Buying a cheap secondhand camper trailer

[mgglasby]

Hi. We aren't new to caravans, motorhomes and cross-over campers but we are new to camper trailers. We have a budget of around $5k and want to buy a camper trailer to take away behind the 90 series Prado. We aren't into serious 4x4 action but will probably want to get away to places by the beach that are a bit off the beaten track.

I would really appreciate some advice on what to look for when buying a used camper. We already have plenty of camping gear and are used to setting up solar power system so that isn't a huge concern.

I would like to know if there are any brands to avoid, what features to look for etc.

The kind of trailer I have in mind at the moment would have a swing out kitchen, decent sized water tank, good ground clearance, good rust resistance, strong build, dust resistant, good storage, ability to carry a couple of Jerry cans and a couple of gas bottles and perhaps even be fitted with a boat rack.

Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

Marc

[tryagain]

How many people are you looking to house?

[Mace]

At that price point second hand is the go, and its more a case of whats available at the time.

These are all around that price point and worth a closer look.

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=55220.0#new

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=55179.0

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=53665.0

Happy hunting. 

[Rodt]

The kind of trailer I have in mind at the moment would have a swing out kitchen, decent sized water tank, good ground clearance, good rust resistance, strong build, dust resistant, good storage, ability to carry a couple of Jerry cans and a couple of gas bottles and perhaps even be fitted with a boat rack.

Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

Marc

Mate shameless plug but here is another one for you http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=54966.0

Rod

[whitedg]

Another one for your consideration:

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=47144.0

Thanks
Dennis

[Throbbinhood]

Not quite ready for sale yet but will be in the next month.

2012 Ezytrail offroad soft floor camper. Tailgate kitchen with 12v water pump, 70L tank, twin jerry holders (with water jerries), twin gas holders, big toolbox on front that houses 2 batteries and a solar controller (plus whatever else you throw in there). Anderson connection to car, electric brakes, 240v inverter with connections inside camper, king size bed, led lighting in trailer and plug in lights for in tent/awning, canvas awning section, plus another and all the walls and floors to make an extra two rooms (essentially making it main bed and tent+2 extra rooms). Will be chasing 5500 but am negotiable. Pakenham, VIC.

[tryagain]

Just FYI trailer sellers, looks like the OP is in WA.

[GROB]

If you can , there are some good quality Australia made campers for sale , for a couple of more $$$$$
If you can scrape up a extra few grand you could get your self a good quality Australian built  camper which will last you for years to come

[McTavish]

Marc. 

Your description matches most second hand Aussie made campers.  There are plenty now around your price point. 

Brands to look at include Complete Campsite, Customline, Mountain Trail, Vacation, Trackabout, Lifestyle.   There are more but these off the top of my head.  I’m pretty confident the quality of the steel and rust resistance is good with these and the suspension quality is good.  Check the welding on shiny new ones verse these.   

Price is important but tent design with straight walls to me is important.   Good quality canvas.  Decent tow hitch (DO35, McHitch, Alko, Hyland etc).  If it has a poly block they can be a pain to get on & off. 


Bit reluctant to name brands to steer clear of as that just opens a can of worms as there are always plenty of people who own those brands who’ll support their decision to own it.   

Hopefully these points have helped.   Others will have thoughts too. 

McT



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[SimpleSi]

Add Camel.  Australian made, $5k.  Mace linked to it (2nd link).
Love my Camel!

[GROB]

Also Jimboomba camper trailers ,

[stabicraft]

Not to be a party pooper, but have a look at hard floor campers.

Easier to put up, quicker too
And even in soggy conditions you have a dry floor

You can pick up some reasonable ones cheap.

I bought one a few years ago
Near new canvas,
Did a bit of work on it

Payd a couple of grand and a couple more to perfect it.
Love it
Not new, show as it's age
But outlasted several newer campers in a serious storm a couple of years ago.

Just saying

[mgglasby]

Thanks to everyone for the info, I am about to go through it all. Is there a way to reply to individual messages here - I must be getting thick because I can't see anything obvious. Just two people going to use the camper at any one time.

Are there brands to avoid? I have been researching as much as possible and from reviews it looks like MDC are a very risky choice, GIC may not be much better even though I have read that they are supposed to be Aussie made. You never can tell these days...

[mgglasby]

Oh and I should have added that I am in W.A. (Perth) so buying a camper from the eastern states would just add too much to the price.

[jwb]

We are unable to comment on the 2nd brand mentioned above due to legal threats mad against the forum owners/admin.
But yes there is a way to pm a member directly.
The MDC build quality has improved vastly of the last few years.
A mate bought a forward fold just a few weeks before we did a cape york trip in 2015. Including the old coach rd and tele track, It handled it all in its stride.
Cheers



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[Cruiser 105Tvan]

MGGLASBY, if you hover your mouse pointer over the small icons in the left column, where your name is, you'll find what your asking about.
The little man shape, sorry, person shape, the envelope etc.
If you want to send the/a message, pick the thread reply your interested in, and do as above.

[mgglasby]

Thanks to everyone for all the help and advice. We have gone and spent the $$$ (more than we wanted to) on a Ranger off road camper. As it is a 2001 model is is a lot older than we were thinking about but then my reasoning is that it has passed the test of time so if it hasn't broken in half yet it should be good for a while more. It is supposed to be an Aussie built model and apart from a few relatively minor issues it looks ok.

I can't find anything online about this type of camper so if anyone has info on them I would love to hear from you.

Going to try and post a couple of pics but being a newbie here I'm not sure if it will work.

[McTavish]

Congrats mate...  looks like its got all the right gear.


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