Spotlight on Marlin Campers: Aussie-made and practical for under $10K

We shine a spotlight on Marlin Campers, an Aussie-made and practical camper manufacturer that focuses on more of the things we need and less on the things we don’t.

It seems that year after year, everything gets bigger. Caravans, the vehicles that tow them, our bills, interest rates, and so on. The same is true for Marlin Campers. They’ve been expanding at a rapid rate for the last few years, thanks to ‘the Cruiser’, their smallest camper.

Marlin has a range of practical camper trailers

Alright, so it’s not all down to this one model. They’ve got a solid range of trailers to ensure that every want and need is accounted for. But importantly, they focus on making sure that your camper is perfectly matched to your tow car. Towing with a new LandCruiser? No worries, they’ve got the Marlin Ultimate for that, and they can even match the wheel track and stud pattern to your car. Got yourself a shiny new Suzuki Jimny? Perfect! The Cruiser is the trailer for you.

Marlin Campers aren’t your regular camper trailer retailer. Firstly, they’re the manufacturer. That’s right, these trailers are Australian-made. Steve and Leisa have been at it for over 20 years, and they build these trailers to achieve one stand-out purpose – practicality. These guys understand that you don’t need all the showy gimmicks. You just need a good-quality camper that works.

The theme of practicality is evident right throughout their operations. They’ve got everything they need in their Somersby factory, along with a purpose-built truck and trailer to get the camper range around the country to almost every 4WD and camping show.

In fact, that’s where you’ll find Steve more often than not – at whatever show is on this weekend, or on the road to get there. Spend some time meeting Steve at your local show, and his passion for Marlin Campers, and camping, in general, is plain for all to see.

If you built it yourself, it would share the same shopping list of brands

At first glance, you mightn’t be able to determine exactly what separates a Marlin from any other run-of-the-mill Chinese import but take a closer look, and it quickly becomes evident. The build quality of the trailer itself is a level above, and the gear they use to turn the trailer into a camper sets them apart from the rest.

Steve and Leisa have left nothing to chance. Every trailer is fitted out with tried and tested gear manufactured by some of the biggest and best in Australia. The tent assembly is Oztrail, the kitchen is Drifta, the 12V is Redarc, and so on. If money were no object, and you set out to build your ideal trailer, it’d almost certainly share the same shopping list of brands.

By now, you’ve no doubt figured out that Marlin Campers aren’t your run-of-the-mill, mass-produced disposable trailer. We’ve all seen the cheap imported stuff with the latest and greatest gimmicks bolted on. You probably don’t know that you can drive away with a new Marlin hanging off your towbar for an even better price than the importers can manage.

Marlin Campers are cheaper than most imported models and definitely offer much better value.

An option under $10K … did I read that right?

A Marlin Cruiser will set you back $9,990. Yes, you read that right. An Australian-made camper with a Drifta kitchen, 60l water tank, 40Ah of lithium and a queen-size bed for under ten grand.

Of course, that’s the entry-level version, which can be optioned up to a Marlin Cruiser Deluxe. That’ll get you a bigger kitchen, a hot water system with a shower, a battery management system hooked up to a 120Ah battery and more. That’ll set you back an extra two grand, and you can upgrade to a light-duty offroad trailer for a little bit more.

The Cruiser has a serious claim to being the best value, most versatile camper trailer on the market. You can be on the road for under $10,000, it can be set up easily by one person in under two minutes, and you can tow it with a hatchback. Yes, a hatchback. Weighing in at 350kg with a ball weight of only 20kg, this can be towed by any car you can put a tow bar on.

No-nonsense is king when it comes to camper trailers

What you get with Marlin Campers is a good honest product and experience. There’s a trend to go for the biggest, most rugged-looking option, but never use the product to its capability. Marlin Campers will happily sell you that. In fact, we recently visited their factory and witnessed Steve hand over a highly customised Marlin Ultimate. It had basically every option you could get and more, and was still only $30,000.

But if you know you don’t need that level of camper, and an on-road, or light off-road model might suit you, take a closer look at the Marlin Cruiser. One chat with Steve and his team, and you’ll quickly understand these are no-nonsense, purpose-built, practical trailers. That’s all we really want from a camper – practicality. The incredible price sure is a nice bonus, though.