CUB torture test

You might have heard of a little TV show of mine - Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures on Network Ten and One HD. Well, this year, that should really have read Pat Callinan's 'Family' 4X4 Adventures. After the first season's filming, I was determined not to live a life on the road without the family - life's too short to live without your loved ones. So I set about hunting for a camper-trailer that would accommodate the family on our 90-day whirlwind tour of Oz.

Grab a map and trace our journey if you will. From the Blue Mountains we would head across the Nullarbor to Esperance, and then play on the various tracks around the coastline before making a beeline to Kalgoorlie and beyond. And I really do mean beyond. After Kal, we ventured northwards to the Canning Stock Route, articulated in the previous issue of AC+RV. For those who missed that story, the Canning is pretty-much the pinnacle of outback touring in Australia. 1800km of rocks, dirt and corrugations - billions of them. It's enough to test the mettle of any off-road product. At the end of the Canning, we slipped down the relative highway of the Tanami Track, before exploring the Red Centre and MacDonnell Ranges around Alice Springs. From there it was back east to visit the Barrington Tops and Stockton Beach before bolting south to the Apple Isle - Tasmania.

The catch, of course, is that the camper we were taking had to tackle just about every 4WD track we could throw at it. And with a mean, fully-outfitted Nissan Patrol up front, there would be plenty of rugged tracks covered. But the additional punishment would come at the hands of the Callinan family. Could the camper survive eight-year-old Bill and six-year-old Angus's rock 'n' roll wrestling on those wet and windy days? Could it handle the film schedule, which usually means double the frequency of set-ups and pack-ups? Time would tell.

Spoilt for choice

Over the years I've been fortunate to road test plenty of camper-trailers, but with the market getting flooded with new entrants, the decision becomes tougher by the day. Tents, suspension, durability and usability are all factors when purchasing a camper-trailer. Not to mention price. With off-road campers ranging from $5000 to $55,000, you want to know that you're getting what you pay for.

For our fast-moving schedule, the camper had to be extremely fast and simple to erect. And it had to be able to be put up and down by one person, because while I was off talking to the camera, Karen would often play 'single mum' with the camper and kids. So it was settled that a hard-floor camper was the go. It also had to have rugged suspension and a proven track record in the bush. But something that plenty of people forget about when they're choosing a camper-trailer is the brand itself. Few of us hold onto camper trailers (or vehicles) for life, so when it comes time to sell them, an unknown brand will inevitably take a serious financial hit. Well-known brands on the other hand, can often net as much as or even more than you paid for them.

So with all of this information whizzing around our heads, we settled on a CUB Supamatic.

It certainly wasn't the most expensive on the block, but it did tick the boxes for being robust enough to handle the rough 'n' tumble of off-road life, while still being worth a penny should we want to sell it when we got back. The camper was around the $22K mark, but we optioned it up further with a safari roof (which we never used, not once!), independent suspension and a fully-galvanised chassis. We also grabbed the fridge/storage box to store the ARB fridge/freezer.

CUB torture test

You might have heard of a little TV show of mine - Pat Callinan's 4X4 Adventures on Network Ten and One HD. Well, this year, that should really have read Pat Callinan's 'Family' 4X4 Adventures. After the first season's filming, I was determined not to live a life on the road without the family - life's too short to live without your loved ones. So I set about hunting for a camper-trailer that would accommodate the family on our 90-day whirlwind tour of Oz.

Grab a map and trace our journey if you will. From the Blue Mountains we would head across the Nullarbor to Esperance, and then play on the various tracks around the coastline before making a beeline to Kalgoorlie and beyond. And I really do mean beyond. After Kal, we ventured northwards to the Canning Stock Route, articulated in the previous issue of AC+RV. For those who missed that story, the Canning is pretty-much the pinnacle of outback touring in Australia. 1800km of rocks, dirt and corrugations - billions of them. It's enough to test the mettle of any off-road product. At the end of the Canning, we slipped down the relative highway of the Tanami Track, before exploring the Red Centre and MacDonnell Ranges around Alice Springs. From there it was back east to visit the Barrington Tops and Stockton Beach before bolting south to the Apple Isle - Tasmania.

The catch, of course, is that the camper we were taking had to tackle just about every 4WD track we could throw at it. And with a mean, fully-outfitted Nissan Patrol up front, there would be plenty of rugged tracks covered. But the additional punishment would come at the hands of the Callinan family. Could the camper survive eight-year-old Bill and six-year-old Angus's rock 'n' roll wrestling on those wet and windy days? Could it handle the film schedule, which usually means double the frequency of set-ups and pack-ups? Time would tell.

Spoilt for choice

Over the years I've been fortunate to road test plenty of camper-trailers, but with the market getting flooded with new entrants, the decision becomes tougher by the day. Tents, suspension, durability and usability are all factors when purchasing a camper-trailer. Not to mention price. With off-road campers ranging from $5000 to $55,000, you want to know that you're getting what you pay for.

For our fast-moving schedule, the camper had to be extremely fast and simple to erect. And it had to be able to be put up and down by one person, because while I was off talking to the camera, Karen would often play 'single mum' with the camper and kids. So it was settled that a hard-floor camper was the go. It also had to have rugged suspension and a proven track record in the bush. But something that plenty of people forget about when they're choosing a camper-trailer is the brand itself. Few of us hold onto camper trailers (or vehicles) for life, so when it comes time to sell them, an unknown brand will inevitably take a serious financial hit. Well-known brands on the other hand, can often net as much as or even more than you paid for them.

So with all of this information whizzing around our heads, we settled on a CUB Supamatic.

It certainly wasn't the most expensive on the block, but it did tick the boxes for being robust enough to handle the rough 'n' tumble of off-road life, while still being worth a penny should we want to sell it when we got back. The camper was around the $22K mark, but we optioned it up further with a safari roof (which we never used, not once!), independent suspension and a fully-galvanised chassis. We also grabbed the fridge/storage box to store the ARB fridge/freezer.

The beginning

There's a transport stage at the start of every great 4WD trip, and ours was no different. We would hoof it across the Nullarbor to Esperance, stopping only to fuel the belly and sample the 'quick 'n' easy' sights. That being said, there were pods of whales aplenty on the Bight, and precious little road kill. The CUB showed early signs that it was up for it, tracking beautifully behind the Nissan Patrol. The Independent suspension soaked up the potholes as if they weren't there, and body roll was virtually non-existent.

One of our first dalliances with the off-road world was just outside Esperance at a place called Wylie Head. A giant granite outcrop climbs steeply from the beach, providing a great driving opportunity and superb views from the top. The locals had recommended this drive, so who was I to say no?

The drive was exhilarating - steep, rocky, fun and some of Australia's finest views are afforded from this point. But when I arrived at the top, I noticed the CUB's brake lever dangling free. The sharp angle coming off the sand had snapped the cast iron lever in half, leaving me without brakes for the way down. After some filming at the top, I gingerly limped the vehicle down and took it straight to Southern Suspension and 4WD, the local ARB dealer. It was fixed in a flash, and we were on our way again. The mechanics asked where I did the damage, and I told them I took the camper up Wylie Head, to which they replied: "What? You took a camper up Wylie Head? No one has ever taken a camper up Wylie Head!" Oops. Ah well, they have now!

At the time, I remember thinking 'gee, I'm going to have to be careful with this, that brake unit just hangs too low'. Of course, I soon forgot about it, and on the perilous tracks of the Canning and Tasmania, that brake never once touched terra firma.

Getting dirty

As we headed north towards Kalgoorlie, we tried to stick to the dirt wherever possible - the theory being that there is always more interesting stuff off the blacktop. And at Burra Rock and Victoria Rock, our theory was proven right, with interesting granite formations jutting out of the earth in the most unusual of places.

Further north on the Canning Stock Route would be the real test for the camper, though. Through seven deserts the Supamatic would be tested over sand, rocks, dirt and corrugations. The vast majority of this track has never seen a grader, and probably never will. But the CUB and the Patrol didn't seem to mind. I was glad that I'd specified the independent suspension right about now. The CUB slipped over the bumps and lumps with aplomb. Sure, a few screws shook loose inside, but with leaf springs and a solid axle, I'm sure plenty more would have come adrift. I've often been a fan of the old leaf spring suspension on campers, owing to the relative ease with which you can repair them should something go wrong. However, my tune sure changed over that trip, as the independent suspension chewed up the most rugged roads and spat them out.

Dust a must?

Given the gobfuls of dust the CUB would be consuming, the question was always going to be just how much would make its way into the interior? The main seals connecting the camper lid to the body disintegrated early, particularly on the front corners. They were foam, which of course crushes easily, and in my opinion really should be rubber. Funnily enough though, neither rain nor dust managed to penetrate these damaged seals. I put it down to the fact that the heavy canvas of the tent provided a near impenetrable seal against the dust. We did see some dust ingress from the rear door. It's a top-hinged door that is held in place by a couple of heavy springs, and being at the rear of the camper occasionally let in a fine film of dust. That dust never seemed to penetrate the bed area though, only the back step. And the more gear we shoved into the rear step area, the less dust got in. It really wasn't an issue.

Design & speed

After 90 days on the road, we proved just how right our choice of camper was for this type of journey. The setup/packup routine - the one thing that can make or break a journey - never worried us at all. This was largely because we could leave the beds made up. Mum and Dad's double bed remained set up, while the three kids (aged 4, 6 and 8) slept side-by on an OzTrail self-inflating double mattress. But the real coup was the fact that the OzTrail mattress didn't need to be deflated and packed up each night. We simply chucked it on top of the double bed, packed up the sleeping bags and we were ready to go. I've camped before with other options - such as OzTents and self-inflating mattresses, which are awesome - but not having to deflate and pack those mattresses every time was a dead-set dream.

We also had a slide-out kitchen in the CUB, which has your basic few burners, sink and some bench space. It's not the biggest or flashest on the market, but it served its purpose well.

Extra knick-knacks

For the Supamatic, CUB has an options list as long as your arm, and they're reasonably priced too. I've got a penchant for trying new-fangled products though, and given the solitude of the places we would be staying, I opted to road test some extras from outside the CUB range.

One of those products is the Red Arc Battery Management System (or BMS). This product is simply nuts in its technology, and it really is at the cutting edge of power technology. I had two batteries installed into the CUB, the standard one as well as a heavy-duty Optima battery. The Optimas are great because they charge quicker, and are more vibration resistant than your normal batteries. Plus, they have both deep cycle and starting properties, so if your vehicle's starter battery dies, you can simply haul up your spare from the camper.

But back to the Red Arc BMS. It decides once every nano-second where the battery should get its charge from, and how that charge current should be dispersed. Your batteries can of course be charged through mains power, through 12-volts from the vehicle alternator, through solar power or even a generator. The beauty of the BMS is that you don't have to flick a switch - it all happens automatically! And there's a little LCD screen that tells you exactly what is going on, from how much charge your battery has to how long the battery will last at its current discharge rate - heck, it even knows the temperature of the battery (which is critical to the health of some gel cell batteries). I had the BMS installed at S&K Automotive in Blaxland, and they did a fantastic job with brilliant workmanship.

I'd recommend you get yours installed by a qualified auto-elec, because she's a fairly high-tech bit of gear.

You might also notice that my CUB sits a little more proudly than your standard camper, and that's courtesy of Nissan 17-inch alloy wheels and Pirelli Scorpion ATRs. As most tourers know, it's always smart to match the wheels and tyres with the tow vehicle, and it saves you having to find room for an extra spare.

The journey

As the journey wound on, the CUB looked increasingly more scratched - but it never looked sorry. And over that time it achieved some amazing feats.

When we were exiting the Balfour Track in Tasmania we needed to do one of those tight turns that aren't really possible with a camper-trailer on the back. You know the ones where the side of the track has a five-foot high lip, and if the inside wheel gets caught on that lip the camper will topple over? Chef Duncan was driving, and as I was about to tell him to stop and take another line, I stood back and asked him to just edge forward slowly. The inside wheel of the camper rode up high onto the lip, tipping the CUB onto an angle that would have had a 4WD on its lid. Still he crawled further forward, the angle getting more precarious by the second. By this time, the outside wheel was riding completely on the Pirelli’s sidewall, with the alloy wheel just 1cm away from the dirt. I asked Dunc to stop, and shook the trailer, expecting that a wheel would rise up and it would topple over. It didn't. In fact, it didn't even look like it would fall over. I don't know if it was the low centre of gravity or the independent suspension - probably both - but nothing was going to get that CUB to roll over. We stood there laughing and scratching our heads as Duncan drove down the lip and onto level ground. Man, this camper loves a challenge.

At the end of our trip, we assessed the camper's health.

• Chassis and suspension? 100 per cent healthy. Even the corrugations of the Canning Stock Route couldn't kill the dampers, which was nothing short of amazing. 
• Canvas? 100 per cent healthy - no rips, tears or scars.
• Internal barwork? Buckled and needs replacing. Not because of unruly kids though, but because of tired parents packing up and forgetting to un-tension the tent poles. This resulted in ill-fitting canvas and a weird looking tent. But hey, it wasn't CUB's fault. 
• Exterior? Scratched to buggery, but thankfully after a quick automotive polish, it now looks like new.

In the mid-range camper-trailer market, CUB makes an impressive, well-built camper-trailer that can handle an absolute off-road pounding. It is super-fast to erect thanks to the hand winch up front, and can handle the pace of a family 4WD trip with a film crew! This, in my eyes, is pretty damn awesome.

Article by Pat Callinan, photography by Pat & Karen Callinan.

Australian Caravan+RV magazine, Issue 16, April/May 2010.