If money was no object what camper trailer would you buy?

[blackstump]

I would buy Arnem Land from our indiginous friends and cruise around there in my ""Bush Tucker Man Land Rover and matching trailer"".

Failing that....i'de wait for jk to sell me his Cape York

[Blinky Bill]

When we first spotted the Ultimate we were very excited. Like most things in life you eventually realise that nothing is perfect.

Cooking inside is okay wet weather or when there are flies and mozzies but then for those times you can always use a portable gas stove. For us outdoor cooking is the attraction.

We prefer the hard floor design for quick & easy set-up and speedy pack-up when breaking camp. It works for us.

Everything is a compromise. I think the trick is to find what works best for you.

Cheers & happy trails - Wayne

[Beachbums]

Interesting that people think the T van, Ultimate etc are light ??

And everyone thinks the KK are heavy ??

Well.....they are all heavy.... tare weight for all of them starts approx 850KG and goes up to approx 1100KG with all their goodies....

Even some of the soft floors are now getting up to the same weight as the hard floors..

As an example of weights.. T van 850 to 990
                                    Ultimate 850
                                    KK 990 to 1100
                                    AORC 1000 to 1100
                                    Aussie Swag 1100 to 1200
                                    Vista 1100

These are all tare weights and can increase a lot depending on what size water tanks etc they each have ..

Hi Gronk,
               On the paperwok and the compliance plate our Ulty has a tare of 750 kg and an aggregate of 1200 kg although I haven't had it over a weighbridge.

Re the inside kitchen comments, Jan and I seldom use it except for making coffee or a bit of toast under the grill. We don't like the smell of cooking that seems to hang around in the canvas either. We tend to use the Cobb oven or the Baby Q outside. Added to this is one of the small disposable butane single hotplates that we take in ute for brewups while we're out during the day.

I guess it really depends on how much you cook. We  are usually "Cereal and yoghurt" types at breakfast and lunch we lean towards sambos, so we usually only end up cooking dinner each night.

The option of being able to cook inside has been handy a few times when we've been in sandfly or mozzie country though.

It's really for courses and whatever works for you is the right choice.


Cheers, Wayne

[gronk]

Sorry to the Ultimate blokes, but I was only going on what they state on their website....and if its anything like some of the other manufacturers...the tare is usually higher than what they state..

Best bet is to go over a weighbridge and get a real figure....you may be shocked !!

[Campa]

An Aussie Swag would do us nicely 

[Beachbums]

Sorry to the Ultimate blokes, but I was only going on what they state on their website....and if its anything like some of the other manufacturers...the tare is usually higher than what they state..

Best bet is to go over a weighbridge and get a real figure....you may be shocked !!

No probs Gronk, I think like most things they have gotten "fatter" over the years. (ours is a 2002 model) I see the newer ones have Granite benchtops! Well, imitation ones anyway 

Cheers, Wayne

[JCOJ]

Regarding the Ultimate - I think they look awesome when I see one on the road but I think they are very tall.

Also we prefer sheets with a quilt over sleeping bags - can the bed in the Ultimate be left made up when packing up?

[Paul Mac]

Unfortunately not. That's one of the jobs to do when you pack up and set up I'm afraid.

[kiva]

Also we prefer sheets with a quilt over sleeping bags - can the bed in the Ultimate be left made up when packing up?

No, the bed is composed of three mattresses. These stack on the couch when the camper is closed/folded up. When the camper is opened up, the mattresses are placed side by side (either vertically or horizontally - its a square bed base) and this takes only a moment. We leave fitted sheets on our mattresses so that once they are placed on the bed base, a quilt/doona and pillows (and toddlers) can be thrown on top and the bed is made. The whole exercise can easily be done in under a minute.

[Pebble]

Yes if you wanted to look at the ultimate in a critical way I would say:
I'm paying $40k for a camper trailer where in I still have to make my bed like I would in any plain old tent! I mean isn't one point of a camper the fact that you can leave your bed made up?
I'm buying it because I CAN sit and cook inside it but then I'm planning on sitting and cooking outside anyway!

But you know it's a bit like not having enough money to buy something, the 10c that can be the difference of being able to buy that loaf of bread or not. Normally 10c isn't a big deal, until that day when you're exactly that amount short and the shop keeper won't sell you the bread (nope that wouldn't happen where I live, the shop owners are super nice lol).
I guess that's the same with the Ultimate, it's not perfect for everyone, but the little things can make a big difference in the long run, in a good way like the little leg that holds the lid up so you can go around the other side and tuck the canvas in, or in a not so good way like having to make the bed each time could be an annoying issue for some people.

And yes i vote for a doona, unless the next sleeping bags I buy have a warmer cotton like material rather than that cold and noisy nylony stuff, and when joined together they let too much draft in as well! Next time I will be taking a doona!

[darren]

Pebbles. On a side note. Go to a hiking shop and get a silk liner for your sleeping bag. Sea to Summit make some. It stops the issue you say but because its silk, it's slippery and you don't end up tied in knots inside your sleeping bag. It also keeps them clean.

[kiva]

I mean isn't one point of a camper the fact that you can leave your bed made up?

Well, we came from bush walking to a camper; so the idea of keeping a made up bed never occurred to us. It might also be that since we have young children, we have to construct their sleeping area (portacots) regardless so we didn't think it was strange to "construct" our sleeping area.

I'm buying it because I CAN sit and cook inside it but then I'm planning on sitting and cooking outside anyway!

Its nice to have options 

The reality is that all camper trailers are a compromise in some way or another. You just have to be happy with the set of compromises that you have and make the best of it (or you keep modifying it until you are happy  )

[Flemo]

No Trackabout on the poll so wont vote from me.
On another note I know a bloke that just bought one of these for about 6k. I told him it would end in tears and the "10" breaks" would break, any thoughts.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300494232893&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&autorefresh=true

[Campa]

ha ha, you can always tell it's a quality product when the translation is not correct

Funny looking Dingo too!

[briann532]

ha ha, you can always tell it's a quality product when the translation is not correct

Funny looking Dingo too!

OK "IF" money was no object, I'd buy one of these........

Just to burn it!!!!

[Pebble]

Pebbles. On a side note. Go to a hiking shop and get a silk liner for your sleeping bag. Sea to Summit make some. It stops the issue you say but because its silk, it's slippery and you don't end up tied in knots inside your sleeping bag. It also keeps them clean.

I think we had these but problem is they weren't a double and I also like to stretch out sometimes, like sticking a foot out of the bottom of the sleeping bag if it's hot for example. I'm pretty sure one of the silk liners is now cut in half and serves as a dirty laundry bag! In saying that we do have cotton ones for the kids somewhere as well but their sleeping bags don't have the nylon lining like ours, and besides they're supposedly washable (synthetic obviously).
On even more of a side note my Husband is also the type who would probably think it was the end of the world should we sleep in separate sleeping bags or swags or something lol.

[sol]

   A Vista. Got one and its awesome

[Isuzumu]

If money was no object I would have a Jayco 18' Outback towed by a new VW Toureg for the softer stuff, but keep our Jimboomba for the real rough stuff towed by our ever reliable MU 

[gutters]

If money were no issue and we didn't have the rug rats tagging only I would get one of these

http://www.earthcruiser.com.au/

Whilst the kids are still with us I'd stick with our Modcon Quattro but would have to get a nice new tow rig which would be a fully decked out 76 series cruiser

[Redcherokee]

If money was no object I'd buy more than one.  Have them sit in the huge garage, so I could take whatever suited my mood.

A Travelander tray back would definitely be in there.  Perfect for those trips when you don't really want to be towing.

A Modcon forward fold, like the look of these for a camper trailer.

A Vista RV, still easy to tow but almost no canvas in the wet.

An offroad van - maybe an 18' Bushtracker.   For when I am feeling my age.

A jolly big fancy home away from home van for taking somewhere and living out of for months - whilst doing shorter trips with one of the others.

A Winnie.  Noooo.  Don't think I could do that....

[Smoko]

If money were no object I would still have my Trackabout but with more money I would not have to work so I could use the Trackie every day if I wanted to




Smoko

[LUXUS]

I would have a KK like I do, maybe with a few more features and bigger tow rig.

And because I've got all the money in the world, I would tow it everywhere down all the toughest tracks in Australia and really tested it out with worrying about scratching or dinging it, beause in a couple of years I's just up grade it and I wouldn't care about resale.

But dont have all the money in the world, so I will probably cry the first tiome I scratch or ding it......Because it just cost me all my money I had in this world.

[bussoboy]

for my mind it would be an Aussie Swag......but no matter how rich i get my darling bride will always get her way and she would like a complete campsite

[gec]

If money was no object, I would love to get a Mountain Trail "Evolution" , but it is so I will have to stick with my Down Under Camper, Its good and tough, and paid for .  No vote from me as they are not on the list.

http://www.mountaintrailcampers.com.au/

http://www.downundercampers.com.au/index.htm

[Fun Police]

I'd still probably go with the Great Aussie, however, I'd probably fill up the walkway with bottles of 18yo single malt!!