Australian Trailer Envy

Martyn

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
I know many of us look at the Australian made trailers and marvel over the choice of manufacturers and design. I wonder if the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

I thought I'd share an e mail I got from OZ so you can see that the grass may be greener on both sides of the fence:

"Hi there. You guys should be selling your expedition trailers over here in australia. I dont know if the shipping costs would prohibit it but Im sure you could find a manafacturer over here. In australia the camper trailer industry is booming, buy any of the camper trailer magazines and youll see dozens and dozens of ads for what is essentially the same thing. A tent on a trailer. Obviously they all differ slightly, some have fold out hard floors, some have hotwater systems, some have ( I kid you not ) over 50 sq metres under canvas with rooms that just keep getting adding on. Im guessing they are for people with very large families who are staying put for a while when they camp. I counted over 25 tie down ropes on one tent setup once.

The only reason I'm emailling you now is that I was looking around for ideas for our project trailer at home. Which is essentially a box trailer ( I think you call them a chuck box ) with a steel and aluminium frame on top with a roof top tent on top of that. We are building it ourselves though. I just did an image search in google and your trailers caught my eye. They look fantastic and would be well suited to travelling in australia because as you know we are quite a large island and the distances are great. Most road trips to say cape york or the interior deserts are a series of overnight stops which require quick and easy setups. Most australian camper trailers are not quick and easy to setup and packdown despite what they say, they also have a large footprint when the whole tent is setup.

Basically what Im saying is your trailers look hardcore and I honestly think there is a market for them here in australia. They are very different to whats on the market here.

Take it easy

regards

Not the first e mail we have had from Australia, but it sums up what others have said.
 

MC4X4

Observer
I have been contemplating on buying one of your trailers for a long time, there just isn't anything here like it. Small and highly capable offroad.
Our market is getting flooded by Chinese imports. You can bow buy a hard floor camper for about $6000 on ebay, But I dont think you would want to take one of these across the Simpson.
With the way the Australian dollar is going it is making your trailers a lot more attractive, not to mention the JK Habitat.
Like the email said, its the shipping costs that make it unattractive, not your trailers.
So keep up the good work
cheers Mark
 

loren85022

Explorer
Martin, as I study the Aussie trailers, they seem to be designed either for larger families and or longer stays. Once deployed, I'd sure want enjoy for a few nights. The state-built trailers seem to be more suited for less people, and to be set up rapidly. Perhaps the sutle difference between camping and overlanding?

Have you ever studied how your trailers get used?
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
Your trailers are cool, Martyn, and I'm a fan.

But the Glamper has so many fine choices in Oz...

:drool: Dare I dream?

awning%20-%20small%20jpg.jpg
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
Your trailers are cool, Martyn, and I'm a fan.

But the Glamper has so many fine choices in Oz...

:drool: Dare I dream?

awning%20-%20small%20jpg.jpg

Yeah, that would be perfect for me and how I camp...... anybody want to trad one for a Jumping Jack camper...lol
 

The Adam Blaster

Expedition Leader
Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but don't many of those Aussie trailers (that would accomodate a family of ~ 4) usually cost around 70-80 grand?
I know they seem to be built very well and likely last an owner a good number of years, but at that price a bit tough to get yourself into...
 

lowenbrau

Explorer
I find the most fascinating theme of this 'sport' ( and I mean the 'sport' of planning and scheming and surfing the internet while I should be working) is finding the balance between all the tradeoffs.

Quality vs Economy
Comfort vs compact size
Features vs easy of setup
Custom vs over-the-counter
Home built vs dealership
New vs used

If a person had an unlimited budget and didn't want to leave pavement a Prevost bus conversion might be the answer.

If a person had a small budget and wanted to camp at Rubicon Springs, a rusty M416 would be good.

Most of us are trying to figure you where we fit between the extremes. I'm somewhat surprised at how many people are moving away from the RTT and getting into trailers. Also people are getting out of small trailers and into larger ones. I think that folks are finding that mobility isn't the most important consideration.

This thread strikes a chord with me because I'm expanding my trailer and I'm looking at those Australian 'tent cities' with a view to use it for a hunting camp in the fall/winter instead of an outfitter tent but still have quick setup and takedown times for the rest of the year.
 

spressomon

Expedition Leader
It would be nice to have a couple different trailers depending on the type of event. As above they all have some type of limitation whether it be comfort at the simple end (relative though ;)) or heavy and high priced with more limited travel destinations at the other...

I'll tell ya though: I love my KK Sports RV! Although it won't go down the likes of Hole in the Rock Trail I've taken it into some fairly rugged terrain. Having said that I would if $ and space allowed also have a <1500lb Kamparoo, like Ali has, for tougher/more challenging terrain. And above all: There are just times any trailer is more of a hassle than they're worth.
 

Overland Hadley

on a journey
Martin, as I study the Aussie trailers, they seem to be designed either for larger families and or longer stays. Once deployed, I'd sure want enjoy for a few nights. The state-built trailers seem to be more suited for less people, and to be set up rapidly. Perhaps the sutle difference between camping and overlanding?

Interesting point, it may have something to do with culture and the terrain that is being explored.

Personally, if I can not break camp in less than five minutes I start to feel trapped.
 

rockman

Adventurer
Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but don't many of those Aussie trailers (that would accomodate a family of ~ 4) usually cost around 70-80 grand?
I know they seem to be built very well and likely last an owner a good number of years, but at that price a bit tough to get yourself into...

They are a lot less then that for something that is good .

Cheers
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
also the South African trailers have a range and style almost unique to their country :)
really its a great choice I am more into camping with family
what I do love is my conqueror can do a quick setup in under 5 minutes or a longer one with more canvas and have lots of shade etc..

one day I would like to have a new frame suspension built for it :) and will hit up Martyn and crew in a few years if they would :)
best of both worlds I would say

to me family of 4 with a 2 and 6 year old and in 10 years my style will change I am sure again in 20 when they are out of the house and I am in my 60s :)
I do wish we had some OZ or SA choices here as I think it would make the market larger and actually would help companies like adventure trailers
I am sure like most of you when we go out and are around people everyone has to ask a lot about the trailer setups

I can see places like OZ and SA lacking what we have and the grass being greener ? funny how one country does not offer more expedition range ?

part of living abroad I notice is SA and OZ people tend to take longer holidays where Americans tend to take shorter ones so I do wonder if that plays into it ?


thanks for posting great letter for sure and if I had to pick a trailer when I was more single it would have been a AT for sure :)
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
Ya know... the Jumping Jack is really close ...lol
 

apsilon

Observer
there just isn't anything here like it.

I've never seen one of the Adventure Trailers first hand and while there may not be anything as small as the Chaser or anything like the Teardrop there are plenty of simpler trailers very similar to the Horizon, although generally just a little bigger which is what the market wants.

I spent 2 years looking at, I believe, every commerically produced camper trailer on the Australian market plus consider custom built before buying my Tvan. IMO the Conquerer UEV-330 is a similar concept and there's a company in VIC IIRC called Bulloak (can't find their web site ATM) which has several models which are very similar. They're just two that I can recall right now, there's several more.

I'm not saying AT couldn't find a market here as I believe they could, but anyone who thinks there's not similar products already here haven't looked hard enough. Too many people just go to the big camping shows and see the array of fold out box trailers with the tent on top and think that's pretty much all there is. There's actually a huge array of designs and ideas around, many just aren't marketed well so people aren't aware of them.
 

MC4X4

Observer
The UEV-330 is a great trailer, I like the 360 more. I know there is alot of great trailers here, but there is nothing simple with great suspension here for a good price, Unless you can get your hands on a Track Tactical trailer, which i have been looking for.
 

rockman

Adventurer
The UEV-330 is a great trailer, I like the 360 more. I know there is alot of great trailers here, but there is nothing simple with great suspension here for a good price, Unless you can get your hands on a Track Tactical trailer, which i have been looking for.
Have a look on campertrailer.org ,there was one on there forsale .

Cheers
 

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