what to do hhhhmmmm

[funnyfarm]

We are selling our hardfloor camper (money needed for other financial commitments). We are looking at getting a trailer to camp with but are tossing up whether to get a couple of 30 second tents or go a soft floor camper to top the trailer. We have had a soft floor before and with 3 young kids the hard floor was a bit squishy anyway. There seem to be benefits of both options but just wondering others opinions. Never used a 30 second tent but seen the video of how easy they are.

[GU Rich]

If you need a trailer to cart your camping gear around go for that. You if you have racks you can to carry an Oz Tent which are around 2400mm long folded I think.

I guess also it depends on how long you stay in the one spot.

Good luck with your decision.

[Bird]

IMWO, it comes down to expectations, and if your willing to give and take in relation to soft floors.

Look around, there are other people are happy with soft and 5 people, but depends how much room you need, and how much time you spend inside the tent.

As said, the 30sec tents are great but require roofracks. I personally think they wouldnt struggle to fit 5 people comfortably in 2 of them, specially if the weather goes south.

YMMV

[funnyfarm]

thanks for the replies. Definately need a trailer to cart all our stuff around, also want to have a water tank and basic kitchen in the trailer to make it a bit easier. We don't spend an overly large amount of time in the tent itself (only really for sleeping), but we do find we put the kids inside if the weather is a bit ordinary, i was swaying towards 2 oztents and then we have the option to just chuck them on the roof of the car for overnight trips etc and if hubby ever gets another boat, we can put everything in the boat to go away with. The camper tents are good because all the bedding is ready to go. Gee, a bit of thinking i think............................

[BigJules]

What hardfloor are you selling?

Going from a quality camper to tents is, IMHO, not going to be enjoyable. There are plenty of affordable soft floor campers that would continue to provide you with the amenity and convenience you are used to, whilst allowing you to free up the capital.

[funnyfarm]

Hey Bigjules, we have an Australian Off Road Camper at the moment. That is one of my concerns. The kitchen is very accessible when travelling for use during the day and in all, a very good setup, but for the couple of times a year we use it, we just can't justify keeping it. :'(

[toad]

Hey Bigjules, we have an Australian Off Road Camper at the moment. That is one of my concerns. The kitchen is very accessible when travelling for use during the day and in all, a very good setup, but for the couple of times a year we use it, we just can't justify keeping it. :'(

Go on Jules, make him an offer with cash difference. You know you want to join the Odyssey gang. Just think of that beautiful canvas colour.

[Matto]

Hey funnyfarm,

Check out the OzTents before you buy - sounds simple, but I really wanted one until I actually spent half an hour with one. Being 6"6+, they were too small - I couldn't stand up inside one. Which really counted it out for me. I couldn't believe that something so long you had to put it on your roofracks wouldn't have enough space for me! Granted, my requirements aren't exactly mainstream, but I'm certain that everyone has their own particular quirks you need to look out for.

That said, I think you've got a reasonably firm handle on your decision. There's pros and cons either way. We have just spent Easter up at Pinnacle Village, and half the campsite was camper trailers, and the other half was fishing boats and tents with tarps. We were feeling sorry for them having to be huddled under their dodgy tarps with their falling over tents while we had nice big camper trailers with fancy kitchens. They were no-doubt sitting under their tarps feeling sorry for us, that we didn't have any boats to head out on the reef with, and were stuck on dry land all day  . Horses for courses.

Personally, with kids, I don't think you can go past the convenience of a quick setup camper trailer, but that's just my preference. I'm a big fan of tents, and have always had quick setup touring tents in the past, but still reckon I can have our softfloor camper set up quicker than the old tent + awning/tarp. A cheap offroad trailer + an OzTrail (or locally made) camper top would be an inexpensive way to get a great setup that you can extend with a basic kitchen/water tank/battery setup, without breaking the bank. Keeps the $$$s freed up for your other needs, but still gives you an easy-to-use, integrated camping system that's quick and simple.

If you've got the trailer anyway...

Good luck!
Matto

[funnyfarm]

thanks everyone. The plan was that if we go the oztent option, we would buy one of the shade tents (scissor style ones) and get the side curtains for it aswell. This can become our shade area for wet/miserable weather on longer than overnight stays, substitutes for the awning on a camper.

[morgue]

Hey Bigjules, we have an Australian Off Road Camper at the moment. That is one of my concerns. The kitchen is very accessible when travelling for use during the day and in all, a very good setup, but for the couple of times a year we use it, we just can't justify keeping it. :'(

Justify!,its a AORC...
 Mate, simple, just do more camping... 

[austastar]

Hi,
  yep it is 30 seconds to put up. Then add the time to peg out etc to get back to reality. I love my Oztent, but it can be just as ordinary as any wet canvas tent when it comes time to packup. Being sort of free standing helps with moving it around and rolling it over to dry the floor and other damp parts of course.
I tip mine over on the front to give it a quick clean out, and then roll the awning up on the ground while it is tipped over.
Not sure I would give up a camper trailer for a tent lightly though, but then I don't have a camper trailer.
cheers

[western5]

Hi Funnyfarm
We had a hard floor camper Aussie swag absolutely loved it then did some trips in a tent we bought an Oz tent rv3 and also loved it so sold camper (not being used).  After 2 years of no camper we then bought the ducks nuts of campers KK with hard floor, only to find it was over rated!! (Sorry to those that love them).  Sold our rv3 and bought rv4 which we still have and use extensively.  We have 3 kids and for over night stops we all sleep in the one tent and have room for swag mattress and 3 self inflating mattresses, pillows and sleeping bags, there is no room to hold bags.  On longer trips we use a small hiking tent (that we used before kids came along) that the kids now use.  I am now in the process of talking my husband into going back to a camper (AS again) as they tick all the boxes for my needs.  Having travelled extensively without the trailer it is still hard to to orgainise the kitchen area everyday.  Life was so much easier with the kitchen all there.  We often discuss maybe just get a trailer with kitchen and storage area and still be able to use tents as the Oz tents are a lot of money to have sitting around waiting to be used.  Having been in your situation I would look at whether you do need to sell the current camper as it will be a big step sidewards going from convenience - which is essential when traveling with kids - to spending more time organising sleeping arangements and setting up camp area, with a couple of tents etc.  I haven't experienced a soft floor but when I've watched they seem to be an in between compromise not as convenient as a hard floor but a slightly more convenient then a couple of tents!  At least you now get ones that have the kitchen area all sorted which is a bonus and a must those of us who cook!! 

[funnyfarm]

If we go the trailer option with tents, we will be fitting a very functionable/practical easy to access kitchen. I don't know if i am a bit dillusional but i am thinking that using tents won't be much more work. In the current camper,i have to put together some bunks and make them up anyway, so in a tent, it's just plonk the mattresses down, throw sleeping bags and pillows in and their ready. If we go the tent option, we are throwing around the idea of using thin high density camp mattresses and making a false floor in the trailer and slide them into to keep them free of dust etc. Seems kind of fun throwing around these ideas but i am getting myself into more of a tizz thinking of all these different options   

[rescue1]

Given that I have a perfectly good OzTent I went looking for what we needed which was basically a camper trailer with a decent kitchen and found the Conqueror Australia UEV - 390 without the tent to be ideal.

[HEM19X]

Being in the process of buying a hard floor, I could not imagine selling it.

BUT if this is needed, and you want a bit of both, why not a Drifta [free standing] kitchen [or similar] which will organise your kitchen but able to be placed wherever you want. There would be enough room in the trailer for water - Boab have many different water tanks or the cheap option would be to use jerry cans.

As for the tents, I suppose the same applies $2,000?? for a couple of OZ tents or a lot less for say a 6 man dome tent plus a couple of smaller ones for the kids.

Regards

Hem

[Jon]

Funnyfarm,
We were in the same situation with a trailer that held all our gear including kitchen type stuff. That became the central part of our camp site with a large 5x6m tarp joining this area to our Coleman dome tent. There was plenty of room in the tent for bags and mattresses (2 teens + 2adults) but we found after several (every) wet trip that there had to be  better way.
We ended up getting a soft floor top and a bigger tarp that covers the whole thing. We now have a set up from 3 hours to one hour. We also made a deicated kitchen that sits on the tailgate shelf.

Things that speed up the set up is practice, also having gas and water connections for the kitchen and dc power connections for lighting and water pump.

I have done all the work myself and have spent maybe $1500 (plus some scrounging) on bits and pieces + $2400 for the tent. The trailer I built for an all up cost of about $1400.

One thing though, get an innerspring mattress for the bed. BEST $400 I ever spent

Our old set up


Our set up now

[OTBC]

We currently camp in a Black Wolf Turbo 300 with superfly - plenty of space when its raining, but it is just the two of us. I like being able to stand up straight in it, couldn't do that in the Oztent. It is really quick to set up (10 mins, 5 mins with the normal fly, includes pegging and a bit of practice) and it fits in the back of the Pajero so no need for roof racks. I am still deciding between getting a trailer for storage and quicker getaway times or a full camper trailer, but funds are too tight right now for either :-( Biggest issue with tent camping is the time it takes to load the car so we can't do quick getaway 1 or 2 nighters, otherwise I love the Black Wolf.