Friday, May 02, 2014 at 00:04
G’day 4x4, have left my reply for a while, hoping you might get a reply from somebody who owns the same sort of camper as yours. It seems as yet you have had no luck. So all I can suggest, that may help, if you want to give the trip a go, is to relate my experience of building up a camper from a fairly run down hilux ute tub trailer. (Couldn’t afford an expensive camper, and to build one up was a bit of a challenge!) Our first try out was a bit ambitious tackling the
Birdsville,
Oodnadatta tracks and
Great Central Road. I made sure as Cruiser 91 said that anything vulnerable that I mounted under the trailer (water tanks, pump, hoses, wiring) was
well protected as I was amazed at the amount of stone hits and sandblasting that occurred.
Climb under your trailer and have a good look at the way the
suspension is mounted, (welded or bolted), how the
water tank is mounted, or how anything else is attached. If you think anything looks a bit suspect or weak strengthen it before you go. Dust will be a problem we bought a large canvas “bedding bag” to keep our bedding dust free and dry, and was a good investment. The corrugations will be your main enemy so make sure you climb under your trailer regularly to
check that nothing has vibrated loose, or has broken. (one set of u bolts worked loose and we
broke a shocker) My main concern was that I wasn’t sure of the quality of the welding that attached the A frame to the remainder of the hilux chassis under
the tub, so I checked the welds everytime we pulled up. Fortunately the welding has held even after 20 000 k’s of mainly off road travel and we are really happy with our camper, it may not look pretty but it does the job!.
So I guess what I am saying is that until you are confident that your trailer will handle the job vigilance is the key, keep an eye on welds, mountings, light fittings, wheel bearings, tyres etc, even then a daily once over always pays!
If you don’t get any other replies, there is only one way to find out, have a go anyway, try it out, lower your tyre pressures on the rough stuff and just take it easy, and above all enjoy the journey!
Good luck, Ron
AnswerID:
531617
Follow Up By: my4x4 - Sunday, May 04, 2014 at 20:27
Sunday, May 04, 2014 at 20:27
Ron, at this point in time, since having my "cheaper" Camper Trailer, I have siliconed all the joints underneath. Have put a stainless steel cover over the water pump and made up some rubber stone guards that hang between the original stone guard and the road. What you have said about doing some general maintenance at the end of each day is a good idea. I have also thought about taking some spare parts.
Maybe the only way to find out if suitable for off road. as you have said is HAVE A GO!
FollowupID:
814978
Follow Up By: Member - Granty55 - Monday, May 05, 2014 at 15:41
Monday, May 05, 2014 at 15:41
Just another thought, if you have the time, why not try a shorter trip as a trial, find some rough stuff near your
home, pack up the camper as you would for your big trip, and try it out. You will get an idea how the camper handles, keep an eye in your mirrors for any vibrations in the add ons, Jerry can/gas bottle holders etc. They're the things that may give you trouble. As far as your trailer's
suspension goes only the big trip will
test that out. Keep an eye on your springs, spring mounting points, shockers, axle and bearings. Go over all the nuts and bolts to ensure they are tight and haven't worked loose. It may sound a bit like overkill, but until your feel confident that the trailer will handle the job. It may give you some peace of mind.
Good Luck
FollowupID:
815074