Author Topic: Adventure Offroad Campers  (Read 7735 times)

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Offline clarky

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Adventure Offroad Campers
« on: November 07, 2014, 08:31:00 PM »
Hi everyone,

We are looking at replacing our camper with an Adventure Offroad Camper. I have looked at them in the flesh in the past and am confident in their build quality etc. As they are no longer bding made, I will be looking to source a second hand one.

My questions are around the bedding area. Is their  anyone out there who owns (or has owned) one that can tell me how comfortable they are to sleep on? The mattress is only 70mm thick and given the design of the tent box, would be very difficult (if not impossible) to change.

My second question is around how much bedding can be left on the bed to pack it up. Is this limited to sleeping bags or doona, can pillows be left on etc?

Thanks in advance, Clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2014, 01:56:59 AM »
Contact Choice caravans in SA. Paul will be able answer all your questions. His father owned Adventure

Offline cetacean

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2014, 04:24:26 AM »
Gday  Clarky,
                   We've had an Adventure camper for around 5 years now, and we think it's simply fantastic. As you say the build quality is first rate and the design works a treat for us.
    Bedding wise, we use an egg shell mattress on top of the standard foam job and it's certainly made the bed more comfy.  :cup: We leave this and a sheet on the bed(and a thin tarp if it's a wet pack up) when we fold up the camper. Our doonas and pillows get put into a large bag which fits perfectly into the kitchen storage area.
    And if you want to make the sleeping area that bit more comfortable, Paul's solar blankets work a treat in helping keep out the heat/cold.  They're a great camper and Paul and the crew at Adventure are very helpful
   Good luck in your search
Darryl                     
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Offline swanny

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2014, 06:54:57 AM »
G'day, Clarky,

I also own an adventure off road CT, and its a great CT, you've defo chosen a very well built CT, I took mine to the cape this year for near 2 months, (8000k) doing all the tracks, and didn't have a prob with it at all.

The one downside for me with the CT is what you have pointed out, and that is the mattress, im about 105kg bloke, and really didn't enjoy a good sleep on the mattress that comes with it, to the point were I carry a stretcher and sleep on it in the tent, which sort of works well for us as we have 2 young kids, my little girl being the youngest and sleeps up in the bed at present, as she is still adjusting to her swag.

We also put some egg shell over the mattress and it made a difference, but not enough for me to enjoy a better sleep.

Were at present looking into a few different options, one of which is to have an inner spring mattress custom made to fit, but this also means that it will be slight bigger then the existing mattress, and therefore present a prob in how we carry some of bedding.

There are a few other options out there also, the egg shell as ive found can come in different densities which will help, and is also a cheaper option, but its finding the right one which is difficult.

Anyway, I hope this info helps you out, for me its not that much of a drama, given our situation, but as time goes on, I will defo getting it sorted out, as its to good a CT to move on without trying to better the problem.

Regards.

Swanny.


Offline GeoffA

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2014, 07:43:54 AM »
.......
The one downside for me with the CT is what you have pointed out, and that is the mattress, im about 105kg bloke, and really didn't enjoy a good sleep on the mattress that comes with it.....

More beer Luke.... ;D ;D
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Offline swanny

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2014, 11:40:56 AM »
More beer Luke.... ;D ;D

It worked well on the cape....beer that is.... :cup:

Offline Doug.b

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2014, 12:30:54 PM »
G'day Clarky

I own a adventure offroad camper and all I can say is they are brilliant.
Now with the bedding I was a bit worried as you are. I use to own a soft camper and we had a innerspring mattress in it (we like our mattress to be firm).
I do not have any problems with the adventure offroad camper mattress and find it quiet firm, we have the mattress then a woolen underlay and then our quilt on top and can pack it with all that left on top of the mattress. But you will not fit any more stuff in there.
 
We put our pillows in the kitchen side when traveling.


Doug
2012 PAJERO VRX  - Adventure offroad camper  - Cape York 
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=35363.0

Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2014, 05:15:34 PM »
Hi everyone,

Thanks for all of your feedback. I think I will have to jump on and make sure that I think it will be ok for me (my wife is far less fussy) and as has been mentioned, we can use an underlay or an eggshell on top if necessary.

The tips about putting the pillows in the kitchen section is an excellent one as we would not have used the spare storage space for anything else.

Cheer, I will let you know how the hunt goes...

Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2014, 09:47:51 AM »
 :-[ Looks like I took too long in deciding and the trailer I was keen on has been sold. That will teach me, I guess I will have to keep looking.

Offline Jaysea

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2014, 09:19:53 PM »
Gday Clarksy

We have an Adventure Cape York for about 2 1/2 years now and over 100 nights.  As per the other comments a great robust camper.  Below is a message i sent to someone else considering purchasing one so it may help in your decision making.  The only other thing I would add to below is that it does require some "muscle" to put up, especially by yourself.  The weight of the wheel which you have to drop and pulling the tent up does require a bit of strength.

Hope this helps

__________________________________________

Would be happy to give you my thoughts.  Like you I have three kids now aged 11, 11 and 13 ( yes twins - I can defiantly relate to having 3 under 5!).  Before children my wife and I did a lot of camping and hiking.  With the arrival of kids we kept camping with a larger tent but it got to a point where we needed to spend more time enjoying it and less setting up camp.  So about 4 years a go we started looking in to camper trailers hiring them to test out what worked for us.

For us the large soft floor did not work.  I didn't like the set up time and access to storage was not easy.  We hired a hard floor pioneer which was great in term of set up time but no where enough room on the floor for the three kids to sleep.  We were constantly tripping over their beds.  Again there was just not enough effective storage for all 5 of us.

Just over 2 years ago we were doing a trip out to western NSW when we got caught in a huge storm for 2 days.  We made for safety in Broken Hill and camped next to a trailer which caught my eye.  Mainly because despite the severe weather the owners were not affected by the strong winds and sideway rain yet we were spending the night holding up poles. 

Luckily they showed me around their adventure camper and I was sold. (thanks wiseone!!)

We have now had ours for 2 years and just clocked up 50 nights.

So what do I think.......

Like all campers there are pros and cons.  But for us and our circumstances at this stage of the family travels I still have not seen any other camper that would be better.

for a family of 5 it is great.  Due to the king size bed we usually sleep with mom, dad and one of the kids on the bed.  Still plenty of room.  We have two single stretcher beds (the ones that unfold in a few seconds) on the floor.  You can fit three stretcher beds ( we did this for a while) but didn't give any room on floor.  Now we just have the 2 beds.  During the day we just lie one bed on the other so there is plenty of floor space if needed.  Then at night we put it on the floor.  These are stored under the trailer where the tent is so they don't take up valuable storage space on the main area.

The kids are in sleeping bags which I leave on the king bed and fold up making it quicker to get them set up when we arrive .  Our bedding is put in the storage.  You can't put much on the bed as it is a tight squeeze closing the bed up.

We have the walls for the kitchen which is great in the rain and weather but we never put the walls up in fine weather.  Just having the roll out awning is enough. We camp to get outside so have not missed having a larger space.

The kids are still wanting to sleep close and not ready to go in their own tent.  I can see a day when either they don't want to come with us or want their own tent but for now it works.  Rather than getting the extra room I would get a small 30 second tent.  This is more flexible in that you can set it up close or away from the main tent (as they get older), you can use it as a play room, or not put it up on over night stops.

In regards to setting up it is not as quick as a hard floor but about 20 times easier than a soft floor camper.  Once you work it out (there are a few tricks in setting up) I can put it up my self with no help. With two people it is a breeze.

There are 3 other great points
1 the kitchen is fantastic and my wife loves it.  We pull in to camp open the awning and in 20 seconds she is getting dinner organised.  I get the tent out and open and do the general  set up.  We stop on the side of the road for lunch and again 20 seconds and we are preparing food.  The other great thing is it is all at bench height with good bench space.

1 storage storage storage.  And with three kids you need it!  Again the best storage with everything accessible easily at chest height when you are set up or just on the road.

3. Roof rack.  The ability to throw wood, bikes, spare tyre, kayak or anything else on the rack on the trailer and leave it there yet open up your tent is so handy you would not believe.

If you are looking for a second hand camper a couple of things to look for
Rust on the roof - check where the welds are that there is not surface rust on the top of the lids
Tent post release cables - check that these work ok.  They can become a bit fiddly to loosen.  Not a problem but need to be aware of it. (This is hard to explain unless you are shown)
Check that the tend has been seasoned properly and no mould

Like all campers there are some compromises for example it does not have the advantage of a hard floor being up off the ground. Beyond this I am struggling to give another negative.

I hope I have tried to give you my honest opinion.  Would I buy another one?  With the kids at this age still definitely yes.  I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have.  If you are in Sydney feel free to come and have a look.
Jaysea

2012 Prado GXL + Adventure Camper

My build: http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=17776.0
My photos & travels: www.lensontheroad.com
My facebook: http://tinyurl.com/k2haolg


Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2014, 01:55:18 PM »
Thanks for all the feedback Jaysea,

I am pretty sure we are sold on the camper. I just need to find one close enough to home to get a look at.

Cheers,


Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2014, 09:55:15 PM »
Well, we have bitten the bullet! We have committed to a 2011 Arkaroola and will pick it up on the 21st.

The whole family is very excited. The vendors were very patient and guided my wife through setting it up herself, while I crawled over and under it checking it out. The amount of stay put storage was more than Icould have hoped for...and iwht three kids and all of their stuff, I really need it.

I will add some pictures once we get it home.

Guess now I will have to make some room in the shed. Stay tuned, I guess over the next feww weeks I will be listing a camper for sale.

Tahnks again for all the feedback and advice

Offline Doug.b

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2014, 07:53:10 AM »
well done clarky and welcome to the adventure offroad camper club.
2012 PAJERO VRX  - Adventure offroad camper  - Cape York 
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=35363.0

Offline Jaysea

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #13 on: December 09, 2014, 10:03:35 PM »
Congrats. Some great adventures ahead
Jaysea

2012 Prado GXL + Adventure Camper

My build: http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=17776.0
My photos & travels: www.lensontheroad.com
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Offline wiseone

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2014, 11:08:50 PM »
Welcome to the family Clarky.  You've also got a collectors piece now that they've stopped making them :-(

Offline Benduro

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #15 on: February 16, 2015, 08:27:43 PM »
Looking into possibly purchasing one of these campers and was about to ask Swaggers for opinion/feedback when I came across this thread ;D
Aware of the excellent build quality, storage and ease of set-up. Love the access to kitchen and storage plus the ability to leave wood, kayaks and bikes on roof racks when set-up.
The other thing that I really like is that the outside living/awning/kitchen is to the front side of the camper which will be of benefit when camped at CPs where many have rules about the drawbar facing the road (emergency/safety).
We have two kids under 4 and at the moment the only real concern is their bedding and the fact they'll be on the floor. No biggie but coming from a caravan (Coromal Transforma) where we could sleep anywhere, any weather, it may at times prove a problem.
What do you AOC owners generally do regarding storage of food? Boxes in kitchen storage or is there enough room beneath the hatches?

On the look out for a tidy unit in the $22000 range following the sale of our current Coromal MT450.
 :cheers:

Offline swanny

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #16 on: February 17, 2015, 06:34:40 AM »
You cant go wrong with AOC, you spelt out all the great assest to the CT, i took mine to the cape for 2 months last year, and the one thing i liked mostly was the ease of set up/pack up, for my wife, she loved the kitchen, everything at your finger tips.

Regards bedding for kids, we have to young kids also, the options we have are,

1. swags for each of them which go on the floor at night, our prob with that though, is that my youngest, a girl 3 doesnt sleep well in it and tends to wake during the night a few times, making our sleep crap.

2. a fold up stretcher for either her or myself which works well, and TBH ive slept on it mostly and she shares the bed with my wife, no prob as the bed is massive and we all have a good sleep, my young bloke sleeps in his swag on the floor at all times, hes easy jumps in and of to sleep.

3. lastly, bunks which we only use if were going somewere for a week or 2 and know we arnt moving, TBH they are a PITA to assemble, but do work well once ereceted, the kids sleep well on them, but they are tricky to get on and off for the top bunk, well for us my young fella goes to the toliet during the night..there is a trick to packing the bunks up, but as our bed folds in half, it becomes to smal to leave togethor and place on the bed, so therefore why you have to disassemble which just adds to being a PITA.

Whilst we are on bedding i will add that i find the matterres that comes with the CT very ****y, to thin for my liking, im just on a 100kgs  ;D ;D, and the matteress is crap, ive added a matteress topper and some eggeshell which has heped, but yet to sign off on a better sleep.....so keep this in mind when buying etc.

Regarding food and cooking gear, we trialed 2 options, firstly we carried all our food in a couple of clear plastic contaniers which worked fine, but in the end my wife found that she was for ever pulling them apart to get any items she needed....PITA, so we changed things around, she thinned out her cooking gear, pots and pans etc, and now has the food in the pantry beside the stove, and carries pots and pans in one the containers which we used for food, there is at times some spill over with food (nibbles), which goes into a woolies bag in the kitchen.....this works much better, we still have to move things at times, but nothing like before....much more practical....we also used small containers (lunch box size) inside the pantry, so when we have to we just pick up a container to get to things, and not 10 items one at a time....its not 100% perfect but works for us...

You have chosen a great CT mate, they are without doubt very underated as CT's go, and also built with plenty of strength.

Anyway hope the info helps.

Enjoy your travels.

Swanny
« Last Edit: February 17, 2015, 06:38:46 AM by swanny »

Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #17 on: February 17, 2015, 09:02:33 AM »
Hi Benduro,

We have managed to get our a few times since we took possession of our new toy. We found that the configuration was very adaptable to spaces set up specifically for caravans.

On your concerns, we have bunks that fit along the side wall and leave plenty of room between them and the bed. We have found that the bunks fit inside the bed case, but if you were to use a mattress topper or similar, then I doubt that they would. As Swanny mentioned, the bed is so wide you could fit 4 across at a pinch, or 3 very comfortably with one on a stretcher or swag.

I like to keep the fridge in the car, so the fridge box becomes our pantry. We keep a 50 litre esky in it (it never worked well as an esky anyway). Having the esky makes it pretty easy to pack - we just keep our containers, coffee, oil etc in it and take it into the kitchen when it time to pack it. It is very handy to the kitchen there and doesn't have to be moved in camp. We find we can also fit 5 fold up chairs in the box where we can grab them out at any time. There is a lot of storage space under the kitchen, you would be surprised just how large the area is (I certainly was). We keep all our pots and pans, spare single burner stove, even a bucket and other odds and sods and we have not used all the space. You could use it as a pantry, but I really don't think the shape of the space lends itself to storing lots of small items - although as Swanny mentioned, they have found a way to make it work well for them. We keep the cutlery and cooking tools in the centre hatch and a pop up sink and washing stuff in the rear hatch - ours is an Arkaroola which has a couple of drawers at the back and no permanent sink.

The storage options are truly (IMHO) greater than any other camper, although I am looking at modifying the driver side storage to have a shelf or rack to hold large but slim items e.g. table, solar panel etc which would still leave a stack of free space underneath.

Good luck with your search!

Offline swanny

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2015, 09:24:25 AM »

The storage options are truly (IMHO) greater than any other camper, although I am looking at modifying the driver side storage to have a shelf or rack to hold large but slim items e.g. table, solar panel etc which would still leave a stack of free space underneath.

Good luck with your search!

This is what i did, i carry a table, shower mats, solar panels, and leads etc, if i can, ill grab a pic and throw it up later, it may help with ur design.

Swanny
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Offline Doug.b

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #19 on: February 17, 2015, 10:27:50 AM »
G'day Benduro

With the food storage, i keep all perishable food in the fridge in the front fridge box and the drinks in the fridge in the back of the 4wd.
I have a set of drawers in the 4wd which we store the non perishable food in for overnight trips but if we stay longer in one spot we set this up http://www.kathmandu.com.au/camping/furniture/cupboards-and-storage/maison-cupboard-wardrobe-slate-1.html which is easy to set up.

Doug
2012 PAJERO VRX  - Adventure offroad camper  - Cape York 
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=35363.0

Offline deepop

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #20 on: February 17, 2015, 11:48:16 AM »
Just further to this.

A mate of mine just bought a brand new Tru blue camper (I'm sure that's the brand) made in Vic, that is a very close design to the Adventure camper.   When I saw it I knew where they got their ideas.   At least you can get a brand new one if that's what you want.
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Offline Benduro

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #21 on: February 17, 2015, 06:46:09 PM »
Thanks for the informed replies guys :cheers:
Have been looking into the candycanvas joey swags for the girls. For those quick overnighters the king size bed would probably more than suffice for the four of us.
Great ideas re storage. Guess I'll just have to see one in the flesh to get a true idea but certainly sounds workable.

Plenty of interest in the Transforma so hopefully not long until I'm genuinely in the market.

Thanks all ;D

Offline GeoffA

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #22 on: February 17, 2015, 09:17:41 PM »
The storage options are truly (IMHO) greater than any other camper.......

Really??.... ;D ;D ;D
Geoff and Kay

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Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #23 on: February 27, 2015, 07:28:16 AM »
 ;D Fair call...onen should avoid absolutes

Offline clarky

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Re: Adventure Offroad Campers
« Reply #24 on: February 27, 2015, 07:29:02 AM »
and poor spelling.