OFF-ROAD CAPABILITY
THE Drifter II has all the hardware that would see it travel easily across the rough stuff. But first, let’s talk about weight.
As mentioned, there are a lot of imported campers in a similar dualfold style that promise all the bells and whistles as well as off-road capability, but they’re heavy. The folks at Cub, being seasoned pros at manufacturing off-road products over the past 50 years, understand that a camper is only as off-road-friendly as its weight and dimensions will allow. The Drifter II weighs a touch under 1400kg tare, with a 1900kg ATM. That’s around 500 to 600kg lighter than most competitors in its class. When it comes to off-road adventuring, that’s a massive advantage straight off the blocks.
The Drifter II rides on Cub’s own independent suspension system with twin shocks, supporting an Australian galvanised steel chassis. Both are manufactured at Cub’s factory in Sydney, along with all other components of the camper. It’s got 17-inch six-stud alloy wheels with Goodyear Duratrac tyres and a rear-mounted spare. The underside is extremely clean and tidy, with heaps of clearance and nothing to jag on rocks or branches.
There’s an off-road ball coupling as standard, 12-inch electric brakes, rear recovery points, and a galvanised steel stone-guard with a couple of jerry can holders tucked behind.
The ‘Xtreme Off Road’ upgrade pack swaps out the hitch for a Cruisemaster DO35, the tyres for 265/70R17 Goodyear Mud Terrains, and gives you an extra 50kg payload.
Like I said, I didn’t get the opportunity to put the Drifter II through its paces, but the track into our campsite was hairier than expected – steep, windy and slippery from a summer of relentless rain – and it managed just fine. Which was one thing on the way in, when the sun was shining intermittently, and another thing entirely the next day …