Off The Grid Campers

A Queensland business is offering high-class slide-on campers packed with off-road caravan features. The Off The Grid Campers range includes units that suit tray-back, short-cab, extended-cab and crew-cab utes, as well as light trucks.

As at late-2024 Off The Grid Campers – a new player in the Australian RV market – was based on Queensland’s Fraser Coast. OTGC aim was to offering a blend of affordability and high-tech features in a range of slide-on campers that are priced from $58,990.

For some years, OTGC founder and technical director, Brendon Falk, noticed the 4WD touring market was missing a product that offered caravan-style inclusions in a slide-on module.

“I saw the slide-on movement gathering increasing momentum, with younger families getting into truck campers because they were more affordable than larger caravans,” said Brendon Falk.

“There was also the pre-retirement and the 50-plus demographic, wanting to do the Australia trip but being reluctant to do it in a caravan – some not wanting the additional cost and others not wanting to tow a caravan.”

Falk said the economics of camping were changing as well. Towing a caravan used a lot of fuel and caravan parks were charging higher and higher powered-site fees.

“There has been a definite trend towards free and low-cost campsites, but, to achieve this, you must be largely self-sufficient to stay at these off-grid sites for any length of time,” said Brendon Falk.

That’s why the OTGC slide-ons are equipped with the best quality, off-grid electrical systems on the market. Victron electrical equipment isn’t often found in off-road vehicles, but is one of the most sought after marine power systems.

Victron systems offer flexibility, with versatile integration and scalability, allowing users to customise setups based on their specific needs, whether powering the smaller ute models or the larger truck setups.

The systems can monitor battery levels, solar input and overall system health through mobile apps or online dashboards, ensuring OTGC customers never get caught off-guard while off-grid.

“I come from an electro-tech background,” said Brendon Falk. “And I don’t believe this technology was at the level we required five years ago.

“But today, our slide-on tray campers have up to 900Ah of lithium batteries  – up to 1200Ah with the truck body – charged by up to 880-watt power – 1110W on the truck body – of rooftop solar. 

“Even on a cloudy day or when parked under the shade of a tree, our solar system can put substantial charge into the batteries.

“It’s the philosophy of self-sufficiency that drives the technology built into our slide-on campers, setting them apart from others in the market,” said Brendon Falk.

“When people travel today, they expect the luxuries of home: air conditioning, induction cooking, and hot and cold running water.”

Another marine-world inspired OTGC initiative is the use of 5052 aluminium-alloy panels. This material is well known for its resistance to cracking and corrosion, while being easy to cut, form and arc-weld.

Lifetime advantages over composite materials, including FRP, include lower finish maintenance and relative ease of repair. Whole of life sustainability of aluminium is obviously far better than that of composite materials that are difficult, or impossible to recycle.

OTA’s concerns about insulation were answered by Brendon Falk:

“All sections that need to be insulated are insulated,” he said. “The upper and middle walls are air-gapped  – the same principle as air-cell insulation – between the alloy panels.

“The back wall has the ensuite hood that creates a barrier between external and internal.  

“The powered-up roof is XPS core -filled – the same as on some caravans – and under the bed is insulated, while the other sections that don’t face an outer wall are air-gapped by cupboards, compartments and furniture.”

OTA was particularly impressed with OTGC’s direction to potential buyers that they should consider a GVM upgrade as part of the prep for fitting a ute-version slide-on. The lightest OTGC model is the crew-cab ute slide-on and its dry weight is a claimed 574kg and that’s perilously close to the real-world payload of most crew-cab 4WD tray-backs. 

Fill that ute with four people, add a canopy and the usual kit and we reckon every ute on the market will need a GVM upgrade – and that’s before packing the camper with necessities and filling its 150-litre water tank.

The 4WD truck OTGC slide-ons don’t cause so much of a payload issue in the case of popular light trucks, but crew-cab Hino 817s registered at the passenger-licence 4495kg GVM figure have only 1090kg payload rating. Isuzu’s NPS and Fuso’s Canter 4495kg-GVM crew-cabs have 1305kg and 1670kg payload respectively.

The OTGC range of slide-ons is highly customisable – just bring your money with you – but these highly-specified and well-equipped campers aren’t cheap. The crew-cab models start at just under sixty grand and the truck models, from 75 grand.

However, mounted atop a well-cared for used 4WD ute or light truck, an Off The Grid Camper could see you investing around 120-180 grand, which isn’t too bad, when you consider that some Yank and Pommy 4WD utes and wagons cost that much and more!

Typical OTGC inclusions – some at extra cost – are: Victron 300Ah up to 1200Ah battery; Victron smart BMS; Victron Lynx power in and distributor; Victron MPPT150/60-100 amp charger; Victron 12/12V 50 amp DC/DC charger’ Victron 12V/3000W up to 5000W inverter with 120 amp up to 220 amp charger; Victron Ekrano GX touchscreen; 640W up to 1110W of rooftop solar; grid power 16A/ 230V input; electrical enclosure vents; dust filtered vents with extraction fan; Powersafe EMR and RCBO protection; Dometic 126-litre fridge/freezer; external kitchen, pantry, sink and tap; induction cooktop and oven; fire extinguisher and blanket; smoke, heat and CO alarms; internal and external 12V and USB outlets; quick-fill inlet for 150-250-litre fresh water tank; Dometic inverter aircon; twin 360-degree orbital fans; Airtronic diesel heater; Dometic 976 toilet; 10-litre electric hot water system; north-south queen/king bed; internal and external storage; internal sofa lounge and dinette setting; internal vanity, sink, mirror and drawers; double-sized ensuite with curtain, rainhead and handheld shower); Fusion bluetooth player and speakers; electric-lift camper roof; electric-lift camper legs with remote; Awnlux electric 3-4m awning and multi-colour dimmable strip LEDs.