new camper

[misdimar]

Hi , We are new. I was wondering if anybody knows anything about GIC CAMPERTRAILERS. We would appreciate the feed back. Good or Bad. We are thinking about buying the HARD FLOOR EMPEROR. Cheers.

[phil_oz_au]

Hi,
GIC campers are very cost effective and have lots of features .. however ....
... you have to know what type of camping you currently do and what type of camping you plan to do in the future.

If you are camping a couple of times a year especially over the Christmas holidays then GIC CT will probably be great value.

On the other hand if you already camp (tent) in all sorts of weather and are now thinking of a CT then
(1) you know some of the limitations of ripstop nylon. Unfortunately quality canvas comes at a price, but in my opinion, it is worth the peace of mind in blizzards, gales or storms (even the ranger came around to check if we knew what was ahead of us!) On all occasions the canvas CT was never a worry.
(2) If you prefer to cook using a bench while standing rather than crouched on a chair over a gas ring or butane cooker then, again, a CT is the way to go.

Am I biased? Yes. As I've gotten older, I've also gotten wiser and I suspect you're following the same path - tent --> CT ---> ???

I also have a CT for sale.
A highly modified 2010 Camel Beachcomber with rego.

If your interested please message me.
Cheers, and best of luck in deciding WHICH camper trailer!
Phil

[misdimar]

Thanks for the feed back. Much appreciate. Cheers Misdmar.

[TinkCT]

GIC and many other imported campers are built to a price. The old saying "you get what you pay for" applies to campers as well Having said that, I know a lot of folks who are more than happy with their imported CTs. Just make sure you have a good look at the finish of whatever CT you are considering. If you are not venturing too far off the beaten track, if you are only using the CT once or twice a year, an imported CT may be just right for you. A good, second hand locally made CT may just be better value in the long run though good luck with your search.

[FAB68]

i have an imported CT and have taken it to Fraser Island no problems i always use a siler tarp for the roof and would even if it was OZ canvas. Saying that i have made a numerous modification tool box,kitchen and full pull out box but I loved doing it and it was cheap. I am happy with my soft floor for now but will get a front fold once my boy wants his own tent which might be 2 years or 5
Mike

[WomblingFree]

Presumably you have done the rounds of the 4x4 camping shows and looked at the alternatives.
As mentioned above, they are built to a price and there's an awful lot of them for sale second hand...

[T Mac]

I am a CT newbie, I bought my first camper just recently of which i bought a MDC camper, I did a bit of research and know that chinese stuff is chinese stuff but as my first camper i thought just test the waters with a cost effective camper where i got mer bang for my buck, I highly expect to have to be changing out stuff along the way such as hinges, bearings seals etc, but I found the camper overall to be very good quality so far, The basic frame and bodywork i cant fauly, I drowned the thing in my front yard when i got it home and was very critical of the results and was amazed to find no leaks on any of the seals... YET... I also set the tent up to cure the canvas... they say wet it and let it dry 3 times before you use it the first time and even though it was its first few times i found no leaks after spraying with a hose for about 20 min each time, even wetting in directions that i wouldnt expect rain to come in. I know it is brand new and you would expect it to be like that... I totally expect you get what you pay for, i basically wanted to test the waters and am happy so far, as long as you go into an imported CT expecting it to have some dramas at some stage you will be ok, I am not expecting catastrophic failure but i do expect some small troubles along the way!!!

[FAB68]

our friends have MDC and it didn't leak and we were in a storm for 4-5 hours so heavey rain. I like the silver tarp for 2 reasons it darker for longer in the morings and it keeps tree and animal dropings of my canvas.
Mike