Camper Trailer Australia Issue 162

Congratulations again to Ultimate for taking the big gong as Camper Trailer of the Year, but also for taking out the Biggest X-Factor award. This camper is ahead of its time. We would like to apologise to Ultimate for printing the incorrect specifications of their X25 in the April 161 edition of the magazine. Whilst unforeseen, it’s not something we are proud of and have printed the correct specifications in this edition. We’d also like to congratulate all of the category winners again: • Best Compact Camper – Offtrax Feenix • Best Expedition Camper – Bushwakka Sundowner EVO • Best Value for Money – Bushwakka Sundowner EVO • Best Fold Out Camper – Ultimate X25 • Best Build – Patriot X3 and CUB Drifter II • Biggest X-Factor – Ultimate X25 • Best Hybrid Camper – Offline Domino • Most…

If you look at a 4WD in Australia, most have a bullbar on the front to protect their pride and joy. But when you check out its rear, you notice the flimsy, plastic bumper is still sitting there, often reducing departure angles and clearance. This is very apparent on the Ford Ranger and most wagons, and if you look closely, I guarantee you’ll find the scars to prove what little protection the rear bumper offers. This is where a rear replacement bar comes in handy, protecting the back end of your 4WD and improving the departure angle. Some rear bars also come with jacking and recovery points and a place to mount accessories. WHY DO I NEED TO REPLACE MY REAR BUMPER? There are several reasons, other than added protection, why adding an…

Disclaimer: if you read the intro to the event last issue, I’d skip most of this as it is predominantly a refresh on the process and the people behind the event. Skip to the results a couple of pages in, or refresh yourself on the process behind how we judge the campers late in this feature. After two failed attempts, we finally made it to Port Macquarie. It was wet (really, really wet) but that didn’t dampen our spirits, we were finally in Port Macquarie after two failed attempts. First there were the devastating fires of 2019 and a frankly forgettable 2020. We chose Port Mac for its beaches, bush and relative proximity to the major camper hubs of Sydney and Brisbane. It proved ideal as we found a quiet beach in…

Judges rate the campers against a set of strict, longstanding criteria. Aside from a few small changes in wording, tightening of criteria and (many years ago now) the addition of extra criteria to give readers a more comprehensive picture, the way reviewers have been assessing campers has remained the same since the inception of Camper magazine. The criteria used at the REDARC Camper Trailer of the Year event are exactly the same as those used by our reviewers throughout the year in our regular Camper issues. Across ten different measures, explained in depth below, the reviewer gives a score out of ten. For the REDARC Camper Trailer of the Year competition, these scores are then added up, to form a score out of 100. All of the four judges’ scores are…

Yeah, we are not perfect. Even if the editors who fix our writing are the best looking in the industry (thanks for noticing, Tim - Editorial team), we’re all still human. We made a big and embarrassing mistake last issue. You may have noticed the Ultimate X25 is in this issue but was in the last one too. That’s because we ran the wrong specs and pricing with the review. Oops! We are truly sorry and feel pretty bad, though we are cheekily happy to hear that the phone is ringing hot at Ultimate HQ with people lining up to buy it at the price we printed, about a third of its retail. To the team at Ultimate, we are terribly sorry and to make up for it, we’ve checked…

SCORE 82 “THERE'S FAR MORE TO THE ULTIMATE X25 THAN JUST FANCY PAINTWORK. THIS CAMPER HAS SOME FUNDAMENTALLY NEW FEATURES ON SHOW” KATH HEIMAN Ultimate produces immaculately constructed and finished campers that seem to owe their design inspiration to a marine cruiser more than a camper. Expecting to see a familiar ‘nautical but nice’ offering this year at CTOTY, the judging panel were in for a surprise. You see, the X25 is Ultimate’s 25th anniversary special edition and, ‘buoy’ is the team out to make a splash with this limited-edition model. Walking up to the X25 at the judging grounds at this year’s CTOTY event was like being welcomed to an enchanted garden where moonbeams burst in the sunlight and fairy dust glistens. This effect was due to the camper’s lustrous, glittering, silver…