Best Caravans Under $80k

The DUO is a teardrop camper trailer from Travelbug, a family business building on the Sunshine Coast at Coolum Beach. It sleeps two in a queen-sized bed and tows at 3.7m long overall, weighing 510kg in basic trim with 60kg on the ball. The body rides on an Australian-made galvanised box-section chassis, and the maker covers it with a one-year warranty.

The Seeker ST Lite is the entry model in Space Pod's Brisbane-built pod camper range, a 4.2m towable standing 1.9m tall. It carries a 480kg tare against a 750kg ATM with a 40kg ball weight, light enough for small cars to consider. A 1.46m double foam mattress fills the cabin, on an aluminium composite body over a galvanised Australian steel chassis.

The Snuggle Pod is a teardrop camper Travelbug aims at smaller tow cars, towing at 4m long overall with a 2.6m cabin. It weighs 560kg in basic trim and sleeps two to three in a queen-sized bed. Built by the family-run maker at Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast, it carries the same one-year warranty as the rest of the teardrop range.

The Emerald is the biggest of Travelbug's teardrop campers, towing at 4.3m long overall with a 2.85m cabin. The maker quotes a 600kg tare with 70kg on the ball, and says it sleeps two to three in a queen-sized bed. It is built by the family-run Coolum Beach maker on an Australian-made galvanised box-section chassis, with a one-year warranty.

The Explorer FF is MDC's entry forward-folding hard-floor camper trailer, 5.215m long, 2.011m wide and 1.345m tall closed. It carries a 1,440kg tare against a 2,000kg ATM with a 160kg ball weight and sleeps five. An 80L fresh water tank and a 100Ah lithium battery are standard, on a galvanised chassis with bonded zinc-coated steel panels.

The High Country is AdventureMan's teardrop camper, made in Coolum Beach, Queensland, with a queen bed and a 580kg tare. It comes in three trims: High Country, High Country Tuffy Pack and High Country Grey.

The Deluxe is Little Guy's lightest teardrop camper, made in Taree, New South Wales. It is rated to a 538kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) with a 380kg tare and a 38kg ball weight, leaving 158kg of payload. A fully optioned build lifts that tare to 470kg. The cabin is 1,205mm wide inside and takes a double bed sized mattress. A rear galley kitchen sits under a locking hatch on gas struts, with entry doors on both sides and a roof vent with a fan. It runs an AL-KO rubber torsion axle on 14 inch alloy wheels with a 50mm coupling.

The Breath Essential is the lightest and lowest-priced teardrop camper Breath Trailer builds. It suits a couple who want a hard-shell camper behind a light tow car. It has a 700kg tare and a 1,500kg ATM (aggregate trailer mass), which leaves 800kg for water, gas and gear. A car rated to tow 1,500kg braked covers it. Inside is a 140cm by 200cm mattress for two, reached through two lockable screened side doors. The rear galley has a stove compartment with no stove fitted, so you bring your own. There is no fridge and no solar as standard. Both are options on the maker's configurator. Power and water are modest. An 80L water tank and a 24Ah lithium battery are standard. The body is 3.9m long, 2.0m wide and 1.6m tall, so it fits a standard garage. It rides on a hot-dip galvanised steel chassis with a galvanised sheet body and a plastic honeycomb floor. Suspension is leaf spring with torsion, rated semi off-road, and the maker offers an off-road upgrade. Wheels are 15 inch alloys. Breath says setup takes about five minutes. Breath sells factory-direct with no dealers. You order on the online configurator. You can view one at the Holroyd showroom in Sydney by appointment. Owner ambassadors also show theirs in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and Western Australia. The maker quotes three to four months from order to delivery.

The Seeker ST is Space Pod's base pod camper trailer, 4.2m long and 1.9m tall, built in Brisbane. It carries a 485kg tare against a 750kg ATM with a 48kg ball weight. A 90L underbody water tank and a 2.5m pull-out awning are standard, with a 1.46m double foam mattress in the cabin. The maker covers it with five years of chassis warranty and two structural.

The Deluxe Plus is Little Guy's widest traditional teardrop camper, made in Taree, New South Wales. It is rated to a 595kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) with a 420kg tare and a 45kg ball weight, leaving 175kg of payload. A fully optioned build lifts that tare to 520kg. The cabin is 2,440mm long outside and 1,515mm wide inside, which takes a queen size mattress. It shares the Deluxe's AL-KO rubber torsion axle, 14 inch alloy wheels and 50mm coupling. Little Guy says the extra width over the Deluxe leaves room to fit a fridge in the galley and a water tank under the chassis.

The Telegraph-LT is Austrack's lightest forward-folding soft-floor camper trailer, 5.4m long, 1.9m wide and 1.5m tall for travel. It carries a 1,060kg tare, tent included, against a 1,800kg ATM with a 140kg ball weight. A 230Ah lithium battery, 200W solar blanket, 2000W inverter and 120L fresh water tank are standard, on a zincanneal steel chassis and drawbar.

The Explorer FF Limited Edition is the Explorer FF forward-folding hard-floor camper in a Sandy Taupe finish, 5.215m long and 1.345m tall closed. It carries a 1,440kg tare against a 2,000kg ATM with a 160kg ball weight. An 80L fresh water tank and a 100Ah lithium battery are standard, with a 200W portable solar panel available.

The Simpson X is Austrack's rooftop tent camper trailer, a 4.1m long, 1.8m wide box trailer standing 2.2m tall with the tent folded, sleeping three. It carries a 910kg tare before the tent against a 1,500kg ATM with a 100kg ball weight. A 230Ah lithium battery, 200W of solar and a 100L fresh water tank are standard, on a zincanneal steel chassis and drawbar.

The Deluxe II is Signature's cheapest camper trailer, a 4,040mm off-road box trailer for two, priced before on-road costs. It is rated to a 1,650kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) with a 1,040kg tare and a 100kg tow ball weight, leaving 610kg of payload. It measures 1,800mm wide and 1,800mm high, rising to 2,100mm with a TOYTUF rooftop tent and awning fitted. Its suspension is a Lovells system with Australian made coils and twin shocks.

The Cruiser is Little Guy's vertical-front teardrop camper, made in Taree, New South Wales. It is rated to a 648kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) with a 450kg tare and a 48kg ball weight, leaving 198kg of payload. A fully optioned build lifts that tare to 548kg. The cabin is 2,440mm long outside and 1,515mm wide inside, which takes a queen size mattress. An extended chassis carries a 1,470 x 400mm platform on the A-frame, and the galley holds twice the storage of the Deluxe models. Little Guy describes the Cruiser as suited to buyers who want that storage without off-road suspension.

The Elite Lite is Signature's lightest forward-fold camper trailer, priced before on-road costs. It is rated to a 1,600kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) with a 1,200kg tare and a 140kg tow ball weight, leaving 400kg of payload. Folded it measures 4,900mm long, 1,900mm wide and 1,505mm high, and its enclosed annex is 3,800 by 2,400mm.

The Plenty-LT is Austrack's double-folding soft-floor camper trailer, 5.4m long, 1.9m wide and 1.5m tall for travel. It sleeps up to six across a queen main bed, a double rear bed and a convertible lounge. It carries a 1,120kg tare, tent included, against a 1,800kg ATM with a 140kg ball weight. A 230Ah lithium battery, 200W solar blanket, 2000W inverter and 120L water tank are standard.

The Jackson FF is a forward-folding hard-floor camper trailer, 5.315m long, 2.088m wide and 1.54m tall closed. It carries a 1,520kg tare against a 2,000kg ATM with a 210kg ball weight and sleeps five. A 120L fresh water tank and a 200Ah lithium battery are standard, on a galvanised chassis with bonded zinc-coated steel panels.

The HKC Xplorer ST is Hard Korr's entry camper trailer, a 4.2m rooftop-tent trailer with a slide-out kitchen. It is rated to a 2,000kg ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) with a 1,100kg dry tare and a 100kg ball weight. Hard Korr designs and tests it in Australia and sells it from Stapylton, Queensland.

The Breath Plus is the Essential body with the touring kit fitted as standard. It suits a couple who want to camp off-grid without adding options. It has an 800kg tare and a 1,500kg ATM (aggregate trailer mass), which leaves 700kg for water, gas and gear. A car rated to tow 1,500kg braked covers it. Inside is a 140cm by 200cm mattress for two, reached through two lockable screened side doors. The rear galley has a double stove and a fridge. Power and water suit off-grid stays. Breath fits a solar panel, a 120Ah lithium battery and an inverter. The water tank holds 80L. The body is 3.9m long, 2.0m wide and 1.6m tall, so it fits a standard garage. It rides on a hot-dip galvanised steel chassis with a galvanised sheet body and a plastic honeycomb floor. Suspension is leaf spring with torsion, rated semi off-road, and the maker offers an off-road upgrade. Wheels are 15 inch alloys. Breath says setup takes about five minutes. Breath sells factory-direct with no dealers. You order on the online configurator. You can view one at the Holroyd showroom in Sydney by appointment. Owner ambassadors also show theirs in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria and Western Australia. The maker quotes three to four months from order to delivery.