camper trailer ebay

Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 14:01
ThreadID: 88661 Views:4075 Replies:7 FollowUps:2
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HI all!

Were new to this site and are hoping on some advise. We have been looking at hard floor camper trailers on ebay for around $6000. Just wondering if anyone has got one or knows about them. We are thinking of buying one and then strengthening it up etc.. We plan to travel for a year around Oz 4wding and having fun!!

Would greatly appreciate any advise you all have to offer.

Thanks heaps

The HICKOS
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Reply By: Mick O - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 14:41

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 14:41
Hey guys and welcome to the site. I think you’ll find it a wealth of information, knowledge and opinion (and everyone’s got one of those including me).

Do you have any links you could post as to the campers you were looking at on Ebay. That would be handy to get a handle on the type, and build quality. There is an age old adage “You get what you pay for” and in travelling the wide brown land, nothing could be truer. You’ve indicated you want to get into the rough stuff and even the best of our outback “highways” will soon take it’s toll on any trailer or vehicle of lesser quality.

From my experience, the majority of these ebay trailers are cheap overseas imports. There are not very robust and mass produced with the cost as the bottom line. Box construction of the trailer for example will often involve simple sheets, tacked or folded to a piece of angle rather than solid or folded sides. Draw bars and chassis rails are well undersize and the steel thickness often insufficient. Even mild corrugations will pull one of these to bits pretty damn quick over any sort of distance. Axle and spring assemblies are also important considerations because of the spring mounts are welded directly to the trailer frame, this will become a weak point and soon cause cracking in rough conditions (Springs should be welded to a separate piece of angle iron or a piece of plate and then welded to the trailer sub-frames)

There are any number of trailer manufacturers these days and many provide a good Australian made product that may cost a little more than a cheap ebay product but will provide you with piece of mind when you’re on the outback tracks. I did 12 months about Oz in 2006/07 towing a fantastic Tambo Cooper camper trailer. Made in Melbourne, great quality and very robust. They are $7890 at the present time but you may (if you’re very lucky) pick up an optioned trailer second hand.Mine lasted about 6 hours once listed.). There are many great manufacturers like Tambo so it’s probably a matter of identifying a brand you like the look of and then doing a search on this site ( or others for feedback).

Tambo - Cooper trailer

The caravan and Camping and 4x4 or Leisure expos in the capital and major cities are also great places to go and get a handle on just what’s available. The research can be half the fun.

Happy hunting

Mick
''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
Richard Maurice - 1903

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AnswerID: 463425

Follow Up By: mel hicko - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 15:06

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 15:06
Hi Mick

Thanks for your reply and information, the link ishttp://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130565912780?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

We were thinking it was very cheap for a hard floor camper as most we had looked at started at around $20 000 with the hard floor..

Do you have any advise on the difference between hard floor campers and soft floor campers? (just to pick your brain a bit more :) ) We were thinking the hard floor would be more dust/ water proof etc...

Thanks

The hickos


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Reply By: MrBitchi (QLD) - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 15:31

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 15:31
I think something this one from Pinnacle one would be a better starting point.

AnswerID: 463428

Reply By: Member Andys Aussie Adventure - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 15:57

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 15:57
Hi Mel, After looking at the link you posted, and looking at his feedback I would not be bidding on any of his Items. It looks good, but they sound like Chinese in their feedback, and can't be trusted for quality of product. Read their feedback before bidding and that will tell you if you will be getting a good deal. Hope you find a good one. Cheers Andy

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AnswerID: 463431

Reply By: snoopyone - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 16:09

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 16:09
From their feedback page

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130553287057


So be careful of price
AnswerID: 463433

Reply By: edwin - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 16:58

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 16:58
hi there hickos, i was looking at one of these also , it was a mars also but from seller procamping trailer,he has got 100% feedback, they are a bit of a slap together type but still ok if you are handy, as some of the pipes ,wiring etc aren't really protected and finished off properly, but if you had a good look over it and checked all the nuts and bolts and tidied it up a bit it should be ok, they were built a lot stronger than i expected, some of the welding is a bit rough but overall not too bad for $6k, the only reason i didnt buy one was the insect screen/mesh is not midgee proof , its just normal insect screen size and we do a lot of travel in these areas, so would end up driving me nuts, if that doesnt bother you, go for it. just dont forget to ask the midgeproof question with anything you look at,you d be surprised how many campers dont have it (mainly the cheaper ones),
if you go a soft floor ,get one with a smaller tent ,less than 12 ft, and youll find it so much quicker to set up and pull down and a heap better on your marriage too. .trust me!! , we have a 9 foot tent now and it is so so easy & it makes one night stops a breeze.
good luck
ed
AnswerID: 463442

Reply By: Jim E - Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 22:24

Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011 at 22:24
Hi Mate ....I might have just what you are looking for....Heavy Duty 4X4 Off road hard top camper trailer,with a 10 foot tinny and 6 hp. outboard motor..It is 1 very tough camper with water tank ..jerry cans...battery pack..led lights..NEW springs..shackles ..tyres..Mag wheels& spare...tool boxes...high lift jack...stone guards.......I can send photos if you email me....Cheers
AnswerID: 463469

Follow Up By: Jim E - Thursday, Aug 25, 2011 at 20:31

Thursday, Aug 25, 2011 at 20:31
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Reply By: mel hicko - Friday, Aug 26, 2011 at 11:52

Friday, Aug 26, 2011 at 11:52
Thanks all!!

Food for thought from all of you..

We have a mate of a mate... going to have a look at those trailers for us. who is a camper trailer buff, to check them out and were still scouring the net for a good quality second hand one.. Definitely want a quick set up... cant get divorced on our holidays !!!

cheers mel
AnswerID: 463573

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