MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Sickgm on August 28, 2012, 08:36:29 AM
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Hey Guys,
Just looking for any opinions on the many hardfloor campers that can be found on ebay?
Some of them look pretty good and for the money they are pretty tempting.
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Personally I would try and inspect one to check the quality.
Mark
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Sickgm...
I owned a PMX hard floor unit but they are all identical to the eBay ones. Several manufacturers actually all sell the same basic unit with a bit of checker plate here or there. The GIC one for $12k also but this is now discontinued.
The trailer is fine for a couple who travel light and don't intend to go offload or hundreds of hours of corrugated road. I did an axle flip on mine, electrical install, installed a larger Ali tool box and built 5 jerry can holder. It towed great on the sand. The tent is small, canvas is average china quality and there is bugger all storage space but even that wasn't a show stopper for me.
The final nail was the thickness of material used. The main frame of the trailer is built wishing 25mm x 1mm box section and it is just tacked or spot welded together. These welds were no more than 3mm across. I did some work to relocate a spare wheel and welded on a 75mm x 50mm chassis beam and burnt straight through it. It was also only 1 or 1.2mm.
I contemplated building a new chassis for it with a longer drawbar but all of the other points I've mentioned above just made me realise that it's still not right for us. So I sold it and bought a soft floor. I do miss the simplicity of a hard floor, kayak storage rack and the step up for beach camping, but a quality hard floor was to big of a financial jump for us.
If you don't plan on any major corrugated road driving and you understand the above, you can make it pretty good with 2k and plenty of DIY hours. But if I was to tackle 100km of dirt road, I'd be waiting for something or the whole thing to just all of the back.
But if a hard floor is what you want and you're going to be sticking to the black top 95% of the time, then there isn't anything close to this budget. But you swill need to put in the work.
My 2cents worth.
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Thanks for the info. I really am in two or three minds. Quality soft floor vs cheap hardfloor vs older cub camper.
I am suspect of the quality of the China, Australian assembled trailers but I guess for the money you really can't compare.
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I looked at one while ago and was not at all impressed, better of to go for a reasonable 2nd hand one, at least you know what you will get,
any breakdowns or breakage's will never occour where it is an easy fix, and it will always occour away from home, holidays are not for hassles
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lots of things right with a 'pre-loved' Cub Camper
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I was leaning toward's a used cub supermatic but then I saw a couple of them and read that the tents don't always sit right (this would annoy the crap out of me) and the build was not overly impressive.
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Thanks for the info. I really am in two or three minds. Quality soft floor vs cheap hardfloor vs older cub camper.
We had a softfloor, but because of my back & knees, we decided to get a hardfloor.
We looked at them ebay ones, but in the end decided a 2nd hand Cub could be bought for 'round the same price, but better quality.
Sure, the tents "don't always sit right", but the only time I've seen a tent sit right (in any brand/make/model/manufacturer), was as a demo on flat concrete, & even then, there still some part not quite right ;)
At the end of the day, as long as it's up, won't fall down, won't blow over in the wind, keeps you dry...it's all good :)