Let's go light! Caravan for couples under 5m..Tecton SVX4
Jul 14, 2025
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Tecton was founded in 2017 in Boronia, Victoria, Australia. Tecton produces less than 100 units per year, targeting small niche markets. It focuses on producing one or two units a month to meet the exact requirements of customers.
According to the Tecton development team, most of them are experienced travelers who have already owned several caravans. I have a clear idea of what to load in the caravan.SVX-4 is designed for couples who value light travel off the beaten track.
The SVX-4 is a caravan for couples who adhere to the minimal design philosophy of compact size and optimized interior space. The size is located in the middle of the Tecton caravan. It is a 4m single axis hybrid style van with an outside kitchen with side access and a pop-top roof. The XT-3 compact camper is the youngest in this product line.
The top model is the SVX-5, a caravan with an interior kitchen and bathroom and a double axis. Tecton also plans to add a new platform that will be located between SVX-4 and SVX-5 by early 2026. A hybrid pop-top with compact size and off-road driving is ideal for off-grid exploration.
Most caravan manufacturers add floors, walls, and roofs to build the body on top of the chassis.Tecton, like many other high-end manufacturers, uses composite panels that are 30mm thick. The body is manufactured independently and fixed to the chassis after completion.
The panel is very waterproof. It was applied as a glass fiber bonding technique commonly used in boat manufacturing.The surface was finished with a urethane protective surface and aluminum corner trim of the customer's choice of color. Fixing the body to the chassis uses high-strength adhesives mainly used in the automotive and marine industries.
Tekton also has a unique chassis design method.The A-shaped beam leads directly into the chassis and is welded directly to the main beam and the cross member.The downside is that the intermediate beam leading below the floor invades the additional water tank installation space.
The interior furniture is made from a non-rotating lightweight ABS composite material used in the marine industry. According to a customized approach, the yacht interior decorator was in charge of finishing the work.
The SVX-4 is equipped with a Teco independent airbag suspension. It has a trailing arm and four solid shock absorption devices.The system provides 250mm of generous up-and-down movement and remote control and automatic level height adjustment.
In addition to the disc brakes, the premium quality 265/70R17 BF Goodrich All Terrain tires and 17-inch wheels ensure a stable driving of the van.
The top item on the checklist is the internal refrigerator.These small caravans don't really care whether the refrigerator is indoors or outdoors.The advantage of the 130L built-in compressor refrigerator is that it is easier to see and take out food than a drawer-type refrigerator that is usually installed outside.
Another advantage is that you can secure outside space to create a pretty cool kitchen and storage space.The interior kitchen space is also very satisfying.Along the back wall, there is plenty of workstation space and a convenient sink.
The customer chose a trellino composted toilet installed in the shower/bathroom bathroom at the back of the van.The rest of the space under the bed was filled with underbunk air conditioning.
Keeping the air conditioner away from the roof lowers the center of gravity. Space to install large solar panels will be secured and potential leak points will be reduced.
Diesel heaters are an option to keep warm by minimizing electricity demand during off-grid camping.The outdoor kitchen opted for a mild material that felt like an indoor kitchen instead of a metal surface commonly found in hybrid camping cars.It is highly durable even when exposed to the lobby of ABS composite materials.
I chose Tulle Wind Out Earning instead of Roll Out Earning.It is easy to use and there is less risk of damage even if it is scratched by branches on a rough road. In fact, the caravan owners were very pleased with the earnings and installed them one by one on both sides of the left and right.
Thanks to this, you can create shade or avoid rain in various weather conditions. The Victron system provides off-grid functionality that allows Tecton to completely eliminate fuel use.
It has enough capacity to capture, store, and supply power.Tecton developed an integrated control system by introducing Garmin technology early in the RV industry.
These features include air conditioning, hot water heater, airbag system water pump and lighting control, power system status monitoring, etc. The freshwater storage capacity is about 220L, which is a little insufficient for off-grid life.
Increasing water storage capacity is not easy in small caravans of 4.8 m in length. It's because the space is very limited.For the same reason, heavy water capacity is limited to 50L.
You can replenish the water capacity by putting a jerry can in the front toolbox. Some customers have slim jerry cans fitted to the rear bar under spare tires.This reduces the weight but slightly reduces the angle of departure.
The caravan body weight with multiple options is 1595kg, which is lightweight. The basic body weight is only 1,480 kilograms. It also has a narrow, short and low body width, which makes it very useful for loading and unloading luggage in a narrow space.
A Land Rover Defender's ability to tow is sufficient.All Tecton caravans are equipped with air suspensions to increase body height, making it easy to drive through rough terrain.
Keep the center of gravity as low as possible and increase the height only when driving at low speeds. Tecton is a niche caravan maker specializing in providing exactly what customers want.
Texton SVX4 is the best option if you want to leave off-road with various gear I want in a small, light body.
Editor Song Moon-chul mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
