One for the Cub Club and others

[UIZ733]

We (2 adults) have a 2011 model Brumby and love it. We will be taking a year off-work (starting Dec. 2013 to Jan. 2014) A substantial amount of time will be spent on the road in our camper. Despite loving the Brumby we feel that it may be lacking in size (particularly storage) for an extended period on the road. We would like opinions and comments in particular from those who have upgraded to the larger Supamatic/Spacevan/Spacematic/Supavan etc. before hitting the showroom.
Some potential advantages we perceive for the larger Cub include;
1. Increased storage due longer and wider bodies.
2. A dedicated fridge area that offers more options for fridge choice.
3. The area at the rear of the bed can be converted to seating when weather is inclement.
4. The possibility of accessing this rear area through the rear door when camper is closed?
5. A new Cub could be personalised to suit requirements if ordered soon.
Are the larger Cubs a good proposition OR is it worth widening the net to include all manufacturers.
Regards and thanks in anticipation.

[sablesoft]

Hi  UIZ733,

We have a 2009 Cub Supamatic Escape off road and are VERY happy with it. We chose the Escape because of the extra room over the smaller Brumbys etc, there is a good amount of room under the bed to store the annex , table, chairs etc(I added the ply board dividing walls), and have the slide out sink and pantry. also there is room at the foot of the bed to store items you need to access when the camper is closed.
 
With the main camper setup there is plenty room for the two of us to sit with chairs a table etc on the camper floor for a quick over nite setup.

I love our fridge box mounted on the camper drawbar, much better than a inside fridge, an ARB 47L fridge is a exact fit with a couple mm each side clearance,

When I purchased the camper I added
 1. I upgraded the gas to two bottles and jerry cans to three on the drawbar.

 2. Upgraded the water tank to 80L (should have gone to the 120L)

 3. Added a driver side hatch to access the area behind the draws (MUST have mod)

 4. I went with independent suspension and 16 inch wheels, I am VERY pleased with it. (makes the camper higher off the ground so a step was needed)

 5. I got extra walls to be able to fully enclose the annex, very handy in cold or wet weather.

 6. Added a grill to the 2 burner stove.

 7. Added the porta pot cupboard on the passenger side at the end of the bed to store the loo.

  In retrospect I think I should have got the electric break's

I have mounted 2 x 120AH battery's behind the trailer wheels to power my fridge and LED lights and water pump.

See my Cub Escape Mods thread http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=5195.0

It preformed really well on the Fraser island beaches towed by my Challenger.

Many of us would like a KK  or complete campsite hardfloor etc, but the Escape fitted our budget better it was good value for money.


Ray

[UIZ733]

Thanks Ray. I am aware of and have read your thread relating to upgrading your Cub.
One criticism I have of the Brumby is the ball weight is currently 160KG.
With a fridge located in the back, a rear "swing out" spare carrier and the water tank mounted where the spare currently is, I feel it would be much better for overall weight distribution. This should easily be achievable with the larger models.

[Blue Bravo]

We have a Spacematic Regal Offroad. We enjoy the extra space that the 10 foot box leads to. We have the King Size Bed, 3 cupboards and a 3 way fridge on the inside. Outside kitchen and pantry, and a far side access door. The inside fridge can be accessed via the rear hatch. We have travelled extensively for extended periods and have been comfortable.

[Wazza2]

Hi UIZ733. We have the Supamatic Escape offroad. I have copied a few of Rays mods and also added plenty of others.

1. Storage- skipped all of the standard cupboards and drawers. Added Drifta gear. Cut a hole in the panel under the bed and also included a drawer there that yOu can pull all the way out with camper closed. Very conventient.

2. Fridge- in the car when travelling or can be sitting near the kitchen when stationary.

3. Area at rear of bed? Ours is 3 drawers left and 3 right. Seating when wet- the hard floor. The kids had a ball over easter, escaping the rain and playing uno etc, high and dry up there

4. Access when closed- see point 1. One of the best mods was definitely this one as there's heaps of space under the bed.

5. Yes, order what works for you. We are still adding our finishing touches but the standard gear in any brand was never going to satisfy us. Our trip is 6 months of travel so it has to be how we want it for the fit out.

Ball weight- well, with the 150mm chassis and all the mods i've done we've given that a real nudge. Today I got it down to 210kg. Still some adjusting of where we store everything to be done. Standard ball weight for any camper changes a lot in reality when you pack all your stuff in.

Have a good read of Ray's mods as there's some well thought through additions there.

It's a lot of coin to spend so do your research beforehand. I love ours but who knows, maybe another brand would have been ok? PM if you want more info or a look through. I live southside.

[fabulous]

We have a supermatic drover. The supermatic is wider and longer. The fridge on the inside is good for  cuppa or a beer at night. Also in bad weather. We have a fridge in the car as well. Best of both worlds.  We find the hard floor area big enough for a couple of chairs and a porta cot.

[RipnShred]

Some great ideas and tips. Thanks

[fuji]

We (2 adults) have a 2011 model Brumby and love it. We will be taking a year off-work (starting Dec. 2013 to Jan. 2014)





I hope you meant Jan 2015? Lol
Wayne

[speewa158]

Fiji after 12 months you wont care much for coming back 

[thommo19]

We are anxiously waiting for out Cub Supermatic . Just a few more weeks. I enjoy reading about the mods you guys have done.
Might have to ring Cub Monday ,should increase water tank .Not sure if to late or the cost .Find out Monday.
Jeff

[speewa158]

Tommo Cub worth the wait  Enjoy 

[hargs]

Our Cub Brumby has only a 80lt water tank ...bigger would have been good ..but the weight .....We carry a 20lt jerry for drinking water in the back on the car.

[sablesoft]

We are anxiously waiting for out Cub Supermatic . Just a few more weeks. I enjoy reading about the mods you guys have done.
Might have to ring Cub Monday ,should increase water tank .Not sure if to late or the cost .Find out Monday.
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

My Cub Escape Came with a 60L tank as standard which I had upgraded to 80L, now 3 years later for most places the 80L tank is fine for the two of us most of the time.

However if it was buying it again I would upgrade it to the 120L tank and only fill it full If I was camping on Fraser Island beach front and other places with no handy water. Nice to have the extra capacity especially if you are heading inland. having the 2 extra jerry cans of water in the tank would leave me capacity to carry 3 fuel jerry cans on the drawbar.

Also I think electric brakes would be a better option than the override disks which I went with.

Ray

[thommo19]

Thanks Ray
I have found Cub very easy to deal with but they don't promote  the options available. 
No mention of the drivers side access door (which when mentioned seemed a popular mod),water tanks options etc. Thanks to you these have come to light.
I have ordered the drivers side door . As to extra water maybe for CT handling I wondering if carrying jerry cans in the ute may be better .Its not as convenient but maybe better.
Anyway will chase up on Monday ,maybe too late to alter the build.

Jeff

[sablesoft]

Thanks Ray
I have found Cub very easy to deal with but they don't promote  the options available. 
No mention of the drivers side access door (which when mentioned seemed a popular mod),water tanks options etc. Thanks to you these have come to light.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

This was the exact experience I had when I ordered my Cub Escape at the 2009 Brisbane Camp & Caravan show.

I had to DRAG the options out of the sales people I eventually added  these extras which added a lot more $$$
     
      I bought the Cub Escape show special with the fridge box
      I Added

      1. Draft Skirt
      2. extra 3 wall sections to fully enclose the annex
      3. 60L to 80L Water tank update
      4. Drivers side door 
      5. 1 extra 4.5Kg gas bottle & 2 extra jerry can holders.
      6. Had it painted Cub lime green   
      7. Porta Loo Cupboard
      8. locking water filler   
      9. Upgrade the 2 burner stove by adding a grill.
     10. upgraded to Independent suspension
     11. Galvanised chassis

Note:  my Cub Came with only one safety chain, I must get a second chain added.

Ray