Is there a perfect inbetweener? Hard floor with space of a soft floor

[israel.mcgregor]

Why is that?

Probably influenced by the salesman.

The ones we have seen had a very small footprint, so to fit a stretcher and a baby travel cot is a squeeze in itself, let alone any other storage wife might want to include (clothes etc).

Also - salesman influenced - that you need a pretty level surface or find stuff to prop up any unlevel sides?

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[Kangaron]

I had a rearfold for years, annex both sides, heaps of room.
No pics of the full setup so here is some off the web.
Bottom pic is the sidefold with similar setup.

[nab]

Regardless of camper type, most can be set up for an overnight stop within 30 mins. As said above, awnings, big tables, kitchens etc etc take all the extra time.

The "off-roading" you describe should be easy peasy for any camper, driven to the conditions. Corrugations and/or going to fast is the main killer or trailers.

Best we have set up our camper is 35mins including disconnecting from car, leveled up, roof lifted and beds setup, table and chairs out, awning up and ready to head to the beach. Mind you the missus and I were on a mission to get setup! Normally takes 45mins-1hr and that's us for a week. Really if it takes 2 hours doesn't bother me as I enjoy that part of camping. Not sure if I could be bothered with an 8hr setup!!!!

Years ago the missus did a 2 week trip, setting up either daily or 2 nights in out 14ft soft floor. Most nights we set up the awning as it was permanently attached to the tent. Admittedly we had no kids then but if it took us 30mins we were taking our time.

[israel.mcgregor]

The "off-roading" you describe should be easy peasy for any camper, driven to the conditions. Corrugations and/or going to fast is the main killer or trailers.

. Not sure if I could be bothered with an 8hr setup!!!!

Years ago the missus did a 2 week trip, setting up either daily or 2 nights in out 14ft soft floor. Most nights we set up the awning as it was permanently attached to the tent. Admittedly we had no kids then but if it took us 30mins we were taking our time.

Yes 8+ hours is hard yakka, but that's a 8x9m tarp  using rebar pegs, triple ridge bars pole in every hole, electrical system hooked up, double kitchen with hot water and piped drain, shower and hot water system, canvas tent, 12v fridge and lighting, plus the usual pantry and table set to etc.

Needless to say we need 3 solid weeks to make it  worth while.

Corrugations, yes they are the worst. I don't want to find myself having to pick my way through 15km of them to the campsite, but it doesn't also need to be bomb proof. I'd like whatever we get to be capable of more than we will throw at it... As this gives us some room to explore as the kids get older.

I take it on those road trips you didn't have a lot packed you had to move outta the way before you could set up the camper? How do you go with a wet packup into your mattress??

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[Bird]

Probably influenced by the salesman.

ahhh ok... ours is best, all others suck.. Gotcha

[israel.mcgregor]

ahhh ok... ours is best, all others suck.. Gotcha

Actually they were poo pooing their own product. But they were hard selling their dual fold as it's "the future of camping"

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[GeoffA]

Actually they were poo pooing their own product. But they were hard selling their dual fold as it's "the future of camping" where they maximize profit

Fixed....

[Ultimate Adventures Podcast]

Probably influenced by the salesman.

The ones we have seen had a very small footprint, so to fit a stretcher and a baby travel cot is a squeeze in itself, let alone any other storage wife might want to include (clothes etc).

Also - salesman influenced - that you need a pretty level surface or find stuff to prop up any unlevel sides?

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i know people that tour with rear fold hard floors and kids.   I think your problem, is, you are looking at all your gear you take for a 3 week trip, and you are trying to fit that into a camper. I reckon your mindset needs to change, buy the camper you like, then get your gear to fit the camper. EI, CULL CULL CULL. An 8 hour set up for 2 people is huge. i reckon you could cull 1/2 the gear you take.
Our set up only varies by an hour, whether we are going over night or a month. Mind you, we dont have kids..

Anyhow, food for though. 

[israel.mcgregor]

i know people that tour with rear fold hard floors and kids.   I think your problem, is, you are looking at all your gear you take for a 3 week trip, and you are trying to fit that into a camper. I reckon your mindset needs to change, buy the camper you like, then get your gear to fit the camper. EI, CULL CULL CULL. An 8 hour set up for 2 people is huge. i reckon you could cull 1/2 the gear you take.
Our set up only varies by an hour, whether we are going over night or a month. Mind you, we dont have kids..

Anyhow, food for though. 

I agree with you. We are coming from a place where we 'live' at our site rather than camp.

I'm sure when touring or taking weekend trips this will be much less of an issue. It's mainly for the 3-4week end of year stint where my wife bans me from talking about the next trip until at least August the following year. Then she won't let me engage her in any planning until at least October.

She only gets through the trip because, in her words 'its no harder than being at home once we are set up'.

Ideally I want a dual fold with an extended awning. Main issues with that are:
1) I Don't think I'll get a dual fold for under $15k
2) I'll probably have to custom make the extension.

I can probably go with the forward fold but lose out on the width... 5.5m is kinda the golden minimum for us.


The modcon might get close but I'll have to check out the specs and $$

Cub probably too exxy

Anything else worth looking at?

Fwiw we did consider the ezytrail Portland but even the sales staff were not that keen on selling it. (if this comment offends or is not allowed please remove)





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[Bird]

An 8 hour set up for 2 people is huge.

8 hours? Who drives the B-Double?

More than an hour (setup camper on my own) and I'd never leave the house. The trailer is always the quickest part. its all the other Shit that takes time.

If you want space and storage you want a soft floor.. once parked up we are sitting back in <hour - stretchers, beds, kitchen, solar, chairs table etc.
 2 adults 2 teenagers who dont help one bit.

Many of them dont take that long to setup once you've done it a few times. (except the ones with 50 poles).. any trailer is slow first time though

[Alan Loy]

There is/was a type of soft floor that had an extended body so there was a walk through to the bed.  This made access to the bed easier and the side tent longer.  The kitchen was at the back so separate from the living areas.  They were a good design if you want a lot of space.  Lifestyle Campers made one called the Extenda  but there were more on the market.

https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/items/details/2015-lifestyle-extenda/SSE-AD-6585054/?Cr=0&gts=SSE-AD-6585054&gtsSaleId=SSE-AD-6585054&gtsViewType=showcase&rankingType=showcase

https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/items/details/2011-lifestyle-extenda/SSE-AD-6607371/?Cr=9

[tryagain]

Are you looking 2nd hand or new?

[rockrat]

Did my wife put you up to this??

If she had her way we'd be getting a Jayco. I have my reservations... 1: sleeping in the wings... Doesn't look particularly comfortable or solid; 2: how off-roadable are they?

Happy to be convinced about a Jayco tho... Happy wife and all!

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We've got a Jayco Eagle Outback and it suited us well for what we did when we lived in FNQ - mostly caravan parks both on the coast and out west. Never had it on corrugations, the beach or any other rough stuff so can't answer how well it would handle those conditions. 

Beds were actually pretty comfortable and the only thing we did was add thin "egg shell" foam mattresses on top. But we did find that if someone moved in their bed, you could feel it through (I imagine it much the same for most campers).

We had aircon fitted which was awesome on those hot, humid nights.

The biggest downside I see is that the kitchen is inside and we never used it as we would always cook outside on a weber/gas stove.

Sadly the missus works weekends these days and we haven't actually used it for probably 2 years.  My son/daughter sometimes go camping with me still but in that case we just take the tent and/or swags.

In all honesty, if I was looking to buy a camper trailer again I either wouldn't, I'd buy a smallish hybrid (been thinking of selling the Eagle and going down that path), or I'd buy something more rugged (perhaps a dual fold or even something like and Opus Air).

[db]

Our previous camper was a rear fold soft floor, 12 foot tent so it was pretty roomy. Awning was all up about 5 metres long. We travelled quite a bit with it, including 10 weeks to the kimberley. For overnight stops with no awning, we got it down to 15 - 20 min. Longer stays with awning added a good hour. If you need space a soft floor will give you space and storage capaciity, and you'll get something in your budget. A good quality soft floor camper with good canvas will be way better bang for buck. We only moved to our forward fold because the kids moved to swags, so we had a big tent with no one in it. Forward fold is a bit faster to set up, and is an advantage on rough ground, but I don't think there is as much in it as some think. From what you've said so far about what you do  and plan to do, I think a good soft floor might be worth a look.

[israel.mcgregor]

There is/was a type of soft floor that had an extended body so there was a walk through to the bed.  This made access to the bed easier and the side tent longer.  The kitchen was at the back so separate from the living areas.  They were a good design if you want a lot of space.  Lifestyle Campers made one called the Extenda  but there were more on the market.

https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/items/details/2015-lifestyle-extenda/SSE-AD-6585054/?Cr=0&gts=SSE-AD-6585054&gtsSaleId=SSE-AD-6585054&gtsViewType=showcase&rankingType=showcase

https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/items/details/2011-lifestyle-extenda/SSE-AD-6607371/?Cr=9

I think they call them a step through. The Portland LX is like that

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[israel.mcgregor]

Are you looking 2nd hand or new?

Well new would be awesome but I pretty much have a hard budget of $15k, so I'll take the best I can get for the $$

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[israel.mcgregor]

The biggest downside I see is that the kitchen is inside and we never used it as we would always cook outside on a weber/gas stove.


In all honesty, if I was looking to buy a camper trailer again I either wouldn't, I'd buy a smallish hybrid (been thinking of selling the Eagle and going down that path), or I'd buy something more rugged (perhaps a dual fold or even something like and Opus Air).

Inside kitchen is my biggest drawback and why I'm pretty hard on not getting a Jayco. I may as well start down the caravan path and forget off-road at all if I have to have a kitchen inside. I know that logic is flawed, but it makes sense in my head

Opus is $$$$$ from what I recall but looked pretty good from a quick glance.

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[israel.mcgregor]

From what you've said so far about what you do  and plan to do, I think a good soft floor might be worth a look.

The soft floor we hired for the last trip 'could' be done with one person but it was a monster of a thing and it was way higher than I am tall so it wasn't possible to pack it back up again without a ladder or a second person standing on the toolbox at the other end.

Maybe we need to hire one that wasn't build like a tank, and hire a dual fold and compare the pair.

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[Coolblue80]

Go for a quality soft floor, screw in pegs with a drill/driver, Raawcon fittings for the annexe and simplify your setup. Might work for you. As one of the other lads mentioned. CULL CULL CULL.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Cheers, Mike.

[tryagain]

Well new would be awesome but I pretty much have a hard budget of $15k, so I'll take the best I can get for the $$

Generally speaking, you get FAR better bang for your buck used, Whereabouts in Oz are you? We can maybe point out some used ones that would be worth looking at.

[nab]

I take it on those road trips you didn't have a lot packed you had to move outta the way before you could set up the camper? How do you go with a wet packup into your mattress??

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We cover the beds with a couple of cheap 7x5 tarp before dropping the roof and it keeps them dry.

I have actually modified the interior of mine to make the storage more user friendly and we cook outside (got rid of the inside cooker and sink)

[israel.mcgregor]

Go for a quality soft floor, screw in pegs with a drill/driver, Raawcon fittings for the annexe and simplify your setup. Might work for you. As one of the other lads mentioned. CULL CULL CULL.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Cheers, Mike.

Thanks for the tip on raawcon. They look the goods for a one person setup for sure!

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[israel.mcgregor]

Generally speaking, you get FAR better bang for your buck used, Whereabouts in Oz are you? We can maybe point out some used ones that would be worth looking at.

NSW - western Sydney.

Happy for any suggestions. I appreciate you all being so willing to assist and not being annoyed with me being so picky!

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[Bird]

The soft floor we hired for the last trip

What make / model was the one you hired?

[israel.mcgregor]

What make / model was the one you hired?

Not entirely sure if this is the actual brand or not.

To give you an idea, my wife had to use a step to cook and do dishes on the tailgate kitchen!



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