Kimberley Kampers USA

[Treefarmer1]

On that note... I've recently come across Outdoors RV trailers, and spent a few hours watching their factory tour videos on YouTube. Lots of great stuff in their designs, from custom frames that are built to the specific floor plan (vs. generic frames on virtually all other trailers), to their 80 gallon fresh water tanks, to decent suspension, to their wall manufacturing process, etc. They're a far cry from Kimberley, but then again, so is their price. They definitely seem to be made much better than the average travel trailer, and a good bang for the buck/value IMO. (I may, or may not be looking at one tomorrow. ) It seems they are quite liked by folks out in Alaska as the trailers are well insulated and hold up to rougher roads.

They are a good alternative to Airstream, but the suspensions aren't great. They use the MorRyde 3000. Not a great option for off road. Their frames are solid though.

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

It really depends on how you intend to camp. Airstream would be fine if you'll be staying in campgrounds for the most part. You pay a premium for their brand, but they've never been known for superior performance when it comes to suspension, solar panel capability, electrical system (typically 30 amp not 50 amp service), cargo carrying capacity, cold/hot weather performance, plumbing robustness, etc. I helped a guy repair/replace his entire fresh water plumbing system in an Airstream once. It leaked like crazy. When you take them apart, it's amazing how inexpensively they build given their luxury reputation.

If you plan to primarily boondock and spend a lot of time off pavement getting to your campsite, an off road dual axle trailer will serve you better. If Kimberley is too expensive, take a look at the Kingdom XL and Xplore X195. You'll need an F250/2500 to tow them safely.

Treefarmer1 always appreciate your feedback and recommendations. Did you get a chance to watch the whole video? Quite a bit of off-grid/boondocking capability is this particular Airstream model. Granted it's not going to have Kimberley's off road capability, but liklely enough to be taken off the beaten path if taken slow/easy.

Check out some of the posts from this fella - With proper planning/precautions liklely more capable than most people realize.

Off Road Airstream

I could swing $ either one.... Obviously the ~80k less for the Airstream is a much easier pill to swallow...

Been checking out the other recommendations as well so thanks to all! 🍻

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Treefarmer1 always appreciate your feedback and recommendations. Did you get a chance to watch the whole video? Quite a bit of off-grid/boondocking capability is this particular Airstream model. Granted it's not going to have Kimberley's off road capability, but liklely enough to be taken off the beaten path if taken slow/easy.

Check out some of the posts from this fella - With proper planning/precautions liklely more capable than most people realize.

Off Road Airstream

I could swing $ either one.... Obviously the ~80k less for the Airstream is a much easier pill to swallow...

Been checking out the other recommendations as well so thanks to all! 🍻

Just took a quick look at this Airstream off road link and that rig has minimal ground clearance and all those roads they were on looked really flat. Might want to join a few Airstream FB groups and search " issues " or "leaks" . I could not even back down my driveway with that lack of ground clearance.

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

Just took a quick look at this Airstream off road link and that rig has minimal ground clearance and all those roads they were on looked really flat. Might want to join a few Airstream FB groups and search " issues " or "leaks" . I could not even back down my driveway with that lack of ground clearance.

Totally agree. He now has a newer one with a 3" lift that he states is much better "off road." Some surprising and beautiful places he was able to get that thing to none the less... The new Trade Wind model is considerably higher with a 3" lift and larger diameter tires. Should be pretty capable of getting off the beaten path given where he was able to take that particular trailer.

Think we'd all agree that there is no "perfect" trailer and that they all come with strengths and weaknesses in design and capability. Also, everyone's idea of "off the beaten path" is liklely not the same... Appreciate your comments/thoughts as well! 🍻

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

Just took a quick look at this Airstream off road link and that rig has minimal ground clearance and all those roads they were on looked really flat. Might want to join a few Airstream FB groups and search " issues " or "leaks" . I could not even back down my driveway with that lack of ground clearance.

For the record, didn't mean to highjack this Kimberley thread... Apologize if it comes across that way. The earlier point about steep mountainous off roading and the limitation of the Airstream in that scenario is certainly worth noting and something I need to take into consideration... Cheers! 🍻

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

If you are researching and considering a Kimberley I can't imagine anyone would mind this discussion but I do not own a Kimberley so maybe folks get annoyed by my lame opinions 😉.

Yes I can only imagine 3-4 more inches of ground clearance would really help. I apologize as I didn't get very far in that blog. I could not find a description of the suspension on the Tradewinds. Is it the same torsion axel as the other models? You are correct no one trailer fits everyone that's for sure. I wonder if do to interest rates and most trailer brands dropping prices you could talk Dave down a bit on price?

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

If you are researching and considering a Kimberley I can't imagine anyone would mind this discussion but I do not own a Kimberley so maybe folks get annoyed by my lame opinions 😉.

Yes I can only imagine 3-4 more inches of ground clearance would really help. I apologize as I didn't get very far in that blog. I could not find a description of the suspension on the Tradewinds. Is it the same torsion axel as the other models? You are correct no one trailer fits everyone that's for sure. I wonder if do to interest rates and most trailer brands dropping prices you could talk Dave down a bit on price?

Yes, same torsion axel as the other models - Certainly less than ideal.... On the plus side, they are "never-lube" axles. If the T3 could be had for ~$180K (with options) I think it would be a no brainer, but at ~$220K with options, shipping, and dealer markup; and taking into account my planned case usage (year round/both east and west) it becomes hard to justify an 80K difference in price. At least at this point in my analysis...

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Yes, same torsion axel as the other models - Certainly less than ideal.... On the plus side, they are "never-lube" axles. If the T3 could be had for ~$180K (with options) I think it would be a no brainer, but at ~$220K with options, shipping, and dealer markup; and taking into account case usage (year round/both east and west) it becomes hard to justify an 80K difference in price. At least at this point in my analysis...

Boy that is crazy especially in today's market and with the exchange rate to boot. Man I feel your pain. You deserve a huge military discount. Thanks for you service!

 

[Buddha.]

Yes, same torsion axel as the other models - Certainly less than ideal.... On the plus side, they are "never-lube" axles. If the T3 could be had for ~$180K (with options) I think it would be a no brainer, but at ~$220K with options, shipping, and dealer markup; and taking into account case usage (year round/both east and west) it becomes hard to justify an 80K difference in price. At least at this point in my analysis...

There’s a reason nobody uses never lube. I’ve heard of those things getting so hot tires were blowing out.

I don’t what insurance rates are on airstream but a hail storm can really mess them up.

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

There’s a reason nobody uses never lube. I’ve heard of those things getting so hot tires were blowing out.

I don’t what insurance rates are on airstream but a hail storm can really mess them up.

Hail - Yes, definitely a concern and something to avoid and contend with... Can you point me to threads and/or other information related to Airstream's "never-lube" axles overheating/failing ? I haven't come across any in my research of the trailer. My understanding is they're simply automotive type bearings. Obviously, "never-lube" is a relative term... Most everything has a service life and needs to be replaced at some point. Thanks!

 

[Buddha.]

Hail - Yes, definitely a concern and something to avoid and contend with... Can you point me to threads and/or other information related to Airstream's "never-lube" axles overheating/failing ? I haven't come across any in my research of the trailer. My understanding is they're simply automotive type bearings. Obviously, "never-lube" is a relative term... Most everything has a service life and needs to be replaced at some point. Thanks!

Not Airstream, but I had an older guy at work(RV tech) tell me of a time they switched trailer axles from Neverlube to conventional because of overheating and blowing tires.
I've only seen 1 trailer with the never lube axles in my 3 years as a tech, nobody in the shop new what to do with them. I was under the impression they were phased out. Doing a quick google search just now it seems they are still in use but uncommon.

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

Boy that is crazy especially in today's market and with the exchange rate to boot. Man I feel your pain. You deserve a huge military discount. Thanks for you service!

Spoke with Dave this morning and had him send me the latest (2024) brochure/price sheet for the T Class. Worked up the price with the options I'd like and it came to $185,416 plus 15K for shipping ($200,416). Certainly better that the $217K estimate I worked up a few years back (likely I was adding tax)... 200K is still a good chunk of change, but getting closer. Going to head up to Ohio in a few weeks and see one in person. Thanks again for everyone's thoughts/input 🍻

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Spoke with Dave this morning and had him send me the latest (2024) brochure/price sheet for the T Class. Worked up the price with the options I'd like and it came to $185,416 plus 15K for shipping ($200,416). Certainly better that the $217K estimate I worked up a few years back (likely I was adding tax)... 200K is still a good chunk of change, but getting closer. Going to head up to Ohio in a few weeks and see one in person. Thanks again for everyone's thoughts/input 🍻

One last comment

On Kimberly AU website the T3 starts at 220,000 AU which is 144,600 US .

Kimberly s are nice but 35 k for shipping and dealer added mark up on is to much

Kingdom camping xl could build you a sweet rig for 120k that would be better insulated

 

[cmo5]

One last comment

On Kimberly AU website the T3 starts at 220,000 AU which is 144,600 US .

Kimberly s are nice but 35 k for shipping and dealer added mark up on is to much

Kingdom camping xl could build you a sweet rig for 120k that would be better insulated

That Australian price you are quoting is a base price without options, whereas the price Mars is quoting is with options. Like many rigs, Kimberleys have a long option list that do bring the price up quite a bit. So it's not fair to say that the price differential is all in markup/shipping. No doubt shipping is expensive and Dave has to keep the lights on, but you would have to compare an identically optioned Australian rig for it to be fair.

As a Kimberly owner for over 2 years, I generally agree with the points made above. It really is an apples to oranges comparison when compared to an Airstream and it totally depends on your use case if the Kimberley premium is worth it. No matter what lift/tires you put on an Airstream, it is still fundamentally an on road rig, and I guarantee if you are planning on taking it down more than the occasional well groomed forest service road you are going to encounter issues with the vibrations from off road travel. In the two years we've had our Karavan, we've not had a single system fail or even a screw back out due to the off road environment. I'm pretty sure that would not be the case with any off road package equipped regular trailer. Now if you are handy and don't mind fixing things this may not be a deal breaker for you. Airstreams certainly are nice on the inside and will offer quite a bit more space on the inside then even the T-class due to the significantly larger width. For us, the narrower width of the Kimberleys was a strong selling point in terms of being able to get it into places where a traditional rig can't fit (also why we got a Karavan over a Kruiser).

 

[MARSSIVPilot]

That Australian price you are quoting is a base price without options, whereas the price Mars is quoting is with options. Like many rigs, Kimberleys have a long option list that do bring the price up quite a bit. So it's not fair to say that the price differential is all in markup/shipping. No doubt shipping is expensive and Dave has to keep the lights on, but you would have to compare an identically optioned Australian rig for it to be fair.

As a Kimberly owner for over 2 years, I generally agree with the points made above. It really is an apples to oranges comparison when compared to an Airstream and it totally depends on your use case if the Kimberley premium is worth it. No matter what lift/tires you put on an Airstream, it is still fundamentally an on road rig, and I guarantee if you are planning on taking it down more than the occasional well groomed forest service road you are going to encounter issues with the vibrations from off road travel. In the two years we've had our Karavan, we've not had a single system fail or even a screw back out due to the off road environment. I'm pretty sure that would not be the case with any off road package equipped regular trailer. Now if you are handy and don't mind fixing things this may not be a deal breaker for you. Airstreams certainly are nice on the inside and will offer quite a bit more space on the inside then even the T-class due to the significantly larger width. For us, the narrower width of the Kimberleys was a strong selling point in terms of being able to get it into places where a traditional rig can't fit (also why we got a Karavan over a Kruiser).

All excellent points and the reason it's still on the short list and I'm planning to head up to Ohio soon to see one in person. On the price sheet the options I selected came to just under 9k... Not overly concerned about having to fix things from time to time Airstream or otherwise. I'm typically inclined to do things myself; maintenance, repairs, etc, so I know it's done right. Having said that, it'd be nice to travel down unimproved forest roads, maybe some trails, etc... without having to worry about it shaking apart...