Travelander Slide on

Hi Bryan,
Congrats on your Trayon purchase, maybe we'll see you at the Trayon get together later in the year?
Check out the Trayon forum for information on how to make your Trayon even better!
Cheers Geoff

HI Bob (and others),

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Firstly, I am chopping a GU Patrol wagon into a single cab. I already converted the motor to a 6.5L Chev V8 Diesel some years ago and recently pulled a fully loaded GU Patrol from the Telegraph Track to the Archer River without any issues at all. Weight is not the problem but the GVM is. I will be chatting to engineers to increase the GVM to rectify that problem.

We spent a number of hours with the Trayon folks and found them to be great to deal with and the product worthy of consideration. When you start adding extras to the deluxe model you are also increasing the weight but yes, Travelander would realistically be at the 600kg and with everything thrown in you would be at the 900+ kg mark.

So comments from those who own the Travelander would be great. Cheers,

Ian,
When I read your thread I was loathe to respond as I am not a Travellander owner. I have been researching campers for a few years though and as you no doubt know they replicate their tray versions as bolt ons to trailers. We were quite interested in them for a while but as Geoff has said in his response, feedback can be negative. We travelled to Cape York last year and saw a couple at various camping spots. When we asked the owners of their experiences both were less than complimentary about the quality and after sales service. One has to weigh this up though as 2 experiences are hardly a statistical analysis. I have now ordered a Lifestyle Reconn Hybrid as I like the Aussie made and thus far have found no significant negative feedback. As far as I know they don't do a tray back so irrelevant to you. Got to do a lot of sifting to separate the wheat from the chaff eh? I will watch the responses to your thread with great interest.
Ken

With my interest in differences between several years ago and now sparked again, I looked at their brochures. They all seem to list the dry weight as TBA.
Eg the comparison PDF
I may be suspicious, but how could they not know the weight of any of their products.

Yes, I agree they are reluctant to quote the weight but the manufacturer told me around the 600Kg mark.

He was making in China but withdrew a few years ago and now manufacturers on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane.

To us the main difference between Trayon and Travelander is (a) ease of use getting into and out of and (b) the Travelander seems much more spacious and has more storage room.

Appreciate all the comments but some from Travelander customers would be best. The dealer told me he sells at least one or two a month. Note that I have been there twice and each time he had a unit going out (the new owners were actually there on our first visit) so after 14 years surely there are people out there with these units on this forum. Let's watch for other comments.

Hi Ian
My understanding is that Travelander have now reverted back to importing from China after a short stint manufacturing on the Sunshine Coast.
Cheers Geoff

Hi Geoff,

I spoke with Darren yesterday who is the owner/manufacturer and he said he had withdrawn from China and now manufacturing in his new factory on the Sunshine Coast. If somebody can prove that isn't so then I would make my decision based on integrity.

As mentioned, I am currently between Travelander and Trayon. I found the Trayon folks great and after touring the factory left impressed and satisfied in the quality of the product and the people behind it. However, my wife and I felt the unit was more expensive, the inside area a little cramped and add-ons for a deluxe such as tropical roof, little pull down table and shower cubicle should be inclusive and not extras.

The Travelander is more roomier and add-ons are inclusive in the Premier model making the unit considerably less expensive.

I might add that it is much easier to google reviews and testimonials on the Trayon with lots of happy owners and that is why I have put my question to this forum. :-)

Why are you a happy Trayon owner Geoff?

Ian
Just to throw a spanner in the mix there is a bloke in the general Brisbane area ( or a bit further north) who individually builds each one to order with prices starting at $31k for a 2.1 long tray, will have to phone him though as no website.

Hi Ian
I had heard second hand that Travelander had dumped local manufacture and started re-importing, good if they are sticking to making units in Australia.
We're had our Trayon for nearly 8 Yrs and its served us well all over the country in rough conditions. I like that they (Trayon) are a family run business making a good product in Australia and backing it up with good after sales support. The weight is a key factor for me as I have personally had vehicle issues in remote areas and also seen the result of overloading with others.
If the Travelander (or another brand) fits you needs better then I wish you luck and hope you have many years of trouble free touring of this country. My personal preference is the Trayon based on experience and the reasons I've given.
Cheers Geoff

Thanks Geoff.

How do you find the amount of room inside?

Ease of setup?

Getting into and out of?

As somebody previously mentioned getting through the info to making a final decision is not always an easy path. Cheers,

Hi Ian
You are certainly right about getting through the information to make an informed decision - it's not easy!
Responding to your questions, the Trayon is super easy to setup with it just a matter of dropping down the steps, unclipping the latches and pushing up the top which is easy with the struts. The fly attaches and comes across with the top. Then it's just a matter of dropping the legs and clipping the studs for the canvas, as well as connecting the ropes. It seriously is only 5-10min (I joke that it takes longer when my wife helps!)
Getting in and out is a breeze- the steps are great and the it's easy to get into the bed using the seat as a step. For some people the climbing over your partner to get into bed can be an issue but we haven't been bothered, I normally are on the far side and find it fine.
The bed is fantastic especially with the extra support we have added - we use the Froli springs under the mattress and find the bed just as comfortable as our bed at home.
Look I hopes this helps, it's hard to explain things in writing and much easier with a demo. Perhaps you can find a Trayon owner in your location and go over things in more detail.
Cheers Geoff

Thank you Geoff, appreciate the feedback. I guess Trayon are willing to provide a 10 warranty and that says a lot too! All the best,

Thanks Ian and all the best with your decision.
And by the way I think you have the right type of vehicle for a tray top camper - the medium duty Utes don't last long term (speaking from experience here!)
Cheers Geoff