Towing a (non-camper) trailer

[olddigger]

Any Swaggers tow an ordinary (offroad but no tent) trailer to carry their camping gear?
I have a CT, but putting it up and packing it away are a bit of a pain on my own, pushing 70.
Have now bought a Black Wolf tent, which is great, but it does take up a lot of room in the back of the Colorado. Maybe a good trailer is the answer? Comments invited.
Cheers, Tony

[Daawl]

This is how our family camped for many years until the purchase of our first CT this year. We had a lot of fun doing it this way and it served us well for over 10 years. ?
1 tip though get the smallest practical trailer otherwise you can start filling the empty space with unnecessary stuff. 


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[krisandkev]

My brother in law just has a box trailer that has a steel lockable top, similar to a builder’s type of trailer. They are a family of 5 and they take their large tent and all of their camping gear in it and then just park it at home all packed up until the next trip.  Works for them.   Kevin

[Hairs]

G'day Tony,
I've seen many times families camping with a hire trailer, Uhaul or similar, The ones with the cage seem popular .
When we first started camping as a family when the kids were very young, I use to throw all our gear into my Carpenters trailer.
APITA to take all my gear out of it and then repack it on Monday morning for work.
In hindsight it probably would of been better to get a hire one for the 4 days that we were away for.
 

[Nomad]

That's what I ave gone back to at the moment whilst I am between campers.

It works quite well for us. The trailer has a large ally box that holds my batteries and fridge. I carry 40 litres of water and a 2 metre length of hose that I use to syphon water to whatever I need it in.

The best thing about it is that that it holds everything, kids bikes, surfboards etc and we don't have to put anything in the car.

The only mod I have made is a cable to charge the batteries from the car.






Cheers Nomad

[TOPNDR]

G'day Tony,

For years we had an off-road box trailer that was used to store all the camping gear. We progressed to a Kimberley Kamper, and now a Quantum.

I know of a Quantum or two for sale in WA, and if your budget can stretch to it, I can highly  recommend them. www.australianoffroadcampers.com.au

[bussoboy]

we had a Pod trailer for years, served us very well for the tent and camp kitchen stuff etc and went anywhere our Colorado would go.

also nice and light and compact - wasn't cheap but i got almost what i paid for it when i sold it

[chester ver2.0]

Hey Nomad are your surfboard racks a home made job they look great

[DannyG]

Thats how we used to do it. In the back of a ute and take 2 cars or using a trailer.

[austastar]

Hi,
   Yep, 2 kids in the back of a little Subaru coupe with a 6x4 box trailer behind.
Biggest item was a 12x12 auto tent (you needed an auto to carry it). Two bikes, a kayak or two, a couple of tractor tubes for the kids and clothes in cardboard boxes.
Managed to borrow a 3 way fridge in a box that became a cupboard underneath it, lilos, mozzie nets cause the tent had no screens and was lace up any way.
We would set up camp for a couple of weeks, 'cause it took quite a few hours to get everything sorted.
Good fun, we look back on those days with fond memories.
So gopher it.


cheers

[Bird]

Pre Kids we used to do it on a motorbike... 2 saddle bags, and a Ventura rack...

[_Gecko_]

We are about to take an old tradies trailer around australia.
After i finish the refurb of it.
Pretty big but will fit everything inside that we need.
Hoping to go for 12 to 16 mionths and take our time around.
(Now to find some way to see it all with just a trailer and a panelvan)
Means we miss some of the propper 4wd tracks though.
Gecko

[Nomad]

Hey Nomad are your surfboard racks a home made job they look great

Yeah mate.

20mm dowl into 50cm lengths onto a piece of framing timber with some rubber caps that you use on the bottom of chairs etc.

Cheers Nomad.
 

[cyberess]

Any Swaggers tow an ordinary (offroad but no tent) trailer to carry their camping gear?
I have a CT, but putting it up and packing it away are a bit of a pain on my own, pushing 70.
Have now bought a Black Wolf tent, which is great, but it does take up a lot of room in the back of the Colorado. Maybe a good trailer is the answer? Comments invited.
Cheers, Tony

How about a light weight offroad alloy trailer with roof top tent..





What's good about a setup like this -- ten minutes to setup the tent part -- not pegs
The trailer is very light so no brakes on trailer -- easy to disconnect and wheel around, great offroad

May be without the roof top tent if you don't like the ladder

BTW: the fridge stays in the vehicle  -- where I go the ride in the trailer would be a bit rough for the fridge 

 

[olddigger]

Amazing replies, guys. Many thanks. Some very interesting ideas there, providing much food for thought. Am glad I am not the only trailer person! Will take the CT for a final run next week, then decide what to do.
Cheers, Tony

[SteveandViv]

We got one of these - old Telstra service trailers. Was a while ago now and we now have the camper but we did plenty with this. Easy to tow and waterproof etc.

[geopaj]

Any Swaggers tow an ordinary (offroad but no tent) trailer to carry their camping gear?
I have a CT, but putting it up and packing it away are a bit of a pain on my own, pushing 70.
Have now bought a Black Wolf tent, which is great, but it does take up a lot of room in the back of the Colorado. Maybe a good trailer is the answer? Comments invited.
Cheers, Tony

What about a roof rack (with or without a basket)? Cheaper & saves dragging at trailer everywhere.

[Nomad]

New trailer..............

[Nomad]

No fit out. No front box.
Fully galvanised. Swing out tail gate that I probably won't attach a kitchen to.

[Pete79]

Sweet!
I like the proportions and good deep sides.

[Nomad]

Sweet!
I like the proportions and good deep sides.

Thanks. 500mm deep. 50mm square axle. I am yet to use it in anger but will see whether it should go to a spring over. The bloke that made it for me is happy to do it but liked it better at this height, so do I. I don't think I will need to do it because it mainly only carry bulky stuff. I will cut some old security screen up for the section behind the front tyre to carry some fire wood I think.

[Pete79]

50mm axle, not messing around aye.... Parallel bearings too?

Yeah unless you're towing with a 5 inch lifted pootroll there's no need for spring over in my view.

I tow with a 3.5 inch lifted JK on 33s and my spring under mini trailer on 30s sits perfectly level.

[Nomad]

Yep parallel bearings.
Yeah same. I only have a 2inch lift with 75's, so about 31 - 32 inch and it sits just a little higher than level unloaded so should be pretty good loaded. Theres more room under the guards than looks in the photo's......shadows make it look closer.

[rags]

This trailer is one I home-made in 1994 original as a trailer to lugg my plumber tools/gear around. It also doubled as a camping gear trailer before we purchased our first camper trailer. More recently and with a move to SE Qld I have resurrected it with the inclusion of a RT tent and used for beach camping and supplementary to our caravan.
Trailer has probably traveled in excess of  250000km ( many on outback unsealed roads or off road) with minimal repairs including a new axle, springs etc. Needs a bit of refurbishment though but for a 23 year old trailer it has lasted well.
The lack of paint on the leading edges is testament to the work it has done. You will note the 50mm c section draw bar with truss support, done in the quest to keep trailer light but strong.

[Nomad]

Nice rags.

I have thought about a RTT....still a maybe but will see how I go.....with the four different tents I have, plus swags, before I go an RTT.
I like that its held up like that, for the same reason I got this one galv dipped so I can look at in 15 years and still be relatively rust free. It cost an extra $600 but I reckon it was worth it.