Time to Roam Magazine Issue 7 - February/March 2014 | Page 39
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tried + tested camper review
tailgate is a powder coated steel kitchen,
with swing over extension, incorporating
a four-burner stove with griller. The sink is
a simple plastic tub (fixed stainless steel
is optional) which is easily removed for
emptying and the manual tap draws its
water from one of the two water tanks.
The tent is all
Australian Wax
Converters canvas,
in any of seven
colours to match
any of the seven
paint colours in
the range. Various
sizes are available.
The standard is
3.7m wide x 3.4m
long, providing
room for bunk beds for the kids or internal
meals around a table if the weather warrants
it. Over the main tent area is a great reflective
thermal blanket which does a very good job
of keeping the interior cool in summer and
warm in winter, aided by a roofline vent.
Along the rear of the tent, over the kitchen
is a 2.1m wide awning, which is supplied
with a kitchen apex return in canvas and
full mesh walls. This gives a total area
under canvas of 7.6 x 5.5m, a ton of room
for longer stays. Additional awnings and a
kid’s bedroom are available as options.
Electrically the Meridian is equipped a
100 amp/hr battery, battery monitor, two 12V
outlets, auto reset circuit breaker, 30 amp
mains charger, Anderson plug to charge off
your car’s alternator, 240V power inlet for the
charger, all mounted in the front storage box.
The trailer can come with an optional
boat loader, allowing you to carry a tinnie
in comfort, or have it converted to use as a carrying
point for bikes, kayaks, firewood or whatever else you
may need to carry. It easily swings out of the way on
gas struts and can rest either vertically or fold over
completely to lie horizontally on the ground adjacent
to the camper. There is an optional outboard motor
carrier and prop shield to go with the boat loader.
As stated there are two water
tanks: a main 86 litre tank for the
kitchen and a secondary 64 litre
tank connected to an external
hand pump. There are two 4.5kg
gas bottles, carrying capacity for
up to five jerry cans, and a roomy
storage box at front. A larger
gull-wing box is also available
which can accommodate a
second fridge and generator.
All up there’s a lot of trailer
for the money with the Challenge Meridian Walk-In. Set
up is easy, aided by the gas struts on the tent bows, and
it has a go-anywhere capacity that will live with anything
the Outback can throw at it. It’s well sealed from dust, with
quality automotive seals and Challenge’s unique camlock
latch system that seals all doors thoroughly. At $23,750
and with an all-Australian build, thoroughly tested through
a fleet of hire trailers, it gets our tick of approval.
CHALLENGE
MERIDIAN
WALK-IN
“ At $23,750 and with an allAustralian build, thoroughly
tested through a fleet of
hire trailers, it gets our
tick of approval.”
Pros
• Durable and strong
• All Australian build
• Great storage
• Wide range of
colours
• Excellent dust
sealing
Trailer Specifications
Body Length 3400mm
Body Width 1800mm
Weight 820kg Tare
and 1500kg GTM
Ball weight 60kg
Warranty
Five years structural
on trailer build, five
years on canvas
Cons
• Would benefit
by added shock
absorbers (optional)
• No 240V outlets
Full details and specs
challengecampertrailers.com
YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER
Mountain Trail Escape
Trackabout Safari V Extenda
The Mountain Trail Escape is this company’s
closest model to the Meridian. It is a similar
side-fold softfloor design, and has that
added rear walk-up passage, which has now
become so popular, thanks to its access and
storage capacity. Of course, this comes at
a price, with the base trailer weighing an
extra 450kg. Mountain Trail campers are all
beautifully built, with CAD design, laser cut
components, fully seem welded, sandblasted,
zinc coated and powdercoated finish.
The Trackabout Safari SV Extenda, like the
Mountain Trail Escape, is a side-fold walkup model, with a 600mm front passage
for easy bed access and storage. It comes
standard with alloy wheels, dual battery
set-up with 120W solar panel, a 60 litre
Evakool fridge and slide-out kitchen with large
return shelf rather than a tailgate-mounted
option. Trackabout is a quality brand with
all-Australian build and a range of softfloor
models and many options. The weight is again
higher than the Meridian, at 1050kg Tare.
PRICE IS HIGHER
AT $29,991
PRICE IS HIGHER
AT $29,990
Issue 07 Feb/Mar 2014
39