Australians don't like to compromise when it comes to tough-as-nails off-road camper trailers. So if you're a trailer company that calls yourself "Australian Off Road," you know you better show up to the trail with a positively blast-proof camper, even if it's your "most basic model yet." There's nothing all that basic about a camping trailer with a galvanized high-tensile steel foundation, indoor/outdoor queen bedroom, lithium-based electrical system and large slide-out kitchen, but the Outback-hardened crew at AOR sees the basics a little differently. Whether journeying into population-less desert or enjoying a simple long weekend in the bush, AOR's new Sierra trailer co-authors your adventure.
Thanks to offerings like the Patriot X1-H and Bruder EXP-4, we already knew Australian builders don't mess around when it comes to fortifying off-grid trailers for all-out adventure warfare. Still, when we first saw the Sierra, the last thing that popped to mind was "entry level." The 7-foot-tall (2.2-m) squaredrop trailer looks nicer than virtually any off-road towable we saw at this year's CMT show, Overland Expo, Düsseldorf Caravan Salon or SEMA. Just look at that 40.7-degree departure angle. Or that cozy hard-walled cabin with wide, breezy hatch window. Or that huge outdoor kitchen. And yet, AOR insists it's the most basic trailer it's ever built, an entry level "micro camper."
To be fair, where we camp, $43K is anything but entry level, and many of the amenities AOR packs in as standard equipment are options, if they're even available at all. The Sierra looks like a starting point that other brands could proudly call a flagship.
Wherever you want to rank it in your personal hierarchy of towable off-grid living, the Sierra begins life as a Supagal high-tensile steel and powder-coated chassis, upon which AOR secures a Raptor-coated fiberglass body and aluminum nosecone. An independent trailing arm suspension with variable rate coil springs and Outback Armour Offroad shocks keeps the 17-in steel wheels and 285/70R17 Cooper Evolution MT tires bobbing proficiently.
Up above the Sierra's slashed lower rear, the outer hatch swings upward not for interior access but as the roof of the optional drop-down annex tent stored neatly inside. A separate door opens to reveal the cozy cabin, where a queen bed entices weary travelers with a surface of 6-in memory foam. A fan keeps the air circulating, while the wide double-glazed window pops open to flood the interior with fresh air. The strut-assisted bed base lifts away for access to under-bed storage, and occupants can also access the front storage lockers through interior access doors. A series of 12V and USB outlets, reading lights and ceiling-mounted storage nets complete the cabin.
The rest of daily life takes place outside, as camping should be. The side opposite the bedroom picture window houses a large kitchen space behind a swing-up hatch, providing a stove slide-out, countertop and stainless steel sink. The smaller hatch to the chef's left houses a long slide-out for a fridge/freezer and extra worktop or cooking space. Campers can use their own equipment or select from AOR's options list, building up with gear like a dual-burner stove, fridge/freezer, BBQ grill, etc. The kitchen has plenty of storage thanks to drawers, overhead cabinets and a pots/pans compartment below the lifting worktop.
On the bedroom-window side, an available drop-down tent combines with the exterior cold/hot water hookup to create a shower room. During travel, this system packs away neatly in the case mounted just below the roofline. Water is supplied via a bash plate-protected 60-L tank (upgradeable to 140-L), and a river drawing system lets you use available external water while bypassing the tank.
A full battery management system with 3.5-in touchscreen display and smart device connectivity distributes power from the 150-Ah lithium battery, and an Andersen plug is included for connecting solar panels. The integrated gas system fuels external equipment via three hookups.
The 14-foot (4.3-m) Sierra weighs 2,095 lb (950 kg) dry and has an ATM/gross vehicle weight rating of 3,970 lb (1,800 kg).
The AU$42,500 (US$29,050) base price is still serious money for a trailer, but when you're shopping the Sierra against other galvanized-frame, go-anywhere Aussie mini-trailers, like the BRS Sherpa or Track Tvan MK5, you'll already be walking around the upper deck of that ballpark. The Sierra comes standard as a two-sleeper but can easily become a four- to six-sleeper with the available hardshell and fold-out roof-top tent options. Also available are various racks and storage solutions for gear like bikes, kayaks and fishing tackle.
Source: Australian Off Road
