NEW CARAVANS
Jaguar caravans are renowned for their off-road caravans, but with the Sabor, the company is headed in a new direction, says
Have you heard of the Inkwe, Kovu, Zazu and Zaki? These are all existing models of Jaguar caravans, and all the names refer to big cats. But this is not where the similarity ends: all these caravans share the same pop-out folding bed (or two).
These types of beds have become the norm in many off-road caravans, but not all campers like them, because in the bush only a thin canvas separates you from wild animals.
One solution to this dilemma is a return to conventional caravan design. Here, the bed is inside the caravan with solid walls, but it retains the capabilities of an offroad caravan. Jaguar’s answer to this is the Sabor.
Up close
Besides sleeping safely inside the caravan, the owner of Jaguar,
Jacques Serfontein, thought of a number of important elements. The Sabor – named after a leopard in the animated movie Tarzan – fits into a standard garage, for example, and the chassis and hull are stainless steel. And, to keep the weight down, aluminium is used for the pop-up roof and door panels.
The door is on the left rear corner with the bed then left at the nose when you get in. In front of you, against the opposite panel, is a washbasin with the power box to the right of this, against the back panel. Here you can control the 230 V and 12 V circuits for the water pump, fridge/freezer, lights and solar panel. There is also a 230 V plug, a screen where you can see the battery’s reading, and the control buttons for the geyser under the sink. At the very bottom is a sliding frame that
fits your cassette toilet.
Against the back panel are wardrobes (with hanging space).
Of course, the bed, which stands lengthwise and is slightly larger than a double bed, occupies a large section of the interior. But you can also convert it to form two benches with a tabletop in between.
The pop-up roof provides more than enough space above your head as the floor-to-ceiling height is a good 2 m.
As with most off-road caravans, the outdoor kitchen sits in the left panel. Here you have three doors: one above the wheel that folds down to become a worktop and leads to a cupboard in the hull, one at the nose where the fridge/freezer pulls out, and then another above the fridge/freezer with more storage space.
In the middle cabinet is a 230 V socket and a multi-plug. The fridge/freezer can be up to 90 ℓ in size, and at the end of its sliding frame sits the gas stove.
At the rear, diagonally below the spare wheel, there’s a frame with space for a dishwashing sink and drying rack.
All in one
The Sabor is almost fully equipped and ready for the campsite. All you need to get if you like, is a fridge/freezer, an extra battery and side panels for the canopy. Standard items include: the fold-out table, basin, wardrobe, cassette toilet, LED lights with charging system for the towing vehicle, crockery for 6, a 270 ° awning, spare wheel, geyser and the scullery frame with its sink and drying rack.