Long term trips soft top CT v Jayco/Goldstream etc

[dragonsgirl]

As we plan our escape around Australia am wondering whether our new soft floor CT would be a hinderance and whether or not we may need to upgrade to Jayco etc.  Just thinking if you get weeks of rain it may be a pain and having a Jayco or similar may just give a little bit more comfort.  Was wondering who has done it in a soft floor and how did you find it.  And if you have a Jayco or similar how do you find them I see you can get an outdoor shower and HWS on these are they any good.  Also I have been researching the Flamingo ST with the ensuite would love to here comments on this.  Sorry for the millions of questions.

[areyonga]

I had a Goldstream and have moved to a softfloor, the places I want to go are offroad and I wouldn't put any fabricated camper through thousands of kilometers of corrugations.  I know some are built to take it but my motto when travelling is to stay off the bitumen as much as possible and keep the rig and trailer simple to minimise mishaps.  Admittedly the Goldstream was a very nicely built unit and up there with the best and I do miss it, but I am now getting places I could have never comfortably taken it.  One day I may go back to a Goldstream but not until I have checked out a lot more remote places around Australia.

Wil

[Pauly]

The biggest thing that sways me against the Jayco style camper is you cook inside. I just thinkof sleeping in the smells and the hot nights.

I tarp my soft floor but the next one will just have a 12 ' awning and that will doo.

[xr4hung]

I am a former softfloor camper owner who has moved to a Jayco Outback with a wind out Fiama awning.

I know others will argue, but the simple reason for the change was that our style of travel was to move on every night or 2 and the soft floor simply took too long to set up.

Further, setting up the soft floor was hot/sweaty work whereas I find the Jayco set up much less physical effort. I reckon this matters on long term trips.

I am not intending to upset softfloor owners here but just expressing my experience in terms of long term trips where regular set up/pull downs occur. I also acknowledge that I will not get the Jayco Outback into places that I will get an off road soft floor camper.

At the moment we are at the stage of showing our kids the country with only medium off roading.

We cook outside most of the time with the Jayco. However, I find the Jayco comes into its own on those crappy rainy nights when arrive in the rain and can cook inside to get us out of trouble. Some trips you get none of those crappy rainy nights. Other trips you get plenty.

Our soft floor had a slide out kitchen which required the awning and a rear annexe wall to be set up in order to cook a meal in rainy conditions. And this all took time.

But again the soft floor was absolute gold when we stayed somewhere for 1 week +.

At the end of the day it comes down to how often you intend to set up/pull down and where you want to go.

[xr4hung]

PS - Also I have had a Twine Shower system in the fourby for the last 5 years (with a pop up shower tent) and it suits us fine. 20 litres a day does a family of of 5.

Just use creek water that you can pump into a jerry can (using the Twine pump) on the days drive. No need for an extra tank on the camper etc.

My Mrs loves it.

I hope this helps

[speewa158]

That's the way give solid reasonable advise as answers then you get info overload & don't even know which way is up . DG it comes down to what you can afford  & justify in your own mind .
There is another option as yet not mentioned to consider , start with what you have then if the opportunity presents  change in mid trip . Now you can make in informed choice 
Soft  Floor for me better to go but can be upgraded/moded  to have hard floor for longer stays .
More to the point comfy bed & cold beer , thats the start point 

[Disco EMU]

Whilst the Jayco's may have a little more comfort ... you lose a lot of space. We had a 12ft CT with annex and walls, you just don't get that kinda space unless you get into a swan or flamingo size Jayco with full annex. You may as well stick with the CT 'cause it's still gonna take some time to se-up.
Our Finch takes 5-10 mins for a basic set-up, maybe 25 mins for full set-up with bed end flys and annex roof.
Our CT would take up to 2 hrs for a full set-up with tarp, kitchen, kids beds, annex and walls. Man we had some stuff!
Having said that ... for o'night stays we didn't set the whole thing up and was done a lot earlier.
For time and less stress (physical and mental) we went for a Jayco.


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[Moto Moto]

Hi DG, we had a similar decision to make a few years ago. Our softfloor was great and would go anywhere we could take the 4wd! But with two very young kids, we just were not using it, we found it very slow and difficult to setup for one person (while the other kept the kids amused).  For us with very young kids, we had no intention of doing the tough 4wd tracks, but still love bush camping.

The fact that you are planning an around oz trip it the most exciting part for me, not which camper. Keeping your existing one sure leaves a lot in the "travel" bank account, compared to forking out for a Jayco/Goldstream.

It really depends on your situation, kids, finances, intended use etc. One day, when the kids are older, i hope to get back to a real off road camper trailer (probably not soft floor), but for now the Jayco gets us out camping nearly every second weekend, way more than we used the softfloor and would suit a big lap for us (one day ).

Good luck with your choice, personally i think you can't go wrong either way (A LAP AROUND OZ WHOO HOOO! ).
KC

[D4D]

We changed from a soft floor to a Goldstream for all the reasons mentioned. Having some inside space to sit was a big factor for the wife. We still cook/live outside under the awning however it is good to know if the weather turns ugly we can do everything inside. We'll probably go back to a soft or hard floor in a couple of years.

[briann532]

We went for a Jayco for a few reasons.
Set up and pack up time is fantasticly quick.
They are easy and comfortable in wet weather.
Others may argue, but they are quite rugged. A bit of prep time and they can be made tough.

There are countless threads on them, but if you do get one be prepared to spend a few days here and there improving its "bushability".
I have also found than slowing down and dropping tyre pressure makes a world of difference.

Good luck with your choice.
Brian

[dragonsgirl]

I absolutely love everyones honesty and opinions on this forum,  there is so much to consider our plan was to hopefully be able to leave mid year this year but i think we may move it back to early next year.  We are now thinking of doing a sort of trial run in our current CT.  Darrell really wants to go up to Tully/Mission Beach/Innisfail to help clean up then look around and see if he can get any work up that way towards Cairns we could sort of use that as a starting point and do some smaller trips out from there.  Him and our eldest son would go up first and then I would follow later with the other kids.  That way for the first couple of months while he was doing volunteer work would keep my job here and finish the house off to get it ready to rent out.  Then we rent house for 6 months see how we like life on the road then decide whether we want to sell house and or upgrade CT.