Camper Gears up for a Bumper CTOTY this November

In each monthly issue of this magazine, we produce and feature reviews of the latest and greatest camper trailers available in the marketplace.

Producing reviews that accurately reflect the current state of the camper trailer market underpins the substance and passion driving all content published across the Camper platforms.

As a matter of course, based on the integrity of these reviews, a number of eligible campers are then invited to take part in Camper Trailer of the Year. The integrity of Camper’s review process is based on an uncompromising set of principles. These principles are the reason why we are able to produce Camper Trailer of the Year.

SO WHAT ARE THESE PRINCIPLES?

Since its inauguration in 2009, Camper Trailer of the Year has grown to become Australia’s most respected camper trailer awards; something of which we are rightly proud.

Our reviewers are the best in the business. They are the best because, each month, they present an independent and impartial assessment of each and every camper they review. Some of our reviewers are then commissioned to be judges at Camper Trailer of the Year.

It’s quite simple really: Camper commissions specialist outdoor 4WD journalists to independently assess, review and judge the campers they see before them, without fear or favour.

As well as our reviewers being the best in the business, so too are our production crew of specialist adventure photographers and videographers.

Upon completion of each event, all entrants into Camper Trailer of the Year are provided with an extensive multimedia package to promote their products across a range of media.

The reputation of Camper Trailer of the Year means everything to us. It’s why we are resolute when it comes to the impartiality of our judging and our adherence to strict principles of integrity, fairness and transparency.

All who have been involved with our review process, our event judging process, or had their product included in Camper Trailer of the Year can testify to the rigour of our principles and the quality of our multimedia outputs.

THE JUDGING CRITERIA

Our brand, and broader business, is built on a number of core values, one of which is transparency. Our content should always be defined by its quality, credibility and level of authority.

Our judging team is chosen to reflect a wide range of industry-centric skill sets, from trade-skilled journalists who are passionate longtime camper owners to outback off-grid, offroad remote touring experts.

Independent assessment of all prospective entrants during the testing and review period of Camper Trailer of the Year is a critical aspect of each annual event. This in-magazine review period commences in early February and runs right up to the commencement of the testing and judging component, usually held in the middle of November.

The basis on which we judge campers at Camper Trailer of the Year has remained fundamentally the same since the inaugural event in 2009. At each event, a team of four judges adjudicate and score the final entrants. These adjudications and scores are then published in the first two issues of Camper magazine for the year — January and February. In order to be deemed eligible for Camper Trailer of the Year, and for the editorial team to understand if a camper is suitable for the event, every finalist must have been independently reviewed and featured in the magazine, or independently scrutinised and deemed suitable by one of our judges, prior to the event.

Above all, Camper Trailer of the Year is a fun and thrill-packed occassion intended to show off and celebrate the attributes of a unique and exciting Australian manufacturing industry. All who attend have an opportunity to reflect, network and discuss common issues and their year’s results. Our ultimate aim is to foster growth and encourage the innovative development of an industry we are proud to represent every month in these pages and across all our digital platforms.

Camper is absolutely pumped for CTOTY 2020!

THE SCORING SYSTEM, EXPLAINED

FIT FOR INTENDED PURPOSE

• 3 or under would suggest the camper is not fit for its intended purpose
• A score of 3.5 - 5.5 suggests the camper can do most of what it sets out to achieve, but needs refinement
• 6 - 8 indicates the camper is capable for its intended purpose
• 8.5 - 10 suggests the camper surpassed expectations

INNOVATION

• A score of 3 or less suggests the camper is poorly designed and put together
• 3.5 - 5.5 suggests a passable run-of-the-mill design that fails to excite
• A score of 6 - 8 suggests an excellent upgrade to a known design or style, done well
• 8.5 or more is indicative of a new design that challenges and excites expectations of what a camper can be

SELF SUFFICIENCY

• Anything 3 or under would suggest you wouldn’t want to, or could not, live off the beaten track
• 3.5 - 5.5 suggests there is room for improvement but that the camper is liveable away from services
• 6 - 8 suggests the camper is not only liveable but eminently comfortable while camping off-grid
• A score of 8.5 or more is indicative of a camper that makes you feel at home, comfortable and extremely confident, while off the beaten track

QUALITY OF FINISH

• 3 or less suggests major flaws throughout the tested product
• 3.5 - 5.5 suggests the camper carrys some minor, rectifiable cosmetic flaws
• A score of 6 - 8 suggests a camper with an acceptable but basic finish
• A score of 8.5 or more suggests a flawless finish of an impeccable standard

BUILD QUALITY

• A score of 3 or less suggests the camper has major build quality issues needing immediate attention
• 3.5 - 5.5 is suggestive of a camper with average quality needing some refinement
• 6 - 8 suggests the camper is well made and up to expectation
• Above 8 is reserved for campers showcasing a faultless and innovative build

OFFROAD ABILITY

• A score of 3 or less indicates the camper felt unsafe or was extremely difficult to tow
• A score of 3.5 - 5.5 indicates some issues during testing that need attention
• A score of 6 - 8 suggest the camper towed well without issue
• A score of 8.5 or more suggests the camper not only towed well but exceeded expectations, setting a new benchmark in offroad towability

COMFORTS

• 3 or less suggests the camper is missing vital components and is uncomfortable
• 3.5 - 5.5 would suggest the camper is as comfortable as expected but misses some key components
• 6 - 8 suggests comfort and well-appointed features
• Above 8 suggests the camper has a level of opulence not before seen in its class

EASE OF USE

• A score of 3 or less suggests the camper has critical useability issues
• 3.5 - 5.5 suggests the layout works but has some logical flaws
• A score of 6 - 8 would be for campers with a comfortable, practical and easily understandable layout
• 8.5 - 10 suggests the layout is unique, that everything works with an ease and logic beyond expectations

VALUE FOR MONEY

• A score of 3 or less suggests your money should be spent elsewhere
• 3.5 - 5.5 suggests the camper is price-competitive but perhaps not great value
• A score of 6 - 8 suggests the camper is fair value for money, somewhat better than its competitors
• Scoring 8.5 or more suggests the camper is exceptionally priced; there few competing with it for value

X-FACTOR

• 3 or less suggests the camper is completely uninspiring in all aspects
• 3.5 - 5.5 suggests the camper has some appeal but no more than most other campers in its class
• 6 - 8 suggests the camper as something different, interesting and appealing
• 8.5 or more suggests the camper is groundbreaking, a class apart and genuinely exciting.