As the Big Lap gets ever more popular, an increasing number of grey nomads are opting for off-road caravans and campers as they head off in search of less crowded pieces of paradise. Unfortunately, an awful lot of them are also getting stuck!
And that’s what happened to veteran traveller Bruce Toole several years ago when he took his camper trailer over to Queensland’s Moreton Island.
However, it turns out that getting seriously bogged in soft sand might have been one of the best things that happened to Bruce … and that’s because it inspired him to create a revolutionary system to help others who found themselves in a similar bind.
Bruce tried unhitching his camper trailer to free his bogged 4WD, but he then ran into the issue of getting it back over the sand to his 4WD to re-hitch.
The Skid Row Trailer Recovery Skid can be used to retrieve bogged caravans or camper trailers.
The Skid Row system in action.
This was a major problem due to the soft sand with no support for the jockey wheel to move the trailer.
On Moreton Island, it took Bruce and his travelling companion an hour to get rehitched, albeit with a damaged jockey wheel and a tow hitch full of sand. Knowing he wouldn’t have been the first to face the same conundrum, Bruce returned to his Gold Coast home determined to find a solution.
After rigorous testing and design refinements spanning a year, the Skid Row Trailer Recovery Skid was born.
The device, which is manufactured from high-grade polypropylene and carries a lifetime warranty, will travel easily over a soft, muddy or snowy surface at a slow pace to get a ‘stuck’ trailer to secure ground.
Bruce says the ‘skid’ has been designed for use with or without the jockey wheel to accommodate different conditions in the retrieval process.
It can also double as a support platform for the jockey wheel when parked on soft ground, allowing users to manoeuvre their van or camper trailer in tight spots without the jockey wheel sinking into the ground. Additionally, the brightly-coloured ‘skid’ will keep the trailer hitch and mechanicals out of the sand and mud.
And it is very compact (77cm x 39cm x 21cm), making it easy for grey nomads to store on roof racks or in storage compartments. It weighs just 3.8 kilograms.
The Aussie designed and manufactured Skid Row Trailer Skid retails at $199, with free freight Australia wide.
Grey Nomad Members now have the opportunity to win a fantastic Cobb Gas Package, valued at $439. With the base remaining cool-to-touch on the outside, the Cobb allows you to cook on any surface safely with no heat transfer. Ideal for life on the road, camping, boating, beach cook ups, or even just at home. This light (6kg), sturdy, stainless steel cooking system is a dream to travel with.
Click here to find out more about GN membership, the prize, and how to enter.
Members: If you wish to enter, please click here.
Grey Nomad Members are being given the opportunity to win a Cobb Grill Premier (Charcoal), valued at $279.95. The Cobb Premier is the epitome of a portable and completely versatile charcoal / briquette fuelled cooking system. Built to last and weighing just 4kg, this sturdy stainless steel cooking system is a perfect accessory for the Big Lap.
Click here to find out more about the prize … and how to enter
Members: If you wish to enter, please click here.
