Lifestyle Explorer

Established by John Swinglehurst and his business partner Brad Lower, the Lifestyle brand of camper trailers has found its niche in the market – family-friendly units built for onroad and offroad travelling.

Only three years old, Lifestyle builds practical models for family use that are hard wearing and with as many double functions as possible. Keeping the price down is a major priority, and while Lifestyle models do not have some of the comfort and luxury items of other brands, they are not designed to.

There are several models in the Lifestyle line-up, mostly offroad units but lighter onroad trailers are also available. The budget Topz actually comes sans trailer. It is designed for either a trailer or a ute that you supply and is easily fitted or removed.

For the trailer-less, Lifestyle’s Adventurer will be of interest and if you want a few more features, then our review vehicle, the Explorer, is probably for you.

The basic side-fold design of the Explorer has been heavily influenced by the family approach. A rear-fold unit can usually be erected quicker and it’s often easier to get into bed, but a side-fold camper generally offers more undercanvas area.

Galvanised steel seems to be obligatory for camper trailer chassis and the Lifestyle is no exception: the main frame and drawbar are made from 3in x 2in (75mm x 50mm) rectangular hollow section (RHS) steel and the support components are 2in x 2in (50mm x 50mm) RHS steel.

Suspension is an Al-Ko offroad set – leaf-spring suspension with bronze bushes and greaseable pins.

Wheels are 15in x 7in Sunraisers and the tyres are good condition used items. New tyres are available if required.

The protected water tank sits above the axle, well out of the way. Fitted at the rear are caravan-style stabiliser legs and a Hayman Reese-style hitch receiver for accepting a bike rack – most important for family holidays!

Compared to some camper trailers, the Lifestyle drawbar is quite simply fitted-out. Essential items include the Treg hitch and snap-up jockey wheel, and there’s also the spare wheel mount, a 40in x 14in x 15in (100mm x 350mm x 380mm) aluminium checkerplate storage box and a 6in (150mm) dia PVC pole storage container. It makes for a featherlight ball weight!

The design of the trailer body is a little different. Although wheels are fitted outside the main trailer body, the areas in front and behind the mud guard have been ‘filled in’ with aluminium checkerplate. This makes a very effective storage area and while the rear offside is devoted to a 4kg gas cylinder and water tap, the rest is available for general storage. Cleats at the front allow jerry cans to be easily strapped in.

All trailer panels are made from zinc annealed steel. Before construction all panels are undercoated, so there is no bare steel between joints and all corners are a mitre joint rather than a butt fit. The top coat is either a Hammertone or industrial enamel paint.

Pinchweld rubber seal, in preference to foam tape, has been used around the bed frame and tailgate. In John Swinglehurst’s opinion, the rubber seal is more effective and will last considerably longer than the foam.

Where the ply timber base of the bed overhangs the trailer sides, this has been sealed off with galvanised steel sheeting. At the rear of the trailer the tail lights sit proudly aside from the bodywork, but are within the steel frame of the trailer and are therefore reasonably well protected.

BEAUTY IN THE BASICS

At the centre, the floor-to-ceiling height of the tent is an impressive 9ft (2.7m). Around the bed are three large windows and in the living area, the side and back walls have good window space.

All windows are fully screened and have canvas flaps on the inside. The front and back windows both have external awnings.

The PVC floor area measuring 9ft x 7ft (2.7m x 2.1m) is an integral part of the tent, including the part that covers the trailer side. Two small zip-out sections give access to the external trailer storage areas. The floor also runs up the canvas walls about 4in (100mm) to prevent any minor floods.

To fit the main nearside awning, Lifestyle has made a small triangular piece of canvas to go between the rear angled corner of the bedroom and the extended awning roof. This allows a vertical rear canvas wall and negates the effect of a low awning height above the kitchen bench.

When packed up, the trailer canopy looks a little bigger than it needs to be but it’s been designed so that ready-to-use children’s beds can be left there for quick overnight stops.

Being a side-fold tent, it is certainly more easily erected by two people and once the canvas is flipped over, it doesn’t take long to peg out. The main awning zips on quite easily and it doesn’t take long to sort the poles out. It’s nice to see spring tensioners supplied and also reasonably easy to use runners. The awning has been designed to be left on when travelling.

The kitchen bench is quite basic: a rectangular box with a hinged flap fitted to the trailer tailgate, which swings out sideways under the awning. Everything is optional here – cooktop, sink and water fittings.

The queen 6ft 6in x 5ft (2m x 1.5m) foam mattress sits on a ply base above the trailer.

Now, just a general comment here – of all the side-fold camper trailers (not only this one) that we looked at, few provided a small ladder a way of easily getting into the high bed. When I put this to one manufacturer, he pointed out that a small ladder was a nuisance to store, but suggested a strong storage box that could be stepped on. A slightly better idea from someone else was a wide step that slotted into brackets on the trailer.

Under the mattress is a ply timber base with two hatches to access the trailer area underneath. It’s only a little thing, but often ply timber hatches are very rough on the edges. However, these hatches had their edges routed – a quick job but much easier on soft hands.

SUMMING UP

The Lifestyle Explorer is quite an impressive camper trailer. Granted, it hasn’t been designed as “the trailer with everything” but that is its intent.

For a family on a tight budget that wishes to experience the camper trailer lifestyle (no pun intended), or people who want only certain features (the options list is quite impressive), the Lifestyle Explorer unit is ideal.

It’s a good solid base on which to build a camper trailer that suits both your budget and features list.

Lifestyle Camper Trailers, cnr Kerry and Beatty rds, Archerfield, Qld 4108, (07) 3255 5577, fax (07) 3255 5855, www.lifestyletrailers.com.au.

LIFESTYLE EXPLORER

Advised Tare weight: 500kg

Advised ball weight:  approx 50kg

Price:   $8,25O

GOOD POINTS

Tent height

Smoothed ply edges

Supplied spring tensioners

Nice price

Impressive options list

NOT SO GOOD

Very basic kitchen setup

No assistance for bed access