Trailer suitability

Submitted: Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 12:54

ThreadID: 6637 Views:2005 Replies:6 FollowUps:9

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Ally and Jim

Hi travellers,

My husband and I are heading around Australia for 12 months and have recently bought a Jayco Hawk Outback Camper Trailer. We would like to do some of the remote regions and would like to know if the suspaension would need upgrading to allow us to "go everywhere". Alternatively - have a tent etc for remote tracks. Has anyone got any ideas re this - and how "outback" have "Jayco" owners found them to be?

Jim and Ally

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Reply By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 18:23

Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 18:23

Jim And Ally in my opiniuon I would save your money on the up grades and buy a good double swag and do the remote areas with the swag and put the camper in stoage at a carvan park or simillar. As I said its only my opinion .
All the best Eric
www.capeyorkconnections.com.au
4WD TAG ALONG ADVENTURESCape York Connections

AnswerID: 28209

Follow Up By: Rick - Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:12

Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:12

Eric,
Looked at that. Now to the question of good double swags. Any idea?
BTW our plans was to take an O tent rather than a camper or trailer but we are still looking at the options. Even looked at a roof top tent. It looks as though we will be in a similar situation to Jim and Alley in that we will be travelling with our dog. Not planning on taking it to the cape, leaving it in Cairns or somewhere like that for the few weeks we go further north. Your feedback would be appreciated.

Regards
Rick & Kath

FollowupID: 19529

Follow Up By: mrdesmo - Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 01:35

Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 01:35

I definitely agree with Eric…get a swag, you don’ know what you’re missing.
If you do the swag option, get one with a fly/mozzie net that zips up. We got the basic double (actually a queen size as I’m 6’4”) but without the netting, don’t know how many times the missus got me out of bed half sloshed/hungover at 2am cause the mozzies were biting her.
I’ve seen a few gems in my travels, the best one had about a 3’ head panel that tied up to this blokes bullbar (tree whatever) so he could sit up and still be inside and tapered off to the foot end. Make sure its at least 13oz canvas preferably with a PVC type floor. As with anything, you get what you pay for, ours is 5yo and still in perfect condition.
Can’t beat the swag….5billion star accommodation…!
Cheers

FollowupID: 19562

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 12:38

Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 12:38

Rick and Cath our swag of chioce is the soutern cross double and have had it for about 3 years . The boss [wife] and I have spent aprox 150 nights in it and the only thing I have changed on it was to get a small awnig sewn on the back for when it rains. The kids have both got soutern cross singles and same deal got awning sewn to rear. When we are on a hoiliday and in the same spot for acouple of weeks we have a soutern cross style single pole tent . It sounds like i work for southern cross but I have nothing to do with them . They just make good gear.
Arfter 25 odd years of stuffing around with cheaper gear we dont bother any more just save up and buy the best . It costs more to start with but if you take care of it ,it will last a life time .
All the best Eric Cape York Connections

FollowupID: 19580

Reply By: Rick - Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:13

Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:13

Damm keyboard. That should read "Oz tent". Not o tent
Rick

AnswerID: 28218

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 12:42

Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 12:42

Rick the oz or o tent as some call it are fantastic tents we have had many people away with us and they love them . I have seen people put there bed rolls in them {swags} when the wathers bad.
All the best EricCape York Connections

FollowupID: 19581

Reply By: Member - Bob - Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:15

Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:15

Ally, which remote regions do you intend visiting? Some remote places are easy going, while some heavily trafficked routes such as the French Line can pose problems for inexperienced trailer towers. Bob

AnswerID: 28219

Follow Up By: Ally and Jim - Thursday, Aug 21, 2003 at 18:56

Thursday, Aug 21, 2003 at 18:56

Hi Bob,

We are starting off around Tassie for 3 months, then up to Qld and Cape York, across to Darwin, down thru the desrts and then back up via Perth thru WA. (The ABC logo version of travelling) In terms of remote - I guess Cape York, across to NT, the desrts ala Simpson etc, then the Kimberleys and back thru the Tanami... Hoping to spend quite a bit of time in certain spots etc but have a dog and he will need to be "kenneled" for some of this (hey - we are with him 24 hours all the rest of the time so surely he cannot complain about the few weeks here and there in kennel- land - haha)....

Ally and Jim

FollowupID: 19902

Reply By: Blackie - Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:33

Sunday, Aug 17, 2003 at 19:33

Ally/Jim put jayco in the Seach Engine .....lots of stuff.

AnswerID: 28223

Follow Up By: Ally and Jim - Thursday, Aug 21, 2003 at 18:57

Thursday, Aug 21, 2003 at 18:57

Brilliant Blackie - you can tell this is the first time we have been on this website - and boy it is so fantastic!

FollowupID: 19903

Reply By: michael - Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 11:35

Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 11:35

Ally and Jim, we have travelled extensively with Jayco offroad swift (same layout as eagle ) and still have her. No problems and been to many places I'm sure makers did not intend trailer to go. We have not changed suspension but considering better shocks(orig, still on since '95 ) and maybe look at changing slipper- type springs although we have had no probs to date. I'm certain the steady, steady approach we've adopted in our travels has avoided breakages/ tyre failures. Vehicle sympathy, the instructors called it, on driving courses a few years ago when I joined my job. I still think it's valid today.
Many travellers need to slow down, especially 4WD TOUR OPERATORS on a selfish schedule. Not only are many dangerous on dirt ( ie Gibb RR) but then they tend to dominate the camping areas with Mr Adventure tourleader feeling a need to entertain the entire camp with his questionable musical talents late into the night. Sorry, I got sidetracked when images of Bells Silent Grove came back to me!
If we need to leave the camper we have a canvas single pole tent and self- inflating mattresses and engels in the Mav.
Good luck, have a great trip, DRC

AnswerID: 28278

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 12:25

Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 12:25

Michael Its lucky I dont sing and speed through the out back and only take up to 7 trucks with us on a tag alongs . Or I would take it personly what you said about tour operators . Our trips are very laid back.
All the best Eric

Cape York Connections

FollowupID: 19579

Reply By: michael - Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 19:08

Monday, Aug 18, 2003 at 19:08

Eric, I'm glad to here you don't fit my description but I'm sure you must have encountered the type I describe. Those I object to seem to expect right of passage because they are operating a business. The richardhead who came to mind at Bells on Gibb RR flew past us on extremely rough section of road into Silent Grove with truck style FWD with customers in the box behind.
I get a little sensitive when my family's safety is compromised by idiots.
Maybe you could educate others in your industry.
Good luck DRC

AnswerID: 28340

Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Tuesday, Aug 19, 2003 at 12:54

Tuesday, Aug 19, 2003 at 12:54

Michael we have seen the above type . The ones that I have seen are usually not the owner of the company and treat it as a job . We only do 2 or 3 trips a year so its like a holiday for us. Every trip I have had a 4x4 comming at me on the wrong side of the track and it scares the sh-t out of me. About 3 years ago a red discovery was comming at me on its roof that was a tricky one to miss. This year a tray top cruiser doing about 100k into chiili beach on a bend missed the back of my truck by about a wisker. So I guess what I am saying I have had more problems with the general public than others.
All the best Eric
Cape York Connections

FollowupID: 19682