-licence segment with the Peri Peri, the first of their new range of standard caravans.

Simply put, your teenager fresh out of matric is allowed to tow one of these if he or she hasn’t done an EB from the get-go. Or if your parents are looking to downsize but aren’t keen on a teardrop, this might be the sort of caravan they’re after.

In a world where consumers demand the best and very latest in technology and gadgets, there are two main factors when it comes to building these types of caravans: weight and price. It has to be affordable enough for those driving smaller vehicles and those who can’t afford a bigger and more expensive vehicle, and then it has to be light enough to legally have a listed gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 750 kg.

We hitched the Peri Peri to the back of a Hyundai Creta and spent a few days visiting campsites in Limpopo.

The Peri Peri’s appearance is mostly inconspicuous, until you notice the decals and windows on the sides.

Box me in

The Keyzers have kept the design simple to keep costs down. A simple aluminium frame is used in the Peri Peri’s construction while a composite material insulates it and aluminium sheets make up the majority of the caravan’s body panels. Finished off in a matte silver (metallic paint is an option as the standard colour is white), the Peri Peri’s appearance is mostly inconspicuous and most people would be forgiven for thinking that this is some mobile kitchen that you’ll find at a carnival, or a very large trailer. But it’s only when you notice the decals along the sides and front, the two windows, and the pop-up roof that the Aloe’s smallest caravan actually starts making a statement of its own.

Up front, depending on how you spec your Peri Peri, there’s a spare wheel on top of the A-frame that’s kept locked in place with a padlock. Checker plate protects the lower third of the Peri Peri’s nose from stone chips and road debris. The upper half of the front is also curved slightly backwards to improve the aerodynamics because it would otherwise just be a plain brick to tow and negatively affect fuel consumption.

Each side has a small window, and on the left toward the rear is where you plug in your standard blue caravan lead. The door is exactly in the centre at the back and you step up 30 cm to gain access. >

Easy does it

The Peri Peri is simple to set up once you arrive and unhitch at the campsite. Lower the jockey wheel and walk around to the back where you use a crank lever kept in the drop-down kitchen to lower the two rear corner steadies. They’re tucked in handily underneath the floor. You just rotate the hex nuts clockwise to lower them and voilà. The Keyzers reckon it’s sturdy enough with five points on the ground (including the tyres) and jockey wheel. If you’re still not happy with how the Peri Peri is positioned on your stand, you can lift the rear corner steadies slightly and move it via one of the four handles, at the front and rear of both the left and right sides.

The pop-up roof is a one-man affair. There are four safety clips at each corner that you’ll have to undo first. These are held in place by easy-to-use carabiners. Once unclipped, you’ll have to enter the caravan and hoist the roof using two handles (one at either end) that have been bolted into the roof front and rear, and the roof is lifted by gas struts so it’s easy enough to do on your own. You can push the round cross bar of the support bracket up and then you screw in a fastener. At the opposite end you tighten the fastener horizontally from the other one. The roof is then secure.

If you’ve ordered the optional awnings from Aloe, you can find them stored in bags under the bench seating. The awning set comes complete with five pieces of canvas, three of which slide into place along metal strips that border the rear end of the caravan. There are two sides with windows and two separate panels form the front (with a zipped door in the one), with the roof the largest piece. They’re held in place with extendable poles that click into sockets on the Peri Peri’s body. Whoever is going camping with you in the Peri Peri is definitely going to have to lend a hand because getting the awnings up is not a one-man job.

If you’ve ordered the optional awnings, you can find them stored in bags underneath the bench seating inside.

Table for two

Given this category of caravan, you won’t expect anything fancy from the kitchen, but the Peri Peri dishes up for two quite nicely. The kitchen is located next to the door, which folds down to create a worktop, held in place at 90° by a strap. You can also support it with one of the extendable poles from inside.

Inside this 58 cm wide nook are basic eating utensils for two in plastic sleeves – a pair of knives, forks, dessert and teaspoons, dinner plates, bowls, mugs, highball glasses and tumblers. Against the inside panel of the body are dual threeprong power sockets if you need to power something like a kettle. Also standard in the Peri Peri is an Alva single-plate stove, which uses a narrow butane cartridge to supply the flames for your cooking. There’s also space here for a few cooking utensils, dishwashing liquid and dishcloths. >

What’s inside?

Immediately to your left upon entering is a small shelf formed by the kitchen storage unit. Against the bulkhead are two light switches: one for powering the LED unit in the middle of the Peri Peri’s roof and the other for the LED strip that acts as an outside light above the kitchen. Right next to your feet on the left is where the fire extinguisher is stored. There’s no door over it so it constantly catches your eye. Right next to that is the 91 ℓ fridge.

To your right are cupboards for your groceries and other odds and ends. The bottom row of the left-hand-side cupboard is high enough to allow a few 5 ℓ bottles of water to stand upright. The entire surface on top is flat, and at 845 mm long and 475 mm wide, it’s the largest surface to use, bar the table.

There are three shelves/cupboards along each wise, up against the roof. They each have about 450 mm long storage space inside. Right at the front end, where the roof curves, is a little shelf for your reading material. Directly underneath each one is a single LED reading light that can swivel and tilt according to your or your partner’s requirements. Both have independent switches.

The benches on either side of the table, behind the fridge on the left and cupboards on your right, are converted to a double bed that fills the entire width of the Peri Peri. The table top drops and forms a bridge between the two benches, and the wood planks and rectangular cushions laid out across the two form your base and mattress.

The benches convert to form a double bed when you drop the table and fold out the wood planks and seat cushions.

But wait, there’s more

Behind where you would put your pillows are more crannies for hiding things like keys and documents, or that packet of speckled eggs you promised to share with your partner. The two sections under the benches are also ideal for storing your awning and poles, though the one on the left side is smaller because it houses the battery that supplies the fridge, lights and plugs with electricity.