Buying a camper trailer

Buying a camper trailer is unlikely to be the biggest dollar decision you’ll make in your lifetime but all the same, it’s quite important. After all, what little recreational time we might get has to be of the highest quality doesn’t it?

Asking a few questions – of yourself and manufacturers – before handing over your hard-earned dollars will go a long way towards ensuring you get the most bang-for-your-bucks.

HOW MUCH WILL I USE IT?

Estimating the amount of time you think you’ll spend in the trailer each year can help you prioritise a few things; in particular the level of creature comforts.

Perhaps you can only get away from work and household ties for a few weeks a year. That being the case, you can skimp on some of the luxuries and put the cash toward some other aspect of the trailer to make it a more practical rig.

In the past I have spent 29 weeks away in my Go Anywhere trailer and yes, I want for nothing and in fact I have built it as a ‘home away from home’. Its next trip will be at the beginning of March and possibly take four months!

So, for me, spending $50,000 on a ‘five star’ camper makes financial sense. Does it for you?

HOW TOUGH DOES IT NEED TO BE?

An over-engineered chassis, complicated independent suspension and a monster towing hitch will be a waste of money if you don’t intend to take on the Gibb River Road or go overland through the Simpson Desert.

As well, all the excesses add a weight penalty which pushes up the tow rating requirement for the vehicle, increases fuel costs and makes a trailer less manoeuvrable when in the rough stuff.

So, where do you intend to tow it?

Once you own it the cost for modifications to the suspension if you find it wanting will be cost prohibitive if at all practicable. The amount of weight required to be carried has to be taken into account as well and this part of the decision making relates back to where you want to go.

Remote areas require more supplies including the all important H2o! There are no taps in the Simpson Desert!

WHAT TYPE OF SUSPENSION DO I NEED?

The types of suspension are many and varied.

The cheapest trailers on the market usually have straight axles with shackled leaf springs. This set up is really only suitable for bitumen and good unsealed graded roads.

Independent suspension offers better towing and weight distribution off road.

Al-ko makes a good system for medium duty off-road towing and Telwater trailers have this system standard on all of its Desert Edge models.

I have used the Al-ko in dual axle configuration, which is complemented by a shock absorber on each swinging arm and each pair of arms are joined by a sturdy cross member. This system works well in a medium duty off-road use environment.

There are also truly independent suspensions available with swinging arms and coil springs with shock absorbers and travel restriction straps so the shock absorber does not over extend when the trailer wheel becomes airborne.

If you are looking to get seriously off-road into some punishing country, this type of suspension should be a priority.

CUSTOMISED OR NOT?

If designing the build of your trailer with a manufacturer, consider ordering your axles at the same wheel track width as that of the tow vehicle. This will alleviate a lot of drag and reduce bogging when in the soft stuff.

It also pays to order the hubs with the same wheel stud patterns as the tow vehicle as this will give you an extra spare for the vehicle or trailer.

WHAT SORT OF BRAKES?

There are many schools of thought regards braking systems.

Generally speaking with bush trailers fitted with articulated hitches, override braking systems are less common. You will find that electric drum brakes are more popular than disc and calliper style as they seem to wear better and are less prone to breakage under stress.

It comes back then to how big you go in diameter. There are two common sizes available and they are 12 and 16 inch. The latter offers superior braking when carrying heavy loads and when travelling at highway speed.

DO I NEED AN OFF-ROAD HITCH?

The cheapest of trailers, those that will spend most of their travel on the tar, are usually fitted with a standard 50mm ball hitch. These hitches are fine for what they’re intended for; boat and garden trailers and the lightest of off road use.

If looking to go further afield you should consider one of the semi or fully articulated hitches available. The rougher the country the more articulated the hitch needs to be.

One of the vagaries of the articulated off-road hitch is that they generally need to be in perfect alignment with hitch over the tow pin for the two to connect successfully. Usually there’s not much room for error and those with a reversing camera on their vehicle will be glad they have it. It can be a frustrating exercise hitching up with one of these hitches.

WHAT SORT OF WIRING AND RUNNING LIGHTS?

There are many types of running (brake, indicator and tail) lights available and many of them are to put it bluntly, plain rubbish.

It’s likely your trailer is going to be in some pretty wet and dusty country at some stage and feeble fragile lights won’t last five minutes.

Over many years of towing trailers I’ve had no end of dramas and mostly with lights reputed to be ‘waterproof’ boat trailer lights. They inevitably leak and when corrosion sets in its all over.

Poor quality wiring can also let you down. Wiring should be robust and have tinned wire inside the insulation; the type used by quality marine installers.
These days we’re seeing a huge influx of LED lighting for all sorts of applications. Those designed for use as running lights are, like the other types, of varied quality. Inevitably they all come out of China, even those from reputed brand names long associated with the motoring industry.

By selecting one of the well known brands you’ll at least have some peace of mind should any warranty issues arise. And yes, LED lights break down and when they do, show as small patches of extinguished diodes that creep across the light untill all are extinct.

It does take some time for that to occur so a check every now and then will detect the issue before the trailer comes under the scrutiny of the law.

Wiring for these lights should be fully encased in a protective cover and preferably run through axle box section or channels.

 It should be fixed to the chassis or bottom of the trailer at regular intervals to prevent sagging, which will allow it to catch on snags and other structure when in the rough.

WHAT SORT OF BODY?

In an ideal world a camper trailer would have a fully galvanised chassis and box section. That ideal could well add another grand to the price of the trailer.

Provided the raw materials have been treated with the right rust resistant primers and undercoats it should have reasonable longevity provided it’s looked after and kept washed underneath to remove salt and mud.

In any case a galvanised camper trailer should be a priority for those intending to do a lot of beach towing.

The tub of the trailer should be deep enough to hold good quality storage bins such as Nally bins and they should be easily accessible; either through the top when the tent base is lifted or by sliding in and out of the tailgate.

While many quality trailers have built in water tanks those that don’t should have anchor points welded to the inside of the box section so jerry cans for water and fuel may be safely secured to prevent puncturing over rough terrain.

HOW MUCH DUST PROOFING?

Most of us can handle the heat, flies and other insects with plenty of shade and repellents but dust is another thing.

It gets into absolutely everything and can ruin a good holiday. With water being so precious at many out of the way places you might want to go, washing down gear is not an option.

You need a dust proof seal on any compartment that has goods stored inside and especially so when it comes to food stuffs.

WHAT QUALITY CANVAS?

Again, canvas comes in many and varied forms, but the best advice is to go for the heaviest quality you can afford... and can afford to carry.

Heavy duty canvas tent tops and awnings add a lot of weight to the tare weight of a camper trailer and if you skimp on quality you will get a limited life from the tent top.

The heaviest canvas weight available for recreational use is around 14oz-weight and it goes down in quality from there.

Big chunky zips are really necessary as sand and dust ingested into the mechanism of a light duty zip will quickly take its toll. Have a look at a diver’s wet suit zip; that’s the quality you need on a camper trailer.

Some camper trailer manufacturers have their own in-house canvas sewing department and utilise some great canvas products. Others buy the finished tent top kits from another company and some of them are very good quality.

Mine is a Howling Moon made in South Africa, a harsh continent from where lots of good quality camping gear emanates; they have the country to prove it in!

Also take particular note of the quality of flyscreens. They need to be heavy-duty to handle UV rays and spend a lot of time scrunched up when the tent top is collapsed.

Many bugs such as small midges can crawl through normal household flyscreen mesh but reducing the mesh size to keep the little critters out greatly reduces the ventilation flow.

There’s no easy way around this so it’s going to have to be your call. In any case, get quality that will last.

DO I NEED A FLY?

Most camper trailer manufacturers provide the option of a fly that goes over the tent top and it’s one that will pay dividends with extended canvas life.

If parked under shady trees you will be in the firing line of bird droppings and tree sap. To get bird droppings and sap off canvas you have to wash it and that’s a no no!

Canvas should only ever be hosed down and allowed to dry before storing away. Washing removes the natural and artificial waterproofing agents in the canvas and it invites leaks when next it rains.

The other advantage of a fly is that most have small wings that extend out from the vertical canvas walls. When in place they allow the tent top windows to remain open for ventilation during inclement weather.

I ordered one with my tent top which is light weight and made from thin but strong vinyl material. I put it on 18 months ago and it remains there to this day, folding up with the tent top.

DO I NEED THE FULL FAMILY TENT?

Most tent tops fold out and are quick to erect for an overnight stay when covering long distances. It’s when the awnings are deployed with optional walls and a myriad of poles, ropes and pegs that life gets a little complicated.

Do you need that hassle when out in the wilderness? Not me; keep it simple, light but strong and you will get a lot more out of your camper trailer than you expected.