Trailers For Sale

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Looking for a Generator For Sale to go with your New Camper Trailer? Head on over to www.generatorsforsale.net.au

Buying a Camper Trailer

The enjoyment and safety of a trip can depend on a perfectly matched rig. The quality of the chassis, in both materials and construction, is critical to the longevity of your trailer's life.

The primary concern is to have an extremely robust trailer whilst keeping an eye on the weight. Also be aware that the use of zincseal or zincannel in trailers means there is less rusting and therefore longer life than can be achieved by paint alone.

A robust, heavy duty offroad trailer should have a longer draw bar than a general purpose trailer for better reversing control, and negotiation of offroad terrain. In fact a chassis will be stronger if the drawbar actually runs back and is welded to the spring hangers.

You will find that some trailer manufacturers actually have construction standards that conform to the Australian Design Rules (ADR) and Australian Standards (AS). Some companies might even offer a lifetime warranty. Such an offer is certainly an indication that the manufacturer places a high priority on the quality of their trailers.

Offroad Rated
For offroad use in Australian conditions you must ensure the trailer springs are of offroad quality, rated with high tensile 5/8" u-bolts with fine threads and extra long nuts. They should be longer than what would be used in a general purpose trailer and provide better wheel travel.

Tailgate and Doors
Anything that opens or shuts on your trailer has to be dust and waterproof or you're in for a terrible mess when you go to setup camp. Anyone who has ever towed a camper trailer before will already understand this. To the novice, it is critical that you look for excellent seals on trailers doors to avoid any dust or liquid getting in.

Protection from Dust
Bulldust is everywhere in Australia and you really want to keep it out of your sleeping gear. Look for an automotive style rubber seal and ideally, adjustable sealing locks to allow tighter sealing. Doors also need to be lockable to avoid them opening on the trip.

Tyres and Rims
For the smoothest ride choose a trailer with similar sized tyres to your car. You also want the ride height of the trailer to be level with the car so if the trailer does have smaller wheels you want the height to be offset.

Although they are not driving wheels, your trailer tyres are also a storage option for spares for the vehicle, so ensure they are all the same profile, width and running on the same rims if possible.

There is also an advantage if your trailer can run in the same grooves paved by your vehicle tyres in heavy-going 4WD situations, such as sand, mud, ruts etc.

Canvas
Your canvas needs to be waterproof and ideally mildew-proof as well. As a minimum, the roof and over-trailer canvas needs to be heavy-duty for good waterproofing. Lighter canvas can be used in walls to make erection easier. If choosing a soft-floor camper, check the quality of the material used for the floor. Is it waterproof? It should not be canvas. A PVC bucket floor is ideal.

Look for strong/long lasting flymesh as some will perish with continuous folding and UV exposure. Ask if a spares kit is included for minor repairs. For extra protection you should always prepare your canvas before travelling. Setup your camper, run a wax stick along both sides of the seams and then fully wet the canvas with the hose. Allow to dry fully and then pack away. It's worth doing this once a year, or before each big trip as a preventative measure.

Awnings
An awning is an essential addition to your camp to sit under, cook under and to provide shade, shelter and an extended "living" space. You can add end walls for sun/wind/privacy protection or go for a fully enclosed annexe with 4 walls.

Overall, keep in mind that the more canvas sections and poles, the longer to setup/pack away your camp. The ideal scenario is to be able to setup a basic camp is around 10 - 15 minutes. This way, if you end up travelling for months you'll still be enjoying yourself, rather than finding it a chore.

Bedding
The whole point of bothering to tow a camper trailer is the ease and comfort factor of having a place to sleep. Do not be tempted to skimp on the size of your mattress. If you opt for basic foam, you can cheaply replace it when it becomes saggy but the outlay on a proper sprung mattress will out-way the cost difference with longevity. Most "off the shelf" trailers will only accommodate a foam mattress so check if the travel cover is deep enough for an inner spring mattress.

Towing
To safely tow a trailer behind a 4WD in off-road conditions it is vital to use a coupling that enables almost full 360 degree turning. Snatch points at the back of the camper trailer can be quite handy in case it gets in a sticky situation. These points can be utilised when using a snatch strap & bridle for rear pulling.

Camper Protection
All vehicles flick up stones (even on bitumen). When a vehicle is pulling a trailer, these stones often hit the trailer, damaging both the front of the trailer and often rebounding back to break the vehicle's rear windows.

A stone deflector on a trailer is usually made up of a frame and some sort of velocity-deadening fabric (often shadecloth) that is angled towards the ground. When a stone is kicked up from the vehicle's wheels, it should deflect the stone before it hits the trailer. All standard campers should include an awning, jockey wheel, mattress, stoneguard and water tank.

Kitchen
Camper Trailer Kitchens can be either a Slide Out Kitchen or a Swing Out Kitchen.
Slide Out:

• More expensive (compared to 'swing-out' kitchens)
• Large bench and storage area
• Takes up a lot of space inside the camper trailer
• Bearing slides may wear in time and/or fail especially over rough ground
• Some designs need extra muscle to drag out of the trailer

Swing Out:

• Light and compact
• Usually quite affordable
• Small storage area and bench space
• Doesn't take up much floor space inside the camper trailer
• Easy to move into position

Water Tank
Don't put all your water in the one storage tank. Split your carrying capacity across at least 2 vessels, one in the vehicle and one on the trailer (especially since vehicles and trailers are often separated). Aim for 45 - 60L in the trailer. Remember, 1L of water = 1Kg of weight.

12 Volt Power
A battery box wired through the car that gets charged during travel is ideal for running 12 volt appliances (lights, fridge etc) whilst the car is stopped. Consider the placement of sockets and the length of leads.

Electric Brakes
Not mandatory if the gross weight of the trailer fully loaded is less than 750kg but can be very useful especially if brakes are of the type that can be manually as well as automatically applied. Around $500 extra.