CAMPING – SLIDE-ON 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.

Carry Me Camper launched its Hard Lid slide-on campers in mid-2018 and upgraded them again in late 2019 and 2021.

Cameron Campers Compact slide-on uses the company’s camper-trailer-style Easy Tent with patented easy-fold technology, to make camping easier and more comfortable. It is a side-fold, combination hard-soft-floor hybrid that requires no pegs or guy ropes. 

The Wedgetail slide-on camper design has been refined over the year and we visited the compact but efficient factory in Newcastle NSW, to check out progress.

Zone RV is best known for its high-tech caravans, but the Queensland-based company has branched out into top-shelf canopy and rear skirt modules for utes and converted wagons.

Earthcruiser Australia has released the US-developed Earthcruiser Express slide-on camper that is said to fit most Australian-market utes.

Slide-on camper manufacturer Trayon has produced a budget-priced, lightweight, slide-on camper. Traymate can double as a tradie’s body during the working week.

​Most slide-on campers are fully finished, but this Aussie company has seen the market need for structurally complete units that buyers can finish off to suit their individual needs.

Tailgate Campers produces Australian-made slide-ons and we checked out short-cab and extra-cab models.

Many slide-on camper installations we’ve seen are illegal, because the loaded rig exceeds the ute manufacturer’s rated gross vehicle mass. You need to do your sums before you buy.

Trayon has been building slide-ons since 1994 and in April 2017 produced its 1000th unit. The Trayon Diesel Deluxe model has everything a bush camper could want and it’s relatively quick to set up and pack away.