I love it when you discover a product that appeals to you enough to think privately, I'd buy one! That's exactly my impressions of the Trakmaster Gibson Desert Camper Platinum that I recently had the privilege of towing to the Flinders Ranges. The Trakmaster and I were bound together by fate when unforeseeable circumstances forced a change of plan whereby I ended up towing the unit from Trakmaster’s Melbourne base for a week away in the iconic Australian touring destination for CTA's Hybrid Hero's excursion.

Picking up the brand new camper from Trakmaster’s Bayswater base was an experience all of its own. You will be immediately impressed by size and quality of presentation of the Trakmaster showroom, factory and the friendly professionalism of the staff. These are people with long experience in their chosen field, with knowledge obviously well ingrained from many years of their own touring experience. The Trakmaster Gibson Desert proudly displays the product of that experience.

Time Proven RV 

The Gibson Desert has a fresh new look, with updated textures and colours that'll turn heads on the road. This classic camper has been revamped, featuring a whole new undercarriage incorporating Vehicle Components Cruisemaster independent coil spring suspension system.

In my mind, it is an ideal companion for couples planning extended adventures around Australia. It's also perfect for a quick weekend getaway. Simply hook up and go, knowing you've got everything you need on board. She's a solid, yet very realistic 1630kg dry, with two 82L water tanks, and a pair of jerry cans on the rear bumper, plus plenty of room for the essentials. You will quickly find out, as I did, this great looking camper gets plenty of attention from fellow travellers.

It was as much as I would comfortably tow behind my rather gutless old four-cylinder diesel Land Rover Discovery, but not a problem for any newer medium to large 4x4's, or maybe even a six-cylinder passenger vehicle for those that don't really want to go off-road that often.

Weights & Capacities

With a tare weight of 1630 kg and an ATM of 1990 kg, the payload isn’t huge with all the fuel and water tanks full; however, the Gibson Desert comes with all of the bells and whistles, so you only need your clothes plus some food and fishing gear, and off you go! Trakmaster are also able to offer a suspension upgrade, including larger stub axles, larger coils and a breakaway brake system to bring the ATM up to 2250kg, allowing additional loading capacity. This option comes in under $500.00, and I think I would consider it for my purposes.

The strong, fully welded and galvanised chassis provides a dependable foundation. In fact, I would go as far as saying that it is one of the strongest chassis I have personally seen in such a camper, making an ideal base for the rest of the unit. She has a gutsy 150 x 50 x 3mm A-frame drawbar with a DO35 V2 off-road coupling, handbrake, Anderson plug, twin 9 kg gas bottles, a strong stone guard, and a short mesh cradle for extra external load.

The strong galvanised box frame chassis extends all the way to the rear of the trailer where it shapes upwards at a high relief angle. The rear bumper is welded directly to the frame for added strength and the spare wheel is recessed in the relief angle forming an extra barrier should you ever get into such difficult terrain that it drags its bum. Personally, I cant see it. The entire trailer sits high and proud and whilst Trakmaster have traditionally used “SugarGlider” independent coil spring suspension with an air bag option, this demonstration unit was fitted with Vehicle Components Cruisemaster suspension, a product well known, tried and proven in the off-road market.

There are twin gas shockers on each side, coil springs, and 16" BF Goodrich All-Terrain tyres on black powder-coated ROH steel wheels, with 12" electric brakes making a very solid setup. Everything's neatly plumbed and tucked away underneath, with four wind-down stabiliser legs for added stability.

I put her through the paces on a 2800km return trip, and she didn't skip a beat. Tracked like a dream on asphalt, smoothed out corrugations, and handled rough terrain in the Flinders Ranges like a pro. This Trakmaster is built tough, and performs even tougher.

Trakmaster say their caravans give you the “Freedom to go to places that others dream about”

The Good Lookin' Australian 

The Gibson Desert Platinum is a real head-turner, especially with its sleek external look and bold Platinum series graphics. I really liked the silver, black, and red combination. The composite walls are cleverly designed, with an aluminium outer, Meranti frame, foam insulation, and a gloss acrylic internal finish that's a breeze to clean.

The pop-top is a dream to operate, and it gives you heaps of headroom inside. Plus, the front cutaway design means minimal wind drag, and she's under 2.45m high (plus aerial and vent) which makes it perfect for sneaking under those low clearances. It looks good with great design, and performs just as well.

Out front, there is a fixed-mounted 120-watt solar panel, a large tinted pop-out window with an aluminium awning for shade and protection from stones and abrasion, as well as a large front boot with plenty of room for your plumbing hoses, jack, handles, wheel brace and other essentials. There are plenty of high-quality tinted windows on every side of the unit with twin lockable water tank fillers, mains pressure water connector, external hot/cold shower and hatch to a full-width pole and fishing rod carrier all on the driver's side.

 

The rear of the trailer has a very strong bumper bar, as mentioned, with strong recovery points, but it also has twin jerry can holders, LED tail lights and separate clearance lights. Due to the high ground clearance, Trakmaster provide a portable step as a separate unit to the fold-down step leading to the doorway on the passenger side. The door has a separate lockable flyscreen, and the head height for entry is very good, considering this is a pop-top style camper.

I was pleased to find an individual slide-out cradle for the 120 Amp deep-cycle batteries, which makes maintenance a breeze. There is also an external service door, 12/240 volt outlets and outside lighting to the right of the door as well as a solar inlet point and slide out twin burner “Swift 3 way” barbeque/oven to the front for external cooking on those long summer nights, or maybe even making the morning cuppa whilst “she (or he) who must be obeyed” has a nice sleep-in.

 

 

Step Inside, You'll Be Surprised

Trakmaster's Gibson Desert Platinum is a real treat inside. It features a very livable design with terrific ergonomics and premium quality, plus hand-built construction that just doesn't disappoint. Step in, and you're hit with a sense of comfortable, warm and inviting space. It's a bit of a crowd-pleaser, with up to seven of the road crew gathering in for a yarn after a long day's drive.

The white acrylic walls make it feel even bigger, and the pop-top's a highlight, with zippered screens and heaps of natural light and ventilation from the vents and tinted windows. It's a comfortable spot to kick back and relax.

There is a combination of both overhead and individual LED lighting, individually switched for every mood. The dinette at the front could easily be made a convertible for a child’s berth if desired, and Trakmaster prides itself on customising all of its products to individual requirements. However, the internal layout of the Gibson Desert suits me just fine. There is an exceptionally comfortable double bed (2.0 x 1.4m) with an inner spring mattress running east-west at the rear that surprised even some tall competitors with its spacious feel. There's a slatted bed base for ventillation, and the whole unit pivots easily on gas struts revealing plenty of added storage. You can even opt for a small cabinet for an internal porta-potty.

 

Storage just isn't an issue; in fact, there's heaps of it. There are cavernous overhead cupboards, under-seat cavities, pantry and kitchen cupboards, and a massive storage cabinet on the passenger side. Plus the Engel 85L compressor fridge performed flawlessly in the dry Flinders Ranges heat.

My wife always tells me that I’m a “flat surface person’ and I found plenty of it in the Trakmaster to put down all my bags, camera gear and supply tonnes of room when cooking on the four-burner Spinflo stove with 12-volt rangehood. There is a stainless sink with hot/cold mixer also on the driver’s side, and again plenty of bench space. Let's just say that I have travelled in much larger vans that don't supply the convenience of this Trakmaster.

 

The lush grey upholstered finishes, a combination of roman blinds, block-out curtains and laminate surfaces all work together to complete the practical and very tasteful presentation. All of the wiring is simple and easy to track with plenty of 12 and 240 volt outlets, Winegard Freevision TV aerial, Merritt plug and a Redarc BMS1230 battery management system for absolute electrical monitoring and control. There are water tank indicators so that you can easily monitor life’s necessities and overhead is a Fan-tastic vent that exchanges air flow both in and out of the camper ensuring fresh air flow throughout. Our unit had a JVC sound system with front USB input supporting both CD and your portable components.

I'd Buy It! 

Overall, I loved the Trakmaster Gibson Desert Platinum, and I wasn’t joking when I said I would certainly own one. It is a fully self-sufficient unit that is readied for an overnighter in minutes. Simply pull up, flip the pop-top latches, fold down the step and pop the roof in a very easy action.

Set up is a breeze! – flick down the stabilisers, flip the pop-top latches, pop the roof, fold down the step and wind out the Aussie Traveller Sunburst awning, and you're good to go in under 10 minutes. Packing up is just as easy.

Trakmaster offers heaps of options and accessories, or you can customise your own layout. If I were you, I'd take their experienced advice. This is a crew that has lived the dream, and their range reflects that. Built by experts, for experts (and enthusiasts alike).

Ready For A Big Lap

 

The Gibson Desert Platinum is perfect for remote area travellers who want comforts without the fuss. You'll be cosy under the insulated roof, no matter our intense weather extremes. In fact, it's a tough, reliable mate for the long haul.

So, isn't it time you joined the Happy Trakky crew?

 

Hits & Misses

I Liked

  • Rugged construction

  • Choice of components

  • Ease of use

  • Internal finishes

  • Off-road ability

  • Layout

  • User friendly

     

I Would Have Liked

  • It to be mine!

  • A little more payload

     

Specifications

Trailer

Tare: 1630 kg

ATM: 1990 kg

Suspension: Vehicle components Cruisemaster Independent

Brakes: 12” electric

Coupling: DO35 V2 Off-road

Chassis: Fully galvanised box

Drawbar: 150 x 50 x 3mm

Body: Meranti frame/ Aluminium Clad Exterior

Tyres: 265/75R16 BF Goodrich All Terrain

Wheels: Black powder-coated ROH steel

Dimensions

Box size: 4.35 metres X 2.05 metres

Length:  6.1 metres (from hitch to tail lights)

Tent size: Full-length wind-out awning    

Accessories

Gas cylinders: 2 x 9kg

Water: 2 X 82 litre

Cooktop: Swift 4-burner internal, Swift 2-burner BBQ/oven external

Kitchen: Engel 85 litre compressor fridge, pantry, utensil drawers, stainless steel sink with hot/cold mixer

Battery: 2 X 120 AH AGM

Manufactured & Distributed By - Trakmaster Pty Ltd.

 

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No matter how you like to travel, we've got you covered.    


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