6 soft floor camper trailers for every adventurer

Look, we all know in this day of fold-out, expanding and push-button-to-open campers that humble soft-floor camper trailers have largely gone the way of 8-tracks and being able to buy a house and support a family on a single income. They’re just not popular anymore. The versatility of soft-floor camper trailers is being surpassed by the ever-increasing demand for lightning-quick, zero-effort set-ups and garish colours and lights on every flat surface. Where once pretty much every manufacturer had a soft-floor or three in the line-up, nowadays, most folks prefer their campers to look like something out of Star Wars rather than a dowdy box trailer with a tent on top.

Which is a bit of a shame really, because soft-floor camper trailer have a heap of built-in advantages, are generally a fair chunk cheaper, and carry a hell of a lot more gear than an equivalent-sized hard-floor. In fact, we reckon there’s a bit of a quiet resurgence in popularity going on in the second-hand market, with now-defunct brands like Trak Shak and Johnno’s soft-floors being snapped up quickly and for top dollar.

Pssst: If you’re a newbie to the camper trailer game, you may be wondering what the difference is between a hard/soft floor, rear/forward fold and more. Read our beginner’s guide to camper trailers to understand the different types available.

With that in mind, we thought we’d better throw together a list of soft-floor camper trailers that are still available new, because for a family, couple or solo adventurer on a budget, they’re still pretty darn hard to beat.

Trackabout Explorer (best off-road soft floor camper trailer)

From $37,990

Full disclosure: I hesitated to include the Trackabout Explorer on our list because it’s really more of an adventure trailer (RTT on an off-road base) set-up like the Terratrek or Patriot campers. BUT, it got the nod due to the huge amount of family room that’s available once it’s all opened out and the annexe is zipped up.

Trackabout have been around for decades and are 100% Aussie-made and owned, which is a huge feather in their cap. If you’re looking for a soft-floor camper trailer that’ll outlive religion, this is your huckleberry.

It basically features the best of the best in terms of inclusions. Cruisemaster suspension, huge amounts of cooking room and bench space from the L-shaped kitchen, 2200L of organised storage (there are caravans with less than this), 92L of drinking water and even spots for the bikes and tinny. These things have it all.

In terms of set-up, quick overnighters can be handled with an easy three-minute fold out of the main tent that covers the Queen bed, while longer stays can have the fully-zippable tent attached for extra privacy and weather protection.

Quick look:

• Sleeps: 2 adults
• ATM: 2000kg
• Tare: 1200kg
• Tow ball weight: 120kg

Marlin Cruiser (best lightweight soft floor camper trailer)

From $10,750

I really can’t talk highly enough about keeping vehicle and trailer weights as low as you practically can. There’s less wear and tear on your components, you use less fuel, your trailer doesn’t require as much power and torque to make it move, it’s easier to drag a light trailer over a deep soft sandy track than it is to pull the Taj Mahvan through the same patch… you get the idea

For this, and other reasons, Marlin soft floor camper trailers tick a heap of boxes. It tips the scales at a paltry 350kg, and the ball weight is a small-SUV-friendly 20kg. If you have a larger 4X4, you won’t notice it’s there. Unsurprisingly, it’s a compact little jigger so don’t expect a heap of inclusions or room to swing a rugrat or two around, but what’s lost in space is made up for with ease of set-up. It only takes a couple of minutes from rocking up to camp to being ready for a good night’s slumber.

There’s a kitchen, 60L of water, a lithium battery pack for the minimal electrics and a heap of space from what’s basically an empty trailer under the bed.

Is this the soft floor camper trailer for you if you’re looking to hit the road full-time or do a run up the Telegraph Track? No, but if you’re looking for a well-priced, easy to use and ultra-light weekender, the Marlin is hard to top.

Quick look:

• Sleeps: 2 adults
• ATM: 2000kg
• Tare: 350kg
• Tow ball weight: 20kg

Stoney Creek Nugget (best soft floor camper trailer for solo adventurers)

From $23,990

If you’ve been looking at affordable, tow-anywhere soft floor camper trailers that are simple to set up on your lonely without taking three and a half working days, then the Nugget is worth you having a sticky. It’s another one that’s blurring the lines between soft-floor and adventure trailer, but the built-in annexe qualifies it for the soft-floor market we reckon.

As the name suggests, it’s a compact little weapon that’s perfect for singles or couples looking to get away over some harder tracks or down to the local campsite to spend a couple of nights in comfort. It has 80L of water (with optional hot water), 200Ah of lithium power, a twin-burner gas cooktop, double-stitched and waterproofed canvas and a Queen mattress – so the value is right up there.

The real advantage is its size, with under 2m of body length, it’ll fit in just about any garage or carport, or down just about any overgrown track. Twin-shock independent coil suspension smooths out the bumps, MT tyres for max tough points, and you’re looking like a young Les Hiddens for the `Gram.

Quick look:

• Sleeps: 2 adults
• ATM: 1600kg
• Tare: 1140kg
• Tow ball weight: 105kg

Bayside Straddie B (best soft floor camper trailer for couples)

From $24,900

With a paltry tare weight and downward force on your towball that’s on par with breathing on it, the Straddie B soft floor camper trailer is another one that’s light, nimble and just about perfect for a couple of people looking to get away for a night or four.

To be fair, this is one camper that’s as basic as it comes, which is just what you want when travelling in pairs. No fuss, minimal trickery to go wrong, just a solid, straightforward and hassle-free camper that offers more space per kilogram than an inflatable football stadium. It also comes with a massive 160L water capacity, 120Ah of off-grid electrics and a Joolca hot water system as standard.

It may not be the fastest to set up, nor the cheapest, nor the most rugged, nor the fanciest. But it’s the Granddad’s axe of trailers. Dependable, capable and no-frills. To a lot of people, that’s worth more than any onboard air-conditioning or latte machine… although I do love a latte on a crisp High-Country morning, but I digress.

If the phrase “basic yet highly functional” warms the cockles of your cockles, then this might just be your perfect soft floor camper trailer.

Quick look:

• Sleeps: 2 adults
• ATM: 1400kg
• Tare: 780kg
• Tow ball weight: 75kg

Platinum Warrior S4 (best soft floor camper trailer for families)

From $21,599

When fully set-up, Warrior soft floor camper trailers, from Platinum Campers, are pretty darn huge. The tent section alone is enough to sleep a couple and up to four kids, not counting the Queen bed up top, making it ideal for the wandering family. In fact, you could say that this thing is built around the idea of having multiple humans living out of it for weeks on end.

There’s the fridge slide that can accommodate a pair of chest fridges, opening up the option of having a dedicated freezer for the meat and seafood while on the road. Then there’s the big-boy kitchen that’s spot-on for cooking up a huge brekky for the army. Then we have the acre or so of storage that’s accessible with the tent up or down should any emergency jumpers or inflatable paddle boards be suddenly required.

The electrical gear is decent too, with 100Ah onboard and the option to add more if needed. Plus, a Bluetooth stereo and a host of internal and external lighting. It’s off-road capable to boot, with dual independent suspension arms underneath, twin spares and a galvanised steel frame.

The family that adventures together stays together, which is how I think the saying goes. Regardless, if that sounds good to you, then give the Warrior S4 soft floor camper trailer a gander.

Quick look:

• Sleeps: 4 adults; 4 kids
• ATM: 2000kg
• Tare: 1390kg
• Tow ball weight: 180kg

Cameron Campers Conquest (best soft floor camper trailer for when moneys no object)

From $46,950

Imagine you’ve just got your brand-spankers Tesla Cybertruck in the driveway; you need a ritzy yet complimentary-looking camper to really make the neighbours think that much less of you (while secretly being jelly of your amount of disposable income). You’re over the butch campers that look like they should come with a free assault rifle; you want something more refined, more modern-looking. I present to you the Conquest, a camper Elon himself would own… probably.

The tech is there – Computer aided designed, aircraft-spec construction, marine grade aluminium panels for weight and strength. This thing is not quite space-age – it’s still a soft-floor camper trailer, Mr Spock – but it ain’t far off.

The chassis and body are integrated for lighter weight and increased strength (like a monocoque car), while there’s still a swarthy 1800L of storage spread throughout. It can be towed by an SUV thanks to its sprightly mass, and the shaped nosecone allows for pretty decent aerodynamics, so the fuel burn upon re-entry would be fairly minimal. It’s built for purpose, too, with legit off-road credentials, a huge kitchen, a two-tiered pantry (which is pretty trick IMO), nearly a tonne of payload capacity and every mod-con you’d expect at this price point.

If you’ve always wanted to start your own space exploration venture but are a few billion short, then the Cameron Camper Conquest is almost as good for way less.

Quick look:

• Sleeps: 2 adults
• ATM: 1850kg
• Tare: 880kg
• Tow ball weight: 80kg

Read our other articles in this Camper Trailer series:

• What to look for when buying a used camper trailer
• 10 x hard floor camper trailers
• Camper trailers – a guide for beginners
• 10 x Australian-made hybrid campers/caravans for your next adventure
• 10 x camper trailers that can fit a family
• 10 x camper trailers with quick set-ups