We considered caravans/hybrids before choosing to go with our hardfloor. We could have purchased a second hand bushtracker or similar for the price of the hardfloor. .
Have borrowed my parents 17ish foot pop top a few times in the past but I prefer the camping feel of canvas and an outdoor kitchen.
Main reasons for staying with a camper.
1. Liability off-road, no matter how good your vans suspension and how good your tow vehicle, size and weight becomes a liability in off-road situations. Bigger and heavier is not better if your getting off the blacktop and into real low range territory.
2. Storage, we wanted to keep our trailer in the garage, fits easily in our standard size 6x6 garage, this makes packing for trips or heading out on a last minute trip easy
3. Canvas, my wife and still want that camping/outdoors feel that comes with canvas, I like outdoor living, I like outdoor cooking, I am happy to suffer the elements along the way (flies, heat, cold, rain etc.) Many want the warm dry security a caravan offers and that fine.
For how we camp and what we enjoy the main drawback of a camper is setup time when compared to a full height caravan. That’s why we went with the fastest and easiest camper trailer we could find. It’s not as fast as a caravan but it’s not much slower either.
I think it’s horses for courses, many people are happy to stick to the road well travelled and like their creature comforts along the way. Living close to Vic’s high country I wanted the ability to get to some of the more secluded and pretty campsites the region has to offer, for me the smaller CT is the better choice for that aactivity.
