Desert Edge Breeze Deluxe

WHAT WE LIKED

• Extensive use of aluminium
• Very neat sheet metal work and welding
• Good chassis and axle system

NOT SO MUCH

• Sharp edges under sheet alloy folds
• Only one safety chain; two is preferable so they can be crossed over each other to form a cradle in case of hitch/ball separation
• Biased weighted fasteners required on jerry can holders

Queensland’s Telwater has been making aluminium boats for yonks, with brands like Quintrex, Savage, Stacer, and Yellowfin familiar to most, even those without a boating bone in their body.

As Australia’s largest aluminium boat manufacturer, Telwater is better versed in production line aluminium fabrication than most in Australia. So when a few years ago it decided to produce camper trailers under the banner of Desert Edge, it came as no surprise to find that a good deal of the super structure was aluminium too.

And not just ordinary aluminium; marine grade aluminium sets the standard with these trailers and noticeable was the exceptional tradesman’s finish in the neat sheet metal bending and folding and clean solid fillet welds.

SALT SHAKER

The chassis for the Breeze Deluxe soft-floor, off-road camper (one of eight Desert Edge models available) is 100mm x 50mm x 2.5mm, hot dipped galvanised, dual grade steel section. The one piece rails run full length from the hitch to the tail gate.

The angle at the front of the trailer box is achieved by compressed bending rather than welding to come to a point at the hitch, for maximum strength.

The hitch on our review trailer was a standard 50mm ball type with a single safety chain, but the base plate on which it’s bolted is pre-drilled to take a number of off-road hitches. There’s also an optional drawer bar extension available to create more distance between your tow vehicle’s rear door and other things that might get to ride on top including quad bikes, motor bikes, and fridge boxes.

Al-Ko’s trusted 750kg IRS independent torsion bar suspension is fitted standard. While this type of suspension doesn’t offer the travel of some other swing arm suspensions, it’s one of the softest riding axles for the money and with no springs and hangers to worry about should be relatively fuss free.

Underslung toward the rear of the chassis is a 90 litre poly water tank with a front facing stone guard servicing the hand pump at the sink in the tailgate. The filler is located on the offside mudguard in front of a 4kg gas bottle retaining ring bolted to the rear running board.

Also fitted are Al-Ko stabilising legs in the back corners and an Al-Ko jockey wheel fitted to the front has been modified to achieve 4WD tow ball height.

There is provision for two jerry cans on the running boards, and both jerry can holders had a flat bar, wing nutted to a retaining frame. We envisage these could easily vibrate undone allowing the bar and jerry can to part company with the trailer so a biased weighted fastening device should be a priority here.

The review camper also had a storage box (1200mm x 500mm x 400mm) fitted to the drawbar. Unfortunately the underside of the opened lid had sharp edges which would need to be smoothed at some stage to prevent lacerations to the fingers.

BASIC INSTINCT

The kitchen on this model is the most basic you can get, with a plastic bowl rebated into the cupboard top and an opening to access the storage area. A number of flush-mounted gas top cookers could be fitted into the rest of this top space if need be.

The entire kitchen unit is attached to the inside of the tailgate and swings out, relying on the levelness of the trailer to remain in position. Should the trailer be on an unavoidable lean, a pin device to lock the kitchen in place would be a good idea.

The box proper on this camper is the old 7ft by 4ft by half a metre deep, giving it a volume of 1.32 cubic metres when the tail gate is open. So there’s not going to be any shortage of space for tubs of supplies and extra water and luggage.

The main material in use here is 2mm marine grade aluminium sheet with 50mm square corner supports and it sits on neoprene seals to isolate it from the galvanised chassis. A smart idea, as this alleviates electrolysis between dissimilar metals, and resultant corrosion.

Another little thing we liked were the well-constructed hinges with grease nipples.

Oztrail makes the tent tops for the Breeze Deluxe; in this case a nine foot model that’s roughly nine feet in length from the side of the trailer out to the outer wall when erected. The option is to have a twelve foot version which may have a room divider installed – a handy feature for a small family.

The Oztrail tent is made from 600 Plus Sat Proof canvas, which differs from standard material in that the thread used in making it is waterproofed before the weave whereas standard material is woven then treated. It’s claimed to be the equivalent of 12oz canvas.

The tent sits on a marine ply base that has a gas strut operated lid under the foam mattress so goods can be easily accessed without having to crawl in through the tailgate aperture.

The queen size mattress is made of 150mm thick high density foam (an inner spring type is optional), and it’s reached by climbing a basic lean-to step ladder stowed in the box section. The bed also has a privacy screen for when others are occupying the rest of the tent.

Inside there are ample large and airy windows, including the bedroom window which has hopper-type side walls to allow ventilation during rain. Both the windows and doorways have insect screens and there are optional awnings to close in the main awning, turning it into a sheltered kitchen and dining area.

VERDICT

While the Oztrail exhibited good quality, it was the trailer that really caught our eye.

If you are in the market for a tent trailer and intend spending time around salt and sand near our coastline you really need to look at trailer construction very closely. A lot of a trailer’s integral strength is in areas out of sight and mind; places where rust can get a headstart and be well advanced before telltale signs appear.

The Desert Edge’s extensive use of marine-grade aluminium and hot-dip gal frame should provide some peace of mind. And while the Breeze Deluxe is a base model, there’s a lot of room to move with a bunch of options to make this unit even more practical whilst remaining affordable to most.

DESERT EDGE BREEZE DELUXE

Overall length: 4.2m
External width: 1.85m
Height collapsed: 1.37m
Height erected: 2.7m
Nameplate tare: 500kg
Nameplate ATM: 750kg
Ball weight: 40kg (approx.)
Frame: 2.0 marine grade alloy box
Chassis type: hot dipped galvanised dual grade box section, 100 x 50 x 2.5mm
Suspension: Al-Ko IRS
Freshwater: 90 litre
Kitchen: single hand pump, basin
Price: $9980
Supplied by: Austyle Campers & Trailers
More info: Desert Edge Trailers