Ultima Overview
1. The Ultima fifth wheels are simply the most advanced. Compositek^tm -The most advanced construction, aerodynamic, eco-friendly, durable, with the lightest and strongest shell in its class. The shell is almost two inches thick but still lighter than a caravan shell half the thickness and many times stronger. That is why the Ultima can be a full sized 5th wheel with a full flat floor slide-out and yet still weigh less than three tonne.  No other fifth wheel can match that! Most US 30 foot fifth wheels are more than a tonne heavier. And the Ultima shell cannot rot or mildew. No wood in the construction. With a longer warranty, 3 years!
2. Cutting edge recycled materials both inside and out. Even the inner paneling is constructed from recycled plastic bottles. The best available appliances and inclusions. LED low wattage, cool running lights throughout even the external clearance/stop/tail/indicator lights are LED. The most ingenious bedroom bathroom configuration in its class. The most popular and well developed layouts. The biggest slide-out and fridge in class.
3. The Ultima range of fifth wheels has been developed from the ground up for overseas markets such as Australia and New Zealand. They are not converted American units. The Ultima is much lighter, narrower and lower than its US equivalents. The Ultima is designed to be towed by smaller international standard pickups that drive on the left side of the road, e.g. Ford Ranger, Holden Colorado, Mazda BT50, D-Max, Navara etc. Ultimas of course can still be towed by the larger American pickups too, e.g. F250, F150, Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram
4. The Ultima was designed jointly in Australia and the US to withstand the rigors of the Australian outback. All major structural components are generally rated 30% above standard requirements.
5. The Ultima aerodynamics makes it the slipperiest 5th wheel in its class. Before you decide on an RV take an Ultima for a test tow along a variety of road-types and see the difference. They handle much better than any caravan or other conventional US fifth wheel especially on winding roads. With the coupling over the rear axle you don’t get the sway of a caravan. The Ultima is also much lighter, usually about one tonne lighter, than conventional 30 foot (9m) fifth wheels. As a result they get much better fuel economy.
6. Less weight, lower profile and narrower, also mean more get up and go when you need it. When you are sitting at say 90 kph on the highway you can put your foot down and still accelerate away. Unlike a caravan that has a big gap between it and the tow vehicle an Ultima rig only cuts through the air once. If set up properly on a twin cab pickup an Ultima is only 18 inches from the back of the cab. And because of their width and height they tuck in behind the pickup dramatically reducing drag. Everyone says the same thing. "You forget they are even on the back."

Special note: The Ultima 27s have one of the best exit angles of any larger RV at 10 degrees. Because of the huge ground clearance at the rear (480mm or 19") and the wheels closer to the rear (2,730mm or 107.5 " from centre of rear axle) the Ultima 27s can comfortably drive out of gutters and similar obstacles at steeper angles than most average sized caravans.

New 2011 model upgrades (at no extra cost)

1. New Solid Surface Counter Tops - Granite-type, super hard yet flexible, creating a designer kitchen in your van. You would have to go to a half million dollar plus rig to get as classy a  living room/galley.
2. Skylight in Galley – enhanced natural light
3. Pop up TV – standard in all rear kitchen models. Just push a button and the 32 inch flat screen rises up from the rear of the desk.
4. New larger 8 cu ft (226 litre) Fridge - Dometic auto 3 way (12V/240V/LP - RM4806 - AGA). The largest and the best of its type available in Australia. Ultima has this fridge standard. Most caravans don’t have a fridge this big even as an option.
5. Your choice of the new table & chair option (at additional cost) or the standard dinette. Want the same feel as home. Then this is a real kitchen table and chairs.
6. New colour schemes with “Lead Lite” glass fascia for the overhead cupboards in slide-out. New fabric and timber colours. These have to been seen in real life to appreciate just how nice these designer colours really are.
7. Lots of other little improvement like gel batteries, upgraded mixer sets, etc

Frequently asked questions re Ultima Fifth (5th) Wheelers.

1. How do the 27RK and 27RL fifth wheels compare in size?
2. How does the 24MK 5th wheel compare in size?
3. How much do 5th wheelers cost to buy, maintain, register, and insure?
4. What vehicles can I use to tow the Ultima 27RK/RL fifth wheeler?
5. How can the Mazda BT50 pictured legally tow that Ultima?
6. What is the fuel economy when towing?
7. What about spare parts availability?
8. Why do they handle well?
9. What are the main features and benefits of the Ultima 5th wheel caravans?
10. Will I have trouble fitting into a caravan park?
11. The videos on your website refer to "Ever-Lite Trailers". What are they?

1. Total length of Ultima 27RK/RL towed by a Mazda BT50 dual cab is 42 feet 9 inches (length from pin to front of BT50 is 12’ 9” – length from pin to rear of Ultima 30 feet.)  in metric combination is 13,030 mm or just over 13 metres long – the Ultima 27RK/RL with Mazda BT50 combined length is over a foot shorter than a leading brand caravan "23" with either a Prado 5 door or a Pajero 5 door. Length of 23 caravan (21’6” interior) = 8,421mm (27’6”) plus length of Prado 5 door = 4,930 (16’2”) equals total combined length of  13,351 mm (43’9”) plus tow bar tongue or Pajero 5 door = 490 cm (16’1”) equals total combined length of 13,321 mm (43’8”) plus tow bar tongue. The width of an Ultima 27 RK/RL is slightly narrower, at 7 foot 4 inches or 2235 mm (outside wall to outside wall) than most Australian caravans. It is about a foot (300 mm) taller. When the slide-out room is extended however the Ultima 27RK/RL has almost double the floor space of most 21 foot caravans.
2. Total length of Ultima 24MK towed by a Mazda BT50 dual cab is 39 feet 9 inches (length from pin to front of BT50 is 12’ 9” – length from pin to rear of Ultima 27 feet.)  in metric combination is 12,120 mm or just over 12 metres long – the Ultima 24MK with Mazda BT50 combined length is over four foot shorter than a leading brand 23 with either a Prado 5 door or a Pajero 5 door. Length of 23 caravan (21’6” interior) = 8,421mm (27’6”) plus length of Prado 5 door = 4,930 (16’2”) equals total combined length of  13,351 mm (43’9”) plus tow bar tongue or Pajero 5 door = 490 cm (16’1”) equals total combined length of 13,321 mm (43’8”) plus tow bar tongue. The width of an Ultima 24MK is slightly narrower, at 7 foot 4 inches or 2235 mm (outside wall to outside wall) than most Australian caravans. It is about a foot (300 mm) taller. When the slide-out room is extended however the Ultima 24MK has approximatedly 60% more floor space than most 21 foot caravans.
3. The Ultima 27RK, 27RL & 24MK are purpose built units for Australia & NZ and have almost all available options standard. Please contact your nearest dealer for a price. A typical new 23 foot caravan & 4WD SUV package will cost about $150,000 on the road.  The BT50/Ultima 27RK/RL or 24MK above will cost you about the same. Cost to register similar to a comparable caravan. Stamp duty, just as with caravans, is applicable in some States. Spare parts are generally similar in price to Australian caravans. Similar maintenance costs of comparable Australian caravans. Insurance quotes - please see our dealers for a quote.
4. There are a number of factors that must be considered when choosing a tow vehicle, ute, pickup or cab chassis for an Ultima fifth wheel. Sufficient torque – a petrol or diesel engine with a recommended minimum 350 nm of torque, 3000 kg or more GTM towing capacity. Payload (the difference between the GVM of the tow vehicle and its tare) capacity must be minimum 800kg but recommended 1000kg or higher. The Gross Combine Mass (GCM), i.e. the combined weight of the fully ladened tow vehicle and the fully laden Ultima, set by the tow vehicles manufacturer, must not be exceeded.   Contact your tow vehicle dealer if unsure. Examples of vehicles that may be suitable (depending on year and configuration e.g. auto/manual, 8 or 6 or 4 cylinder, 1 tonne etc) –  Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT50, Holden Colorado, Landcruiser, Nissan Patrol. Please note: It is essential that you fully research your tow vehicle for its suitability. Specifications vary and can change at short notice. We do not supply tow vehicles.
5. The Mazda BT50 pictured above is a manual 4X4 with 3000 kg GTM towing capacity. GTM (Gross Trailer Mass) is the maximum allowable weight being towed (on the trailer's wheels) and does not include the king pin weight on the back of the ute. The Ultima above has a total empty weight of approx 2800 kg made up of an axle weight of approximately 2300 kg and a king pin weight of 500 kg. If you were just considering the towing capacity of the BT50 it would allow the Ultima to have approx 700 kg of payload (almost twice the payload of most caravans - most tandem axle caravans have a payload of up to 400 kg).
    
   There are other factors to be considered such as the king pin weight (in this case 500 kg) in the back of the pickup. The payload of this BT50 is over 1000 kg so it is not a problem.  The GCM of this BT50 is 5500 kg. The empty weight for this BT50 is approx 1800 kg and approx 2800 kg for the Ultima or total of 4600 kg. This leaves a combined payload of approx 900 kg, also not a problem.
    
   It is often misunderstood that in many cases the trailer towing capacity advertised for vehicles of this type is not the total loaded weight of the trailer (ATM - Aggregate Trailer Mass) rather it is actually the GTM. It makes little difference to a caravan because they often have only 100 kg or less of tow ball weight with the balance on the trailer's wheels. However it makes a big difference to a 5th wheel with 15% - 20% on its king pin.
    
   We make no assertions regarding specific tow vehicles as to the suitability to tow any particular Ultima. The ute manufacturers are continually changing their specifications.
6. Extensive reports from consumers when towing other fifth wheels or caravans at around 100 kph, indicate between 50 – 60% more fuel usage when towing. In other words if your vehicle normally uses say 12 litres per 100 km then towing you will use about 18 – 19 litres. During our initial testing however the Ultima 27RK can get much better fuel economy. Due to its bullet shaped nose cap and pivoting king pin the Ultima can be positioned just 500 mm behind the tow vehicle's cab. Combined with other aerodynamic aspects the Ultima 27RK/RL and 24MK have recorded under 14 L/100 KM behind a Mazda BT50 diesel manual. We believe properly set up an Ultima 27RK/RL or 24MK should only increase your fuel consumption by 30 - 40 % when towing.
7. The Ultima models are built in the US specifically for Australia and NZ. Aussie Ultimas use Australian model appliances and running gear. The fridge, stove, hot water service, air conditioners, axles, hubs etc are the same as you will find in many Australia made caravans and motorhomes. Parts and service for these are readily available in Australia and NZ directly from the importer or manufacturer. We supply you with the relevant Australian warranty registration forms.
8. Fifth wheels handle better, sway far less and are much safer at speeds than most conventional caravans. Fifth wheels, like semi trailers, attach above or slightly in front of their towing vehicle rear axle and not a metre or more behind, like most caravans. The lateral movement and tow ball weight of a caravan is amplified to the tow vehicle due to the distance their coupling is from the rear axle (i.e. a ball near the rear bumper). The caravan's ball coupling’s distance from the tow vehicle’s rear axle tends to act as a lever arm that allows the caravan to transfer movement more easily to the rear of the tow vehicle. This in turn can increase the incidence of sway. It also tends to force the tow vehicle’s rear suspension down significantly thus lifting some of the weight off the front wheels. This can make the steering light and imprecise. Semi trailers have similar couplings to fifth wheels. How many times have you seen semi trailers swaying? Most fifth wheels will easily out handle most caravans. The Ultima 27RK, 27RL and 24MK will even out-handle most other fifth wheels. Why? A combination of less weight, lower centre of gravity, cutting edge suspension, less wind resistance and better air flow, provide safer and easier towing. Everyone that has towed one says the same thing, "you hardly know you have it on the back".
9. More interior space with a shorter combined length (towing unit plus fifth wheel). Fifth wheels do not have drawbars like a caravan and some of the fifth wheel overlaps the length of the tow vehicle. The Ultima 27RK/RL and 24MK also have a sliding wall that extends the living area. An Ultima 27RK/RL has the towing length of many 20 foot caravans with the equivalent interior space of a 36 foot caravan when the sliding wall is extended. An Ultima 24MK has the towing length of many 17 foot caravans with the equivalent interior space of a 33 foot caravan when the sliding wall is extended. Easy to hook up. One person can in most cases easily hook up a fifth wheel. By simply looking out the back window of your pickup you can see the hitch and the pin. It also has far less sway and better handling than most caravans. And most importantly it can be towed by many small Japanese dual cab 4X4 pickups.
10. The Ultima 27RK/RL is about the same overall length as many caravans that do the round Australia trip. The Ultima 24MK is almost a metre shorter than many caravans that do the big trip. The 27RK has an overall length of approximately 30 feet or a bit over 9 metres. The 24MK has an overall length of approximately 27 feet or approximately 8 metres. Most caravan parks cater for 23 foot caravans (interior length), which because of their drawbars are also usually almost 30 foot long. The short answer is that you should have very little trouble at most caravan parks.
11. The videos on this website refer to "Ever-Lite^TM Trailers". "Ever-Lite^TM" trailers (caravans) and 5th wheels are the American models designed for American conditions and compliance. While the appliances and designs are different the construction, care, quality and value are not. The videos explains these aspects of the EverGreen^TM range of caravans and 5th wheels.