KNOW HOW THE BLUE TONGUE OVERLAND XR IS COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO USE OUT ON THE TRACKS. WORDS DAVID COOK PICS MATTHEW FEHLBERG 56 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 57
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Coated metal stoneguards protect your auxiliary supplies up front; The internal lockers are carpeted; Two awnings allow for wall-to-wall coverage on extended stays or fuss-free shade at a quick stop; Two stainless steel tanks provide 150L water capacity for extended stays out on the tracks; Your choice of gas ring sizes to suit your gas consumption. MEASURING UP HITS > Good design and engineering > Comprehensive fine-tuning of all areas > Excellent electrical system > Huge fridge capacity > Good range of options on the canvas MISSES > Restricted access to pole storage when set up > Ensuite wall issue interfering with essentials > Carpet in jerry can storage area > Limited access to the Redarc battery monitor panel In the past decade, the Australian camper trailer industry underwent a significant changes when it went from having an almost exclusively local manufacturing base to one where many models are now produced abroad. The quality of the imported offerings varied greatly in those early years, but the standard of workmanship and design in recent years has steeply improved. Now, in line with some of the brands seen at Camper Trailer of the Year 2016, along with the release of other new models such as the Blue Tongue Overland XR, the gap appears to be closing. Blue Tongue has established itself as a local manufacturer of high quality side-fold softfloor camper trailers but, as interest in competitivelypriced rear-fold and forward-fold hardlfoors increased, the company sought an overseas supplier. After trialling several sources in 2015, Blue Tongue began shipping in three designs from China for assembly and customisation in its workshop in Kirrawee, NSW, and haven t looked back since. WHAT IT S GOT The Blue Tongue Overland XR rear-fold camper on review doesn t break any new ground in camper design, but it has made some great steps forward in quality and functionality. The basic design follows that of a traditional rear-fold camper. It is built on a solid chassis and drawbar made from 100x50x4mm hot-dip galvanised tube. The drawbar runs back to the front spring hangers and arrives in Australia in one piece for optimal strength, as opposed to being bolted together during assembly which can form a weak point under the chassis. Also under the floor are 100L and 50L stainless steel water tanks, each complete with checkerplate stone shield. The suspension is a fully-adjustable dual shock trailing arm independent setup with 12in electric brakes and high-load 16in alloy rims. A front winch assists in opening and closing if you feel the need, but the guys from Blue Tongue recommend, and easily demonstrated, the old fashioned lift and pull approach, which places less strain on 58 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 59
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The new boat rack; Lift and pull or use a winch; Optional solar panel up top; A good depth for an easy pack-up. CTA RATING 1. FIT FOR INTENDED PURPOSE 2. INNOVATION 3. BUSHABILITY 4. QUALITY OF FINISH 5. BUILD QUALITY 6. OFFROAD-ABILITY 7. COMFORTS 8. EASE OF USE 9. VALUE FOR MONEY 10. X-FACTOR the tent bows. The fully welded steel body is smartly finished in a two-pack off-white with grey highlights and stainless steel trim. It is 590mm deep, which is more than enough to provide for plenty of internal storage and easy pack-up, saving a lot of straining and fiddling around to get the canvas in on the mattress. The side awning can remain attached during pack-up to save the need for its removal and reattachment each time you break and make camp. COOKING The kitchen is all stainless steel and includes a three-burner Smev stove, sink, mixer tap, with a pull-out extension at the end for additional prep space. The kitchen and the extension both require a supporting leg under the end. Under the bench are cutlery and utensils drawers and a small storage space around the base of the sink. Immediately adjacent to the kitchen is the fridge slide that s big enough for an optional fridge up to 110L. Next to that is the pantry, consisting of a long 560x150x145mm drawer and two shorter drawers at 400 and 175mm deep, suitable for items such as bottles. All drawers are carpeted and the top of the longer drawer s cabinet can be used for additional prep space during cooking. Lighting here is provided by an LED stork light and a smaller side light which provides some illumination in the general area. Setting up the tent is easy, and only requires you to insert and extend the two front vertical poles and two spreader bars at the rear. This sort of adjustment is expected in a rear-fold camper trailer tent with vertical front and rear walls. The camper comes standard with a full-length side awning which runs from the front, adjacent to the hitch, to the back, but also with a shorter shade awning which Velcroes on and covers the front above the kitchen. This has, according to Blue Tongue, become increasingly popular and, for those doing an overnight stop, many figure it s all that s needed. The imported tent is sewn from plain weave 450gsm canvas, which equates to 13.3oz. As the tent opens, the tropical roof automatically deploys. This isn t made from canvas but from a lightweight nylon material finished with a UV-resistant coating (aluminium impregnated polyurethane). Blue Tongue reckons it does a better job at keeping out the heat for a fraction of the weight, though I wonder how it would survive in the long-term. At the rear is an attached awning which quickly converts to a 2200mm long kids room by the attachment of the optional walls and floor. On the driver s side, an ensuite can be attached. This area, in my view, requires some improvement, as the optional boat rack blocked access to the tap for the shower. Blue Tongue assures me that the tap will be moved to allow for the newly-developed rack but the ensuite still overlaps the swing-away arm for the spare wheel. I would like to see the ensuite moved towards the rear, away from the wheel carrier. All the required poles and spreader bars travel in roof-top boxes so you ll need to remove it all before setting it up otherwise you d have to lift up the floor to get to the poles. The windows are large and fully meshed, and the rear half of the kitchen side of the camper can unzip and be rolled to the rear to make an airy and open living space. Internally, there s a queen innerspring mattress above four 880x530x100mm-deep drawers, though this configuration may possibly be varied in the future. On the kitchen side of the bed end is a duct for the heating outlet and, on the other side, are CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Ample clearance will serve you well offroad; The lightweight tropical roof is impregnated with aluminium; Gull-wing doors provide easy access to the fridge and the front box drawers. 60 campertraileraustralia.com.au The camper you want is now easier to find tradervs.com.au 61
RIGHT: There are pockets at the head of the bed and internal canvas flaps in case the weather turns. CTA SPECS BLUE TONGUE OVERLAND XR > TRAILER Tare 1550kg ATM 2200kg Suspension Adjustable trailing arm double shock Brakes 12in electric drum Coupling Al-Ko 3600 Chassis/Drawbar Hot-dip galvanised 100x50x4mm Body Welded steel Wheel/tyre High load rated alloy rims with 265/75 R16 all-terrain tyres Style Rear-fold hardfloor > DIMENSIONS Box size 1800x2180mm Length (hitch to tail lights) 5200mm Tent size 4400x1800mm plus 2400x6000mm for the full length awning or 2400x2400mm for the quick setup version > ACCESSORIES Gas cylinders 2x4.5kg or 2x9kg Water 150L Cooktop Three-burner Smev Kitchen Stainless steel Battery 3x100Ah gel and Redarc 1230 battery manager the main control switches, fuses and a battery monitor, which is a bit hard to read as it is angled towards the outer wall. The floor is a wood-grain laminate that looks easy to keep clean, there is a sturdy fold-down step at the foot of the bed to aid access and strip lights in the peak of the roof and above the bed head. Wall pockets are ideal for storing glasses, reading matter and other small items. The shower and kitchen, as well as the internal space heating, is taken care of by the optional diesel heater ($2500 for hot water, and $550 extra for cabin heating), which operates from the front driver s side storage box. It has been assembled from Blue Tongue s own resources, using smart-looking AN aluminium fittings, as used on race vehicles. Gas storage is also unique, in that you get two sets of brackets, one pair to suit 4.5kg bottles and one pair to suit 9kg bottles, or you could have a mix of both to suit whichever arrangement you might want. The front storage box, between the coated metal stoneguards, can carry up to four jerry cans, though having carpet around fuel storage seems an undesirable arrangement. The top of the main > PRICE AS SHOWN $27,390 Storage Queen bed Main floor > ENQUIRIES To enquire about this camper, visit www.campertraileraustralia.com. au/spec or phone (02) 8315 0033 > CAMPERTRAILERAUSTRALIA.COM.AU > More pictures > Specs to compare Drawers fridge Sink Slide out bench w/ cooktop and drawers 62 campertraileraustralia.com.au
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Divided storage for your clothes; Hot and cold water come standard; Maintain your battery fuses from a single point. front storage compartment has a rack so it can be used for firewood or other bulky storage. POWER RANGE Electrically, the Overland XR is equipped with three 100Ah gel batteries that are taken care of in our review camper by a Redarc 30A battery management system. The $1400 optional upgrade replaces the standard 25A mains charger to provide a 30A mains charger, 30A DC-DC charger and a 30A MPPT solar regulator, complete with lithium management and charging capacity in case you ever decide to go down that road. Our review camper came with a boat rack ($950 option) capable of carrying up to 100kg, which was fitted with a 150W solar panel ($595 option). The panel sits below the top of the rack, so a boat can travel on there as well, though that would block light from the panel. Although the Overland XR comes from the same factory as many of its direct competitors, Blue Tongue goes to a lot of trouble to lift theirs from the standard mould. When landed each camper goes through several days of work, involving the fitting of an Al-Ko hitch, the Smev cooker, the diesel hot water and space heater system, the Redarc battery management system, the 240V fittings, much of the gas plumbing and the solar where the necessary options are ticked. With a Tare of 1550kg and an ATM of 2200kg you get a hefty 650kg of load capacity. THE VERDICT The Overland XR is a well-finished and equipped camper, although it did had a few minor issues which could do with some fine-tuning. That said, Blue Tongue has addressed many of concerns levelled at similar models in its class. And, at a starting price of $21,990 and $27,390 as I saw it, the Overland XR is a good buy. 64 campertraileraustralia.com.au