Terra Trek TT-E 2018 Review

When you review a lot of camper trailers, you can tell the ones that are designed and built by people with real world  travel experience in hard places.

Their campers are generally better built, more ‘fit for purpose’ and have a level of attention to detail that's often missing in this ultra-competitive segment, where imported products now dominate sales.

That’s what makes the compact, South Australian-built Terra Trek Expedition stand tall, and justify a price that's up to double that of some similarly-sized imported campers.

Built to work

Like many of the best campers, the Terra Trek was developed from a working vehicle.

An architect by trade, with a background in geological mapping and professional outback touring in extremely remote areas, founder Mark Reu knew a thing or two about the challenges of uncharted bush travel and built many trailers for his work.

The inevitable followed: friends and other remote area travellers wanted something similar and the result is his locally-owned and operated Terra Trek Expedition trailers, built in Murray Bridge, South Australia.

As Terra Trek trailers are built not only for hardcore owner-operator travel, but also for the less-caring rental market, a design prerequisite was their suitability to take punishment, whether from the terrain or operator.

Its foundation is a hot-dipped galvanised fabricated steel backbone chassis that runs from its DO-35 coupling to a standard 50mm x 50mm square rear tow-tongue receiver, with outriggers fitted with impact-absorbing rubber bushes supporting a free-floating, sealed aluminium body.

Underneath there’s unique, long travel, swing arm independent suspension that clearly owes some of its inspiration to the MC2 system pioneered on Track Trailer’s Tvan.

However, Terra Trek’s take on this, with Old Man Emu coil springs fitted with Airbag Man airbag spring helpers and single OME Nitrocharger shock absorbers per wheel, is unique, while long customer-built control arms extend forward.

The beauty of this system is that a number of the components are interchangeable with aftermarket Toyota components, making the trailer easily fixed in the bush.

And of course the 17 x 8in alloy wheels are interchangeable with those on mainstream 4WDs, thanks to their five or six bolt pattern. The review Terra Trek was fitted with monster 295/7017 mud terrain tyres, but more compatible smaller sizes are available.

Sturdy platform

More like a Patriot than a conventional folding hard or soft floor trailer, the Terra Trek is effectively a high-tech platform for a cleverly engineered rooftop tent.

As a result, an overnight stop is quick and easy. Undo two clips to swing the awning bag and its supporting arms out of the way; undo two rear clips and push the hard-lid tent section up until it rises over-centre; pull out the rear ‘frog-mouth’ tent awning and support it with its attached folding frames; attach the collapsing aluminium ladder, climb onto the included foam double-bed mattress and it’s lights out!

For a longer stay, unpack the awning’s aluminium poles, pull the 270 degree Supawing awning from its bag, wrap it around the front of the camper and secure it in position with an adjustable strap.

Then pull out the aluminium awning poles and spreaders for a self-supporting tent structure that covers all the Terra Trek’s outside living areas. If it’s windy, you might want to peg out the poles or add a few guy ropes, but in most circumstances this won’t be necessary.

Options aplenty

Once set up, you’ll find the Terra Trek has the ‘smarts’ to let you linger longer.

The entry model TT-E Lite, which starts at $36,990, includes space for a large portable cabinet-type fridge-freezer in the dust-sealed front ‘boot’; a 90 litre stainless steel fresh-water tank (another 70l tank is optional) and a single 120AH AGM battery managed by a Redarc BCDC1240 charger.

Hot water? Sure, if you option the ($890) portable, instantaneous gas system that stores next to the fridge and mounts outside for venting when in use.

Want to draw water from a creek? No problem. Simply option the $890 second water pump and tank to provide a totally independent system that will allow you to camp longer.

A Redarc 120W portable solar panel that slots into a dedicated storage rack under the bed, is another $820 option; a second 12OAH battery is $510 (or you can choose a 125AH lithium battery - $1,850);  while you can upgrade to a 2000W Redarc inverter for $2199. Terra Trek has a power solution for long-term off-the-grid living, but you’ll have to pay for it!

Outdoor living

Of course the Terra Trek is well equipped for outdoor living and this starts with its custom-made stainless steel and aluminium slide-out kitchen with integrated sink, tap and a sliding tray for your choice of cooker, be it the two-burner Coleman Hyperflame gas cooker that’s standard on the ($46,990) up-specced TT-E Ultima model, or bring your own Weber Baby Q.

Ultima versions also come with a pantry that can house all your other cooking gear or food with its three drawers cleverly held shut when travelling by a large rubber grommet in the top-hinged and waterproof lid.

All pretty straightforward stuff out of the ‘Camper Trailer textbook’, but now we come to the Terra Trek’s really cool stuff.

Either TT-E model can be optioned with a custom trestle table that slides into its own receiver in the load area under the bed and, when erected, will seat four people under the Supawing awning.

Alongside it in a separate under bed bay, you might also want to store a two-metre-long OzTent, which can then be attached to the rear of the Terra Trek to form a separate kids’ play area, a mesh insect retreat, or spare room.

Thoughtful design

Outside on the right there’s another long upper locker with a lift-up lid in which you can store all manner of things, with a separate waterproof locker below for more things alongside gas and water inlets.

Rather than complicate things with gas plumbing, the Terra Trek asks its users to simply connect one of its two 4.5kg gas cylinders in the adjacent locker to the required appliance.

Also cool is the pressurised front fridge compartment, inside which air drawn from outside passes through a powered blower fan and its large filter element. While the camper’s excellent sealing on all compartments keeps most of the dust out, this pressure-blower and filter removes the very fine particles that otherwise are constant companions on remote area travel.

Latest tech

I also liked the way up to four jerry cans can be housed in two rear compartments, with special storage places in their lids reserved for the camper’s four wheel chocks. And did I mention that all the camper’s locks are set for single key operation – another example of careful thought.

Finally, there’s the Terra Trek’s Redarc Red Vision command centre that sits in the front boot and monitors and controls all the camper’s electrical systems, either from the head unit or via Bluetooth to an App on your mobile phone, and can even work when travelling to shut off power to everything except your fridge

A range of 12 volt outlets and USB plugs are located outside and inside the camper for other small appliances, with a wired in Redarc 2000W inverter available as an option to run quite large appliances, should you need to.

Excellent storage

Storage is another Terra Trek strong point. As well as more than 3000 litres of space in the main body of the camper that is accessed by the rear door, there are twin ‘secret’ compartments for valuables beneath the floor in  one of the side storage lockers, while twin Rhino Rack bars on the roof allow the full range of accessories from Rhino Platform Racks to kayak holders to be fitted.

With its bullet-proof construction, huge ground clearance and sophisticated suspension, the Terra Trek can go more places than anything short of a Unimog can tow it.

So apart from the $$$ decision of which Terra Trek model and options to purchase, the only other thing that a buyer has to consider, is the choice between the two available colours to have it in: White Lightning, or Stealth Grey.

Summing up

The Terra Trek is far from an entry-level camper trailer and is undeniably expensive when compared to what else you can buy for the money, but nothing on the market is better built and more functional for true remote area travel and you pay – as you should – for this experience.

Specs: Terra Trek TT-E 2018

External body length: 3950mm
External body width: 1920mm
Travel height: 1650mm
Tare: 810kg-980kg depending on model
ATM: 1650-1800kg
Body: Aluminium paneling on aluminium frame
Chassis: Hot-dipped galvanised steel with Rhino Liner chassis coating
Suspension: Independent swing arm with coil springs incorporating airbag helpers and nitrogen-filled single shock absorbers
Brakes: Dexter 12in drums
Wheels: 17x8in alloy with 295/70-15 tyres
Water: 1 x 90l fresh water tank
Battery: 1 x  120Ah AGM
Solar: Optional 125W portable panel
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg bottles (on Ultima model)
Cooking: 2-burner, 13,500 BTU Coleman Hyperflame gas cooker
Fridge: 101-litre cabinet type
Bathroom: Optional external shower
Lighting: LED throughout
Price: Base price TT-E Lite $36,990; TT-E Ultra $46,990
Supplied by: Victorian Camper Trailers, Pakenham, Victoria
More info: Terra Trek Australia, Murray Bridge, South Australia