Happy medium camper trailer

Have a look for a second hand Ultimate, not sure of the price of the Jayco but I would expect a 8-10 year old Ultimate would be around the same money.

One person can set them up in about 15 minutes and about 20 minutes to close up, they have a lounge, draws, sink, stove and fridge.

I don't think I would be taking a Jayco too far off road.

Hi Taggy

I don't know too many "off road" campers at that price point that are waterproof enough to withstand river crossings either (depending on the depth). There are some pretty good hard floor camper trailers out there that are pretty well water proof, like the Kimberley Kampers, AOR Odyssey, Aussie Swag etc...but I wouldn't like to submerge any of them if I had the chance not to! Then again - those don't won't have the same comfort levels as the Jayco...most have external kitchens etc.

Chris

We looked at the Cub as well. I like them but like you, wifey wanted the pop up camper with all the creature comforts.

The "off road" campers like the Jaycos and the Coromal (I have a Coromal F400) arent really "off road" inasmuch as a 4x4 is to an SUV. They are "rough road" capable like unsealed roads but anything rougher than that and things might break. As I said I liken them to a soft-roader SUV which suits me fine because that is what I tow mine with!

With the Jayco/Coromal campers water could get in through the side door, I don't think its a perfect seal, mine isn't anyway and the bottom fridge vent well I can imagine water would come flooding in there if you crossed a river with it. That said there would be ways around both of those.

Hi Taggy,

Your post sounds a if you are just getting into travelling and camping? In which case maybe asking yourselves a few questions about the type of travelling and camping you want to do might help you come to a better decision. eg How long, how far do you plan to travel, do you plan to drive most days, or stop-and-prop and so on. You have quite a gap to bridge between an on-site van and a full off-road camper - and there is a big range of rigs to suit many different travel and camping styles!

How many river crossings to you plan on doing? Apart from in the Cape and Kimberley where water depth will vary according to the season/time of year, there aren't that many tracks or places where river crossings are an essential part of a trip. And as others have said, occasional crossings may be possible with careful sealing.

I suggest that the ability to do river crossings is one of the more minor considerations in making your choice of camper. Issues like weight, ease of towing, space, ease of set-up, your preferred cooking and sleeping arrangements etc might have higher priority. Most seasoned travellers/campers will say that just about every rig involves a compromise to some extent, and usually you take a while to work out what type of rig is right for you. Have you thought of hiring a Jayco and a camper trailer for a short trip to see how each type suits?

Cheers,

Val