West Coast Mags
Adventurer
That expediton Jeep Commanche rocks! Fell in love at first sight.
Overland Journal Trailer Comparison
- Thread starter ExpoMike
- Start date
Honu
lost on the mainland
agavelvr said:
or just for fun to see the conquest we can pull them both out to play with
I will be on my way to Canada mostly along the coast from down this way so if you see my give me a wave and light flash
a bright yellow FJ with ARB bumper pulling a conqueror should stand out
The BN Guy
Expedition Leader
I enjoyed the article. Very enlightening and made me start rethinking my goals.
clarkrw3
Observer
robert j. yates
Explorer
Nullifier said:
Having just completed a trip into the Sierras I'm finding that a 4cyl Toyota towing a Campa with only needing just a little more motor onthe highway a little hard to believe. Not dissing Toyotas, the Campa or you personally but here is the deal.
There were 4 Jeeps on this trip...my 98TJ with a built 4.0, another 98TJ with a Hesco 4.5 stroker, a 00 TJ with a Hemi conversion and an older CJ with a rebuilt and injected 258. All 4 Jeeps were towing various trailers in the 1500-1800lb range and all 4 Jeeps got hot engines and trannys after making the initial ascent up 9 mile canyon.
Maybe I should be dissing Jeeps but then, there is still that tiny little weight factor out there. I still think most folks are deluding themselves about the weight of trailers and the impact of that weight on their rig. While I understand the Campa philosophy, I'm not seeing it jive with smaller rigs.
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
One thing I have found towing my 2200 LB King Kamper with a V8 4Runner is that if I stay in high range when towing up steep mountain back roads, it puts a strain on everything and pushes the temps up. If I drop into low range and let the gearing do the towing, my tranny and drivetrain are much happier and run cool.
The cool thing with 4th Gen 4Runners is I can do this even on asphalt roads if the grade steep enough and the speed is below about 35 MPH.
The cool thing with 4th Gen 4Runners is I can do this even on asphalt roads if the grade steep enough and the speed is below about 35 MPH.
Martyn
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
robert j. yates said:
Robert
I understand what you are saying, but sometimes it's difficult to compare apples to apples.
I pulled a heavy African designed trailer 8000 miles through Southern Africa with a 4 cylinder Hillux. The Toyota had stock wheels and gearing, the land was relatively flat, and I was enjoying the scenery so a top speed of 50 mph was pleasant.
It would have been a different story if I tried to do the same thing up 9 mile Canyon, but my original perspective was that my Hillux was fully capable of towing my trailer. It was capable given the terrain I was covering and the speed at which I wanted to travel.
With so many variables, apart from personal perspective, such as tires size, gearing, power bands, terrain, surface conditions, air temperature, degree of slope, etc. we are left with very little.
A direct comparison is really only possible if different trailers are pulled over identical terrain with the same tow vehicle and driver in the same manner. That would be objective data.
I think OJ did an admirable job showcasing what is available in the market right now in North America, and their reporting was fair and accurate. I've read other Trailer Shoot Out articles in South African and Australian magazines and I think OJ is more than up to par. When it comes down to it the article is really just guide lines, it show cases the trailers, who makes them, and what their features are.
A buyer needs to use the article as part of their research, there is no substitute for seeing the trailers first hand, talking to owners who do the same type of trips as you do towing with a similar vehicle. It's still best to lay your hands on a trailer to look at the craftsmanship involved, and understand the technology behind the various models.
To paraphrase Churchill, if I may. When it comes to buying a trailer this article is “not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning”.
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SOAZ
Tim and Kelsey get lost..
Pulling them all during the test with Scotts Jeep with 5.29 gears I can offer a bit of an opinion.
Keep in mind you can outfit each of these trailers as light or heavy as you can dream up.
AS tested the campa is seriously heavy. Not only did I notice it back there, but it was a serious weight to have coming behind you down a hill. We had NO trailer brakes which would not be the normal case in real life though.
On the up hills the jeeps gearing pulled it up just fine, but at all times it was really very completely noticeable. Heck, I chose it as my number one because it really is the ultimate, but with all of those features is the extreme weight. The campa is NOT meant to be towed by a stock vehicle. The person who uses a fully outfitted campa is not going to head out into the wilderness with a stock truck.
On the flip side the kamperoo could be towed by a toyota corolla or a toyota tundra just fine, but the areas you would likely head with those match the type of vehicle likely to pull it.
The Horizon is another one that is heavy enough to be noticed. Not as much, but just like the Campa, a truck that is meant or modified to tow some weight would be the best to use.
I for one would get a chaser to pull behind my current mildly built 4runner.
I'd take the campa for when I head out on my around the world journey with a diesel 70 series towing it.
I'd take the Kamparoo for a trip to any national park and I'd love to use it as a base camp in moab.
I'd take the jumping jack to the dunes or moab so I could pack my mountain bike AND dirt bike on it and then use it as a base camp.
And I'd take the Horizon for any 5+ days jaunts in baja or the US.
Keep in mind you can outfit each of these trailers as light or heavy as you can dream up.
AS tested the campa is seriously heavy. Not only did I notice it back there, but it was a serious weight to have coming behind you down a hill. We had NO trailer brakes which would not be the normal case in real life though.
On the up hills the jeeps gearing pulled it up just fine, but at all times it was really very completely noticeable. Heck, I chose it as my number one because it really is the ultimate, but with all of those features is the extreme weight. The campa is NOT meant to be towed by a stock vehicle. The person who uses a fully outfitted campa is not going to head out into the wilderness with a stock truck.
On the flip side the kamperoo could be towed by a toyota corolla or a toyota tundra just fine, but the areas you would likely head with those match the type of vehicle likely to pull it.
The Horizon is another one that is heavy enough to be noticed. Not as much, but just like the Campa, a truck that is meant or modified to tow some weight would be the best to use.
I for one would get a chaser to pull behind my current mildly built 4runner.
I'd take the campa for when I head out on my around the world journey with a diesel 70 series towing it.
I'd take the Kamparoo for a trip to any national park and I'd love to use it as a base camp in moab.
I'd take the jumping jack to the dunes or moab so I could pack my mountain bike AND dirt bike on it and then use it as a base camp.
And I'd take the Horizon for any 5+ days jaunts in baja or the US.
ttora4runner
Expedition Leader
Nice trip :victory: . Tim your 4runner looked a little tippie in that one photo.
I'll give you guys a thumps up for pulling trailers on the trail cause I suck at driving with one of those.:victory:
I'll give you guys a thumps up for pulling trailers on the trail cause I suck at driving with one of those.:victory: