Articles by Brendan Batty

Brendan Batty takes a Lifestyle Camper Trailers' Reconn R2 Hypercamper out bush for a comprehensive real-world test.

Brendan Batty tests Patriot Campers' X1 GT to see whether good things really do come in small packages.

Brendan Batty takes the Avan Cruiseliner Adventure Plus out bush to review it

Brendan Batty road-tests and reviews a 2018 Jayco Eagle Touring camper-trailer, the second largest camper in the Jayco range.

The camping world is so mad for forward-fold campers that it often forgets that, for a long time, the rear-fold, hard-floor camper were considered the 'In' thing.

It seems to come with the territory, that forward-fold campers are heavier than they need to be – and there are a few reasons for that.Firstly, most are made in China and, to prevent any possible durability issues, they are made with thicker sections of steel. Secondly, it’s cheaper to build something heavy than it is to build it light. And, thirdly, impressive features, such as checker-plate front storage boxes and dual spare wheels, are heavy.So, it’s refreshing to see a forward-fold, like the Blue Tongue Overland XF Lite Series 2, come in about 200 to 300kg lighter than most other campers on the market, without being completely stripped of features (although, surely that name ads a few kilos, it’s so long!).

Brendan Batty off-road tests the Cub Campers Frontier camper-trailer

Brendan Batty road-tests and reviews a 2019 Jayco Penguin Touring camper-trailer.

Brendan Batty road-tests and reviews a 2019 Jayco Swift camper-trailer, an entry-level model for those wanting to kick-start their outdoor adventures.

There is so much outback in Australia. Basically, the only place it isn't is along the eastern seaboard and around to Adelaide – everywhere else, pretty much, the red dirt continues all the way to the ocean and with it, all the splendour. As such, choosing an introduction to outback travel can be as simple as just driving somewhere in the west or north, or as hard as picking a favourite style of Mexican food – they're basically all the same, right?For my money, though, a trip through New South Wales' Corner Country makes a lot of sense. It starts in Cobar, about the closest bit of real red dirt west of Sydney, it travels through spectacular country, takes in a few wonderful pubs and has great camping all along the way, whether you want to pay for it or not.Best of all, the distances between settlements are not large, fuel is never too hard to get and, although the roads can be rough in parts, the trip is completely accessible for any well-prepared SUV with a bit of ground clearance and an understanding of the need to take things easy.Note: This trip is a mix of outback bitumen and gibber roads with occasional patches of bull-dust and it is dry-weather travel only.