slide-on campers

I have an Innovan, www.innovan.com.au, on the back of a Toyota Landcruiser 79 series. I am very happy with the setup and am planning a trip across the Simpson this June.

I've only had the unit since last December and so far haven't done much serious stuff with it, although recently I did Bendethra, which is a very steep and fairly challenging track.

I'm extremely pleased with the unit. At present, I'm going through the exercise of determining how much weight all up I'll be carrying. Recently, I had it weighed and the total was 3360kg; the GVM of the vehicle is 3300kg.

Since I figured I'll be adding approx. 400kg to this for the Simpson trip, I've recently had a GVM upgrade done on the vehicle, so that my new GVM is 3795kg.

From my understanding, most companies quote dry weight of the camper. Obviously, once you add water, food & whatever else, the weight soon increases very quickly. This is something that you clearly have to watch.

Not only that, you should weigh your current vehicle to see what it weighs with full tank of fuel, as usually you'll find that what you can legally carry, that is, your legal GVM less current weight, does not actually leave you much left.

Peter

I have just purchased a toyota hilux SR5 turbo diesel 2007 for the very purpose to have a slide on camper . I have ordered a unit from Northstar Camper in Penrith NSW. I made lots of research first and know that it will be a great unit. When I get it I will go around Australia...Will post more info when I receive it. I have talk to few people who have travelled heaps with it and are very happy......

I have a cheapy($7500)Ali slide on with a canvas tent/room ontop and wish I had spent a little more and got the hard top version
Hardtop dont flap,leak water,they keep cool,keep warm and so much more n yes you can still have a canvas room with them...(my advice , go hard top,with any choice of camper)
There's more weight but not that much and the cost wasn't much more
Mine was a fabricated version and I am very happy,the only bad thing was the support legs,there big n very heavy,all the slide on campers I found online had the same idea's,which really let down the final finish to there products....
weight is a real problem with picking your camper/vehicle,My cheapy still weighs 250kgs minus food n water but neally fully loaded(yes nearly fully loaded,maybe an extra 200kgs without people included)
I have a hilux 3ltr and I wouldn't go any heavier(it struggles uphills and in sand) ,my mate has a landcruiser single cab 75 series and he has a near new 2005 slide on camper weighing 450kgs(reallly about 465kgs) unloaded and he's always getting bogged,(not sure if he overloaded,with his food/water)vibration damage(nothing serious) but he lives like a king but I still saved just under $20,000 but I still have to buy air bellows to distribute the weight(to much weight on the rear)
With awnings and all the other gear needed, the product that can be fully set up ,the easiest/quickest usely is the best product,if it takes to long then you will try n not use it.
Hope some of the above info was helpfull and sorry for waffling on!!!!!!!!!!

Huge subject ..
No offense please but I don't think there is really an "upmarket" slide-on in Australia .. expensive ? yes .. but upmarket ?? not sure ...

Host is a US brand which I would consider upmarket ..
www.hostcampers.com/

Once you want a shower/toilet and also want a decent size bed where you sleep
lengthwise and not crawling over each other all the time and also have some headroom in the cab over ??? .. you are usually way past the weight capabilities of the "standard" Australian ute ...

If you want a unit which is a supplement for a CT the fine but thats not really "upmarket" isn't it ..

We have purchased a US camper on the lower end of the market ... large, solid but with interior finishing not that great .. we will change things around as we want them but used the US camper as a base .. The consequence is that you either have a dual axle conversion on a jap ute or you get a truck to carry the unit
when you want something "upmarket" ..

but I may have misunderstood you ...

good luck
gmd

We have a Trayon www.trayon.com Had it for 5 years and would buy again. Does have a portalu in it. Just bought a primus shower and popup shower cubicle. Got everyting now. The trayon is nice and low and has a good COG fitted to our Toyota 79.

This is a good bush unit. Some of the poptops would worry me in tight country. Touch wood never been wet in ! ! !

If the canvas is wet, we use two plastic painters drop sheets to keep the bed and 'lounge' dry during the day.

If you REALLY want "upmarket" buy a Ford F250 just to start

Dunedigger