If you’re like us, you probably have a brand name spring to mind when I mention soft floor campers. Now go see if you can find that brand’s soft floor online, I’ll wait…
You couldn’t find it, could you? If you tried calling to see if they just don’t list them on their website, you were probably met with a scoff and a “nah mate, haven’t sold any soft floors in years”.
Which is a damn shame, I reckon. Soft floor campers are still one of the best campers you can buy. Yeah yeah, I know. They’re not what the cool kids on Instagram are using where it’s all adventure trailers, hybrids, hard floors and convenience is king. But in the real world, a good soft floor camper still offers way more internal room, way more storage, and in many cases, way more off-road ability thanks to their comparatively lower weights.
Not so long ago, every manufacturer had at least one soft floor on the floor, but they’ve largely all pivoted towards the more accepted hard floor campers and hybrid market. Which, let’s be honest, is the sexier end of the spectrum. Sort of like lingerie versus Y-fronts. But while I have nothing against any bloke who wears lingerie, I’ll always enjoy the comfort and support of a quality pair of Y-fronts.
Soft floor campers are nearly dead, but we reckon there’ll be a resurgence
With that in mind, I think (and you read it here first) that there’s going to be a bit of a resurgence in soft floor campers in years to come. A lightweight fold-over tent with an inbuilt annexe room that can be set up and pegged out within a few minutes on top of a utility trailer with a swing-out kitchen, a buttload of storage, an affordable price tag and minimal weight sounds pretty damn good to me.
As it is, however, soft-floors are a nearly dead breed. We’ve put together a list of 6 of the last campers standing (from cheapest to most expensive), and going off what some of the better ones are going for on the second-hand market currently, one of these may just be a sound investment.
Marlin Cruiser
From $10,750
I really can’t talk highly enough about keeping vehicle and trailer weights as low as you practically can. There’s less wear and tear on your components, you use less fuel, your trailer doesn’t require as much power and torque to make it move, it’s easier to drag a light trailer over a deep soft sandy track than it is to pull the Taj Mahvan through the same patch… you get the idea.
For this, and other reasons, Marlin soft floor campers tick a heap of boxex. It tips the scales at a paltry 350kg and the ball weight is a small-SUV-friendly 20kg. If you have a larger 4X4, you won’t notice it’s there. Unsurprisingly, it’s a compact little jigger so don’t expect a heap of inclusions or room to swing a rugrat or two around, but what’s lost in space is made up for with ease of set-up. It only takes a couple minutes from rocking up to camp to being ready for a good night’s slumber.
There’s a kitchen, 60L of water and a lithium battery pack for the minimal electrics and a heap of space from what’s basically an empty trailer under the bed.
Quick specs:
- Sleeps: 2 adults
- ATM: 2000kg
- Tare: 350kg
- Tow ball weight: 20kg
Platinum Warrior S4
From $21,599
When fully set up, the soft floor Warrior, from Platinum Campers, is pretty darn huge. The tent section alone is enough to sleep a couple and up to four kids, not counting the Queen bed up top, making it ideal for the wandering family. In fact, you could say that this thing is built around the idea of having multiple humans living out of it for weeks on end.
There’s the fridge slide that can accommodate a pair of chest fridges, opening up the option of having a dedicated freezer for the meat and seafood while on the road. Then there’s the big-boy kitchen that’s spot-on for cooking up a huge brekky for the army. Then we have the acre or so of storage that’s accessible with the tent up or down should any emergency jumpers or inflatable paddle-boards be suddenly required.
The electrical gear is decent too, with 100Ah onboard and the option to add more if needed. Plus a Bluetooth stereo and a host of internal and external lighting. It’s off-road capable to boot, with dual independent suspension arms underneath, twin spares and a galvanised steel frame.
Quick specs:
- Sleeps: 4 adults; 4 kids
- ATM: 2000kg
- Tare: 1390kg
- Tow ball weight: 180kg
Stoney Creek Nugget
From $23,990
If you’re on the hunt for an affordable, tow-anywhere trailer that’s simple to set up on your lonely without taking three and half working days, then the Nugget is worth you having a sticky. It’s another one that’s blurring the lines between soft-floor and adventure trailer, but the built-in annexe qualifies it for the soft floor campers market we reckon.
As the name suggests, it’s a compact little weapon that’s perfect for singles or couples looking to get away over some harder tracks or down to the local campsite to spend a couple nights in comfort. It has 80L of water (with optional hot water), 200Ah of lithium power, a twin-burner gas cooktop, double stitched and waterproofed canvas and a Queen mattress – so the value is right up there.
The real advantage is its size, with under 2m of body length, it’ll fit in just about any garage or carport, or down just about any overgrown track. Twin-shock independent coil suspension smooths out the bumps and MT tyres for max tough points and looking like a young Les Hiddens for the `Gram.
Quick specs:
- Sleeps: 2 adults
- ATM: 1600kg
- Tare: 1140kg
- Tow ball weight: 105kg
Bayside Straddie B
From $24,900
With a paltry tare weight and downward force on your towball that’s on par with breathing on it, Straddie B soft floor campers are another one that’s light, nimble and just about perfect for a couple of people looking to get away for a night or four.
To be fair, this is one camper that’s as basic as it comes, which is just what you want when travelling in pairs. No fuss, minimal trickery to go wrong, just a solid, straightforward and hassle-free camper that offers more space per kilogram than an inflatable football stadium. It also comes with a massive 160L water capacity, 120Ah of off-grid electrics and a Joolca hot water system as standard.
It may not be the fastest to set-up, nor the cheapest, nor the most rugged, nor the fanciest. But it’s the Granddad’s axe of trailers. Dependable, capable and no-frills. To a lot of people, that’s worth more than any onboard air-conditioning or latte machine… although I do love a latte on a crisp High-Country morning, but I digress.
Quick specs:
- Sleeps: 2 adults
- ATM: 1400kg
- Tare: 780kg
- Tow ball weight: 75kg
Trackabout Explorer
From $37,990
Full disclosure: I hesitated to include the Explorer on our list of soft floor campers because it’s really more of an adventure trailer (RTT on an off-road base) set-up like the Terratrek or Patriot campers. But it got the nod due to the huge amount of family room that’s available once it’s all opened out and the annexe is zipped up.
Trackabout have been around for decades and are 100% Aussie-made and owned, which is a huge feather in their cap. If you’re looking for a soft-floor that’ll outlive religion, this is your huckleberry.
It basically features the best of the best in terms of inclusions. Cruisemaster suspension, huge amounts of cooking room and bench space from the L-shaped kitchen, 2200L of organised storage (there are caravans with less than this), 92L of drinking water and even spots for the bikes and tinny. These things have it all.
In terms of set-up, quick overnighters can be handled with an easy 3-min fold out of the main tent that covers the Queen bed, while longer stays can have the fully-zip-uppable tent attached for extra privacy and weather protection.
Quick specs:
- Sleeps: 2 adults
- ATM: 2000kg
- Tare: 1200kg
- Tow ball weight: 120kg
Cameron Campers Conquest
From $46,950
Imagine you’ve just got your brand-spankers Tesla Cybertruck in the driveway; you need a ritzy yet complimentary-looking camper to really make the neighbours think that much less of you (while secretly being jelly of your amount of disposable income). You’re over the butch campers that look like they should come with a free assault rifle; you want something more refined, more modern-looking. I present to you the Conquest, a camper Elon himself would own… probably.
The tech is there in these soft floor campers – Computer aided designed, aircraft-spec construction, marine grade aluminium panels for weight and strength. This thing is not quite space-age – it’s still a soft-floor camper, Mr Spock – but it ain’t far off.
The chassis and body are integrated for lighter weight and increased strength (like a monocoque car), while there’s still a swarthy 1800L of storage spread throughout. It can be towed by an SUV thanks to its sprightly mass and the shaped nosecone allows for pretty decent aerodynamics so the fuel burn upon re-entry would be fairly minimal. It’s built for purpose too, with legit off-road credentials, a huge kitchen, a two-tiered pantry (which is pretty trick IMO), nearly a tonne of payload capacity and every mod-con you’d expect at this price point.
Quick specs:
- Sleeps: 2 adults
- ATM: 1850kg
- Tare: 880kg
- Tow ball weight: 80kg
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