Tent vs Camper Trailer

At last, someone else conflicted with the same choice I have been thinking over since; for what it's worth I started off think a campervan was the go but I am tending to same conclusions as the OP. My major concern with the CT option is setup and packup in the wet. I feel that I would be able to set up something like an oztent RV3 or an enclosed awning, throw in a chair, stretcher and swag and bunk down for the duration with less effort than a CT. The tent goes on the roofrack, the chair, stretcher and swag go in the vehicle with the fridge and camp stove.

I must admit however to giving some thought to getting an offroad trailer for taking a bit more kit and supplies for longer term touring and eliminate putting wet and smelly stuff in the cabin. I suspect it would still be substantially lighter than a CT with all the fruit.

Hi Tony,

Our solution is outlined here
Dont know what type of vehicle you have but what we have done works for us, is very comfortable and flexible. Just might help you to find the right set-up for your needs.

Cheers,

Val

Tony,
I used the tent option for the first 20 years of my 4wd touring. A simple tent with a centre pole in which you could stand so that dressing etc was easy. It also had enough room (just) to sit and also cook on a gas stove if the weather turned bad.

Back when I started the range of tent options was very limited by comparison to now. I would very much stress the need to be able to stand and have the extra space if you are going to be camping for more than just a day or so at a time. You can put up with almost anything for just a day or two but more than that and you need to be able to setup/take down easily, especially on your own and have the space to be comfortable.

We moved to a CT when the ground seemed to be harder and lower down. You will know when it happens. We had also done many of the harder trips and had moved more to touring than hard exploring.

We now have the luxury of having a Troopy fitted out in which we can sleep and is used when the trip is a no-tow type.

In brief yes I think tenting is a good option when you are agile and defintiely when solo. Keep everything simple, don't load up with gear and just buy things as you find you have a real need. A couple of plastic crates perhaps with simple partitions to keep the gear organised and make it easy to access plus load/unload.

Enjoy the red.

cheers

My wife and I are both keen campers, but have now compromised and have BOTH.

But it's horses for courses with us. If we are going away with friends that do not have a CT we take the tent, which is an Ozten RV4. If others have vans or CTs we take the TVan.

We can set the tent site up more quickly than the TVan, and the tent served us well on our trip around Oz. We particularly liked not having to plan ahead, but just drove to where we wanted to without any concerns about having to drop the trailer to get there. The reason we bought the TVan was because we consider it to be the next best option to a tent in terms of 'go anywhere'.

But we are always happy to stick the Oztent on the roof and head off, and it will still get plenty of time out in the scrub.

Jack

CT will typically come with an awning and some kind of kitchen set up. So you can be half outdoors but still cook and sit in shelter from sun or rain.

And a big PLUS, a softfloor unit will come with a lot of storage space under the bed.

Again, many come with a QS mattress or double at a min.

Well, we've been down the tent route, from 3kg hike tents to big canvas models and they're cheap and cheerful.

But for 2 of us out travelling for a month or more at a time, the CT is effectively a home on wheels and I don't regret spending a cent of the price.

..

Can I suggest that if you're confused, you rent a CT for a week and suck it and see?

It depends on where you want to go. Just got back from the High Country and some of the tracks would not have coped with dragging a camper. I think it's horses for courses. We are sticking with our oztent till we are physically unable to do that kind of travel then we might go the whole hog and get a caravan with a toilet and shower and just do offroad day trips. Cheers, Chris.

Howdy Tony
We leave next week for a 3month tour ex Melbourne, up the west coast to Broome across to Katherine and down the centre. We have a touring tent. Once we have selected the site it takes 10 mins to have the car unpacked and the tent set up. We have good quality comfortable stretchers, 2 chairs, a table with attached seats, minimal cooking facilities, an electric kettle for powered sites and 6 Led lights for plenty of light at night. To pack everything up we take about 7 mins. We have practised this a few times. Whilst it is not a race, we do not want to be spending too much time in the set up and pack up. My husband flatly refuses to tow anything at all. We have a 50 Ltr Waeco fridge which will stay in the back of the 4WD. When we can't get a powered site, I have tried the Waeco out with a Bag of Ice sitting in a container and it would last for 1 - 2 days.
I would have loved a Camper Trailer or a Jayco, but he is the King and I have to bow to his decree. This will be an adventure and I am sure I will enjoy camping out. I am not too worried about the cooking side of it, as long as I have a hot cup of tea I am happy to go to the local pub or whatever, or make do with an easy meal in a frypan. If it is raining, we will stay in cabins or whatever is available.
Once we have done this trip I am sure I will know if the tent is the way to go, or if we should have bought the camper. Money is not the issue, it is the towing.
Plus we do not have the space in our house to store a camper.
I will post my findings when I return
Happy travelling
Maggie C

hello bibtracker.
I started out in a swag, then went to a large tent, then to a 16 foot pop top then back to a swag,now it is a roof top tent "Aussie made of course"and i couldn't be happier I travel alone and with an awning 16x12 foot that fits on the side of the ute if i stay for more than a day this works for me, By the way im packed and ready to go but the floods have me stumped,oh well time is on my side? anyone any suggestions im keen cheers now bill.

We had a heavy duty off road camper trailer which I loved, but it did have its limitations. We wrote of the camper trailer in an accident last year and the insurance did not cover a replacement. Instead we kitted out our car with drawers and auxilliary batteries etc and bought a black wolf turbo tent and good air mats instead. To deal with the issue of shelter from rain etc we fitted our car with an awning. Most of our trips have only been of short duration (one or two weeks). My comparison of the options:

Camper trailer pros - lots of storage space, can easily carry gear for four people for two weeks, allowing space for carrying firewood etc. A comfortable mattress. Cons - difficult for one person to set up and pack away, plays havoc with fuel economy (Can't use overdrive when towing on a Prado), some places you can't take a trailer, pine pole disease at some national park campgrounds means you cannot set up a camper trailer.

Tent pros - can camp just about anywhere, better fuel economy, cons - storage space becomes an issue. I doubt we would be able to fit enough gear and food in the car for more than my wife and I.

Setting up the camper trailer was a lot less complicated for two as the bedding etc was already in place as well as the kitchen etc. The bedding etc is a bit more complicated using a tent. The kitchen is not really any more complicated as everything is kept set in the drawers so all we really need to do is set the gas stove on its stand and set up a table. We have travelled with friends with a jayco camper trailer and were fully set up/packed up faster than they were. It does however take an extra 10 minutes or so more than our old trailer, unless setting up the awning on the trailer which added a lot more time than the awning on the car.

In the long term if we were to hit the road for extened periods (a month or so), and when we become grey nomads I would look at getting another camper trailer (would love a T-van).
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Tent for camping. Camper trailer or van for pretend camping.

When it was just the two of us we camped in the back of the ute or later a troopy. After the kids turned up on the scene we started buying camper trailers, firstly cheap 2nd hand and then more substantial quality and cost. Been through three of them all up and had to sell the last one for financial reasons.

Now we're in the process of having an "offroad trailer" made. We still have our camping gear and have brought a few different tents when we sold the trailer. The center pole touring tent is definitely awesome, we could all fit in there but I reckon we might get one for the kids too instead of the 3 man hiking tents they have now...although they just share one most of the time. The centre pole is bulkier and heavier but still easier and quicker to put up than the hiking tents. We purchased an Outdoor Connection Cooper, there was no point spending over $900 on the Aus versions if we didn't even know weather the set up would suit us or not!

So the new camper won't have a kitchen or tent or lights, just water tank and decent storage basically. So I guess you can say our set up is a mix of both, a trailer because we don't have anywhere enough space in the back of the Wrangler for the gear required for us and two kids. The tents offer a lot of flexibility and they're affordable enough to change as your ideas change or upgrade if they wear out (compared to canvas on a camper).

Even though we are having to tow something the fact that it's not a fully kitted out camper does save a heap of weight (and money) as well and yet we wouldn't be carrying that much extra gear compared to what we would take if the camper was a you beaut have it all.

Sure we would have loved to buy something like the Ultimate Xtrk but we couldn't afford nor justify spending that amount of money.

If it was just the two of us we would likely still own a land-cruiser ute and possibly have a tray top camper of sorts..probably custom. Mind you many years from now our ideal set up depends on many things, the type of traveling and weather we're living on the road or if there is a home base. If we still have the Jeep by then we will probably have some sort of camper I guess.

After being a camper person the main downside to tenting is if you don't have a great big awning to cook under, that is the biggest advantage I found in having a camper trailer! Sleeping comfort purely comes down to personal preference and how much bulk you are able to or want to carry (in regards to mattresses) Those 4wd self inflating mats are some of the most comfy I've slept on even at home, but they sure are bulky!

Does anyone have or have tried the Foxwing Awning by OzTent.

Foxwing awning

An interesting question - maybe a perennial question - and one I can't directly answer, despite having had quite some years experience with CT's, specialised supply trailers, tents, vehicle mounted awnings, swags and combinations of the above. As a tour guide/operator, I regularly use all of these methods, depending on what the aim of the trip is and who is going

But what I can do is reinforce the need mentioned by a few respondents to carry as little as possible no matter what your choice. Trailers are mighty conducive to carrying far too much gear - just because you can. And they cost maintenance, registration, insurance, tyres, increased fuel consumption and most of all, depreciation. All serious downsides, IMHO (I currently own a dedicated supply trailer/kitchen which carries far too much of everything, weighs 1.4 t, can bump the fuel useage up as much as 25% and cost $ 12,000).

If you are able to keep an open mind & remain flexible, I believe all these options could work for you. It all depends on your circumstances. None of the trailers or tents need to be top-of-the -wazza units, and you don't need to spend a fortune if you don't want to, provided you look after what you have and prepare the camp site well.

And if rain is a concern, tents or campers with floors can beat the pants off hastily erected awnings & shelters. But that is part of the issue - if you are well informed (i.e. read the weather forecasts carefully), prepared and have chosen a good campsite, you'll have a weather proof shelter erected in time for that possible nasty weather event - even one lasting a few days that might even maroon you.

Another perspective worth remembering that one of the major reasons why we camp is because it is different. Yes, you may get wet/dirty/smelly/mildly uncomfortable for a short time. But it creates a vital balance and lets you appreciate houses & hot water systems all the more! The satisfaction to be gained from making a comfortable campsite, be it for one evening or for two weeks, is worth it all.

For what it's worth, I prefer to NOT take a tent, even though I have a beauty, or to take my trailer (it also is a beauty); instead I use swags on stretchers. I understand that if you badly need privacy (e.g a caravan park) a tent may be useful. I work on the assumption that I am not interesting or good looking enough for people to want to take a second glance at me & my set-up - even if it is a near naked bolt for the dunny at night in those most horrid of places, caravan parks.

Against tents and trailers, the KISS principle of simple vehicle based travel pays dividends not just in dollar costs saved in capital outlay, or in running costs, but gives payback in flexibility and enjoyment.

BTW, mine's a Penfolds (red).

Cheers

Rick (S.A.)

Many thanks for all the replies on this subject, and glad to see that I am not the only one conflicted by it.
I already have a Jayco Flamingo wind-up which I CAN put up alone, but it's too big for one person and I would not take it off road.
Fascinated by John & Val's Troopy, but the only Troopies I have seen in Perth are ex-rentals with huge mileages and the obvious worries about how they have been driven.
I do plan to rent a couple of CTs and try them out for lone travelling before thinking about buying one.
And I appreciate the need to keep things simple: I attract gadgets like cow poo attracts flies. A tent in the back of a 4WD ute would force me to take only what I really need.
Taking the Jayco off to Albany for a week or so soon, so will do some more thinking about the subject then. Happy travelling to all.
Cheers, Tony