Lauren reviews the Goliath camper

OFF-GRID IN THE GOLIATH

By Lauren Darge

Every time we hit the road, we see another imported camper trailer, so it’s refreshing to come across a new, Australian-built unit hitting the market. New owner, Lauren, gives us her first impression of her new Goliath Camper.

Was it a little risky buying a camper from the other side of Australia without seeing it first? I’m sure my mum would say so. Has it turned out to be exactly what we wanted it to be? Yes! After our seven-week trip up north including Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome and the Gibb, oh and a puppy, we knew exactly what we wanted in a camper trailer.

Our little off-road trailer with a pull-out kitchen, fridge slide and sleeping quarters upstairs in a roof top tent had served us well, but it was starting to become a bit much for us to set up. It really wasn’t that hard, but we wanted something where we could pretty much just stop driving and climb into bed. Our 270° awning also had a lot of poles which a dog on a rope did an excellent job of taking out, so we wanted less poles. We started our search for something new while we were still on our seven-week trip. Always snooping at everyone else’s set-up during our evening strolls with a beer in hand, wandering through the different campsites. We wanted something that was like a caravan, but not a caravan and we didn’t want to set up much. My partner is pretty handy with tools and wanted something he could fix on the side of the road if need be, but he also wanted the reliance of something Aussie made. We saw a lot of carcasses of cheap trailers in our travels. After looking at many different styles while we were away, we stumbled upon a Goliath camper during some online research. It looked exactly like what we were dreaming of. Small and compact, you can just pull up and go to bed, or stop on the side of the road, open the hatch, and cook up a feast. We were a little nervous about purchasing something we hadn’t seen in the flesh, but we knew it was what we wanted. The communication throughout the process of our camper being built was excellent with regular photo updates. All up it probably took about six months including shipping to WA. We were starting to get a little impatient by the end with COVID and shipping delays, both beyond anyone’s control, but it was worth it.

The registration process was a little bit frustrating as it had to be inspected in WA and then having to deal with all the paperwork and waiting at the

Department of Licensing. We were itching to take it somewhere and get camping.

Once we got it registered, we were off on its maiden voyage a couple of hours north of Perth for a few days.

The only noteworthy part of this short journey other than the price of fuel was all the ‘lookie loos’ eyeing off our new toy. We picked a rocky cliff spot at Sandy Cape and took advantage of the airbag suspension to make our house on wheels level. It certainly wasn’t a spot you could pitch a tent or park a caravan, but it looked nice! We also knew this spot would get busier over the weekend, so we wanted to start off by being a little distanced from others. Unhitching was pretty much all we had to do to set up camp which is exactly why we got this camper. Oh, and setting up some chairs and cracking a beer! The DO-35 hitch makes hitching so easy, especially with a reversing camera. Simply back up, wind the jockey down and flip the lock. It was very windy at this spot which made us a little worried about having the awning out. We pegged it down through the feet in the poles, as you are supposed to do with this awning, but the pegs didn’t work well in the sand. We ended up using our sand bags that we have had for ages but hadn’t used before. This seemed to work, but when the wind picked up again, we packed the awning away as we didn’t want to damage it. We’ve had some traumatic experiences with an awning we once had on the car taking off with the wind! We have since purchased a privacy screen which seems to be a more secure way to hold the awning down as it allows for a greater area to be pegged down.

We enjoyed sitting by the camper, watching the ocean, beer in hand and the stereo blasting – which we could get away with as we had no neighbours. The outdoor stereo was a feature we initially thought was a bit unnecessary, but boy is it cool! It also saves the hassle of the portable speaker always being flat when you want to use it. During our first trip we wanted to put the camper through its paces, so we had a hot shower most nights, a luxury that you don’t always get camping. The hot water system was excellent, we even had to have some of the cold tap on and the pressure was far better than most caravan parks – I had no dramas washing my hair. It felt like we used a lot of water in this time, but the water gauge suggested otherwise. The ensuite awning is also a nice touch for a bit of privacy if needed. This is where we would also put our portable toilet when we need it. The kitchen hatch was easily accessible when we were ready for a feed - pop the latches and get cooking. We could hook up the hose for the Weber for a BBQ or simply light the stove. Like most camp stoves, it struggled with the sea breeze howling directly at it, but that was easily fixed with a wooden chopping board wedged in front. There is a 65L upright fridge which makes everything easily accessible, and the little freezer is great for ice and icy poles. We don’t fit as much in this fridge as we do in the trusty old Engel of the same size, but it is definitely easier to find things when you need them. The second fridge is a draw under the bed accessible from the door which is a clever use of space. It also means someone can grab another drink while someone is in the kitchen. What I love about this kitchen is the space; everything is accessible, and you don’t feel like you have to keep moving things

to get to other things. On certain slopes I think I would appreciate a step ladder, but I suppose that’s what my tall partner is for! In our first trip we did a chicken roast in the Weber, and used the left over chicken for lunches. We made burgers and did our own fries, cooked a trusty steak, and of course had bacon and egg breakfasts. We love being able to hide the dishes in the deep sink to deal with later. Especially when there’s only two of you, no harm doing them after breakfast in the morning. When it’s time to climb into bed, looking through the stargazing hatch is simply awesome. We haven’t found the sun coming in in the morning a bother at all. If you have an afternoon nap it does get a little warm as the sun shines in through the roof, however you can aim the fan at yourself and be perfectly comfortable. The automatic temperature-controlled roof fan works really well to make the temperature inside comfortable if it gets too hot. We liked to just run it for a little while before bed to get the warm air out on hot days and leave a window cracked. You could have all the windows open if you want to as the fine mesh keeps the mozzies out.

The bed is very comfortable, and the headboard is great if you want to sit up and read. The reading lights help with this too. They are in the perfect spot to be able to read in bed and turn the switch off when you’re laying down. They also have USB points and a blue light mode which is great for that little bit of light, but not too much.

You can also put your glasses and other items above your head on the headboard and there is room for stuff like jumpers and water bottles down the side of the bed. There’s plenty of room for all your clothes and towels with the 400-litre cupboard space.

We were sceptical that the camper doesn’t have stabilizer legs but have found you really don’t need them with the airbag suspension and it’s another thing you don’t have to set up. The batteries had no dramas running two fridges, lights, speakers and fans for a few days, so we didn’t worry about getting the solar blanket out on this trip but have used it since to top up the batteries when we've set up for a few days.

The camper is controlled by REDARC Red Vision TVMS System which means everything can be controlled by your phone - you barely have to move a finger. From here you can turn on lights, the stereo, the fridges and water pump. We have also found the jockey wheel on this camper to be the toughest one we have seen. It has more height options than standard jockey wheels and has a double wheel which seems to help with softer surfaces. The camper sat very comfortably on the road, thanks to the airbag suspension, it didn’t feel like we were towing anything at all. We haven’t done the Gibb yet in this beast, but it has handled the tracks it has travelled on very well. The camper is fitted with recovery tracks on the front – we haven’t needed these, but they are in an easily accessible location for when we may need them. We have also found this to be a great spot to hang our canvas bin bag. We are very keen to continue exploring in this beast.