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Camper trailer/ pop up caravan, do you have 1?


BKK

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Just wondering about camper trailers. The Jayco pop top ones where you pull them up and out with the beds at either end.


Do you have 1? Do you like and use yours? Are they hard to put up? What car do you use to tow it?


Looking a prices new and old, they seem to be experiencing a COVID price increase.

Edited by BKK
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  • BKK

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Marypoppins

We do. Takes bit of time to set up. Less than tent camping though. Thing that drives me nuts is there isn't enough storage for clothrs etc. We have had purs 10 years and have had alot of fun in it but looking to get caravan now and yes thr covid increase is crazy. Alot of manufacturers have long wait times. Jayco i think was 12 months!

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justanothermum

Yes we have one it’s great & we use it frequently, takes DH about 15mins to set up by himself. We have a hilux to tow but use ours frequently it’s got a gas kitchen inside, heater, heated beds, shower toilet, hot water system & space for a 4 wheeler on the front so it has suited us well


We’re just about to sell ours as we’re going to upgrade to a caravan and yes everything has a Covid price increase as people are unable to get anything new at the moment so second hand are selling like hot cakes.

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We have a camper trailer, but a different style to the one mentioned in the OP. It flips over to the side if you know what I mean. It's big (bought when we still had 4 kids at home) and takes about half an hour to set up. We have used it quite a bit over the years, but not recently. This style and size is a bit of work to set up. My plan is to sell and go a bit smaller now that it is really just the two of us - I don't want a caravan but am keen on a hybrid camper. We currently tow ours with a Hilux but have used both a Patrol and Landcruiser too.

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Lizzard breath

We have a not so fancy camper trailer similar to Karleeegg above that flips over. It is the same size as a 6x4 trailer and only slightly heavier.


We use it quite frequently and it takes roughly 1/2 hour to put up / pack away with the annex attachment.


We use our v6 Santa Fe to tow, but have also towed it with our RAV4, although that did struggle a bit going up hills.


Edited to add: ours takes a bit longer to set up, as I’m a short arse and can’t reach a lot to help DH, so he has to do most of it himself. Thankfully DS1 is not taller than me, so can help with the set up.

Edited by Lizzard breath
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We have a camper trailer so not a jayco caravan. Ours takes 5 mins to set up, about 15 if we want to put the annex on. We tow with a Toyota kluger but had to put electronic brakes on (needed to tow over certain weight). Have towed with a 4x4 and you notice the difference in ease.

We love ours, and use it regularly, usually 2 bigger trips a year and 1 or 2 weekends a month.

Well worth the investment IMO.

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Kiwi Bicycle

Have you looked into renting one? 1) To see if you like it and 2) to get past the " Covid hard to get one" time.3) don't have to try and store it, pay insurance on it etc.

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LemonMyrtle

Do you mean like this? Cause I’ve always called that a pop-up caravan. Maybe add that to your topic title.

https://www.jayco.com.au/range/camper-trailers/swan-camper-trailer?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_LCgy8aT8AIVeNOWCh3N0Q4AEAAYASAAEgI8YPD_BwE


A camper trailer is more like this

https://galvanisedtrailers.com.au/camper-trailers/

Or this

https://terratrek.com.au/



I don’t have either but I have heard good things about jayco swans and eagles. A guy at work went around Australia with an eagle I think.

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LemonMyrtle

And yeah, last year, when covid stopped international travel, caravans became impossible to find, new or old. I am struggling to even buy a normal trailer. Second hand they are selling for brand new prices. So watch out, don’t get ripped off.


And anything new will have long delays because imported parts and materials are experiencing shortages and delays.

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We don’t but we’d really like one! We use a tent at the moment but I’d like to upgrade and have a proper mattress. We’re watching prices at the moment, there’s plenty of fold out canvas style ones for 4-6k.

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The primary reason for wanting one is to be able to take my asd son camping which he loved doing with his father (whom disappears for months without contact).


My son is now 12 and constantly asks to go to a caravan park. He loves it there.


I only have a small Holden trax which would mean that I’d be looking at the very smallest camper trailer/ pop up caravan. Tar of the trax is about 750kg.


I just went to look at a jayco swan for sale around the corner. 2010 model and it’s just too big. $19,990 😮


I would like to find a jayco swift for under $10k but their well above that.


Anything reasonable in price or size seems to be snapped up.

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You can pay for an awful lot of park cabins with that sort of money!


Third hand info, we did a three day tour in the Kimberley last week with someone whose parents are in the caravan ?manufacturing industry, and their biggest problem in providing new vans at the moment is the fit out gear coming from overseas, presumably China. Doesn’t seem like the right time to buy, to me.

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justanothermum

The primary reason for wanting one is to be able to take my asd son camping which he loved doing with his father (whom disappears for months without contact).


My son is now 12 and constantly asks to go to a caravan park. He loves it there.


I only have a small Holden trax which would mean that I’d be looking at the very smallest camper trailer/ pop up caravan. Tar of the trax is about 750kg.


I just went to look at a jayco swan for sale around the corner. 2010 model and it’s just too big. $19,990 😮


I would like to find a jayco swift for under $10k but their well above that.


Anything reasonable in price or size seems to be snapped up.

 

What state are you in OP I know of one for private sale for your price range, it’s advertised out on the road I drive past frequently. Happy to get a number of we’re in the same state

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LemonMyrtle

Would you consider a tent? Some are very easy to put up. And then you only need a standard trailer, or, with just the two of you and the back seats down, it may all squish on your car if you keep it simple.

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The primary reason for wanting one is to be able to take my asd son camping which he loved doing with his father (whom disappears for months without contact).


My son is now 12 and constantly asks to go to a caravan park. He loves it there.


I only have a small Holden trax which would mean that I’d be looking at the very smallest camper trailer/ pop up caravan. Tar of the trax is about 750kg.


I just went to look at a jayco swan for sale around the corner. 2010 model and it’s just too big. $19,990 😮


I would like to find a jayco swift for under $10k but their well above that.


Anything reasonable in price or size seems to be snapped up.

 

What state are you in OP I know of one for private sale for your price range, it’s advertised out on the road I drive past frequently. Happy to get a number of we’re in the same state

 

We are in Victoria 👍🏻

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We have a jayco swan and two sons aged 10 and 12 both on the spectrum so I love love love having a little house rather than mucking around with tents. Also one of my sons has low muscle tone and it is warmer up in the air compared with on the ground. That said we still have very good quality sleeping bags and stuff.


The boys like it looking the same inside each camping trip for familiarity. Also we looked a lot at camper trailers but a lot seemed more suited to couples.


We tow with a ranger and our swan is an outback so higher off the ground and checker plate bottom etc for 4wd tracks.


Setting up is a bit funny because DH is very fastidious and doesn’t really like me helping with set up or pack up. In a way it is a win if I want to sit and read but doesn’t really sit well with me overall.


Downsides are the storage and insurance costs. I wish we used it more.

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Thanks everyone for your replies. I am thinking that we have a couple of trips away already planned and it might just be best to wait until prices stabilise. Let’s face it they can’t get too much higher than they currently are.

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I’ve looked into campers and caravans over the years but am happy with our tent set up.


What sort of travelling do you want to do with it? How long do you want it to last for - will kids have grown up and moved on? Does it need to go off road or just on bitumen and powered sites? How long are your trips? Does it offer enough storage?


We go off road so need something that can handle rough terrain. Most caravans can’t cope with that so we are limited to camper trailers.


We are also not the best at packing up neatly and efficiently. I get gear envy when looking at other people’s set ups but when watching friends pack up their camper trailer, all the jealousy disappears. Everything has to be in the right place for the camper to fold correctly. We’ve helped them in the pack up phase on more than one occasion because we were all done and waiting around. It’s much easier to pack down and just chuck stuff in a trailer. Things don’t have to be precise.


I just read the updates (I’m slow today), and if it’s just the two or three of you, maybe a tent could be the way to go. An air tent is quick and easy to set up AND pull down, and can fit in the back of the car. Still room for the eskies and keep the kitchen set up simple. Your DS’s father can use a swag when he’s with you.


We use the Dune 4WD mats to sleep on and don’t find them cold even though we are low to the ground. I prefer to use use regular sheets and doonas rather than a sleeping bag so I’m more comfortable in my tent than many motels or cabins.


If your son likes the caravan parks, you have access to power and amenities so you have less ‘stuff’ you need to pack.

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With the limitations of the towing vehicle have a look at the Cub camper trailers. Their weekender model is very light and might meet your needs. Hopefully it is ok to include a link to their web site but if not mods please feel free to remove the link. https://cubcampers.com.au/range/2-2m-series/weekender


My ASD child loves camping as they know they are sleeping with the same bedding ect every night just in different locations. It works better than dealing with a strange bed ect.

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