Blue Tongue releases a Series II upgrade of its popular Overland XF forwardfold camper
Forward fold campers have hit the Australian camper trailer scene like a tidal wave in the past three years. Now, their fit outs have begun to evolve so they’re on par with the finely tuned styles that have been on the market for several decades. These upgrades have begun to iron out a few of the design limitations on the earlier versions and are making them even more attractive to the buying public. Typical of these upgraded versions is Blue Tongue Campers’ Overland XF Series II. Released earlier this year at the Sydney Caravan Camping & Holiday Supershow, it’s kept in motion the strongly upward trajectory for this energetic company.
The Series II is built on the same sturdy hot dip galvanised 100 x 50mm chassis and drawbar combination with trailing arm independent dual shock absorber suspension as the underpinnings of the Series I. This model also rolls on the same high load alloy rims and 265/75 R16 all terrain tyres. All good so far.
The body remains the same fully welded steel structure, painted with two-pack polyurethane, still with the stainless steel hinges, fasteners and wheel mouldings. The top still swings open and can be closed with winch assistance, but is manageable by hand with relative ease. The bed is still a queen-sized foam mattress at the front with the optional double bed at the rear when the internal table is lowered and matched with the lounge cushions.
There is still that all stainless steel kitchen with cutlery and storage drawers, with the three-burner Smev stove, stainless sink and drainer and pull out extension, all covered by an LED light on a stalk.
The front storage box will still hold up to a 95L Waeco on a sturdy fridge slide. There are still two storage compartments on the driver’s side of the camper, as well as two slides in the driver’s side of the storage box which are handy for a generator or porta-pottie.
Unchanged is a 120L 304 grade stainless water tank, with a 35L shower water tank. You still get two 100Ah batteries, Anderson plug charging connection for your tow vehicle, 12V cigarette and USB plugs to the lounge area, mains charger, power control panel and LED lighting inside. And you still have the option of a 30 amp Redarc battery management system.
The tent is 450gsm plain weave canvas with gas strut assistance for set-up. It has a tropical roof, with midgeproof mesh on all windows, a zip-out side above the kitchen, awning with all walls and vinyl floor and a shower tent ensuite.
Okay, so if all this is the same, what’s left to be changed?
Well, now the once optional gas strut assisted boat/luggage rack is a standard fitting. The two 4kg gas bottles and two jerry cans are enclosed in an aluminium front nose cone, which keeps them cleaner and makes air flow around the front much better – and keeps them protected from rock strikes.
The poles, which once travelled in a shelf area in the storage locker between the access door and the fridge storage has been moved to a new cross-body box at the rear of the camper, beneath the spares. This assists in lowering the ball weight to 130kg, a pretty good figure in a camper design that frequently sees ball weights up closer to 180kg and even higher, often when empty.
And there are now two spare wheels at the back, assisting in lowering that ball weight, though we’d prefer to see the handy storage box which once occupied the space of the second spare as you can simply never have enough storage space, especially in a forwardfold design, which typically is a little short on room.
And that area which was once devoted to pole storage, in the top of the storage locker next to the fridge slide, now has a very deep drawer, with divider, which makes for a great pantry area.
The sink now has a three-tier drying rack, and the jockey wheel has been upgraded to a heavy duty Ark XO model. Internally the lounge is now finished in leatherette, and has wrap-around cushions for more comfortable seating.
The options list has also been extended to include a 240V hot water service as well as the more portable diesel-fuelled system, there’s a TV antenna, a range of Waeco fridges up to the new 95L model and the potential for a Slumberest inner spring mattress.
Despite the additions, by the judicious use of lighter materials the tare (empty) weight has remained at 1550kg, and the ATM at 2110kg, retaining that hefty 560kg load capacity.
Final word
None of these changes in the Overland XF are sweeping redesigns, more a matter of fine tuning what was already a pretty good package, so much so that the original model of the Overland XF is still available. The price has gone up, slightly, from $21,990 to $22,490, a minor increase for quite a range of improvements. You are getting a lot of competent camper trailer for your money here and if the aesthetics match your tastes you’ve found a good home on the road and off.
Pros
- Proven design
- Well finished
- Lighter ball weight
- Competent electronics
- Good offroad capability
Cons
- Difficult access to spare wheels
- Shortage on internal storage space
- No internal access without fully opening out camper
Blue Tongue Overland XF Series II Specs
Chassis
Drawer bar: 100 x 50 x 4mm hot dip galvanised
Dimensions: 5300mm long, 1900mm wide, 1400mm high
Tare 1550kg,
ATM 2110kg
Ball weight: 130kg
Wheels: 16” high load rated alloy wheels
265/75 R16 all terrain tyres
AL-KO 3600 3.5T rated off road hitch
Suspension and brakes
Heavy duty independent trailing arm with coil springs
Dual shock absorbers
Body
Fully welded steel body
Painted with quality 2-pack polyurethane
Stainless steel trims to edges and door openings
Kitchen
Stainless steel sink with drainer
3-burner Smev AGA approved cooker with wind deflector
LED light
Water
120L 304 grade stainless steel tank with electric pump
Electrical
2 x 100Ah batteries
Anderson plug for car connection
Power control panel
Warranty
Five years structural, one year all other components
Price
$22,490
Contact
Blue Tongue Campers
27/3-11 Flora St, Kirrawee NSW 2232
Ph: (02) 8544 0976
bluetonguecampers.com.au
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12 Comments
Heston Wostal
Wow if I had one of those campers I would travel the USA. That’s my Dream
Mark MacRaild
So Awesome, I’d love to travel around Australia. ???????
Rebecca
Reminds me a lot of the Skamper Kamper Dingo. Wonder how they stack up against each other?
Nicholas
What an awesome set up. Just what I could do with to head out and explore around Australia.
Peter
If I had one of these campers
to go fishing I mite not go home
I would stay longer
Stuart
I can stop dreaming about travelling the wide open Aussie land and enjoy it in style.
Sarah
Recently becoming a single mother with a young son, and loosing all our camping gear… it would be so great to get an Awsome kickstart to get out and show my little boy the beauty of this great county!
George Farrugia
Thats exactly what my wife and i need so we can travel the top end and kakadu and “o” boy would in it be grate down south trout fishing
Phil
This is so awesome and way better than the very basic super small camper that I have…….anything would be better than what I have, lol.
I have seen the model before this one and was impressed with that but this one tops the cake!
This one is well priced and affordable, for those with an income and a job.
William
This camper trailer will be ideal for our purpose and allow us access into areas a caravan cannot get into. We are away a minimum of 8 times a year and are ready to give this camper a thorough work out.
Yvonne
What a dream to have one of these camper trailer for a couple of grey nomads . We couldn’t take a vintage van where this camper could go.
June
Would be great to have one. Travel all around Oz