Quality Budget Priced Trailer - My 2c

[InMused]

Actually, they way I read the OP is the same as my approach. 

I am commissioning a local trailer builder to build a trailer to my specs and adding an off the shelf kitchen and tent (Drifta and Austrack).

Dazza's specs and parts list was a suggestion for what to take to the fabricator. 

I have been getting quotes etc and I can commission a good quality Australian made trailer, a Drifta kitchen, Austrack tent, tank and electrics for the same as a bottom spec budget camper for a big name brand. 

[Peter The Greek]

bump for a great thread.

1 question - what is wrong with checkerplate (serious question froma  noob)?

[stromboli]

Newbie here also.

I also would like to know why checker plate is not good. as I am about to make a purchase decision :-)

[edz]

I'll go with chekerplate flooring acts a bit like a cheese gratter to anything put onto it, traps dirt and crud and a bit harder to work with when  fitting slides etc, Mainly its for hard wearing working surface areas.
So in the camper trailer floor area its not needed, even the trailer sides / guards etc unless you intend on rock rashing them a lot when you go out  ..
If you think about it your only getting 50% thickness of what ever size the sheet sheet is as a wall / floor thickness  anyway, so your carrying the other 50% weight of the sheet as raised wear pad lumps that will be doing nothing except trapping dirt and crud .. May as well just go with a thinner sheet and enjoy the jenny craig effect .

[stromboli]

very good points. never thought about that. thanks.

[gronk]

I'll relay a story about a friends camper that "broke" one day returning from Newnes campground, which is by no means offroad, dirt road at best.
Camper was a semi offroad made by a very well known Australian company that has /had a good name in offroad campers.

Suspension hangers tore the chassis away from where they were welded. Semi offroad you would presume the chassis was thinner than the full offroad model ??

Point being, no matter how well a trailer looks, something as simple as having the chassis strong enough is maybe overlooked ??

As previously mentioned, 50 x 50mm chassis seems OK, but is there different thickness steel in the same size ?

On my small van, the hangers are welded to a fair bit longer piece of angle iron that is then welded to the chassis in lots of different spots, so distributing the load over a greater area .

Maybe one area a good trailer maker already has lots of experience in ??

[edz]

If you make  the chassis spring mounts decent and supported enough you shouldnt ever have troubles .

[shapes]

Hi Dazzler

Great post, actually got me to join the forum.

I am looking into camper trailers at the moment and the wife and I quite like the walkup style camper, so was just wondering if you had any thoughts on these campers.

I am based in WA, so have been talking to a local mob over here and quite like this of theres but it seems over priced based on your post.

http://www.outbackcampers.net.au/walkup-karinya-camper-trailer

Would you think that any trailer builder would branch into camper trailer style builds?

Thanks again for the great info.

Cheers
Luke