Best design of camper?

[AJC2]

I've often wondered about what is the best design of camper?

Is it the traditional side fold soft floor tent on a box, whether its a low spec like a GIC or a mid spec like Tambo or a top spec like a Complete Campsite or is it something else? Seems to me there are a number of manufacturers with a large range in quality and specification on the same thing, especially in the side fold soft floor tent on a box or the hard floor rear fold (and everyone loves a Kimberly Camper or similar).

Then there are a number of manufacturers who make some thing different, like TracShak with their double double rear fold soft floor tent and removeable kitchen; or Adventure OffRoad with their slide away king size soft floor tent that has an always accessible kitchen and a roof racks that don't need unloading; or Ultimate Camper with their side folding hard floor tent with walk in galley kitchen; or Travellander for something that's somewhere in between a Ultimate and an Adventurer Offroad; perhaps Modcon with their up high, reverse folding take on a hard floor camper; or the Track Trailer TVan half caravan, half hard floor rear fold; maybe a Conqueror or a Camprite, two different takes of an elevated, expanding tent up on a trailer; a crossover caravan style camper like an RV Vista or Kimberly Karavan; what about the ubiquitous Jacyco cara-tent style camper?

Of course the type of use (bitumen and gravel touring; outback corrugated gravel touring; hard core offroad or some of all of it), along with price, whether you are a family or couple / single, whether you mainly set up in one spot for a week or two or whether you move regularly, whether you carry a tinny or bikes or kayaks or the lot all will influence your decision so there is no right or wrong.

Me, in a Jayco Swan OB; but for a real camper-trailer, I rate the Adventure OffRoad.

Something to ponder!

Let me know if something should be added.

[Manjimike]

I have a rearfold soft floor but when I build my own I am swinging toward the modcon or journeyman fold forward type

 
Mike

[mystq]

The Side fold soft floor, I am a bit biased.

[bussoboy]

i think everyones gonna be biased in this one............whats right for me and my wife wont be right for someone with a wife and 3 kids

my hardfloor works very well for what we want out of it - quick set up and a stable floor above the ground when it pours as it always does when we go camping

[Manjimike]

i think everyones gonna be biased in this one............whats right for me and my wife wont be right for someone with a wife and 3 kids

my hardfloor works very well for what we want out of it - quick set up and a stable floor above the ground when it pours as it always does when we go camping

Basically the reason I am going for a fold forward design  - just the 2 of us and want a small footprint

[AJC2]

i think everyones gonna be biased in this one............whats right for me and my wife wont be right for someone with a wife and 3 kids

my hardfloor works very well for what we want out of it - quick set up and a stable floor above the ground when it pours as it always does when we go camping

yep, bias to what we have, but i suspect alot of us will like the design and engineering of some of the more unique types out there...take price out of the equation and reults differ; hence the idea of the thread - "what design do you like" rather than what type of camper do you have, for some it will be the same, for others it will be different.

for instance, I suspect a soft floor side fold will be a popular design choice, but not as high a percentage as that design would be if the question was "what type of camper do you own"?

[ralphedward]

The best camper around is mine.  It's what gets me and the family out there - there is nothing better!

[Isuzumu]

My reasons for buying a soft floor:-

Ball weight a lot less than most hard floors
Have much more storage space
Bigger room area, ours is a ten foot which is huge for us.
There are others depending on the camper, ours been a Jimboomba Explorer with lots of extras does make a difference of course.

[Pebble]

We've had an Adventure, had a side folding soft floor, some really really cheep one and an All Terrain (wihch is pretty much similar to Complete Campsite).
I did really like the All Terrain, was nice and quick to set up...not as quick as a single pole touring tent though!

If I was buying another "proper" camper trailer I'd be tempted to try some sort of Hardfoor  (because kids are old enough for swags or what not) or of course something like the Ultimate.

I voted for the Ultimate.....the Ultimate camper to have on ones wishlist one day! Just something I really like about that design, seems to appeal a bit more than the rest.

[HerGU]

As a bias Adventure camper owner i love the kitchen setup and the minimal poles in the awning. There isnt much i dont like about the Adventure. I would like a safari roof to make it cooler and i would also like the canvas covers for the windows so you could leave them open when it rains - these are my only wants really. Other than that i still love it as much as the day i bought it 2 & 1/2 years ago.

[dlowen]

My best design wasn't mentioned other than the 'cross-over' caravan type.  Having previously had a Camp-o-matic hard-floor, we now have an AORC Quantum, and we love it.

cheers, D

[Captain]

Gotta luv those Quantums 

Cheers

Captain

[Bird]

I've often wondered about what is the best design of camper?

IMWO there isnt one *best* design. There are designs that are better for certain criteria.


Everyones requirements, uses, <insert 500 other variables> etc are different.

[yogi]

What he said

yogi

[Brett B]

IMWO there isnt one *best* design. There are designs that are better for certain criteria.


Everyones requirements, uses, <insert 500 other variables> etc are different.

x3

[TOPNDR]

Another vote for the Quantum, which is registered by AORC as a Super Camper.  We progressed to the Quantie from box trailer, to KK, to Quantum.

For us it's all about being out there in the bush enjoying the place, rather than how rough we're doing it, or whether it's lighter than the next bloke's, or it'll go more or less laces than the other one.  It'll go where we want, it provides us with a level of comfort and equipment that we like, and it suits us.

I wouldn't consider a soft floor, because I don't like them, this doesn't mean they're no good, just that they don't appeal.

[jpak]

We are still working out what we would like to buy and like the Ultimate as it is high off the ground, but we still would sleep under canvas (therefore still be camping) .......but what we like and can afford are two completely different things like many swaggers are experiencing.

[AJC2]

What he said
yogi

Agreed, but there are some really interesting, alternate designs out there along with the standard hard floor or soft floor designs (albeit with a range of engineering and spec solutions in those designs).

Just curious as to what swaggers thought from a design / innovation perspective rather than budget / what i own perspective and whether any of the alternmate designs were onto something.

[AJC2]

We are still working out what we would like to buy and like the Ultimate as it is high off the ground, but we still would sleep under canvas (therefore still be camping) .......but what we like and can afford are two completely different things like many swaggers are experiencing.

Agreed, hence the question...what design do you reckon is best over what do you have; for soem it wil be the same, for others it would be different.