Offroad poptop caravans (or similar)

[ryangus]

Looking to head around Australia with the wife and 2 kids (2 and 4). Will be taking a dual-cab 4WD with full camping setup in a lift-off canopy on the tray, but also looking to tow something bigger and more comfortable, but still able to negotiate offroad conditions. Basic plan is caravan camper for a base-station, and use the 4WD camper for rugged expeditions.

I've looked at the Jayco Outback, Coromal campers and Goldstream campers. They all looked ideal in regards to layout - good floorplan, and nice and low when towing (or the ability to put a tinny on top).

I have concerns about their offroad ability. The warranties for these don't give much confidence, given some brands aren't covered on roads only traversable by 4WD vehicles.

Maximum budget is under $30,000. I'd rather stay away from soft-floor trailers, or anything that isn't able to be set up and packed up quickly when only stopping overnight.

So anyone know of options I should check out, that basically have similar floorplans to the above-mentioned, and can handle true offroad conditions?

Thanks in advance,
Ranga

[D4D]

There's a few threads about this already Ranga. Consensus seems to be the campers you mention are able to go most places however they are probably too wide and too heavy to get into the real serious stuff.

[TOPNDR]

Except for your budget, an AORC Quantum would be perfect.  www.australianoffroadcampers.com.au

[JCOJ]

There are others too including:

Gunyah: http://www.ozzieoffroad.com.au/caravans/

North Coast Campers: http://northcoastcampers.com.au/caravans.html

Trackmaster: http://www.trakmaster.com.au/

I just re-read your post - all of these are at least double your budget.  You could always try the second hand market too with caravanandcamping sales.   http://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/buy/caravans/caravans/pop-tops/

[ryangus]

Thanks for the other options.  Unfortunately, well out of my price range but they do look very good!

To be honest, I've very happy with the layout of the poptop campers from Jayco, Coromal et al, just not sure about build quality.  Would probably pay $5k to $10K more to have no timber in the build, but nobody seems to make them that way in that layout for that money!

I'll kepp looking, but at this stage I'll probably have to go with a Jayco or similar, and drive carefully and keep my fingers crossed. 

[Bird]

I'd rather stay away from soft-floor trailers, or anything that isn't able to be set up and packed up quickly when only stopping overnight.

Don't knock all Softfloors.. The time consuming thing is the awning/annexe. If its just the tent for an overnight stop, the kids beds would take longer than the tent itself.

Mine can be standing in round 1 min with 2 people... for an overnight stop I've done it myself in a few mins and I'm disabled.
http://www.lifestylecampertrailers.com.au/lifestyle-camper-trailers-1-minute-challenge.php

[ryangus]

Mine can be standing in round 1 min with 2 people... for an overnight stop I've done it myself in a few mins and I'm disabled.
http://www.lifestylecampertrailers.com.au/lifestyle-camper-trailers-1-minute-challenge.php

So where do you cook with these, particularly in pooring rain?  I accept you can at least get the kids (and the adults) into bed, but preparing meals is another story.  That's the main issue I have with soft-floor and most hard-floor trailers - not very comfortable things in bad weather.  The Poptop campers might not be perfect either, but I'd dare say more liveable.  Keeping in mind, when on extended trips rain can't always be avoided.

[Bird]

So where do you cook with these, particularly in pooring rain?  I accept you can at least get the kids (and the adults) into bed, but preparing meals is another story.

We dont cook on those nights, we compramise and go sandwiches or boil the billy in the back of the car, or the Campbells Chunky meal things. Have a tarp thing that goes over the back doors and you can stand there nice and dry using one of those single burner jobs with the aerosol tins for gas

Everything is give and take when travelling, as you say there is no perfect setup. not even the 100k jobs are perfect.

[ryangus]

Totally agree - no silver bullet, which is half frustrating, half thrill of the chase

Still keeping an open mind, and hoping I can either find something better than what I've already seen, or be convinced that what I think will suit me best is in fact so.  The hunt continues...

[gronk]

Totally agree - no silver bullet, which is half frustrating, half thrill of the chase

Still keeping an open mind, and hoping I can either find something better than what I've already seen, or be convinced that what I think will suit me best is in fact so.  The hunt continues...

When you find a sub 30K. Off road hard top camper with no canvas, let us know...I'll be interested too !!!

[Bird]

When you find a sub 30K. Off road hard top camper with no canvas, let us know...I'll be interested too !!!

 

[ryangus]

When you find a sub 30K. Off road hard top camper with no canvas, let us know...I'll be interested too !!!

I've got no problem with canvas.  It's more the timber fitout with sub-standard fastenings, weak structure and unacceptable off-road performance (and warranty to match) that I'm struggling to accept.

[Dion]

So where do you cook with these, particularly in pooring rain?  I accept you can at least get the kids (and the adults) into bed, but preparing meals is another story.  That's the main issue I have with soft-floor and most hard-floor trailers - not very comfortable things in bad weather.  The Poptop campers might not be perfect either, but I'd dare say more liveable.  Keeping in mind, when on extended trips rain can't always be avoided.

On the topic of poptops, the big thing I hate is that you have to open the camper to cook.  We've done a few trips where we've arrived right on a meal time, and with a little critter to feed, its food first then camp setup.  Soft-floor is great for that - open the tailgate, instant kitchen. 

It's all swings and roundabouts; I wouldn't write off the soft floor just because of rain.  You could manage with one of those instant gazebos popped open above the kitchen on the times you need quick shelter, for example, or get a fast awning made which just zips over the kitchen and only needs two poles and 40% of the canvas.

Oh and what are you going to do when you've had to ditch the poptop and take a tent down a 4WD track and its raining at meal time in the tent ... when you could have dragged the softfloor camper there    Another variant is the fold forward canvas campers.  http://www.modcon.com.au/model_configure.php?m=5  Slightly above your budget but perhaps worth considering?

[rodw]

We have gone with a Coromal Magnum Offroad poptop van. Still over your budget. Cost us about $45k. Have not had it long enough to know how it goes on the offroad stuff but we are in count down mode for it first trip.

I've searched hard on this forum to see what I need to do to toughen it up. Most times when I check out an idea people have done, Coromal have been there before me. The independent suspension makes it a joy to tow. 

Talking of a quick feed, I know one guy who mounted a 4.5 kg gas bottle and and screw on stove burner on the rear bar of his poptop for a quick meal stop situation. He only takes one 9 kg gas bottle with him now as he can use the 4.5 kg bottle if he runs out.

[ryangus]

On the topic of poptops, the big thing I hate is that you have to open the camper to cook.  We've done a few trips where we've arrived right on a meal time, and with a little critter to feed, its food first then camp setup.  Soft-floor is great for that - open the tailgate, instant kitchen. 

It's all swings and roundabouts; I wouldn't write off the soft floor just because of rain.  You could manage with one of those instant gazebos popped open above the kitchen on the times you need quick shelter, for example, or get a fast awning made which just zips over the kitchen and only needs two poles and 40% of the canvas.

Oh and what are you going to do when you've had to ditch the poptop and take a tent down a 4WD track and its raining at meal time in the tent ... when you could have dragged the softfloor camper there    Another variant is the fold forward canvas campers.  http://www.modcon.com.au/model_configure.php?m=5  Slightly above your budget but perhaps worth considering?

Good points.  I hope to have an awning on the ute canopy (maybe a Foxwing) that will keep us dry for a few days.  Still haven't totally ruled out a decent hard-floor option though.

[John Connor]

Hi Ryangus,
Just a quick comment on going Off Road with a heavier Camper/Caravan they have a bad tendancy of breaking 4wds, my rule of thumb is to halve your towing capacity of your 4wd if you want to go off road or lots of corrugations. The off road versions of the Jaycos etc are quite heavy especially with all the gear a family seems to take.
Camper Tragic

[avotrol]

Hi Ryangus,
Just a quick comment on going Off Road with a heavier Camper/Caravan they have a bad tendancy of breaking 4wds, my rule of thumb is to halve your towing capacity of your 4wd if you want to go off road or lots of corrugations. The off road versions of the Jaycos etc are quite heavy especially with all the gear a family seems to take.
Camper Tragic

Agreed x 2. Corrugations really take their toll on anything that goes over them and even fair dinkum 4bies can have things break  , and thats without a CT hanging off the bum. I have taken both a landcruiser troopy and a GQ patrol to Cape York and weight is EVERYTHING. We too can not find a CT that suits what we want, so decided to design and build one from scratch (have the design but a sudden downturn in the building industry has put the CT on hold due to the $ needed as this CT is going to "have it all").
Good luck as you seek the holy grail .
Cheers, Tim.

[mystq]

Maximum budget is under $30,000. I'd rather stay away from soft-floor trailers, or anything that isn't able to be set up and packed up quickly when only stopping overnight.
Thanks in advance,
Ranga

You would be surprised how long in takes to set up a Jayco camper

[rodw]

You would be surprised how long in takes to set up a Jayco camper

And how quick it is to set up a pop top 

[TOPNDR]

And how quick it is to set up a pop top 

Less than 60 seconds for our Quantum.  Or  2 mins if we set up kitchen, pull out awning & turn on gas. 

[Moto Moto]

I found our old Jayco Hawk pretty slow to set up. The advantage was it was easy to do (just not quick). We had a soft floor before that and it took about the same time to set up, just more labour intensive.

We ended up with a Jayco Expanda Outback, its big, its heavy.............. and it so damn quick and easy. Love it!

Enjoy the search for the ultimate camper