Motocross enthusiast Aka knows what he wants. So how will his visions expressed in the Vancraft Craftsman 216 manifest within?

No doubt, the comforts we all enjoy further afield today began with the innovators with wild ambitions who boldly venture off-road. 

Take Network RV’s Vancraft Craftsman 216, equipped with powerful off-grid specifications, racy interiors, luxe club lounge and a 300kg-rated bike rack. It delivers all the spoils for the cultured adrenaline-seeker: good coffee, splaying space for the arms and elaborate accommodations for the dollar-sinking hobbies that raise hell, that may very well feed into your own aspirations, wherever you sit on the scale.

A Perfect Match

Indeed, high-octane connoisseur Paul ‘Aka’ Fratta, motocross enthusiast and Vancraft mastermind for Network RV, was eager to showcase this aspirational beauty to Macca out the back of Broken Hill.

Bundling a lot, this Craftsman 216 demands a mighty touring vehicle, like AKA’s Silverado 2500 HD. Thankfully, Vancraft knows its match, building the body on a raised 12in truss chassis, shod with twin axles sporting 18in with Mickey Thompson Baja Legend MTZ to meet the Silverado’s hitch level at the nose. While the DO45 up front, 12in disc brakes and four-stage Airbag Man help accommodate the 4T ATM. 

Built from Within

The Vancraft Craftsman 216 may be bold but it’s far from foreboding. You can attribute this subtle toughness to being built from within, with anchored interlocking furniture. Fibreglass sandwich panel, including the one-piece front and roof, surrounds the insulated 40mm honeycomb floor. Striking trim and Rhino-brand stoneshield half mast deliver form and function on the tracks. 

Also seen here, spare tyres, a coated toolbox with wood tray and cylinders up front, and at the rear that bike rack, four-arm bumper and a diesel tank for the space heater and HWS. 

Meanwhile, an electric awning, pull-out barbecue and TV hutch complete the outdoors. There’s also an external shower helping to keep the interiors clean. 

Ample Benchtops

Step inside and you’ll see rest is well catered for with the large double-row diamond stitched club lounge under limousine lighting, contrasting against high gloss grey and red. As bold as it is, it merely augments the panorama of light streaming through the surrounding windows and hatch. Notably, most of the bench space is within the split kitchen comprising a nearside galley black matt sink, inbuilt microwave and a four-burner gas hobs, grille and oven with half-height cabinetry opposite enclosing a large washer. On that benchtop, Aka is able to fire up the SMEG Bean to Cuppa for his daily brew just about anywhere, thanks to a powerful Victron system 600Ah lithium battery bank, 3000W inverter, 600Ah array monitored within Bluetooth reach via the GX Victron Cerbo GX Controller and GX Touch 50 display.

Dust Reduction

Mid-ship beyond the concertina door we see separated bathroom amenities, with a shower with a rail on the nearside and a water closet with a mirror, cabinetry and a composting toilet opposite for true off-gridding. High gloss cabinetry and a blend of natural and bar lighting continue the vivid colour scheme.

Towards the back leads to a caravan-queen size bed with a pillowtop mattress below the dust reduction system, which, during our Broken Hill heist, certainly got a workout. 

Small details throughout support its off-grid capability, from strategically placed fans Sirocco fans to the SatKing motorised dish, a 274L compressor fridge and 300L in freshwater capacity adding distance between in-town trips. Too easy.

Vancraft