Forward Folding camper trailers

Submitted: Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 15:40
ThreadID: 136138 Views:7195 Replies:8 FollowUps:11
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Which brands produce strong and well made off road FF campers.
MANUFACTURED and assembled in Australia ? Not assembled here from overseas components.
Aware of Cub and Ultimate. Understand Outback will have one by spring this year.
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Reply By: Tony F8 - Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 17:14

Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 17:14
Modcon was one of the first to manufacture FF's and still probably the best on the market.
AnswerID: 616294

Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 18:56

Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 18:56
Hi Terry

The Ultimate Campers are side opening, 100% Australian owned, 100% Australian made and will go anywhere that the towing vehicle is capable of driving.

They are also 100% water and dust proof, even in bull dust conditions. They are not on the cheap side, but hold their money.

Happy hunting.


Cheers



Stephen
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AnswerID: 616296

Reply By: Mark C27 - Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 21:37

Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 21:37
Cub campers are designed and built in Australia. Dearer than the rest but great quality.
Remember Quality is Quality and Cr..p is Cr..p and never the two shall meet.
AnswerID: 616300

Follow Up By: gbc - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 07:29

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 07:29
cra...p is exactly what I thought when I went shopping for a new trailer. They are about the cheapest Aust made hard floor camper.
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FollowupID: 887637

Reply By: maurice b - Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 23:47

Monday, Jan 22, 2018 at 23:47
Why I didn't buy a FF camper trailer. Have extremely heavy ball weights like 185 kg on one popular brand. Are very heavy and I could not open my barn doors on my 105 series with the vehicle attached to the camper when it was erected.
AnswerID: 616302

Follow Up By: Member - Paul B (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 23:28

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 23:28
I did buy one and what you say is correct about being heavy. You certainly know you have it behind you. But then you do get an enormous amount of camper with it, which is what we particularly liked. If it’s just the two of us, we’re several hundred kilos lighter, but if we’re the mother ship for the whole family or a bunch of friends, we’re heavier, but we can perform that role really well too, and we’re really pleased that both roles can be fulfilled.

We are able to open our barn door on the Pajero but that is as a result of choosing the removable winch option.

We bought a Chinese built camper after ascertaining the company had established the necessary relationships with their Chinese builder and his workforce. And that they would back it up. They are a small business owned and worked by two couples in WA who are both seasoned campers themselves and simply don’t have the resources to be able to carry lots of unhappy customers. As small business operators ourselves, we understood that intuitively because it describes our businesses pretty well too.

There were certainly far cheaper campers on the market but the one we bought was less than half the price of many Australian-built campers that frankly didn’t look particularly robust or well appointed.

They also hire their campers out, which seems to me a very good testing ground and in a place the size of WA, they certainly wouldn’t be staying in business if they had to deliver service across the length and breadth of WA if they broke down often.

I spoke to present owners and past hirers and was able to get a very good sense of the product and went with that rather than a simple blanket ban on anything Chinese. There are some terrible Chinese-built campers on the market and there are some equally dreadful Australian-built campers, so I think you’ve got to work out what you want and go looking for it until you find it.

And form judgements based on the people behind them rather than blanket bans. After all, everything comes down to relationships.
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Reply By: Blown4by - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 11:19

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 11:19
Pioneer brand
AnswerID: 616308

Reply By: Geoffr17 - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 11:43

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 11:43
Ok. The guts of the question. Not assembled here from ' overseas components'.

Now I have heard about CUB on a number of forums and again they are mentioned here.
So given the question CUB use NO overseas parts in their campers , All parts are made here in Aus.

Find this hard to believe as we have no tyre manufacturers to start with , and every bolt , nut , fittings , the steel ,suspension , brakes , etc , everything is made in Australia ??.

I am putting this forward as I am concerned on information being put forward.
AnswerID: 616309

Follow Up By: Malcom M - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 12:34

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 12:34
Being a bit pedantic there.

Not defending them as I think their products are way over rated and actually not so good. They take shortcuts just like everyone else but...

My Johnnos camper built by them:
The steel comes from Port Kembla.
The independent suspension is fabricated 'in house' by Cub in Nth Rocks.
The tent is made in Queensland by Crazy Dog Canvas.
The brakes etc are all Alko who have factories in Sydney, Melb and NZ.
The camper is built in Sydney.
Not sure where the copper is smelted or the pop rivets are made though and the tyres are American so I guess you win...

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FollowupID: 887647

Reply By: MEMBER - Darian, SA - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 15:15

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 15:15
I had a Campomatic offroad camper for quite a few years (then moved to an 'offoad' van).
The 'Campo was very well made, very functional and robust....all aspects of the product just 'kept doing it', year after year.The slide out kitchen module and the overall canvas work* were features of the product.....all first class....we took it on many an outback trip. There is quite a bit of info on the web in various forums re the 'Campo' products...worth a look.
As I recall.....started in NZ, bought into Australia and further developed by the Eastwell family...the company was then acquired by Trakshak (probably to augment their well known and popular soft floor camper with a quick setup**, hardfloor camper option. That said, the Trakshak has a huge living area by comparison....a different formula of course).
As for sourcing of materials, parts and manufacturing sites....will have to pass on that one.
All the best with the project.
*There is a full length, zip on, canvas roof for the side area...walls can be added.
**Literally, from turning off the car to deploying the canvas section and getting inside the dry living area of the camper can be under a minute.
AnswerID: 616313

Follow Up By: Rangiephil - Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 14:20

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 14:20
I too have a 1997 Camp'o'matic which I have owned for 12 years. It has been around OZ twice and on the GRR ,Plenty, Tanami, up the OTT etc.

It has rarely given a problem and AFAIR all I have ever had to do was replace the Koni shocks, and a few zip sliders. Oh and my water tank wore through. It was plastic so cheap and easy to replace.

A major attraction is how light it is at about 1000Kg fully loaded with water and 2 jerries of Diesel.
On the strength of mine my daughter also bought a 2004 which is bigger and heavier but still maybe 1200Kg loaded.

To give an idea of how it was Oz made, everything was made in house including the tent. When I went to get spare nuts for the ALKO parallel hubs, I found the old bloke had actually made the axles himself as they had a different finer pitch than ALKO stubs!
What a great product it is and hopefully will continue to be.
Regards Philip A
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 16:27

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 16:27
As far as I remember, they aren’t forward fold, so hardly relevant.

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FollowupID: 887683

Follow Up By: MEMBER - Darian, SA - Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 17:46

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 17:46
Er well......seeing that one 'unfolds' a Campomatic to the rear and then needs to 'fold' it forward, Terry's query and the responses on the Campo would appear to be in order, no ?
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 17:55

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2018 at 17:55
Errr No it doesnt
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Jan 25, 2018 at 08:23

Thursday, Jan 25, 2018 at 08:23
I also think that since around 2005 that they have been manufactured in China along with Trak Shak.

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FollowupID: 887704

Reply By: Baz - The Landy - Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 23:39

Tuesday, Jan 23, 2018 at 23:39
Hi Terry

Following is a link to the Australian Made Camper Trailer Guild which provides a list of its members.

Link: AMCTG

From its website...

What is AMCTG?

"These letters stand for quality and reassurance to Australian camping consumers that our members are genuine Australian Manufacturers.

The Australian Manufactured Camper Trailer Guild (AMCTG) has been established in 2011 and includes only Australian industry leaders of Camper Trailer Manufacturing.

All members are subjected to engineering compliance for Australian Standards and also confirm that their complete manufacturing process is conducted in Australia with the very best of materials – including CHASSIS, BODY, SUSPENSION, TENT and CANVAS. Guaranteed!"

Good luck with your research...

Cheers, Baz - The Landy
AnswerID: 616332

Follow Up By: OutBack Wanderers - Thursday, Jan 25, 2018 at 22:07

Thursday, Jan 25, 2018 at 22:07
I'd be careful with this list, two of them, Jayco and Track Trailer are on "High Alert" with the Lemon RV's and Caravan site

You'd think this mob would question any of their "members" on the Lemon List

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Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Jan 25, 2018 at 23:32

Thursday, Jan 25, 2018 at 23:32
I wouldn’t take too much notice of that site, the founder’s complaints against Lotus Caravans were found to be mainly caused by a lack of, or inadequate service by an independent assessor.
Track Trailer have an excellent reputation.
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FollowupID: 887718

Follow Up By: Member - McLaren3030 - Saturday, Jan 27, 2018 at 12:54

Saturday, Jan 27, 2018 at 12:54
Founder of Lemon RV's site has been discredited so many times, I wouldn't take much notice of what is on their site.

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