Construction

The Chassis

The underlying strength behind any camping trailer is the chassis. When traveling off-road, you need to have total confidence that your camper is strong enough to survive the journey and make it home in one piece. Not just once, but again and again.

The Campomatic chassis is what you would call a super-structure, and has been the strength behind the Campomatic for over 40 years. We’re not talking about a box trailer or caravan chassis that has a camper module screwed to the top. Rather, a chassis that has been engineered so that all parts eg. the chassis cross member, wheel arches, wall supports, kitchen supports, water tank carrier, pole carrier are integrated into a super structure that is fully welded, increasing strength and durability. At no point on our Campomatic construction are we reliant for strength on flat steel sheeting for the side walls, as flat sheet has little sideways strength. Or aluminum structural frames as aluminum becomes brittle when stressed and brakes very easily.

Through the design process particular gauge steel and welding processes have been used to eliminate distortion and twisting through the galvanizing process. Over many years of experience and with using many engineering computer programs we can produce a complete chassis that is perfectly aligned and square.

Having the wall supports incorporated into the chassis means that there is minimal flexing in the walls of the camper when traveling over corrugated tracks. This rigidity prevents our main dust seals from vibrating and, rubbing, therefore offering a true seal and keeping the dust and water out. The chassis wall strength also allows you to load up to 350kg of gear on top of the camper. Now that’s a lot of firewood.

Another element behind the strength of the Camp/o/matic chassis is that the two main rails/draw bars are each one piece, running from the front of the camper to the back. This eliminates any weak points where there is a join in the rail. Critical points on the main chassis rails are welded to strict engineering requirement. These points are:

1.The point the drawbar protrudes from the front of the camper body. This is the highest stress points on any trailer. To maintain the structural strength we do not weld across this drawbar/chassis rail member as the heat stress of the weld weakens the structural member by a considerable amount
2.The suspension cross members have been welded in a particular series to eliminate heat distortion, and maintaining structural strength on this vital part of the chassis

Suspension

The Campomatic independent coil suspension has been used on our off road campers since 1996. Many hours have been spent by engineers to design and load test these suspension arms. Once the engineers were satisfied we field tested it in outback Australia.

The first test suspension we used made the back of the camper skip around on the corrugations. This was due to the pivot ark of the arm. When the coil spring was halfway through its travel it was not pivoting close enough to a vertical position. It was pivoting backward, instead of the wheels moving upward over the bumps, they were pivoting backwards, making the camper bounce and become uncontrollable on corrugated roads, and worse when a large bump was hit.

From the original design that we tested we changed the geometry by lowering the front pivot, allowing the coil to pivot very close to a vertical position without reducing the ground clearance. This gave us the ride characteristics we needed. No matter how large the corrugation, washout or hole, we could not get the camper out of shape behind the vehicle.

Campomatic has been using electric brakes since 1994. We have continually tested other styles and have not found a better system. When you look at other camper manufacturers, the majority have realized that the electric brakes are the best, and like us do not supply anything but.
Other common braking systems include; Mechanical override - drum and disc, hydraulic override – drum and disc, electric drum, and a new system electronic disc. The engineering behind the different types of brakes are very good in theory, but only when used for the correct application.

This is our observations of manufacturing and traveling off road with campers for the past 40 years.

Mechanical override brakes are the cheapest of the brakes that can be put onto a trailer. The drum style is mainly used on heavier box trailers or machinery trailers. They are low in maintenance and safe to use when on the bitumen or smooth roads. The disc style is widely used on boat trailers due to the fact that they are put into the water regularly and drain easier than the drum. They are again safe to use when on the bitumen or smooth roads but both style can become dangerous when traveling on corrugated roads or when 4wdriving.
The biggest problem of the override system is the activation of the brakes. When the vehicle brakes the inertia of the trailer compressors a spring in the tow coupling which in turn activates a leaver pulling a cable to activate the brake leaver attached to the brakes. The problems with this system are when you are outback traveling, is at the initial impact of the trailer as the spring is being compressed. This impact has at many times pushed vehicles out of control. Other times it forces the driver to brake harder which in turn activates ABS braking on the vehicle. The entire system works relevant to the force or the weight of the trailer compressing the spring in the coupling. Most off road couplings used in the camping trailer industry use a 1 tonne spring. However most loaded trailers weigh between 1.1 tonne and 1.5 tonne, making the spring to light. This causes the trailer brakes to apply to server and over braking then they release quickly jerking on the back of the vehicle then reapplying. This can happen several times pulling and pushing the vehicle, and can unsteady large 4wds easily.

Hydraulic override brakes suffer from the same problems of the mechanical override due to them still relying on the tow coupling spring. However the hydraulic fluid does have a shelf life and it is very messy to service or replace water ruined fluid, especially in the middle of a long holiday. The hydraulic systems are being used less and less due to these problems.

Drum versus disc brakes – which is better on a trailer? It depends on the application of that trailer.

Disc brakes on motor vehicle manufacturers have been proven to be the safest method however today's designs have taken many years to perfect. The transition from drum brakes to disc brakes has taken a long time. Many manufacturers would mount front discs and drum rears. Why? This was due to rear disc brakes being too venerable from debris off the front wheels. Huge advances in designs to protect the rear disc brakes of vehicles have been implemented on most vehicles over the past 20 years. Wheel designs on 4wd have been changed to have large off sets to cover and protect the disc brakes.

Unfortunately the trailer version of the disc brakes has not had the same upgrades. The trailer brakes work in an even worse environment than that of the rear wheels of the vehicle. Major problems of the disc brakes are that debris would get caught in the activator part of the brake pad and stop the brake from working. Or the self adjusting mechanism would get full of dust and jam causing the adjustment to be manually done under the trailer on a daily basis. Other problems would be the metal backing of the brake pad wearing a grove in the housing of the brake caliper jamming open rendering the brake ineffective and very dangerous when it happens to one side only. The problems with the disc brakes in an off road application are not rectified weather it is an Override Mechanical, hydraulic or electronic.

The Drum brake is a good all-round brake. The electric brake has been designed to give total in car control over the braking of the trailer. Although a brake controller has to be fitted to the vehicle at a small cost. Your safety and your control over your $90,000 plus vehicle and trailer combination, not to mention your family in the vehicle, is well worth it. The adjustment of the braking can be done when driving, great when roads go to tracks and the corrugations get larger. You can also use the trailer brakes independently from the vehicle brakes, great for going down steep inclines and when 4wdriving. Great when traveling through sand or mud and you have to reverse quickly, you do not have to get out and turn the reversing leaver over manually on the coupling.

The new style electric brakes are self cleaning. The designs have improved and the ventilation now allows dust to go through the brake and not stay in the drum. One point to add is that after going through large creek crossings the brake shoes need to be dried by activating the slide control a couple of times from the drivers seat.

To sum up our experience. Campomatic has built many trailers over the past 40 years and out of all the braking systems on the market today, there is no safer or more practical brake to use when traveling off road than the electric drum brake.

Weight Distribution

Weight distribution on any single axle trailer is one of the most important things to get right so the trailer tows correctly and is safe behind your vehicle. When traveling off road it is even more so important to have the balance of your trailer correct.

When we start to design the camper for you we need to know the towing vehicle so we can keep the tow ball weight within it's range. All vehicles are different and if you exceed there rating you void your insurance and are towing illegally.

With the Campomatic we have moved all our heavy items to the rear of the camper and then allowed plenty of room in the front storage to put your gear in an keep the camper balanced.

Other necessities when traveling off road with your Campomatic is the ramp over & departure angles. The ramp over angle on the Campomatic is an excellent 16 degrees with the higher than most drawbar. The departure angle is better than almost all 4WD vehicles.
To keep the camper stable and stop any back sway, we have kept our wheels rear in the body of the camper, illustrated below (A>B).

Wedge Box

The wedge box has side opening doors that drop down to make access into your storage area as easy as possible. All the dust and dirt is now not a problem.

The Wedge Box is all aluminium construction which is durable and light in weight. The checker plate doors are angled backwards to give total stone deflection protecting your camper and the back of your vehicle.

The Ranger XTC comes standard with a 65L Waeco fridge. This fridge uses eutectic technology to increase efficiency.

The Honda EU 10i generator is an option available with the Ranger XTC. The Honda gives you 240V and 12V power on demand. Great for long term bush camping

Kitchen

In any camper, the most frequently used areas are the kitchen, fridge and pantry. Let’s face it, we visit these two areas at least three times a day. Whether it be cooking a hotpot, topping up on liquid refreshments, or raiding the biscuit barrel, we need to have instant access and ease of use. We need unrestricted access, and space for at least two people to work without stepping on one another’s toes.
Over the past fifteen years, the Campomatic kitchen and pantry has evolved into the extremely functional design that we have today. Here are just a few reasons why we believe the Campomatic kitchen and pantry to be the most functional and user-friendly of all:

•The whole kitchen unit is incorporated into one compact drawer.
•The kitchen is fully dust-sealed, so it is clean and ready to use once opened
•The gas and water lines are permanently connected, eliminating any time-consuming and fiddly connecting of lines.
•It is made of stainless steel, thereby easy to clean, and easy to keep clean.
•The stove is well away from any canvas, so you won’t stain your canvas with oil, pasta sauce etc. (stains cannot be removed from canvas).
•The stove is a safe distance away from any canvas, eliminating the risk of fire.
•The stove is a safe distance away from gas bottles and jerry cans.
•Because the kitchen is perpendicular to the camper in the opened position, one can work at the stove from three sides, and at the sink from two sides. So, two or more people can work at the kitchen at the same time.
•The removable stove windshield can be positioned in a way to allow unrestricted use of all four burners at the one time.
•There is ample storage space for pots, pans, large utensils, cutlery (a separate cutlery drawer), plates, cups, spices, tinned foods etc., thereby freeing up the pantry (Wedge Box) for other essentials/fridge etc.

•Pantry access is from the side, so you don’t have to dig deep to get to the Vegemite.
•Side access means that you don’t have to lean over a dirty box to get at things.
•Because the access doors fold down, the boat on top of the camper doesn’t need to be unloaded to get to the storage areas in the Wedge Box.
•Because of the position of the kitchen, the boat doesn’t need to be unloaded to boil the kettle at lunchtime.
•The wedge shape of the front storage box (Wedge Box), along with checker plating on the doors, deflect stones away from the camper, thereby eliminating the need for a stone mesh or stone guard.
•The wedge shape of the box allows a greater turning circle.
•The Wedge Box is constructed of 4mm. aluminium (lighter than steel), to reduce the weight and strain on your tow vehicle, and to stay within your vehicle’s legal tow ball weight.
•The Wedge Box is aerodynamic, meaning less wind resistance, improved handling and improved fuel consumption.
•The annexe area is 8ft around the kitchen which gives plenty of space for walking around and staying under cover.

All Campomatic kitchens have a gas approved manual valve fitted to the top of the stove drawer, that will not allow the drawer to be closed unless the valve is turned off. This is a safety requirement that will prevent users from mistakenly leaving the gas turned on when closing the kitchen. Also, all Campomatic stoves have a flame failure device fitted to the gas stove and grill, which automatically stops the flow of gas to the burners should the flame be extinguished. We believe that the quality of our gas supply system combined with the flame failure device and gas isolation system provides a level of safety that you can rely on.

Many a great meal has been created in the Campomatic kitchen, and we know a Barra or two. We hope that you can one day enjoy it to.

Annexe Roof & Walls

The annex roof zips onto the main tent on the kitchen side of the camper, with only 7 poles and no spreader bars it's easy to add when you require a little more under cover living space. The main tent includes a small annex that extends over the draw bar, this is incorporated into the overall annex footprint.

The optional wall set is made up of 5 sections of wall so you can put up as many or as few of the wall sections as you require. They start at the main tent rear door (wall 1), they continue down the long side of the annex past the kitchen (walls 2 and 3), across the front of the camper (wall 4) and back to the front of the main tent (wall 5) where a draft curtain continues along the drivers side of the tent and completes the wall set by attaching back to the first annex wall. The wall set is manufactured with large tropical windows at strategic locations to provide lots of ventilation on those hot summer nights

The photos above show the pack up method involved when leaving the annex roof attached, this can only be achieved once the new canvas is well seasoned.

Interior

The interior design is based around maximizing storage. We have utilized every all areas. The over wheel arch storage lockers is an example of what would normally be wasted space. These lockers are great for putting personal affects in. We use molded fiberglass for the internal panels which give us a perfect fit each time. The panels are easy to clean if you walk dirt in on your shoes. We have maintained the carpet to eliminate condensation under the mattress.

The bed area has the innerspring mattress fitted as standard. This mattress is only just shy of a queen size. We have allowed room down both sides of the mattress for the bedding to sit into so it makes closing the camper easier. This area is great for putting your book, glasses, torch etc when using the camper. There is good storage on top of the bed when the camper is closed. The front half of the bed is taken up with the tent and the rear half can be used for fitting tables, chairs, solar panels, etc. The height on top of the bed when the camper is closed is 130mm. All these items are accessible when the camper is closed, through the rear door.

 

The under bed storage area provides you with 305mm of storage depth. In this area we have fitted a convenient slide out drawer for your smaller items. The area under the drawer is a good area for the extras that everyone takes, just in case. The drawer is accessible through the rear door of the camper when it is closed making it an extremely versatile storage compartment. The side hatch is also accessible through the rear door.
Main access to under the bed is through the top lid which is operated with 2 gas struts. This allows you to access all your storage.

This diagram shows the basic area under the bed. Additional to this storage under the bed there are the 2 side lockers and the slide out kitchen.

12v System

The Campomatic 12V system is designed for simple use. The dual 80 amp deep cycle maintenance free batteries are located out of the way, under the bed behind the wheel arches. They are capable of being charged by the following methods:

1.  From the vehicle through a 50amp Anderson plug using 8mm wire to eliminate voltage drop.
2.  240V battery charger. This is a 6 to 30 amp charger with an automatic float setting which will not over charge your battery.
3.  Anl input socket is supplied behind the fridge so you can plug in a solar pane or generatorl and charge your batteries externally.
Through our intensive testing over the past 22 years we have found that the largest power drain on the batteries is fridges. We have supplied sufficient battery capacity to keep our recommended fridges operating for 2-3 days without charging, in some conditions the batteries have lasted 10 days. These tests have been conducted in northern Australia in varying climate conditions.

Your Campomatic is fitted with a volt meter that lets you see quickly the state of charge on the battery. This can be done through the rear door if the camper is closed. From the volt gauge you know whether you need to charge your batteries.

We have fitted a water tank gauge next to the 12V gauge for easy viewing. This gauge uses its own battery and indicates the tank level in ¼, ½, ¾, Full increments.

The interior lighting fitted is very bright; the reading lights are flexible and easily positioned over your shoulder to read at night. The bed end lights give sufficient light for the size of the camper.

The exterior light is over the kitchen and is a LED. This light does not attract insects and is a great night light as it draws very little power.

Boat Loader

The Campomatic Boat Loader is an ingenious piece of engineering. The combination of gas struts and the positioning in relevance to the hinge point are key factors of our boat loader. Leaving all the engineering aside, the boat loader works extremely well and with the boat being placed on the ground the right way up make the unloading of the boat off the loader a one person operation. Once the boat is taken off, the loader can be packed vertically against the camper out of the way.

The best sizes o boats to put on the loader are 3.0m to 3.75m, with a weight range from 50kg to 80kg. Of course, the lighter the better. We have custom fitted larger and heavier boats but our normal sizes are more than adequate for fishing for the elusive Barramundi.

Most of these boats will use up to a 15hp outboard motor which will fit our outboard motor slides.

Outboard Motor

Outboard motors are an awkward item to store and transport due to there shape. The Campomatic outboard motor slide box is the solution. The slides are rated to hold 100kg. The majority of people use 15hp motors and they weigh around the 35kg mark. The slides make loading and unloading the outboard motor a breeze. No lifting the motor over stone guards and breaking your back.

Once you slide the motor in place, simply reach in and secure the motor using the motors transom screws onto our adjustable transom bracket.

Please ensure your intended motor will fit the motor box before you make your purchase.

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