Ultimate Camper Trailer

[Sainter]

Interested in thoughts about the Ultimate Camper trailers. Initially I was against the idea due to the kitchen being inside but having just returned from desert trip I know what eating inside is a good options (i.e away from flies/mozzies).

My issue is about storage of items that normally go in my Tambo Camper (excellent unit but considering upgrade to Ultimate in future). Is the nose cone sufficient for storage of other camping equipment?

Also interested in thoughts from anyone that has an Ultimate about set up/down times given you have to make the bed every time.

Any thoughts or comments will be most appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Grumpy]

Welcome aboard Sainter enjoy your stay

 

[Croozer]

Welcome to the forum

 

[jazzajess]

hey buddy .. I used to build them for michael they are great we used to get to use one sometimes
any questions just ask.

 

[BUSHNUT]

Nice to know you have the change to consider one ! yes they look a nice set up .

Have a Kimberly Kakadu myself for when the minister of finance blesses us with her presence .

Wto the forum , you only get out as much as you put in !

 

[Icarus62]

Ultimate camper

G'day,
I do a lot of camping in Tas - mid-winter is great because there is usually no-one else around and that is my preferred style. I also think there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad preparation for weather.
I have now had my Ulti for 6mths, previously had a Campomatic and always enjoyed the flip=over go to bed idea. I also had to prepare food and eat outside on all but the worst of weather conditions, including insects - occasionally I would stay inside the camper with a small gas bbq and stay warm and dry.
I didn't set out to buy an Ulti but found that it just had so many features that suited me, including keeping SWAMBO happy, that it was an easy decision in the end. I had agonised over KK, AORC and Campomatic - went to the Melb 4WD show, compared the lot on the one day and made my decision very quickly. I knew what i wanted after many years camping.
Indoor food prep is GREAT for the reasons you have stated, the lounge is really comfortable. I also carry an outdoor bbq and often cook on a fire. The storage I have found to be more than adequate and I even carry the proverbial kitchen sink....I have spares of everything, esky, second fridge (running as freezer), jerry cans, chain saw with extra fuel and all the annexes, chairs, metal bbq plate as well as the portable gas bbq. Clothes and long life food items are stored in the interior wheel arches under the lounge......The nose cone when organised well, can hold heaps of gear and it is still easy to access. Not to mention standard roof rack.
I have a setup where I can boil a billy on the roadside without opening the camper up too, that seems to be some peoples argument that the Ulti might not be as flexible as the others with slide out (outdoor only) kitchens.

The setup and packup times, well I have meant to time it but it is just so easy that I haven't bothered - without raising a sweat I think I can be in bed 10 minutes after stopping, full annexe setup would be the same for pretty much all ct's I reckon.
It also tows really well - have tested that out pretty well too, some of my camp sites are pretty hard to get to - dual air lockers on the cruiser help me to get away from the crowds.

Cheers
John

 

[Brisey]

A mate of mine has an Ulti & he is very happy with it. As John said the setup time is pretty quick & it looks really comfy. There is nearly as much room inside the ulti as there is in my 12 foot pop top caravan. He also got an annexe set up with floor & walls that encloses the space under the bed that he finds is great when his grandkids come along.

Cheers

Bri

 

[feral fourbee]

just a bit pricey ..i thought..

 

[Icarus62]

Ahhh - Feral, you get what you pay for. Went for a 2 night "get away" Thurs/ Friday last week, camped in a really lonely spot trying to enjoy the serenity on my own and a group of 4 showed up with swags and tent/cot style setups. Around a shared fire over a few tinnies (mine were cold out of the fridge, theirs were off the shelf at the pub - room temp), I copped a bit of ribbing about the unnecessary luxury I had dragged into the spot (hard going 4wd terrain). "Geez - must be bad for the fuel consumption", "must have cost a packet", "stops you getting to out of the way places(huh- where are we now?)", etc.
I had flashbacks to my swags, tents, back of the car trips and wondered if I really needed the Ultimate.
Funny thing is, in the morning, as the wind roared and the rain pelted and I cooked my bacon and eggs with toast and washed it down with a steaming hot brew in the warm dry interior, I realised "yep !!! worth every drop of blood, sweat'n tears."
Poor buggers out in the rain made a brew with luke warm (creek) water - their gas burners just couldn't compete with the wind, they declined my offer of cooking facilities, had a fire going to cook on but persisted with the gas - trying to outdo Hogsbreath I think, you know 18hrs to cook a bit of bacon - "want a bit a bacon, mate" {didn't mention it was broiled (rain filling frying pan!!!)}
Nah thanks but no thanks fellas !!!!
Top blokes, probably had a memorable trip, prepared to share their last tinnie (warm) or bit 'a bacon (albeit not cooked), invited me out of the shelter to stand under their hastily thrown up tarps and get wet with them. I was ok though, gut full'a hot tucker, second steaming brew in my hands, top morning it was - might set up my annexe next time - hang on!!!, I don't want them moving in !!!!!

I remember trips like that - might keep my Ulti I think.

 

[bmurray2250]

Hi Sainter and welcome. The guys that have the Ultimate have given you good feedback but it does come down to your style of needs and wants in a camper trailer. The Melbourne 4x4 show is on and should have a good cross section of campers on show.

 

[cloughcarib]

The quality of build in the Ultimate campers is way above what I expected when I first saw one. The use of storage space is wise and frugal(good points). The general finish is very good.
I have little experience with camper trailers, but, I work in the fibreglass industry and I am impressed by these campers.

On the other hand.........I have heard that they are unstable on sever roads, however Icarus62 seems to have turned that into a misconception

 

[Icarus62]

cloughcarib - I haven't heard about them being unstable on severe roads, I tend to do the "float over bad corrugations" trick at whatever speed suits the conditions and the Ulti has always behaved really well.

I've had it flick around behind me whilst on "opposite lock" on loose gravel but it's not the sort of thing I try to do, just caught out by a corner or two and it would have been more foolish to back off at the time.

It has been very stable under those conditions.

Having said that though, whilst on a bad side slope on rocky terrain, I have felt a little concerned about it being more top heavy than my old Campomatic. I haven't been worried enough to resort to letting the uphill tyre down yet but have been considering it as an option when I'm in that kind of country.

Cheers
John

 

[olcoolone]

We have an Ultimate and can fit more gear in it then our TrakShak.

The storage space is very deceiving.

 

[Sharky]

I've only just jumped onto this thread so haven't read it all but from experience I would never recommend a fibreglass body on corregated roads. It will severely shorten the life span of it & fasttrack any fatigue symptoms. I race jet skis & hence also do my own fibreglass & flow-coating (gel coat) work.

Steel all the way for me!! I know it's heavier but it's stronger & you can stop in at any town & weld it. You can also cut the rust out. But when fibreglass gets old, & starts seperating you're in for some work.

I've seen aluminium caravans need completely re-rivetting after a corregated trip too. I haven't had much to do with any aluminium campers tho.

Fibreglass can be made to be as strong as steel too but in doing so it becomes just as weighty.

 

[frosty]

Mate, I tend to disagree. Not generally, but the ultimate campers have been built to a pretty good standard for a long time. I know of 1 in particular that has been across the simo twice, the cape twice, birdsvile, bla bla bla. They've got a really good unit in the Ultimate. It IS the Ultimate!!

Bloody X'y though!! But, you do get what you pay for and you do pay for the Ultimate!

 

[olcoolone]

After nearly 4 years and 70,000 odd kilometers on mostly dirt roads, tracks, scrub and sandhills our Ultimate has held up very well, no cracks, a few small stone chips and sandblasted underneath, it's still going strong and nothing has ever broken.

AND not an ounce of dust inside...

We have people coming up to us asking is it a new one.

Have a friend who do serious remote traveling (50,000 kilometers and over 400 nights sleeping in it) and apart from scratches and tipping it over in the Simpson last year (rolled it back on it's wheels and of they went..no damage) and breaking a stub axle at 110Kp/h in NSW's they have had no real damage that needed major work....try that with a steel one.

The Ultimate is built by a deep sea yacht builder....how many real yachts do you hear falling apart or cracking and they take more of a bashing then a corrugated road will ever deliver.

The Ultimate is not that light weighing in at about 1000Kg. empty (they say 850Kg.).

Another friend (Roachie) has an Ultimate that is about 10 years old and done a far bit of off road work with it, again no major problems.

This is why they hold there price so well and usually sell with in a week or two of being advertised, people tend to get close to there money back when selling.

 

[Roachie]

After nearly 4 years and 70,000 odd kilometers on mostly dirt roads, tracks, scrub and sandhills our Ultimate has held up very well, no cracks, a few small stone chips and sandblasted underneath, it's still going strong and nothing has ever broken.

AND not an ounce of dust inside...

We have people coming up to us asking is it a new one.

Have a friend who do serious remote traveling (50,000 kilometers and over 400 nights sleeping in it) and apart from scratches and tipping it over in the Simpson last year (rolled it back on it's wheels and of they went..no damage) and breaking a stub axle at 110Kp/h in NSW's they have had no real damage that needed major work....try that with a steel one.

The Ultimate is built by a deep sea yacht builder....how many real yachts do you hear falling apart or cracking and they take more of a bashing then a corrugated road will ever deliver.

The Ultimate is not that light weighing in at about 1000Kg. empty (they say 850Kg.).

Another friend (Roachie) has an Ultimate that is about 10 years old and done a far bit of off road work with it, again no major problems.

This is why they hold there price so well and usually sell with in a week or two of being advertised, people tend to get close to there money back when selling.

Just stumbled onto this forum and saw my name was mentioned, so thought I'd better join up.

Like Richard has said, I've had our Ultimate since February 1999 and it has done 2 trips to Cape York, a crossing of the Simpson, The SA Border Track, Googs Track, The Gulf country etc.

The camper has shown NO SIGNS whatsoever of any fatigue in the fibreglass; so I'm not sure whether the bloke who said he builds jet-skis and races them (and suffers from fibreglass fatigue fractures) is in the same "class" as the people who build these campers.

Anyway, cheers blokes

Roachie

 

[Big Rig]

Interesting read: I gotta throw a spanner in the works... So shoot me

KT and I deliberated for 5 years over The Ultimate, T Van or KK. We were ready to buy but couldn't make our mind up. We talked to real owners of all three vans and afterwards in my opinion I came to the conclusion (bearing in mind we wanted to tow the camper everywhere) that my rating of capability would be T Van, Ultimate then KK however the T Van was out cus it was way too small for the 4 of us and way too expensive! T Van was knocked off the list.

I really liked to look of the Ultimate and the concept of cooking inside was tops, they were really expensive but everyone is right, you get what you pay for. THEN, I saw a fellow put one up - completely that is. Well, what a task he made of it. It literally took him ages, there were so many little bits he kept pulling out and attaching, I was really dissapointed as I had made my mind up that I was going to buy an Ultimate.... but alas, I crossed IT off my list too.

So I guess, if your considering spending that kind of coin on a camper then make the right decision. Nothing worse than spending the Doe to say "wish I had of researched a little more".

If you still want to eat inside remember that KK does a Kimberly Karavan for not much more than the ultimate with a total set up time of again - 3mins total.

We went on to look further at the KK, now I reckon it was at the bottom of the capability list because of its long draw bar especially BUT, this camper had everything right at your fingertips. We decided to speak with the guys at South East QLD Campers ... I tell you they are all top blokes. They actually give us one of their top of the range Platinum campers for the weekend and we put it through its paces. I was soooo impressed that I placed an order as soon as we got back. We spent a couple of weeks deliberating over what to add and subtract but for the sampe price as a T Van, less than the cost of the Ultimate we got a KK with the best awnings, on board hot water All the canvas etc Electric blankets and other options I couldn't poke a stick at.

I have had the KK for a year now and haven't used a tank of fuel where we haven't had the KK on the back. We traveled some of the most extreme tracks in the Vic High Country and are about to tow it up the Creb Track then to the Cape in 5 weeks. I really don't think there is anywhere it wouldn't go that my rig could. To top it all off for an over night stay from stopping and applying the handbrake to having the kids and us in bed "3minutes MAX". For the full set up with the bedouin awning, onsuite, toilet and kids bedroom 40 mins tops. And that with two beers too.

Overnight set up

 

[Roachie]

No worries mate.....no spanner in the works in my opinion. Every family/couple have different ideas on what is desireable in any facet of driving/camping/holidaying etc.

Strewth it'd be a boring old world if we all drove the same brand of 4x4 and towed the same brand of camper, with the same brand of tyres/batteries/fridges.....you get my drift.

If you and your family find the KK the best option for your needs then I don't know of anybody who would take you to task about that...... it's great that you've found what YOU need.

I'm sorry that your first introduction to an Ultimate being erected appears to have been by someone who was a novice...... I can erect our Ultimate (for a quick overnighter) in less than 10 minutes from stopping the Patrol to knocking the top off a tinnie..... but I've been doing long enough that I could just about do it with my eyes closed. Sure, putting up the large awning takes another 10 minutes (4 poles and 6 ropes). We also have a small front awning that stays zipped onto the main canvas and is held in place (over the front "boot") by 4 fibreglass struts. This isn't put up for an overnighter..... but is great in rainy or very hot weather.

It's all good mate....as long as you're enjoying yourself.

 

[holgaroo]

Hi I'm on the lookout for a Ultimate, but there are a few models that have me confused. The early ones seem to be Pioneers, then Odyssey and Enterprise around 2002. I don't know what the difference is with these two, and then Elite gold and silver. I am looking for an Ultimate with the gull wing doors on the boot, to make it easier to load/unload. Apart from that, good canvas, and overall well looked after condition. I actually like the ones wit the grill under the stove, (I love my toast in the morning If you know of any, other than whats on Caravancampingsales, PM me please. Regards Russ