How much AL-KO VT is in Carthago motorhomes?

More driving comfort, improved driving dynamics and greater safety: The AL-KO VT Motor Chassis (AMC) has become indispensable in high-end motorhomes – and forms the basis for Carthago motorhomes on Fiat and Mercedes-Benz base vehicles as well as for the Malibu range on Mercedes-Benz base vehicles.

The low-frame chassis provide the ideal basis for motorhomes with a double floor, which creates extra space between the chassis and living area floor. This space can be used for tanks, heaters or as a storage compartment. The particularly high level of travel comfort is achieved by the independent suspension with torsion bar springing, as this absorbs the profile of roads and surfaces more gently.

The AL-KO VT chassis is currently part of the following Carthago model series:

• Carthago motorhomes on Fiat base vehicles
• Carthago motorhomes on Mercedes-Benz base vehicles
• Malibu model series on Mercedes-Benz base vehicles

Support systems, whether mechanical or hydraulic, offer the advantage of allowing you to set up camp even on pitches with difficult surfaces. Soft ground, gravel or uneven surfaces are no problem with the right steadies. “We want to offer our dealers and end customers an even easier way to find the right products with the features that suit them,” says Oliver Drinkwater, responsible for the entire levelling business at AL-KO VT.

Level M enables safe support on a range of surfaces for the heavy Carthago motorhomes based on the Iveco Daily, compensating for uneven ground and slopes. The cylinders are extended to the ground at the press of a button and lift the vehicle to a level position. Levelling is precise and completed within just a few minutes. You can also control the system manually – for example, to select a comfortable sleeping position or to fully empty the waste water tank.

The HY4 levelling support system compensates for uneven ground and slopes, ensuring secure standing on a wide variety of surfaces. The system is operated electronically; the cylinders automatically extend to the ground at the touch of a button and lift the vehicle level via the axles. Levelling is accurate to the millimetre and is completed within a few minutes. The HY4 system’s integrated weighing function also helps prevent overloading by displaying the current weight.

The hydraulic components are installed directly onto the chassis and are approved for vehicles up to six tonnes permissible gross weight. Once fitted, the hydraulic AL-KO VT levelling legs offer outstanding durability and require no maintenance – and should you ever change your panel van or motorhome, the system can easily be removed and installed in your new vehicle.

In addition to the HY4 hydraulic support system, there are also mechanical ClickFix steadies, suitable for use on grass, tarmac and gravel. Here you need to use a little elbow grease, as the ClickFix legs are raised and lowered manually using a crank – but after just half a turn, the leg is in a stable support position. The legs are mounted either on the frame or on the frame extensions.

The HY4 and ClickFix systems are available as optional extras for the Malibu model series from Carthago.

For Malibu vehicles based on an original Fiat chassis, AL-KO Vehicle Technology supplies the appropriate towbars depending on the vehicle model.

The same applies to motorhomes based on the Iveco Daily: here, matching towbars, as well as chassis extensions and reinforcements, are used depending on the vehicle. Our experts are constantly in discussion to determine exactly which reinforcement parts are needed for installing a towbar or load-carrier.

The Iveco models require robust chassis extensions. For some vehicles, it’s necessary to strengthen the floor of the rear garage with additional aluminium plates. After this, the chassis extension is completely bolted through the floor and chequer plate to ensure the required stability. It may also be necessary to subsequently reinforce the longitudinal carrier profiles beneath the rear garage to fit a towbar or load-carrier.

If you already own a Carthago motorhome and wish to retrofit a towbar or load-carrier, please send an email with your vehicle details to info@sawiko.de and provide the following vehicle data: manufacturer, model designation, year of manufacture, chassis number. Using this information, our specialists can recommend the right towbar for your motorhome or panel van.

The towbars and some reinforcements are currently part of the following Carthago model series:

• Malibu model series on Fiat original chassis
• Iveco Daily vehicles

Air suspension systems are a real bonus: they provide smooth, comfortable suspension tailored to your motorhome, allowing you to enjoy a higher level of ride quality and safer road handling – fully automated. The Air Premium X2 is installed on the rear axle of your Malibu motorhome; the Air Premium X4 provides suspension for both front and rear axles.

The benefits of air suspension:

• Improved driving comfort thanks to better absorption of shocks and vibrations
• More stable handling due to adaptation to varying load states
• Greater ground clearance and improved breakover angle.

Manual control also allows you a few comfort extras. This includes raising the rear axle for easy access to ferries and, with the X4, easier emptying of waste and fresh water tanks, as you can tilt your motorhome to one side. The motorhome can also be easily loaded with minimum back strain by lowering the front and rear axles.

The Aguti brand stands for expertise in driver and passenger seats and all components that connect seats and seatbelts to the chassis. Aguti manufactures seats in the desired design of the body manufacturer, in this case Carthago, with the brand’s fabric and leather designs. They are delivered to the production line as finished products – matching the entire interior of the motorhome and ready for direct installation.

The appropriate swivel bases for each chassis base (Fiat, Mercedes-Benz, Iveco) are also included in the delivery, as are other systems for the second row of seats − including mounting kits for fixing the seatbelt frames inside the vehicle (also known as chassis connection). These accessories are selected according to customer specifications and floor plans and are not restricted to specific model ranges. If necessary, Aguti can also supply a fifth seat as an optional extra.

“For Carthago, we are a reliable partner with whom we have worked closely and successfully for many years. Our joint customers continue to benefit from well-conceived, future-proof and robust solutions,” says Jörn von Ahlen, Head of Marketing at AL-KO Vehicle Technology, adding: “And of course, we also present our latest innovations straight away, whether it is the LevelM Pro levelling support system or the semi-active suspension COMFORT DRIVE.”

“As a manufacturer of premium motorhomes, we set great store by quality – both for our own products and those of our partners. The decades of experience and expertise of AL-KO refine our complex vehicle technology and make a major contribution to the popularity of our vehicles among our customers. What we particularly value in our partnership with AL-KO is the collaboration as equals and our shared goal to continuously improve the final product,” adds Alexander Wehrmann, Head of Marketing, Communications and PR at Carthago.