Ford Ranger vs Cub Campers Longreach LE

What's the difference?

The Super Duty is the most formidable workhorse in the Ranger fleet. It projects a feeling of immense strength each time you drive it, reflecting payload and tow ratings well beyond traditional limits for vehicles of this size combined with formidable all-terrain capabilities. For tradies wanting the ultimate Ranger workhorse, the Super Duty is clearly in a class of its own - a class which it created.

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.

Proof of the increased solidity of the Ranger Super Duty single cab-chassis is its hefty 2518kg kerb weight, which in bare cab-chassis form (without tray) is 625kg more than a standard 2.0L Ranger XL single cab-chassis 4x4 equivalent.

The Super Duty’s 4500kg GVM results in a huge 1982kg payload limit. It’s also rated to tow up to 4500kg of braked trailer and with its towering 8000kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it can tow its maximum 4.5 tonne trailer weight while hauling almost one tonne of payload.

These are big numbers when compared to our standard XL Ranger example, given that the Super Duty has a 645kg higher payload rating, 1000kg higher tow rating and 1650kg higher GCM rating.

The galvanised full steel tray is equipped with six internal load anchorages, each rated up to 1800kg, which lie flush with the checker-plate floor when not in use.

There’s also external rope rails beneath the tray along each side and a sturdy front bulkhead with wire-mesh rear window protection.

As previously highlighted, this tray ensemble includes a driver-side lockable toolbox and passenger-side water tank (complete with handwash pump bottle) mounted behind their respective rear wheels.

Its work-focused interior is a comfortably familiar place for Ranger single cab-chassis workhorse owners, with fabric bucket seats, wipe-clean vinyl floor and large ‘Super Duty’ lettering embossed in the passenger side dash.

Cabin storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door, pop-out cupholders on each side of the dash, an overhead glasses holder, upper/lower glove boxes plus a well-equipped centre console with wireless phone charging, USB ports, two cupholders, 400W (230V) inverter and a storage box with internal 12V socket and padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

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 has a comfortable driving position with huge door mirrors providing commanding views. There’s also plenty of headroom for blokes my size (186cm) plus manual adjustment of the steering wheel and seat (including lumbar support) and a big left footrest for additional support.

The steering feels great like all Rangers, backed by sure-footed handling and strong braking response. The unladen ride quality is surprisingly supple for such a heavy lifter, given the combined effect of its baggy tyre sidewalls and the vehicle's substantial sprung weight helping to iron out the bumps.

Given its hefty kerb mass, acceleration feels slightly subdued compared to a standard V6 Ranger, as you’d expect. However, it still provides a satisfying surge of response in urban use thanks to 600Nm of torque and gearing that keeps the engine operating at or near its peak torque output at around 1800rpm.

It’s a relaxed highway cruiser with low engine and tyre noise. The most noticeable ingress at these speeds is mild wind buffeting around bulky fixtures like the engine snorkel, door mirrors and tray bulkhead, but it’s not overly intrusive with conversation not requiring raised voices.

To test its payload rating we firstly put our test vehicle on a public weighbridge. Unladen and with a full tank of fuel, it tipped the scales at 3130kg which after deducting the 2518kg base kerb weight revealed a sizeable combined accessory weight of 612kg.

So, given accessories are included in kerb weight, the Super Duty’s 'naked' 1982kg payload rating drops by the same amount to 1370kg, which is still a mighty capacity for a vehicle of this size.

We strapped 975kg on the tray, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1150kg (still more than 200kg under its limit) which the onboard scales vaguely confirmed. The robust rear leaf springs compressed a mere 30mm in response, leaving ample bump-stop clearance that ensured no bottoming out on our test route.

The Super Duty carried this payload with arrogant ease, maintaining its surefooted handling and scoffing at our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb. It also displayed strong engine braking on the way down, in a convincing demonstration of its heavy load hauling ability.

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.