Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012 at 00:10
Glenn,
We just bought an Outback Sturt (from the Victorian "Outback" company - there are several). This would not be in your price range, but I share our experience for the benefit of yourself and others - some is general to all CTs and some is product/supplier specific:
Firstly, we chose the product after much research and some first-hand positive references, and the company has been great to deal with, but.......
We live in the ACT and the registration laws here require an initial inspection by the Government Inspection Station (ie not an authorised inspector at the garage, etc) for all new camper trailers. Apparently they are having a bit of a crackdown on non-compliant CTs and they told us that almost all initially fail inspection, even Australian-made new ones like our's.
Our Outback Sturt trailer was non-compliant against the 2009 National Code of Practice, Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1, or "VSB1" (you can Google it). Apparently all jurisdictions are supposed to have agreed to strictly enforce this. Specifically, we had to modify the manufactured product and install lights on the sides and reflectors on the front. The other main problem the inspectors mentioned was that they are failing CTs on electric brakes. Fortunately on our's at least, I had fully adjusted them personally, so we were the first that they recalled having passed in ages, they said!
We contacted the manufacturer and they said they had not had this issue before and that their trailers comply with the Australian Design Rules, but the Government inspectors were
adamant that the VSB1 is supposed to be applied and this is strictly enforced in the ACT at least. So, after a few days work, I had the required lights installed.
The second issue that we had was that our SMEV gas stove had defect. Outback Campers were great in helping to get this resolved, but if I didn't have some technical skill (gas stoves are non-trivial beasts) this warranty repair would have been very difficult via an interstate supplier. My advice is to
check that the stove works, if you have one included.
Another problem that we had, was having to buy additional awning poles, as the initial set were not enough -
check that.
Then a T-nut thumb screw broke on one of the extendable poles inside the CT - its a good idea to get a spare or two.
Don't forget that you need to buy a gas bottle, if you have a stove in the CT.
Everything that they say about having to put your canvas through a number of weathering cycles, is true. On our first deployment we had rain that would make Noah panic, the
camp was flooded, and we did get quite a bit of leakage from the seams where the canvas walls are stitched to the PVC floor. So much so that no-one could have slept on that floor. So, we would strongly endorse weathering your canvas - we used our garden hose to put it through some wet/dry cycles.
A mattress protector under the mattress is a good idea if you have a marine ply "floor", as moisture can seep through the marine ply.
If you get an off-road model greater than 750kg (I recall), you have to have brakes in the CT. If you have electric brakes, don't forget that you will need a brake controller installed in your car. This is a whole other saga, but best to do your research and get advice. We wanted a "proportional" controller, but the airbag system in our car meant that we could only have a simpler Redarc controller installed, with a remote head under the dash. This has worked out fine, but it was an education and it cost about $800 including labour.
Now that all that is done, we are happy! I hope this helps someone.....
Littondoddy
AnswerID:
497247
Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012 at 08:29
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012 at 08:29
Interested to know why the airbag system in your vehicle affects which brake controller you can fit. Thanks
FollowupID:
773045
Follow Up By: Littondoddy - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012 at 11:31
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012 at 11:31
On the airbag question: From auto electrician's explanation, it sounded like there had been issues in my vehicle type where proportional controllers mounted under the dash had somehow caused electrical interference with the airbag controller, causing the airbag pyrotechnics to detonate (ie not a good thing!). My car is a Lexus GS450H, which has leg airbags that are the subject of the concern. So, the advice was that the brake controller is best mounted
well away from the airbags, at the back of the vehicle. This meant that a brake controller product had to be selected with a "remote" head, rather than one with the full unit under the dash.
Another possible reason is simply that because the vehicle deploys leg airbags, if the brake controller is installed under the dash there is a risk of it fouling the airbags when they deploy. This isn't what the auto-electrician said, but it also makes sense.
Incidentally, there is a lot of commentary online in favour of proportional brake controllers and against non-proportional brake controllers, and no-doubt in an emergency with a heavy caravan and relatively light tow vehicle, I would prefer the features of a proportional controller. However, with a light camper trailer I have to say that my Redarc non-proportional controller has proved to be absolutely fine in all driving so far and I have no hesitation in recommending it. In my case, I simply had no choice, as the proportional controllers couldn't be fitted to my vehicle.
FollowupID:
773060