AOR Sierra ZR 2020 Review

Twenty years ago, Steve Budden started Australian Off Road by building camper trailers in his backyard. Now, after success upmarket with off-road hybrids and caravans, AOR has returned to its roots with its Sierra ZR Micro Camper, priced from $29,900.

Based on the underpinnings of the 4300mm long x 1950mm wide AOR Sierra Micro Camper introduced last year, the more basic aOR Sierra ZR puts everything except its substantial storage space on the outside, assuming that many budget buyers upgrading from ute or tent-based campers may already have things like a rooftop tent, a portable fridge, a gas cooktop, a small Weber, etc. to bring to the party.

Melbourne’s Track Trailer explored this market some years ago with its off-road Mate trailer using Tvan underpinnings, with the tax advantage for tradies that it could be converted quite quickly from workday trailer to a weekend warrior.

However, stripped of its accessories, the Sierra ZR is more identifiably a compact camper trailer in the Patriot mould than a box trailer.

Stand out from the pack

Similar to its Sierra big brother from the waist down, the AOR Sierra ZR looks distinctive, with its fibreglass and aluminium outer panels like the Sierra protected by its Raptor protective coating in the buyer’s choice of ‘Platoon’, ‘Fighter Jet’ and ‘Desert Storm’. Our review camper was the last-named.

However, the ZR differs in its superstructure with the big Sierra’s built-in queen bed replaced by a full-length roof platform to which a range of camping accessories can be attached alongside firewood, kayaks, windsurfers and the like.

Our review ZR also came fitted with AOR’s home-brand Trax fold-over rooftop tent, a large roll-out kitchen awning and a clever rear shower tent, but all other popular rooftop tents, sleeping pods and awnings will fit.

With the same robust five-year warranted galvanised and powder-coated chassis, independent trailing arm variable rate coil spring suspension with twin Armour Offroad shock absorbers per wheel and an extreme ramp-over/exit angle of 40.7 degrees, the Sierra ZR with its tare weight of just 850kg shouldn’t limit where any serious 4WD, or your nerves, will take you.

Set-up is child's play

Setting up the AOR Sierra ZR is a cinch. Disconnect the standard DO-35 off-road coupling, attach the long-shaft jockey wheel and drop and secure the spindly rear aluminium corner stability legs and that’s it.  I know that AOR has tried hard to keep the ZR’s price down, but the absence of a flip-up jockey wheel like those fitted to other AOR models and the provision of sturdier steel rear struts looks like penny-pinching.

Like the 100kg heavier Sierra whose price starts at $42,500, the left side of the Sierra ZR is largely dedicated to outdoor cooking, with a slide to house a large cabinet fridge located in the front-most locker, with a separate smaller slide below it that can form the platform for a gas cooktop or a Weber Baby Q.

To the right of this is a slide-out sink/prep bench with a clever collapsible plastic sink, and room to plate-up behind, while another smaller slide above houses a cutlery drawer and further bench space.

Finally, the compartment to the rear reveals a large pantry storage area, with its lid doubling as further bench space. All these compartments are protected against water and dust ingress by large rubber seals and lockable compression latches.

The whole cooking/prep area was protected from the elements on the review Sierra ZR by a large, full-body length rollout, self-supporting awing. However, as it’s quite a lightweight accessory, it would need to be pegged properly and guy-roped to survive strong winds.

More external storage options

The opposite side of the AOR Sierra ZR camper has three more lockers mainly devoted to storage, with the removable floor in the centre one covering the compartment housing the Sierra ZR’s standard 150Ah lithium battery, with its management controlled by FinScan PowerCORE battery management. A switchable 240v/inverter is also fitted and provision is made to connect a portable solar panel via a 50Ah Anderson plug on the drawbar.

More storage space can be found around the spare wheel in the under-floor rear compartment and in the deep and unobstructed, sheet-lined front boot. The twin 4.5kg gas bottles ahead of the boot are well protected by a stone shield, as is the underbody by the Sierra’s huge rubber mud and stone flaps.

Frankly, if you need to take more gear than will fit in all the ZR’s lockers, nooks and crannies, you’ve simply got too much stuff!

Roof-top sleeping

Unlike its bigger Sierra brother, whose queen bed is inside, you sleep on the roof of the AOR Sierra ZR, well above snapping crocs.

After climbing onto the roof via a supplied telescopic aluminium ladder, the tent unpacks conventionally to the right hand side after removing its generously-sized vinyl dust cover.
A separate hoop allows a portico to project over the attached access ladder.

Spring steel is used to provide further rain shelter for the tent’s side ventilation windows, while the roof is additionally weather-proofed by a built-in, safari-style fly sheet. A split foam mattress folds down to provide a comfortable queen bed.

It’s all very functional, but I’d personally spend a little more and fit a pod-style bed that pops up on telescopic struts. However with the Sierra ZR you will need to discipline your option spending or you might as well buy the more expensive Sierra with its built-in bed to start with.

One good feature that the ZR shares with the larger Sierra is its excellent folding shower tent, which snaps into shape when unpacked. A plastic body port next to the spare wheel covers the plumbing connections for hot and cold water and a flexible shower hose.

The standard water tank on the Sierra ZR houses 60 litres, but stored fresh water capacity can be upgraded to a total of 140 litres, while there's also provision to draw water from a creek.

Basic stuff, but the ZR is a bush camper, not a luxury caravan.

Summing up

AOR says the Sierra ZR is designed to appeal to younger campers who want to get off the ground on the next phase of their off-road adventuring. Depending on how you view it, the Sierra ZR is a beautifully-finished entry point to AOR ownership, or a more expensive alternative to a folding hard-floor imported camper.

I take the former view. With a proven reputation for off-road ability and customer support, the Sierra ZR is a very capable and with a few exceptions, a well-executed camper that has few shortcomings and brings a new level of quality and finish to this budget price segment.

How much does the AOR Sierra ZR cost?

Price: From $29,900
Travel length: 4300mm
External body width: 1950mm
Travel height: 1890mm (plus rooftop tent)
Tare weight: 850kg
ATM: 1800kg
Body: Fibreglass walls and roof; aluminium nose-cone
Chassis: Supagal and powder coated high-tensile 100mm x 50mm steel
Suspension: AOR independent trailing arms and coil springs with twin gas shockers per wheel
Brakes: 12-inch electric
Wheels: 17 x 8in Black steel rims with LTZ 285/70-17, 33-inch tyres
Battery: 1 x 150Ah lithium battery with FinScan PowerCORE battery management
Solar: Anderson plug supplied for optional portable panels
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg
Hot water: Gas
Cooking: BYO. Optional 2-burner gas slide-out cooktop
Fridge:  Optional portable compressor cabinet fridge/freezer
Shower: External rear hot/cold shower
Lighting: LED throughout
Supplied by: Australian Off Road, Caloundra, Queensland