thrills First class Has Opus latest recruit got what it takes to tackle the best of Oz in comfort? words MICHAEL BORG pics JACK MURPHY

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "thrills First class Has Opus latest recruit got what it takes to tackle the best of Oz in comfort? words MICHAEL BORG pics JACK MURPHY"

Sylvia Stevens
5 years ago
Views:

1 First class thrills Has Opus latest recruit got what it takes to tackle the best of Oz in comfort? words MICHAEL BORG pics JACK MURPHY 50 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 51

When it came to testing out the all new Ready to Roll camper trailer from Opus Campers, I did it the only way I know how in low range and in an absolutely cracking location!

Now, I ve been a fan of real-world testing for a long time, and scrabbling to the top of notoriously steep tracks in order to take in the ruggedly wild cliffs of the Capertee Valley is just about as

FIRST IMPRESSIONS At a glance, the Ready to Roll bears a striking resemblance to your everyday hardfloor camper trailer, but take a look closer and you can see it s unique.

Plus, the main entry to the camper is also via the door that s been moulded into passenger side of the camper s body.

2 When it came to testing out the all new Ready to Roll camper trailer from Opus Campers, I did it the only way I know how in low range and in an absolutely cracking location! Now, after meeting the boys from Opus at about 11pm on the side of the road to hitch the camper up to my Troopy, I was super keen to see how it went. Why? Well, Opus marketing fella Greg Shoemark is the type of bloke who loves a chat, and let s just say he wasn t short of a few kind words for the Opus brand, in particular its new 2015 range. The Ready to Roll is a semi-offroad camper trailer designed with light-to-moderate offroad trail driving in mind. Now, I ve been a fan of real-world testing for a long time, and scrabbling to the top of notoriously steep tracks in order to take in the ruggedly wild cliffs of the Capertee Valley is just about as real as it gets! So let s see how a manufacturer that operates across five countries builds a camper trailer for us Aussies in the real world, eh? FIRST IMPRESSIONS At a glance, the Ready to Roll bears a striking resemblance to your everyday hardfloor camper trailer, but take a look closer and you can see it s unique. You ll notice there are two foldable panels that form the top of the camper trailer when packed away, which allow it to open up and expand on both sides of the trailer. Plus, the main entry to the camper is also via the door that s been moulded into passenger side of the camper s body. So, in a nutshell this camper is basically a pop-top camper without the pop-top maybe that s what have-a-chat Greg was so excited about! There s enough room inside to take shelter and play a game of cards if it pours down with rain Clockwise from top left: The Al-Ko offroad coupling, although noisy, articulated flawlessly; The semi offroad camper offers two private bedrooms for adventure-seeking families; There s room for two jerry cans and a 9kg gas cylinder up front; The lockable tunnel toolbox slides out on rollers; The camper folds out in two parts from the centre. HITTING THE TRACKS The Ready to Roll weighs in at a respectable 900kg, and with a 90kg ball weight it feels well balanced and easily manageable both on and off the beaten track. However, for the tracks we tackled, the lack of clearance was a bit of an issue. The ride height isn t overly high and the spare wheel is fitted underneath the camper, further reducing the rear departure angle. This creates a buffer to protect the rear of the trailer from damage but does little for the corners and stabiliser legs that can bottom out on undulating tracks. The upside to the modest ride height is that the centre of gravity is nice and low, which gives it plenty of stability for everything from high speed touring to off-camber angles. Plus, it s 52 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 53

nice and easy to step up and into the camper instead of climbing your way in. The Ready to Roll runs an Al-Ko offroad hitch, which utilises your average 50mm tow ball.

And for this reason, I m not a fan of it. The extended 100x50mm drawbar s length is a great compromise between manoeuvrability on tight tracks and overall handling.

contact with the ground. We really put it through its paces and all in all, the Ready to Roll is a tough little unit that s far more capable than its semi offroad rating suggests.

3 nice and easy to step up and into the camper instead of climbing your way in. The Ready to Roll runs an Al-Ko offroad hitch, which utilises your average 50mm tow ball. It s a reliable unit that articulates really well, but I find it knocks against the tow ball over bumps, making it noisier than other offroad hitches I ve previously used. And for this reason, I m not a fan of it. The extended 100x50mm drawbar s length is a great compromise between manoeuvrability on tight tracks and overall handling. The extra length allows access to the back of your 4WD while the camper is hitched up, it aids manageable reversing and the jockey wheel is protected by the drawbar when the camper front makes contact with the ground. We really put it through its paces and all in all, the Ready to Roll is a tough little unit that s far more capable than its semi offroad rating suggests. SETTING UP/DOWN Both of the main folding tops are strut assisted and operate on a pram-like basis. The two-piece design also means there s less weight when flipping them over, so it could be a one person job if needs be. However, things do get slightly awkward when you open the camper s main door. The cushions for the lounge, along with the stove unit and the sink unit are all stored inside the camper trailer on the floor, which means there s a fair bit of lifting and shifting to hits & misses i liked > Spacious and comfortable lounge area > Plenty of head room > Strong, galvanised chassis > Well-balanced with low centre of gravity i WOULD HAVE liked > Easier access to the front storage box when the tent support poles are erected > A better departure angle > A less fiddly set-up > An external kitchen facility Clockwise from main: The interior feels spacious, thanks in part to the height of the tent; The cooktop and large sink sit at a comfortable height; The U-shape lounge beckons when the rain sets in, and converts to a bed. 54 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 55

The Ready to Roll is a tough little unit that s far more capable than its semi offroad rating suggests clear the way inside.

So, in my opinion, completing the whole set-up/pack down process daily for an overnight stay would be a bit of a pain.

It s got plenty to make camping comfortable.

The set-up is a bit different, in that you actually need to physically lift the stove and sink cabinets up off the floor and fit them to the shelf provided before clipping them in place, hooking-up

4 The Ready to Roll is a tough little unit that s far more capable than its semi offroad rating suggests clear the way inside. To get the tent nice and taut you need to adjust several internal poles, which can have you climbing all over the beds. It took about half an hour to set the camper up to a basic overnight stop level. So, in my opinion, completing the whole set-up/pack down process daily for an overnight stay would be a bit of a pain. Oh, and a top tip is to remember how everything unpacked as it will need to be packed up the same way or the tent will be very tight to close. On the bright side, once it s all set up you re set! It s got plenty to make camping comfortable. COOKING QUARTERS The kitchen is located on the inside of the camper and I prefer to cook outdoors, however, getting hit with torrential rain soon enlightened me to the benefits of internal facilities. The set-up is a bit different, in that you actually need to physically lift the stove and sink cabinets up off the floor and fit them to the shelf provided before clipping them in place, hooking-up the gas line and running the sink drainage hose, which will have you bending down a fair bit. The payoff is you get a kitchenette complete with a decent size stainless steel sink that is very practical and easy to use. The Smev Clockwise from ABOVE: Privacy screens separate the bedrooms from the main living space; We pushed the Ready to Roll beyond its semi-offroad specifications and it performed pretty well; The 12V system, charger and 240V mains connect allow you to maximise comfort wherever you stay; The high roof really adds to the feeling of space inside the camper. 56 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 57

cta specs Opus Ready to Roll > trailer Tare 900kg ATM 1450kg Suspension Seven leaf offroad suspension Brakes 10in electric brakes with offroad magnets Coupling Al-ko offroad 50mm ball coupling

Tent size 5750mm > accessories Gas cylinders 9kg Water 1x59L with 12V pump Cooktop Dual gas hob Kitchen Stainless steel internal Battery 1x110Ah > price as shown $24,490 > supplied by Opus Campers,

5 cta specs Opus Ready to Roll > trailer Tare 900kg ATM 1450kg Suspension Seven leaf offroad suspension Brakes 10in electric brakes with offroad magnets Coupling Al-ko offroad 50mm ball coupling Chassis Galvanised Drawbar 100x50mm extended drawbar Wheel/tyre 15in alloy wheels with Dunlop all-terrain tyres Style Pop-out > dimensions Box size 2000x700mm Length (hitch to tail lights) 4900mm Tent size 5750mm > accessories Gas cylinders 9kg Water 1x59L with 12V pump Cooktop Dual gas hob Kitchen Stainless steel internal Battery 1x110Ah > price as shown $24,490 > supplied by Opus Campers, 246A Governor Road, Braeside, Vic 3195, (03) , The Opus has plenty of features to keep the whole tribe happy on a family camping trip two-burner gas cooktop is quite ergonomic and gets the job done with flying colours, and there is plenty of bench space. Plus, the dining table is located just to the right, should you need more when preparing a feast. WHAT S IT GOT? As its name suggests, the Ready to Roll comes with plenty to get out there and explore. The main set-up has two full-sized double beds complete with inner privacy tents, 12V and 240V mains hook up, a 59L water tank and 12V pump, 110Ah battery and charger and my personal favourite feature of all buckets loads of head Sink Queen size bed room, which gives the whole camper an open non-restrictive feel. The large club lounge is comfortable and practical, and actually coverts into a bed. There s enough room inside to take shelter inside play a game of cards if it pours down rain. While we re talking about rain, it absolutely bucketed down on us during the test, but the tent s oval design allowed the water to escape, leaving no pools that can plague others at camp. There s also a tone of ventilation, and some massive built-in skylights as well. Plus, an added storage cover, sun canopy and side skirts, 15in alloy wheels and a solid storage box on the drawbar. Talk about a feature-packed 2 burner stove Seat > campertraileraustralia.com.au > More pictures > Specs to compare Storage Seat Double bed Seat top LEFT: Plenty of lockable storage space underfoot. TOP RIGHT: Assessing the condition of the 110Ah marine-grade battery is easy with this monitor. Gas bottle Door 58 campertraileraustralia.com.au

cta rating 1. fit for intended purpose 2. Innovation 3. Self-sufficiency 4. Quality of finish this image: The Ready to Roll handled the rocky tracks impressively. 5. Build quality 6.

WRAPPING IT UP After a few days in the bush I finally figured out why Greg couldn t stop talking about this camper there s plenty of cool stuff to say!

6 cta rating 1. fit for intended purpose 2. Innovation 3. Self-sufficiency 4. Quality of finish this image: The Ready to Roll handled the rocky tracks impressively. 5. Build quality 6. Offroad-ability camper, all you need is a solar set-up and a fridge and you re pretty much self-sufficient! WRAPPING IT UP After a few days in the bush I finally figured out why Greg couldn t stop talking about this camper there s plenty of cool stuff to say! The boys set out to build a camper that could handle light forestry tracks, and in my opinion it will conquer that stuff day in and day out. It s got plenty of features and functionality to keep the whole tribe happy on a family camping trip. Plus, it s sure to catch the eye of a few fellow travellers. The main chassis and running gear is all sourced right here in Australia, so spare parts are easily available as well. At the end of the day, what you see is what you get with this camper. It s by no means a hard-core offroader, but it s exactly what the guys at Opus say it is an honest, semi-offroad rated camper that s perfect for the family to get out there and explore. 7. comforts 8. Ease of use 9. Value for money 10. X-Factor 60 campertraileraustralia.com.au CTG-HH TS-084-XCC

ROOTHY: GOING TROPPO OVER A 79 CRUISER!

ROOTHY: GOING TROPPO OVER A 79 CRUISER! ISSUE 95 DECEMBER 2015 www.campertraileraustralia.com.au Borgy s outback CHALLENGE! FINDING THE BEST CAMPING IN FAR-WEST NEW SOUTH WALES! ISSUE95DECEMBER2015 $8.95