Camping Trailers
Which one is right for you?
There are so many camper / camping trailers available these days, it is difficult to actually define what a camping trailer is. Essentially, they are compact trailers designed to open, fold out or wind up (or any combination of these) to provide a comfortable camping space.Camper trailers range from a very basic box trailer with fold out tents and basic cooking facilities all the way to rugged off road campers that will go anywhere and still provide you with outstanding comfort levels.
Not surprisingly, purchase prices vary greatly. You can buy new camping trailers for around the $8,000 mark, and go all the way up to $60,000 for one that is for serious off road work and has all the bells and whistles you could ask for. With dozens of manufacturers in Australia, and each having many designs, the market for camping trailers is very competitive and as a result is extremely innovative. It is quite amazing to see the amount of clever designs and features available on modern camping trailers that are designed to make your camping a comfortable experience.
Advantages of Camping Trailers / Why buy a camper trailer?
- Small and compact yet with ALL the features available for comfortable camping.
- Lighter, cheaper (mostly) and easier to tow than a caravan. Most are designed to be small lightweight camping trailers.
- Easy to store at home when not in use.
- Easy to fit a tinny on top.
- You can take them almost anywhere! They will generally be able to go anywhere your car or 4WD will go.
- Cheaper than a caravan to purchase and register.
- Most cars can
tow a camper trailer.
You may not need to upgrade to a heavy 4WD as you do to tow large caravans.
Which Camping Trailer is the right one for you?
To work out which one is the best for you will, I am sorry to say, take a fair bit of work!! The first step is working out what you want your camper to do, and what you want to do with it. - Do you want to go off road with it?
- Will you be camping on an extended trip that will require many set ups and pack ups?
- Will you just be using the camper trailer for an annual 2 week family trip with only one set up?
- What features do you require? Full kitchen inside or outside, fridge on board, 12 volt light battery power etc,Solar, hard or canvas floor, water tanks, off road coupling of standard ball coupling are just some of the decisions you will need to make.
- How much do you have or want to spend?
- And lots more!
If you have specific needs (and who doesn't!?) then this will be a time consuming process, and one best approached as a hobby for a few months as you consider, research and inspect the range of options available to you.Approaching it in this relaxed, hobby kind of way, will make it an enjoyable process and one that will pay dividends as you will end up with the right camper trailer at the best price. A very useful forum can be found at www.campertrailers.org if you are seeking further information and discussion on which camping trailer will best suit your needs.
Limitations of a Camping Trailer
As with any camping set up, there are advantages and disadvantages with Camping Trailers. The trick is being aware of the pro's and con's and purchasing with them in mind. Some of the limitations are:- If going off road for and extended period, it is difficult to find enough room to store all of the groceries and supplies and water you will need, particularly for a whole family. This can be partly offset depending on the tow vehicle and its size.
- If doing long distance travelling, an overnight roadside stop is more difficult due to an increased set up time, depending of course on the model of camper trailer.
- You cannot stop for lunch or morning tea on the side of the road and use you camper as you can with a caravan. This is especially important if travelling with kids and in rainy or windy weather.
- Depending on how much area the camper trailer takes up when set up, you may be a bit limited in what bush site you can camp on. This is normally not a major issue, but some of our best campsites have been on uneven sloping sand dunes that simply would not have worked for a lot of camper trailers. Having an
off road caravan
made it easy, as I just buried one wheel of the caravan to level things up.
- Windy weather can make life more uncomfortable in a camper trailer than in a caravan. Anywhere near the coast, or in WA (Windy Again!) in spring you will generally get plenty of wind.
Conclusion
Taking the time to read, research and chat to people who have owned and used their camping trailer can be invaluable. Learn from them and apply their experience to your situation and the outcome should be a good one.
Click here to learn how hiring a camper trailer instead of buying new is a great money saving idea.
To drive your dollar further, be honest with yourself about your needs, and don't let all the wonderful features and the pressure of the salesperson bamboozle you into spending more than you need to. Our motto is simple - the more money you save, the more time you will have to travel Australia!
Consider saving money by Hiring a Camper Trailer
Tips on Towing a Camping Trailer
Campervan Hire - A cheap, easy and fun way to travel
Research Off Road Caravans
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