Camp-let Oozes Quality
(News Article - June 17th 2009)
Author: Clive Garrett - Witten for the Camping and Caravanning Club
Thanks to Manchester based camping equipment specialist Camperlands, we can still purchase Camp-let trailer tents in the UK. If you have not come across Camp-let yet, this Danish brand is a real eye-opener when compared to some of its more popular competitors. It successful addresses problems like poor build quality, badly designed framework, and the hard work needed to pitch many trailer tents.
Camperlands were kind enough to loan us a four-berth Concorde to check out Camp-let quality - and we can see why the company has remained popular with campers for decades. As soon as you hitch this neatly manufactured trailer on to the tow car, you find out just how nicely balanced and easy to tow it is. Campers with a small towing vehicle will be pleased to learn that the 450kg weight of the Concorde makes it road friendly for all but a few automobiles, and light enough to manoeuvre around by hand when on-site or
Close inspection reveals the body is made from hand-laid GRP (glass reinforced plastic) and all the fittings are either stainless steel or powder-coated to protect against rust. To cap it all, the canvas is made by Isabella Denmark, a company renowned for its top quality canvasses and very expensive caravan awnings.
Once you purchase a Camp-let, Camperlands provide an hour-long handover session to familiarise new users with how to correctly and safely operate their trailer. Unlike many of Camperlands competitors, every trailer sold receives a Pre-Delivery Inspection prior to collection, ensuring each trailer is delivered in tip top to condition. Supplied with the Camp-let are two concise instruction books and a DVD to help with the learning process. Given this post-sale care and attention, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is a complicated unit to erect. Far from it - our Concorde proved very simple to erect and with practice, it should take around ten minutes.
All you do is wind down the corner steadies and unlock the kitchen unit. Swing the kitchen out - lowering its end support to hold it steady (it can also be used in this way when you park up for a meal while travelling). Insert the legs into the roof rack and swing the trailer roof over to create two bedrooms. A small pole is used to connect the apex poles and the canvas is then dragged over the kitchen unit - pulling up the poles in the process. Pegging out begins after the ridge and front pole are clicked into place.
The curtain runners are the best we have seen on a tent and just check out the waterproof underbed storage area built into the vinyl draft excluder. There is also a useful wardrobe that sits between the two bedroom compartments. The kitchen unit is particularly impressive. It sports an electric water pump and water container, which is supplied as standard and a 12v power point that draws off the car battery (battery box optional if not using your car's
The metal poles that lie across the windows first appear intrusive until you realise they support the canvas when the wall panels are dropped. This relieves the strain placed on the zips and keeps the walls off the floor. The Concorde has a mesh screen running the base of the beds to reduce condensation, but daily mattress turning is still advised. Once home, you simply pull the canvas off its runners for drying indoors. The trailer can be stored on its side with the aid of optional side storage brackets.