Camp Trailers

[noddy]

Hi Everyone

We are heading off on a trip around Oz in the New Year (Feb-March) and are looking at camp trailers. Really interested in people's views and experiences on the various different types and brands.

I am not completely wedded to the idea of a trailer, and also considering a roof-top tent as a compromise, but SWMBO is really pushing for the trailer. I sense that this is one battle I cannot win...

There will be only two people and expect to be gone for around 9-12 months.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[disco95]

You lucky lucky bastard noddy :!: I think every one on this forum wishes they're going with you.
There's some pretty good trailers out there, I've read some comparisons in the 4WD mags and they all look to perform quite well. I think it's just a matter of finding one that suits you.
Are you going to take a laptop, or do we lose your input on this forum as a regular :?:

[lrdef110]

Noddy, I'm leaving on 13 March for 6 months in a 2002 Xtreme so I'll look for you around the track. Mines white.I have just taken delivery of a Jurgens Xpedition offroad van for the trip. Hope to spend most of my time in Vic & SA (Flinders Ranges etc) returning to QLD up through the centre, so I figured I needed a bit of protection with a van to see through the cold weather. If it gets down to 8 up here in winter it's freezing.

My experience with camper trailers is that the flip over 'hard' floor versions are the best. The tops dont get anywhere near as dusty and you have no problems with water coming through the floor in wet weather. They also seem to seal out dust better. Taht's my two bobs worth anyway.

Hope you have a good time.

Regards, Barry.

[Redback]

Hey Noddy have a look at these mate, i wouldn't normally encourage someone to join another forum but if you do you get a discount on a camper trailer if you mention them it's free to be a visitor , there are about 5 differant makers on this advertising page have a look at the Tambo a good quality camper for less than $6000. http://www.exploroz.com/ResultsList.asp?Ke...=camper+trailer (http://www.exploroz.com/ResultsList.asp?Keywords=camper+trailer)

It also depends on what want (ie) lots of room, price, hard or soft floor or even the Jayco pop up type but what ever you choose go for simple suspension, eye to eye 7 or 9 leaf rebound springs no shocks that way it is easy to fix if something breaks, try to avoid independant suspension a good idea is to hire one to find out what they are like thats what we did that way no surprises when you buy. 8O

Hope this helps style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

Baz.

[noddy]

Thanks for the responses.

Anyone is welcome to join us along the way. I will be taking a laptop and camera as plan to do some work along the way. Will log in every now and again when I drag myself off the beach....

Back to those campers...they aren't cheap 8O . I have been doing some homework looking at some on the web. Time is of the essence and we are going to look at some in the flesh after Christmas. There is one down at Batemans Bay which seems to have everything (including the kitchen sink), but scaringly expensive!

Thanks again.

[VladTepes]

Yep expensive is the word.

But then again, if you were rich enough to afford an 02 Extreme then...























you are poor now style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

Good luck with it, and let us know how you get on.

I'm after a budget option m'self and will start a new thread to that end.l

[Bytemrk]

Hi Noddy,

Redback is right for the price the Tambo is a great trailer - I've got one and I reckon it's as good as many twice it's price.

Another useful site that you may find interesting is:
http://www.campertrailers.org/

While you are right a 4x without trailer is easier to explore with the right trailer just wanders along being and does make life a little comfier ( may keep the misus happy for longer too.... 8) )

[Maggot4x4]

Complete Campsite has an excellent reputation from several people I have talked to. And the are semi local to you at Gosford.

[Ace]

A good dome tent is great, and it wont increase youre fuel consumption that much either noddy.

But seriously i went out with the central west 4wd club and one of the members had a camper trailer, it was something matic, i cant remember exactly, i am sure someone on here knows the one i am talking about, it was and awsome set up, but they paid 14k second hand for it, but we drove about 60km on dirt before we got there and there wasnt a scrap of dust inside, and it went up in a flash. Really nice set up. Matt

[LRHybrid100]

Originally posted by Noddy
There is one down at Batemans Bay which seems to have everything (including the kitchen sink), but scaringly expensive!

Thanks again.

This one called "Ultimate"?

These are VERY nice although pricey they really hold their value.

My misses wanted one of these when she saw them at a show, but since she now prefers the Jayco - which we are looking to buy in the not too distant future.

LRH

[Redback]

As i have said Tambo for less than $6000 with features that $15,000 campers have and also www.Centralcoastcanvas.com.au

[LRHybrid100]

We are going to rent a Jayco Eagle in Jan to see if the set up suits us.

If so, then around the Sydney 4WD show time (just after Easter) we will look at buying one.

LRH

[DiscoTDI]

Noddy, you have to take a few things into consideration, what sort of conditions are you going to be going through, and how much weight you will be pulling, I have a non braked trailer that folds out to a 9ft tent,
http://www.aulro.com/albums/album112/000_0049.sized.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/albums/album112/000_0070.sized.jpg

it carrys all I need for a family of 5 and is capible of going anywhere I want.

Few things to get, Stone guard - save replacing rear windows, make sure all access points have seals on them and gas bottle holders, Kitchen is very useful if you are going to be living out of it for a fair while plus opt for 2 water tanks, usually they come with 60 litres, 120 is much more useful.

As you have probably found out already, be careful of the really cheap ones[/img]

[VladTepes]

Bytemrk - yep that is a good site, thanks.

Ace - the one you are thinking of is a Camp-o-matic.

Discotdi - that looks the go ! What brand is it ?

and yes the Tambo ones do look like good value for money. Who owns one ?

[Bytemrk]

VladTepes wrote:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>yes the Tambo ones do look like good value for money. Who owns one ?
[/b][/quote]

I do! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif .... a couple of pics in the gallery.. I'll track a couple more down and add them.

http://www.aulro.com/modules.php'set_album...=view_album.php (http://www.aulro.com/modules.php'set_albumName=album69&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php)

I am really happy with the trailer and the husband and wife team that own the business are great... terrific service and really stand behind their product.... even if he does drive a tojo :roll:

[DiscoTDI]

Sorry Vlad, its a camel camper they are at underwood

[VladTepes]

Noddy - highly recommend you head to your nearest decent newsagent and grab a copy of a magazine I found yesterday.

Caravan World's CamperTrailer Guide

At $5.95 It's so good I bought a copy myself.

It has reviews of many different brands of campers which should help you pare down your choices easily by finding a shortlist of trailers with the features you want, at a price you can afford.

[noddy]

Well after much arguing and consideration....we are now the proud owners of a camp trailer style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

It is a second hand Ultimate Camp trailer which has only done 1,800km. It is basically brand new and we got a significant discount off a new one. The other factor was a 6 month waiting list for a new one 8O

I cannot recall how many campers we looked at, but the clincher for the Ultimate was a guaranteed resale price which was remarkable. In essence it will work like a lease which turns out to be really good for us. From what I understand, if you play your cards right you can actually make money on them when you go to sell them.

The Ultimate is very different from the all the other campers we looked -- it has a flip over lid, but an internal galley like a boat. For what we want to do and the time we are going to be away, it looks to be perfect. The build quality and service was first class....makes Kimba look a bit shabby :cry:

Finishing work in two weeks and then pick up and the camper and off we go! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif We will do some short trips and then head off to VIC, SA and WA.

We have even come up with a name for the new addition.....IGGY! It looks like and Igloo when opened up.

Thanks again to everyone for their tips and suggestions. Will post some pics of Iggy once we have him. In the mean time, these are some pics to give you a mental pic of Iggy!

http://www.ultimatecampers.com.au/images/closed2.jpg

http://www.ultimatecampers.com.au/images/galley2.jpg

http://www.ultimatecampers.com.au/images/awningl.jpg

http://www.ultimatecampers.com.au/images/bed.jpg

[hiline]

nice noddy style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

kimba will enjoy dragging that around :wink: :wink:

[barney]

what about one of these,
http://www.aulro.com/albums/album53/MRT_with_ute.sized.jpg
as product testing officer for the lroc, i recently took one away. absolutely fantstic. lighter than others in class, can get to kitchen without setting up tent, can crawl in and sleep with out setting up tent (if rainy), canvas from tent does not store on bedding, cheaper than both ultimate and kimberly, best off road suspension, able to carry 500kg load internally, nicely balanced and you can literally pull up and be in bed in less than a minute.

[noddy]

Originally posted by barney
what about one of these,
http://www.aulro.com/albums/album53/MRT_with_ute.sized.jpg
as product testing officer for the lroc, i recently took one away. absolutely fantstic. lighter than others in class, can get to kitchen without setting up tent, can crawl in and sleep with out setting up tent (if rainy), canvas from tent does not store on bedding, cheaper than both ultimate and kimberly, best off road suspension, able to carry 500kg load internally, nicely balanced and you can literally pull up and be in bed in less than a minute.

Barney -- we did look at the Tvan. I must admit the thing which really struck me was that it was very claustrophobic in the sleeping area. Not sure how it would go up north and the heat???

By all accounts Tvan make a great trailer.

[barney]

yep i know you what you mean, i kept banging my head on the opening to the bed space, but like anything, i reckon you'd get used to it. i'm sold on them, if i had the money i'd be ordering one tomorrow. the weekend we went away in it was very rainy and it was nice to have a dry area to sit and sleep in. my ute is a petrol 4.0 ltr and the weight of the trailer made the petrol disappear very quickly, but aside from that it took everything we could throw at it.
a couple of years ago i was on a simpson trip and one of the guys had a cavalier trailer. i think with these you get what you pay for and i know that i'd rather shell out the cash than have it let me down in the middle of nowhere.
you can hire these Tvans from MRT for about $550 a week for a trial run.there's a lot of trailers around that you can hire, and i reckon if you can convince the dealers that you are interested in buying one, you might be able to get one for a week at a reduced price....worth a try?

[barney]

here's another couple of shots
http://www.aulro.com/albums/album53/MRT_at_awaba.sized.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/albums/album53/MRT_Tvan_camp.sized.jpg

[noddy]

Barney -- for the last couple of months we have been looking at all the major brands of camp trailers and roof top tents (my preference was the tent originally), but SWMBO has convinced me that a trailer would be more practical for what we are planning to do (9-12mths away).

In the end it came down to 4 brands:
- Kimberley Kamper
- Campo-matic
- Tvan (went out to MRT at Strathfield)
- Ultimate

My first thought was to go for a cheaper trailer, but given that we were always going to sell it on our return and some concerns around build quality we decided against these.

One of our main constraints was time. Many of the campers had significant waiting times (ie; months). We want to get going ASAP.

All four are well built campers and I am confident that any of them would have done the job, but resale value became a big issue. I was really blown away by the design and build quality of the Ultimate....no disrespect to the others, but it is more than just a tent on a trailer. In the end we went down there and saw them. They are exceptionally professional and importantly had one available almost immediately. Done deal!

Do you want to do a test on Iggy when we get him in a couple of weeks???

[Yabbie]

will you have it in time for MY(ace's BBQII) birthday party??

I cant see how your going to ditch the tow mule label with that bringing up the rear 8O

[noddy]

Originally posted by jason
will you have it in time for MY(ace's BBQII) birthday party??

I cant see how your going to ditch the tow mule label with that bringing up the rear 8O

You are right!

Kimba is not impressed and is talking of going on strike. We pick it up at the end of the month, so should be all ok for the BBQ. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif I think I am going to miss my swag :cry:

[Yabbie]

Just wait til you wakeup next time when it's ****'n down raining I'm sure you remember why you got rid of the swag or if all else fails sleep in the swag inside style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[Maggot4x4]

I've got first dibs on buying it when you get back :roll: :wink:

[Redback]

Noddy Wrote;
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I think I am going to miss my swag [/b][/quote]

Excellent choice Noddy enjoy they are very handy and so much easier than a tent when more than 1 person, not mention keeps the other half happy style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

If you use the swag in the camper much warmer in the winter months thats what we do sooooooooo much warmer 8), leave the swag in the camper. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[VladTepes]

Barney that Tvan always looked the goods to me but my main gripe is that if I was buying one at those prices I'd want the option of carrying a tinnie. The Kimberley Kamper and Camp-o-matic cater for this, so they'd probably be my choice, (given the cash).

[matbor]

I had the pleasure of using one of these off a friend, very, very well made !!! I think in the end you have to work out if you are just going to be going down dirt roads or really offroad !!! Also you have to think what you are going to carry !!!

http://www.trakshak.com.au

Check them out.

Matt.

[LRHybrid100]

Originally posted by Noddy


http://www.ultimatecampers.com.au/images/closed2.jpg

All you need now is a nice Disco 3 to tow it!!!

LRH

[barney]

i suppose it's horses for courses. if there was one trailer that was perfect for everyone, then everyone else would be out of business. a mate of mine has a 130 tray-back and he has a tray-on camper. it suits his needs perfectly. i personally wasn't taken by the ultimate. we saw two of them travelling together at dalhousie springs a couple of years ago, and i thought they looked a bit cumbersome and it still has that problem of wet canvas on bed. it also looked to me that you couldn't access the kitchen on a lunch stop unless you opened it up, is that right?
as for the tinnie, well i've got no need of a tinnie while i'm camping because i hate fishing, my attention span is too short. if anything i'd take my kayak, but that would be on the vehicle.
good on you noddy, i hope your trip is a great one, even though the ultimate is not my cup of tea, i do recognise that it is one of the top end campers and i'm sure it's engineering quality will keep you trouble free on your trip.

[noddy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>and i thought they looked a bit cumbersome and it still has that problem of wet canvas on bed. it also looked to me that you couldn't access the kitchen on a lunch stop unless you opened it up, is that right?[/b][/quote]

Barney - thanks for the well wishes on the trip, we wil definitely have a blast (beats work anyday style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif ).

The Ultimate is pretty big, but only weighs 750Kg (unloaded) due to the composite construction. This is the same as the Tvan and one of the lightest on the market. Fully loaded it will probably come in at just over 1000kgs. Wet canvas is a bit of an issue for most campers (except the Tvan), but heck, wait a few hours or another day :wink: We are no rush, but you can fold the bedding up and put some plastic down if you really need to get going. In terms of lunch stops, you can crawl into the galley with the top down and get stuff form the fridge and draws. We have always been ones for a themos and quick snacks on the side of the road, so we will use the engel in the back of Kimba for cold drinks and snacks along the way.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>All you need now is a nice Disco 3 to tow it!!![/b][/quote]

LRHybrid -- Ssshhhhh.....Kimba might hear you! Nah, I am still a sceptic on the D3. I am in lust with the 'Kimba-Iggy' team!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I've got first dibs on buying it when you get back [/b][/quote]

Maggot -- I might hold you to that when we come back, but if my previous form is anything to go by I get very sentimental about such things and may not be able to part with Iggy :cry:

[RichardK]

Looks good and comfpotable Noddy, especially when it will be your home for the comong months, the sleeping quarters will keep you away from the nasties when you're up north.

Don't forget to visit us West Ozzi members when you get here, if you send me a PM when you are in the area I'll give you a landline no. if you want contact.

style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[noddy]

Thanks Richard K -- will certainly drop you a PM when in WA. Cannot wait to get underway, I am starting to get the tingles style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[incisor]

Originally posted by VladTepes
Noddy - highly recommend you head to your nearest decent newsagent and grab a copy of a magazine I found yesterday.

Caravan World's CamperTrailer Guide

At $5.95 It's so good I bought a copy myself.

It has reviews of many different brands of campers which should help you pare down your choices easily by finding a shortlist of trailers with the features you want, at a price you can afford.

got the castaway camper range in there?

[RichardK]

Originally posted by Noddy
Thanks Richard K -- will certainly drop you a PM when in WA. Cannot wait to get underway, I am starting to get the tingles style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

I've got about 5 years to go.....can't wait also....so much to do. At the moment like you I'm gathering all my major items so I don't have to fork out when the time comes, like the newest Disco I can manage, getting the camper trailer right.

[Ace]

Good luck with it noddy. When are you leaving? You are still coming to the BBQ at the begining of next month arent you? Matt

[Bytemrk]

Nice looking camper Noddy. Should do the trip really well. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

I saw a guy using one of these towing it with a 2004 Rangie - bush camping at Robe over Xmas... 8O . Real nice set up.

And it was nice to see a fella with the big bucks Rangie out living life with all us common folk.. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[noddy]

Originally posted by Bytemrk
Nice looking camper Noddy. Should do the trip really well. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

I saw a guy using one of these towing it with a 2004 Rangie - bush camping at Robe over Xmas... 8O . Real nice set up.

And it was nice to see a fella with the big bucks Rangie out living life with all us common folk.. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

There is nothing better than seeing a Landy in its natural environment. He was obviously a man of good tastes :wink:

[Ace]

Originally posted by Noddy+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Noddy)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Bytemrk
Nice looking camper Noddy. Should do the trip really well. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

I saw a guy using one of these towing it with a 2004 Rangie - bush camping at Robe over Xmas... 8O . Real nice set up.

And it was nice to see a fella with the big bucks Rangie out living life with all us common folk.. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

There is nothing better than seeing a Landy in its natural environment. He was obviously a man of good tastes :wink:[/b][/quote]

Aint that the truth. Matt

[VladTepes]

Inc: Yep, page 30.

[incisor]

what do they say about them vlad, anything of value or not of value?

going to look at some of them on monday...

[VladTepes]

You could always read it when you come over for the BBQ. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif