Club Campers Brumby vs Fiat Ducato

What's the difference?

The Brumby is a fine example of top-notch design and manufacturing at a reasonable price.

It looks great, tows well, is very easy to set up and take down and does everything Cub Campers claims it’ll do – with no fuss. 

Any issues in this camper are really only a matter of nit-picking and can easily be rectified with Cub options or adjustments.

The attention to detail is superb and, as a built-for-purpose camper, the Brumby certainly hits the mark.

The latest Fiat Ducato, in MWB MR configuration with optional nine-speed auto, is a competent competitor in the 3501-8000kg GVM segment. Its class-leading two-tonne-plus payload rating would have considerable appeal for those who need to carry exceptionally heavy loads and we couldn’t find any major flaws in its design and performance. However, the warranty is short and there are niggling issues in terms of driver comfort, which if addressed would increase the Ducato’s appeal.

It’s big and airy inside and really is a basic but functional space. 

The Brumby’s kitchen, fridge, pantry and more storage spaces are accessed via the camper’s exterior so there’s not a lot going on inside this camper, but the storage ideas and solutions in here – including under and alongside the bed – are well suited to camping life.

The floor of the entry-way could be used alternately as a children’s bedroom and eating area, if you don’t bother setting up your awning for dining purposes.

The main bedroom is open and easy to access from the entry-way, and the bed has storage space underneath and along each side.

The Ducato’s 2060kg kerb weight and 4250kg GVM results in a huge 2190kg payload rating which dwarfs rivals we've tested including the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Ford Transit and its Peugeot Boxer sibling. It's also rated to tow up to 2250kg of braked trailer but given that Fiat does not publish a GCM (Gross Combination Mass) number, we can’t confirm if it can tow that weight while carrying a full payload.

The cargo bay, with a competitive 11.5 cubic metres of load volume, has an unprotected load floor that’s 3120mm long and 1870mm wide with 1422mm between the wheel housings. Therefore, it can easily carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets or three 1200 x 800mm Euro pallets, held in place by eight sturdy load-anchorage points.

There’s also ample forklift access through either the rear barn-doors, which can swing open to 270 degrees with a combined 1562mm-wide opening, or the sliding side doors with their 1250mm-wide openings.

All doors and walls are lined to mid-height and the raised roof cavity allows even tall adults to stand inside without stooping. It also provides a large and very useful storage area over the driver’s cabin, which is ideal for stowing ropes, straps, load-padding etc.

There’s plenty of cabin storage too, with large-bottle holders and two levels of storage bins in each front door. The dashboard offers numerous open storage bins plus small-bottle/cup holders, a glovebox, large overhead map shelf and storage tray under the driver’s seat. The centre seat’s backrest also folds forward to reveal a handy work desk on the back of it, complete with a spring-loaded clip to hold documents in place, a pen holder and two more small-bottle/cup holders.

At 885kg (with 139kg on the tow ball), this is a nimble and easy-to-tow trailer. 

It has a galvanised steel chassis and is equipped with Cub Campers' own independent coil-spring suspension set-up, which helps the Brumby ride through undulating terrain with supreme ease, maintaining composure all the way. 

Its AL-KO 50mm off-road ball hitch, which affords a greater range of motion for the coupling – up and down, and side to side – than a standard one does, gives the Brumby an extra level of flexibility and manoeuvrability on rough tracks.

Another boost to its ease of towing is the fact that, due to the Brumby's compact size, the driver is able to constantly monitor the trailer’s position as you can see over it, along its sides, and behind it, with no need for towing mirrors.

The Brumby rides on 17-inch six-stud alloy wheels, shod with Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tyres.

It has two rated recovery points (2400kg) at the rear, which are a bonus for those who tackle decent off-roading.

There’s a commanding view for the driver thanks to a panoramic windscreen and clear eye-lines to the truck-sized door mirrors. There’s also reasonable but cluttered vision through the central rear-view mirror, which is partly obscured by the centre seat’s headrest.

The cabin bulkhead is effective in all but eliminating cargo bay noise and engine/wind noise volume is commendably low even on the highway. The highest audible intrusion at those speeds comes from the front tyres, which is acceptable on smooth bitumen surfaces but increases on coarser grades.

Its leather-rimmed steering wheel is nice to use and thanks to the driver’s door moulding and fold-down in-board armrest, there’s evenly balanced elbow support to relieve strain on the neck and shoulders.

The engine and nine-speed auto transmission are well matched, providing energetic performance when prodded and crisp, decisive shifting. Long-legged highway gearing allows 100km/h at 1500rpm (which is also bang on maximum torque) and less than 1700rpm at 110km/h. Ride quality when empty or lightly loaded can get bouncy on bumpy roads, which is not unexpected from suspension with a two-tonne-plus payload capacity.

Our main criticism is insufficient rake adjustment in the driver’s seat base cushion. There’s not enough angle available to stop the driver sliding forwards, requiring constant repositioning that becomes tiring after a while. More rake in the base cushion, combined with a decent-sized left footrest, would solve this issue.

Also annoying is the audible lane-departure warning, which is too loud and sounds like you’re being zapped by a ray-gun in an old sci-fi movie if you step out of line. A less confronting warning would be welcome.