Australian camper trailers

[WanderinWhitlows]

Anyone else crunching the numbers on these now that the Australian dollar looks to be dropping again? Our last trip we rented a Kimberley Kamper and "Household 6" absolutely fell in love with it. We drug it without issue up to Cape York and the tow vehicle - Toyota Prado SUV - never had an issue with it behind. We opted to skip setting up all the additional canvas on ours as others in our group had their own so we congregated under theirs but it really can become massive if you take the time to put everything out.

I've looked at a few American made trailers and there are some really nice ones that are setup for on and off-road use but the price differences are Phenomenal. The people we bought our FlipPac shell from make a couple of amazing trailers but they are really small by comparison. I can say that they are amazingly rugged little trailers but I have to stress the "little" as they are very small which is great for smaller vehicles and seriously technical trails with switchbacks and other obstacles along the way.

Please tell me that I'm not crazy for seriously considering this every time I see a favorable exchange rate on the business page.

[ppine]

Re: Australian camper trailers

Wander,
I have seen some really amazing outdoor trailers made in Australia. They tend to be simple with huge tarps for shade. Their designs are good. There is nothing like them in the US.

[WanderinWhitlows]

Re: Australian camper trailers

You aren't kidding, the innovation is definitely there and it is frustrating to see so many great trailers and not have access to them here in the North American market. I did find one manufacturer in Colorado that makes a trailer similar to the Kimberley but the desirable features just simply aren't there. If I was younger and wanted less out of a trailer I would definitely jump on it as the price and construction lead to an obviously great value.

[Bigdog57]

Re: Australian camper trailers

American trailer campers are generally too caught up by the glitzy gadgets for comfort, and tend to overlook the really useful features some foreign designs have. So it would be a tiny market segment, and the companies don't figure they'd sell enough to turn a profit. One reason why a lot of 'small trailer' folks often build their own.

[farout]

Re: Australian camper trailers

I JUST WENT TO THE KIMBERELYKAMPER WEB SITE. tHIS POPUP IS RUGGED! For only $ 35,000. their money. I have no idea what it would be here if it got here. This Kimberely is for anywhere, and disc brakes, diesel heater, stove, and 5 year warranty to boot, wow.

[WanderinWhitlows]

Re: Australian camper trailers

We have been watching the Australian dollar for some time now so we can place our deposit when the exchange rate favors us but I think my waiting may have cost me allot more in the end as now my wife has been reading the emails that the Kimberly folks send out as well as studying the options lists and keeps indicating that she wants this or that added. I don't mind too many of the additions as this will be our base camp trailer and we intend to keep it for some time.

And for those that are interested the current exchange rate is 1.00 AUD = 0.933181 USD

[MacGyver]

Re: Australian camper trailers

$35,000 AU is $32844 US right now. The Kimberley's may be rugged, but I seriously can't see spending that much money for a popup. You could go to Craigslist and buy 10 used popups in excellent condition for that kind of money.

[Bigdog57]

Re: Australian camper trailers

Not to mention shipping charges! Factor into the cost another couple grand for that. :-(
It's far more cost effective to design your own with those features you want, and have a good metal fabricator shop build it here. And you could tailor it to exactly what you want, while saving a lot of wampum.

[farout]

Re: Australian camper trailers

If I were to spend $ 32 grand on a travil trailer, I think I would look at rebuilding a older motor home and make it rough and able to do things I want, not a home inside. My wife and I are more rugged, we built our house and are pretty much independant on our likes and dislikes. We do things that fit us not, cookie cutter mass produced things. However, there are things we like just like it comes.

[WanderinWhitlows]

Re: Australian camper trailers

Our intent would be to take delivery at the plant and take it with us back up to Cape York in Queensland before having it cleaned up, any additional amenities or options added, and then delivered to our home.

As to the economy of it all I recognize the issues that have been brought up but I come from the "buy the right one and cry once" school of thought. I'd rather not try to second guess my patched up second-hand trailer and find out that it gave up the ghost somewhere in South America simply due to my demanding more of it than it was ever designed to do. Our plans dictate that we will spend allot of time on roads that quite frankly, don't qualify as roads here in the States.

The other contender right now is also an Australian designed and manufactured trailer that we haven't had any personal experience with yet but hope to in February when we get back.

[farout]

Re: Australian camper trailers

Oh, I did'nt know you were headed to South America. I have been to Bolivia. I spent time in LaPaz and Lake Titi Caca. In Sept 1983 and 1986. Even in the summer there, it's cold in the higher places. The roads were almost trails, and the vehicles there were a death trap for public transportation. There were robbers and bandit's in isolated places, gasoline stations were often a place that had gas in 50 gal drums, and when you pumped the gas a pair of panty hose was used as a strainer for garbage in the fuel. I experienced a general strikethere, and was help with about 40 other people at gun point at the air port in Santa Cruze for about 3 hours. The military dumped all our baggage on the tarmak as they went in and allover the plane. We got over it, but it was an experience I will never forget. It was well worth it. I went with a Southern Baptist Group that went as a mission to help in a major evangelistic ralley in LaPaz. Inflation was 8,000% and you pais for your meals in advance as every 30 minuets the price changed, and US dollars were what they wanted, and gave great exchange rates for.

Where are you going in South America? PS the water is a killer!

[WanderinWhitlows]

Re: Australian camper trailers

We intend to get down to Tierra del Fuego and then back up through Alaska and across to Nova Scotia. Many stops are planned to see and enjoy different places as well as different family friends along the way. If we can stand spending any more time together then after a rest and refit we will sort out the viability of traveling the African continent.

[farout]

Re: Australian camper trailers

Wow! Brave couple indeed. How long do you expect it will take to take this journey?

[ppine]

Re: Australian camper trailers

farout,
I have traveled in Peru and Bolivia with no trouble. But I avoided places like Santa Cruz described by the US State Dept as being potentially dangerous. The Andes are not all that cold. I loved the culture there. Most Americans are afraid to go.

[tplife]

Re: Australian camper trailers

It's nowhere near the same situation today as when Farout was there, that was during the Sendero Luminoso years, and much more frightening goings-on than he lets on. I owned a home in '89 in Lima in Calle Lince and was about a block from two terrorist bombings, they feel like they're in your pocket when they're that close. My next-door neighbor was a hoot, a retired U-Boat captain. The terrorists regularly blew up some of the distribution towers, we were always rationing electricity. They were out and about shooting and killing, and you couldn't pick them out of the crowd, very scary. Inflation was only 2000% then, but I had a blast and why not I had plenty of family there if you know what I mean. For once in my life I knew what it was like to be rich, what it was like to truly be alive, and it was a place you hated to leave. The US looked like a dead ghost town in comparison when I came back, but I didn't have to boil my tap water anymore, LOL. View from my balcony in Lince: