New to the CT world

[yes dear]

Hi all, as the title says I am new to the CT world and am starting to figure out which way to go.
Moving on from the Blackwolf turbo 300 which is 8 years old now.
We have just about everything we need for camping but getting sick of packing up all the stuff to get away for a quick weekend.
I have just booked an Aussie Swag Trailer for 8 days in Oct to go trouting in the Ebor area for an initial test.
Question 1  why does nearly every CT I see have a tarp on top, I see statements about heat, but also about rain, I know about the aussie canvas vs "the cheap Chinese stuff" but I would love to get some info on how good or bad the canvas can be?
The Blackwolf would probably have cheap ripstop canvas but has never leaked and we have been in some rain on the coast.
Question 2 hard floor vs soft floor, as most people I have a tight budget but don't want to do this twice, there is no way I can get into the top brands unless a very old used unit comes on for the right price
Budget around the 15k mark (give or take).
How cheap are the imports, I read some good reviews and some bad reviews and like most people get a little hesitant about making a decision.
I'm pretty handy with the tools and can weld pretty good so maintenance will not be an issue.
Tow vehicle is a 06 Prado which we normally tow our trust 6x4 boxy with high sides that carries all our stuff.
I know I could add a tent but don't want to have to take it apart just to go and get some hardware supplies of livestock feed etc.
I like the hard floor look.
anyway thanks for reading this and appreciate any input.

[D4D]

Welcome to the forum, lots of good info here.

With a $15K budget, I'd stick to a soft floor as you won't get much of a hard floor for that money.

[GGV8Cruza]

Welcome to MySwag, tarping has lots of followers for different reasons, heat barrier, keeping the water off the canvas for a dry pack up, masking a leaking camper, keeping dirt and bird crap off it, a darker tent in the mornings. Its all a personnel thing depending on your thoughts.

Soft v's hard can be cost based, use based or just a preference. I have a family of four in total and generally go base camping so a soft floor suits me at the moment. For those touring and setting up every day a hard floor can be quicker depending on the set up.

With regards to the import v's Aussie, this is a thread locking argument that has people in each camp. The secondhand market can hide some gems of people that are upgrading or getting out of camping. Do your research and inspect what ever camper you decide to purchase before handing over your cash.

The forum has heaps of info and the search bar on the home page will allow you to find heaps of it, if not ask away
You are going down the right track hiring to start and to see what works best.

GG

[Rob C]

Welcome Yes Dear,

You have the right idea in renting to see how you go.
After the AS you should try a soft floor to see the difference.
All I can say is set your budget after the trials and then stick to it. There will be plenty of bargains to sort through and just take your time.
Hope all goes well with your search.

Rob

[yes dear]

yeah that is the idea, take my time and rent a few units to see what seems right.
I would like to hear what people have experienced with the canvas as this will be the most important and costly area to get right.
Saturn proof that is used on Oztrail and the WCT canvas
the Canvas on the Blackwolf would have been Chinese but did work well for us but I would like something a lot heavier.
I would like to know about how well a god CT handle wind as well.
Cheers guys.

[Banjo16]

Welcome to the forum,you will get plenty of opinions here & making a decision is difficult.
We went the cheap hard floor option for the following reasons.

Ease of set up,we are not getting any younger & the soft floor takes more effort.
We didn't need the extra room of a soft floor tent.
Despite what some say we got a imported hard floor for sub $13k, ok it's imported but it suits us.

[yes dear]

I don't see us doing any real hard core 4x4ing and we won't be going out for months at a time.
I am interested in a quick set up, there is only the 2 of us and the 2 dish lickers.
we normally hit fire trails for fresh water fishing locals but would like to be able to get on a beach if needed.
We mainly cook on the hill billy kit over an open fire and have the 95 lt evakool yellow fridge for beer and a bit of food.
we have a second battery charging kit set up in the back of the prado which we plug the 160 AGM in when we travel and for top ups.
Can I ask what brand and model your hard floor is and has it been tested in bad weather yet?
I getting older and have moved from the self inflating mat to a king goanna stretcher recently as getting up off the deck was getting harder, especially when it's cold.
cheers

[Banjo16]

thanks yes dear, ours is a Leisure Matters Ranger and have had no weather problems to date,tried to season the canvas well first .

[yes dear]

that was one of the first brand i looked at on the net.
the imports all looks pretty much the same to me.
they look like they represent good value for the price tag but one must go by the rule you get what you pay for.
If the canvas is good and the the steel is good then the rest can be twigged as the years go by.
i will get laughed at but to buy similar in an aussie made would be 2 to 3 times the amount and i have not got that kind of coin.
if you by a second hand aussie made unit with the same euipment it would probably be 12 + years old and would need some twigging anyway not to mention the canvas may be on the way out after all those years.
how long have you had your CT for?
cheers

[Banjo16]

Pm sent

[Spada]

Welcome Yes Dear,

The hard soft question is an often debated topic, and a personal decision that only you can make.

With a sub $15k budget, you will definately get more bang for your buck by going soft, but if you choose a hard floor, you could have a look around for a 2nd hand Cub.

Cheers, Spada

[Barrabart]

Hi all, as the title says I am new to the CT world and am starting to figure out which way to go.
Moving on from the Blackwolf turbo 300 which is 8 years old now.
We have just about everything we need for camping but getting sick of packing up all the stuff to get away for a quick weekend.
I have just booked an Aussie Swag Trailer for 8 days in Oct to go trouting in the Ebor area for an initial test.
Question 1  why does nearly every CT I see have a tarp on top, I see statements about heat, but also about rain, I know about the aussie canvas vs "the cheap Chinese stuff" but I would love to get some info on how good or bad the canvas can be?
The Blackwolf would probably have cheap ripstop canvas but has never leaked and we have been in some rain on the coast.
Question 2 hard floor vs soft floor, as most people I have a tight budget but don't want to do this twice, there is no way I can get into the top brands unless a very old used unit comes on for the right price
Budget around the 15k mark (give or take).
How cheap are the imports, I read some good reviews and some bad reviews and like most people get a little hesitant about making a decision.
I'm pretty handy with the tools and can weld pretty good so maintenance will not be an issue.
Tow vehicle is a 06 Prado which we normally tow our trust 6x4 boxy with high sides that carries all our stuff.
I know I could add a tent but don't want to have to take it apart just to go and get some hardware supplies of livestock feed etc.
I like the hard floor look.
anyway thanks for reading this and appreciate any input.

G'day Yes Dear,

Firstly welcome to the forum, and you are making a great decision in getting a CT, you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago, oh and you have come to the right place to find all your answers.....

The thing you will appreciate the most with a CT is having it all packed ready to hit the road at a moments notice. Throw in food and clothes and head off, no more searching for camp gear and packing trailer.....
 
Hiring an Aussie Swag is a great idea, though keep in mind you are hiring a great Aus made CT, so a lot of other trailers will be far inferior in quality........ sort of like hiring a brand new 200 series Cruiser, than comparing other cheaper 4x4's, but it gives you something to compare and will get u on the right track in looking for quality.

Answer to Qu #1- Some people go for the tarp over the CT, I don't as I reckon it'd be a pain in the bum setting it up, also I have confidence in the canvas on my Trackabout...... and yep it's worth has been proven a few times in rain etc. I know some people worry about bird/bat poo etc on the canvas, but I reckon don't camp under bird and bat filled trees, hehe. Also when packing up, clean off any bombs that may have landed on the roof....... good canvas will survive this stuff.
The other thing u see is the fitted tropical roof, these are more for keeping the heat off the main roof, this is a practical option, especially if up north...... though again in saying that, we don't have a tropical roof, we live in FNQ, with the high roof height of my CT and all the windows open its fine inside the CT during the day, and how much time do u spend in the CT during the day anyway??

Answer to Qu#2 - Hardfloor vs Softfloor..... With a $15K budget u will get an excellent 2nd hand Aus made soft floor..... you might even get an entry level new one, pretty sure the Trackabout Kakadu starts somewhere around there.... though if u go 2nd hand you may snap up a one owner well cared for Aussie unit, that had a $20k price tag when new. If you buy a reputable brand you'll love the resale if you decide to sell it in a few years, you'll lose bugger all $$....... and while u own it you will have a trouble free solid as a rock camper...

I wouldn't buy an import trailer, but that's just me..... Aus steel, Aus canvas, Aus built = Quality, no matter how you dress up the imports.

Yep don't add a tent to your box trailer, it will never compare to a Camper Trailer, it will always be a box trailer with a tent. And u won't have a trailer for trailer use anymore.

Your Prado will tow any CT, beware off the big rear door coming into contact with the drawbars/stoneguards/ toolboxes on the CT's.

Reckon the main drawcard for buying a hardfloor is easy fold out etc........ though in saying that, the softfloor isn't an issue, just don't buy anything bigger than a 10' tent....... Do u have kids? More room for them in a softfloor.

Hope that helps......

Best of luck,

Barrabart.

[yes dear]

all very good points.
I would like to know what the steel is like on the imports vs the aussie made and if they come galed or not.
a lot mention the RHS size but not many mention the thickness.
I just finished upgrading the draw bar on the boxy and went with 4mm thick as I extended it to 2m.
and the fact that you can get a quality 2nd hand soft floor for the budget I have is interesting.
after we trial the hard floor in early Oct we will trial a good soft floor (Johnos are available) and then we can compare.

[Aaron Schubert]

Welcome to the forum mate,

Aaron