Ezytrail Parkes 13 First Impressions

The Parkes 13 setup at Bonny Hills on its first outing

I recently upgraded my camp setup in a big way. I bought a hybrid off-road caravan with all the comforts of home packed inside. Why you might ask? Well the main reason id have to say would be just for how easy it makes things. I’ve still got my swag, still got my roof top tent and I don’t plan on throwing them out anytime soon but I can have the van setup just as quick, if not quicker than both of them.

Now this wasn't a spur of the moment purchase. I had been researching and looking around for a while. Originally I was looking at camper trailers but after looking at many different options I couldn’t find one that ticked all the boxes for me. I wanted something easy. I wanted to be able to pull up and be setup pretty quickly and spending more time relaxing. I then started looking into the hybrid caravan market.

A hybrid is basically a caravan and a camper trailer mixed into one. Inside nice and comfortable and the outside built strong and able to handle a bit more punishment than your normal caravan. They seemed the perfect fit for what I was after.

After exploring my options with hybrid caravans it then all came down to price really. There was no way i would of been able to afford some of the high end hybrids on the market, so it was always going to be one that was made overseas. But i'm certainly not complaining, you still get a lot for your money!

Now to cut a long story short i originally had a deposit down to purchase a different brand hybrid very similar to the Ezytrail Parkes 13. (Not going to name and shame but if you already follow me on Instagram you probably already know who) But after being stuffed around for a few months I made the switch to Ezytrail and let me tell you I couldn’t be happier. Customer service has been great so far and I’m very happy with my purchase. A few minor issues with the van but Ezytrail have been great in sorting them ASAP.

Coming in with a tare weight of 1940kg from memory, you can notice it in tow but nothing that a well setup vehicle wont be able to handle. Even with 35 inch tyres the ranger has plenty of power to tow it along.

I can’t comment on the longevity of the Parkes 13 just yet, only having taken it out twice so far. But first impressions of it are great. It tows great behind the ranger and I’m loving the quick setup and pack up time. Having a full kitchen setup would have to be the biggest advantage of having the van though and can’t complain about a comfy night sleep either.

The van will be used on many quick weekend trips and a few longer trips over the next 12 months. High country and great ocean road trip is already in planning for the end of the year so be on the lookout on my social media’s to follow along and see where I take it. If you're in the market for an off-road caravan i would recommend to at least have a look at the Parkes range. They might not be everyone's cup of tea but i'm happy with the choice I've made and cannot wait to hook it up to the back of the Ranger and get out and enjoy camping in comfort. If you've got any questions about the Parkes 13 comment them below and i'll do my best to answer them for you.