Jeep campers hit mountain high

A group of Jeep-branded camper trailers has passed the rugged wilderness test as part of a Jeep four-wheel drive event held recently in Colorado, USA.

Built for the Chrysler car company by Indianapolis-based Livin Lite Recreational Vehicles, the compact off-road campers are unique in that they are the first matching off-road camper released by an automotive manufacturer.

The four-berth campers have been specially designed to complement the vintage-style looks of the Wrangler tow vehicle, including colour-matching if desired.

The rugged design cues extend to 17-inch cast aluminium wheels, taillights, flared guards, rear bumper and badging; all shared with the current Jeep Wrangler off-roader.

Available in a light offroad Trail Edition and heavier-duty Extreme Trail Edition, they feature lightweight, tubular-aluminium construction for an unloaded weight of between 204kg and 476kg depending on specification.

Interior features extend to a slide-out queen-size bed with foam mattress, stowable table and comfy Jeep-embossed couch which folds out into another bed. Other conveniences include a built-in aluminium cabinet, 110-volt power supply and canvas enclosure.

Aimed at casual campers, the Trail Edition comes with 32 inch BF Goodrich mud terrain tyres, 30cm ground clearance, trailing arm suspension, diamond-plated aluminium covering, and is available with an off-road hitch.

The more rugged Extreme Trail Edition ups the ante with a heavier frame, bigger 35-inch mud terrain tyres with high-mounted guards, 38cm ground clearance, full-underbody skid plate, and off-road hitch.

Pitched at a picturesque campsite in the Colorado Rockies, at an altitude sickness-inducing height of around 3000m, the camper trailers proved comfortable options, although tight living quarters make them a squeeze for more than two people.

Also available through Chrysler’s Mopar accessories division are Jeep-branded six-berth tents, which also provided basic accommodation during the Jeep Experience media event.

Offering standing height room, the tents feature an external frame, 10ft x 10ft of floorspace, two doors, three large mesh windows, and lightweight fabric construction.

Unfortunately, as the 6ft x 6ft rain fly awning wasn’t erected, the main tent opening didn’t prove resistant to some heavy rainfall causing some of the tents to leak inside.

Although not currently available in Australia, the Jeep campers retail from US$9995. The Jeep tents, which can be connected to the rear of a Jeep vehicle, are available in Australia for $409 from the Mopar websiteor Jeep dealers.