Rear fold or Forward fold

[Muckinhell]

I have the ecomate ff, which as i take it, is the original version modcon went with before their current manufacturing change to the Chinese built and imported FF1 now, and i believe the SUV brand in the similar design. I had previous the aussie made one and it was heavier than this one due to full steel construction welded together and as in 1 piece main body and fridge/storage sat on a chassis and powder coated. the ecomate is painted steel main body joined together with the chrome side strips with aluminium fridge box separated from the main body and bolted up underneath, on the chassis and the draw bar bolted to the back part of the chassis. The FF1s now come into the country with the main body and fridge compartment and the draw bar separate, to be bolted on later with the suspension and wheels attached. I saw this when i took our 1st modcon to modcon for a service before we went to the cape last year, and the FF1s on pallets in the back of their workshop. Either way they are a great camper, Built to Modcons design and not just a re branded generic wich as far as i see 90% of all other campers are. we did Uluru trip a month ago, via camerons corner, streslecki track oodnattta to coober pedy and the merinee loop. my mates camper had mulitiple issues on the trip being just over a year old, and ours never had an issue. Albeit i did replace shocks for some efs ones before leaving but nothing else replaced.

[Palmer]

I hadn't even considered the modcon, looks like I've got a lot of searching and researching to do.

[tryagain]

I hadn't even considered the modcon, looks like I've got a lot of searching and researching to do.

I'd say probably out of your price range, put into gumtree what your price range is and go from there, no point spending time looking at stuff that is just going to end up out of your price range at the end of the day.

[Palmer]

I'd say probably out of your price range, put into gumtree what your price range is and go from there, no point spending time looking at stuff that is just going to end up out of your price range at the end of the day.

Yeah, I'm going with what I can afford, so I can get back out there, rather than saving and waiting for too long for a better thing

[Bird]

Theres a few soft floors in forsale section for around 3000.. maybe one of them as a temp fix until you save up for what you want..  and this way you get out there..

[glenm64]

Theres a few soft floors in forsale section for around 3000.. maybe one of them as a temp fix until you save up for what you want..  and this way you get out there..

I reckon you should seriously consider this.
Another advantage is it will also give you the time and experience to see what you really want and need in your set up.
Ive found that what you start out thinking you want, and what actually works for you are 2 different things.

[Traveller]

Ive found that what you start out thinking you want, and what actually works for you are 2 different things.

I think Glen's suggestion is spot on. The wife and I travelled with another couple who had three different campers while we still had our tent. It was good to see what worked on their trailers and what didn't. It worked so well for us in that we purchased our first camper about 16 years ago (with advice from the other couple) and we still have it. It is a rear fold and we love it to pieces and have travelled a lot of Oz with it.

My advice would be to determine if you think you will do more base camping as opposed to moving along after a night or two. This will decide if you get a camper that unpacks and packs up quickly and easily. Obviously if you are moving a lot the effort in packing up is a BIG factor. We recently travelled with a couple that have a two year old FF camper that looks quite flash but is a heavy jigger to pack up. The couple aren't the fittest around and have decided to sell it as the wife is having real issues with the packing. She is very impressed with the unit apart from that, but can't cope.

Don't forget that there are a lot of campers out there to hire these days, and would be a good way of test 'driving' it before you buy, and you get a fun weekend away as well.

[noel_w]

My advice would be to determine if you think you will do more base camping as opposed to moving along after a night or two. This will decide if you get a camper that unpacks and packs up quickly and easily. Obviously if you are moving a lot the effort in packing up is a BIG factor. We recently travelled with a couple that have a two year old FF camper that looks quite flash but is a heavy jigger to pack up. The couple aren't the fittest around and have decided to sell it as the wife is having real issues with the packing. She is very impressed with the unit apart from that, but can't cope.

Don't forget that there are a lot of campers out there to hire these days, and would be a good way of test 'driving' it before you buy, and you get a fun weekend away as well.

Interesting you say that the FF is hard to pack up. The whole reason I moved from a soft floor Trackabout was I couldn't pack it up myself. My new (to me) Modcon FF is a dream to pack up. Literally 30 seconds by myself.

[Traveller]

Interesting you say that the FF is hard to pack up. The whole reason I moved from a soft floor Trackabout was I couldn't pack it up myself. My new (to me) Modcon FF is a dream to pack up. Literally 30 seconds by myself.

I agree, I didn't believe it would be that difficult either, certainly no harder than a rear fold. They originally had a Kimberley Kamper but they thought that the room in the FF was a better idea, so they went for it. They really do like it but packing it up knocks the stuffing out of the wife particularly. I think it is an Eagle trailer (?), and we had to leave for home about the time they started to complain about it, as I would have gone across and given them a hand and then could have seen what the drama was.

[Palmer]

I'm looking at getting back into the camper trailer world.

Previously had a 2015 Jayco Swan OB, which was set up nicely for us and went around Australia, including Cape York, Gulf, Lorella Springs, Gibb River Road etc. plus plenty of places around Tassie  ...

I'm interested in a hard floor camper with slide out kitchen and fridge box setup, plus a possible boat rack... ...below $10K (looking second hand) and would like to get back to Cape York and OTT etc.

I really enjoyed our ttravels with the OB Swan, I know I want the slide out kitchen, fridge box and boat rack with a big comfy bed, but don't want to be pulling bed ends out and want to be able to take it a little further of the beaten track than a Jayco.

[Palmer]

Plus, after travelling with friends with soft floors, I've learnt a bit about what they like/dislike in their rigs.
They do like the large room for family  in their softs, something I'm not overly interested in, but wish for the easier setup / pack up of the hards.

[tk421]

I've got a 2002 softfloor rearfold - takes 5-10 minutes to set up, and I can do it myself (unless we put the awning up which adds about 5-10mins - it adds 8 poles and guy ropes). Its pullout, 6 pegs, and tighten two wing nuts on the arms, and its done.  We just leave the annex attached and fold it over the roof if not using. Its really only a 2 person van but the kids are in swags these days.  The annexe is only a roof with one side wall. Might not work for Tassie in the winter but it did us in NSW. Even better now we are in FNQ.  The longest part is putting all the chairs etc back in.

We bought it along on the 2015 PP GTG in Tassie, not sure if you'll remember it?

I looked at the FF's which were new on the market back then, and they didn't really appeal. And their weight just seems nuts - mine is 800kg Tare. And they seemed to have less space. All the ones then had a lounge area which we wouldn't use. We are outside all the time when camping. We only sleep and get changed inside.

[Palmer]

I've got a 2002 softfloor rearfold - takes 5-10 minutes to set up, and I can do it myself (unless we put the awning up which adds about 5-10mins - it adds 8 poles and guy ropes). Its pullout, 6 pegs, and tighten two wing nuts on the arms, and its done.  We just leave the annex attached and fold it over the roof if not using. Its really only a 2 person van but the kids are in swags these days.  The annexe is only a roof with one side wall. Might not work for Tassie in the winter but it did us in NSW. Even better now we are in FNQ.  The longest part is putting all the chairs etc back in.

We bought it along on the 2015 PP GTG in Tassie, not sure if you'll remember it?

I looked at the FF's which were new on the market back then, and they didn't really appeal. And their weight just seems nuts - mine is 800kg Tare. And they seemed to have less space. All the ones then had a lounge area which we wouldn't use. We are outside all the time when camping. We only sleep and get changed inside.

Even though I had written off the idea of soft floor, you have got me re-thinking this.

[Bird]

I think most soft floors are quick to put up - MOST - some of the imports seem to have more poles than Poland.. There used to be a vid on my brands site, 1 minute to setup tent - once trailer was unhitched and legs down, travel cover unzipped. Which wouldnt be far from right.

Its all the other bullShit that takes the time.. soft or hard floor.
Some are poorly setup some are better thought out.

If mine could grow 4 walls and a roof with air con on it, I'd be happier.