Camper trailer for 1-2 peoptle

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 04, 2015 at 14:11
ThreadID: 110619 Views:2877 Replies:7 FollowUps:7
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Am looking to buy my first second hand camper trailer and am needing suggestions for one that can be easily set up (and packed up) by one person.
Having said that it needs to be able to sleep 2-3 people as my family is visiting for a month from mid April 2015.
Preferably a semi-off road as I like camping in the National Parks, I would use it for weekends away but also for 3-4 weeks camping trips. Some thoughts have been a motorbike camper trailer, when visiting the Litchfield NP in July last year, a Elite camper trailer caught my eye.
A friend suggested CUB and also have looked at a Marlin.
Besides CUB is there others who use similar system to ezy-wind
Am in northern NSW, so would like to buy around that area or southern QLD.
I have a Subaru Forester AWD, tow bar: gross trailer mass 300kg and max static ball load: 75kg
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Reply By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Sunday, Jan 04, 2015 at 18:31

Sunday, Jan 04, 2015 at 18:31
If your criteria is easy to set up/ pack up then you should only be looking at hard floors, such as the Cub.
Soft floors tend to be cheaper and are more family friendly, but do take longer to set up/ pack up and you tend to get dirtier when packing the soft floor.
I suspect Kimberly, Aussie Swags, Aussie Off Road(?), Pioneer and Campomatics may be realistically too heavy for a Forester.
We have a Kimberly (should be plenty of those in northern NSW as they are made in Ballina) and I can pack it up by myself if required, though a small female may struggle.
Suggest you buy a copy of Campertrailer Magazine (not the sister publication of 4WD Action) and look at their comprehensive index.
AnswerID: 543741

Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Monday, Jan 05, 2015 at 08:36

Monday, Jan 05, 2015 at 08:36
I really don't know the differences in towing capacity of a Forester and an Outback but I have a Subaru diesel Outback. It easily tows our hardfloor camper trailer. We have one of the original Aussie Swags. Bought it second hand. Very well built, excellent canvas that is still tight as a drum in the most extreme weather. The makers in Qld are great and very helpful. The original Swag is considerably lighter than current versions. We have taken ours through quite heavy conditions along Gibb River Road and Mitchell Plateau (but behind a LC, not the Subaru). We put a Tregg hitch on it for that trip. This year we are taking it up through Arnhem Land.Never missed a beat. We got ours about 5 years ago for $9000 so today it will be cheaper. Years and years of life still in ours. If you see an early model Swag, I'd grab it. Other Swag users here have also commented positively on the build quality and ongoing helpfulness of the makers. If you get one, contact me and I'll explain a few useful mods we have made (could also be used on other brands).
AnswerID: 543767

Reply By: Member - wicket - Monday, Jan 05, 2015 at 09:18

Monday, Jan 05, 2015 at 09:18
a good place to ask would be myswag , a site dedicated to camper trailers
AnswerID: 543769

Reply By: Zippo - Monday, Jan 05, 2015 at 20:26

Monday, Jan 05, 2015 at 20:26
Shirley you jest? That gross trailer mass figure is way off. Even the LIGHT DUTY Hayman-Reese towbar for the SF/SG Foresters was rated 1400kg.

http://www.haymanreese.com.au/parts/01910w-444296

Was that a typo, or maybe someone has obliterated the leading "1"? Either way, you WILL need the right number before selecting a CT.
AnswerID: 543800

Follow Up By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 05:18

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 05:18
The 40mm factory towbar had a max ball weight of about 70kg so I'd say that's what the OPer has. Anticipating a loaded hard floor unit coming in under this sounds over-optimistic.
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FollowupID: 830931

Follow Up By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 09:03

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 09:03
Mazzerati, I think your figures for gross trailer mass are incorrect. I believe that you can tow a trailer up to about 650kg (braked) quite comfortably behind a Forester. There are plenty of hardfloor models that are within this.
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Follow Up By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 10:53

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 10:53
Only with the 50mm towbar.

We had an SG model and did several outback trips towing a softfloor CT no probs. That was 500 kg tare and to and from Birdsville we had it up to about 800-850 kg ATM. Braked of course.
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Follow Up By: Zippo - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 14:45

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 14:45
The Subaru manual for the SG series doesn't specify a gross trailer mass. Rather it refers/defers to the towbar manufacturer, which is why I posted the link to the Hayman-Reese bar for the SF/SG Foresters. As I stated, it doesn't need to be a HD version to get those same manufacturer's ratings. I don't know why this seems hard to understand.

Their light duty version (01910W) has the same 1400/75 rating as the medium product (01909RLW). The heavy duty unit (01908R) is rated 1800/180 which clearly isn't the O/P's product, and is a rating way in excess of what I would ever contemplate towing with a Forester.
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FollowupID: 830959

Follow Up By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 15:13

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 15:13
Are you saying Zippo that the only towbars available were H-R?

Mine was a factory fitment with no brand on it, just a sticker with the load limits. It sounds like the OPer has got his/her numbers off the sticker too.
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Follow Up By: Zippo - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 16:07

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 16:07
Sigmund, no I'm not saying that at all. It was my understanding that Subaru fitment bars were all H-R, and IME they are the leading brand. As far as I recall from fitting it, the H-R bar on my SG Forester has no branding in the steel, but the label is H-R. Subaru may well source their own stickers as they do for "factory-fitted" cargo barriers etc.

But I still can't believe a gross trailer mass rating of 300kg. It is so far below what I would expect from any towbar. If it really is that figure it will seriously limit any CT choice, and would warrant being replaced for that reason alone.

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Follow Up By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 16:21

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 16:21
Yeah Zippo, it's a useless bar & potentially dangerous.
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FollowupID: 830976

Reply By: Sigmund - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 05:20

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 05:20
Pioneer do some wind-up jobs but they're way above your weight limits.
AnswerID: 543841

Reply By: eaglefree - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 22:40

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2015 at 22:40
I spent months researching this need....a camper trailer of low GVM at reasonable price to be towed by our trike. But there are also other needs. Quick put up, brakes and ease of access to load.

Enter the Detour motorcycle camper. Our best investement yet.

2 minutes to erect. lift up bed and tailgate for very easy access to load. Very strong hinged tailgate allows for weight of any home built kitchen attachment. Magnetic brakes, 3 bar drawbar- two to front of springs and centre the whole length (impressive). Soft floor, good thick mattress (Queen size). Options include annexes etc.

Basic price starts at $6500. We got our drawbar lengthened on our order by 400mm to allow for a trunk.

They also have traytop campers

See the video athttp://www.detourcampers.com/
AnswerID: 543896

Reply By: Tony H15 - Thursday, Jan 08, 2015 at 19:56

Thursday, Jan 08, 2015 at 19:56
I've owned several camper trailers both hard and soft floor. I have an Aliner now, but if I were to buy another camper trailer I would prefer a soft floor over a hard floor any day. I can only speak of Cubs as they are the only hard floors I've had. Cubs have serious design and manufacturing faults with the canvas and it's fitment. The canvas tends to wrinkle and sag making it a two handed operation to zip/unzip doors and windows. With the awning on the bed end section of the camper sags badly making an excellent water catchment area. The awning poles are held to the tent area via velcro, great if you don't want quality. The canvas wall in front of the pull out kitchen has to be held away from the stove if you don't want the camper to go up in smoke. Storage under the bed is small so you will need to carry somethings in the tow vehicle. Cub owners deny all these faults, but all you have to do is look at a picture of one when up, a picture is worth a thousand words. Better still, next time you see one up, try the zips one handed. Soft floors are a different matter, they don't take any longer to set up (depending on size of course) than a Cub, in fact I found the Cub actually took longer and there is oodles of storage in a 7x4 high sided trailer. Only drawback is packing up if the canvas is wet and muddy.
AnswerID: 543943

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