Author: Lloyd Hill

We as manufacturers try to manufacture the lightest possible weight but you need to know how to tow it. We pride ourselves on the length of the tow vehicle too.

Consider these risks:

• Overtaking – or making sudden lane changes – can send you out of control when you’re pulling a caravan or camper trailer.
• Swerving (to miss an animal, for example) can cause oversteer, taking you out of your lane and into other traffic.
• The ‘bow wind’ of a passing truck can push the trailer sideways. Also (to a lesser degree), the vacuum created at the tail-end of a semi-trailer can pull a camper back toward it. Essentially, this is the same as wind, but the sudden intensity often catches the driver by surprise. And, since it hits the trailer before the tow vehicle, it magnifies the sway condition.
• Because your rig is heavier, your braking distance is now longer. So give yourself a little more distance between you and the vehicle in front. Try counting the seconds separating the two vehicles when you pass a guide post. If your trailer has independent electric braking then count to five. If not, count to seven or more. Then don’t get any closer.
• Don’t pull out in front of Trucks. Take good judgement not a chance better to be patient and survive than a chance to die or regret.

10 top tips for towing

1. Ensure your tow vehicle and camper are correctly set up, balanced, level and appropriate for each other.
2. Reverse slowly and take your time. Practice makes perfect. Practise in car parks and take short weekenders before setting off on your dream holiday.
3. Check your towing speed, as some vehicles have a recommended or maximum towing speed in the owner’s manual.
4. Clean and service your camper before and after each trip. Good quality grease. Better to pay the extra and get serviced by a pro than take short cuts and DIY we have seen the results.
5. Don’t overload your trailer. Keep it within its own GVM and that of the tow vehicle towing limits.
6. Fill up your water tank before leaving home – it will help keep a low centre of gravity.
7. Check your wheel nuts and tyre pressure on all tyres (including the spare) before setting off.
8. Check all latches are secure before setting off. Jockey wheel removed.
9. Compile a comprehensive hitch-up checklist and use it every trip.
10. Stop, Drive, Survive. Driving and towing is fatiguing. Keep a drink with you.

Reversing

To reverse a camper trailer, its best sticking to the mirrors so you can lock yourself into the one mentality. If the trailer is going too far to your right mirror, then bring the right side of the steering wheel down and vice versa for the left. By using this method you don’t need to keep fighting the wheel, let the trailer naturally follow the path and catch it with small corrections when you need.

The easiest way to do this is to rely entirely on your mirror on the inside of the turn; it’ll always be able to see the trailer. Don’t try and put the trailer into the middle of a gap, look at the gap and realise if you’re 1m away from a post/van/ tree on the inside you’ll be in the middle, then just worry about that object.  Keep calm don’t get flustered it doesn’t help.

Everybody who tows a camper needs to be able to go backwards, so practise is best! Some people are great at it some of us are not that good. Still, I use my mirrors on most occasions, gripping the steering wheel at the bottom and turning the wheel in the direction the trailer needs to go as indicated in the mirrors. It works for me. Other people have other ideas. There is no right way or wrong way, just practise and get proficient at it.

Setting up the Awning (or Annexe)

1. Lay all poles and spreaders out on the ground in the position that they are to be used (i.e. thumb screws not touching roof).
2. Zip on your awning, starting from the trailer end – stand on the tailgate, zip on as far as you can, then continue with cord or use the end of a spreader cross bar with the bent spigot.
3. From one end of the annexe start erecting all your poles, working your way towards the other end. The spreader crossbars have a bent spigot which fits into the black plastic holders attached to the camper. Note that the upright poles have a thumb screw (wing nut) on the top which goes on after the canvas. A diagram is enclosed in your delivery package.
4. When you have the entire frame in place, proceed to zip on your walls if you have these, in any order desired (the height of the walls will determine the length of the upright poles). Once all walls are in place, do up the touch tape ties and then tension out the spreaders.
5. Put in the pegs for the walls, starting at the corners first. The poles also have a plate on the bottom with a hole for pegging down once you’re happy with their location, to stop the wind from blowing the roof up.
6. Adjust and tighten poles to ensure walls and roof are tight and firm.

• Attach the draft skirt to the back end of the trailer using touch tape from your road cover. This is only provided if a full annexe is ordered unless you have ordered it separately. This can be added later. (Great for wind and keeping items under trailer hidden/tidy.)

TIP: When folding up awning, fold it up to make easier next time to put up with the zip ready to go on.

No guy ropes required

Some preparation tips for on the road trips.

After travelling 8,000kms, what items did we find useful?

We live by the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principal, things works best if kept simple rather than made complicated and less is more.

• A Cameron camper trailer!
• Annexe floor Matting. Great to walk on, doesn’t kill the grass or get mouldy and prevents tracking sand and dirt inside camper. Can be brought from Cameron Campers.
• Hot water shower unit. No leaks, is portable, lightweight, no installation costs, packs anywhere and quick to heat up to have a 10 minute shower – a real KISS item! Can be brought from Cameron Campers.
• Floatable boat and oars – takes up no room, is light to carry and the kids love using it.
• Porta Potty to save the environment (too many places is ruined by unsightly half buried toilet paper waste)
• Shovel with long handle (for digging vehicle out of bogged situations).
• MAXTRAX vehicle recovery. It works every time.
• Folding Shovel for number 2’s
• One piece table with folding legs – quick and easy to set up.
• 4 folding chairs (the kids love the moon chairs as its like a lounge chair and you can curl up in it).
• A $2 cheap as chips bag for dirty clothes. Can be squashed and packed anywhere or hanged up on hook to free up the floor.
• Pegless clothesline under the Cameron road cover (we leave it permanently there to hang up clothes instantly if on the move, no pegs required).
• Long rope for hanging up washing if trees nearby and pegs.
• Jar full of $1 and $2 coins for washing clothes at a laundry.
• We got fed up with waiting for a free washing machine.. We have a large bucket with a waterproof lid (Bunnings has these) for washing. We find as we go 4wdriving, the clothes are washed with the movement of the camper. Throw in some river rocks, plastic spiky toy balls to help circulate the washing while on the go. Also the bucket is useful for carting water from the river or tap or for washing the car etc. KISS!
• Washing powder sachets
• Fat catcher for Cameron Campers BBQ plate (small 125g spaghetti tin works well).
• Large chammy cloths (quick drying) is perfect as tea towels (buy from hardware stores). We also have extra large chammy towels for showers etc as they dry within the day unlike cotton beach towels which takes ages to dry.
• Thongs for showers
• Heavy duty truck pump with long hose to easily pump up tyres when back on the black top (reduce waiting times to keep the missus happy).
• Accurate gauge for checking tyre pressure.
• Air Blowgun for getting rid of dust on camper before we set up.
• 12 volt electric blanket for those cold nights. Can use in camper or in the vehicle and it plugs into a cigarette lighter socket. No need for expensive heat pumps (or 50 blankets!) which can take up lots of room.
• We never ever need a generator. A solar panel with battery that is recharged by the vehicle works great. Can be brought from Cameron Campers.
• Swags are great for kids, simply leave bedding and pyjamas in them and roll up and roll out, easy. Can be brought from Cameron Campers.
• We love our unique portable sink, simply carry to the water’s edge or tap and fill. Dump water wherever. No mess in kitchen and does not take up valuable kitchen bench top. A KISS item. Can be brought from Cameron Campers.
• We have a ‘fire’ box which contains all matches, firelighters, kindling, newspapers etc.
• Reef shoes for creek crossings etc.
• Mat for feet or going underneath camper or car for emergency stops
• Rawleigh antiseptic salve – excellent for insect bites.
• 600w rice cooker. Turn it on and forget (we plug it into an 240v invertor with battery system).
• Camp Oven for those nights when chilling by the camp fire.
• Small garden spray botlle for washing hands (especially after crawling underneath car or camper).
• Wet ones are always handy.
• Head torches frees up your hands to do other things.
• Good maps showing rest areas, dump points, rubbish tips, fuel (Wiki camps app is good).
• Vacuum pack perishable food i.e. meat to keep it fresh longer.
• Square 3 x cooking pots that fit inside each other with clip on handle. It fits better in drawers with no awkward handles for packing.
• Hammer for hammering pegs.
• Door mat at entrance to tent door.
• Broom & dustpan
• Good books & coffee perculator for fire (thanks for the tip Trudye :-)Good books & coffee perculator for fire (thanks for the tip Trudye 🙂

The hot plate needs to be broken in or ‘seasoned’.

You need to slowly melt a tablespoon of some high flashpoint oil on the plate, using a wooden spoon to coat the surface completely. I use corn oil, but peanut oil, canola, crisco, butter, or lard should work just as well. Make sure the oil you choose is not salted or flavoured. You want the plain stuff, no salt. It is important to not use too much oil otherwise you will be disappointed with the results.

Remove plate from heat and let it cool. With a paper towel, coat and rub the fat into the metal completely, Then wipe off the excess fat. If you feel the amount of black showing on the towel is excessive, then repeat the process.

Avoid soap and abrasive scrubbing. Simply wipe or rinse the pan clean, dry it thoroughly on a warm burner, and rub it with a light coat of oil.

As soon as you season and start cooking on the steel plate, it changes from shiny silver to brown and blotchy. The blotches are a sign that the pan is building up a slippery patina, which will help it become increasingly nonstick. The blotches and nonstick capability may initially wax and wane, but with use, the plate cooking surface will gradually darken and become more uniform in color.

1. Before setting up, consider setting up the camper into the wind and for sun and views in the morning
2. Watch out for areas of potential rubbing and wear (use old rags as a buffer)
3. Water tank protection
4. Gull wing doors to be closed so tent door doesn’t get caught when folding up the camper (for Conquest only)
5. By closing the lower tailgate and not the top tailgate means the dust cover/awning doesn’t have to be disturbed if one is wanting to lock up the fridge and kitchen if the trailer is to be left unattended. The lower tailgate will need a small securing latch to do this (for Conquest only)
6. Have a good wheel brace and jack to suit your wheel nuts and tool kit
7. Make sure the axle caps are on
8. Make sure the Piano hinge center pin is not moving sideways
9. Plug all holes to prevent dust and water getting in camper
10. Consider putting a plastic sheet over bedding and clothes drawer in case something goes wrong. It will also help prevent dirt getting into bedding when folding up the step and floor or packing away tables and chairs on the bed area. We recommend a poly fabric, as it lasts for years.
11. Pull out light plugs
12. Quick tyre deflators is handy
13. Check and tighten up floor bar screws
14. Check wheels and nuts
15. Always ensure canvas is dry before storing it away, damp canvas is a prime home for mould or mildew
16. If away and raining when you pack up, open up the camper and allow it to dry as soon as possible
17. Keep your canvas clean by removing bird droppings whenever possible
18. When packing up, avoid leaving canvas jammed between the hoops and bars or the tent
19. Never pull two pieces of canvas together by forcefully pulling the slider along, this will result in early zip failure