Best camper for Uluru trip

[Taz64]

The wife and I have been discussing an Uluru trip from Brisbane.  I currently have a soft floor CT and am considering either a hard floor or something in the range of Jayco/coronal/gold stream for the trip.

I'm thinking the amount of effort required for a soft floor at the end of each day will become too much as the trip progresses.

I would appreciate feedback from those who have done extended 2 up touring as to which style of camper/pop top recommended.  The tug is a SR5 Hilux TDiesel, so no issues with that side of equation.

I am partial to the Jayco Penguin or Goldstream

[Wuzgonna]

G'day Taz,

There are horses for courses!

We were at Uluru last week and we are on a 3 month trip.

I commented to the better half that travelling and seeing so many options for accommodation, it is better than any camping show as we meet so many people with so many different setups and you are talking to a real user of the product and not a salesman.

We are travelling with 3 young kids and have an Aussie Swag hard floor camper.

We find it easy to tow, quick to setup and pack up and very accessible for lunch stops on the side of the road.

I  sure you will be happy with your decision and it is very dependant on personal opinion.

[HEM19X]

Taz, let me firstly say we have a hard floor as this suits our style of travel HOWEVER we did have a soft floor that we used on extended trips.

If you mix up the stays so that you have a 2 or 3 nights in one place after a few overnighters you will break up the routine of packing/unpacking etc. Some people use the 300k = 3 nights [or 500k = 5 nights] method which, if time permits by work out.

There are plenty of short-cuts that will make setting up quicker, leaving the awning on etc - but you will work that out - you could try a shorter [1 week?] trip with overnight stops before spending $$$'s.


Good luck with things

Hem

[MarkVS]

Taz,
my family have just come home from a 6 week trip up through the top, (Nth Qld, Savannah Way, Kakadu, Central Qld) and we have a soft floor.
So long as everyone has a role to play in setting up/putting down, and you keep what you are taking simple, and ollow some tips (eg..keeping the annexe folded up etc) a soft floor can be as quick as hard floors.   

MarkVS

[TOPNDR]

G'day Taz,

We have an AOR Quantum. Setup 5 mins, and that gives us a Queen innerspring mattress, shower, dunny, heater (it's f.. f.. cold in the Centre this time of year), a rollout awning, excellent stainless roll out kitchen with hot & cold running water..

Pack up, once the dishes are put away is 5 to 10 mins.

It tows well, and they come from just up the road from you at Caloundra.

[Bird]

The wife and I have been discussing an Uluru trip from Brisbane.  I currently have a soft floor CT and am considering either a hard floor or something in the range of Jayco/coronal/gold stream for the trip.

I'm thinking the amount of effort required for a soft floor at the end of each day will become too much as the trip progresses.

I would appreciate feedback from those who have done extended 2 up touring as to which style of camper/pop top recommended.  The tug is a SR5 Hilux TDiesel, so no issues with that side of equation.

I am partial to the Jayco Penguin or Goldstream

Are you talkin of selling and buying a new trailer, or hiring one?

Nothing wrong with soft floors.. I've done several trips with just me and my son/daughter with the trailer and had no issues.

[chester ver2.0]

We have had a soft floor and now have the goldstream full set up between the 2 now I mean bed flies up annex out etc is about the same

Overnighter the goldstream is a little quicker as I don't bother with the bed flys or annex, we mainly went the goldstream style cause our trip involved staying for extended times and also doing some work so we liked the extra comforts of the goldstream

All are good it just depends on your use if we buy a house next year and are then only doing short trips I may sell the goldstream and go back to a soft floor as the goldstream has to have the rear bar and spare tyre removed to fit into a standard garage

[briann532]

If its just the 2 of you, why not go for a hawk or eagle and have one of the beds removed.
A canvas mob can sew in an end panel for minimal extra cost to purchase price.

This would give you a fantastic setup with more room than a penguin and only the one bed.
Really quick setup, heaps of storage space and room and if you get and extended drawbar and keep the front bed, you can fit into small spaces and do overnight stops without unhitching.....

Just a thought.......

Brian

[Taz64]

If its just the 2 of you, why not go for a hawk or eagle and have one of the beds removed.
A canvas mob can sew in an end panel for minimal extra cost to purchase price.

This would give you a fantastic setup with more room than a penguin and only the one bed.
Really quick setup, heaps of storage space and room and if you get and extended drawbar and keep the front bed, you can fit into small spaces and do overnight stops without unhitching.....

Just a thought.......

Brian

I was considering that as well.  Thanks for all the feedback.

[madmax]

Taz

What wrong with the one you have?

The best camper is the one you have access to. 

[chester ver2.0]

If its just the 2 of you, why not go for a hawk or eagle and have one of the beds removed.
A canvas mob can sew in an end panel for minimal extra cost to purchase price.

This would give you a fantastic setup with more room than a penguin and only the one bed.
Really quick setup, heaps of storage space and room and if you get and extended drawbar and keep the front bed, you can fit into small spaces and do overnight stops without unhitching.....

Just a thought.......

Brian


We looked into this but discounted it

1. It kills your resale as you have eliminated most families with the second bed gone
2. The second bet with mattress removed makes a good wardrobe and adds more space

[Bird]

Taz

What wrong with the one you have?

The best camper is the one you have access to. 

This is what I was getting at...

seems excessive to buy a trailer for 1 destination.

[Bongo]

We now have a hard floor.

When we had a Trackabout and camped over night we didn't even peg down the tent. A bag in each corner. A bit saggy but it didn't matter.

We love our hard floor but we don't think it is any faster to set up or pack up for an overnighter.

[speewa158]

Somebody might have missed the point .  Having decided to travel , just how fast do you need to travel .
When you decide to travel , leave your clock where ever you depart from . If you hungry , Eat    If your tired , Sleep , & If you have to Go ,,, well Go .
 The time it takes to set up your CT is entirely up to you . Must the lines be crisp or is it comfy to sleep in . Its your game play it as you want .
   You  are the only people that will be sleeping in YOUR CT . Are you going to be scored on set up , placement  & what ever .
GO , Experience  Enjoy . Its entirely up to you , but you know that .
As you travel you will see others that are doing things that will make you think " What are they Thinking  " 
 Go , Travel , Enjoy . ( Its your trip )


1 other thing                           

[Stewart]

We just came back from doing the big loop . To Uluru via broken hill and the flinders ranges and home via Carnavon gorge from the Gold Coast, 8867 km in less than four weeks. We loved our hard floor. Annexe up for longer stays unless it was raining. Easy to tow at 125 km in NT and easy to take on Merrinee road. We could get up, cook breakfast and on the road in under an hour, About the same time it takes us to get ready for work in the morning. The hard floor was great for those 0 degrees morning.

[Barry G]

Really can't see how a hard floor would be quicker to set/pack up than our rear fold Heaslip.

[GeoffA]

Really can't see how a hard floor would be quicker to set/pack up than our rear fold Heaslip.

No bag to take off and put back on.
Not on the ground, so no need to wipe the underside of the floor when packing up.

That's probably about it.