Contemplating the leap into a CT.

[Barrabart]

Righto here goes,

We are a family that enjoys getting away, we have 3 kids 16, 15 and 11. Our camping so far has always been with tents, tarps set up tables chairs, a fairly well set up camp generally. Our tent over the last 10yrs or so has been a big two room job, i've never liked it really due to the time in setting up etc, have been thinking lately about doing a re shuffle of the camping gear and replacing the big old tent with a extended canvas tourer style....... then started thinking about selling our 8 x 5 off road trailer along with some of the camping gear, and going for a camper trailer.
As mentioned the trailer we have is an 8 x 5 so i'm thinking buying just a camper tent would be a bit of a problem as most i've seen are designed for 7 x 4, and with all the choices of complete CT set ups i can't really see why i would stuff around fitting a tent to my existing trailer.
Anyway, if someone else has just made the leap, let me know how your new camping experience has been, what are some of the things you liked about going with a CT, was there anything u missed regarding your old way of camping?

Anyway, do your best to convince me why i should buy a CT, hehe.

Look forward to hearing from you.

[LeighC]

Hi BarraBart,

With that amount of camping years under your belt you probably have a fair idea of what style of camping you generally do.  Therefore you've probably already considered to pro's and cons of a CT already.  Are you looking for a different style of camping, i.e. do you have a big trip planned that would benefit from a CT over your current setup.  Perhaps something else to consider is the age or usefull life of your existing gear, tent getting tired, cooker has just clocked up it's 200th gas bottle refill.  If its all getting close to packing it in then a refresh with a new CT with kitchen and some extra ability to carry some water could be the thing.  Are the older kids going to want to stay at home over the next years when you venture away so perhaps a smaller camping rig is the way to go.  What about the better half, do they need something to keep them in the camping lifestyle.

You know what, if you're asking the question of needing convincing to buy a CT I recon you're already there ... well I would be anyway.  Tell us what type of CT you're thinking of 

cheers
Leigh

[JethroT]

My advice would be to take your time and look at all the different options.

(E-Bay is a good place to check out all the different styles in one place, even though we didn't buy there)

We were sick of our old soft floor model, so went out to buy a hardfloor style but ended up with the Camper Van after considering why we really wanted to get out of the soft floor.  A hardfloor might not suit your family though.

Regards
Geoff

[areyonga]

Welcome Barrabart.  I went the otherway, I had a campervan then went to a poptop and now I have a CT, It gives me more diversity for what I want to do.  The main consideration is just that, what do you want to do with it as that will define your needs.  I am going across Australia on all the dirt so I have a different need to someone who mostly stays on bitumen and caravan parks so work it out and ask questions, there is a wealth of knowledge here.

Wil

[dazzler]

If speed of setup is your main concern then a soft floor CT is not going to make any real difference once you take into account setting up the annexe walls etc. It may be a little quicker but not much in my experience.  And the clever tents like oztent and black wolf are probably much quicker.

[Tracey family]

HI!

We've just made the switch from tent to CT. It was the best money we ever spent! The trailer is peramently packed ready to go - just add clothes and food. Set up is much much easier than the tent and if you have a CT with built in kitchen then you save more time and hassle.

I disagree with dazzler re set up times. It has definitely saved us time. An the beauty of a CT is that you only setup what you need so sometimes you will set the tent up only, others the tent and awning and the annex is there if you need it for bad weather or longer stays. Though I agree you can't get much faster than the Oztent.

We've found that the CT has expanded our possible camping experiences. We now have a water tank, fridge and basic 12v setup and solar panels so we can now go to more remote places for longer than we could with the tent, an esky and carrying water in jerry cans only.

The hardest part is deciding on which CT to buy. Plenty of info on myswag to help you with that decision.

My advice - DO IT!!!! you won't regret it!!

  Glenyse

[Barrabart]

Hi BarraBart,

With that amount of camping years under your belt you probably have a fair idea of what style of camping you generally do.  Therefore you've probably already considered to pro's and cons of a CT already.  Are you looking for a different style of camping, i.e. do you have a big trip planned that would benefit from a CT over your current setup.  Perhaps something else to consider is the age or usefull life of your existing gear, tent getting tired, cooker has just clocked up it's 200th gas bottle refill.  If its all getting close to packing it in then a refresh with a new CT with kitchen and some extra ability to carry some water could be the thing.  Are the older kids going to want to stay at home over the next years when you venture away so perhaps a smaller camping rig is the way to go.  What about the better half, do they need something to keep them in the camping lifestyle.

You know what, if you're asking the question of needing convincing to buy a CT I recon you're already there ... well I would be anyway.  Tell us what type of CT you're thinking of 

cheers
Leigh

Think i agree with you Leigh, do believe i have already made the decision, hehe..... and yeah i think the kids will be hanging around for a while, not to mention the tag along boyfriends and girlfriends that will no doubt be hanging around from time to time, haha...... Buggered if i'm buying enough canvas to house all of them though!

[Barrabart]

My advice would be to take your time and look at all the different options.

(E-Bay is a good place to check out all the different styles in one place, even though we didn't buy there)

We were sick of our old soft floor model, so went out to buy a hardfloor style but ended up with the Camper Van after considering why we really wanted to get out of the soft floor.  A hardfloor might not suit your family though.

Regards
Geoff

Thanks Geoff, been checking out Ebay.......... yeah and i think i'll be giving the soft floor a run first..... crikey half the time i'm happy rollin out the swag in the dirt, but rum has that effect, hehe

[Barrabart]

Welcome Barrabart.  I went the otherway, I had a campervan then went to a poptop and now I have a CT, It gives me more diversity for what I want to do.  The main consideration is just that, what do you want to do with it as that will define your needs.  I am going across Australia on all the dirt so I have a different need to someone who mostly stays on bitumen and caravan parks so work it out and ask questions, there is a wealth of knowledge here.

Wil

Thanks mate,
Yeah i had an off road trailer built last year to cart the camping gear and motorbikes etc, i should of just bitten the bullet then and gone the CT.... Yeah generally try and avoid c'van parks as a rule..... not that there's anything wrong with'em....... after all my first born child came home to a C'van, we still call her our little trailer trash baby, hehe

[Barrabart]

If speed of setup is your main concern then a soft floor CT is not going to make any real difference once you take into account setting up the annexe walls etc. It may be a little quicker but not much in my experience.  And the clever tents like oztent and black wolf are probably much quicker.

Yep good point, our tent is a two room job, so it's never a quick set up, and i wouldn't think about setting it up for an o'nighter...... also we have two big tarps, and about 20 poles ropes etc....... and i'm ready to reeeeeeeeeealy simplify all this......... if you get my drift.

[Barrabart]

HI!

We've just made the switch from tent to CT. It was the best money we ever spent! The trailer is peramently packed ready to go - just add clothes and food. Set up is much much easier than the tent and if you have a CT with built in kitchen then you save more time and hassle.

I disagree with dazzler re set up times. It has definitely saved us time. An the beauty of a CT is that you only setup what you need so sometimes you will set the tent up only, others the tent and awning and the annex is there if you need it for bad weather or longer stays. Though I agree you can't get much faster than the Oztent.

We've found that the CT has expanded our possible camping experiences. We now have a water tank, fridge and basic 12v setup and solar panels so we can now go to more remote places for longer than we could with the tent, an esky and carrying water in jerry cans only.

The hardest part is deciding on which CT to buy. Plenty of info on myswag to help you with that decision.

My advice - DO IT!!!! you won't regret it!!

  Glenyse

Thanks,
Some good points their......... and i agree with all you said, especially having a choice re what you want to set up, how long your planning on staying in the one place etc.............. Just one thing though........ Do you work for the sales dept of a CT outlet??...... If not then maybe you should

[davo69 and the Nurse]

Thanks,
Some good points their......... and i agree with all you said, especially having a choice re what you want to set up, how long your planning on staying in the one place etc.............. Just one thing though........ Do you work for the sales dept of a CT outlet??...... If not then maybe you should

I think the Tracey family are just very happy Trackabout adovates!
Barrabart... I think you should bite the bullet, and buy a camper trailer.... so you can get out there and get it dirty!

the Nurse

[speewa158]

Barrabart You have perpurchace jitters, will I wont I . This forum has a huge bunch of happy campers we cant all say we have CTs  But most do . The others will soon  ,     Find it , Pack it & Enjoy it  , WE all do 

[Tracey family]

I think the Tracey family are just very happy Trackabout adovates!

For sure!! Maybe I should see JT about a job!

[mark40]

G'day Barrabart. We are in the same boat as you, going from a tent to a CT. The main advantage we can see is the setup time and the fact that everything is there in the camper ready to go. With 2 little kids we got tired of climbing up and down on the roofrack getting tents, tarps etc. We would rather spend our time annoying the kids rather than mucking around setting up a tent and all the stuff that goes with it.
This site is the best place I have found for helpful advice and tips and everyone is very welcoming and willing to offer their help. Happy hunting

[Blinky Bill]

Hi all,

I thought I'd share a true story with you. 

I've got a good mate who reckons the best idea is a decent trailer with a roof top tent attached. Yep I could see the advantage in that. Take off the roof top tent and then you have a wonderful trailer for all the other jobs. 

Then I noticed his trailer started to acquire all kinds of 'handy stuff' such as large plastic containers for his water, a bolt on tool box to carry his tarps (his roof top tent set-up doesn't offer a dry spot to stand) and an odd looking tradesman's box where he keeps his food & stove and so on and so forth. It kind of looked like a humpy on wheels.  :'(

No doubt eventually he will have this weird looking thing set-up to his liking and as he is no dummy, I'd bet pounds to peanuts that it's going to looking pretty much like a camper trailer. 

Look he's my mate and I love him dearly, and yes we are all different but if I could have given one piece of advice it would have been to simply buy the CT of his choice. CT manufacturers (especially Australian manufacturers) have worked through all the problems and come up with some great solutions to make camping as easy as. 

By the way here's a site that offers advice on Camper Trailers that you may find helpful http://www.campertrailers.org/ask_a_salesman.htm 

Cheers & beers - Wayne

[jclures]

Wayne, I think you have just missed the point of a camper like that, if he is like me, buying a ready-made unit would take all the fun out of the camper.

[Matto]

Gday Barrabart,

We went from an extended canvas tourer tent to a soft-floor CT, and I can tell you the CT is heaps quicker to set up. Keep in mind we don't have any annex walls, and we don't bother with a tarp over the top of the camper or anything fancy like that. Even with setting up the awning and the kitchen wall it's still far and away a quicker set-up and pack up time. Part of that is to do with the fact that we don't *need* to set up the awning off the side of the car , the camper's awning has more than enough room for us as-is.

If you're happy with your trailer, and are a bit like JC and enjoy tinkering away with it, then I don't think you'll have any trouble in finding someone who could make a top to suit your 8x5 trailer. I know that Johnny @ Trackabout would be able to knock something up to suit your exact specifications if you wanted to go down that route, for instance.

Keep in mind though that there is a lot of little things that go into making a camper trailer easy to use - we've been spending the last 6 months basically rebuilding my father-in-law's trailer to fix all the things that the previous owner did wrong, and I suspect that we would have saved a lot of money by simply buying a brand new "proper" camper trailer in the first place, instead of picking up this second hand home-built job that has since needed pretty much everything replaced or modified. It certainly sounds like you've been in this game for a while though, so I'd guess that your trailer is in a fair bit better condition though! 

CT manufacturers (especially Australian manufacturers) have worked through all the problems and come up with some great solutions to make camping as easy as. 

I think that was what I was trying to say!

Oh yeah - before I forget - just go buy a Trackabout! 

Thanks!
Matto

[chisel]

I'm still on the fence re: camper trailers.  I have a big blackwolf tent which has heaps of space and takes 5 mins to setup.
The other parts of the camp aren't too bad setting up either.  But packing everything back into the car and roofrack is a bit of a chore and would be the one thing that the camper trailer definitely has a big advantage with.
2 things still put me off the CT idea - (a) many places, at least in SEQ, have bollards and tent-only spots (and many of these are quite nice spots that I'd like to continue using), (b) it costs a lot to get a trailer to straddie and moreton islands.  If you don't have either of these issues then a CT would probably be a good idea.  I don't know if it will cut down the time too much though.  I would suggest dropping the tarps and using a gazebo would help the time a lot (you don't *need* to have a tarp over the tent - if you're trying to save time you can get away without it).  And get a quick tent (blackwolf or oztent).

[Matto]

We almost bought a Blackwolf tent. I do like them. I've been wanting to buy an OzTent, but at 6"4, I'm just too tall to fit inside one. If they were a bit taller, they'd be perfect.

The way we approached it was that we already had a pretty comprehensive tent camping setup - the only downsides were the setup and packup times, and the fact that with all our gear packed in and strapped on the car, we were packed to the hilt. By picking up the camper trailer, what we've done is given ourselves heaps of extra space in the trailer for all our gear so that now whilst travelling, the only thing in the car is the fridge and some food. When we're camped we get the benefits of heaps of under-roof space, and a super-quick setup times, along with the conveniences that the camper brings - the big water tank, kitchen, etc.

However, we've still got all our old gear - we've had it for years, it owes us nothing, and wouldn't be worth much to sell. So we'll hold onto it and keep it in good condition. So if we want to do a trip away that for whatever reason we don't want to / can't take the camper, we always have the option of loading up the tent and gear and going that way.

So for us, it wasn't an either-or scenario. The camper gives us the option of living it up in luxury for most of the time, but we retain the investment in our existing good gear for the times when we decide to go to the places without the camper. Given that you've invested in even higher-end tent gear than we have, you're probably even better positioned to take advantage of this sort of scenario. It all depends on your depends on the ratio of the time you spend going to places that are camper-trailer inaccessible, and the length of time you stay. We went to Moreton last year, and to make it financially viable, it meant that we had to go for at least 10 days to recoup the cost of the camper on the barge. As you can imagine, we were heartbroken by that demand. 

Horses for courses - that's the beauty of this game. Find out what works for you!
Matto

[coffs camping]

Hey,

Sounds to me like it's a no brainer. You have the camping gear and a trailer to keep it in (so do I, parked in the garage ready to go - just add food in the esky, clothes and water). You have talked yourself (and us) into buying a CT (I have one of those too, also parked in the garage ready to go - just add food, clothes and water). So you get the best of both worlds.

If we are going to duck down to South West Rocks to have a snorkel on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning we take the tent, throw in some cereal and plastic milk, have chinese for dinner and fish and chips for lunch and everyone is happy. Anything longer we take the CT.

I love camping anyway, and think its really funny that a "dilema" is how to go about it. My dilema is I can't get out there enough (in a tent, CT or swag). As they say, Just do it!!

Buy the CT (and keep the trusty camping gear)- you won't regret it!!

J

[Yoda42]

I LOVE our Oztent and its speed of set up and pack down - but for us the biggest time factor is setting up and packing down bedding! Hence the CT on its way.

I have no dramas with a swag - love them, but they're just too bulky. So we've got single cots and self inflating mattresses and pillows to go on top, then sheets and a fleece if it's coolish. But it's the cots that are a PITA time wise, however we do get a good night's sleep out of them, and they are worth setting up rather than just chucking the mattresses on the floor.

Packing up always seems to take longer, I think partly because a teeny bit of depression sets in, that you have to go back to the real world

Mrs Yoda

[cancan]

We have the off road trailer, 2 room tent and tarp set up and have just purchased a CT so will be interesting in a couple of weeks to compare the difference although I do remember last Christmas that the CT next to me was able to start packing after I was half way through and they still left before me. Other advantage I can see is the CT can be nearly ready to go anytime where as the trailer always has palm fronds in and garage is cluttered with camping gear.
I also like to get away on the odd occasion fishing with mates and then I take a light weight hiking tent and sleeping bag, don't need any luxuries without the family just fishing gear and alcohol

[Barrabart]

Thanks to all for taking the time to share your thoughts, your advice and experience is very much appreciated......

 I'm back at work now for the next couple of weeks, no doubt this CT business will be occupying my mind fairly heavily....... Oh and to make the decision easier my better half is keener then myself to get a CT, so that's one hurdle done and dusted, so i reckon the decision has been made.

Again thanks heaps to all.

[tropicbird54]

Evening Barrabart.   Sounds like you've pretty much made up your mind after all the great advice.   Hubby and I are tent campers from way back -  with kids once, and now just the two of us.   We have been thinking about getting a ct for yonks - our older son and family have a Trackabout and we did a trip up the Cape a couple of years ago with them and just loved their ct set up.  Hubby and I were using our old small dome tent for that trip, but we have a bigger one that we normally use - once the fly is on, it has 3 rooms.  Love it, but it takes us ages to set up and pack up again.   Not to mention the job of retrieving all our camping gear from the various places throughout the house and then packing the car to the rafters etc etc etc.  We are over it!!  so have recently ordered a Trackabout Safari SV  from Tolga Traders, who demonstrated how quick and easy it is to set up and pack up the camper tent.  Amazing.  We just can't wait.  We realise that once we have the ct packed and ready to go, we'll be able to get away for just a normal weekend instead of always hanging out for the long weekends.   Would never consider camping with our tent and gear just for one night!!  Anyway, good luck on whatever you decide, which whatever it is will be the right decision for you and your family.
Cheers from another Cairns Myswagger.
Sharyn