Time to Roam Magazine Issue 7 - February/March 2014 | Page 38

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tried + tested camper review

TRIED
+
TESTED

THE MERIDIAN

As with all the Challenge range, the
Meridian is a “soft floor” camper, with the
12ft tent folding off the side and sitting on
the ground. Soft floor campers provide a
roomy tent and plenty of storage beneath
the bed and are great for families with kids.
The Meridian is built on a tough
chassis with an even sturdier drawbar,
all made from Duragal steel.

The suspension is a double wrap seven-leaf
eye to eye spring set-up, with rebound springs,
on a strong 50mm axle with parallel bearings.
That is as stout as it can get. The brakes are
mechanical drums, with electrics as optional.
As with all soft floor campers the bed
is mounted on a ply base on top of the
trailer, giving you a 4 inch Queen-sized
innerspring mattress for a comfortable
night’s rest, with access from a walkway at

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the end of the bed, making it ideal for older
campers or those with mobility issues.
In fact, Challenge claims to have been
the first to develop the walk-in design six
years back, a style which is now almost
standard in the industry and available from
most soft floor camper manufacturers.
“A good friend who has gone camping with
us on a number of occasions complained
that because of his bad hip he had trouble
getting in and out of the bed, especially at
night,” Gareth explained. “It took us about
nine months to sort it out, but we came up
with the solution. We now use the walkway
for a fridge carrying point and the rest of the
area is great if you want to carry a portapotti, which can save you having to open
the tent in the middle of the