Author Topic: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4  (Read 8908 times)

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Offline Swogjb

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Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« on: May 22, 2013, 11:32:13 PM »
G'day Swaggers,
After some advice once again.

We have decided that we want to get back into more of an offroad type of camper.
Up until recently I thought we would go a hard floor, in either an Aussie Swag or a Kimberley probably a couple year old 2nd hand unit in good nick.
In the back of my mind I probably was a little concerned about internal space  for a family of 4 but thought the set up time for the hard floor would be worth the sacrifice for a bit more room.
While browsing camper set ups on this great forum I stumbled across the Trackabout Extenda series of campers and it immediately grabbed my attention. The walkway into the bed looks way more user friendly than the average side fold camper.
The Trackabout looks like it can be optioned up to a fairly comfortable trailer and from what I have read is built very well.
In terms of quick overnight stop setup is the soft floor extenda much slower to put up?

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 :cheers:
Glenn

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Trackabout Safari SV Extenda

Offline Jason B

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2013, 11:50:37 PM »
Mate my 2c and I have a family of four and a KK.

The KK is awesome and build quality is up there, they are easy to set up and pack up. The space is limited inside, even with the kids room. The kids room adds time and complexity to the setup.

The tracksabouts look like great campers and get an awesome rap. They appear to tick all the boxes, have a huge amount of storage and would be better for a family of four in my honest opinion.

The difference comes down to personal choice and versatility. I have also had a soft floor so have experience here as well (Trak Shak)

The soft floor will suit you better depending on your camping style. A number of days in one spot, fair weather etc. soft floors are a little more involved to set up and are a bit of a pain if its wet (they all are), however I was always wiping moisture off the floor and trying to get that dry on the TS when packing (even in good weather). When set up the soft floor wins hands down

KK, versatility is the key here. It's not ideal because of the space, however again it comes down to your style of camping and wether you just sleep in it or the kids need room to play etc.

The versatility I am talking about is when it is pouring with rain, the kk is open and ready for the family in less than 3 minutes if you are on level ground and you leave it attached to the car. Throw the kids on the floor on a mattress in these conditions and you don't get wet or have a 15 minute set up to do in the rain. Likewise nothing touches the ground, so no dirt or moisture. If the weathers good, set up the kids room adds 5 minutes getting closer to soft floor times, add the awning and there is nothing in it they are very similar in set up and pack up times between hard and soft. However remember with the soft floor you have to set most of it up, for quick overnight stops or bad weather with the hard floor you have options that you don't with the soft floor.

So only you can really answer the question based on the type of camping you do. We had the TS and love the Kimberly even though ours doesn't have a kids room and we have girls 8 and 4 who currently sleep in a double swag on the Hard floor. I am not going to get a kids room. I have decided to get an OZtent, 2.4m wide and use it (with a canvas joiner) as one of my annex walls. This will allow me the versatility of also having a tent if we want one, as well as being able to best set up the room to suit the slope of the ground, as its not always practical to have the room in one orientation from my experience.

Either of the three campers you have mentioned are awesome and you can't go wrong with them, you just need to apply their pros and cons to your style of camping and come up with an answer.

Hope that's helpful mate.

Regards

Jas
« Last Edit: May 22, 2013, 11:58:41 PM by Jason B »

Offline evolution

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2013, 12:06:05 AM »
Have you checked out the trakshaks? You can pick up a good Aussie made one cheap as chips now and really does suit a family with two beds off the ground.
There is one on hear for 12500, that's allot of camper for the money, will go anywhere your tug can go, and follow you home in one piece. Plus leaves allot of coin for mods, fuel or a nice long extended camping trip.  ;D
Just my 0.02c. If I was looking at spending that sort of coin that's where my money would be going, more storage space than most other campers with the full hard lid and roof racks.
Put a good size storage box on the front and your set IMO.

Cheers
Evo
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Offline Jason B

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2013, 12:21:44 AM »
Put a good size storage box on the front and your set IMO.

Cheers
Evo

All great points EVO, you just can't do this bit as the TS front has a full front tailgate on it to access the fridges or the kitchen depending on which one you have where. The trailer tub is empty for storage tho.

Jas

Offline evolution

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2013, 12:32:46 AM »
Learn something new every day  ;D
Always wondered how it worked with the way the tent folds out.
Lol well that makes sense now.
In saying all that I said before I certainly wouldn't complain with a track about, kk, Aussie swag, aorc, pioneer.... and the huge amount of other really good quality campers.
Its a buyers market both new and second hand.
Whilst all brands and styles have both advantages and disadvantages you as the buyer are the king pin. They all want to sell you a product and you want the most bang for your buck in a product that will suit you best.
Whilst for some that's new and others used is the way to go.
With new haggle hard, ask for a price, then make a deal price. After that ask them what they can add on for free to make a sale.
Used get the product for as close to the price your happy to pay. I certainly would be looking far and wide at all the different brands, not just those two too see what they can offer you.
At the end of it, you may just do a full circle and come back to those two. But at least you will know exactly what you want.

Cheers
Evo
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Offline JCAT

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2013, 01:28:38 AM »
We are a family of 2 adults and 2 kids and have a Lifestyle Extenda Elite, which is a soft floor, similar in size to the Trackabout. It suits our needs really well and gives us heaps of space for everything the kids want to bring along. Our set up time is pretty quick for an overnight stop. However if on an overnight stop, we need to cook and it's raining (hasn't happened yet) then we would need to set up the annexe, which would add a bit of time.

Friends of ours, also 2 adults and 2 kids, have a hard floor and don't seem to have anywhere near the space and room we do, especially if it starts raining and we need to retreat inside.

When the kids stop coming away, we may go hard floor or TVan or similar but at the moment a soft floor gives us all the room we need. The extendas are great for getting in and out of bed and give you even more storage space.

Our choice came down to Lifestyle or Trackabout. We went Lifestyle because the products were pretty similar but the show special at the time (2010) gave us, in my opinion, more value for our $$$. I still look at those Trackabouts and think what a top looking rig they are.
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Offline fuji

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2013, 06:30:08 AM »
I agree with Jason, space is limited be it KK or Aussie Swag. I like the Trackabout and Customline. Both great units. Lots if room.
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KingBilly

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2013, 08:08:47 AM »
Great advice Jason

however I was always wiping moisture off the floor and trying to get that dry on the TS when packing (even in good weather).

In relation to this point, we use some Oztrail Ultramesh under our tent floor and that keeps the dirt off the bottom.  Keeps it dry and makes it easy to pack up, even with wet ground.

In relation to the OP's question, we have a softfloor with a 12' tent.  Kids sleep on jumbo stretchers down each side.

Also be aware that some of the hard floor CTs, have a lot of weight on the towball/drawbar.  Just make sure your tug can handle this weight.  Also makes it a bit harder to move around manually.

Good luck with your decision.  Not an easy one  :D

KB

PS Just looked at your sig block and see you have a 200 series.  Shouldn't have a problem with the weight aspect.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2013, 08:12:18 AM by KingBilly »

Offline Matto

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2013, 09:19:22 AM »
+1 to everything Jason and JCAT have said. Both honest assessments that mirror our own experience.

Jason's point about the dirt/mud/water on the bottom is pertinent -  we use the same Ultramesh tarp as KB above, but find that we still need to towel down the bottom PVC floor whilst packing up. Even if it's a dry stay, the PVC will pull some moisture out of the grass/ground and you always end up with sand/leaves/mud stuck to it. Whereas with a hardfloor you've got two things in your favour : the floor is typically raised off the ground as Jason has said, plus you don't care if it's wet anyway because it's on the outside and not touching canvas.

One thing we noticed when camping with Teabag once and his KK - his took longer to set up because he wanted to get it level and right. CD in his Trackabout was set up much quicker, because it didn't matter so much about the level. However when it came pack-up time, Teabag was done in a fraction of the time. . But as I'm sure I've said before, my experience is that the pack up time of the camper tent itself usually only accounts for a small percentage of the total packup time once you factor in folding chairs, tables, portacots, etc.

To me, the limited space in a hardfloor counts it out for us, and we've only got one little one. The 10" tent on the Extenda suits us perfectly. But that's because we use the tent as a room for playing in, organising clothes, portacot, portapotty, etc. If you can live outside during the day and only use the inside of the camper for beds/sleeping, then you can get away with a much smaller setup.

The extenda-type campers (any brand) are great - you have to deal with a longer trailer, but the extra versatility and storage more than makes up for it in my book. If I were to find myself on a track where the extra length became a real concern, that's a good indication that I don't want to be towing (anything) on that track. Example - I know you can drag a camper over the CREB - lots here have done it. Personally, I wouldn't - it's just not something I'm interested in doing. Hence the lower offroad ability doesn't affect me one bit. You and your requirements may be different though.

Just to touch on the "quick overnight stop" point - ours is very quick to set up for an overnight stop because of the tent design. Assuming the weather is compliant, we don't need to peg anything down - the tent section is completely self-supporting. If left hitched to the vehicle, you can be set up amazingly quickly, and packed down almost as quick. I would still expect a hardfloor to beat us, but it wouldn't be by much. Certainly either one of us would be significantly quicker than someone who needed pegs (or complex internal poles) as well. If we were expecting a lot of wind or rain I'd probably peg ours out, whereas the hardfloor has the upper hand again because they don't need pegs at all.

Good luck!
Matto :)
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Offline Jason B

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2013, 10:02:21 AM »
Agree with all of Matto's comments also. And agree whilst the KK may be able to take on the Creb, mine won't be.

Very true about getting the KK level also, I do put in a bit of effort here because ultimately if you get it level from side to side then your bed and the hard floor area are perfectly flat and level regardless of the terrain. This was one thing that was a bit of a PITA with the Trak Shak. Because it was so big, if the ground sloped away so did all of your internal floor space. The beds were fine as you could get the trailer level but all of the unfolded tent has to follow the terrain. No probs if you can find a suitable area of course.

Offline Swogjb

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2013, 03:50:07 PM »
Thanks for the replies guys,
All advice is welcome and greatly appreciated.
It's a big decision that we want to get right.
I must admit I really do like the Aussie Swag and has been my dream camper for a while, but since  dhaving kids am trying to think rationally .
I didn't realise that quite a few company's do an extenda range of campers. The Trackabout is just the first one that has grabbed  my attention. A bit more homework is needed on my behalf.
I must admit the Trackabout certainly looks the part anyway.
I have checked out the trak shak before and although they look good, I'd prefer a bigger awning as this is where we spend a fair amount of time when camping.

Please keep the suggestions/advice coming.

 :cheers:
Glenn

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Trackabout Safari SV Extenda

Offline Jason B

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2013, 05:36:12 PM »
A pictorial of our set ups. This I believe shows the versatility of a hard floor, with the various setups available depending on weather, length of stay, terrain etc. The kids room goes off the end. I don't have one and will be using an OZTENT as an annex wall instead when the kids get a bit bigger.

However as stated in my first post I believe an extenda type soft floor may better suit your needs.

First photos are of the overnight (Bad weather, lazy) setup. 3 minutes.

Offline Jason B

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2013, 05:40:39 PM »
Second set up we use this for weekenders. 15-20minutes


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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2013, 05:46:52 PM »
Final set up option. The full Taj-mahal!

This setup is massive, 6.7m x 2.4m under awning and a bloody lot of canvas. This set up only gets a run on family trips of 4 days to a week or more in duration. Setup 40mins - 1 hour (Includes all pegs in walls ropes etc on my own - kids are usually of swimming or bike riding)

Pro - Awesome
Cons - a lot of canvas (heavy), a PITA if you have to pack up wet, addition time. - but did i mention its awesome lol.

Offline Watty2975

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2013, 05:50:49 PM »
We have a campomatic hard floor and love it. We are a family of 4.
We have found the hard floor space adequate. Kids slept on a double camping mattress on the floor for a month while traveling up the cape last year.
Over Easter we upgraded to some outdoor connection bunks which have given us heaps more room and the kids think it is pretty cool.

The bonus for us with our type of travel it the quick set up (2minutes) and not much more for pack up. The awning and annex add about another 10 minutes.

Not sure how it will go with the arrival of our new baby in 6 weeks.

As long as it suits your style of travel and family it will be a winner!
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Offline JCOJ

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2013, 08:19:07 PM »
We have an Aussie Swag and our two boys (5 & 7) sleep on the floor in their bed bags.  We do have the side kids room but only use it for three night stays or more. 

Yes space is limited inside, but that is the compromise you have when you want a quick set up.  We too had the Trak Shak and that gave all the space in the world that you could ever want, however it just consumed time having to take the stone guard off to access the fridge, and moving the kitchen outside every day.

The ease of set up is what we love with the ASC, and for the amount of time we spend indoors (hardly none) it is worth it for us.  If it does rain we just put up the awning walls and there is heaps of space under the awning.

All the campers you are comparing are all excellent so it just comes down to what will suit you best.

Offline chisel

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2013, 08:28:56 PM »
As stated the setup time for a soft-floor (eg. extenda) can be very quick without the awning.  You can throw up a gazebo or use a car awning if you do need a bit of cover for an overnighter.
Packup is going to take a bit longer (certainly for us it does) simply because folding the tent up and doing the zip on the cover takes a fair bit longer than undoing it and unfolding it.

One of the big advantages for a hard floor is that you can set it up over bitumen or rough gravel without a care about the floor.  With a soft floor you always have to consider the ground under the tent part.  Even with a good ground sheet I'm reluctant to use the soft-floor over rough/hard ground.

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Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2013, 09:00:38 PM »
No one will be surprised at my opinion, so let me just say that there has been a bunch of good campers mentioned, all would be fine, each has its strong points and drawbacks.

If you're planning to pack up every day and keep moving, think about the camper that will best suit that.

If you're planning to stop and enjoy the place, even if only for a night or two, consider something with more space so you don't need to be on top of each other.

Lastly, value for money. When one buys a quality camper it probably won't cost much to own it for several years, apart from the cost of having your money tied up in it.

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crackacoldie

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2013, 09:15:41 PM »
With four kids I'd go a soft floor walk-in r extenda, like a good secondhand Challenge Cape York.  I happen to know where there is a really good one second hand, only a few short hours from you. :angel:

 :cheers: Cracka


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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #19 on: May 23, 2013, 09:30:05 PM »
With four kids I'd go a soft floor walk-in r extenda, like a good secondhand Challenge Cape York.  I happen to know where there is a really good one second hand, only a few short hours from you. :angel:

 :cheers: Cracka

OMG four kids, now that would be fun :angel:

Definitely only 2 kids, SWMBO and myself. And definitely no chance of any more.( unless she goes for an upgrade)

 :cheers:

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crackacoldie

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Re: Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #20 on: May 23, 2013, 09:40:13 PM »
OMG four kids, now that would be fun :angel:

Definitely only 2 kids, SWMBO and myself. And definitely no chance of any more.( unless she goes for an upgrade)

 :cheers:

Sorry, misread your OP !

Try again, for a family of four, I'd be looking at....well you got the rest from the other post...

 :cheers: Cracka

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Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #21 on: May 25, 2013, 05:27:07 PM »

G'day All,

Another question regarding independent suspension on a camper.
Is it worth having, I have received quotes for the Trackabout Extenda Dakar & Safari, the Dakar has closed in sides with lockable compartments plus the 2tonne independent  suspension and the Safari has open sides(like a more traditional camper) and AL-KO 9 leaf suspension.
We had ALKO on our old soft floor floor camper and it seemed bullet proof, we took it on some extremely rough corrugated roads (eg Tanami, Gibb) and had no issues.

The Dakar does look like an awesome camper but my wallet is liking the Safari, leaving more $$ boat loader, hot water etc etc.
 
Any opinions appreciated.

Cheers Glenn

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Trackabout Safari SV Extenda

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Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #22 on: May 25, 2013, 06:22:43 PM »
Glenn, the analogy I use now, after having experienced the independent suspension is that the standard Alko 9 leaf eye-to-eye Offroad suspension is like a Land Cruiser; proven tough and  reliable and go anywhere. The independent is Lexus; Land Cruiser but better and nicer to live with.
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Offline Swogjb

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Trackabout Extenda or Hard Floor For Family of 4
« Reply #23 on: May 25, 2013, 09:03:48 PM »
Glenn, the analogy I use now, after having experienced the independent suspension is that the standard Alko 9 leaf eye-to-eye Offroad suspension is like a Land Cruiser; proven tough and  reliable and go anywhere. The independent is Lexus; Land Cruiser but better and nicer to live with.

Hi BigJules,
I have just been checking out your Extenda Safari and see that it has the independent suspension on it.
The info that Trackabout Dave sent me didn't mention an option for the independent on the Safari, but it come standard on the Dakar.


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