What type camper trailer to buy

Hi smallblock,
Sorry to hear about your other half.
It would be easier to give you an answer to your question if you told us your budget & expectations of the trailer

G'day, probably best to have a look at the hire market, see what may suit you and then take one away for a weekend or a week, see if you like it. This will give you a basic introduction to camper trailers and allow you to formulate specific questions for the forum etc. Good luck........

Like all things you will get a variety of suggestions and advice.

Mine is...go out and look at some and get an idea of what is available out there, features, price. You need to visit some manufacturers and dealers and go from there...

Sorry but there are no short cuts. I am sure you wouldn't maker any significant purchase any other way.

Get on to Google, find manufacturers in your area and go from there.

I spent months looking and then narrow your selection criteria and price.

Sorry no easy fix, you have to do the hard yards and kick some tyres.

Sorry to hear about your predicament.

As you are time limited I would just buy something within your budget (with most of your requirements filled) and go travelling. Some people spend several months combing the Interweb looking for a unit that ticks all the boxes and then spend years modifying it with everything under the sun.

IMHO the basic decisions are hard vs soft floor, which is an available space & $$$ decision. Side vs rear fold is only an issue when you stay in Caravan parks as most are set up for caravans (ie the big concrete pad) and hence suited to rear folds however most parks have big open spaces for either.

Of course kitchen is a must.

Just stick to a well known brand and go travelling. Everyone experiences little niggles with new purchases.

Another consideration is whether a camper trailer (tent on wheels) vs a camper van or even a caravan will best suit your needs.

Certainly a camper van has considerable advantages over both in certain areas - being smaller to tow than a caravan and a bit more comfortable and arguably easier to use than a camper trailer.

Something else to consider.

John,

Some further thoughts and questions to ask:

How will you use the trailer - long or short trips, long stays in one place or overnighters and move on. If doing more leisurely trips where you are likely to stay in one place for a few days then you might be happy with a rig that takes a bit longer to set up.

Do you plan to go off the bitumen or good gravel roads - if you want to go on rougher tracks you will need something with off road capability.

Are you able to do some of the set up work on the trailer yourself? It is possible to set up a vehicle (or trailer) quite economically and still have a comfortable and functional rig. Our blog on how we have set up our Troopy might give you some ideas.

Do you want to buy new or secondhand? Hiring to get a feel of what you like is a good idea, but maybe start by looking through the trader section on this site to see what is out there and the secondhand prices that are being asked.

Good luck with finding something that will give you heaps of pleasure.

Cheers,

Val

Also have a look at this website - www.campertrailers.org

heaps of info on buying, different brands, what to look for

good luck, we purchased a Cavalier offroad trailer earlier this year, and just got back from a wonderful trip to Flinders ranges and Lake Eyre with the lightning ridge police bush safari (www.lrpbs.com.au) they host a 2-week trip each year - next year is the gulf country.

John,
We had an off road camper for years and went everywhere with it.
A couple of things to consider:
Dont buy anything thats complicated in putting it up. You should be able to pull it out, peg 4 corners, slide out the inside frame and its done.
If there is only 2 of you just get a basic camper without any extra rooms to attach - you wont need it - just get an awning that zips onto the side of the camper to give you shelter, if you need it, when cooking etc ( most come with an awning nowdays).
Get one that you can lift up one side when packed so you can access the trailer when its folded up - much easier to load and unload. You will almost always want to get at something or put something else into the trailer after you have packed it up (from experience).
Try to get one that has a water tank - saves carrying a lot of gerrycans.
If moneys a consideration you dont have to buy one with a kitchen etc as a camping stove, a dish, and a camp table will do just as well.
A semi off roader will get you to most places.

Have a look at the Trader section here, there is a good selection in there ranging from about $5,000 to $35,000.

P.S. Your Navara will have no problems, I tow a 21ft van at 2500kg with mine.


Good luck.

Jeff

For around $15K you can get a very good new off roader from Camel group in Queensland or in fact from many australian manufacturers.

I know that a lot of people are not great fans of chinese camper trailers, including myself.

Try a site called myswag, thats a camper trailer site and could be of some use.

John,

Have a look at Trackabout. They fall into your budget. There are so many out there and it can be mind bending. I cut it down to a short list and the above trailer does my job both on and off the road.

Cheers

Greg

Hi Smallblock

For the money you are happy to spend, I think you cant go wrong with a Tambo Cooper, for under 10K you will get the new camper and have 5k to splash out on all the extras you want, and that can go a very long way.
Check them out on Tambo campers.com.au

We have had one for several years now, and cant fault it.

Good luck with whichever way you go.

Cheers Rob.

The Camper Trailer Touring magazine recently did an article re soft floor vs Hard Floor - they also do reviews of many campers, plus other interesting articles. Goos luck

Hi Smallblock,

My suggestion would be to use a couple of months and spend the weekends at caravan parks in a cabin or on-site van or tent and look at what people have, how they set up and pack up, and speak to them about the pro's & cons of each - camper trailers, pop tops and caravans - and then weigh up what you have seen and heard.
This way you also get to see a lot of other aftermarket equipment and modifications and how they are used which will ultimately assist in your purchase. Who knows, you may end up with a van with a good tent in the car for the more "off the beaten track" places.

Whatever you get, enjoy your travels, it is a great country to see.

Cheers
Ev

go the hire option first, campers are funny things that some like and some hate, i have many freinds that have purchased one and used it only a few times and sold it and others that swear by them ................
Other thing is it will give you some idea of what you can and cant do with one, you lose some comforts in life and gain the "freedom" of going to places better to see .............
I know you have decided on a camper but do concider just simple tents and spending that money on accomodation and guided tours, you get good value for money and $15 grand will get you a long way and in comfort and when you want to camp just tent it, no trailer, less fuel, easy to park and drive..... tents dont have showers n toilets, nor do campers, it is only really just a tent on wheels ...........
All aside have a good time guys and savor every moment .....

Wow! Thank you all for your input.What I've heard about you Campers,Trekkers,Caravaners,what ever you'd like to call yourselves is true.A more helpful bunch there never was. A lot of food for thought, much appreciated.
I hope I get to meet some of you on the road one day.
Thanks
John

Hi,
I would suggest that you take the following idea

1. Think about the trailer in a few parts ( chassis and running gear, storage, bed and living space )
2. list out your requirements in these areas so you go shopping with 2 things requirements and dollars. Go shopping with price only and you will get what you pay for.
3. Given the time frame that your looking at I would also suggest that you buy with resale in mind, this does not mean that you get a defined price but it does mean that it should sell in a short time frame.
4. Access to the bed will become an issue later so look at manufactures that understand this and those will be able to offer a number of solutions.

Round up
chassis match to your vehicle so the tow height is the same and the springs are ok for the terrain
Storage - amount and access to
Bed - sleeping and changing - issues access to bed , ventilation, ease of opening
Living space - the awning area kitchen set up, table space , access paths to doors and kitchen, table etc., is there head space room for wet weather?.

Paul