| We 4WD explorers need mobile homes that fit somewhere between snail’s shells and six metre caravans. Camper trailers and pop-tops can fit that niche and are made in many permutations. Most are based on a trailer fitted with some sort of folding shelter. They may unfold upward, sideways, to the rear or from both ends. Some have a solid floor, roof or walls, while many are simply a tent on a trailer. Oztrail lists a collection of the latter in a variety of configurations and prices. Two models are available in NZ - Camper 6 and Camper 12. Both are purpose built tents attached to a standard trailer and unfold concertina-like. Camper 6, the smaller version, uses a 1.8m x 1.2m trailer on 14 inch wheels. The Camper 12 is similar but based on a 2.1m x 1.5m trailer with higher sides and larger wheels. With the tent packed the trailer “hold” can be accessed via the tailgate. The tent stores as a rectangular pack above the trailer, with a footprint roughly the same size as the trailer and about 20 cm deep, protected by a PVC road cover. The conversion from flat pack to liveable tent takes a few minutes and two people. It can be done by one person but is easier and faster with two. A reasonably flat site is needed for the tent to erect accurately. Firstly the trailer is unhitched onto its jockey wheel, the twin rear legs wound down and the trailer levelled using those three items. The road cover is released and rolled forward. The tent is then visible concertinaed like the convertible roof of a sports car though with a floor at the top. With a person at front and rear the floor is pulled sideways to the left of the trailer. Then the roof bows are swung over until the floor lays flat with the tent flopped above it. The floor is stabilised with corner pegs then the internal bows are extended from inside to expand the tent. They telescope with locking clamps. Once fully erect a bow that opened across the doorway is unclipped and rotated to a floor position to continue its support while allowing unobstructed access. That’s about it. The floor pegs may need to be slightly readjusted at this point to square up the shape then some more pegs installed. Guy ropes may be needed if it’s likely to be windy. The bed would now now be visible. Each camper has a full size foam mattress with removable cover. We took a Camper 6 (C6) to the South Island’s West Coast in the middle of winter. Skifields were open and there were frozen waterfalls and huge icicles through Arthurs Pass. The sky was blue, clear and windless. We stayed that night at a cute camp ground at Rapahoe near Greymouth. This was our first attempt at opening the camper. It was not difficult and took well under an hour to work out and be fully pitched with bed made, tables, chairs, cooking gear, lights ready. Time for a walk on the shingle beach 10 metres away before the sun faded. C6 was quite homely and, considering the time of year, quite cosy with the cooker and Tilley lamp going. All windows have insect mesh with internally zipped canvas flaps and the bigger ones have outside flaps also. There was a cold adiabatic wind sliding down from the snow this particular evening that lowered the temperature rapidly when the sun dropped into the Pacific but we were cosy and slept well under a duvet and blankets. The morning had a hard frost and there was ice on the beach stones down to the high tide mark. The tent had a heavy coating also with some on the inside of the canvas. Extreme camping! Breakfast in the sun though. Packing up was a reversal of the pitch, everything folded well and quickly and the road cover slid over nicely. Off to Greymouth for supplies and coffee then lunch by the Grey River mouth. Off south to Hokitika, inland to Lake Kaniere, lots of ice on the road. Paradise at the lake. Sky clear and still again, lake like a mirror. Found a level spot to unfold the C6 above the lake. Warm for a midwinter day. This time we attached the awning that zips to the roofline across the rear above the door and doubles the roofed area. A jigsaw of coded steel poles but easy to suss. A fully enclosed sunroom for this is available. We commandeered a picnic table as no-one else was about and it fitted perfectly under our roof. I decided that we’d cook outside to reduce the amount of LPG generated water vapour in the tent. It worked, there was an even heavier frost that night yet less condensation inside next morning. At minus six degrees any tent with people or cooking inside will suffer condensation so it’s not avoidable! In fact I’d suggest that the Oztrail’s top quality canvas would offer better insulation than many tents in such conditions. Watching the sun go down below the bush line with its oranges, yellows and reds reflected in the still water through silhouettes of Beech and Rimu was bliss. So we stayed an extra night. The camper towed as if it was hardly there. I could feel it on the climbs but it’s not heavy, its corners could be seen in the door mirrors, and the inside mirror looked right over it. A few weeks later I took a Camper 12 for a one night test. I’d been waiting for a break in the weather as I don’t mind camping if it’s cold, still and frosty, but hate it when it’s cold, windy and raining. My partner couldn’t come on such short notice so I had some reservations about being able to erect the tent on my own as it’s bigger than the C6. |
However it was not an issue. Took my time, had to do it in smaller steps but it was fully erected in about 20 minutes, first attempt. I was quite surprised at its size, this tent is twice the width and deeper and has more windows, flaps and doors so is also heavier.
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