New Custom Adventurer: Aussie Built for Local Conditions
Custom Denning’s bus manufacturing pedigree extends back to 1955. A truly Australian success story, the company produces the school buses and charter coaches that have become part of Australian life over the past six decades.
The company is now taking orders for its new product, the Adventurer. For use as a school or charter bus, the Adventurer is described as a game-changer by Custom Denning’s National Sales Manager Mick Neskes.
“We’re extremely proud of the Adventurer,” Mr Neskes says. “It’s in our heritage to design the buses that move Australia, and for us, that means producing a combination of technology and toughness.”
Modular parts offer a new benchmark in reliability
From the chassis up, the Adventurer is something different, a vehicle that’s taken the lessons of reliability and toughness from the past and combined them with today’s technology.
The Adventurer is available on a variety of chassis makes. The 57-seat Category 4 school bus is available on a Volvo, Scania, MAN, Mercedes or Hino chassis. The shorter, 43-seat Category 3 Adventurer is available on a Volvo, MAN, Mercedes or Hino chassis.
When choosing a new product, operators look for reliability and support – how long it can remain in operation, and how quickly parts can be replaced when the unexpected happens. In that respect, Mr Neskes says the Adventurer’s modular components set a new benchmark.
“We have recently carried out extensive renovations throughout the factory, adding new methodologies to our operation. We have changed our procedures so that we are more efficient, and have improved our already high levels of quality,” he says.
“Our modernised engineering process and improved design allows us now to build multiple upper body sections extremely quickly, and being “non chassis” specific means commonality of parts, regardless of the size of the vehicle. This increases efficiencies for all involved, but most importantly, for the bus operators!
“It means the downtime is reduced if the vehicle needs a window or panel replacing. We can hold hundreds of parts, and we can supply customers with consignment stock, and they pay for it as they use it.”
Stainless steel frame a key difference
Custom Denning uses 3CR12 stainless steel as standard, which is known for its tough yet malleable properties.
“3CR12 stainless steel is the best for use in construction where dynamic loads shift, and of course it doesn’t rust. 3CR12 has a higher iron content than ordinary stainless steel, which allows us to weld it onto other components. By virtue of the iron content, the dissimilarity between the steel components is reduced,” Mr Neskes says.
The chassis itself is built in a short, ‘buggy’ format with the engine and driveline. Custom Denning then extends it to form a bus body that meets the required TfNSW Bus Procurement Panel category, from 43 up to 57 seats. The stainless-steel frame is built around the buggy to reduce the weight of the bus, which enables reduction in fuel costs.
Stand out features of the Adventurer
Australian buses operate in tough conditions and are required to do so for up to 25 years, depending on the circumstances. Because Custom Denning is an Australian Made Certified company, the Adventurer offers durability with style, whether it’s operating on salt-sprayed east coast esplanades or heading into the dusty interior.
With the Adventurer, Custom Denning has created a product for Australian conditions. There is improved service access for maintenance and repairs and cleaning the driveline components is a breeze. This saves the operator both time and labour.
The frame is less reactive to changes in temperature, from Victoria’s snowy High Country to Oodnadatta’s heat. For those operating in dusty environments, the ability to have roof-mounted air intakes positioned well forward of the rear axle can provide reduced dust ingress into the induction system, resulting in lower maintenance down-time.
“We use bonding products suitable for different environments,” Mr Neskes adds. “We’ve heard reports from customers using our vehicles up in Far North Queensland or down in Victoria that they’ve never had to touch these bodies, and these vehicles are 20-years-old. That’s what we like to hear – it means we’re doing our job.”
Designed for durability
The Adventurer was designed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software that simulates real-world wear and tear using a computer model to find the perfect design. The FEA analysis covers:
The result is a design that’s quiet and responsive, while its materials make the Adventurer light and durable enough for its anticipated 25-year lifespan.
“At the end of the day we want to manufacture products capable of enduring the harshest of environments, but also appeal to the Australian public”, says Mr Neskes.
“With the Adventurer, we believe we’ve got the formula right for the next generation of Australian buses.”
Contact the Custom Denning sales team to discuss how the Adventurer can bring its custom style and reliable performance to your fleet.
Adventurer at a glance
The following features are standard on the Adventurer:
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