Is there still a market for soft floor camper trailers?

[CorzaDry]

Forward folds whilst quick to put up, do not have much space. Right now we put a portacot table etc all inside and its sooo comfy. Couldnt do that with a forward fold. Rearfold might be a different story but I have never seen one setup.

[wilson79]

Forward folds whilst quick to put up, do not have much space. Right now we put a portacot table etc all inside and its sooo comfy. Couldnt do that with a forward fold. Rearfold might be a different story but I have never seen one setup.

I disagree somewhat, I have a forward fold and have 2 boys, the boys are young though 5 & 6 but we are never short of storage room. We do many weekend trips and the occasional trips for a week. we have also completed a 4 week trip to the cape in 2015 and have never felt we needed more storage. We have a storage box on the draw bar the fridge box is huge and there is plenty of storage on the floor of the trailer when it is closed. the only thing I ever have in my car is, Our camp chairs ( they are in there permanently as we use them on day trips and visiting friends etc) 40ltr Engel (permanent also) Tool box, ctns of beer and kids toys. fishing rods if needed everything else is in the camper..

My personal opinion is people cart too much crap now days, I see people setting up all the time and they will have 3 tables, TV's & antennas, gazebos, every toy their kids own, Full sets of pots and pans, enough plates & cutlery for a small army, and the list goes on and on. then wonder where they are going to put it all..

we keep it real simple and have never looked back.

[tryagain]

When I first looked at camper trailers 10-15yrs ago the price of used campers was astronomical for what you got, they held a ridiculous amount of value. Then the imports improved in quality and significantly lowered the cost of entry to the new camper market. I think the real situation is that the soft floor market has become so competitive that the local established players have either stepped out of it or gone bust, plenty are still sold, just not by them.

Then you have those who paid a premium for Australian built and in the past they held their value really well, but I think the deflation rate is now closer to that of cars (and likewise some hold better than others) but losing 50% in value in 4 years wouldn't be uncommon in the vehicle industry and I suspect now the camper industry as well. So you have buyers weighing up the value of new and used and predominantly choosing new imports whilst owners of Australian made campers often not willing to meet the market so can look like a lack of buyers. 

Then like anything else, you have those who are really into it but a bulk of people on the fringes, there is likely a perception of the vast bulk of people going away from soft floors due to what a decent percentage of those who are active on here (really into it) are doing/done but that probably isn't representative of the broader market, its not uncommon to see 5x more guests viewing a board then members and I suspect that amongst those is probably a strong appetite for soft floors predominatly due to the lower cost of entry.

[topcat]

Very similar to the auto industry where consumer preferences are changing – from passenger cars & wagons to SUVs. SUVs satisfy users’ needs – higher riding, load carrying and image.

And so, CT users’ needs have also changed – easier setup, more functionality (inclusions) and image.

The traditional family CT is now largely imported and at the budget end. New and more specialised soft floor campers such as the South African offerings, Patriot, DOT, etc. are catering for people wanting a lightweight camper with fast set-up and who are willing to pay for this.

With the increased types and segmentation of campers available, and the lower price points, existing higher end soft floors will only be purchased by those who specifically want such a camper and I feel those numbers are diminishing. Prices will reflect this imbalance.

I have a 10 year old tough and simple soft floor camper (I've owned for 8 years). With the boys now 15 and 18, and in swags, I wanted a camper that I could put up easily on my own. Could have bought a hard floor but would have cost me a lot to change over and I didn’t fancy the weight*. So I sold the old 12ft tent and had a 4ft one made for me. With all my mods that suit me and make it individual, I now have a camper that will do me for a long while.

Is the market dead for the traditional soft floor – over a certain price point – undeniably yes. 

*most FF campers now have an empty tare weight of approx. 1.4T – mine weighs in at 1.2T fully loaded.

Cheers
TC

[mrdenn1s]

Just sold my Blue Water soft floor for $4k. Worth $6.5. Paid $8.8k for it only a few years back.

I went unders on price plus my phone was also ringing off the hook. Sold sight unseen by someone who drove down from interstate to collect it

[skog]

I have a soft floor and want to upgrade and am looking at the second hand soft floor market.
I don't mind the setup time (well when it is raining it is different) but the weight and the need to setup an annexe and they are still cheaper.
The Jayco range with the open out ends looks good but are they worth the money??

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[Moxley]

I have a soft floor and want to upgrade and am looking at the second hand soft floor market.
I don't mind the setup time (well when it is raining it is different) but the weight and the need to setup an annexe and they are still cheaper.
The Jayco range with the open out ends looks good but are they worth the money??

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I’ve had a Jayco swan before, but it was a bit of a pain to pack. Have found a walk up soft floor much better. I also prefer the smaller car width of a soft floor compared to the Jayco - much easier to maneuver. 

[Sir Campalot]

We purchased a trackabout softfloor roughly 12 months ago. We love the space seeing we have two kids. Setup and pack up is easy and doesnt take alot of time. I find that packing everything else up takes the time, kids beds, camp chairs, etc.

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