Pioneer Argyle

Many camper trailer builders are based in the eastern States, but Pioneer Campers calls Perth in WA home. Jointly owned by Robin McConnochie and Nigel Fleet, Pioneer in its current form is in its fourth year of production.

Four models feature in the Pioneer line-up. The Enduro is a lightweight camper trailer designed mainly for onroad use and to be towed by small- to medium-sized vehicles – excellent for people who want to experience the camper trailer lifestyle, but not necessarily the offroad component.

Next up the line are the Prospector and Prospector II, both featuring all the necessary basics for offroad travel and a price to match.

For those who wish to travel with more ‘luxury’ items fitted, our subject, the Argyle, is available with a very reasonable specification list. Argyle came from Bennetts Green (Newcastle, NSW) dealer Campermart, under the direction of Warren Quirk.

An interesting feature of the Argyle is its nameplate Tare weight of 640kg. That might sound like it’s been made less robust but, according to Warren, it is more the result of clever engineering.

When looking over various manufacturers’ camper trailers, I advise to get down and do a little inspection of the normally out-of-sight workmanship – sometimes it’s quite revealing.

In this case, a look under the Argyle didn’t show anything different from that already in view. What it did reveal was a hot-dipped galvanised chassis built using box section construction. The Argyle rides on independent trailing arm suspension with coil springs, shock absorbers and special Kevlar/graphite bushes. Wheels are steel 15 x 7in rims and stopped by override controlled hydraulic disc brakes.

Pioneer campers come with a 60 litre water tank, with an option for a second, but Warren orders two tanks as standard for Campermart units.

Both tanks are protected by an aluminium tank guard. Also stored under the chassis between the drawbar rails is the wind-down spare wheel, while a pole carrier runs under and across the rear of the trailer. When parking the camper trailer the rear drop-down stabiliser legs certainly prove to be effective.

ON THE BAR

As with the chassis, the 4 x 2in (100mm x 50mm) drawbar is galvanised, fitted with a Treg hitch and a snap-up jockey wheel, and runs back to the suspension mounts. Also mounted on the drawbar are the steel-framed stone shield, two 4kg gas cylinders, a jerry can holder, hand-pumped water tap and a large top-opening storage bin.

Electrical plugs regularly lie in the dirt and mud when not being used, but to prevent this Pioneer has made a simple holder on the drawbar for the normal seven-pin flat plug and the battery charging plug.

The storage bin measuring 5ft x 2ft x 1.5ft (1.5m x 0.6m x 0.5m) is mostly empty space, except for the 130 amp hour deep-cycle battery accompanying battery charger and fuse panel. However, if you want a fridge on board, that is where it will go. A very neat idea is the flexible gooseneck light that sits under the rim of the storage box.

A second smart idea are the two toolboxes that fit under the storage box on either side – an excellent place to keep tools.

Zinc annealed steel is used to form the main bodywork of the trailer, which has a chequered aluminium roof. Narrow ribs run across the top and can be used for storage purposes.

Anglers may be interested in the gas strut-assisted boat loader that sits atop the camper trailer roof when travelling. A tailgate gives access to the trailer storage area when the roof is closed. Keeping up with modern trends, Pioneer has fitted LED-style tail lights.

Along the nearside of the Argyle is the slideout kitchen at the front and 240V inlet, with 240V and 12V sockets at the rear. Although this is design convenience, if caravan parks are used regularly, it would be more convenient to have the 240V inlet on the offside.

An unusual feature were rails running along both sides of the camper trailer. These can be used for tying items to the roof and also for drying towels when camping. Apart from the optional boat loader, the only item on the offside is the water tank filler.

The ‘tent’ area of the Argyle is fairly standard, with three windows surrounding the bed area, a canvas/screen door on either side and a large window in the rear wall. All windows are flyscreened, have internal canvas blinds while the two side windows have external clear PVC covers as well. For maintaining a good seal between the canvas and trailer body, a PVC gusset is built in.

An awning that encompasses both the nearside area and the front of the trailer provides a good amount of shade area.

For the awning, either canvas/flyscreen wall or flyscreen-only walls can be supplied and for the offside door, either an ‘ensuite’ or an extra bedroom can be fitted.

Being rear-hinged, setting up is quite simple. Once stabiliser legs are lowered, the roof can be unclipped, and then swung over to bring the canvas with it. With the floor in position, it’s just a matter of setting the height-adjustable legs, sliding the kitchen bench out from the trailer and erecting the awning.

An all stainless steel kitchen like this one is very easy to clean. A two-burner Smev cooktop, sans grill, and stainless steel sink, supplied by 12V pumped water, sit alongside each other. Given my predilection for grilled cheese on toast and other simple meals, a grill is something I would be looking for.

A couple of good features about the kitchen were the storage area underneath and the slide-out tray/table at the rear of the bench. Night lighting is supplied by a 12V lamp fitted to the side of the trailer body.

The Argyle trailer has a fully lined interior and the 6ft 7in x 4ft 6in (2m x 1.4m) foam mattress sits on a ply timber base. Two 12V gooseneck reading lights are fitted to either side of the bed. Lifting up the bed base reveals an ample storage area that measures underneath about 12in (30mm) high.

An industry standard for many, the electrical controls are located at the foot of the bed on the nearside: two 12V sockets, one 240V power point and a 240V circuit breaker. With the battery and charger in the front storage bin, the electrics are quite simple.

SUMMING UP

At around $24,000, the Argyle is pitched in the middle-price range, and it’s best towed by small- to medium-sized 4WDs. Little extras such as the stainless steel rails along the sides and the plug holders on the front drawbar make all the difference when travelling.

For more, go to www.pioneercampers.com or call Pioneer on (08) 9302 2500.

Advised Tare weight: 650kg

Advised ball weight:  75kg

Advised ATM:            not supplied

Price:   approx $24,000

GOOD POINTS

Rails running along both sides of the camper trailer

Slideout tray/ table at the rear of kitchen bench

NOT SO GOOD:

More convenient to have 240V inlet

on offside, rather than at rear

Prefer a cooktop with grill