Cub's SupaMatic Escape offers quick campground comfort at a sharp price

Cub Campers has been making camper trailers in Australia for almost 40 years. Many of us have grown up with the brand and the company's products are among the most-identifiable around this wide brown land, and Cub proudly exports to North America.

We picked up the test SupaMatic Escape from Cub's Sydney headquarters, a rambling site with all the hallmarks of a company that started small and has grown substantially.

Production of the extensive Cub range is well planned and as much hardware as possible is produced in-house.

Rolling chassis move from the frame assembly building to the main assembly line, where the body tubs and furniture are built in. Further along the line the softer and more sensitive bits are added.

This standardised manufacturing system is efficient but thankfully it hasn't restricted the options list too much. Cub reckons it can fulfil most customer's wishes.

Spare parts are also stocked or produced on site and Cub's nationwide dealer network is experienced in owner support. We know of one Cub owner who broke some bits while on a Cape York expedition and had to wait only two days for the warranty replacements to arrive by plane in Bamaga - that's pretty good.

Talking technically

The camper trailer chosen for this test was the entry-level SupaMatic Escape that retails at $11,990 in standard specification. The SupaMatic range is based on a 2.5-metre (eight-foot) tub body that doubles in length when the floor is flipped over. Cub's SpaceMatic and Spacevan camper trailers are based on a longer, 3.0-metre (10-foot) body. Below these models there is the Cub Kamperoo, a simple, compact flip-top that has been made since the 1970s.

The Supamatic range, in addition to the Escape, includes an up-market Regal model and an off-road Drover model.

Standard equipment on the SupaMatic Escape includes a choice of two single or one double foam mattresses, 13-inch steel wheels, leaf spring suspension, a jockey wheel, six levelling legs, a standard 50mm ball coupling, 4kg gas bottle, internal and external power points, 60-litre water tank with external filler, external locker door, two-burner gas stove in a roll-out galley and an annexe and awning.

Optional equipment includes a roll-up side wall in place of the half roll-up wall, extra electrics in the form of 12-volt lighting and 12/240V transformer, a 33-litre three-way fridge and 12-volt water pump, electric or over-ride disc brakes, Porta-Potti storage cupboard, innerspring mattress, pole carrier, mains water tap, stone guard, a toolbox and a jerry can holder.

To the basic Touring specification the optional Transcontinental Pack adds stronger springs, a longer, stronger drawbar, reinforced chassis, water tank protector, heavy-duty axle with 14-inch wheels and lockable water filler.

The off-road Escape comes with 15-inch wheels, water tank protector, shock absorbers, Durax axles and heavy-duty wheel bearings. A galvanised chassis and an off-road hitch are also cost options.

Our evaluation Escape was a standard-spec camper trailer so we limited our off-bitumen assessment to smooth dirt. Coupling up to our Land Rover Discovery 3 towing vehicle was straightforward and the compact camper trailer tucked in neatly behind the Disco's body. We hardly noticed its half-tonne loaded weight behind the Land Rover's V6 turbo-diesel and fuel consumption on the test was only five percent more than when the Landie runs as a solo vehicle.

The short drawbar augured well for tight tracking and so it proved to be. The stubby Escape followed obediently, with very little cut-in on tight turns. Short drawbars often make for twitchy reversing manoeuvres, but the Escape was easy to back accurately.

Inside story

Thanks to smart, simple design, the Escape was one of the easiest camper trailers we've lived with and we found it simple to open and close. We know of several camper trailer owners who are reluctant to set up their trailers for one-night stays because of the time and effort involved. That's hardly the point, is it? The Cub Escape went up and down so easily that one-night camps were a breeze.

The roll-out galley was quick to operate, so boiling the billy at lunch time was simple.

Our evaluation trailer had twin beds and while that arrangement is less cuddly than the double option it did make getting in and out of bed for wee-hour nature calls easier.

Cub supplies an excellent 'how to setup' video and instruction sheet, so our first experience setting it up for camp was free of frustration. The levelling procedure has been well thought out and the floor folded forward as seen on TV. Our test unit's brand new canvas sides needed some initial persuasion over the press studs on the camper's sides, but the next couple of efforts required less oomph.

The Escape can be ordered with optional bunk beds for the extended floor area, making it a family camper. Other choices include 'add a room' and 'extenda room' canvas sections that zip together. The extended section ideal as a meshed-in and weatherproof dining spot.

We didn't use it on this test, but the ribbed underside of the folding floor should make an ideal stowage rack for bulky, lightweight gear. Off-road Cubs can be fitted with a boat loader that sits on top of the folded trailer and can be slid aside to unfold the floor section, without the need to unload the boat.

In the end

All in all, the Cub SupaMatic Escape is an ideal fast-getaway camper. Our test unit wasn't designed for gnarly back roads, but behind the Discovery tow car, it simply ate the well-graded dirt sections on our test. If you're after a simple and easy-to-use camper that certainly won't break the bank then look no further than the Supamatic Escape. We wouldn't.

Article published in Caravan + RV magazine, Spring 2007. Words Allan Whiting, photos Mark Bean.