Signature Rugrat X: Australia’s Best Hybrids 2024 presented by Tough Dog 4WD Suspension
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Time to read 4 min
We're almost all the way through our wrap-up of the 10 hybrids that took part in the inaugural Australia's Best Hybrids 2024 presented by Tough Dog 4WD Suspension. Next up is the Rugrat X by Signature Camper Trailers.
Hybrids are becoming an increasingly popular choice for Aussie adventurers. They're not quite a camper trailer, not quite a caravan — but something in the middle that offers the best of both worlds.
We had to make some decisions on what defines a hybrid for the Australia's Best Hybrids event, and to find out more about this definition, head here.
There were 10 unique hybrids at the event, each bringing something unique and innovative to the table, and while the full and very comprehensive reviews can be found on the Caravan World website, we decided to summarise the reviews into bite-size articles here for your convenience.
The Signature Rugrat X was one of the most jam-packed hybrids at the event. Featuring triple bunks, room for all the camping toys and an emphasis on outdoor living, the Rugrat X is likely to appeal more to the kids than the parents.
Build quality
Company owner, Mark Nisbet, built the Rugrat X as a prototype for his family, guessing that there would be many families keen on the camping lifestyle who weren’t planning hard-core offroad travel.
Despite a sturdy construction and beefy suspension, this is more a soft-roader, destined mainly for Hipcamps and caravan parks with provided shower and toilet facilities. The Rugrat has an external shower tent but the toilet is limited to a Porta Potti.
The imported body has a box section aluminium frame with fibreglass walls and roof. Unusually, the internal walls are composite aluminium sheeting. The chassis is heavy-duty steel, and it features independent trailing arm suspension with locally installed specially tuned Tough Dog 4WD Suspension shock absorbers.
The lower sections of the body are protected by front and rear scrub bars and there is a ladder to a sturdy roof rack which adds valuable storage for water toys and other equipment.
Liveability
The Rugrat X is a full-sized hybrid, meaning no pop-top or beds to fold out, which is ideal for family travel. There’s a lot of innovation going inside with a queen east–west bed up front. good-sized triple bunks at the back for the kids and also somewhere to sit, watch TV and do basic food prep.
The little internal kitchenette has a sink, small benchtop, Dometic 135L compressor fridge and full 240V and mains water connectivity. But the main cooking will be done outside on the slide-out kitchen with a four-burner hob and stainless-steel sink.
All the kids’ toys can be accommodated with the Rugrat X’s roof box, bike rack-ready long drawbar and decent payload of 640kg. The 180-degree awning provides additional shelter for the external kitchen and for a family of five to dine protected from the elements.
Self-Sufficiency
The standard Rugrat comes with 200W solar, a deep cycle 100Ah battery, an Enerdrive ePRO battery monitor and 20A 240V charger for very reliable 12V setups. Add to that combination 200L of fresh water and two 9kg gas bottles and you could comfortably camp off-grid for a few days if you wanted to be adventurous.
We judged the Rugrat X off-grid package which includes more Enerdrive equipment including a 40A DC-DC charger, 200Ah lithium battery, external solar input and 40A AC charger to boost its self-sufficiency while off-grid.
Bathroom needs are taken care of with an external aluminium opening shell shower tent with wet and dry rooms — the latter of which can house a Porta Potti. Hot water is via a portable instant gas hot water set up which saves weight and space.
Towability
The Rugrat X is a relatively small hybrid with an external length of 5m (16ft 4in). It has a tare mass of 2060kg and an ATM of 2700kg, making it an attractive towing proposition for many tow vehicles.
Although it does have a Cruisemaster DO35 hitch and independent suspension, it sits pretty close to the ground so it’s more of a rough road van than offroad. During our tow test, the Nissan Navara handled the van well. Neither the van nor the tow vehicle were loaded to their limits, which is a good safety feature and makes for a much more relaxing drive for everyone.
Value for money
With a base price of $54,990, the Rugrat X is very much designed for a family on a budget. There has been some effort at cost savings in the Rugrat X design. The largest and most obvious is the lack of internal bathroom. On the flip side, the wheels are cheaper steel rather than the more standard alloy. That said, the Rugrat X doesn’t lack for much and is a desirable proposition.
For more information head to the Signature Camper Trailers website.
And to read the full review of the Signature Rugrat X by the Australia's Best Hybrids 2024 presented by Tough Dog 4WD Suspension judges, head here.
Watch the Signature Rugrat X review here:
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