Welcome to the first edition of Back Trakk. We hope to regularly take you back in time, looking at what we produced decades ago… starting with the Hiace Camper. Although today Trakka only manufacture on new vehicles, it hasn’t taken away from our obsession with the vintage campers we produced over 30-40 years ago. The Toyota Hiace is a base vehicle we stopped converting on around 20 years ago with the Volkswagen Transporter running miles ahead in terms of car-like drivability, technology and passenger car comforts. This is not to take away from the Toyota Hiace, which at its peak in the 1980s, was incredibly successful for us. We actually won an Australian Design Award in 1984 for our Travelvan Hiace Campr conversion.. but more on that later.

Owners David and Sandra Clark dropped into Trakka HQ, to show us through their vintage camper but also find more out about our new Trakkadu 340 poptop campervan. This 1986 Hiace Camper was almost completely original and in amazing condition. David and Sandra were the 3rd owners very early on in this camper’s life. The first 2 owners had both fallen ill soon after acquiring the camper. They were a little nervous knowing this but both are still in great health!

Klasse Hiace Camper Features…

The Trakka Klasse Hiace Camper was built from the mid 1980s on the 3rd generation Toyota Hiace. Described in the original brochure, this Hiace camper provided quick-action conversion from travelling mode to cooking, dining, entertaining or sleeping for 1-4 people. It featured Trakka’s very recognisable low profile, full length, gas strut assisted pop top roof, a 2 burner stove, sink, electric water pump and fluro lighting. The cupboard and wardrobe doors slid so as not to take up valuable living space in a compact camper (like our Trakkadu now with roller shutter doors).

The best feature (and David’s favourite part) of this camper was the unique seating system where face to face rear seating quickly converts to 2 single beds or one large double bed. This seating arrangement of the Hiace camper also allowed for walk through access to the rear (where cooking and washing facilities were).