
TRIED AND TESTED: Cruizy Campers Brumby
There’s nothing quite like a road trip to test out a new camper. Here’s Borgy’s thoughts on a camper trailer classic!
Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hanging to test a good tear-drop camper trailer out. The hardshell design and rear kitchen combined with that lightweight, go-anywhere factor has always intrigued me. So, when a highly respected camper trailer manufacturer chucked methe keys to a brand-new camper trailer and says, “off you go mate, have fun and tell us how it goes”, who was I to say no? Now, you can read all about the adventure in this issue’s travel yarn, but if you’re more interested to see the good, bad and the ugly of the Brumby, you’re in the right place. So come on, time to delve straight into it.

LIGHT WEIGHT AND HASSLE FREE
One of the standout features of the Brumby is its super lightweight design. Yeah, I know, it’s as rare as hens-teeth these days to see but trust me when I say it’s a truly light weight camper trailer. We’re talking just 580kg tare, putting the brumby firmly in the realms of a feather weight and deep into the allure of many SUV owners, or those that just don’t want to lug a 3-tonne anchor behind them.
Now you’ve heard the wildly over-used expression “I hardly knew it was there”, right? Well, brace yourself folks, here it comes again because I quite literally forgot it was behind me on a few occasions, including my little accidental adventure down a crowded one-way lane at the local shopping centre carpark, awkward!
Apart from forgetting it’s on board, a light-weight trailer only delivers positive attributes. Like the fact that it won’t hold you up offroad, and barely increases your fuel economy when towing.

HARD-SHELL FIBREGLASS
Unless you call two busted zips a security lock, the old canvas campers of the past don’t offer much in the way of safety or security. The Brumby delivers on both fronts providing two lockable entry doors and a hard-shell fiberglass design. This construction method is not only robust and durable but also a single, seamless piece. This design ensures there are no weak points for water to seep through. Plus, there’s a certain amount cosiness that comes with knowing you’re covered, rain, hail or storm.

BUILT-IN REAR KITCHEN
The Brumby features a rear kitchen that is completely built-in, with no slides, hinges or latches. This is a win for me, as anyone who’s travelled harsh corrugations knows this creates a weak failure point that’s not enough to ruin a trip, but definitely enough to stuff your day. The Brumby’s kitchen is straightforward and convenient to use. It’s complete with crockery and cutlery, a small fridge, sink and cutting board. Cooking is by way of a portable two burner gas stove that sets up to the side. If I’m honest, I’d prefer the stove built into the kitchen itself, but that comes with its own set of pro’s and con’s.

BUILT BASIC, YET CAPABLE
When it comes to off-road capability, the Brumby truly shines. It doesn’t have full off-roadindependent suspension and a off-road coupling, which is apparently what you need to be classified a true off-roader these days. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret; the lighter a camper trailer is, the further it will go off-road and the less “beefy” it needs to be in order to be reliable. Yep, working off that logic, there’s not many places this 580kg weapon can’t be towed. Of course, it’s got to have plenty of ground clearance, which the Brumby does, although that rear departure angle could be tweaked to offer even more clearance if you wanted an absolute off-road animal.
The simple yet effective leaf sprung suspension seems to do the job, especially when you knock a bit of wind out of the tyres. There’s also plenty to be said for the rugged strength of a solid square axle that doesn’t require regular wheel alignments and suspension bushing replacement.

THE WRAP
So, after approximately 1500km of real-world testing, what broke? Well, put simply, nothing.Despite poking our nose down several dirt tracks, crossing our fair share of rutted out causeways and tackling no shortage of beach driving and water crossings, I’m pretty pleased to say the repair bill was nothing, nada. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’d say that speaks volumes when it comes to backing a camper trailer’s build quality.

THE NITTY GRITTY
TARE: 580KG
GVM: 1140KG
BALL WEIGHT: 60KG
PAYLOAD: 560KG
SUSPENSION: LEAF SPRUNG (8 BLADE)
BATTERY: 100AH LITHIUM
FRIDGE: 50L SNOMASTER 12V
PRICE: FROM $43,750