We have had small towed pop tops both canvas and hard roofed for many years, (great fun) and then purchased an Avan Off Roader that they experimented with some years ago and used it for about 6 years. (Hated it, too big and combersome off road) I then had an old VW Kombi well set up that we took around Australia and up and down the east coast several times for 5 years (loved it but unreliable) but after being restricted to mainly made roads decided it was time to get something that was four wheel drive and revisit a lot of areas that we wanted to explore more and at the same time get away from a bigger rig. After a lot of research I decided I would purchase a slide on. As a trial and an interim, have purchased a second hand Matilda Slide On (Gross wt 800kg) with remote electric legs and top lift and am using it around Queensland before heading back south later in the year. I have it fitted on my Ford RTV with upgraded leaf springs and airbags.
I was going to buy a new Active slide on but this came up after I sold my Kombi whilst in Brisbane much faster than I had expected and the wait for an Active unit is nearly six months and we were left homeless so to speak!!. Advertised my VW Kombi thinking it would take several months, sold it in two hours, what was I thinking!!
First impressions of the Matilda Weekender slide on is that it is fantastic but I do need to upgrade the old Ford to a new 4x4 Ute, I would like to get a Cab Plus type ute but if necessary will go with just a single cab but need to do some more research on what is out there and the length from Cab to rear axle as C of G is fairly critical that it be at or forward of the rear axle. Extra leaf springs and air bags I consider essential so will arrange for those before delivery.
Looking forward to some more around Australia trips in the coming years.
Garry
-- Edited by GarryM on Sunday 28th of June 2015 07:18:45 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Sunday 28th of June 2015 08:56:20 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Sunday 28th of June 2015 08:57:04 PM
Hi Garry and welcome to the GN forum just a side note for consideration if you find a vehicle you like but the rear axel is not far enough back you can get the chassis extended had a quote to do my patrol cab chassis for around $5,000 just be aware that it will increase the turning circle also.
Woody
GarryM said
03:38 PM Jun 29, 2015
Thanks Woody for comment.
When I get back home in August, I am going to make a list of the essencial and desirable items I want in the Ute and take it to each supplier and see which one comes close. I suspect I am going to end up with a one off, not a cheap option but will get what is needed and also wanted. I suspect chassis extension will be one option. Any enquiries so far have brought responses such as we dont have that in the cab/chassis model but can do it as aftermarket", like leather seats and integrated rear camera. Some have suggested buying the better speced tub model, taking off the tub and replacing it with a tray.
Something else I am finding is difficulty in getting measurements from Cab rear to rear axle centre for different make and models so that I can calculate centre of gravity position and thus rear and front spring load and rear axle loads. If the dealer does not have one at the dealership, they have not got that detail readily available and like all good car sellers, they tell you what you want to hear but not nessarily what is reality.
getting data is a slow process.
Garry
jetj said
09:59 PM Jun 29, 2015
Hi Gary,
I'm looking for a slide on, very interested in seeing what you decide. I didn't want to go heavier than about 600kgs for a smaller single cab ute. Your slide on looks great.
grahos said
09:04 PM Jul 1, 2015
The overhang from rear axle cannot be anymore than 1/3 of the distance between the front and rear centre of axles, eg.if distance between front and rear axles is say 9' Nine feet then overhang can be 3' Three Feet past the centre of rear axle.
-- Edited by grahos on Wednesday 1st of July 2015 09:05:56 PM
GarryM said
08:53 AM Jul 2, 2015
Graeme,
An interesting statement and quite possibly true. I am no expert on weight distribution and what you say sounds like a handy quick reference but will come apart if a lot of weight is in the tail end. I believe this in turn could give you uncontrollable sway factor.
I have been told that Centre of Gravity and where that sits in relation to the rear axle must be known. This will decide where the slide on can sit, as distinct from should sit. Some downward weight distribution to the front axles is very desirable if you are not wanting a lifting motion occuring on that axle. A similar factor comes into play in towing a caravan and the ball weight is critical as not only is it just keeping the van sitting on the ball but it is giving lifting motion to the front axle through changing the C of G of the towing vehicle rearward. In a slide-ons case that front axle lifting motion should never be greater than the same lifting motion of the vehicles allowable ball weight. The most desirable outcome would be some weight distribution on the front axle
The upper over hang of the slide on is the difficult bit to calculate the effect of C of G movement. A simple way to find the C of G would be to get a largeish bit of gal pipe and sit the slide-on on it, moving it until you find out the balance point then mark the side of the van with its C of G at that point. You can then pinpoint its G oc G on any tray assuming that the carry vehicle can carry the all up weight.
I am sure there are some engineers on the site that may care to comment on center of mass and momentum
From what I could gleen from the VicRoads website rear overhang cannot exceed 60% of the distance between front and rear axels,
That's the load or trey or in your case the pop top you have, obviously where you put the load weight inside the pop top is crucial to loading the ute correctly your hand book should tell you what weight you are allowed on the front axel and the rear axel and also the gross weight that your ute can carry that is gross vehicle weight, not gross combination weight as this is what you can tow.
Might I suggest you weigh it front and rear seperatly once you have it fitted, from those numbers you can work out how much and where you can put your load inside the pop top, you could do this without it fitted if you know the weight and balance point of your pop top.
Woody
GarryM said
04:16 PM Jul 2, 2015
Ahhaa, Thanks For clarifying Woody and for the info Graeme. Now I get what the statement was about, what overhang you can legally have and not weight distribution. Is that overhang from the centre of the rear axle or from the end of your tray?
Just one more little item in the complexity of setting up a slide-on camper that I will need to take into account when I purchase the new long term carry vehicle in the next couple of months.
Tks
Garry
Woody n Sue said
06:31 PM Jul 2, 2015
Overhang is measured from the Center of the rear axel
Allany said
12:54 PM Jul 6, 2015
Garry
Be careful using airbags on a leaf spring chassis
Can be a recipe for a cracked or bent chassis
Get good advice
Allan
GarryM said
03:58 PM Jul 6, 2015
What I have been told and have done in the Ford is to put in a Heavy Duty underleaf spring in addition to the airbag. What I have noticed before putting in the leaf spring was that the springs bottomed out and the air bag was carrying the weight and thus concentrating it on the chassis rail at the top of the airbag. With the extra HD spring leaf the springs are still taking a lot of the weight and the airbags are used only for some weight carrying and levelling.
Not sure if this is ok but I am buying a new Cab Chassis before the end of the year and have to do some more research on this very thing as a couple of people have mentioned it as a risk on standard leaf springs with air bags.
GarryM said
06:46 PM Jul 22, 2015
Have now been running with the unit on the back of our old Ford RTV for over a month now and done about 1000km up and down between the Sunshine Coast and up to Hervey Bay and back down to Byron with out any problens with an extra HD leaf in the springs, 50psi in the air bags and on recommendation from Goodyear, uped the tires on the rear of the ute to 60psi and it runs and tracks well and sits very comfortably on 90kph.
Anyone thinking of getting a Slide on, I can only highly recomment that extra leaf spring and air bags is the way to go but do some through research on GVM to make sure you stay on the right side of the recommendations for the vehicle.
Garry
A happy camper.
-- Edited by GarryM on Wednesday 22nd of July 2015 06:46:49 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Wednesday 22nd of July 2015 06:47:43 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Wednesday 22nd of July 2015 06:48:35 PM
We have had small towed pop tops both canvas and hard roofed for many years, (great fun) and then purchased an Avan Off Roader that they experimented with some years ago and used it for about 6 years. (Hated it, too big and combersome off road) I then had an old VW Kombi well set up that we took around Australia and up and down the east coast several times for 5 years (loved it but unreliable) but after being restricted to mainly made roads decided it was time to get something that was four wheel drive and revisit a lot of areas that we wanted to explore more and at the same time get away from a bigger rig. After a lot of research I decided I would purchase a slide on. As a trial and an interim, have purchased a second hand Matilda Slide On (Gross wt 800kg) with remote electric legs and top lift and am using it around Queensland before heading back south later in the year. I have it fitted on my Ford RTV with upgraded leaf springs and airbags.
I was going to buy a new Active slide on but this came up after I sold my Kombi whilst in Brisbane much faster than I had expected and the wait for an Active unit is nearly six months and we were left homeless so to speak!!. Advertised my VW Kombi thinking it would take several months, sold it in two hours, what was I thinking!!
First impressions of the Matilda Weekender slide on is that it is fantastic but I do need to upgrade the old Ford to a new 4x4 Ute, I would like to get a Cab Plus type ute but if necessary will go with just a single cab but need to do some more research on what is out there and the length from Cab to rear axle as C of G is fairly critical that it be at or forward of the rear axle. Extra leaf springs and air bags I consider essential so will arrange for those before delivery.
Looking forward to some more around Australia trips in the coming years.
Garry
-- Edited by GarryM on Sunday 28th of June 2015 07:18:45 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Sunday 28th of June 2015 08:56:20 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Sunday 28th of June 2015 08:57:04 PM
Woody
When I get back home in August, I am going to make a list of the essencial and desirable items I want in the Ute and take it to each supplier and see which one comes close. I suspect I am going to end up with a one off, not a cheap option but will get what is needed and also wanted. I suspect chassis extension will be one option. Any enquiries so far have brought responses such as we dont have that in the cab/chassis model but can do it as aftermarket", like leather seats and integrated rear camera. Some have suggested buying the better speced tub model, taking off the tub and replacing it with a tray.
Something else I am finding is difficulty in getting measurements from Cab rear to rear axle centre for different make and models so that I can calculate centre of gravity position and thus rear and front spring load and rear axle loads. If the dealer does not have one at the dealership, they have not got that detail readily available and like all good car sellers, they tell you what you want to hear but not nessarily what is reality.
getting data is a slow process.
Garry
Hi Gary,
I'm looking for a slide on, very interested in seeing what you decide. I didn't want to go heavier than about 600kgs for a smaller single cab ute. Your slide on looks great.
The overhang from rear axle cannot be anymore than 1/3 of the distance between the front and rear centre of axles,
eg.if distance between front and rear axles is say 9' Nine feet then overhang can be 3' Three Feet past the centre of rear axle.
-- Edited by grahos on Wednesday 1st of July 2015 09:05:56 PM
An interesting statement and quite possibly true. I am no expert on weight distribution and what you say sounds like a handy quick reference but will come apart if a lot of weight is in the tail end. I believe this in turn could give you uncontrollable sway factor.
I have been told that Centre of Gravity and where that sits in relation to the rear axle must be known. This will decide where the slide on can sit, as distinct from should sit. Some downward weight distribution to the front axles is very desirable if you are not wanting a lifting motion occuring on that axle. A similar factor comes into play in towing a caravan and the ball weight is critical as not only is it just keeping the van sitting on the ball but it is giving lifting motion to the front axle through changing the C of G of the towing vehicle rearward. In a slide-ons case that front axle lifting motion should never be greater than the same lifting motion of the vehicles allowable ball weight. The most desirable outcome would be some weight distribution on the front axle
The upper over hang of the slide on is the difficult bit to calculate the effect of C of G movement. A simple way to find the C of G would be to get a largeish bit of gal pipe and sit the slide-on on it, moving it until you find out the balance point then mark the side of the van with its C of G at that point. You can then pinpoint its G oc G on any tray assuming that the carry vehicle can carry the all up weight.
I am sure there are some engineers on the site that may care to comment on center of mass and momentum

That's the load or trey or in your case the pop top you have, obviously where you put the load weight inside the pop top is crucial to loading the ute correctly your hand book should tell you what weight you are allowed on the front axel and the rear axel and also the gross weight that your ute can carry that is gross vehicle weight, not gross combination weight as this is what you can tow.
Might I suggest you weigh it front and rear seperatly once you have it fitted, from those numbers you can work out how much and where you can put your load inside the pop top, you could do this without it fitted if you know the weight and balance point of your pop top.
Woody
Just one more little item in the complexity of setting up a slide-on camper that I will need to take into account when I purchase the new long term carry vehicle in the next couple of months.
Tks
Garry
Be careful using airbags on a leaf spring chassis
Can be a recipe for a cracked or bent chassis
Get good advice
Allan
What I have been told and have done in the Ford is to put in a Heavy Duty underleaf spring in addition to the airbag. What I have noticed before putting in the leaf spring was that the springs bottomed out and the air bag was carrying the weight and thus concentrating it on the chassis rail at the top of the airbag. With the extra HD spring leaf the springs are still taking a lot of the weight and the airbags are used only for some weight carrying and levelling.
Not sure if this is ok but I am buying a new Cab Chassis before the end of the year and have to do some more research on this very thing as a couple of people have mentioned it as a risk on standard leaf springs with air bags.
Have now been running with the unit on the back of our old Ford RTV for over a month now and done about 1000km up and down between the Sunshine Coast and up to Hervey Bay and back down to Byron with out any problens with an extra HD leaf in the springs, 50psi in the air bags and on recommendation from Goodyear, uped the tires on the rear of the ute to 60psi and it runs and tracks well and sits very comfortably on 90kph.
Anyone thinking of getting a Slide on, I can only highly recomment that extra leaf spring and air bags is the way to go but do some through research on GVM to make sure you stay on the right side of the recommendations for the vehicle.
Garry
A happy camper.
-- Edited by GarryM on Wednesday 22nd of July 2015 06:46:49 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Wednesday 22nd of July 2015 06:47:43 PM
-- Edited by GarryM on Wednesday 22nd of July 2015 06:48:35 PM