The Off Road Grand from Johnno’s Camper Trailers has a straightforward design, incorporating a side-fold tent, basic kitchen and plenty of storage on a robust offroad chassis.

With a reassuring 610kg Tare weight (it has a maximum loaded weight of 1250kg with trailer brakes fitted; 750kg max without), you know there is enough steel here to stand up to Australia’s notorious outback roads and corrugations.

Company owner Craig McGown is no stranger to outback travel, nor to camper trailers – for three years he was a master franchisee for Johnno’s, selling and hiring the units.

Craig still manages to get out into the bush from the company’s Maryborough, Qld, headquarters as much as he can.

After eight years building camper trailers, Johnno’s has cemented its position as one of the biggest players in the hire business – it has over 100 trailers in its national fleet. Craig says that building a network has always been an important part of the Johnno’s ethos.

“We have 26 stores from Cairns to Melbourne to Alice Springs. With that many dealers located around the country, the buyer can only benefit.

“It is easier to try a Johnno’s camper trailer before you buy it, and we can provide great backup for our products no matter where you find yourself during your journeys.”

Craig stresses the company’s reliance on Australian manufacture, materials and labour. “We don’t use any imported components,” he told CW. “Everything is made inhouse exclusively by Johnno’s. We don’t make anything else but camper trailers – we’re not a branch of a bigger company.

“Because of our extensive hire fleet, the trailers are subjected to harsh conditions all year long, whereas many trailers may only be used for a few weeks.

“This continuous road testing has led to an extremely rugged design from the ground up.”

Built to last

New 15in rims and tyres are standard on a 45mm square axle, suspended on offroad seven-leaf shackle springs.

A spare tyre is mounted on the A-frame, which is fairly short to keep the towball weight at a low 60kg. The chassis is 50mm x 50mm x 2.5mm DuraGal steel. The trailer body is painted Zincanneal steel with several built-in storage boxes.

The jockey wheel is one of the best we’ve seen – a 10in pneumatic wheel with a clever one-touch locking system. Johnno’s has gone with the Hyland coupling, which is ideal when you have to re-couple the trailer on sandy or muddy ground.

The bed base measures 1.8m x 2.2m (6ft x 6ft 4in), and lifts with gas strut assistance to give you access to inside the trailer.

On the rear of the nearside is a lockable storage box, and up front on the same side is another door that reveals a long slide-out drawer, which you can also access from inside the tent. It makes a great wardrobe.

Four jerry cans with holders are provided, alongside a 4.5kg gas bottle and holder. Also up front is the stoneguard and tubular tent pole holder right against the trailer body.

Easy going setup

Craig says the Off Road Grand has been designed to maximise bench space in the kitchen. For a tailgate kitchen, normally limited to the width of the tailgate itself, Johnno’s has managed to effectively double your working space with a fold-down bench alongside the main kitchen body. It works ergonomically, too, giving the kitchen a wrap-around feel.

The kitchen itself comprises a two-burner cooktop with grill and a stainless steel storage pantry that takes up most of the inside of the tailgate. The burner slides out the end of the box to keep the benchtop unencumbered, and there’s a drawer for cutlery, etc.

And for when you’re cooking in foul weather, the awning includes a rear wall to protect the tent from rain.

Underneath there is an 80L water tank. Inside the tent, there is plenty of airflow from the five large windows and a step is included to get onto the high density, 125mm thick foam queen size mattress. There is a total living area of 2.2m x 2.7m (6ft 2in x 6ft 6in). The awning measures 2.4m x 6.5m (6ft 2in x 22ft 2in), giving you a lot more room outside.

The Bottom Line

There are several elements working in Johnno’s’ favour, some of which are aside from the trailer itself. Its national network ensures you won’t have trouble getting service if you ever need it. The fact that Johnno’s’ units are continuously on the road being tested means you can be confident of having a good quality camper trailer.

And the fact that you can easily try before you buy means you don’t even have to make a commitment until you fall in love with a particular unit.

At $12,600, the Off Road Grand is priced competitively when it comes to offroad units. While it may seem that it lacks a few creature comforts, Johnno’s can provide other customised options to suit your needs.

Johnno’s Camper Trailers, 157 Queen Street, Maryborough, Qld 4650, 1300 725 451, www.campertrailer.com.au

Liked

• The trailer is thoughtfully constructed
• Knowing Johnno’s Camper Trailers have been rigorously tested

Now I’m being picky

• I would have liked a little more window area to add extra natural light

By Carlisle Rogers, as featured in Caravan World issue 447, November 2007.

Specifications

Trailer length 2100mm

Trailer width 1210mm

Advised Tare weight 610kg

Advised ATM 1250kg (with brakes)

Advised ball weight 60kg

Chassis DuraGal

Suspension Leaf spring

Gas 1 x 4.5kg

Cooktop Two-burner with grill

Water tank 90L

Price $12,600 as reviewed

An RVMAA Approved Supplier