Just because you’re towing a camper trailer, doesn’t mean you can’t tackle any terrain in Australia!

Hands up who’s ever had a hair-raising moment off-road? Most of us have at some stage. Now, just image you had to do it all over again with a soft floor camper trailer in tow. Hair-pin cornering, soaring rock steps or sill-deep bog holes, throw a camper trailer into the equation and it’s a different ball game all together.

The biggest problem you’ll find is that because you’re towing a hard floor camper trailer, soft floor camper trailer or even a hybrid camper trailer, you’ll usually only have one chance to get through any obstacle, because reversing or choosing a different line is rarely an option. You need to be good at reading the track, choosing the right line and have a better feel for how much traction is available. Then of course you’ll need to work out how much momentum you’ll need. Not so much as to launch the camper trailer 3ft into the air, but just enough to get you through without bogging down.

BUSH-PROOFING YOUR TRAILER

Unless you don’t mind a damp pillow at night, it’s a good idea to ensure the tailgate and all hatches are well sealed with quality pinchweld rubber gaskets. Don’t forget the latches should be correctly adjusted and all openings for electric cables are well sealed with silicone sealant.

The underside of the camper trailer will need to be well protected. Chances are that it will be dragged over rocks or dirt mounds at some point and you don’t want to damage anything underneath.

Just like your 4WD, a quality set of tyres on your hard floor camper trailer is equally as important. More often than not, the only thing stopping your trailer sliding down a steep embankment is a quality set of tyres. Choose the same brand and size as your 4WDs tyres, and don’t forget the pressures also have to be lowered when off-road. Depending how heavy the trailer is, you will usually need to lower them further to achieve the same tyre footprint as you have on the 4WD.

Jockey wheels can be another problem, especially the swing-away type. They typically hang down below the offroad camper trailer drawbar and bear the brunt of the impact when the drawbar contacts with the track. Strapping the winder handle and wheel out of harm’s way is typically all that’s needed.

Finally, make sure that any electrical wiring between the trailer and the 4WD are kept up high to prevent snagging. Ripping out electrical cables might not only mean a warm fridge, it could also mean that you lose all trailer brakes.

ROCK WORK

The secret to successful rock driving is to pick the line that keeps wheel articulation to a minimum without getting the 4WD or trailer hung up. The best lines have the wheels riding on the high points of the rocks, which maximises underbody clearance and reduces the chances of tyre sidewall damage.

It’s also essential to keep the speed down to reduce unnecessary suspension bounce. Use low-range first gear in the nasty stuff and steady your right foot by resting it against the kick panel. If your 4WD is an auto then you’ll have a slight advantage here as you can go as slow as needed without stalling or riding the clutch.

A point to remember when you’re navigating between rocks, the 4×4 camper trailer wheels follow a tighter turning circle than the 4WD, so even if you get through okay, the camper trailer might still get hung up. In some situations there may be no choice but to disconnect the trailer and winch it the rest of the way.

SAND DRIVING

The main point to remember when driving on sand is to lower tyre pressures all round and drive in existing wheel tracks where the sand is already compacted. Ideally, depending on how soft the sand is, the vehicle tyre pressures should be between 12 – 18psi. The other trap people fall into is not reducing tyre pressures on their offroad camper trailer. These should be at least 2psi less than the 4WD. You don’t want the trailer trying to cut a new set of tracks.

Towing on sand also requires a lot more momentum than normal. The hardest job you’ll have is climbing up steep sand dunes, or tacking particularly soft sections. Remember that you’ll only really get one crack at it because it can be quite difficult to reverse back down. It’s not impossible, but it’s all too easy to jack-knife the trailer.

Finally, something as simple as planning your next stop so the nose of your 4WD is facing down a slope will drastically reduce the chance of coming unstuck when you go to take off.

MUDDY TERRAIN

Apart from checking the depth of any given boghole, you’ll need to know whether you have enough underbody clearance to drive in the ruts without bottoming out. Check the depth using a long stick like you normally would, taking note of whether or not you’re likely to strike the drawbar as you drop into the boghole. If this check can’t be done, attaching a snatch strap to the front the 4WD or the rear of the trailer before you enter the mud will save valuable time if the worst happens.

If there’s a long stretch of shallow mud and no way around, momentum is your only hope. Also, try to avoid sudden direction changes. If your steering is erratic the camper trailer will slide in the original direction you were heading and want to drag the back of the 4WD around with it.

If you notice your speed slow to a crawl, work the steering wheel side to side and get your tyres side-biters working. It’s your best bet of clearing to the top greasy layer and getting down to the firmer terrain beneath.