Durban - When outdoorsy Pinetown entrepreneur Barry Olivier got his teeth into his final business venture, he thought it should be a fun one.
So he showed off “Marilyn”, a small wooden caravan he had built in his home workshop at the Pietermaritzburg Cars in the Park Expo last year. It was the type that the pioneers of modern caravanning used, after World War II, technically a 1940s Retro Teardrop Trailer.
After the show day, Olivier got wind of what the market wanted – a lightweight, luxury caravan that can be towed by a small car. So he teamed up with his friend, Brendan Keating, and returned to his workshop and built a successor to Marilyn, but with some changes such as glass fibre replacing the wood. The result was the Jetstream Teardrop Trailer.
He says his product could even be pulled by a large motorcycle, such as a Harley-Davidson, but it would be against the law to do so on a South African road.
“It’s bigger (than the old, post-war models used in Europe), for South African people,” says Olivier, adding that it is something that suits his own lifestyle which, over the years, has involved activities from hang gliding to outdoor water skiing.
It allows for a full queen-size bed with extra length, loads of storage lockers and a 130-litre built-in insulated cooler box.
The galley provides a gas cooker and 50 litres of fresh water.
“The aerodynamic and lightweight design of these Teardrop trailers results in very little increase in fuel consumption and towing speed,” says Olivier.
“Nowadays, saving on towing costs make a lot of sense. The teardrop shape offers little drag and fuel cost when towing is minimal.”
On the electrics front, it has full light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. The Jetstream Teardrop Trailer will be able to run an entertainment system including lighting, music and DVDs for approximately 50 hours continuously.
“This means that one could spend a week in the bush in ultimate luxury between charges,” adds Olivier.
It is produced in two forms: the Classic, which weighs only 500kg and is suited to small cars, and the XT, which weighs around 600kg and is suited to small four-by-fours.
The XT is on 14-inch wheels, which gives it more ground clearance.
The Classic costs R82 700 including VAT and the XT is R89 900. - Independent on Saturday