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Old 12-12-2007, 12:16 PM   #15
GT1963
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Profile:  1963 19' Globetrotter
1961 26' Overlander
2005 22' International CCD
Lakefield , ON
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I think that is a really cool set up....very innovative - and love those windows - real architecture in a trailer - what a novel idea

You could even turn the lou into a sauna fat reducing unit -

and the sink and cook top are the innovative European design - that Airstream is now using in their Sport Safari models (if I am not mistaken)

Do that up in Airstream Aluminum and I would buy that over a Base-camp - and for the gas money these days - I would buy it over a sport model - which has serious GVW - issues ( nice price - but buy the time you correct the weight issues there is no savings refering to the Safari sport models that is )

hmmmm don't kid yourself folks - every RV put on the road is competition to the RV market -airstream or no airstream....

But once into Airstreams - it is hard to get out
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Old 12-12-2007, 12:47 PM   #16
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Profile:  2004 19' International CCD
Chicago , Illinois
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I received this reply:

First of all I would like to thank you for the interest you have shown towards our products, more specifically towards our latest creation, the Alto. Due to the constant increase of gas prices and the social responsibility of each person to save on non-renewable fossil fuels we wanted to create an ultra light travel trailer with the lowest possible drag ratio. A trailer that met these two criterions could then be towed by a vehicle with a smaller engine. Furthermore, in keeping with our respectful approach to environmental issues, we wanted to choose construction materials that would not only be very light, but also recyclable as much as possible.

The Alto is therefore mostly built of aluminium and honeycomb material. The shape of the latter is mainly made out of recyclable plastic. The honeycomb shape adds rigidity to the structure while remaining extremely light. It also provides insulation because it creates a pocket of air between the exterior and interior walls. The aluminium is used to make the walls, cabinets, the entire chassis and frame, the propane tank and the wheels. We have opted for a "sandwich" construction, where we put our honeycomb material in between two sheets of aluminium.

Lightness was not enough to make the Alto as easy to tow as we wanted our travel trailer to be. Even with its unloaded weight of 1,360 lbs, it had to glide through the air like a plane’s wing to offer as little resistance as possible. Regardless, we still wanted it to offer a highly comfortable interior space. We therefore equipped the Alto with a mobile roof which gives a roomy 82" (2,08m) interior height when the top is opened. The tests that were done in a virtual wind tunnel revealed that when the roof is closed the Alto produces 75% less aerodynamic drag than a conventional 16’ travel trailer. Moreover, with its height of 83"(2,10m) it can be stored easily, as it can fit through a standard 7’ garage door. The roof is opened simply with the touch of a button thanks to two electric cylinders.

The development of the Alto began early in 2006 and the first units should be delivered in the spring of 2008. Road tests have been done over the summer and will continue until Christmas. You will be able to access all the latest news by visiting our website. The Alto that was presented at the Montréal RV Show at the Olympic Stadium on March 8th was a prototype. It is currently the only one of its kind. In the months to come we will refine our production methods, make final decisions on the materials and set up our assembly line. The Alto will be built in a new plant across the street from the one where we have been building our Safari Condo’s for almost 10 years now. During the course of the year we will also add other floor plans and choose the standard color. This past year we have been taking advantage of the enormous public response to improve the product to make sure it better meets your needs and expectations. Between now and next spring a network of dealers should be setting up. In the first few years we will surely concentrate on the Canadian market, but Americans interested in our products should be able to import them fairly easily. The list of dealers will also be available on our website. For a few more months the only place where you will be able to see the Alto is at our plant in Beauce, Québec.

The price of a standard Alto is currently listed at 21,995$ CN. We now have a price list which includes the prices of all the options. I have attached it to my e-mail for you to consult. Please remember that because the Alto is a completely new product it is possible that some changes may be made to the prices in the coming months. On our website you will also find the list of all the available options as well as the weight that they add to the total weight of the standard travel trailer. Finally, right now we only have a basic promo brochure, which is only in French. The info in this brochure is the same as on the website. We will make a full English brochure once we have all our interior plans and we are ready for full production, at the beginning of 2008.

Thank you again for your e-mail. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me again. It will always be my pleasure to answer you.

Best regards,

Dominique Nadeau

Safari Condo
Bureau des Ventes Corporatif / Corporate Sales Office
(866) 836-6664
dominiquepn@bellnet.ca
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Old 12-12-2007, 02:28 PM   #17
urbanfood
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Venice , California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InsideOut
Hmmm...interesting, I didn't look that closely ~

Shari
i didn't look at it that closely either, i didn't know there were interior pictures.

i have to say the inside does look cool and i'd probably prefer it to the basecamp, although i wouldn't be in line rushing to get the first years model as that's when they start to figure out where all the leaks occur.
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Old 12-12-2007, 02:56 PM   #18
Road Ruler
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Profile:  1973 23' Safari
Burlington , South Western Ontario
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InsideOut
Now, whether it can really pulled by that little sports car...that's a whole different issue!

Shari
lol... Shari, I think you may be surprised what a properly set up little sports car can tow.

Crazylev... I too got the same reply from the Safari Condo rep, Dominique Nadeau.
I can add that this company had a display at the Toronto RV show a few years ago. We had a good look at their Van conversions and were impressed with the innovative and quality work. We talked at length with the company reps (top guys) and again they came across as true professionals. My buddy was so impressed with the presentation he later bought a Safari Condo conversion van and still has it today. I am not surprised that they have come up with this unique design and would bet it will be in high demand in the near future.
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Old 12-12-2007, 03:01 PM   #19
InsideOut
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Profile:  1964 19' Globetrotter
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Just because it can...doesn't mean it should ~

Quote:
Originally Posted by Road Ruler
lol... Shari, I think you may be surprised what a properly set up little sports car can tow.
Yeah, maybe...but it kinda defeats the purpose of being a sports car with it so heavy laden, dontcha think? I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to drive a sports car for the speed & handling....neither of which would be acheived towing anything!

Shari
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Old 12-12-2007, 03:20 PM   #20
Road Ruler
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Cool Towing with a sports based vehicle

Quote:
Originally Posted by InsideOut
Yeah, maybe...but it kinda defeats the purpose of being a sports car with it so heavy laden, dontcha think? I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to drive a sports car for the speed & handling....neither of which would be acheived towing anything!

Shari
I can speak from experience that the sports car "feel" is diminished very little with the bullet in tow.
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Old 12-13-2007, 12:09 PM   #21
Road Ruler
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Profile:  1973 23' Safari
Burlington , South Western Ontario
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Update for those who are interested....

I've had a few more email exchanges with the Alto rep Mr. Dominique Nadeau (dominiquepn@bellnet.ca).


He has kindly answered some of the questions that have come up and I will copy and paste his words..


Quote: The windows visible when the roof opens are all glass windows (no screens there), and the Alto has no fabric or screen sides anywhere. It’s all aluminium, which makes it closer to an Airstream than a tent trailer.
Furthermore, please note that the Solstice on our Website is my mother’s, and that most of our road tests have been done with this vehicle. The set up performs great on highway, city or even hills. The small 4 cylinder engine with its 177 HP does extraordinarily well with our light and aerodynamic trailer. Furthermore, although having a trailer may make the drive a little less sporty, my parents still get the thrill of driving along in their convertible, while being able to sleep anywhere! The Alto is perfect for any large V4 or small V6 engines. Quote:



I'm not surprised to learn of the Solstice performance towing the Alto. For many years we successfully towed our 23' Airstream with a 150HP V6 Nissan Mini Van. Here is another link with a good shot of the Solstice-Alto combination.. ALTO - Safari Condo

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Old 12-13-2007, 12:33 PM   #22
Foiled Again
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Cool!.... but

Where do you go to get buck nekkid? LOTS of windows.

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