Review: Kerfton Fouray, the Stylish Compact Trailer

Written by: John Hughes

Published on May 1, 2026

Time to read 9 min

Words and pictures by John Hughes

Kerfton Fouray

In the world of copycat campers from China, the Australian-made, double-sided fold-out Kerfton stands out from the crowd. Founder and Managing Director Barry Trippit saw a gap in the market for a more family-friendly hard floor camper. Barry explained, “I have been camping all my life and wanted to share the experience with my kids. I wanted a camper with a decent-sized main bed and two separate single beds. There was nothing that met my needs, so I set about designing it while injecting some real engineering innovation. I also wanted to offer the industry dominated by boxy trailers something with automotive-like aesthetics.”

Barry is an engineer with decades of experience in the automotive industry, so he is well placed to deliver on his objectives. He began developing the Fouray in 2018 with a number of refinements along the way. Let’s explore the fruits of his labour.

AUTOMOTIVE STYLING

Barry worked with a dedicated engineering team to develop the camper. They put computer-aided design and 3D model renderings to good use to create various iterations until they came up with a design they were happy with. And to be sure, they created a full-size foam model so they could bring their creation to life before committing to tooling. This proved to be an invaluable exercise as they made further tweaks to improve the look of the model.

The resultant fibreglass body is one of the classiest-looking campers going around. It has clean, stylish lines, and it looks like it belongs hooked up to a modern 4WD. I particularly like the understated nature of the finished product, devoid of decals.

CLEVER KITCHEN AND FRIDGE STOWAGE

Despite the good looks, I think the star of the show is the clever external kitchen/fridge stowage and deployment. Most camper trailers have dedicated stowage areas for the kitchen and fridge. This effectively takes up space that could be otherwise used for storage or some other function. The Kerfton kitchen and fridge don’t need their own dedicated space and “borrow” the living space when you are not using it.

While in transit, the fridge and kitchen sit on the camper floor. A patented system enables you to pull the kitchen/fridge out and then seamlessly transition to a pivot action. And this is all achieved without any tracks or rails in the living space.

If you want to stop for a quick roadside cuppa or lunch, you simply open the tailgate, pull out the kitchen and fridge and swing them out to the side. There is no need to open the lids to gain access. When you drop the tailgate, you will see it also serves as a set of stairs to step up into the camper.

The external kitchen includes a Dometic two-burner gas stove, a removable sink, a couple of drawers and an open pantry area. Removing the sink makes it very easy to dump your dishwater under a tree and you can use your sink anywhere you like. You can option the chest fridge of your choice into the system.

Gas and water are permanently plumbed in, so you don’t have the hassle of hooking up hoses to use your facilities.

QUICK SET UP AND PACK UP

When you are ready to set up camp, the kitchen and fridge are “living outside”, and the internal space is freed up to live in. You simply unlatch and swing the dual lids open, deploy the canvas with the help of ten spreader bars and push the main bed forward. The spreader bars are adjustable, but they are generally just set and forget, as sliding the bars into position creates the necessary tension. Then it is just a matter of tidying up the canvas externally with the use of a few built-in zippers.

Once proficient Barry assures me set up can be done in less than 5 minutes. Pack up is the reverse process and only takes a minute or two longer.

Check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuaZGue1-pc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIF-y5Poig8

ARE THE FRIDGE AND KITCHEN OK OUTSIDE?

There are plenty of cases of fridges living on the back of utes permanently exposed to the elements, operating for years, even ones that are not rated as weatherproof. The review camper was fitted with the optional ARB 78L “weather-resistant” chest fridge, which Barry tells me has been operating with no problems. You can help protect the fridge with the cover supplied by fridge manufacturers. If you want more peace of mind, you can go for a full weatherproof fridge.

The stainless steel kitchen comes with a canvas cover to protect it from the elements. You can also set up the awning not only for your own comfort, but also to shield the kitchen and fridge.

If you leave camp for the day, you can swing both the fridge and kitchen inside and zip up the tent for added security.

HUGE INSIDE

I proclaimed the kitchen/fridge the star of the show, but the four berth set up deserves equal billing. The Fouray, with its genuine queen-sized bed and twin single beds, is the only layout of its kind on the market. Most multi-berths have extra double beds for kids to share. Little kids are fine with it, but big kids not so much. The queen-sized bed is a winner with plenty of room and allows nice fitting of regular household sheets and doonas.

The layout is also worth considering for couples, as the beds act as huge storage shelves to spread out your stuff when set up at camp. Sure, you can’t utilise the space when the camper is folded up, but I still think the space would be very handy. In terms of permanent storage, there are six interior cupboards and two drawers.

With the kitchen and fridge swung out of the way, the two single beds deployed, and the main bed pushed forward, you are left with a huge footprint for the generously sized tent. In addition to the beds, you have two pragmatic fixed bench seats. You could hardly call them lounge chairs, but they are something to sit on.

Hiding under the main bed is a portable table and twin bench seat set. If you pull out the table partway, it can be used as a little cantilevered coffee table. Pull the table out all the way and fold out the legs at both ends, and you have a full-sized table for internal family dining in inclement weather. And you can take the table and bench seats outside for alfresco dining.

STORAGE

The Kerfton has a substantial storage compartment over the A-frame. You may wonder why the storage is only half the height of the rest of the camper. It makes perfect sense because the queen-sized bed slides out over the top of the compartment to make up the sleeping quarters. You can strap down cargo such as firewood on top using the anchor points supplied. Keep in mind you will need to put down a tarp or similar to protect the gelcoat, and the cargo has to be removed each time you open the tent up.

The storage compartment has largely been configured as an open space to offer maximum flexibility for larger items. It will easily fit a portable BBQ, camp chairs, a pop-up shower tent, a portable toilet, and fold-up solar panels with room to spare.

Both sides of the storage compartment have two access doors – one small, one large. On the driver’s side, the smaller door reveals a sub-compartment for the 2x 4.5kg gas bottles. On the passenger side, the smaller door provides access to a bank of electricals residing at the rear of the pod. This included a Redarc controller, a double 240V power point, a couple of rocker switches, a solar input Anderson plug and a 12V socket.

If you filled the compartment to capacity, the electrical bank could be difficult to see and to reach, particularly if items shift in transit. This could be easily remedied by installing anchor points to strap cargo down into a practical position. Barry advises that this can be easily done, and they regularly customise the storage space to meet customer needs.

The shower rose is neatly stowed inside the compartment. The tank for the diesel heater also resides in the storage space. While it is nicely protected from stone damage, etc., you will need to be very careful to avoid spilling diesel inside the pod while refuelling.

The main camper body also has access hatches – one on each side. The passenger side contains the house battery, charger and fuses. The driver's side houses the water pump and diesel water/space heater.

My first impression was that the camper lids would not be suitable for carrying anything on top, but Barry came up with a clever solution. Obviously, you can’t have a roof rack that spans across both lids, but you can have a small one that is secured to each lid individually. Voila – you can carry kayaks, bikes and alike. Of course, you will need to remove most cargo to open the lids, but the reality is that camper trailers are full of compromises.

UNDERCARRIAGE

The unique Kerfton body sits on a fabricated steel ladder frame (with optional extended drawbar) paired to independent trailing arm suspension with coil springs. Combined with 10in electric drum brakes and 16x8in alloy wheels/285/75R16 all-terrain tyres, the set-up looks simple and robust. Up front, the ubiquitous Cruisemaster DO35 coupling joins the Fouray to the tow vehicle. Barry tells me the full configuration has been proven over countless journeys, including the Gibb River Road, Oodnadatta Track and many more.

OFF GRID

The Kerfton is well equipped with premium brand off-grid equipment, including Redarc, Projecta and Century. The Redarc Redvision 30A Battery manager (12v, 240v, and solar input) takes care of battery charging and includes a useful, compact monitor. You just need to plug in a portable solar panel, as fixed solar panels just don’t work with tents!

The optional 1500W Projecta inverter fitted is capable of delivering plenty of 240V power for charging devices, but not up to running appliances such as induction cookers. The 2x120Ah AGM Century batteries, while well-regarded, are a cost-saving exercise, and many users would find a lithium battery a better option for more usable energy and reduced weight. Fortunately, you can easily option electrical upgrades to your needs.

The 126L fresh water storage capacity will go a long way with frugal campers and can be supplemented with, say, a slab of water bottles in the storage pod.

TOUGH GOING

When the going gets tough, camper trailers are just so much more viable than bigger, heavier hybrids, etc. The 1150kg tare 1600kg ATM means the Kerfton Fouray will not ask too much of the tow vehicle on challenging off-road hills. Similarly, the 1.7m low profile, 1.9m width and 4.5m total length (with extended drawbar) make it well equipped to negotiate tight tracks. If you prefer even more manoeuvrability, the standard drawbar is 185mm shorter.

All these attributes that make it well-suited to off-road adventuring make it more fuel-efficient on road. And let’s face it, that’s where most kilometres are likely to be clocked up.

THE WRAP

If you are the sort of person who really wants a camping set up capable of going just about anywhere your car can go the Fouray is the right size and weight to get you there. Plus, the clever design transforms the tiny, stylish trailer into a unique, cavernous queen and twin single set up great for families and even couples.

PROS