Kamparoo durability?
- Thread starter Roktoys84
- Start date
ExpoMike
Well-known member
Well, I will give you my perspective, since we have owned ours for a little over a year. First, there is no room for a fridge/cooler. That would need to be held on top or in the tow rig. If it's the model I recall seeing for sale in Utah, it is a Weekender model, like ours. It has under bed storage for items no taller then 7" and a "well" in the back area under the bed, which if the false floor is removed, could hold items up to about 14" tall. This area is not accessable without the unit being opened up. The main area under the bed can be access from a door on the drivers side. We keep a container made for under bed storage for wrapping paper. It is the right size and holds all of our cooking gear (outside of the stove). The access door on the pass. side slides out and has a sink and some storage, which we put our Coleman camp stove in. Overall the unit has some good storage but it has it's limitations on hight but we keep most things that stay on the trailer loaded all the time (cook gear, PETT toilet and enclosure, stove, etc.) and keep our food and fridge/cooler in the Cherokee.
As for offroad durablilty, it's not a unit to go rock crawling with. It wasn't designed that way (like the AT trailers). Don't let that fool you, it will follow our Cherokee without issues on any 3 rated trails (out of 5). We have taken it on the Mojave Road, El Camino Del Diablo and our unit was used in the Overland Journal trailer testing they did last year (I think it's the fall edition). With the way our Cherokee is setup, basically any place I would take the Cherokee, I could get the Kamparoo. As with ANY trailer, your drive style has to completely change and you have to think not only about where the rig is going but 12-15 feet behind it.
Here's a couple pics of ours
Not a picture of our trailer but we walked right up this climb on the Mojave Road trip. This pic gives you an idea of the hill.
Any questions, feel free to ask. BTW, my wife LOVES our Kamparoo and will not go for any RTT setup, so it really limited what we could buy. If we were to do it again, we would buy a Kamparoo in a heartbeat.
As for offroad durablilty, it's not a unit to go rock crawling with. It wasn't designed that way (like the AT trailers). Don't let that fool you, it will follow our Cherokee without issues on any 3 rated trails (out of 5). We have taken it on the Mojave Road, El Camino Del Diablo and our unit was used in the Overland Journal trailer testing they did last year (I think it's the fall edition). With the way our Cherokee is setup, basically any place I would take the Cherokee, I could get the Kamparoo. As with ANY trailer, your drive style has to completely change and you have to think not only about where the rig is going but 12-15 feet behind it.
Here's a couple pics of ours
Not a picture of our trailer but we walked right up this climb on the Mojave Road trip. This pic gives you an idea of the hill.
Any questions, feel free to ask. BTW, my wife LOVES our Kamparoo and will not go for any RTT setup, so it really limited what we could buy. If we were to do it again, we would buy a Kamparoo in a heartbeat.
Roktoys84
Adventurer
I'm not looking for something to tow on trails like Golden Spike. I'd like something that will hold up exploring places like the White Rim trail and San Rafael Swell region.
My Jeep is lifted 7" on 37" tires so a RTT is out of the question. Other than your fridge and food is there any gear that has to ride in the Jeep?
ExpoMike
Well-known member
The wife and I both have duffle bags which we put our clothes in, which ride in the Jeep. Other then that, most everything else is stored in the trailer. Things like folding chairs and table, we strap to the rack on top of the trailer.
As for where it will go, the areas you are talking about, I would have no issues with going. Things like Golden Spike, Rubicon and such are not for this but your typical high clearance/4x4 trails in most park/perserve areas are no problem. It tows great, being so lightweight. I think loaded up we are about 1400 lbs. The Cherokee doesn't even know it's back there and we regularly cruise at 65-70mph (Cherokee is happiest there). Average 17-19mpg towing.
Here is the kitchen slide out. I can put that stove in the storage area inside the slide out. I did make removeable feet for the stove, since the ones that came with the stove made this unit about 1" too tall. Some of the other stoves out there would not has this issue as they are thinner.
Don't have any great pics from inside but this is the bed area. It's a queen size area.
Bad pic of the floor area. It's really hard to get good pics of the inside.
Here we are setup at ECDD. We have found we put the PETT toilet inside so if nature calls (especially for the wife) in the middle of the night, we don't have to get out of the trailer to use it.
Anything else, feel free to ask. BTW, the $3000 price (IIRC) of that Utah unit is half what we paid but even with what we paid, I would do it again.
As for where it will go, the areas you are talking about, I would have no issues with going. Things like Golden Spike, Rubicon and such are not for this but your typical high clearance/4x4 trails in most park/perserve areas are no problem. It tows great, being so lightweight. I think loaded up we are about 1400 lbs. The Cherokee doesn't even know it's back there and we regularly cruise at 65-70mph (Cherokee is happiest there). Average 17-19mpg towing.
Here is the kitchen slide out. I can put that stove in the storage area inside the slide out. I did make removeable feet for the stove, since the ones that came with the stove made this unit about 1" too tall. Some of the other stoves out there would not has this issue as they are thinner.
Don't have any great pics from inside but this is the bed area. It's a queen size area.
Bad pic of the floor area. It's really hard to get good pics of the inside.
Here we are setup at ECDD. We have found we put the PETT toilet inside so if nature calls (especially for the wife) in the middle of the night, we don't have to get out of the trailer to use it.
Anything else, feel free to ask. BTW, the $3000 price (IIRC) of that Utah unit is half what we paid but even with what we paid, I would do it again.
ckkone
Explorer
Here are a bunch of pictures of mine:
Kamparoo
A little about the size, there is enough room on the bed for two adults, or one adult and two small kids. On the floor there is enough room for two sleeping bag cots or a queen sized air mattress. I have a family of four, what works best for us is wife and kids on the main bed and me on a sleeping bag cot. This way there is still room on the floor for a heater, toilet and duffel bags.
My two favorite things about the trailer are it takes less then 5 minutes to setup and I can stand up inside and change my clothes.
I paid a little bit more for mine, I don't see how you could go wrong even if the seller doesn't budge on the price.
Kamparoo
A little about the size, there is enough room on the bed for two adults, or one adult and two small kids. On the floor there is enough room for two sleeping bag cots or a queen sized air mattress. I have a family of four, what works best for us is wife and kids on the main bed and me on a sleeping bag cot. This way there is still room on the floor for a heater, toilet and duffel bags.
My two favorite things about the trailer are it takes less then 5 minutes to setup and I can stand up inside and change my clothes.
I paid a little bit more for mine, I don't see how you could go wrong even if the seller doesn't budge on the price.
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Roktoys84
Adventurer
Thanks for the pictures guys. I would've gone to look at it today it we weren't under a winter storm warning. 
The lawn was turning green and I was wearing flip flops on Friday and now we have around 16" of snow since last night.
So what trails could you pull these through? Class 4 maybe on this scale? Or is that asking to much?
The lawn was turning green and I was wearing flip flops on Friday and now we have around 16" of snow since last night. So what trails could you pull these through? Class 4 maybe on this scale? Or is that asking to much?
ckkone
Explorer
You would be okay with rated 4 trails and maybe even some 5 rated if you get a Lock N Roll, but really in Moab most of the trails are day trails so you would be better off setting up the trailer and leaving it behind. Why take the extra risk of dragging your trailer over Hells Revenge or even Fins and Things, not worth it IMHO.
Roktoys84
Adventurer
Good to know. :sombrero:
I have a 2002 Kamparoo TC Weekender as well. I agree with what's been said above and here're the trails I've pulled it through w/o issues: Beef basin, Elephant Hill, Cottonwood canyon, Death Valley Saline valley road, Lippincott mine road, Ubehebee (spell) road and various fire roads.
It tows great at 90 mph on the hwy as well as 65 mph on the Saline Valley washboard road. Considering it has no shocks, it's surprising how well it behaves. The tires that came with it is 30x9.50 15s and I air them down to 12 psi for a good ride off the road.
As with any vehicle, you personalize it by adding your unique touches and this one is no exception. There's room for a Engel on the tongue, look at mine and you'll get an idea of the available room. The factory tool box was too small for my needs so in went a wooden chuck box, large plastic storage box and a cage for jerry cans. I like having my Engel with me so when we leave the Roo at camp, food is always available for lunches and snacks.
As delivered:
As it sits now:
I've added interior and exterior lights, Espar cab heater, ShurFlo water pump, etc so your imagination is the limit!
We have a toddler and she sleeps in a full size cot while we have the queen mattress. This works out quite well as the luggage end up under the cot and you end up having a nice size area to stand in.
When the baby was little, we placed her Pack N Play in the place of the cot
My unit came with a Treg hitch coupler and it's awesome. This summer my plan is to add two Toyota spare tire winches underneath for a full size 35" spare tire and a trailer spare.
Links to more pics
I think you'll be pleased. Best of luck with your purchase.
It tows great at 90 mph on the hwy as well as 65 mph on the Saline Valley washboard road. Considering it has no shocks, it's surprising how well it behaves. The tires that came with it is 30x9.50 15s and I air them down to 12 psi for a good ride off the road.
As with any vehicle, you personalize it by adding your unique touches and this one is no exception. There's room for a Engel on the tongue, look at mine and you'll get an idea of the available room. The factory tool box was too small for my needs so in went a wooden chuck box, large plastic storage box and a cage for jerry cans. I like having my Engel with me so when we leave the Roo at camp, food is always available for lunches and snacks.
As delivered:
As it sits now:
I've added interior and exterior lights, Espar cab heater, ShurFlo water pump, etc so your imagination is the limit!
We have a toddler and she sleeps in a full size cot while we have the queen mattress. This works out quite well as the luggage end up under the cot and you end up having a nice size area to stand in.
When the baby was little, we placed her Pack N Play in the place of the cot
My unit came with a Treg hitch coupler and it's awesome. This summer my plan is to add two Toyota spare tire winches underneath for a full size 35" spare tire and a trailer spare.
Links to more pics
I think you'll be pleased. Best of luck with your purchase.
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