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Rob
& Carol's Track Trailer Eagle
We are very happy with our
Track Trailer Eagle which we have owned for the last 14 years, purchased in
1993. Although there are a few things we would like to change to make camping
life a little easier, we can live with them. The changes we have in mind were
made standard on later models. Let's have a look around our camper starting from
the bottom up.
The suspension of the trailer is made up of seven leaf springs
which are 70mm wide & controlled by KONI shocks.
This system works extremely well in off road conditions. I have been amazed at
times to look in the side mirrors & see the suspension working up & down, even
on very corrugated roads & in extreme off road conditions. Both on & off road
the trailer sits behind the Patrol in a very well behaved manner, owing mainly
to the short draw bar & rear set axle. The camper has the same tyre/wheel
combination as our Patrol.
The GUIDING STAR off road box trailer is well built & we
could say bulletproof. Attention to detail is important if you want a trailer
such as this to be able to handle the punishment. We are most impressed with the
quality of workmanship & particularly the way the hot dipped galvanized finish
has stood up to the elements.
We
removed the ball coupling & installed a TREG off road
hitch. The hitch also operates the hydraulic over-rider braking system which
seems to work well in most circumstances.
The unique locker system makes the Eagle a cut above the rest
based on an off road box trailer, giving it more storage space & leaving the
rear of our Patrol free. The five lockers are dust proofed & have not allowed
any dust in to name of.
The two lockers on the drivers side
make ideal food storage, while the two passenger side lockers, which are inside
when the tent is erected, are the hub of the kitchen with a low pressure two
burner/griller stove, crockery & cutlery. The front locker holds our spares &
tools.
The tent opens out to enclose an area of 2.2 x 3.7 metres,
with 2.2 x 2.1 metres floor space. A quick & simple camp can be erected in
minutes with three poles & this is a great asset when on the road & stopping for
an overnight camp. Not much to pack up in the morning & get back on the road for
another days travels.
A full camp takes a little longer with the need of three extra poles for the
awning & gives plenty of protection from both sun & rain. A sidewall can be
zipped to either side of the awning depending on the direction of the wind if
needed.
The bed sits on top of the camper between the lockers ready
made. We have two sleeping bags zipped together & a down duner to throw on top
for winter warmth. The foam mattress is very comfortable & over the years has
become our second bed. A sheet of plastic is used to keep the bed dry when
breaking camp in the early mornings or after rain when the canvas is
damp.
A rack sits across the front of the trailer that will carry
three 20 litre jerry cans of either water or petrol. The 60 litre water tank is
situated under the rear of the trailer encased in a steel protective cover which
supplies water through two hand pumps, one in the kitchen locker & the other
located on the rear outside drivers side guard. Two additional 'battery' lockers
provide extra storage. One near the outside tap is our bathroom locker where
toiletries are kept handy. The other stores our tent pegs, ropes & hammer.
I built two large ply boxes that slide into the rear of the
box trailer. This provides a huge additional storage space for our backpacks,
clothes, shoes, cooking & camping gear along with shovel, axe, bbq plate & the
like.
Our Track Trailer Eagle makes camping all that much more enjoyable. Not only is
everything easily accessible from the lockers at all times, but we also like the
ease at which the camper can be packed during the week for that Friday afternoon
getaway. Sunday night sees the trailer unhitched to be unpacked at a later time.
The kitchen is external, so there is no hassle preparing
lunch or morning tea on the roadside. All we need do is lift the soft cover
slightly & undo the locker doors to access the stove & meal preparation area.
When the locker doors are down they also make the bench tops.
We
carry our 3-way fridge in the rear of our Patrol & after setting up camp it then
sits on the A-frame drawbar of the camper where it is out of the dirt & wind
gusts which can blow the flame out.
Things we would like
to change include............
* a rear door to make easy access to the rear of the trailer where
gear is stored.
* a rear awning would be handy for those times it is raining when
getting gear from the rear
of the camper or when the wind is annoying on the opposite side.
* rear swing away spare wheel carrier for those extended trips when a
spare is needed.
* a step that slips over the tyre to get up into bed. We use a step
ladder.
* gas bonnet outlet near bottle
for cooking outside.
Rob & Carol
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Cells River NSW |
Stockton Beach
NSW |
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Barrington Tops
NSW |
Gloucester Tops
NSW |
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