AnswerID: 104838 Submitted: Saturday, Apr 02, 2005 at 21:25
Keith_A (Qld)
replied:
Hi - Sorry if this post is somewhat long, but hope it helps.
We owned a Jayco Dove for 13 years - Same as Swan but larger. Towed it everywhere - also with 2
young children. They are great for on-road and forest tracks. If you are planning any off-road treks, you need to buy a unit that is designed for rougher tracks. Having a 4WD, we towed ours into central QLD, incl corragated roads, dirt tracks etc, and had to repair many items. If you stay on good roads, they are great.
We replaced the Jayco with a 1999 Coromal Magnum 420 Offroad for $17,000. Same basic style but much stronger build in many aspects. Includes on board battery, charger, elect water pump, hot water system, O/S
shower, awnings, twin tanks etc. (all in a wind-up camper). Probably much heavier than the Swan, but we do go outback treking and camp at off-road sites.
Re electric brakes, if the trailer exceeds 750 Kgs, then you must have electric brakes. I would think most wind-up style campers would weigh above this.
Cost aprox $300 to supply and fit the unit to the car. Prefer to be done by a qualified auto electrician. While it can be a DIY, there are several aspects of the wiring that need to be done properly - take care with this aspect.
Check that the towing capacity of your vehicle is legal for the camper weight.
There are 3 aspects to this : 1. The total weight your car can tow.
2. The Down-weight on the ball of the towbar - as specified for your car;
3. The specs of the towbar fitted to your vehicle;
Fully agree with the previous post - visit/join the campertrailer group at Yahoo.
(Though many of these have the traditional style Camper Trailer (CT) - eg double bed in trailer, with canvas roof - great bunch of very knowledgable and friendly people). You can
search the archives for Jayco or SWAN).
The great aspect of the camper is you can buy a set of cooking/eating/sleeping gear, and leave it ready packed. Throw some food and clothes in, and off you go. Takes most of the hassle out of getting away.
Being up off the ground, you also have a safe camp/sleep for children.
Like all canvas products, if left wet the canvas will rot. Costly excercise to replace.
Check that wheel nuts do not need a special tool (spanner or socket).
Like all trailers, wheel bearings need checking and repacking (grease) occasionally.
Leave the
water tank either full or completely empty after each trip - else it grows life forms, and the water is not good. Flushing and purifier tablets will clean them, if this happens.
The 3 way fridges are great, but need to be turned on (240V) the night before a trip to get the unit temp down, and the refrigerant chemicals cirulating. A 12V computer fan sucking the hot air away from the cooling fins improves performance 100%. We use a $5 thermostat on the
fridge exhaust pipe to power the fan. On camp, ours runs on Gas. For 12V operation, there can be wiring problems that result in very poor performance. Gas is great & economical.
If it has both 12V and 240V light bulbs, there is one danger. If you camp on say the beach and use 12V, during the trip you may hit the 240V light switch. When you come home and connect the 240V to charge the battery, the 240V light comes on (inside the folded down camper). After a few days, the camper goes up in smoke.
A visual check of the unit normally shows how it has been treated. Are door/cupboard hinges loose or tight; Are windows/screens in good order; do the Zips all work; Is the canvas in good repair (You may also need to unfold the awnings - bed end awnings and front awning to check them). Wind it up and down to ensure smooth operation;
Jack the unit up - spin the wheels to check bearings; Hook it to his car, and check the electric brakes work.
Having owned this style of camper for over 15 years, we think they are the perfect way to see the great out-doors in comfort and safety. They tow any-where; are easy to set up and have all the conveniences.
Do your homework (as you are doing) then buy one ...happy
camping...Keith
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