Short answer

Ground clearance is the most quoted and least comparable number on an off-road caravan specification. Two units can both be described as "high clearance" and behave completely differently on the same corrugated gravel road, because the figure depends on how and when it was measured, and because what actually decides whether the caravan grounds is not the chassis rail — it is the lowest component underneath it, usually a water tank, a plumbing run or a drain valve. Before you order, ask for three things in writing: the clearance figure with the condition it was measured under, the lowest component named with its height, and what protects that component from stone strike.

Why the clearance figure in a brochure tells you very little

A single number without a measuring condition cannot be compared across suppliers. Three variables move it by a meaningful margin on the same caravan.

• Load condition. A unit measured at tare sits higher than the same unit at ATM, when the suspension is compressed by water, gas and gear. If one quotation is a tare figure and another is measured loaded, the two numbers describe different caravans.
• Tyre size and pressure. Clearance at the axle is partly a function of sidewall height. LZM's mid-size export models are documented on 265/75 R16 Goodride mud-terrain tyres on 16 x 7.5 alloy wheels — a taller sidewall than a road-oriented touring caravan fitment, which changes the ride height without changing the chassis.
• Suspension type and travel. Independent coil suspension with heavy-duty shock absorbers can hold a more consistent ride height under load than an arrangement with less travel, so the loaded figure degrades less.

There is a second reason to read every published figure with its conditions attached. LZM's own model sheets carry the caveat that published weights exclude gas bottles, jerry cans, annex walls and roof. That is normal practice in this industry, and it is exactly why the clearance question should be asked as a measurement specification rather than accepted as a headline.

What hangs lowest: the part of the audit most importers skip

The chassis is rarely the lowest point on a loaded off-road caravan. The components that contact terrain first are the ones bolted below the floor line, and they are also the most expensive to repair after delivery.

• Fresh and grey water tanks. Several LZM export models carry two 80 L fresh water tanks plus an 80 L grey tank, and larger models carry more. That is up to 160 kg of liquid on the running gear. The commercial question is where the tanks sit relative to the chassis rail: above it, where the rail takes the impact, or below it, where the tank does.
• Plumbing runs and drain valves. Fresh supply lines, grey water drains, tank breathers and dump valves are small targets. Ask how the lines are routed and whether the fittings are recessed or the lowest points on the underside.
• Jockey wheel, stabiliser legs and jacking points. LZM export models document four heavy-duty lockable drop-down stabiliser legs and an ARK XO750 jockey wheel. These are the parts an owner drags over a crest if the van is loaded nose-down.
• Rear-mounted equipment. The 19ft model lists a spare wheel and service ladder mounted at the rear. That is sensible for access and it also extends the rear-most point of the unit further out and lower than the body line, which matters at creek crossings and steep driveway transitions.

The practical way to audit this from a distance is to request photographs of the underside of a finished unit of the exact model — not a rendered image, not a brochure drawing — and to have the factory name the lowest component and its height.

Clearance under load: where the water tank meets the payload

Off-road caravans get heavier than buyer expectations suggest, and water is the usual reason. Two 80 L fresh tanks at full capacity add roughly 160 kg, which comes directly out of the payload allowance. Published payloads on LZM's mid-size export models are in the order of 560 kg to 700 kg depending on the model, and gas bottles, jerry cans, the annex and customer luggage all compete for the same allowance.

This is why the clearance figure should be requested at both tare and ATM. The difference between the two is the number that determines whether the caravan grounds on a flooded causeway or a rocky ramp — and it is a number you can put in a quotation and be held to.

Stone guards and underside protection: what to look at

Ground clearance gets a caravan through obstacles. Protection keeps it intact between them, and stone strike from the tow vehicle's rear wheels is the most common source of underside damage on unsealed roads.

• What is fitted. LZM's 16ft family export model documents an aluminium and mesh stone guard. Material and coverage both matter: mesh deflects stones while letting air and debris move through, while solid plate protects the leading face but can trap mud and hide damage behind it.
• How far the coverage extends. A guard on the front panel does not protect the A-frame underside, the tank leading faces or the plumbing running back along the chassis. Ask for the coverage area rather than the presence of a guard.
• What the wiring looks like. Brake wiring, breakaway wiring and lighting circuits routed along the underside are vulnerable. Ask whether they are run inside conduit or clipped exposed, and ask for photographic evidence in the pre-shipment record.
• What warranty actually covers. Damage caused by road conditions is normally treated differently from a manufacturing defect. Read the wording before you order, decide how much factory-fitted protection you want, and brief your dealers so their customers hear it before the first gravel trip rather than after it.

Rear overhang, departure and the geometry nobody quotes

Off-road ability is not only what happens under the middle of the caravan. It is also what happens at a crest, a creek bank or the lip of a raised driveway.

• Rear overhang. The distance from the rear axle to the rear-most point determines the departure angle. Two caravans of identical length can behave differently here.
• What protrudes. A rear-mounted spare wheel, ladder, drawer box or bumper extension all reduce the angle and add the first point of contact.
• Front approach. The distance from the coupling to the front axle, and the height of the drawbar-mounted equipment, decide how the unit behaves entering a steep pitch. The documented drawbar-mounted emergency breakaway system and jockey wheel sit in that zone.

Ask for rear overhang and the position of the rear-most component as measurements rather than descriptions. They are two lines on a build sheet and they remove a category of customer complaint that no aftermarket part fixes cleanly.

Dust and water sealing: the claims that arrive six months later

Dust ingress and water penetration are the two quality complaints that surface after the honeymoon period, when the customer has already toured a few thousand kilometres on unsealed roads. By then, establishing whether the cause was build quality or use is difficult.

The places to ask about are the penetrations, not the panels:

• wiring and plumbing entries through the floor
• tank breathers and filler necks
• heater and air-conditioning ducting
• cassette toilet and shower waste connections

Ask what sealing system is used at each penetration and whether the sealing is visible in the pre-shipment inspection photographs. A factory that documents this willingly is a factory you can hold to it later.

Clearance versus towing stability: the trade-off to price

Raising a caravan higher is not automatically an improvement. Ride height raises the centre of gravity, which affects towing stability, and it changes the entry step height, awning and annex fitment, and the tow-ball height match with the customer's tow vehicle.

That makes clearance a market decision. If most of your customers tow on sealed highways with occasional gravel access, a standard build with comprehensive stone protection is usually the easier specification to sell and support. If your market is genuinely remote touring, a raised build with a protected underside is the differentiator that justifies the position. If you are sourcing for the expedition and remote-touring segment, expedition trailers for dealers is a reasonable starting point for range planning — the clearance and protection questions below are what separate a genuine remote-area unit from a caravan that only looks like one.

What to put in writing before you order

1. the ground clearance figure, stated with the condition it was measured under — tare or ATM, tyre size and pressure
2. the lowest component under the unit, named, with its height and what protects it
3. water tank mounting position relative to the chassis rail, and whether tanks are shielded from stone strike
4. stone guard material, thickness and the area it covers
5. tyre size, load index and construction, plus spare wheel location and count
6. jacking points and jack rating — documented examples include a KOJACK 4000 kg hydraulic jack with a 150 mm extension and integrated jacking points
7. rear overhang and anything mounted below or behind the rear body line
8. sealing method at each floor penetration, recorded with photographs in the pre-shipment inspection
9. the chassis and drawbar section and its protection treatment, so the underbody specification sits in one document

Configurations differ between sizes and models, and specifications vary by model and final configuration. Work from the build sheet for your exact order rather than from a general model description.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good ground clearance for an off-road caravan?

There is no single figure that answers this, because the number is meaningless without its measuring condition. What you can compare between suppliers is whether the figure is quoted at tare or at ATM, what the lowest component underneath is, and how that component is protected. A caravan with a modest published figure and a well-protected underside is often the better long-term purchase than one with a larger number and an exposed tank.

Which parts of an off-road caravan are most exposed underneath?

Water tanks, plumbing runs, drain valves and tank breathers are the usual first casualties, followed by the jockey wheel, stabiliser legs and anything mounted behind the rear body line. Wiring routed along the underside is vulnerable to stone strike, and damage to brake wiring is a safety issue rather than a convenience one.

Is higher ground clearance always better?

No. Extra ride height raises the centre of gravity and the step height, and it changes how the caravan matches the customer's tow vehicle. The right specification follows the roads your customers actually travel — sealed roads with gravel access, or genuine remote touring — rather than the largest number on a comparison sheet.

Does the warranty cover stone damage underneath?

Damage caused by road conditions is generally assessed differently from a manufacturing defect, and the wording differs between suppliers. Confirm it before you place the order, decide how much factory-fitted protection you want specified, and make sure your dealers explain it at handover.

Clearance is not a headline specification, and it will not win the first order. It decides whether the second container arrives on schedule — because the first one either held together on the roads your customers actually drive, or it came back to your workshop instead.

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