G'day all.
I just can't make up my mind, slide on's are top heavy cramped up mongrels.
And a van is too big and overpriced.
But l found a rig called the TIPOON, it's probably heavy to but has a lower center of gravity with solid walls and plenty of room.
I can't work out how to drop the link here but someone else with the knowhow might help me out and share it with everyone and so get an opinion on an engineering point of view.
This unit would more than likely fit on the tray of a Land cruiser with air bags
KJB said
09:14 AM Jun 15, 2020
The "ready to go " all up weight of Slide on campers is always at "loggerheads" with the available carrying capacity of the commonly available vehicles in Australia. It is not an impossible situation but you must expect to make sacrifices. The alternative is to choose from the massive range of used campers/caravans available with some great bargains to be had. ( I have a Land Cruiser 79 tray vehicle ,a small Fifth Wheeler , a Slide -on Camper and also a Canopy and Tent currently and have had a range of caravans , camper trailers and tents over the past 50 years)
Thanks Possum.
I'd like to know how they get it to expand, l want to make my own without all the fancy bits and a single bed.
I wonder if there's an engineer around that could help with it, there are some light weight sandwich panels that would be just the shot for a project like this.
Possum3 said
12:03 PM Jun 15, 2020
Very easy engineering if making it to fit a tray-top - Too much engineering to manufacture as a stand alone trailer.
Picture one box placed over a slightly smaller box ie. Telescopic main section. When top is up imagine another telescopic drawer set into each side wall of lower section. ie. Inside the drawer/s on either side is another inverted box. If you utilised a gland packing made from PTFE (Teflon braid) between sliding telescopic walls you will effect a seal on joints.
HunnyBunny said
01:46 PM Jun 30, 2020
I drive a F250 8.3 ltr turbo diesel with a full size, slide on with shower etc. The tray on my Effie is 13ftx8 ft, it is very roomy inside & sits solidly on the tray of my Truck. The upside of this set up is that I can tow my boat & once you arrive there is nothing much to do to set up. The downside is it's height, as long as there are no low branches or bridges it's not a problem. It is a little time consuming putting the camper on & off the tray. Otherwise I enjoy this set up, it suits me, although it wouldn't be any good for anyone with any problem climbing the steps to the camper. I have looked at a lot of slide on's & would agree most are like dog boxes inside, mine isn't. My camper weighs 900klg empty, so you would need a substantial vehicle to carry it once it's full.
-- Edited by HunnyBunny on Tuesday 30th of June 2020 01:49:00 PM
Peter_n_Margaret said
02:10 PM Jun 30, 2020
We owned a slide-on on an F350 4WD for 12 years.
A built motorhome is a better choice than a slide-on every time, by a big margin, even on exactly the same vehicle.
Cheers,
Peter
HunnyBunny said
06:02 PM Jul 5, 2020
My set up also gives me the opportunity to have a useful vehicle to use around my property when I'm not away. If it was a motor home it would just sit. I guess it's a case of "horses for courses"
-- Edited by HunnyBunny on Sunday 5th of July 2020 06:03:09 PM
grahos said
11:32 AM Jul 10, 2020
I have used a tent-a slide on and 2 different camper trailers and caravans,The end result is a used jayco 17 foot poptop van with combo toilet shower,
Suits our needs,no trouble if setting up in the rain or bad weather and cost 17K and is set up for bush camping.
Trailer Sailer said
07:52 PM Jan 22, 2021
Strange that Peter_and_Margaret should own a slide on for 12 years yet state that a motorhome is better every time. I am interested to know why they think this and if so why they didnt sell or swap to a motorhome.
I have had motorhomes both rear wheel drive and 6x6, caravans and campers yet I am just outfitting a slide on to do the lap. Its going on the back of an ISUZU NLS AWD truck so I can also tow my over 3 ton trailable yacht whilst still having a stand up shower and comfortable standing headroom in a vehicle to go inland exploring when not sailing. It should also make a handy long tray 2 ton Ute when not travelling even capable of carrying my little race car. I will reserve my further comments until after I have experienced this style of vehicle more fully but expect it will be a Jack of all trades and master of none like its owner..
Peter_n_Margaret said
08:58 PM Jan 22, 2021
Trailer Sailer wrote:
Strange that Peter_and_Margaret should own a slide on for 12 years yet state that a motorhome is better every time. I am interested to know why they think this and if so why they didnt sell or swap to a motorhome.
We did.
Even while we still owned it. We fixed it permanently to the vehicle. That meant the vehicle could now be registered and insured as a motorhome instead of a truck and that was much cheaper. It was too hard to get it on and off anyhow, so we had no need to carry the legs and it was now always ready to go at a moments notice, even if we went to friends for dinner and had one too many drinks, we could always spend the night without further planning or preparation.
It also meant that water tanks could be moved from above the floor to below the floor significantly improving stability and making more space available inside.
It was my daily driver. I drove it to work every day. When it came time to replace it, there was no question - it had to be a motorhome.
Cheers,
Peter
Trailer Sailer said
09:48 PM Jan 22, 2021
I already intend to fit water tanks below my flat alloy tray on the NLS and have happijac legs with remote control and quick release spring tie downs which should allow the camper to be removed relatively quickly given I have two cameras to line up the back in. I looked at the F350 Slide On combinations and they did look fairly huge and a bit cumbersome to take on and off. Conversely most of the one ton Ute Slide On combinations run close to their weight limits and could not then legally tow my nearly 3.5 ton yacht having well under 7000kg GCMs.
I definitely agree that many motorhomes would be far better than a slide on not easy to slide on and off or permanently mounted.
Trailer Sailer said
10:30 PM Jan 22, 2021
Hi Peter Now looking at your Avatar photo of that very capable looking 4x4 motorhome truck about 80cm deep in water I think you are a bit more serious about 4x4 motor-homing than I am planning! That much water and I am sailing my yacht or kayaking. :) That looks like a very capable rig whilst I am more interested in a reasonablely economical tow vehicle with a bit more living comfort than my yacht when off the water and also for travelling inland to walking and mountain biking areas. I figure if the going gets really rough we will leave the slide on behind and just drive the truck and then bike or backpack the really extreme stuff from there. As someone above said horses for courses but too early for me to comment on the capability of my chosen solution yet. I think a previous selectable 6x6 motorhome I owned may however have rivalled yours for capability even though that was around 35 years ago. :)
Trailer Sailer said
11:19 AM Feb 12, 2021
Hi All Well I have now picked up my slide on and done the first trip. To date it has been exactly as I anticipated and I can definitely recommend this solution over both a fixed motorhome and a caravan for those with similar objectives to my own. ( Extended travelling sometimes with large boat attached and at other times back in the work a day world ) Unlike Peter above and perhaps like Honey Bunny I appreciate the ability to unmount my camper relatively easily and just use the base truck for other purposes. I have owned a 575 KNAUS motorhome and caravans and a camper trailer previously so at least I am not speaking as a one trick pony. I think attention to detail in the mounting systems and relative sizes can overcome some of the loading and unloading issues. With a 4 step climb up to the floor level and another climb into the overcab queen sized bed it would not perhaps not suit the more mobility constrained amongst us. My fairly slight partner was however able to drive our small AWD truck for an extended distance on first outing, something impossible for her if we had gone with most other solutions. We also intend to walk, camp, kayak and cycle in areas impossible to get anything but the most capable offroad camper trailer into and will demount the slide on at a base camp location and just drive the AWD truck into these areas. Another big advantage was the ability to park just about anywhere (that didnt have a height constraint) like angled main street parking in country towns and just regular kerbside parking. Obviously not with boat in tow. LOL After careful review however I think most one ton utes are too small to carry a really comfortable slide on along with lots of gear and retain any further genuine towing capacity. Fold out slide on camper solutions are far more comfortable than most tents but share many features of these including the inability to just park up and see out the stormy night (or few days) in relative comfort. As to Thunders original comments about slide on being top heavy cramped up mongrels, whilst agreeing our package is exceptionally tall at just under 3.7 meters clearance to the aircond, I have not found it overly top heavy to drive when mounted on our tiny AWD truck with dual rear wheels and it does have an excessive 2 meters of headroom ( due to the high overcab clearance required ), a queen bed, shower/toilet, 3 seat dinette and kitchen and it really isnt that cramped. There are lots of negative comments on this forum about overweight caravans, towing issues and the like. Alternatively the really big US trucks more suitable for substantial slide ons are both expensive to buy and run and perhaps some are difficult to get parts for in remote areas versus the extensive Isuzu network. Our little car license AWD truck cost well under $60,000 brand new on road and can be found cheaper on occasions second-hand (they do seem to keep their value exceptionally well however). Combined with an often little used quality second-hand slide on or even new custom build it still works out as an effective package versus the cost of many similar alternatives I feel. Its perhaps not for those loving supreme comfort and extended stays in one place but it is a genuine alternative for those who like a constant change of scenery with a versatile range of uses.
-- Edited by Trailer Sailer on Friday 12th of February 2021 11:37:18 AM
Ordinary roof top campers are definitely affordable outbackreview.com.au/best-roof-top-tents-australia/
Picture one box placed over a slightly smaller box ie. Telescopic main section. When top is up imagine another telescopic drawer set into each side wall of lower section. ie. Inside the drawer/s on either side is another inverted box. If you utilised a gland packing made from PTFE (Teflon braid) between sliding telescopic walls you will effect a seal on joints.
I drive a F250 8.3 ltr turbo diesel with a full size, slide on with shower etc. The tray on my Effie is 13ftx8 ft, it is very roomy inside & sits solidly on the tray of my Truck. The upside of this set up is that I can tow my boat & once you arrive there is nothing much to do to set up. The downside is it's height, as long as there are no low branches or bridges it's not a problem. It is a little time consuming putting the camper on & off the tray. Otherwise I enjoy this set up, it suits me, although it wouldn't be any good for anyone with any problem climbing the steps to the camper. I have looked at a lot of slide on's & would agree most are like dog boxes inside, mine isn't. My camper weighs 900klg empty, so you would need a substantial vehicle to carry it once it's full.
-- Edited by HunnyBunny on Tuesday 30th of June 2020 01:49:00 PM
A built motorhome is a better choice than a slide-on every time, by a big margin, even on exactly the same vehicle.
Cheers,
Peter
My set up also gives me the opportunity to have a useful vehicle to use around my property when I'm not away. If it was a motor home it would just sit. I guess it's a case of "horses for courses"
-- Edited by HunnyBunny on Sunday 5th of July 2020 06:03:09 PM
Suits our needs,no trouble if setting up in the rain or bad weather and cost 17K and is set up for bush camping.
We did.
Even while we still owned it. We fixed it permanently to the vehicle. That meant the vehicle could now be registered and insured as a motorhome instead of a truck and that was much cheaper. It was too hard to get it on and off anyhow, so we had no need to carry the legs and it was now always ready to go at a moments notice, even if we went to friends for dinner and had one too many drinks, we could always spend the night without further planning or preparation.
It also meant that water tanks could be moved from above the floor to below the floor significantly improving stability and making more space available inside.
It was my daily driver. I drove it to work every day. When it came time to replace it, there was no question - it had to be a motorhome.
Cheers,
Peter
Hi All Well I have now picked up my slide on and done the first trip. To date it has been exactly as I anticipated and I can definitely recommend this solution over both a fixed motorhome and a caravan for those with similar objectives to my own. ( Extended travelling sometimes with large boat attached and at other times back in the work a day world )
Unlike Peter above and perhaps like Honey Bunny I appreciate the ability to unmount my camper relatively easily and just use the base truck for other purposes. I have owned a 575 KNAUS motorhome and caravans and a camper trailer previously so at least I am not speaking as a one trick pony. I think attention to detail in the mounting systems and relative sizes can overcome some of the loading and unloading issues.
With a 4 step climb up to the floor level and another climb into the overcab queen sized bed it would not perhaps not suit the more mobility constrained amongst us. My fairly slight partner was however able to drive our small AWD truck for an extended distance on first outing, something impossible for her if we had gone with most other solutions.
We also intend to walk, camp, kayak and cycle in areas impossible to get anything but the most capable offroad camper trailer into and will demount the slide on at a base camp location and just drive the AWD truck into these areas.
Another big advantage was the ability to park just about anywhere (that didnt have a height constraint) like angled main street parking in country towns and just regular kerbside parking. Obviously not with boat in tow. LOL
After careful review however I think most one ton utes are too small to carry a really comfortable slide on along with lots of gear and retain any further genuine towing capacity.
Fold out slide on camper solutions are far more comfortable than most tents but share many features of these including the inability to just park up and see out the stormy night (or few days) in relative comfort.
As to Thunders original comments about slide on being top heavy cramped up mongrels, whilst agreeing our package is exceptionally tall at just under 3.7 meters clearance to the aircond, I have not found it overly top heavy to drive when mounted on our tiny AWD truck with dual rear wheels and it does have an excessive 2 meters of headroom ( due to the high overcab clearance required ), a queen bed, shower/toilet, 3 seat dinette and kitchen and it really isnt that cramped.
There are lots of negative comments on this forum about overweight caravans, towing issues and the like.
Alternatively the really big US trucks more suitable for substantial slide ons are both expensive to buy and run and perhaps some are difficult to get parts for in remote areas versus the extensive Isuzu network.
Our little car license AWD truck cost well under $60,000 brand new on road and can be found cheaper on occasions second-hand (they do seem to keep their value exceptionally well however). Combined with an often little used quality second-hand slide on or even new custom build it still works out as an effective package versus the cost of many similar alternatives I feel. Its perhaps not for those loving supreme comfort and extended stays in one place but it is a genuine alternative for those who like a constant change of scenery with a versatile range of uses.
-- Edited by Trailer Sailer on Friday 12th of February 2021 11:37:18 AM
Do you have images or links to the Effie slide on? I don't think that I've seen one.
I'd like to see the floor plan etcetera for your Beyond slide on. Do you have a link to their website?