Buying a camper trailer - research resources

[rsser]

Given the pain that some SS customers are undergoing, below are links to some sites that you can use to research other folks' experience of partic models and dealers.

I went through this process in Jan and bought a 2nd hand unit. It was a 2 year old ex-rental in excellent nick and for a substantial discount on new.

There are two key decisions that have to be made: what design will suit best, and what's the quality and customer service behind a particular make?

These are not that easy to answer since there are many makers and designs. CTs, along with vans and motorhomes, have boomed over the last decade and in the case of CTs there are many small operators.

A quality CT isn't cheap. The chassis and canvas work have to be strong enough to put up with the pounding they get on Australian dirt roads, and stronger still for 4x4 tracks.

There are an increasing number of Chinese-made items coming onto the market; both tents to mount on an existing trailer and also trailer components that are assembled here. Many buyers have found them satisfactory but again, the design and making have to be matched carefully with the intended use. I saw one so-called off-road unit being repaired at Arkaroola recently; it just had a standard tow-ball hitch fitted to a flat plate that extended to the RHS tow bar. Much of the weld at that join had failed. Not surprising.

Websites:
welcome to campertrailers.org website home to Australian off road camper trailers since 2001 (http://www.campertrailers.org/) (has a useful piece on buying 2nd hand; see also the associated Yahoo group and website files)
MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum - Index (http://myswag.org/forum/index.php)
Forum @ ExplorOz (http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/Default.aspx)
Australian RV Network - RV Manufacturers (http://www.rv.com.au/frames/buildframeset.html)

Magazine:
Campertrailer Australia

Book:
The Camper trailer Book (http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/books/camper_trailer.htm) by Collyn Rivers

Shows and meetings:
There are annual leisure/rec vehicle shows in the capitals.
Campertrailers.org has an annual national get together and also smaller state-based events
I mention these as there's no substitute for inspecting a model you're interested in, to see whether the design will suit, how long it takes to set up and what the build quality is like. CT camps can be attended even if you don't yet have one, just to see what folk like or dislike about their model and what mods they've made.

Because of the boom in demand, an order with one of the bigger manufacturers can take up to 6 months to fulfill.

Another tip I'd give is to rent the model you're interested in if you can. It's one thing to see a salesperson whip it up in a showroom, another thing to do it yourself and learn how liveable it is. Bit like a dog you like the look of in an animal rescue place. May look cute but will it crap on the carpet when you get it home? ;-}

Good hunting!

[Grumpy John]

A bit too articulate for some I think, Ern :fisch:.

[Ozkaban]

Interesting post. Thanks for the effort you went to, Ern.

My sister bought one from Kangaroo Tent City in Sydney and it's pretty neat - didn't have much hassle in the purchase, though I don't imagine it was the cheapest place on the planet. Good quality too.

Cheers,
Dave

[glock40sw]

Great stuff RSSER.

thanks for the links.

[rsser]

Pleasure.

Anyone interested in building their own, or in setting up a CT with 12v inc solar, would find Rivers' book of benefit.

Charging aux batteries from the vehicle and working out solar panel needs has to be one of the most contested topics on forums!

[kman-oz]

Book marked!

My favourite holiday ever was in a borrowed CT. It was one of those serious 4x4 style units with the swivel mount and track tyres, absolutely no frills, but indestructable. I will refer to this page again when the time comes to purchase.

Thanks Ern.

[rsser]

Glad to be of assistance Kman.

Yeah, we recently did 6 weeks in the Centre and Flinders ranges.

The CT performed admirably - though not the aftermarket 12v power setup. More here if interested: http://www.woodworkforums.com/f119/pilgrims-progress-104386/

Our unit was classified as 'light off road', and given the tow vehicle was a Forester, that's all we needed.

Nevertheless we could access some great bush camps and live in relative luxury.

The unit towed like a dream. We did over 1,000 km on dirt roads, some of which had industrial-grade corrugations. Everything packed in the CT was in the same place at the end of the day as at the beginning.

My partner had never done anything like this and was apprehensive at the beginning. At the end she was grateful that I 'd introduced her to this way of seeing the country.

PS, the question of what's 'relative luxury' is an important one, and a reason for hiring before you buy if you can.

Generally, there's a positive correlation between comfort/quick setup and cost.

We went for a solid but basic unit. Setup on the big trip typically took around an hour and a half. As we get better at it, it's getting closer to an hour. That's no issue cos we prefer to lob somewhere and stay for a few days.

As for liveability, we decided we wanted a smallish fridge for cold drinks and some fresh vegies and the makings for our own lunch. With a couple of compact fluoros and the odd laptop connection, that meant a power supply that would cope for 5-6 days. We wanted a comfy QS bed and a cooking setup that would allow two pots on the boil at any one time. Decent undercover space also mattered as we're used to having our own spaces at home.

The Foz has a max tow ball weight of 140 kg and tow weight of, hmm, what is it, about 1300 kg IIRC. That meant taking the base weight of prospective campers, adding around 300 kg for gear and water, and 100 kg for the power supply and electric brake additions etc. All up around 900 kg. When towing I was glad we'd kept the weight down, cos it made it easier to drive and kept the fuel costs down.

[kman-oz]

What you're talking about sounds a little more luxurious than ours :) Setup time was around 20 minutes, including parking, table and chairs and inflating the mattress. A single burner butane stove and an esky with ice was about the limit of our mod cons. But we're young, and at the time we had no children to worry about either. My travel usually consisted of a pack, brimming with everything I needed for 10 days, so the camper felt very comfortable.

The fact that we could park it right on a river bank and literally walk five steps from shaded comfort into the water was awesome. Fantastic way to travel. We took it down some pretty horrid tracks and found some of the most beautiful places without even leaving Victoria.

The CT we borrowed had a big chain hook on the back and a big pneumatic jockey wheel (might have been a 10" rim), both of which seems odd the first time I saw them. I soon realised the value of them both when I got it bogged. :- We'd have been in real trouble without the winch.

You simply never forget a holiday like that.

[rsser]

Sounds great Kman.

Yeah, the most time-consuming part of our setup is the big awning.

But for an overnighter that can be left draped over the tent. Shortens setup time considerably.

There are quicker technologies out there for awnings. Ours has a side wall and lots of poles and pegs. But we've been grateful for the solid setup in high winds; the CT has rocked but not moved.