Cub Campers Longreach LE vs Club Campers Brumby

What's the difference?

This isn’t the camper for everyone – my guess is that plenty of people look at this and find it too sparse, too basic. I kinda get it.

But there are very few campers which offer the same amount of open, internal space, or that are as easy to set up.

That the Longreach, albeit with a few different names, has lasted so long on the Cub Campers' product roster is a testament to its versatility and ability to accommodate a small family on off-road camper trips.

It's arguably one of the forerunners of the hybrid camper scene, and it's now starting to evolve with campers' desires for more comfort.

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.

For a rear-fold camper-trailer, the space inside couldn't be more practical. The long body and high sides mean that when the camper is open and set up, it has a lot more space than most. Behind the bed, for instance, there is enough space for Cub to have fit a small dinette.

The dinette has cushioned benches for two and a swivel table that can also become a counter over the rear floor area.

The camper's length also means that the rear floor area is massive. It is easily big enough to lie a couple of kids on, or if your nest is empty, to set up some camp chairs and a table to enjoy a covered living area.

It is still a rear-fold camper-trailer, though so, despite the fact it has nearly twice the space of other hybrid-style campers, it's very sparsely furnished. There's no internal kitchenette or anything like that.

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.

Cub Campers are famously good to tow, and even the largest of them lives up to the reputation.

As big as it is, the Longreach LE is quite light thanks to the effort Cub puts into engineering. As a result, it's not a strain, even for older dual-cabs like the D22 Navara.

And because it isn't any higher or wider than a modern SUV, there was very little wind-drag or buffeting as we cruised along the highway.

Cub developed the camper's Australian-made and -designed independent, coil-spring suspension and the set-up yields excellent ride in any conditions.

For the LE, Cub has added an extra shock-absorber each side to improve its performance even on the most corrugated roads.

An AL-KO off-road ball hitch is standard but can be upgraded to the Click-Lock version if you'd prefer that or need a more low-profile hitch. 

In reverse, the long drawbar makes it an easy camper to manoeuvre around a campsite, plus it has enough size that the tow-vehicle driver never really loses sight of it while positioning it.

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.