Anyone that has owned a Kimberley Kamper or Adrenaline

K

karma11

Observer
Hey all, Ive been looking at different options for my daughter and I. My dream trailer would be Kimberley but they are pretty pricey, Adrenaline campers also look pretty nice and cheaper. My question to anyone that has owned one for any length of time is, does the canvas / tent material develop mold? has anyone owned one up in the northwest? I was also looking at regular tent trailers and pop up campers but have hear they develop mold here in the northwest. one would think that after a trip that you would bring it home and set it up to dry out properly. but obviously im not sure who does what.

what really sells me on the Kimberley is the massive pull out kitchen and fridge. not to mention the huge awnings that can be put up maybe have a small wood stove in there also. forgot to mention that my #1 main requirement is a regular type bed, after breaking 6 vertebrae, air mattresses don't cut it any more.

Thank you in advance hopefully some of you can ease my fears.

Karma
 
K

karma11

Observer
Titanpat, i just read that thread last night, and its unfortunate about the defects in the KK but Ive always believed that every manufacturer makes a lemon once in a while. be it trailers, cars, trucks etc. the Karavan is way out of my price range but i might be able to swing a Kamper, and i believe in Kimberley, also their website states that the canvas is mildew free, due to the weave and impregnation of oil. also the design of the peak roof also helps with air circulation. what the thread doesn't answer is if anyone has experienced mildew problems here in the NW with either the Kimberley or Adrenalin trailers.

p.s. i love your trailer build, Ive read through your thread several times.
 
Titanpat57

Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
Thank you for the compliment.

Brad (Tuscon4r)also has a great KK...I'm not sure if he had many problems...but I think his experiences are good. I also had a friend that bought an Adrenaline Camper here in the NE...and he had a few customer service issues initially... but I'm pretty sure they were resolved.

Good luck on your search.
 
K

karma11

Observer
Titanpat, yeah Ive talked to Brad along time ago, and at that time had nothing but good to say about the KK. i think that after seeing his is where i fell in love with them, they have everything i could want. cept for maybe a 6ft blonde with big........... uh oops. Adrenaline is a fairly new company? 5ish yrs old? im not sure on that, just what Ive seen. i would love to hear from some owners about them. what they would change or wish they had, or things they didn't need etc. i just re-read your thread on ih8mud and apparently got caught up a bit, i didn't realize you bought the command tent. seeing that the weather here in NW is probably pretty similar to the NE have you had a issues with mildew or anything on the tent? i get concerned with big tents / canvas getting put away just slightly wet and not being able to dry out. but Ive also seen where tents are brought home and dried* out for awhile then stored for 6 months to come out with some mildew. i guess i just want to prevent any problems before they even start. that tent looks big enough to throw a couple of cots in. how long does it take you alone to put up? i didn't see or missed if you previously wrote that.

Thank you!
 
S

Skennedy

Adventurer
I'm also interested in this,would love to hear some feedback from Adrenaline owners......there must be a few owners on here that could give us some of the pros and cons.
 
Titanpat57

Titanpat57

Expedition Leader
karma11 said:
Titanpat, yeah Ive talked to Brad along time ago, and at that time had nothing but good to say about the KK. i think that after seeing his is where i fell in love with them, they have everything i could want. cept for maybe a 6ft blonde with big........... uh oops. Adrenaline is a fairly new company? 5ish yrs old? im not sure on that, just what Ive seen. i would love to hear from some owners about them. what they would change or wish they had, or things they didn't need etc. i just re-read your thread on ih8mud and apparently got caught up a bit, i didn't realize you bought the command tent. seeing that the weather here in NW is probably pretty similar to the NE have you had a issues with mildew or anything on the tent? i get concerned with big tents / canvas getting put away just slightly wet and not being able to dry out. but Ive also seen where tents are brought home and dried* out for awhile then stored for 6 months to come out with some mildew. i guess i just want to prevent any problems before they even start. that tent looks big enough to throw a couple of cots in. how long does it take you alone to put up? i didn't see or missed if you previously wrote that.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

I started out with an ARB RTT and annex...it just got to be a drag climbing up and down after a couple of beers....plus that high in the air opened up other challenges setting it up and down.

The Command Post Tent is the 8th wonder of the world. It's manufactured by Camel, cost me about $1200 shipped. It is made to withstand some pretty serious weather and wind if installed properly. It is NOT fun to erect alone (I'm too old and fat for it to be fun) but certainly doable. It takes about 45 mins. to erect. I have a pretty good system now after doing it about 8 times. If it was wet (it's made from some sort of synthetic material) and you wiped it down, or once you got it home and dried it out, I would think it would last forever with a little care. It's 11' x 11' , and weighs about 275# all pieces combined....and I think would easily hold 2 cots and gear. I got into a habit of hanging stuff on the aluminum tube tent frame to free up floor space. When I attended the Coal Mine Cruiser Classic this summer, I actually set up a shower/toilet area, which was beyond handy. Getting up and taking a hot shower was da bomb. I used a plastic drip pan from McMaster Carr as a shower base. The campground I stayed at had electric water and sewer, so I really got spoiled.

The best part was the cold weather camping was a wood stove in there...a very nice place to be. If you don't mind the weight and hassle of taking it up and down, I'd highly recommend one. (it also has great headroom for that 6' blonde with big.....uh opps.. ; )

here's an inside shot...

and a 82nd shoutout!
 
K

karma11

Observer
Im pretty sold on the KK, but the Adrenaline is such a good looking alternative that i would be pretty stupid to overlook them. i would like to hear from any owners out there about the pros and cons.

Hoser: thanks for the info, and you are right about being mildew resistant, but anything helps. im pretty anal when it comes to taking care of things. i figure buy once and should last a very long time. heck things are expensive enough now, and im pretty poor, hehe

Titanpat,
your set up is flat awesome, the tent did look quite thick and able to withstand most anything! heck if i was going to go that way id look into one of the new inflatable tents that the army uses, i don't know the name of them, they didn't have them when i was in, just the good ole smelly canvas and poles that took alot of people along time to set up. one of the things that really got me about the KK was the ability to have a wood stove such as yourself.
your going to have to do some winter camping and post the reports! also anything that you might do different.

Take care
Andrew
 
Last edited:
Rumpig

Rumpig

Adventurer
i'll start by saying i'm in Australia so don't know what is included in a KK you might get in your country, but i'd assume they are much the same
i own a Kimberley Kamper and have done so now for a touch over 3 years, to date we have had no issues with mould on our canvas. i will say however, we do not live in a high rain fall or high humidty area, and on the odd occasion i have had to pack the camper up wet, we have gotten it out the next weekend and allowed it to dry properly before putting it back away in the shed it resides in.
The 2 main downsides / cons to our camper trailer IMHO would be.....
#1:- it's drawbar weight...they really are a heavy camper overall and the down weight on the towball is very heavy on them. I've never measured what the down weight actually is, but i know it's right up there.
#2:- overall lenght of the camper is quite long....they are one of the longest camper trailers overall in length on the market that i know of (in Australia atleast), and the fact they are rear fold makes them longer again once opened. Depending on the tracks you plan to drive the length may be an issue, but then again it may not.


Upsides / Pros...
you mentioned your back and the bed...i will say the bed in ours is super comfortable. I have a mate with a KK also and he has mentioned how comfortable he thinks the matress is in his camper aswell, so i'm not alone in thinking that.
we have a Webasto diesel heater in our camper aswell as hot water system, only takes about 5 minutes to have hot water pumping out through the kitchen tap for washing up duties and the heater is fantastic for helping keep the winter chills at bay. We've camped quite a few times at zero degrees and likely a touch cooler in our KK, i wouldn't say it gets hot inside the camper once temps drop to zero degrees with all the canvas that allows the heat to escape, but it certainly isn't cold either, the heater basically keeps the chill factor away. Our heater points to the rear of the camper, so the kids sleeping on the hard floor get alot more warmth then we do at the other end of the trailer up on the bed (if i really wanted to i could make a duct of some description to redirect the air).
the biggest pro with our camper is set up and pack up time for overnight stops, they really are quick and easy to set up and able to be done by one person (though it is much easier and quicker when 2 people pack it up together). we don't own a full annex though, we only have the quik awning on our camper and i'm talking about setting the main section of the camper up not a full annex.
 
Romer

Romer

Adventurer
I have a Kimberley Kamper and have never experienced mold or condensation inside the tent. Mine is a 2002 model and the tent material still looks new. In fact the entire setup looks newish as they build things to last in Australia. Only item I have is a stain on top of the canopy that was there when I bought it

My setup is documented here and I have made some upgrades. I went with the propane heater so I wouldn't have to carry another kind of fuel (Diesel)

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ocks-Camper-Kimberley-Kamper?highlight=Kamper
 
K

karma11

Observer
Rumpig, thanks for all of the great info!

Romer, just read your thread about the KK. every time i see one i get all excited. im glad to hear you haven't had any problems.

today i went through KK's website with a fine tooth comb again, (drooling the whole time) and got their new price list. pricey pricey. but i think worth it. has anyone looked into the rigid hull inflatables that they have? Ive thought about those for along time, and some of the lakes that i used to camp at ( haven't camped since accident 7 yrs ago) had some pretty big fish in them, but really needed a boat to get out on. the boats don't seem too expensive for what they are. easy to load etc.

Still no word from anyone on the the Adrenaline campers. hmm i sure hope a few owners chime in here.

Thank you all!
 
24HOURSOFNEVADA

24HOURSOFNEVADA

Expedition Leader
I've owned a KK. Out of the three trailers I've owned (Tentrax, AT Chaser & KK) it was hands down the best for me and my family. I bought it from the original owner that lived in both the coastal south Orange County, CA. and for a short time in MN. before I brought it to NV. I never experienced any mold or condensation with the KK.

I wish I could say that my current Four Wheel Camper has been condensation free.
 
K

karma11

Observer
Thank you 24Hours. I'm still wondering where are all the adrenaline owners are hiding, hehe. oh well, i guess with some proper care and ventilation most things should* be OK for the mildew problem.

As always still drooling over a KK and a Tacoma.
Andrew

p.s. would anyone recommend going over to Australia to take a factory tour and talk to them face to face on specifying out the build, and importing one? would it make it easier and with better understanding on what your getting? also takeing a mini vacation over there, i think that they offer new owners the ability to take one out for the night or two, but im not totally sure on that. its been on my short lists of places to visit.
 
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