4wd camper ebay style help please

[Jedimastermat]

Gday gang
Whats the general thought on these things? I know ebay can be crap central. :angel:

FULL OFF ROAD 4X4 4WD CARAVAN CAMPER CAMPING TRAILER - eBay, Trailers, Trailers, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 15-Feb-09 15:55:00 AEDST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/FULL-OFF-ROAD-4X4-4WD-CARAVAN-CAMPER-CAMPING-TRAILER_W0QQitemZ300293258555QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU _Trailers?hash=item300293258555&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1308)

I would replace the wheels and put in the same 5 pin as on the D2 and the ATs as well

Im not looking for something to drag from Sydney to London via Pakastan and Iraq but has anyone bought one and they are OK for say Fraser Is or family mild off roading. Or should I give it a wide berth.

appreciate the thoughts as im happy to admit out of my depth.
cheers
mat

[scrambler]

I give my two pennyworth, but what with inflation and all ...

The trailer looks about standard on-road rather than seriously heavy duty. The weakness in this style (in general, I've never seen one of the ones advertised) is the rear tailgate hinge which carrys the weight of the kitchen over rough terrain and when set up. In general, you get what you pay for and I would not expect this to stand up to prolonged rough roads.

But Frazer isn't too rough. I've taken a Subaru Forester before. And if you can take a Forester, you could take an on-road trailer like this.

[DiscoTDI]

As long as you check the welds and treat it with respect you should not be punished too much by it, it is not designed as a heavy duty off roader but it should get you through most places, I personally would check the spring hanger welds and re pack the bearings if you do get it (that goes for all new trailers). I have had bearings burn out within 6 months of having a trailer due to the generous amount of grease put in the hub from new.
Plus if you do intend to use it off road I would look at getting an off road hitch.

[Bytemrk]

G'day Mat,

Personally I wouldn't touch an "off road" trailer I haven't taken a good look at myself in the flesh..

Maybe I'm being a fussy old bastard, but frankly whether your on ebay or not, at the cheaper end of the camper trailer market there is a disproportionate representation of 5h!te.

Because this crowd is in Victoria, it looks like it would be hard for you to check one out.... so its pretty much pot luck. Maybe if you call them, there may be an agent selling those trailers near you that you could look at.

A few years back now, I bought a similar style camper, spent a lot of time driving around looking at utter rubbish... but I simply couldn't afford the high end trailers.

We ended up buying a Tambo (http://www.tambocampers.com.au/Cooper.html), It didn't cost the earth, it's basic but solid enough to take a real pounding and works well for us. After 4-5 years, its been a hell of a lot of places and never let us down.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/749.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/750.jpg
What's on eBay may seem cheap, but I would want to take a close look at a real one before I committed to a purchase like that.

Just my thoughts.....

Mark

[V8Ian]

I would not be bidding on one without carefull scrutiny. The ad, in all of it's amateur glory, indicates Asian origins....high chance of-

Crap steel
Crap design (cheap copy)
Crap workmanship
No back up in three months

If the quality of the marketing is indicative of the product I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. I could be wrong; but it seems incredibley cheap. Check it out, or have it done for you before you commit. Bear in mind powder coating can mask some very ordinary welds; is it ADR compliant (no guarantee of quality)?

[DiscoTDI]

keep an eye on his feedback and make your mind up from others experience, we can all comment but if we dont have one or know someone who has one we are just speculating.

[Bytemrk]

keep an eye on his feedback and make your mind up from others experience, we can all comment but if we dont have one or know someone who has one we are just speculating.

In theory that works.... but notice ha has all the items in feedback as private...so you have no idea what the feedback is on.....might be footy cards for all you know..

I still think you really need to see one in reality before you can judge .. and even the crappiest trailer is not likely to break before the feed back gets filled in.;)

Cheers, Mark

[101RRS]

I could be wrong; but it seems incredibley cheap.


How do you know it is incredibly cheap? The auction still has almost 2 days to run - could turn out to be incredibly expensive if there is a bidding war.

[V8Ian]

How do you know it is incredibly cheap? The auction still has almost 2 days to run - could turn out to be incredibly expensive if there is a bidding war.

No reserve, no starting bid!!!They were prerared to let it go for $1.00. Shipping is dear too.

[DiscoTDI]

In theory that works.... but notice ha has all the items in feedback as private...so you have no idea what the feedback is on.....might be footy cards for all you know..

I still think you really need to see one in reality before you can judge .. and even the crappiest trailer is not likely to break before the feed back gets filled in.;)

Cheers, Mark

If you read them, alot of them say the trailer is good or its bent or the generator started first pull, general crap like that.

Mind you if you pick one up for 2500 - 3000 or less, I would be happy to do a bit of reinforcement myself. If your not touring Aus and just doing a bit of beach work could be well worth it

[V8Ian]

If you read them, alot of them say the trailer is good or its bent or the generator started first pull, general crap like that.

Mind you if you pick one up for 2500 - 3000 or less, I would be happy to do a bit of reinforcement myself. If your not touring Aus and just doing a bit of beach work could be well worth it

As long as you can get it home, also all warranty work has to be done in Vic

[V8Landy]

My brother just bought one of these. I was quite surprised with it, He did have to get some reinforcing done where the poles sit on the roof when erected. Trailer does'nt seem to bad (I'm no expert) but as has been said i would be reinforcing the spring hangers if going on a trip. If you are only doing light off road with it then i think they are fine but everybody to there own.:cool:

[werdan]

No reserve, no starting bid!!!They were prerared to let it go for $1.00. Shipping is dear too.

I don't think they are actually prepared to let it go for a $1 somehow.

At the time of this post there are 5 available in their ebay store. 2 have a price of $1525 and 2 have a price of $3050 while the last has a 'buy it now' price of $4999. For a random bid system, those bids seem remarkably structured, almost as though someone is chucking bids in on behalf of the seller? :)

[V8Ian]

IFor a random bid system, those bids seem remarkably structured, almost as though someone is chucking bids in on behalf of the seller? :)

Would you want to do business with people demonstrating these kind of ethics?

[werdan]

Would you want to do business with people demonstrating these kind of ethics?

Not really but at least it answers the question "Is this too good to be true?"

[Armadillo]

Looked through the feedback - remarkable the number of damaged trailers....mmmm.

[fernockulated]

Gday all,I have been watching these trailers myself over the last month or so,most seem to go somewhere between 3500 and 5000,the bidding does seem a little strange,have "played" at the bidding down the bottom end and have always been outbid straight up,so methinks there is a reserve set in there,albeit hidden.
There is another mob in trailers on ebay that is based in Qld,they have similar advt, with a trailer tent combo called the barracks,massive tent that can be set up in different configs dependant on what is required,"looks" good,but would love to get up to brisvegas and check one out in the flesh,and at $1000 for frieght that certainly doesnt make the vic one cheep to get up here :(
cheers and good luck with your search
Ferno

[fernockulated]

Hmmm cant find their Barracks one but here are their smaller ones
NEW 4X4 OFF ROAD 4WD CAMPER TRAILER WITH 18'x15' TENT - eBay, Trailers, Trailers, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 14-Feb-09 14:00:00 AEDST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-4X4-OFF-ROAD-4WD-CAMPER-TRAILER-WITH-18x15-TENT_W0QQitemZ220359872101QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Tr ailers?hash=item220359872101&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1308)

[DiscoTDI]

Would you want to do business with people demonstrating these kind of ethics?


Oh come on, how many people have bumped up a price for a mate on EBAY, and have you bought anything new lately, has anyone purchased a vehicle from a car yard, electrical goods from a "Superstore". There ads say they are so friendly and happy and that they are just about losing money just so that you can have there precious items. Give me strength every one does business with people demonstrating these kind of ethics. Hey if we think like that you may as well stop driving so you don't deal with the fuel companies because we all know how much money they are losing. And while I am at it which bank are you with, you really think they have your best interest at heart.

[incisor]

a similar unit from the main stream guys costs how much?

whats a good quality one really weigh?

whats this one really weigh?

how much weight do you want to be towing?

are you going to drive it over hundreds of miles of corrugations or just bumpy roads?

if the later than most light duty off road trailers with springs between shackles will serve you just fine.

my main piece of advice is dont buy one that is bigger then what you really need ... bigger aint better

and this picture says heaps
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/718.jpg

[DiscoStew]

and this picture says heaps
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/718.jpg

Okay I'll play along :)

The first thing it says to me is lack of welding on hitch receiver and jockey wheel bracket. The latter is not actually bolted to the chassis which will make it prone to movement especially if trying to manhandle it around on rough ground.


General comments:
They claim the RRP is $12500. This is hard to believe unless it is a hard core off-roader and 5 leaf suspension indicates it is not )amonmgst other things). It would need to be 7 leaf rebound springs.

I agree with the comments about seeing one in person. And also with Incisors notes that suggest that you could probably get one of comparable quality from a mainstream dealer in Brisbane for about the same price.

Note they do not offer the cost of freight for warranty work, you would have to return it to them at your own cost. I have taken mine back for two minor issues. I wouldn't want to pay $1000 freight each way to get warranty work done.

I'm not saying it is a bad trailer, I am just suggesting it doesn't look like the best way to get hold of one.






The weakness in this style (in general, I've never seen one of the ones advertised) is the rear tailgate hinge which carrys the weight of the kitchen over rough terrain and when set up.

Our trailer has the kitchen resting on the trailer floor when shut so that the hinges do not take the weight. This is why I have to lift it slightly to close it.

[fernockulated]

and this picture says heaps
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/718.jpg

Hmmmm,let me see,coupling only lite wieght,only three bolts holding it on,jockey wheel brackets(?) hell i've seen training wheels on push bikes with thicker metal,as for the safety chains,my labrador has a thicker chain on his run!!!!!!!!

[THE BOOGER]

Welding the hitch can be a problem but its only a 3 bolt hitch ment for your average 750kg trailer needs to be 4 bolt heavy duty.:D
Anybody in melbourne close to these guys that could get a look at them maybe some pikies might help JEDIMASTERMAT make his decision.
In their feed back they mention that "most" trailers are Australian made.:o

[fernockulated]

Welding the hitch can be a problem but its only a 3 bolt hitch ment for your average 750kg trailer needs to be 4 bolt heavy duty.:D


If you look closely at the hitch ,it has a 2000 kg rating and also along the bottom edge is stamped "do not weld"

Doesnt look like it is that strong ,made out of cast "monkey metal"and the retaining clip is also liteweight thin strapping

can we pick any more things wrong with this setup??

[THE BOOGER]

Would anybody here put that hitch on anything heavier than 750kg:(.I ment welding any hitch on is a problem as you have a pain changing it later.:D

[ashman]

Hi
I have a mate at work who has a heavy duty camp trailer made of aloy made by his brother who makes them for a living in Brisbane, has heavy duty surspension, 2 water tanks, swing out tailgate, slide out kitchen, heavy duty canvis, land cruiser wheels, fride box on front it was made to go to the cape,

Ashley

[V8Landy]

Welding the hitch can be a problem but its only a 3 bolt hitch ment for your average 750kg trailer needs to be 4 bolt heavy duty.:D
Anybody in melbourne close to these guys that could get a look at them maybe some pikies might help JEDIMASTERMAT make his decision.
In their feed back they mention that "most" trailers are Australian made.:o

They are australian made when my brother picked his up there was a heap of aussie's bolting them together. :p:p:p
If i get time i will go and take some photos of his and post them.;)

[4x4x2]

Looks very light ,id wreck it on my farm

[THE BOOGER]

Since INC is in Qland his pic is probably not of these guys trailers just showing a point:D

[fernockulated]

tis not hard to copy pics from ad on fleabay

[fernockulated]

Since INC is in Qland his pic is probably not of these guys trailers just showing a point:D
and his point is the hitching point
:):):):):):)

[THE BOOGER]

The internet doh, you might be right:D The ones in Qland state in thier ad that the trailers are made in aust so should meet Aust ADR ?

[THE BOOGER]

Hey Mat since you are in sydney why dont you look at Holiday Trailers at yennora. I got them to build my offroad trailer seven leif srings 4 jerry can holders spare wheel and holder under 2000 they also sell trailer tents but i havnt looked at them tho.:)

[V8Landy]

Took some pics hope they help
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/698.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/699.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/700.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/701.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/702.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/681.jpg

[DiscoStew]

...also along the bottom edge is stamped "do not weld"


Good call :D but I am curious to opinions on whether the hitch should be welded, which would mean using one that was weldable. I asked my trailer manfucaturer if it was possible to have a setup where I could easily change hitches (eg using bolts) and they would not do it. Insisted on welding as there is not enough room for four bolts.

[Bytemrk]

I think this picture alone sums it up as an off roader...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/681.jpg

At the least I'd want to see the drawbars back to the front spring hangers. At least they aren't slipper springs, which is what I suspected. :angel:

As a comparison, my Tambo uses a similar design, but heavier springs, heavier axle and the front spring hangers are welded to the ends of the draw bar. Pardon the crap photos.. but this has seen many many k's of rough offroad tracks without any issues at all.


I agree you could strengthen what is there... but personally I'd rather buy something designed to do the job and not have it let me down miles from nowhere:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/689.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/690.jpg

Might be ok on the black stuff... but I'd treat the "Off Road" description with extreme care.

Mark

[Jedimastermat]

Gday all.
Thanks soo much for the discussion this one developed. I learned heaps. Im not the sharpest tool in the automotive mechanincal shed. :angel:

My tight as a fishes #### approach to money thought you get what you pay for before I posted and the commentary seems to substanciate that. I was tempted as we are getting back into camping and the like (got spoilt with too many hotel holidays) and I was of the view oh well if YL1 and YL2 hate it i only lost 5K or so

Im looking to do the tracks in SA/NSW/QLD/NT borders and the like so this obviously will fall apart without some serious reinforcing and a suspension overhaul. I just dont have the skills to go anywhere near that kind of stuff

I cant justify the 30K versions as that 150% of the D2 :p
Ill keep looking for something with better suspension and a stronger hitch. There are some good leads here to investigate

Many thanks again to you all
Mat

[cwiley]

I've been keeping an eye of a few of these. They always end up going for between $4500 and $4900 regardless of the $1 "minimum". A lot of fake bidding going on I think.

[Utemad]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2009/02/681.jpg



What were they smoking when they made the spring hangars? :o

[V8Landy]

I looked into the Tambo's a few yrs ago and if i had bought a camper thats the one i would have bought. I ended up with a caravan:confused:

[CraigE]

Look it all really depends on what you can afford and want.
We have a Cavalier off road deluxe but they are up around $12k now.
My BIL & SIL have one similar to the unit shown. They are not bad for the price and set up quite nice. They are not going to last a lifetime but for the lower price you would expect this. They are a bolt together unit. Some work may be required in strengthening etc but hey it will get you out there camping etc.
Your other option is to build your own trailer and buy a camper trailer top. That way you can build the trailer you want.

[LandyAndy]

Have a look at secondhand ones in WA at the moment,The Quokka is the go.
In the last month the number advertised has gone from a coloum or 2 to a full page.Many are advertised as used 2 or 3 times!!!!
With the tough economic times people are unloading their toys.Boats also are quite popular for sale items at the moment!!!
Andrew

[wardy1]

We bought a 2nd hand O'briens off roader about 18 months ago. The one we bought had done quite a bit of work (Simpson, Kimberley etc) but was fine. We broke a rear spring hanger on Butcher Country which led me to have a mate redo the hangers on both sides. It was strong before.... even stronger now. We paid under $7k and that includes a slide out kitchen, 3 way fridge and a queen size bed. I'll send some pics if you want them.
I know you said you wouldn't be dong any "Serious Offroad", I guess it's a judgement call but what abut the time you end up having to take a different track out because of floods, fire etc..... I like to know that mine will make it anyway.
Just my 2 bobs worth.

[Remy]

The tents are big - poles are light weight. Be prepared to bend a few and spend a large amount of time putting this unit up 30-60min with 2 people. Hard to get the canvas straight on these big tents so as soon as it rains you get pooling in the canvas and it leaks. If the annex is attached then you need to set that up every time which will take you closer to the hour. The trailer looks OK for the work you describe but probably worth spending a bit getting it reinforced for piece of mind. Most of the time the trailers are OK Aussie made but the tents are cheap from China and once poles, and stitching starts to break they are more hassle than they are worth. My experience with camper trailer tents is that bigger isn't better! I would get a smaller unit if i had my chance again and buy a separate tent style room for the extra space you need.

All that said once set up and if staying for a couple of weeks in the same place these units are OK. Buy a big tarp and poles to cover the lot and most
of the problems go away except for the setup time which has annoyed me.

Cheers,
Remy

[scrambler]

Gday all.
Thanks soo much for the discussion this one developed. I learned heaps. Im not the sharpest tool in the automotive mechanincal shed. :angel:

My tight as a fishes #### approach to money thought you get what you pay for before I posted and the commentary seems to substanciate that. I was tempted as we are getting back into camping and the like (got spoilt with too many hotel holidays) and I was of the view oh well if YL1 and YL2 hate it i only lost 5K or so

Im looking to do the tracks in SA/NSW/QLD/NT borders and the like so this obviously will fall apart without some serious reinforcing and a suspension overhaul. I just dont have the skills to go anywhere near that kind of stuff

I cant justify the 30K versions as that 150% of the D2 :p
Ill keep looking for something with better suspension and a stronger hitch. There are some good leads here to investigate

Many thanks again to you all
Mat
The comments made about setting up (and packing up) time are worth expanding on. A Camper Trailer is a tent attached to your trailer with a bed on top of the trailer - that is, it's a convenient way to transport a tent.

Your cheapest option, by a large margin, is to buy a trailer to the specification you want, anything from a cheap 6x4 box (disposable) to an ex-army trailer (unbreakable). 2nd hand you should pay less than $1500 for a decent off-road capable box trailer. From previous experience there are advantages to having raised ladder racks - you can use it as one corner of a camping setup. You then have a trailer for a multitude of uses.

Then buy the tent, camp mattress etc of your choice. Get a large tarp to go over the whole site (most people do this anyway as packing wet canvas is unpleasant). If total setup time of 60 min is no real bother to you, you can even use a standard bed. I have a cut-down Ikea double bed I use in a tent. Throw a plastic outdoor table top on the trailer and use for the kitchen bench while camping.

The total cost of this sort of setup is quite a bit less than a camper, setup time equivalent and function about the same.

If you want faster setup and pulldown, go for an older bed-out-the-end camper (sometimes called a poptop or campervan). We've recently gone this way and were lucky enough to get a Chesney Kampa which someone had already put a massive box chassis under. For $5000 you could easily get a decent example of a chesney and have an off-road chassis built to go under it. The extra speed is in windup operation and having your kitchen, chairs etc already setup.

[cewilson]

Gday all.
Thanks soo much for the discussion this one developed. I learned heaps. Im not the sharpest tool in the automotive mechanincal shed. :angel:

My tight as a fishes #### approach to money thought you get what you pay for before I posted and the commentary seems to substanciate that. I was tempted as we are getting back into camping and the like (got spoilt with too many hotel holidays) and I was of the view oh well if YL1 and YL2 hate it i only lost 5K or so

Im looking to do the tracks in SA/NSW/QLD/NT borders and the like so this obviously will fall apart without some serious reinforcing and a suspension overhaul. I just dont have the skills to go anywhere near that kind of stuff

I cant justify the 30K versions as that 150% of the D2 :p
Ill keep looking for something with better suspension and a stronger hitch. There are some good leads here to investigate

Many thanks again to you all
Mat

Have a look at the range that Trackabout have - even their base model is designed good enough to take up some pretty good tracks, and the Safari I'd tow pretty much anywhere.

Prices are a lot better than you think too - see: http://www.trackabout.com.au (http://www.trackabout.com.au/)


Cheers
Chris

[THE BOOGER]

Hey Matt have you had a chance to look around yet:)