TESTING Alex Garner heads down a stoney creek to find a... NUGGET WITH A HEART OF GOLD Western 4W Driver # 105 63
Hauling a camper trailer around the bush requires an adjustment to the way you drive, often ruling out narrow tracks and steep or tricky hill climbs as a viable means of reaching your preferred campsite. There are some trailers on the market however, that seem to have this type of adventuring in mind. They are compact units with a small footprint and tiny tare weight; barely noticeable behind most vehicles. Nugget sized if you wish; a description which lends its name to the Stoney Creek Nugget camper trailer. Positioned comfortably behind the wheel of a 2017 Nissan Navara D23, I cruise up to meet Smaller footprint makes the Nugget more of a two person camper. Corey at the brand new Stoney Creek Campers warehouse in Wangara. The Nugget is the newest model in their range, and Corey is dead keen for it to be tested out at my favourite testing ground in Lane Pool reserve near Dwellingup. United with the rear of the Navara, the Nugget can barely be felt. That s to be expected with a Tare weight of
Tropical roof is a good idea. Cover and awning zips were sub-standard. Snap lock poles worked a treat. only 955kg, coming in at just over a tonne with the 100 litres of water on board. Cruising the winding hill up to Dwellingup is always an excellent test of the way the camper behaves behind the vehicle, and how the camper and tow vehicle interact as a whole. With Nick behind me, the first observation was that the soft cover of the camper flaps around a lot at highway speed. This flapping meant the tie downs for the cover were constantly being tugged at, and as a result one tore free from the camper body. Nick and I both vote that the cover needs a little nip and tuck to prevent this in the future. Aside from this, the camper was very stable behind the Navara; displaying no signs of sway through the bumpy sections of bitumen, or when emerging from tight cornering. Much the same was the case off road, due in equal parts to the decent suspension setup under there, and the hefty mud terrain tyres that come as standard fitment (on some pretty flashy rims too I might add!). Connection between the vehicle and the trailer is courtesy of a good old poly block hitch a solid design that s flexible off road. Clearance was only an issue on the tow vehicle, anywhere the Navara would go the trailer followed easily. Highway terrain tyres on the Navara meant that much of the time I was at the mercy of the camper trailer on steep gravel hills thankfully the Nugget is equipped with electric brakes to save the day! Okay, so it s great to have a camper that tows nicely, follows you anywhere and doesn t fall apart at the first sign of a bump but none of that means anything if it s too hard to set up at the end of the day. With that in mind, Nick and I head to the Nanga camp ground and unhitch the trailer. The first step is to drop the stabiliser legs, of which there are four. An unusual choice I thought, as just the two on the back and the jockey wheel should suffice. But hey, at least you can be sure it won t move! Next I pull off the cover and fold out the soft floor living space. I m impressed by how easy this is to Western 4W Driver # 105 65
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Bed area with good midge-proof ventilation makes for a good night s sleep. set up. Inside there are four poles to be extended for maximum tension on the canvas; with large, easy to operate latches locking them in place. Those few simple steps out the way, and it s ready for sleeping! If you fancy a bit more shelter for a longer stop, Stoney Creek Campers include the awning, annexe walls, flooring, poles, ropes and pegs in the package! Not bad hey? What is bad though, is the zippers. Stamped with the letters SBS, the entity I first think of is regarded for its fine television programming not the manufacturing of zippers. Whether it s the same company or not, SBS zippers seem to be a bad choice. For starters, the zipper on the cover of the tent was missing two sections of teeth about 5 centimetres wide. The same type of zip was used where the annexe attaches to the tent and simply would not align properly. We gave up after a solid 15 minutes. Really though, that is my only gripe! The canvas is top notch 14 ounce, mesh is midgee proof, floor is Fridge slide underneath will take a BIG fridge accessible with the camper up or down. Twin battery set-up is a bonus. PVC bucket and the bed, while not innerspring is still a comfortable foam mattress. The kitchen makes the most of what little space is available on such a small trailer. The two burner gas cook top and kitchen sink with a fold down tap use up all of the space, while a drawer slides out from underneath the burner which could be used to store cutlery. Western 4W Driver # 105 67
A stainless steel panel can be slotted into here to use the drawer as bench space, but I reckon you ll want to carry a fold out table to supplement this. Food storage is probably most suited to the compartment next to the kitchen above the wheel arch. While we are talking compartments, let s take a look at what they house. The next one along towards the back contains two drawers. Head around the back and the large door opens Plenty of storage near the kitchen. Workspace is a compromise on drawer top. Storage on drawbar well protected behind spare and stoneguard. up to a massive fridge slide, you could fit just about any fridge you like in there! Power options for the fridge include an Anderson plug and accessory socket. Oh, and a few LED lights illuminate this space very nicely. Along the driver s side of the trailer is the battery and charging compartment housing two deep cycle batteries with a little extra space to poke a few nick-knacks. The annexe and its associated parts fit great in the long and deep storage compartment opposite the kitchen, while along the front of the trailer you have twin jerry can holders, a storage bin, and a 9 kilo gas bottle holder. Come morning time after a few ports and a good night s sleep, the camper packed up very nicely. For the entire time I had the Stoney Creek Campers Nugget out in the bush, I hadn t a clue what 68 Western 4W Driver # 105 the retail price may be. I was VERY surprised when, at the time of writing; Corey informed me that in the fitout I tested it was only $15,990 drive away! At that price I ve gotta say this trailer is a gem for adventurous couples where the small size won t be an issue. With a few tweaks to the cover and zips it would be pretty hard to fault the Stoney Creek Nugget.
ENGINEERED FOR PROTECTION Family Owned Australian Company DESIGNED FOR SAFETY SUSPENSION KIT SIDE STEPS CANOPY (INC COLOUR CODING) DRAWERS AND WING KIT From $ 1406 $ 650 $ 3150 $ 1620 INSTANT AWNING $ (2 x 2.5m) 270 REAR PROTECTION TOW BAR $ 975 ea ALLOY TRADE RACK $ (1.4m) 740 LONG RANGE FUEL TANK $ 885 W4WDFP(4)051017 Prices do not include freight, fitting or colour coding and are subject to change without notice. SAFER, STRONGER, SMARTER Family Owned Australian Company For your nearest distributor call 1300 731 137, or visit www.ironman4x4.com
STONEY CREEK - NUGGET Price: $15990 Body Length: 1850mm Overall Length: 4250mm External Width: 1800 Height (closed): 1600 Tare Weight: 955kg Aggregate Trailer Mass: 1400kg CHASSIS & RUNNING GEAR Hot dipped galvanised chassis ADR approved poly block coupling Suspension: Independent with single shock absorbers & coil springs Nuts n bolts Wheels: Brakes: 3X 265/75 R16 12 inch electric & handbrake GAS, WATER & ELECTRICITY Water: 100L stainless steel tank, 2 taps & pressure pump Gas: single 9KG gas bottle with bayonet for stove Power: 12V deep cycle batteries X2, Anderson plug from vehicle, optional solar Lighting: Portable strip lighting included How did the Navara tow? For this camper trailer test I m once again using Nissan s D23 Navara twin turbo diesel. Like the previous test, this model features the 6 speed manual gearbox. However, rather than the five link coil rear suspension, this is the leaf sprung model. Previously I have found the coil sprung model is smooth and comfortable, but wanders the road a little when a camper is hitched up. The leaf sprung version is quite the opposite - the ride is a little harsh but very controlled. The Stoney Creek Nugget weighing just over a tonne, with weight well balanced over the axle and a decent suspension setup, struggles to upset the Navara both on and off the road. That is, until it comes to steep gravel hill climbs where the highway terrain tyres are its downfall. 70 Western 4W Driver # 105