MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Brodie Tas on April 01, 2018, 11:42:24 AM
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Hey been wanting a easier set up for nights away with my son who is 3. I have a camp trailer but setting it up for a night by myself can just be a pain and take a bit of time, so I have been looking at the double swags and rooftop tents and cant decide what way to go
, i have set up a mates roof too tent and was real quick amd easy form1 person, i do a bit of lake fishing so snow can be expected at times and being of ground sounds a bit of a bonus, those anyone have much experience with both of them to give me a idea what way to go thanks
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what about a blackwolf tent. 4 pegs, push up the center it springs into shape. then the fly actually clicks into place with buckles.. real quick.
Give you the space to get up, walk around, get changed, and if its raining a bit of room to play with ya young bloke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6BgJHLzqws (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6BgJHLzqws)
it can be done quicker than this dude does it..
got mine used off ebay for couple hunge
Rooftops, once setup, you cant go for a drive.
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https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/products/swags/big-daddy-double-swag-combo-deals/double-swag-big-daddy-canvas-50mm-mattress-adventure-kings.html (https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/products/swags/big-daddy-double-swag-combo-deals/double-swag-big-daddy-canvas-50mm-mattress-adventure-kings.html)
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Rooftops, once setup, you cant go for a drive.
This is always my thought when I see a rooftop tent. I'm constantly moving my car when I'm camping. You can get swags on legs that keep them up off the ground. And with a tarp, a couple of short poles and some extra pegs you can keep the weather off the top of them as well. Or a gazebo. I always thought a swag and easy up gazebo was a pretty sweet basic camping combo.
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Oztent, works for my 7yo son and myself.
(http://blkmav.com/myswag/kl2.jpg)
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Would have said oztent, but I thought price might be an obstacle, because i was thinking about swags. I guess it's not out of the range if you're talking rooftop tents. If you don't need a ton of space and you want easy setup I don't think there's anything to beat an oztent.
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The tent look likes a good idea i will look into them more, but for me the swag or rooftop tent already have the mattress in them ready to go and just leave the sleeping bags in them,
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My wife and I used to use a swag, while it is easy to roll out I found that the mozzie dome, and its fly when needed made set up and pack up a bit too much work, I think a quick erect tent with gear would be similar but more comfortable and flexible.
I have not used a roof top tent.
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Swag on a stretcher works for me.
Very quick set up, you are off the ground and there are king size dome swags around that should accommodate an adult and small child. Bigger stretchers might be harder to find but they are out there.
Double swags can be pretty big rolled up.
I am older and climbing a ladder to a RTT in the dark is simply not an option for me.
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Rooftops, once setup, you cant go for a drive.
You can't just not far. Pull the two guy ropes, hook the ladder into the rope loops so its clear of the ground and move around the camp, dead easy!
Even when I tented I didn't roam far from camp in the car. I'm not a trusting soul and like to know where my gear is. A bloke I camped with had his keys stolen, which made it a bit inconvenient to get home, another had his whole camper go missing, which can also ruin your weekend.
I camp alone with kids and love my RTT, I can fold it out in less than 5 minutes, mattress is in there, sleeping bags and the beds are already made (just have to add pillows). Then I can get on with cooking and still keep an eye on the yard apes and making sure they don't fall off a cliff or drown or something, rather than have my head in a canvas bag sorting out somewhere to sleep before it gets dark.
That's the main reason I ditched the tents and went for a roof topper as I was doing it all myself because they were exploring. As a bonus everything seems to stay cleaner and drier as it isn't being dragged in and out of the tent flap and the kids shed the mud climbing the ladder, rather than wiping it off their feet in your bed >:(.
Packing up is around 10 minutes, but can be done in installments (lay the sleeping bags flat, go do something else, close the windows and zips, go do something else), actually folding the tent up and zipping on the cover is around a 5 minute job, but can be a bit of a bugger with icy fingers. A thin rope loop on the zipper and some silicone spray on the zip helps.
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You can't just not far. Pull the two guy ropes, hook the ladder into the rope loops so its clear of the ground and move around the camp, dead easy!
Shit... i forgot to get milk, gotta go 10klms back to town ;)
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Id tell you to have your coffee black and harden up
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Id tell you to have your coffee black and harden up
forgot the coffee :P
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You can't just not far. Pull the two guy ropes, hook the ladder into the rope loops so its clear of the ground and move around the camp, dead easy!
Even when I tented I didn't roam far from camp in the car. I'm not a trusting soul and like to know where my gear is. A bloke I camped with had his keys stolen, which made it a bit inconvenient to get home, another had his whole camper go missing, which can also ruin your weekend.
I camp alone with kids and love my RTT, I can fold it out in less than 5 minutes, mattress is in there, sleeping bags and the beds are already made (just have to add pillows). Then I can get on with cooking and still keep an eye on the yard apes and making sure they don't fall off a cliff or drown or something, rather than have my head in a canvas bag sorting out somewhere to sleep before it gets dark.
That's the main reason I ditched the tents and went for a roof topper as I was doing it all myself because they were exploring. As a bonus everything seems to stay cleaner and drier as it isn't being dragged in and out of the tent flap and the kids shed the mud climbing the ladder, rather than wiping it off their feet in your bed >:(.
Packing up is around 10 minutes, but can be done in installments (lay the sleeping bags flat, go do something else, close the windows and zips, go do something else), actually folding the tent up and zipping on the cover is around a 5 minute job, but can be a bit of a bugger with icy fingers. A thin rope loop on the zipper and some silicone spray on the zip helps.
Yeah thats my thought with the rooftop tent the young fella can still run around i can keep a eye on him while setting it up and same as i pack it up. Plus all i would need to chuck in would be esky clothing cooker and head off, even with the camp trailer i dont head of to far from it, just to get a bit of wood but i would just bring some with me if my son is with me can be harr cutting wood by yourself and watching a 3yo
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Swag on a stretcher works for me.
Very quick set up, you are off the ground and there are king size dome swags around that should accommodate an adult and small child. Bigger stretchers might be harder to find but they are out there.
Double swags can be pretty big rolled up.
I am older and climbing a ladder to a RTT in the dark is simply not an option for me.
Yeah i have seen those double swags folded up and there huge
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Black wolf tent for me as mentioned earlier.
Packs down smaller than any size RV Oztent.
The RV range of Oztents have to go onto a roofrack, or into a similar size space, for transport.
If they folded in half somehow, it'd be far easier to cart them around.
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All the quick erect tents are huge to pack - its how they go up so fast.
Its all give and take - my double swag takes up the whole back seat in GU from door to door... no chance in the cargo area :(
Havent used it since getting the blackwolf... I should sell it.
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Hi my 2c worth, I looked long and hard at rooftop tents a couple of years ago and a couple of things you need to think about are, as already pointed out once your set up you are limited to how much you can move around, you need a relatively flat area to park on or be prepared to jack up or drive your vehicle up onto blocks, although they don’t weigh a lot the weight is up high and they have the aerodynamics of a brick, dependant on vehicle height but in my case on a Ute canopy I couldn’t fit in a standard height garage or into some underground car parks. I was using a single pole Freedom tent at the time and ended up not going along the RTT path because I couldn’t make the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in my mind.
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forgot the coffee :P
Betcha didn't forget the beer :cheers:
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Hi my 2c worth, I looked long and hard at rooftop tents a couple of years ago and a couple of things you need to think about are, as already pointed out once your set up you are limited to how much you can move around, you need a relatively flat area to park on or be prepared to jack up or drive your vehicle up onto blocks, although they don’t weigh a lot the weight is up high and they have the aerodynamics of a brick, dependant on vehicle height but in my case on a Ute canopy I couldn’t fit in a standard height garage or into some underground car parks. I was using a single pole Freedom tent at the time and ended up not going along the RTT path because I couldn’t make the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in my mind.
Yeah some good points there, im lucky with car parks etc because my 4wd only gets driven on weekends. I, just going to have to write down the pros and cons and weigh it up
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If there is a camping and caravan show nearby in the near future, they are the best place for a quick test drive of them all in one place. Failing that, trawl the camping stores on a weekend.
Take what the salesman says with a grain of salt, but try erecting and stowing the various tents that you are interested in to get a bit of a feel for them. I like mine, but they aren't for everyone.
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Betcha didn't forget the beer :cheers:
dont drink beer.. but I have forgotten the mix for the Black Russians before :(
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Swag. And in a year or so, get the son his own swag, he will love it.
We ran the camping with the Blackwolf tent for a few years, but got tired of packing it up and it was heavy. Moved forward for swags and our son loved it more than we did. He has his own and we updated our old one to the double Darche and it is excellent. Easier and faster to setup and packup, comfortable and better.
Rooftop tent isn't on our list. Drags the economy of the vehicles and risky for someone tired getting up in the middle of the night climbing down to the dunny. Saw someone in the camp breaking their arm falling off the ladder in the night.
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One issue with the rooftop tent is if you need to take the young fella to the toilet in the middle of the night, if he is still sleepy you will have to carry him down those dodgy ladders!!!!
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If you are considering tents then one of the old style pyramid tents have 4 pegs and 1 pole. If you use coach bolts and a cordless drill instead of pegs then these are really fast to set up, are cheap and they pack up small. https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/oztrail-tourer-9-tent (https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/oztrail-tourer-9-tent)
You will still need bedding, self inflating mats are quick and easy. https://www.tentworld.com.au/camping-equipment/bedding/beds-mattresses/self-inflating-mats/single (https://www.tentworld.com.au/camping-equipment/bedding/beds-mattresses/self-inflating-mats/single)
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One issue with the rooftop tent is if you need to take the young fella to the toilet in the middle of the night, if he is still sleepy you will have to carry him down those dodgy ladders!!!!
My main concern, also, was the safety aspect of child climbing up and down the ladder.
If it was me, I would go for the tent....
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Trust me, kids are up and down the ladder better than I am.
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Trust me, kids are up and down the ladder better than I am.
Haha very true, was at the park today and it's amazing how fast kids can climb/jump/crawl over when you are chasing them!!!
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Having wasted a few hours on a quiet Easter Monday browsing the web and looking camping vids (while the people who go away for Easter battle the traffic) the thought occurs to me that budget could be a factor.
RTTs don't come cheap. You could maybe pick up a second hand swag on ebay or gumtree and see how that goes. If it is not too your liking not much lost.
With a RTT I might want to hire before I bought if that was possible.
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Can honestly say I’ve never been camping and thought “I wish I had a roof top tent right now”.
And the handful of times that I’ve been camping with friends that had roof top tents I wasn’t that impressed. On every one of those trips the guys with rooftop tents either stayed at camp and missed out on some cool day trips or chose to leave their vehicle parked and got a lift with someone else.
Our family of 4 still love traveling together and our Turbo Tent suits us perfectly.
If I had a son and he wanted to go camping with just me I think I would go with one of those instant 3 second tents and a couple of good quality self inflating mattresses.
Or 2 swags if the young fella wants his independence. ;)
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Thanks everyone for the replys after a long think i have decided the double swag $200 from 4wd supa center i cant go wrong and with a couple of awning walls we will be out of the elements
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Thanks everyone for the replys after a long think i have decided the double swag $200 from 4wd supa center i cant go wrong and with a couple of awning walls we will be out of the elements
I got the one with the thicker mattress, bloody great bit of gear. BUT they are massive when rolled up, 1500mm long and about 500mm round...
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Rooftop tent ??? ??? ???
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/04/04/16/59/eight-week-old-baby-injured-tent-collapse-helensburgh (https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/04/04/16/59/eight-week-old-baby-injured-tent-collapse-helensburgh)
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I got the one with the thicker mattress, bloody great bit of gear. BUT they are massive when rolled up, 1500mm long and about 500mm round...
Yeah thats the one i was looking at. Will have to go on the roof racks
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Rooftop tent ??? ??? ???
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/04/04/16/59/eight-week-old-baby-injured-tent-collapse-helensburgh (https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/04/04/16/59/eight-week-old-baby-injured-tent-collapse-helensburgh)
Yeah, don't drop them on your kids.
Something in that for all of us.
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Got a win today brand new kings double swag for $100 of gumtree cant go wrong :cheers:
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You need one of everything and it still isn't enough. I decked out the ute with a RTT and slide out kitchen for our central Oz touring trip with 2 small kids. It was brilliant, but we never really stayed in the same place much. For a week camping in the one spot it would drive me insane. I'm too old and grumpy to deal with a swag on the ground anymore - had too many nights in them when working remote. A single swag on a stretcher bed is doable. These new swags are more like tents so much better to deal with. Enjoy your double, the view is the same no matter what you're in, just so long as you are out there.
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You need one of everything and it still isn't enough. I decked out the ute with a RTT and slide out kitchen for our central Oz touring trip with 2 small kids. It was brilliant, but we never really stayed in the same place much. For a week camping in the one spot it would drive me insane. I'm too old and grumpy to deal with a swag on the ground anymore - had too many nights in them when working remote. A single swag on a stretcher bed is doable. These new swags are more like tents so much better to deal with. Enjoy your double, the view is the same no matter what you're in, just so long as you are out there.
Yeah i know what you mean by one of everyhing got my camp trailer great for setting up 2 nights or more or when my mum and little sister tags along, but to harr to set up by myself witha 3yo running around now that i have a swag over nighters are more posible and easier, might even end up with a rtt next year as were plaing our first mainland trip and a rtt will be cheaper to take on the boat and easier to change loctions every night
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I know it sounds like you have this sorted...
But for years we've had an Oztent RV-3 + simple style double swag we use as a bed roll. Quick and easy set up, bed is already made and just need to roll it up in the morning, or out inside the tent once you have that set up... Simple.
Just our 2c worth. :D
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I know it sounds like you have this sorted...
But for years we've had an Oztent RV-3 + simple style double swag we use as a bed roll. Quick and easy set up, bed is already made and just need to roll it up in the morning, or out inside the tent once you have that set up... Simple.
Just our 2c worth. :D
Good setup. Best of both worlds I think. We tent and swag it but sometimes the multiple swag setup is as long as a quick Pitch tent setup if you start adding shade/cover, stretchers etc..
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I purchased an alucab unit, although you pay dearly for them I have found the comfort and ease of "setup" and "pull down" maybe the quickest and easiest of all without doubt.
Takes longer to get the ladder out than it takes for it to unfold itself.
Agree on the up and down at night to the beer recycling facility, but having the bed linen, pillows and and even a plastic 4' folding table able to be left inside while travelling is a definite space saver.
Best part is sitting with a coldie and watching mates swear and curse while unfolding swags, putting up fold up beds together ready is a treat :laugh:
watching them get it all untangled and outta their cars is just as much fun :D
:cheers:
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Thanks everyone for the replys after a long think i have decided the double swag $200 from 4wd supa center i cant go wrong and with a couple of awning walls we will be out of the elements
We did 6 weeks over Christmas including Tassie and Kosciusko NP using swags under an awning wall for our kids plus a tourer tent for us. They do the job. We copped a wild storm one night at Bay of Fires, so the kids retreated into our tent, but otherwise they much prefer their own little cocoons. If staying put for longer, a gazebo works well instead of the vehicle awning, which frees up the vehicle for day trips etc.
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We did 6 weeks over Christmas including Tassie and Kosciusko NP using swags under an awning wall for our kids plus a tourer tent for us. They do the job. We copped a wild storm one night at Bay of Fires, so the kids retreated into our tent, but otherwise they much prefer their own little cocoons. If staying put for longer, a gazebo works well instead of the vehicle awning, which frees up the vehicle for day trips etc.
Hope you enjoyed your tassie trip i love our backyard
We went out on saturday night to test the swag out with the awning and 2 walls was very impressed with the swag also very happy with the awnings walls just kept the weather out also during the night we gpt 60km winds and rain i was very surprised in the morning the awning and walls where still there. The walls kept the swag bone dry from the rain so no need to dry it out. I was that happy how it all setup and packed down im going to change my camp trailer back to a standard 7x5 trailer with a 900mm cage and a awning on both sides and another set of awning walls. So sort trips just setup 1 side with swag and walls and longer trips both awnings and walls to have a cooking side and a sit around / swag area.
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Hope you enjoyed your tassie trip i love our backyard
We went out on saturday night to test the swag out with the awning and 2 walls was very impressed with the swag also very happy with the awnings walls just kept the weather out also during the night we gpt 60km winds and rain i was very surprised in the morning the awning and walls where still there. The walls kept the swag bone dry from the rain so no need to dry it out. I was that happy how it all setup and packed down im going to change my camp trailer back to a standard 7x5 trailer with a 900mm cage and a awning on both sides and another set of awning walls. So sort trips just setup 1 side with swag and walls and longer trips both awnings and walls to have a cooking side and a sit around / swag area.
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Yes, we had a great time in Tassie. Absolute beachfront camping at Swimcart was a highlight for sure.
I like your idea of a gear trailer and awnings instead of a soft-floor camper. It's something I've been contemplating a lot lately as our camping gear outgrows our vehicle!
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Yes, we had a great time in Tassie. Absolute beachfront camping at Swimcart was a highlight for sure.
I like your idea of a gear trailer and awnings instead of a soft-floor camper. It's something I've been contemplating a lot lately as our camping gear outgrows our vehicle!
Yeah thats the problem we have at times its ok if we head out by ourselves but my mum and little sisiter come with me a fair bit and she only has a nissan micra so i end up with all the gear and my son likes to bring alot of tonkas bike etc and i dont mind because he will enertain him self for hours, so having trailer to just put everything in for me seems the right way to go, going to buy 2 big tool boxes to just slide in to the trailer with everything we need, i will also sika flex the bottoms and sides of the tool boxes the help keep the weather and dust out. I priced up some of those space cases and they where $400 compared to a $99 gavinsed one, i will hopefully have some time next fortnight to take the trailer apart and start welding up some frames. Who knows this trailer might end up with a rtt down the track
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Not sure if you've sorted this already.
We've got a camper, but take a double swag for short stays. We have a 2 year old, and my partner is pregnant, so she can't help with the camper and to be honest, it's a pain in the ass to do solo.
Swag is eleventy million times easier. I leave sleeping bag in there, it gets thrown on the roof rack so size isn't an issue. Will likely just get another swag when our second bundle of trouble comes along for the quicker stays. Plus, when I head away solo, I can just take one of the swags.
Gazebo takes 2 seconds to setup. Job done. I hate the idea of rooftop tents - if you want to go get firewood or anything you have to packup. And if you need to leave in a hurry, your kinda stuffed unless your happy for it to all fall off somewhere up the road.
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Just a update how the swag has been holding up. The last 2 weekends we have been able to get away for a night. Setting up the swag awning awning walls and packing up have been real easy for 1 person. The first night i took it all out we got around 70km winds and i was real suprise everything was still up in the morning, the swag in nice and warm and i found a couple of extra guy ropes around the poles take alot of slack out of the middle. I also brought a self inflating mattress today to put in the swag the 50mm foam is just a bit to thin for me but im very happy with this setup best thing ive done for camping, now to start working on my trailer will order awnings for it this week and the steel, then all i have to do is allow a day to build and set it all up
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Funny you mention trailer.
I've been considering taking the tent off my camper trailer, replacing it with a metal lid and some roof racks. Basically it'd be an enclosed trailer with kitchen, that I could throw swags and a fold out awning on top of.
It'd drastically reduce setup time and effort, and would mean minimal expenses as I already have the trailer.
Missus isn't too keen on the idea but we'll see haha.
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Funny you mention trailer.
I've been considering taking the tent off my camper trailer, replacing it with a metal lid and some roof racks. Basically it'd be an enclosed trailer with kitchen, that I could throw swags and a fold out awning on top of.
I know 3 of my mates who have gone back to tents and swags carried in a box trailer with just a normal soft cover, and not one of them regrets it.
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I reckon that's why the Drifta DOT style campers are gaining popularity.
Going back to the basics
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Funny you mention trailer.
I've been considering taking the tent off my camper trailer, replacing it with a metal lid and some roof racks. Basically it'd be an enclosed trailer with kitchen, that I could throw swags and a fold out awning on top of.
It'd drastically reduce setup time and effort, and would mean minimal expenses as I already have the trailer.
Missus isn't too keen on the idea but we'll see haha.j
Yes its taken a bit of arm twisting to get mine keen, but i can set up a awning by my self in about 5mins and same as the swag, this trailer might be a tempary set up because i also have a 6x4 builders top here of another trailer but just dont have the room at the moment for another trailer, but yes cheap when you can buy a awning for $120 and a swag for $200 and to be honest i have found my swag alot warmer then my camper, and who knows the trailer might even end up with a rtt, but my aim is to keep the trailer practicle for week end tip runs etc
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And also just having the room when camping for all the gear just in the trailer keeping the ute free so i dont have to always unload tools