2019 Off-road trailer of the year

What makes off-road trailers better than caravans or motorhomes? Simple! They’re easy to tow, they can reach many more places than caravans or motorhomes because of their short wheelbase plus, they’re incredibly fun. Did I mention they’re also much more affordable than the other options?

If you look at the cost of buying a new or second-hand caravan, you’ll probably notice that you’re just about all in for around R300k, and then you need the right tow vehicle too. Our top 10 Autozone Off-road Trailer of the YearTM entrants range between R100K and R240K. This, I believe, is affordable enough for you to dip your toes into the outdoor lifestyle as you venture to some of the best resorts our country has to offer, not to mention exploring across our borders too!

This year we would sincerely like to thank Autozone for sponsoring our national competition. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been able to reach all of you to fi nd out who is best. So, if you would like to mutually share your support for their industry, as much as they support our’s, please visit them online or instore. They offer a massive range of overlanding gear and accessories for you and your off-road trailer. They’re even listed on Takealot, if you prefer to order online.

Let’s get started on the competition winners, shall we? In 1st place, for three years running, we have the Conqueror Comfort. It’s an off-road trailer that has a 2.5-ton solid beam axle with greaseable eye-to-eye shackle leaf springs. It can sleep up to a family of four with two adults on top of the trailer and you can add an extra room for the kids! The outside kitchen is userfriendly and the 270-degree awning offers excellent shade during hot summer months and protection from the rain. The Recce version from Conqueror does come with quite a few added extras!

The Invader Duo attains a healthy 2nd place in this year’s competition and this brand continues to be a fi rm favourite in the industry. The Duo is the smaller off-road trailer in the Invader range, accurately named because it sleeps two people extremely comfortably. It has a galvanised ladder chassis with auto-reverse coupler and a 2 000kg rated run-in brake capacity. If that’s not enough, it also has 1 800kg rated solid axle with 10-blade leaf spring suspension. The wow factor here is that setting up camp takes less than fi ve minutes as you pop up the roof and pull out your kitchen. After that, you’re ready to camp!

We are proud to announce that each year Bushwakka models creep higher and higher towards that number one spot, which is indicative of their ever-increasing popularity amongst overlanders. The Bushwakka Sundowner levers itself into 3rd place in this year’s competition and with good reason, as it comes with a plethora of luxuries and accessories you’d normally associate with larger caravan models. Because of the Sundowner’s dimensions and size, it’s only about 1/3rd of the size and the weight of a standard caravan. It has a 1 800kg braked axle with heavy-duty leaf springs and Safari gas shocks. Its spring rating is 2 000kg. The chassis is 3CR12 stainless steel and the body is made almost entirely of aluminium, which is a no-rust plus! Even though this trailer model may look small from the outside, just know that inside it offers great utilisation of internal space and good storage.

Fourth place gives rise to the Invader Duo’s big brother, the Quattro, which is based on a similar dimension as the Duo, however, the rear of the trailer folds out into another large double bed. This unit is more suited for young families with one or two small kids and, like the Duo, the inside seating bunk folds up to reveal a storage compartment perfectly suited for your Porta-Potti.

The Conqueror Courage continues to boost its popularity by coming 5th in this year’s competition.