Slide on camper

Delliotts · Newbie

Slide on camper

Possum3 · Guru

Welcome to GN's Greg & Wendy, Never have I owned a slide on camper - Although recently we have seen a few Suncamper - They are a lovely bit of gear, the owners that we have talked to say, They are brilliant being the best move they've ever made.

Check out buying information and checklists at www.caravancouncil.com.au/ for assistance in your deliberations.

Delliotts · Newbie

Thanks Possum3 appreciate it had a quick look at the site and appears some good books and info to check out.

TassieDave · Newbie

Hi guys
A great idea choosing a slide on. Many advantages and a few disadvantages. This is my fourth one and I have been living full time in it for three years.
First thing to consider is will vehicle carry it. CGVM is very important on several fronts not least of which are the legal and insurance aspects.
Random list of things that spring to mind for me regarding your question:
Manual vs auto jacking. Budget may decide. If able go the fully remote way. It's a pain doing it manually but mine is pretty much permanent and has only been off twice in the last two years.
Height awareness..they are generally higher which impacts on travel options and low flying bridges
I suggest upgrading suspension front and back
Modern ones are well equipped with solar, showers and loos and lightweight construction.
Space is generally more limited but that's ok and easy to learn to live with
Options more available to go places caravans find more difficult
Rego cheaper
Reversing is a breeze
I suggest a side entry/exit door because if later you want to tow a boat it makes life easier.
Parking while on the road is better
Longer term off grid living may be restricted by storage limits on water carriage capacity etc
My view is that total cost of ownership is lower, the traveling options are more flexible and they are a ton of fun

Good luck with your choices

-- Edited by TassieDave on Friday 28th of October 2022 11:58:39 AM

NeilR · Newbie

Hi,

We have only recently started using our new slide-on. Agree with what Tassie Dave has said. We did a lot of research prior to purchasing and I, like you, didn't want to be hauling a caravan.

Ours has a built-in shower/toilet and suits us perfectly. The biggest advantage is the flexibility to drop the slide-on (5 mins) and drive off to do what you want.

Happy to discuss further with anyone who is considering similar.

Cheers

NeilR

Delliotts · Newbie

Thanks NeilR and am glad to hear your enjoying the slide on.

We have purchased new car and slide on both not ready / available until about May next year. Yes a bit of a wait but looking forward to a few journeys.

Thanks again for the feedback on the slide ons.

Cheers
Delliotts

KJB · Guru

Slide-on Campers are a great way to travel. I built ours 37 years ago (sitting on its 4th Land Cruiser ute now!)

Room is not a problem, the "inhabitants" adapt.

The biggest problem area can be "loaded (accessories,passengers,fuel,water-everything!), ready to go" Axle Weights. It can be of great concern with some of the earlier and current model Light/Mid Weight 2WD and 4WD utes. Do your "homework" thoroughly beforehand and have it weighed when finished and loaded, before parting with any money,is my only advice.

Apart from that the only other preference of mine is a side entry door.....the doorway,door, grab handle and steps do not get covered in mud, dust etc. during a days travel - do not forget you generally have limited water and facilities for washing hands, clothes etc after brushing against dirty fittings!

Happy travels...

...1... South Australia 2013 (4).jpg ...1... A .jpg

Cuppa · Guru

Slide-ons have many appeals, we have considered them many times but in the end have always rejected them, always for the same reason.

They cannot suit our travelling style for one simple reason..... storage, or rather 'lack of storage'.

Our preferred travelling style is to go bush, to go remote, for as long at a time as we can. With our Patrol & Tvan we can manage up to about 8 weeks off grid between re-supplying provided we can find a source of water once every 3 to 4 weeks. (And we have never yet had to move on only because our water supply was running out).

That said, I remain envious of the flexibilty that a single off road vehicle provides. So many lovely little single vehicle camp spots which we cannot fit into, at least not with ease.

Delliotts · Newbie

Hi Cuppa,

Thanks for your feedback and yes storage does appear the biggest issue we will tackle. We will let you know how it turns out fingers crossed all ok.

Cheers

KJB · Guru

Delliotts wrote:
Hi Cuppa,
Thanks for your feedback and yes storage does appear the biggest issue we will tackle. We will let you know how it turns out fingers crossed all ok.
Cheers

The room to store items is a minor inconvenience, the weight of the stored items is what will add up to be the main concern. Most Slide-ons have minimum carrying capacity for anything other than essentials, compared to caravan. Check your Axle Weights when loaded (incl. driver/passenger).

Yaketty · Veteran Member

We have a Wedgetail slide-on (made in Newcastle) which we bought second hand in November 2014. We bought it with the Nissan Navara extra cab ute that the previous owner had upgraded with airbags, stronger springs, toolboxes etc. He also towed a boat and had a roof pod for extra storage. Since having this setup we have fitted electric legs. We don't tow anything and we have a roof rack with a box from the big green shed for extra clothing. Our longest trip has been about 8 weeks but many Wedgetail owners have done the big lap taking a year or longer to do so. We have internal & external shower, cassette toilet and the ability to cook inside or out (only cooked inside twice during torrential rain). We love our setup as we can get into many tight off-road spots and it it has a low profile. With the electric legs we can leave it set up and explore in the ute. Theres a Wedgetail owners FB page and the website too for more information.

-- Edited by Yaketty on Saturday 17th of December 2022 01:52:07 PM

-- Edited by Yaketty on Saturday 17th of December 2022 01:56:06 PM

Cuppa · Guru

Yaketty, I sure hope I'm wrong but in the photos of your slide on, both on & off the vehicle, the vehicle looks to me like it has a bent chassis, with the tray tipping backwards??