Lightweight forward fold campers

[Prydey]

Hi guys.  Currently we are tent campers, but the thought of one day buying a camper trailer refuses to go away.  Every show we go to we find ourselves spending a lot of time browsing through these trailers and also eyeing them off whenever we are camping. 
The main hurdle is cost.  We enjoy the relatively low cost of tent camping but regardless of what any tent marketing might tell you, the set up and pack up times of your whole camp will never be a quick process, which is a major drawcard of camper trailers.

So, we've just started sussing out the marketplace, with a rough budget ceiling of around $20k.  The other issue related to this is the tow vehicle.  I currently own a FG Falcon XR6 6sp auto.  It only has the standard tow pack, so 1600kg max.  So before getting too carried away, its important to understand what our options are. I definitely can't afford a new tug as well (not all at the same time anyway), so its trailer first, or not at all.

i'm not too bothered about the physical towing capabilities as i know the car will do it.  Its the legal minefield.  obviously the first thing i need to do is check out the manufacturer specs on my car.

Anyways, just while in the 'thinking/dreaming about it' stage, I thought i'd ask on here for any feedback from anyone who has a lightweight forward fold, or tows with a 'normal' sedan.
A quick browse shows a few manufacturers do lightweight versions. 

we narrowed it down to forward fold trailers, as we didn't feel the others (rear fold or soft floor) suited what we want.  I don't have much idea about campers, but don't care if it doesn't come with a lot of inclusions to start with, as being tent campers, we are used to not needing power etc.

Thanks for any tips/advice. 

[03GV]

Forward fold was what we picked as I have grand vitara with 2000kg tow rating with a 150kg towbar weight.
We went to the Adelaide show back in February and found one that suited what the car can tow. Which was a Chinese camper.
As it happens there was at least  7 different companies  selling different versions of what was the same import.
The main factor for us was the extras thrown in, 40l fridge.,120w solar, hot water service and 12month roadside assist. 

There is a lot to choose from, good luck with your future purchase.

[Prydey]

I did read your thread and the lumberjack is on the list that I've started of trailers that come in at a weight my car can legally tow.

The ball weight is rated at 130kg.  Can you tell me if that is loaded or unloaded?

[silverfox1111]

I doubt that the ball weight qouted is in a loaded state. Too many variables of how people will pack it.
By the time you put a loaded fridge, food, etc in the ball weight will increase substantially. Filling yhe water tank doesn't offset it much either cause it is vloser to the wheels than the fridge, etc.
With our modcon, we put the fridge & food/cooking boxes in the car to lower the ball weight & still put as much as we can behind the trailer wheels. Makes it more comfortable to tow.
Silverfox

[Bird]

Generally lightweight and Forward fold are 2 things that don't go together

YMMV

[03GV]

I did read your thread and the lumberjack is on the list that I've started of trailers that come in at a weight my car can legally tow.

The ball weight is rated at 130kg.  Can you tell me if that is loaded or unloaded?

Thats unloaded, but I actually measured it unloaded with a ball weight scale and it was a few kgs under .

I think one of the biggest things for you will be the huge angle the trailer will be on when hooked up to a falcon. The drawbar at a level state is quite high on all the campers.

[Prydey]

Yeah, I had thought of that.  Tow ball height is only 400mm on my car.  The whole idea might be dead in the water yet

[weeds]

My parent towed a cub hard floor behind their falcon station wagon for many years, light, easy to set up.

I even used it for a five week trip to tassie.


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[Prydey]

yes, i'll have to do a bit more number crunching and measuring before we get too serious looking at campers. 

we are only interested in forward fold.  we feel this suits us the best.  soft floors are out, as we may as well just stick with our black wolf tent, and rear folds don't tend to utilise the space very well to be able to sleep 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) within the confines of the trailer part.

perhaps i should just go see the bank and dig the mortgage hole a little bit deeper    trade the falcon in on a nice territory or a cheap Ranger (yes, i'm a ford man).  Unfortunately i work in a dying industry, so i don't really want to do that if i don't have to.

[BB]

We looked at the Ezytrail Stirling Z - around 1000kg. We did not buy it as it did not have the options we wanted but it was the lightest of the forward folds in the under 17K we saw brand new.   Cub were lighter across the range and I did like them but out of our price range (for new).

Good luck!

[Prydey]

well after some more number crunching and research, we've decided that a camper trailer of this style is not a realistic option.  A new reason that we hadn't given much thought to earlier, was the bed length of the kids area, which being east/west, is narrower than the width of the trailer slightly.  my eldest is 16 and already 1.7m, so to get something that would fit her comfortably became a lot more expensive, and weight was getting too close to the limits of what my car can do legally.

so we are now looking at jayco eagle/swan type campers. 

[edz]

Just thinking you may not have to cater for senior miss that much longer . Attidude  / Jobs etc
Our 16 Yro daughter decided it was sooo uncool to go camping with the family  and her little sister  any longer and by 17 had resorted to staying with family and friends and working  while we went away on hols .

[Alan Loy]

If you're going the Jayco route make sure you are with the time it takes to setup and packup.  I was surprised how long it took for some friends we were camping with over Easter.

They are also a lot wider than the tug.  This may be an issue.

We just sold an Outback softfloor rear fold.  These are much quicker to set up than the tent we had previously but not as quick as the Tvan we now have.  Remember that when you set up a campertrailer you have already set up the kitchen, water, lights and main bed.  This is where you save time. https://outbackcampers.com.au/  On road 600 kg off road 720kg

Just a thought 

[tryagain]

so we are now looking at jayco eagle/swan type campers.

I assume you have upped your budget or you are considering 2nd hand, in that case, one of the Cub space van configurations might also suit 

[Bird]

Just thinking you may not have to cater for senior miss that much longer . Attidude  / Jobs etc
Our 16 Yro daughter decided it was sooo uncool to go camping with the family  and her little sister  any longer and by 17 had resorted to staying with family and friends and working  while we went away on hols .

Agree...

[Prydey]

I assume you have upped your budget or you are considering 2nd hand, in that case, one of the Cub space van configurations might also suit

2nd hand.  budget $15-20k.  circa 2007 onwards

nothing set in concrete at this stage.

[Prydey]

Just thinking you may not have to cater for senior miss that much longer . Attidude  / Jobs etc
Our 16 Yro daughter decided it was sooo uncool to go camping with the family  and her little sister  any longer and by 17 had resorted to staying with family and friends and working  while we went away on hols .

this is a good point that i had thought of already.  at this stage, she is happy to tag along.  thankfully it's still 'cool' for her to hang with her dad

[Prydey]

They are also a lot wider than the tug.  This may be an issue.

it wasn't that long ago that falcons and commodores towed caravans all over this big country of ours. 

[Pete79]

it wasn't that long ago that falcons and commodores towed caravans all over this big country of ours.

Yes, but have you compared those old vans with today's vans?

You don't see a lot of old units that are 2.6m wide and 2.8m high like nearly every van on the road today.

Not saying the specific ones you are looking at will be that size, but the vast majority of modern vans on the road these days look like there is a semi trailer tailgating a dual cab down the highway.

[Bird]

this is a good point that i had thought of already.  at this stage, she is happy to tag along.  thankfully it's still 'cool' for her to hang with her dad

The easy solution there is a Swag under the annexe or a cheap simple 9ft x 9ft single pole canvas tent - 4 pegs, 1 pole and its up in 5 mins..
Also gives her privacy and she can take a friend if she likes... that's what we do when both kids want to bring friends.