New Jurgens off-road Camper Trailers!! Let's have some input....

[bunduguy]

Some updates and layouts

Hello all,
Just thought I'd give some updates and post some layouts that we have not done before. The Xplorer model has a privy room with an external shower that pops out from an enclosed recess, as well as a basin and vanity that also pops out from behind a closed panel. All the Safari range comes equipped with a fridge/freezer (80L National Luna in the Xplorer, and 40L Engel in the Xcape) and battery/inverter system, and fully stocked deployable kitchen. The kitchen on the Xplorer can be used inside our out.

In addition, here are some of the major differences between an off-road camper and a regular ol' Jayco, Outback, etc.

Chassis:
The Safari chassis is much more heavy duty (about 50% bigger) in comparison to the road going chassis as it is designed to take the punch of sustained off-road use.
The axle is much more heavy duty for the same reasons. The internal rubbers are bigger for the extra suspension & heat distribution. The swing arms are bigger & thicker to take the knocks. The stub shaft of the axle is bigger to take the knocks.
The wheels are 15” & not 14” with off road tires.

Walls:
The walls have a additional layer of ply on the aluminum side making the sandwich panel much stronger.
Walls & floor are bolted with internal & external brackets (as well as bonding materials) to ensure it can take the knocks and the constant flexing off road.

Body:
The Safari is narrower (about the same as the average 4x4 vehicle) than the average camper, so that the trailers wheels & body follow the same track as the tow vehicle. This means you can be sure that if you vehicle gets through the trail, the camper will as well.

The Safari is compact with many things that clip on or fold out as if designed to be functional in a small space whereas most travel trailers are a luxury van with everything permanently positioned.

The furniture uses a number of bolted fittings to ensure that they stay together in the harshest of environments. This is instead of being glued together.

Systems:
The Jurgens Safari is 100% 12V & gas with a battery system. All the lights, fridge, pump etc run on 12V. 110V can be plugged in to run the plug sockets & charge the battery system when near a mains source.

The hot water geyser is 110V & gas & can therefore be used if you are not plugged into mains power.

The Safari can charge the battery while driving while many campers can not. This is because the Safari is designed to do trails where you are traveling most of the time where as travel trailers tend to camp in the same place for a long time.

Testing:
The Jurgens Safari was tested at a military test ground. This is the SA Defence Force military test grounds. These day it is a private company that we pay to test our prototypes etc.

They have suspension tracks with a number of different surfaces, a banked oval track for high speed tests, tilt bridge for left & right roll over testing, various 4x4 tracks to test every typical 4x4 situation etc. The Safari has been extensively tested at this facility as well as all over Africa & Australia. It is built to take the knocks and the punches.

Basically, if your 4x4 tow vehicle (not a rock crawler or heavy wheeling!) can get through somewhere, so can the Safari, and when camped, you will have all the necessities to eat, sleep, shower in comfort.

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Roualeyn,
Thanks for the update. Have been talking with a friend about the Xplorer and we both agree that we much prefer the window to the tent in front. Very interested in when these will be available in the States to have a look at - it seems to have all the features my wife and I are looking for in a trailer. She really likes the pull out kitchen, also.

 

[bunduguy]

Hi Frank,
All will be revealed upon my return from SA in November .We're still hoping to get our demo units here by early next year. In the meantime we'll be taking lots of photos and compiling the specs. The more we chat, the more I think we'll be offering the extra bed up front as an option on the Xplorer, and keep is as a 2-sleeper as stock.
We'll keep you updated.

 

[ersatzknarf]

Hi Roualeyn,
Hoping you have a safe trip to SA and back !
Looking forward to lots of photos, too
Very glad to hear about being able to have the window up front, rather than the tent, also :sombrero:
Please, keep the updates coming ! ! !
:coffeedrink:

 

[Borrego60]

Any idea of the weights on the trailers?

 

[Redline]

On their site:

http://www.bundugear.com/products/campertrailers.html

Any idea of the weights on the trailers?

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I like the Explorer model, but with one child and planning for more, I'd need the flip-out bunk up front.

Definitely keep us updated with any solid pricing you will have, and have a great trip to SA!

 

[bunduguy]

Some updates...

Well, I haven't yet posted up about my November trip to South Africa. I had the great pleasure of spending considerable time at the Jurgens factory, meeting with the CEO, head engineers, production and factory managers, marketing managers etc. I also got to see the entire production process from a rolling chassis to a complete customer-ready camper.

One thing is sure; this is a slick operation! The quality of construction is amazing, and the materials are top notch. Virtually everything used in the camper is made in the Jurgens and Howling Moon factory. Even the walls, cabinets etc are made right there in the factory. The factory employees are divided into teams, all performing a highly specialized task. While they're busy on a batch of trailers, other employees in the center of the factory are building the cabinets and contents of the next batch that will hit the floor. Very slick indeed when you see it all in action.

One thing that really impressed me is the quality of materials used. All the cabinets inside, and the doors, are all made from marine ply, and NOT chip/particle board. Then, they are all bolted and screwed onto the chassis and walls; no glue and staple rubbish. When each design is finished, it's tested on a military proving ground to make sure the vehicles meet the demanding need of overlanding on Africa. Even the cabinet hinges are BOLTED on, not screwed!

I also had the good fortune of spending time with the engineering and design team, even sitting in on design meetings going over minor changes in features. The manufacturing is so advanced that subtle changes can be made from one batch to the next, in a continuously evolving and improving cycle. This allows changes to be made instantly DURING a model year, based on customer feedback.

More good news, is that based on customer requests, Jurgens has brought out the Xplorer Excell model. This is a Xplorer model with no flop-out bed in the front, for those customers who only need sleeping for 2 people. This gives more storage overall, but still allows a single bed in the front for use as a daybed or bench seat.

I've included a few CAD layouts of the various trailers.
We're still hoping to have an Xcape and Xplorer unit at Overland Expo for you all to walk thru.

 

[bunduguy]

and some more...

Some pictures from the production floor.
1. Cutting the wall panels of an xplorer
2. The production line of a batch of Xplorers.
3. Team Shosholoza, sticking to their time target on their station!
4. The design team revising a particular feature to be changed on the next batch.
5. Xcapes awaiting delivery.

 

[Redline]

Very nice, I can't wait to see these outfits in person! :sombrero:

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Thanks for posting the pics and details, they look really good!

 

[stomperxj]

Cool renderings.... any shots of what the bare frame/suspension looks like?

 

[63tlf8]

......The quality of construction is amazing, and the materials are top notch. Virtually everything used in the camper is made in the Jurgens and Howling Moon factory. Even the walls, cabinets etc are made right there in the factory. ........

One thing that really impressed me is the quality of materials used......

bunduguy,

Read you post a few times and thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth. I had an Oryx for nearly 6 years and took it most places off road so I guess I have some experience. I enjoyed it and am not bagging the product, just a few things need perspective. With a few changes I would certainly buy again.

Quality is subjective. If you are used to cheap rubbish then the Jurgens line are certainly a refreshing change. Nevertheless, under the skin they are not the "amazing" product mentioned but a solid but uninspiring assembly line product, with the expected glitches. As they should be looking at the number produced.

I stripped much of mine out over time to make some improvements. Under the skin they are what you would realistically expect for the price, rough and with the obvious pointers to semi skilled assembly labour. The Oryx had some design flaws and may well still have the worst, sealing and water damage. An example is the roof design that traps water and when the sealant ages, leaks, resulting in rot and quite a significant roof rebuild. Annoying thing is that with the GRP work they do, they could have laid up a GRP roof cap that would have completely eliminated the problem and quickened assembly. Also evident around the door and at the wall / floor joint.

In this day and age, expressive words are cheap and maybe people just ignore them. I'd certainly recommend an Oryx if asked but I would make it clear that it is not a Rolls Royce for a pushbike price. Before I sold mine I thought through what its life span would be and decided that with regular use and maintenance, perhaps 10-12 years max. At that time, in truth the box itself would probably not be repairable. Had I still had it I would have just made another box to the same design with the necessary improvements to extend its life.

So, an effort to put the Jurgens line in perspective, not bag them. I think they are fair value for money but a little thought could have made them substantially better.

Tony

 

[bunduguy]

bunduguy,

Read you post a few times and thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth. I had an Oryx for nearly 6 years and took it most places off road so I guess I have some experience. I enjoyed it and am not bagging the product, just a few things need perspective. With a few changes I would certainly buy again.

Quality is subjective. If you are used to cheap rubbish then the Jurgens line are certainly a refreshing change. Nevertheless, under the skin they are not the "amazing" product mentioned but a solid but uninspiring assembly line product, with the expected glitches. As they should be looking at the number produced.

I stripped much of mine out over time to make some improvements. Under the skin they are what you would realistically expect for the price, rough and with the obvious pointers to semi skilled assembly labour. The Oryx had some design flaws and may well still have the worst, sealing and water damage. An example is the roof design that traps water and when the sealant ages, leaks, resulting in rot and quite a significant roof rebuild. Annoying thing is that with the GRP work they do, they could have laid up a GRP roof cap that would have completely eliminated the problem and quickened assembly. Also evident around the door and at the wall / floor joint.

In this day and age, expressive words are cheap and maybe people just ignore them. I'd certainly recommend an Oryx if asked but I would make it clear that it is not a Rolls Royce for a pushbike price. Before I sold mine I thought through what its life span would be and decided that with regular use and maintenance, perhaps 10-12 years max. At that time, in truth the box itself would probably not be repairable. Had I still had it I would have just made another box to the same design with the necessary improvements to extend its life.

So, an effort to put the Jurgens line in perspective, not bag them. I think they are fair value for money but a little thought could have made them substantially better.

Tony

Hi Tony,
Thanks so much for the input. Always happy to have an opportunity to hear opinions.
I noticed you said you had it for 6 years, which means you must have bought it at least 6-7 years ago, if it's now sold? Many, many changes have occurred with Jurgens in that time. You are absolutely correct there were issues with sealing from water, dust, fit and finish etc. In the last 2-3 years the whole production line has changed, and materials used replaced. The factory/production manager actually told me about many of the previous issues you mentioned, and this plagued them for several years. In the last years they have changed sealant that they use; now an extremely expensive rubber compound imported from Germany. The aluminium extrusions have been changed to channel water better, and doors and windows have all been completely redesigned. Positive pressure vents hav been added in all the off-road models to reduce the dust infiltration. They have a new generation of designers and engineers who make minute changes to things you would find annoying; Access to cabinets, angles of steps, use of space etc. In addition, all the cabinets and interior fittings have been significantly upgraded to reflect the fact that Jurgens is the flagship brand of their 4 Camper/RV brands. While it is regrettable that your Oryx experience was less than stellar, I'm confident in saying that the Oryx you owned is no longer the Oryx currently available to the marketplace.
Thanks again for the input, and if you don't mind, I'm going to forward your comments to the engineers in SA. Have a look at a Jurgens again. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and hopefully inspired as well.

Regards,
Roualeyn

 

[63tlf8]

..........While it is regrettable that your Oryx experience was less than stellar, I'm confident in saying that the Oryx you owned is no longer the Oryx currently available to the marketplace..........
Roualeyn

Hi Roualeyn,

I don't have any regrets about the Oryx or our experiences with it, after all we paid a fair price for what we got and we loved the concept. For a while we had close ties with the importers and were aware of the changes in progress at that time. I don't believe that the Oryx itself is available now in Australia so I have no real way of keeping abreast of any later developments in the flesh.

I note you comments about improvements made and they would certainly be easy to implement into the build by spec changes. As we had a reasonably early model, I would certainly like to think that Jurgens could and would have progressively improved the product as time passed.

To replace the Oryx I ended up building my own camper body for my MOG, and took heed of all the experiences during our long ownership of the Oryx. The weaker concepts in the Oryx design were excluded from our build (which does not resemble an Oryx at all) and the point I was making earlier was that some of the more robust / durable solutions just don't fit the pricepoint of the Jurgens range. A bit like real world physics and no free lunches etc.

I'll be pleased to see more of the Jurgens range in the rougher parts of the world and wish them success.

Tony