negatives of set ups like trayon for touring

[ejas0973]

HI I am thinking about what set up I want to take around Aus for a lap. I am comparing 100 series with a camper such as an older kimberly or a landcruiser single cab with a trayon. I can see lots of positives for the trayon design and negatives for towing a trailer but wondering if anyone here has had a tray on and changed to a camper or what are the negatives to them.
thanks

[KingBilly]

Welcome to myswag.

As with any vehicle based camper, be it a Trayon, simple canopy or a motorhome, the biggest negative is that you have to pack up to go sightseeing or to the shops or anywhere.  This can largely be overcome with proper planning but you need to consider what happens when you pull, set up camp, and discover you have run out of gas and need to drive back 4kms to the last servo.

KB

[BaseCamp]

Hi,
Good questions!
I had a slideon once.
Sold it within a year...

They are good if you are touring, traveling daily or every couple of days - then camping over night - each night...

But not good if you are camping somewhere like Fraser Island and want to set up camp in one spot and explore in your 4WD...
No good for that...

Then unless you can get one that weighs about 200kgs all in, (which you won't) - with a max total payload all in of 1 ton for many 4wds, your trip/touring is already significantly compromised....

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[ejas0973]

thanks I appreciate you guys taking the time to discuss

[alnjan]

A slide is the way I would love to go, just the no tow convenience.   

But, years ago when I was still working had an older couple pull up beside us at a local beach, 79 trayback with a trayon on the back.  We got talking as you do.  along with they trayback and camper they also have a caravan.  With van in tow, travel, it was either 2 hours or 200kms or thereabouts and set up camp with caravan.  From there do whatever day trips they like and if need be have the camper for overnight in more remote or off road locations as they like.  Once they have fully explored that area, hook the caravan up and travel the 2hrs/200kms. 

At the time it was a different way to look at the retired life.  Now I am medically retired and still stuck at home for other reasons thinking , that could be me, I can do that. 

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi 973, My cousin and her partner have a 4wd Hilux it has a trayon camper on the back and they tow a heavy duty boat trailer with a 4,2m tinny on it, to me its one of the best set ups I have seen for two people traveling around aus or anywhere, They unhook the trailer back the 4wd in to there camp spot wind down the legs on the trayon camper then they have a empty 4wd to tow the boat around, They stay at Pennefarther for up to 3 months, They have done the lap with it a couple of times and had other things but this to them is the best set for them as they love fishing not sitting and drinking, Pity they are so dear or I would look at one when the time comes to head of with the wife, I think they weigh between 370 to 440kg so if you have Ally track back 4wd should have heaps of lee way on weight evan towing a good size 4,5 to 5m boat and trailer, as you can always put some gear in the boat, Craig

[stephenh1235]

           We've had the experience of a slide on for 3 years now, though ours is in the hefty end of the market, but have managed to navigate around some of the negatives. Prime reason for choosing this style of camper was to enable ability of towing our dinghy where 75% of our activities are beach camping, the rest has the bonus of single vehicle ability to go where you "can't tow to go to". First negative to negate was packing up to drive up  to nearby beach fishing spots or exploring. We now set up a stand alone shade shelter with all our outside gear around it, so we just hit that electric button to lower the pop top roof,disconnect the portable satellite cable & drive off. Only jack off the slide if staying for more than 2 weeks as the time to remove tie downs & the challenge of reversing back under the slide on soft beach sand is "un economical" compared to leaving it on.
             Other advantage is if we are remote from the main camp or stopped on the side of the road when travelling we can go into the camper to boil a billy or have lunch without raising the roof (we are both under 5'6") & many a time instead of heading back to the main camp & stay on the fishing spot we raise the roof & turn the key on the gen set to run the air con & have a nanna nap!
             Second negative ( at least to us) was to move the vehicle to hook up the boat trailer & bring the dinghy above high tide mark each night, so we rectified by installing a rescue wheel on the trailer & now just push the trailer into the water, float the dinghy on, & hook onto a $150 winch mounted on the side of the vehicle & up she comes!
Other advantage is if wind direction changes at the main camp, it is minimal to relocate the camper to afford a wind barrier to suit. A slide on also doesn't require more wheels on the road or registration.
      I'm struggling to find disadvantages now, but understand different horses for courses. LOVE OUR SLIDE ON!

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi 1235, I use to drive 4x4 canter in our local rual fire brigade as I was 2iC for years, but I never got the fuel figures on them as the canter had a 1500lt tank on the back full 99% of the time, just wandering what yours is like on fuel towing the boat, and is your the 3,9lt non turbo, thanks Craig 

[stephenh1235]

Hi Craig, the Canter is a 2004 with the factory 3.9L Turbo. Loaded up the tow vehicle shades just under 6000kg, the boat I estimate at 700kgs, fuel economy between 18 - 20 litres/100ks, my Toyota 105 series gets the same! I usually travel at 95ks/Hr, this "just feels right", RPM's are at 2550 due to rolling diameter of the wheels, it does 110ks/Hr easily at 3000Rpm but the fuel consumption can increase to 24 litres/100ks with a head wind!

[Craig Tomkinson]

The turbo would make her punch along lots better than the standard non turbo we had, That is great for a big 4wd rig love your set up, Thanks Craig