Buying a camper trailer

So you’re in the market for a camper trailer. But what are you actually looking for? The term camper trailer means different things to different people, and in many cases people should be referring to ‘tent trailers’. But then, what is a tent trailer? Let’s see if we can sort the chaff from the hay – or the canvas from the vinyl.

In a very general sense, a camper or tent trailer is a unit where the occupants can usually sleep off the ground. In every case, the side walls are canvas or vinyl. The roof can be solid material or canvas. If it has a solid roof there is normally a mechanism for winding it up. With tent trailers, the setup usually requires a swing-out or flip-over action to erect the sleeping and living quarters. For the purpose of this article we’ll take the easy way out and refer to all of these as ‘camper trailers’.

Camper trailers have lots of appeal. They can often be towed by smaller vehicles, sleep as many as eight people, depending on the model, can be taken where other types of recreational vehicles (RVs) can’t, take up less storage space and, with a few exceptions, are less expensive to buy and tow.

WHO BUYS CAMPER TRAILERS?

Because of their adaptability, camper trailers suit a wide range of buyers. They could be people who have been camping in tents but are looking for a few additional creature comforts, or intrepid travellers who realise that a caravan or motorhome is not all that suitable for exploring out-of-the-way places. Others find that a camper trailer is the only thing that will fit in the garage or under the carport roof. Camper trailers can appeal to families as they may be less expensive to buy than a large caravan with enough beds to sleep everyone.

WHAT SIZE?

Like all RVs, camper trailers come in a variety of sizes. When planning to buy one, it is a good idea to gaze in the crystal ball to determine where it may be taken. The rules for outback or offroad travel are quite simple: if want to cross the Simpson Desert or head for Cape York then towing is not recommended and all camping gear should be carried in the vehicle.

If sleeping in a swag or a tent has little appeal, but you still want to venture to outback places, look for a trailer that is no wider, higher or longer than the tow vehicle. And make sure the wheel track is the same. In this way, if there is room between the trees and boulders for the vehicle, the trailer will also fit. Similarly, it’s easier to negotiate between obstacles when the trailer wheels have the same spacing as those of the car.

THE RIGHT WEIGHT

Trying to judge the weight of a camper trailer by its size can be misleading. While some small trailers can be less than 500kg ready to hit the road, others are almost as heavy as a caravan or pop-top of similar dimensions.

To start with, a camper trailer designed for offroad use will have a robust chassis and body, strong suspension and big wheels. Then there is the kitchen equipment, fridge/freezer, battery, containers for fuel and water, camping equipment, boat on the roof and the outboard motor. Not to mention the ‘just-in-case’ spares and other gear.

While a strong trailer is an obvious advantage, the heavier the loaded unit becomes, the more difficult it can be to tow, particularly up steep slopes or through soft ground. And, of course, a heavier trailer needs a more powerful tow vehicle that is likely to consume more fuel.

Because of the axle position and the available storage facilities, some camper trailers can finish up imposing a lot of weight on the towball. For safe stable towing, about 10 per cent of the total trailer load should be on the towball. This is known as ball load. Excessively heavy ball loads will tend to take weight off the car’s front wheels, which necessitates the use of special towing equipment, such as a weight distribution hitch, to keep the tow vehicle level.

SUSPENSION

A good suspension is desirable on any trailer but if you are heading offroad, the design of the suspension becomes even more important. Basically, a suspension has to isolate the body from the irregularities of the road and make sure the tyres stay in contact with the surface. To do this efficiently, the strength of the springs need to be ‘tuned’ to the weight carried and be flexible enough to absorb the road shocks.

Unfortunately, some trailer manufacturers believe that if the road surface gets rougher, the springs have to be stronger. Consequently there are trailers about which have very rigid springs that make the ride of the trailer less than smooth. This is then likely to cause unsuspected damage to the trailer or its contents. Also a bouncing trailer is harder to control than one that has good riding characteristics.

TRAILER FEATURES

Most tent trailers tend to have similar basic features. These can include a tent section that folds out either to the side or the rear, with sewn-in floor, windows with flyscreens and sleeping accommodation above ground level, plus kitchen facilities, a reasonable amount of storage space, water tank and the option to add an awning, verandah or entire ‘rooms’. 

Of course, each make and model has features that set it apart from the others. These may include the quality of material used for the body and chassis, suspension type, thickness and colour of the canvas or vinyl, size of the bed and type of mattress, number of windows, dust proofing, stone protection, stabiliser legs, spare wheel, access to storage area and many optional extras.

Wind-up style camper trailers like the Goldstream and Jayco are fitted out almost like a caravan. Usually there is a fridge that operates on 240V, 12V and LPG, cooker with oven, microwave, lots of bench space and cupboards and comfortable seats. About the only thing missing is overhead storage, although a couple of models do offer this as well as a fold-down wardrobe.

SETTING UP ON SITE

Most camper trailer manufacturers try hard to make their products easy to put up and fold away. Naturally, some models take longer to get ready than others, particularly when a roof extension or walls are added. This is a feature worth considering if your holidays consist of spending a couple of weeks in the one location or if each night is spent in a different campsite. For the latter it is important that setup time is at a minimum.

Anyone who admits to not being as fit as he or she used to be, or has physical disabilities, should make sure their purchase doesn’t require a lot of effort to set up or fold away, or hitch and unhitch to the towing vehicle. A salesperson with lots of experience can make the job look deceptively easy. Always try it yourself to find out what is involved.

DECISION TIME

When confronted with a variety of products people tend to agonise as to which is best. A better approach may be to cross off the ones that appear unsuitable and make a shortlist of two or three units. Apart from the setting up procedure and available features, check out the size of the bed and ease of access to storage areas.

Also consider whether the kitchen can be used to make morning tea without having to open up everything, and if you are thinking of carrying a dinghy on top of the camper, find out if it will have to be removed at night.

If you still have difficulty coming to a decision, perhaps visit a local caravan park or campsite and talk to camper trailer owners. Most will happily fill you in on the good and not-so-good features. 

SUMMARY

With over 100 different manufacturers of camper trailers throughout Australia there should be a unit to suit everyone. But often it can be the sheer number of choices that makes it difficult to decide which one is right for you. Some companies have models to hire out which means you can spend a few hundred dollars to find out if a camper trailer suits your lifestyle, instead of spending thousands of dollars to discover it isn’t quite what you thought it would be. In the final analysis, camping and caravanning means that some compromises have to be made. There’s no one single unit that incorporates all the desirable features and benefits of travelling from a tent to a motorhome.