Thread: Jayco style pop up campers

Andy has this thread done ya head in yet , maybe just an ausie 30 second tent and a 12v fridge is the answer Lol . I had a 2010 Jayco Hawk Outback , You get what you pay for and to my mind Jayco are good value 4 money , i put a air vent in to get positive pressure inside when towing on dirt etc , bit of dust sometimes but hey your camping , the only reason i sold it was as it was an outback the whole thing was to high 4 pulling out bed ends with a bad back sold on and downgraded to a second hand 2009 Jayco Flite for $10k , which is nice and low to operate and light as , great to tow as dont need sticky out mirrors to blow off any more and a big double bed at each end, and seating for 4 with gass electric, fridge, kitchen etc inside out of weather . It only has slipper spring suspension but hasn't stopped me from going where i want too go , Cape Sandy north of Jurian which is as bad a road as you can get at times is and example , take it easy and no problems . I can set up & fold up and get on the road as quick as anything else and is a simple and an easy camper trailer to , tow , service , store , and clean ,. Now a Happy Camper .

Originally Posted by ytt105

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Also, can anyone please explain WHY you would want mud tyres on a van.

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LOL! makes me laugh too.

.. but! ...

Originally Posted by TheTree

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As far as mud tyres go you are right that a Trailer has no traction. I think (at least for the off road versions) it's about having strong sidewalls with good penetration resistance.

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The only reasoning I can think of is:
in the event of an emergency, you could use that trailer tyre on the tow vehicle to get you to somewhere other than the rig may have got stuck.
That is, if worse came to worse and you had no other option than to leave the van behind a mud type tyre could get you out of muddy conditions a little easier.
Other than that there is no reason to do so .. other than the typical 'urban look'.
On a technical side a closed tread, high strength sidewalled tyre is still going to be stronger and more resistant to any damage.
So unless you're driving at 250k/h all the time(as some seem to think is neccessary! ) then a nice 8 or even 16 ply truck tyre would be the best option if strength is a priority.

For many years that I used to do the Oodnadatta track when I could, it always amazed me that all the tyres dumped on the side of the road were predominantly muddies and the rest were those pokey little 10 or 12 inch jobbies used on some campers(and boat trailers!)
Of course now it's not as much of a problem as it once was, as they're extending the bitumen further and further every time I go out there.

Way back at the start of this thread I posted about hydrid pop-top caravans and it's been a long and winding road of options in here since then.

We had been thinking about upgrading from the forward-fold camper trailer that has served us well for about 2 years now on long trips and short getaways.
But we've been looking for something with an easier setup for single night stays and more comfort when wet and/or cold than a canvas tent.
We don't tend to use it for extended stays in a single location where the full size canvas room would really come into its own.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we committed to buying one of these:

Scorpion Hybrid - Rhinomax

Photo from CampMountainCampers Off-road caravan hire

We researched a fair bit, both online & climbing through a number of different makes and products and believe that this one represents the best value for what we want:
- 2 people
- reasonably light (1,320 tare & 90 ball with water in the tank)
- ease of setup/take-down including the awning (no ropes)
- comfort level
- not too big (wide or high) & descent clearance
- suitable for 6 month or longer trip (planned for sometime in the next few years)

We think it compares well with the likes of AOR/Lifestyle/VistaRV/Ultimate/Echo/KK/CompleteCampsite

- AOR, KK and Complete are significantly more expensive and in most cases heavier.
- Ultimate is a bit cheaper but is still majority canvas and has more setup (including making the bed)
- Lifestyle is cheaper and good value for money too but you also get a bit less
- Echo has quite a lot of canvas and a pole/rope type awning

Only downside is the waiting time, we are anticipating May/June delivery. This is ok for us, allows time to sell the camper trailer. Plus we won't be doing the really big trip for a couple of years.
They're also not very big on making changes/modifications. The fibreglass laminate panel construction means that panel cuts and penetrations are all pre-planned for each model. Changes can be done but are expensive and not really preferred from a production-line perspective. This is ok for us because it is already well thought out for our intended use.

Cheers,
Scott

Thanks. We've read up on the Rhinomax. One thing we liked was the outdoor shower which is inside a foldout section and just drops down. Much better than others.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

One thing we liked was the outdoor shower which is inside a foldout section and just drops down

Agreed Mick, it's one of the things that sold us after seeing it in real life. Very easy to use.
The amount of storage is very good for such a small unit. The lift-up bed concept is excellent too .... full size queen plus inside seating.

Scott

We have ordered the Patriot Camper X1 LE.
Its actually a shared purchase between 3 -4 families.
One still seeking approval from the minister for finance in the family.
That way it will get used often and not sit in the shed 11 mths of the year, and shares the capable cost outlay, $40K.
So the families can use as is, and When the boys go outback we can remove roof top tent and put on a rack for carrying swags. Luxury!
Delivery April 2017.

Originally Posted by LRD414

Agreed Mick, it's one of the things that sold us after seeing it in real life. Very easy to use.
The amount of storage is very good for such a small unit. The lift-up bed concept is excellent too .... full size queen plus inside seating.

Scott

We saw the pictures of the lift up bed and wondered how that would work in practice. Does it lift right out of the way or is it a bit of an obstacle? It's hard to tell from pictures. Does it seem to work OK in real life?
We're renovating to prepare for future retirement right now so it will be 1-2 years before we decide to either stick with the existing basic but functional camper or buy something fancier. Its good to take the time to look around.

Originally Posted by AK83

LOL! makes me laugh too.

.. but! ...



The only reasoning I can think of is:
in the event of an emergency, you could use that trailer tyre on the tow vehicle to get you to somewhere other than the rig may have got stuck.
That is, if worse came to worse and you had no other option than to leave the van behind a mud type tyre could get you out of muddy conditions a little easier.
Other than that there is no reason to do so .. other than the typical 'urban look'.
On a technical side a closed tread, high strength sidewalled tyre is still going to be stronger and more resistant to any damage.
So unless you're driving at 250k/h all the time(as some seem to think is neccessary! ) then a nice 8 or even 16 ply truck tyre would be the best option if strength is a priority.

For many years that I used to do the Oodnadatta track when I could, it always amazed me that all the tyres dumped on the side of the road were predominantly muddies and the rest were those pokey little 10 or 12 inch jobbies used on some campers(and boat trailers!)
Of course now it's not as much of a problem as it once was, as they're extending the bitumen further and further every time I go out there.

That's OK if the tyres are the right rating to fit both, but Lifestyle Campers won't fit Defender wheels/tyres to their campers because the two wheels/tyres on their campers need a higher rating that the Defender units. In other words, the Lifestyle wheels/tyres have to have a higher rating than Defender units to share the weight of the Lifestyle campers on just 2 wheels. They prefer to fit two spare weels/tyres. Interesting.