Thread: Basic vs fancy camper trailers

I miss those days camping with the nippers! A basic 6 x 4 carrying a weatherproof warm tent (for southern climes!) plus sundry basic camping gear, is an excellent start for taking young'ns camping, especially if it's a true camping experience and not a long drive punctuated by a series of overnight stops. start basic and then become more 'sophisticated' as your little 'mob' become more adept... I'd say 'go for it' and give them the 'now' experience and trade up in due course. I was a bushwalker prior and when family camping trips began to occur, SWMBO was still feeding the bub...so essentially the gear was 3 backpacks plus a tent, fly, and a single camp stretcher (luxury!). 50 yrs later whilst we're probably more 'darby and joan' as the song goes, we're still part Jack and Jill and on the odd camping trip when we're not in lock down, I'm staggered as to why some people bother to camp they have so much "stuff"!! simplicity is the secret! enough of my ramblings...enjoy!!

We are experienced campers with many nights in tents since each of the kids were born, including hiking trips. Our aim is to get a camper trailer that we keep for good, I'd rather not get one with the intention of swapping to another one. The cost of a fancy one isn't necessarily a barrier. We'd spend the money if we felt it was worth it.

What I'm trying to nut out is whether it's worth spending more for a camper with a lot more features. Something more complicated and heavier vs something basic and light. We've been fine with a bare minimum in the past, but we can spend the money if we need to, and we'll be on the road for 6 months or so. I'm just not sure what to do

Originally Posted by Poida4x4

We are experienced campers with many nights in tents since each of the kids were born, including hiking trips. Our aim is to get a camper trailer that we keep for good, I'd rather not get one with the intention of swapping to another one. The cost of a fancy one isn't necessarily a barrier. We'd spend the money if we felt it was worth it.

What I'm trying to nut out is whether it's worth spending more for a camper with a lot more features. Something more complicated and heavier vs something basic and light. We've been fine with a bare minimum in the past, but we can spend the money if we need to, and we'll be on the road for 6 months or so. I'm just not sure what to do

Buy one buy right.
Make sure you have a good payload for those inevitable extras that arise as the kids grow.

I would keep it as simple as possible, I see lots of overweight and over priced campers on the market with varying degrees of complexity.
My main consideration is ease of setup and pack down.

It probably depends a bit on your planned locations and time of year.

eg wife and I did a 12 month trip, mostly centre and top end in dry season.

oztent only so no need to tow anything, which meant we could get into remote places eg Cape Arnhem, and many campsites where you could not have easily set up a trailer.

Now we have 1 child and next big trip we plan to take 2 kayaks, 3 bikes abd a rooftop tent.

So current plan is to keep the D2 with fourby fitout drawer shelf system containing fridge kitchen etc stuff and take a Trailmaster pod trailer fitted with iKamper RTT on high rack and lower rack 1 kayak. D2 will carry other kayak, oztent and bikes.


This way we can camp as usual without the trailer, or take it with us for more toys and luxuries.

My rules: 1) Don’t tow anything - only if there’s no alternative.
2) Less gear = more time walking, kayaking and relaxing and less time spent managing gear.
3) You’re camping, so leave it at home if it doesn’t keep you fed or sheltered, or get you into more out of the way places (like kayaks do).

It’s easy to get sucked in the latest and greatest……and I check em all out each caravan show. Certainly 5 star accommodation.

But……..I could never justify a big investment sitting in the drive when we only had 4 weeks per year of holidays with 3 kids at home.

We survived (family of five) with a similar trailer you first described amd than a home built camper trailer using a 130 tub and RTT. Main reason for the trailer blind was to carry five adult size mountain bikes.

Upcoming 2 year trip, no kids, not towing

Originally Posted by W&KO

It’s easy to get sucked in the latest and greatest……and I check em all out each caravan show. Certainly 5 star accommodation.

But……..I could never justify a big investment sitting in the drive when we only had 4 weeks per year of holidays with 3 kids at home.

We survived (family of five) with a similar trailer you first described amd than a home built camper trailer using a 130 tub and RTT. Main reason for the trailer blind was to carry five adult size mountain bikes.

Upcoming 2 year trip, no kids, not towing

I was looking at a Jayco camper a couple of years ago and the salesman actually suggested the smallest and cheapest one that technically had fewer beds than we needed. His take on it was that my then soon to be teenager kids would probably prefer sleeping outside in swags and that if the weather was foul they could sleep on the floor in the camper.

And Jaycos hold their value, so net expense probably wouldn't've been much.

Edit: we're bushwalkers who bought a car camping sized tent once we had kids, so for us the point of a camper would really just be having the kitchen set up.

Edit: the one frippery I would spend money on is aircon, having spent a sweltering night in a cabin in a caravan park without it.

IMHO the one thing most important is the tare weight.
Many of the Chinese camper trailers weigh much more than my 505 Coromal offroad caravan.
You are not going to go anywhere in sand or mud towing 2 tonnes , take it from me.
There are just a few older camper trailers which are light enough to be offroad, such as the Campomatic, the garbage compactor(Tvan) or the Ultimate. Or maybe Kimberley.

I favour a hard floor like the Camp'o'matic I just sold as it is no fun on the ground in a rainstorm, and I have seen it several times.( although I guess you could go to bed)

At least with a hard floor you can wait it out 6 inches above the ground.

Downside of a hard floor is relative lack of space and relatively less storage.

Also The bigger the awning the longer to erect and dismantle. The older Camp'o'matic could flip the awning over the trailer and have it up in about 3 minutes with only 3 poles. Poles are the enemy!
Regards PhilipA