Hi all...looking for CT buying advice!

[dottyman]

Hi everyone,
We are a family of 5 looking forward to a big trip to the top end and west coast later this year. Have been camping in tents for years but looking to get a CT which will be towed by our Territory. We would love another 4wd but the money tree has suffered a drought!

In short we would like in priority.....
Off road construction
Aussie steel and canvas.
Tropical roof
Larger tent for 3 kids beds
Walk up preferred.
Battery, lights and plugs a bonus.
Same hub bolt pattern as the ford if that's possible?
I can change kitchen easiler than the bones and canvas tent.

Can't afford to buy new so looking at good used options under $10K
Is there anything else I should consider?
What are the pitfalls of buying used?
Are the tyres any good after 5 years
For example, if a new trailer is $15 K new, what would it be worth after 8 years?

We looked at Camel, Johnnos, explorer at a recent show and like them.
We are in NSW and access to manufacturer could be handy for repairs?
Cheers

 

[KingBilly]

Welcome to the forum.  Good luck with your search.   Have a gander at the for sale section on here.   Been a few for sale for a while so may pick up a bargain.

Make sure you see it erected and check canvas for wear and fly screens for holes.  Check all zips work.  Trailer tyres last a lot longer then vehicle tyres but check for obvious signs of age fatigue.

Happy camping
KB

[Clouty]

Welcome to the forum.. As KB said there are some great trailers in the trader section.. Good luck with your search

[dottyman]

Thanks for the replies...good advice.

[scarps]

Hi dottyman, looking at your list, it shows you've already done a lot of research.
My main two tips for buying used are have a good look underneath at the chasis and all the corners and crevices. If you see something that looks odd compared to the rest of the steel work(ask the question).  i.e. New welds or repairs v existing. An area with no galvanising (where the rest has). Any new paintwork.  Is there regular weld spots along joins. Any spots where you can see a grinder has been used. Not saying that a good repair is an issue, but just ask the question.
Canvas always deteriorates over time even more so when used a lot.  Look for wear and tear where it rubs aginst the poles, stitching stretched and again any repairs. 
I bought a second hand Aus made tourer tent a few years ago. Guy told me it was Aus quality, always clean and looked after, no mould etc. And He was right. It had just been used soo much that we only got 2 weekend trips out of it before the canvas walls started splitting and opening up. Suspect he may have cleaned it up with degreaser and a pressure sprayer.  Not worth repairing so wrote it off to experience.
It sounds like you're looking for Aus made, so you won't go too far wrong. You may struggle to get a walkup model in your budget, but when you find 'the right one', it will have some options and not others.
Everyone mods up their CT so go for one that has most of what you want.

[dottyman]

Thanks Scarps, that's great advice on looking under the chassis which I would do but it's good to ask those questions as you say. I am no expert on welding.
Re the canvas, it was interesting your experience. I would be buying used and probably at least 5 years old. I did see one in very good condition and it looks like the owner had a tarp over the whole tent when erected. He prides himself on protection....he even screwed melamine to the steel kitchen tops! It is approaching 7 years old.
But anyway great tips on what to look for in the canvas.
Yes I have done some research but still a bit confused about priorities.
An Aussie made ct is a must but off road.?
 How do users feel about walk ups vs climb over sleeping partner. I suppose the zipper wakes up everyone anyway in the middle of the night.
Still have a few months of looking.
If price is neg is it insulting to knock 20% off?

[JD-120]

If price is neg is it insulting to knock 20% off?

Got to start the negotiations somewhere We bought our CT off the myswag classifieds. We got a great camper, but also the seller threw in loads of extra's so if the price does not come down to your liking, maybe see if something else can be thrown in to sweeten the deal.

There is no harm in asking...usually

[dottyman]

Hi again,
I'm still in the hunt for an aussie gem under 10grand. I have a question for the forum....what is a good estimate for installing a battery with anderson plugs to the  vehicle and wiring on the vehicle to the trailer. Can any auto sparky do it and are here any tricks or tip I need to  be aware of?

[MrEMan]

Hi dottyman,

I have a battery in mine. It is basicaly a battery, some decent 6B&S cable and the Anderson Plug. The plug itself is about $5, the cable varies a lot and the battery can be anything from a lead acid (cheap) to an AGM Deep Cycle batteries (better but more $$$).

Regards

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Don't ask these blokes for any advice, they're all Biased.
And quite a few actually know what they're talking about.
Good luck and welcome to the Forum.

[McTavish]

Dottyman - how's the research coming along???  Any progress?

[myminirocks]

where a bouts are you dottyman? I think a Lifestyle would be up your alley. well built, tropical roof, they make a walk up now, and second hand I can't see why you would be able to find one in your budget.

plenty in the sth east QLD region http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-lifestyle+extenda/k0

good luck.

[Brucer]

For what you are wanting in your budget, you'll need to be either lucky or patient. Not to say all that can't be had.. I had a similar list but ended up having to compromise on some things. Buying second hand you might have to wait a while, and/or be prepared to travel around to tick all your boxes at the desired price.. I barely missed out on a rarely used Central Coast Campers walk-up that was going for a bargain.. just wasn't prepared to commit sight unseen and someone else got there first. (it was 3 hours drive to inspect)
It helps if you can identify what is "must have" and what you might be prepared to compromise on or add yourself. e.g. I wanted electric brakes. The camper I bought didn't have them but they were something I could (and did) fit later without too much trouble. Same with 12v electrics. Just remember that buying and fitting these things yourself generally costs more vs when they are part of the deal.

[kris10j0sh]

Hi dottyman,

our family have been looking for about 2yrs now at upgrading from tents to a CT. We started out knowing nothing about the whole CT market, but after ploughing through post after post on My Swag I think we finally have got a good idea as to what we need and can afford and what to steer clear of. We have decided to buy new so are saving every penny we can even though its taking a little longer than had initially hoped, but figure if we are going to go new best do it right the 1st time!

Our top tips would be:
- read as much as you can on My Swag
- attend as many camping and caravan shows as possible and talk to all the different manufactures (even though you are going to buy 2nd-hand it helps give you a good perspective on customer service for each company, and what their strong points are with their products and just general information as to what you might want as standard or extras).
- be patient and research price point - check the classifieds frequently to get a feel for what people as asking for the brands you are interested in and items you want as standard.

We have narrowed the CT purchase down to a Qld company called Trackabout. We live in NSW but these guys customer service is amazing and no bullsh*t, plus they have rep here in Sydney (BigJules on the forum), and their general knowledge about the industry is awesome.

But we have also looked into 2nd hand campers. There are lots out there to choose from, but some don't seem to be as reliable off-road. The manufacturers we came across that people speak highly of and don't sound likely to fall apart if you go anywhere other than the unpaved road to the caravan park are:
- Tambo campers (they had closed but recently reopened under new management)
- Trackabout
- All Terrain Camper Trailers
- Complete Campsite (they still seem quite expensive for 2nd hand but every now and then you come across a less expensive one just have to keep your eye out)
- Customline
- Lifestyle
- Johnnos

Hope it helps.

[dottyman]

Well I am astounded at the great responses and advice and it's been a while. We have a great camper trailer now. We looked at all those above and liked them but they were a bit out of out budget .
After considering trips to coffs and Canberra we found one just around the corner . A 3 dog camping Rover, about 7 years old with a basic kitchen and stove, electrics, large tool box and alloy top. Great condition and  An 11ft tent is just enough for us. No tropical roof but it's not that important to us yet. Came with massive tarp to put over the top. Under $6k which was great. We have to equip it with fridge, battery and panels now

 We took it for a test run last weekend and it was great. By myself, setting up with annex and two walls under an hour first go. A bit quicker for the pack down.
I will post picks from wife's phone later..

Battery was shot which I knew before I purchased.

So.....
My questions to the brains trust are....
Evakool, waeco or engel. 55 to 70 litre fridge. Budget about a  grand. Any thoughts?
Which battery AGM 105 ah do I get. Ebay they are about $200. Fusion, SSB and powersonic.....Any recommendations?

Same for solar panels. Looking at at least 120 w panels for that size battery. Outbaxcamping sells some 140w Panels for about $200. Are panels just panels. They seem much cheaper than retail shops, battery world , BCF etc. there are some panel costing much more online, but are they that much better. BTW out budget is tight.

But my main question and I admit I am ignorant in this electrickery stuff, is do I need a mppt regulator and why. The outbax panels have a PWM controller? If so which one. I have read some of the suggested threads on my swag but I have to admit I a bamboozled by them. I just need a brief idiots guide to charging my battery by the panels and th Anderson plug ?
Hopefully someone can direct me to the right thread or answer my idiot questions...

[scarps]

Hey dottyman, I'm going to leave the electrical questions alone. It's all just 6B&S to me.
You may need to ask the lekkie questions over in the electrical thread (good luck over there, those guys are all tightly wired)


In terms of the fridge, any one of the three you listed are good reliable fridges.
I've got the evakool in the Trackabout and a Waeco in the back of the Jeep.
My cousin has an engel.
Only problem I've ever had was with the Waeco and it actually turned out to be the battery I was running it off was faulty.
Since I got a new Bond Silver battery, it's been cool beers all round.

If brands no issue, you'll usually pick up a good deal at a caravan, camping or 4wd show.
I went to every stand at the Bendigo show and got 2 eskies thrown in as well as a great price.

[dottyman]

Thanks Scarps, I think we might get an evakool direct from Caloundra factory second on our way north. We stayed away from the Rosehill show last week to avoid spending money we didnt have and correct me if I'm wrong, prices on ebay seem better. It could have been a good source of advice though.....
Anyway I hope someone can explain what I need in lay mans terms..
Cheers

[McTavish]

Dottyman - if looking for a fridge still?   Check this out with $9.95 delivery fee... check your postcode.   (I saved this as the store is only 10 min from us). These guys have two Tentworld stores around our area and have been in business for quite a while.
They also do Engel, Primus and Dometic.

http://www.tentworld.com.au/products/fridge/item/waeco-cfx-50-fridge-freezer.aspx

Batteries & Electrical questions I'll leave this to the experts....

Congrats on the new CT - Well done...

[dottyman]

Thanks for the tip, I will keep it in mind. Seems like a good price.
Will buy some panels soon and a battery. Does anyone have any good advice for brands to look for with value in mind.