What camper when travelling with young kids?

[roddo]

Hi all new to the site and i am after some advice on campers.
We are in the market for a camper trailer and we currently have a 10 month old daughter and we would like to do more camping so i have been thinking about getting a jayco eagle/swan OB what are your thoughts. We want to be able to get off the black stuff and  camp remote.
In the past we have dragged the boat around and just tented it but we want a but more luxury and will be putting a dingy on the roof of whatever we buy.
It must be easy to set up so a soft floor camper trailer is out of the picture as they are pretty much impossible for one person to set up what would you suggest?
We are based in WA (mandurah)
Budget will be max $25k
I went and had a look at some hard floor campers and i dont feel they are big enough to put beds cots in the hard floor area.
Cheers
Rod

[Jakster1]

G'day roddo, we are also thinking about buying a jayco mainly due to 2 little kids and the ease/ comfort factor vs a soft floor camper trailer. I'm personally thinking maybe a hawk as its small and light enough to be able to take down the beach or semi rough tracks yet roomy enough for a family of 4. I feel the bigger models start getting too big and heavy to take up any decent 4wd tracks. ( but I don't own one yet so I'm possibly wrong on that but infigure a smaller lighter unit will handle offroad better.
We currently have a soft floor, I set it up by myself while the missus entertains the kids, they aren't too bad but that depends on the design of the tent for a 1 man setup. They are roomy, easy to tow and have a huge amount of storage which is important when you've got little
Kids. Think portacot, highchair, toys, scooter, bike ,millions of little clothes.....
And hard floors, inside the trailer space is taken up with the tent and the fold out floor is not as roomy at a soft floor. But they are generally easier to setup than a softy.
It's a personal choice really mate. Each has their pros and cons over the others

[GGV8Cruza]

Don't dismiss the soft floor, have had one for the past seven years or so in different forms and the kids have grown up with it. I have had no problems setting it up myself 99% of the time.

I would look at hiring both types prior to jumping in so you have a look at both sides.

Welcome to MySwag, heaps of info available

GG

[Burnsy]

Camprite, only camper that gets you and your kids off the ground with simple, beds already made setup, and made in WA. We had a dove and found we have more room in the camprite and have not regretted going that way for a second. There are second hand TL8s that pop up in your budget in WA, was a nice one for $22000 on gumtree a few weeks back.

[roddo]

Thanks for the info guys.
I have looked at a locally made soft floor camper that i really liked and the service was exceptional when i went in and one of the first things he did was put it up and down before i could evan ask for it to be done all other shops i have been into pretty much walk away when u ask for this.
I have owned a soft floor in the past and i hated how many poles had to be put up just to set up the main area. It was a chinese made one and im starting to see there really is a big defference in locally made and imports but its just so hard to justify the price difference.
The camprite would be ideal but i havent seen any under 30k second hand i could prob push the budget if i had to and it had alot with it as i was planning on having 5k to kit it out with extras. 

[Burnsy]

The camprite would be ideal but i havent seen any under 30k second hand i could prob push the budget if i had to and it had alot with it as i was planning on having 5k to kit it out with extras.

Keep you eyes out they do come up, we paid a fair bit under $20 for ours but it was a TL8, as I said though there was a TL8s listed under 25 a few weeks ago that looked like it had never been used, it certainly hadn't been offroad and had full awning with walls and thermal blanket. You just need to have the money in hand ready to pounce.

[paceman]

modcon quattro might be a good option...  we are seriously considering this model...

http://modcon.com.au/campers?camper=5


also allows for quick setup (beds made) with everyone off the ground...

about $20K brand new, drive away...

[tk421]

Cub do family oriented hard floor campers. V easy to set up and some models will easily fit a family of 5 in there.

http://www.cubcampers.com.au/cubcamper/spacematic/drover/

Not sure why you feel hard floors are too small? My rear fold soft floor is only 1.85x2m tent area and we never had an issue with Bub in a cot. They're now on a stretcher. And its easily set up by one person.

[roddo]

They may be big enough but the ones i went in the other day while shopping around they just felt small i guess they prob are big enough but i want to make sure that kids wont out grow it. Do you think you can fit 2 single stretchers on the ground and still have room to walk around or between them.
The cubs look bigger then the mdc.

The modcons look good and i really like having the kitchen out of the camper thats the only thing i dont like in the jayco.

[tryagain]

If a porta cot is a requirement and I'll assume having them in the main part with you also is I think that would rule out a Jayco, and most if not all other types than a soft floor. If there are no more kids on the way it might be okay but more will likely leave you with little ones for years to come, I think a well set up soft floor can be as quick as a Jayco but needs to be well thought out, I have read plenty of people on here who have ditched the soft floor for the ease of a Jayco only to realise that it really isn't any quicker but different types of camper suit different requirements, only you will really be able to tell what will suit you best. I think this

I would look at hiring both types prior to jumping in so you have a look at both sides.

is probably very good advice.

[roddo]

The wife would like them in the main part. At the moment we only have the 10 month old but may have 1 more potra cot not a must as long as they can be locked into a bed so a jayco we would put up a rail.
I have read heaps of posts on here about what people prefer and there are many that go to a jayco and then dont like it but there are also plenty that have gone from a softy to a jayco and love it.
Its so hard to get the best of everything i guess most of our camping is for several days in 1 area although we are planning on a big trip next year for a month or 2 and would like to see most of the north west coast so this will be a bit of overnight stops thats where i thought the jayco would come in handy having everything ready to pull up wind it up and your done.
I will be hiring a few different types over the next few months before investing in one the hardest thing is that you cant hire alot of them. But there should be enough variety to get a good idea.
Again thanks for all the info this is exactly what im after.

[paulo]

Hi Roddo,

We had a Jayco Eagle, same size as the hawk with a different layout. No probs with the portacot. We either put it on the dinette with the table down, or we also put it up on the bed end. When the kids were little enough, they slept longways instead of the designed way. That started out as bub in portacot that way, and the young fella sleeping longways beside her. Possibly a bit less of a chance for an unintentional rollout too. Also, no mater what the weather, we (esp. Mum and bub) were warm and dry, up off the ground.

We found ours very suitable for us with the kids.

As others have mentioned, if you can try one before hand, might be worth a go.

[scblack]

I have had a Jayco for the last 12years, with my kids having grown up camping in it. I find it excellent with little kids, especially as you are up off the ground and able to be dry and comfy inside.

A portacot is easily managed, either on the lowered dinette table, or a bed end. No problem there.

My first was a MY2000 Flight which is quite small and we managed fine until they got bigger. Last year upgraded to a new Swan Outback, so no problems with room now.

[EagleBoy]

We have a Jayco Eagle, upgraded from a tent, with a 7 & 9 year old. Only used it a couple of times so far staying in one place. Head off this week for a 4 week trip to Uluru so will have plenty of experience on the set up and pack up when we get back.

So far though it suits our needs and being up off the ground has been a great bonus already when the weather heads south.

[Bird]

Honestly go and hire a few for weekends away.. see what  YOU like and don't like... specially spending 25g's.

[roddo]

Excellent thanks for the info we will be hiring a jayco in a couple weeks to se how we like it hopefully be going away for 4-5 days to get a good deel on it.