After driving all day, you could probably think of a few unprintable words to describe your energy levels and demeanour when you arrive at camp. All you want is a quick feed, a beer and to get into bed with no fuss. Well, my friends, this you can find in Travelander country. Everything is so easy. And that’s not to say others are hard, it’s just that this is incredibly easy.
Flick a few latches, press a button and the job is done — meaning you can get straight into the EvaKool for the first well-earned brew of the arvo.
Kitchen
The kitchen area is easily accessible from the rear of the camper. Just lift the access panel door and you are in. Cooking is supplied by a two-burner metho (yes, metho) Dometic stove, which can be cooked from in three separate places — two at the rear or, in times of inclement weather, inside the canvas on the ledge — just move it to suit your mood. There is no gas bottle, which will help with the weight issues that all slide-ons face.
The team at Travelander has done a great job of maximising the usable space in the kitchen area. You have your entire pantry, including your cutlery, at your fingertips and it’s perfectly set up for a quick roadside cuppa or a more extensive evening meal. There is good usable bench space that all folds out as required. Interestingly, there is no sink included — it is serviced by a fold-up tub that packs flat, with diesel Webasto hot/cold water coming from a rose on an extendable hose. No fridge slides here either — the 90L EvaKool fridge/freezer is a custom job, fixed in place.
Bathroom
The research and development team has been busy over the last year, with developments made on the ensuite set-up. Now, you don’t need to worry about undue exposure getting to the shower, you can enter the ensuite direct from the tent. Inside, there’s a purpose-built shower caddy secured to the wall, to organise your shampoo, soap, etc. The big development this year though is the lightweight lithium battery system, which provides maximum grunt at a light weight. The weight of the unit is now down to an impressive 440kg dry.
THE JUDGES’ Wrap Up
The Travelander boasts a lot of good gear and superb attention to weight-saving. The innovative use of fibreglass, metho cooking and diesel heating/hot water as weight-saving measures, without compromising amenity, is excellent.
When it comes to being self-sufficient, a load of water storage, cooking facilities and electricity replenishment allow this camper to be on the sticks for ages. It all works really well and you want for nothing.
It’s hard knowing that this is a prototype and the first example of this new design, because you know the following examples will be much better. However, as it stands, there are too many rough edges here and the quality of finish could be improved.
Although it’s not bad in general, in fact it is excellent where general construction is concerned, small issues, like the hinge pockets flexing, are a concern for long-term durability.
This is a very thorough slide-on design with the key targets being around weight-saving and distribution, and Travelander is onto a winner. Overall, this is very easy to use, especially the power fold feature. As for value for money, there are loads of features. Only the quality of finish is a let down.
Check out the full review in issue #85 February 2015 of Camper Trailer Australia magazine.