Camper trailer buying advice

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Julian Furnell
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:04 pm

Camper trailer buying advice

Post by Julian Furnell » Sat Mar 23, 2019 3:12 pm

Hi everyone..
I’m new to camper trailers as have been a tent camper for years ..
Keen on the hard floor campers for ease and speed of set up ... Fwd vs rear fold ..?
our camping will be a little off road ( beach camping in WA is a plan, and some mild bush camping)
But the variety and price variations are doing my head in ....
Fully Aussie made vs Aussie assembled .... is the huge price difference worth it ...? Was planning on not exceeding $20k
Canvas ..? Aussie vs the close weave imported ... is there a real difference in their ability to keep us dry in a downpour .. also the imported units all seem to have a tropical fly which to me makes sense as an extra barrier to rain and for ventilation and coolness ...
Plus a lot of the assembled units come with everything which the fully aussie mades have as optional extras..
I’ve been looking at Mars, Ezytrail, Cub, Bluewater, Stoney Creek and a few others ..
Like the features and all included aspect of Mars and Ezytrail, like the Cub campers, but not their price ...
Soooo, as you can see, I’m at a bit of a loss as to which way to go.
Any help, guidance or sharing of experience would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in anticipation
Cheers
Julian

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robcaz
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Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:07 pm
Location: Stockton NSW
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Re: Camper trailer buying advice

Post by robcaz » Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:41 am

Hi Julian,

Welcome to the Australian CamperTrailers Forum. If you are beach camping & towing on the sand, the lighter the camper trailer the better.

Unlike a camper trailer that is based on a box trailer that has the majority of its load in the trailer, both forward & rear fold camper trailers have storage boxes mounted on the A-frame & can have a heavy ball weight if attention is not given to how the camper trailer is packed, particularly so with the forward fold style of camper that has two rear spares wheels & a large rear water tank to balance the front storage box.

The 10% to 15% rule of thumb ball weight of a fully loader trailer gives a safety net and some room for error, particularly when it comes to a camper trailer with weight shifting quantities. These weights can vary greatly, either forward or to the rear of the axle, as jerry cans of fuel and water are used, the water tank is emptied, firewood unloaded or food is consumed.

The ball weight stated in the camper trailer manufacturers website is that of the Tare or unloaded weight. More about weight & loading http://www.campertrailers.org/balancing_act.htm

Cheap camper trailers are cheap for a reason. You need to look for quality & reliability as well as after sales service & product back up. A quick Google will soon sort out the brands you need to avoid, however keep in mind more will complain about a product that is faulty than praise one that outshines the competitors. You will also find quality preloved all Australian made camper trailers on the for sale pages which will save you a fair bit from buying new.

Information to where the camper trailer has been manufactured can be a little confusing on some manufacturers websites with the way they are worded. Some manufactures import all the parts & assemble here, while others import the whole camper trailer as a unit.

There seems to be a bit of hit & miss with the cheaper imported ripstop canvas when it comes to waterproof quality, zip quality & mildew resistance as opposed to Australian made canvas. A tropical roof is designed to allow a breezeway between over the roof to keep the internal tent cooler.

You will find some great articles to help you through the buying a camper trailer process under the buying a camper heading on the tech tips page http://www.campertrailers.org/tech_tips.htm

You may also find it helpful chatting with camper trailer owners at the regular Australian Camper Trailers members weekend meets where many makes & models are in attendance where you will get an unbiased opinion from their owners. http://www.campertrailers.org/upcoming_events.htm

Hope this helps.
happy camping
Rob & Carol
Australian CamperTrailers Group co-owner


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Julian Furnell
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 10, 2019 6:04 pm

Re: Camper trailer buying advice

Post by Julian Furnell » Sat Mar 30, 2019 7:41 am

Hey Rob and Carol,
Thankyou very much for your comprehensive reply ... very much appreciated ..👍
I do have a fair bit more research to do and will explore those links you have suggested ..
My plan is to buy some time in June, do some familiarisation weekends away, and then, with any luck, head over to Exmouth region, do some beach camping, diving and fishing for 3-4 weeks. After that, use the camper regularly for the 2-3 night getaways throughout the year.
So as you may gather, set up time and ease are a big priority..
I’m now leaning towards the Bluewater units .. Dynaproofed aussie canvas a big tick ✔️ and have a client who has one and is extremely happy with the unit and the after sales service.
But more to do and research.
Again, many thanks for your input
Best regards
Julian

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