Australian Millard producing Truck campers for 40yrs

hotrodfords wrote:
Cool.

A bit pricey, but all TC are that way now. Just a shade over $36K US if my math is correct.

Prices are higher in Australia. Millard TC's photos can be found in the antique collection of the US Truck Camper magazine
Millard Camper in the US Truck Camper Magazine

Cool.

A bit pricey, but all TC are that way now. Just a shade over $36K US if my math is correct.

Old Motel 6 look.

ScottG wrote:
Reminds me of a dentists office inside.

Very easy to clean in Australia. US interiors do not sell in Australia . Payload is 3100lb overall and can be carried by the Ranger

Reminds me of a dentists office inside.

Millard Slide On

With all the advantages of a small caravan but with less maintenance, no rego costs and much easier storage when not in use, there’s a lot to like about a slide-on.

Sydney’s Millard has been making them for more than half of the 70 years it has been building RVs, and this is its latest updated 12x7 Slide On.
The Millard slide-on range starts with the $34,990 12x7 pop-top, and three layouts are available: the standard, east-west bed arrangement (as reviewed here) and two different shower/toilet layouts (one a 12-foot length, the other 13ft 6in).

NEW FOR 2017

For 2017 the Slide On was revised with an aluminium frame in place of timber and a one-piece roof.

Options on this Slide On include the hard-top (instead of the standard pop-top), air conditioning, battery pack, bed step, security handle, 150watt solar, wind-out awning and two additional external lights. As reviewed, this camper costs $45,680.

While that price is not out of the ordinary for a slide-on by any means, it does raise the question of relative value. After all, you can buy an entry-level caravan for that money.
Of course, a slide-on needs a ute to carry it, and not just any old ute. Three key considerations for a ute when fitting a slide-on include tray size, tray strength and ute payload.

This Millard slide-on will only fit on a single-cab ute or some extended cabs such as the Ford Ranger pictured here and, like many slide-ons, it won’t fit on the popular dual-cab ute.

Factory-option trays can lack strength – they’ll work but can bow under the weight of the slide-on. So ute payload is vital for a slide-on: the slide-on here weighs 895kg, plus 60kg for water and about 15kg for a full 9kg gas cylinder.

You want to allow at least 100kg for gear in the camper and assuming two occupants weighing 80kg each in the vehicle, you’re already up to 1230kg( 2900lb). The Ranger 4x4 Super Cab XL here has a 1420kg( 3100lb) payload.

SLIDING IT ON

Getting the slide-on set up for camping is a bit more involved than with a caravan.

The removable steps have to be fitted with locking pins (you can’t leave the steps in place when travelling) and the four slide-on legs wound down.

The legs will take an eternity to wind down with the standard crank handle – the fastest and easiest way is to use a cordless drill with the appropriate bit.

You can always leave the legs in the raised position for an overnight stay and, if you’re agile, for such a stop-over you could do without the steps in place too.

The wire mesh security door opens to the rear of the camper to reveal a compact but airy living space. The gloss white finish to the ceiling and walls brightens up what would perhaps otherwise be a dark space – there’s a fairly large mesh/blind hopper window at the back of the camper but only a small window at the kitchen and one opposite next to the entry door.

There’s a couch at the rear of the camper with a swivel table bolted to the floor in front of it, with the kitchen on the offside wall and a large wardrobe to the left of the door as you enter the camper.

DECENT SIZED KITCHEN

The kitchen is a generous size, especially for such a small layout – it puts some mid-size caravan kitchens to shame.

There’s plenty of food preparation bench space even with the cooktop and sink’s glass cover hinged open – not only on the bench either side of the glass cover but the raised surface above the 90-litre fridge.

There’s a rangehood above the three-burner cooker and a stack of storage space, including seven lockers spread from above the kitchen, around above the dinette and on the nearside wall.

Below the kitchen bench there’s the microwave, plus three drawers and two small storage enclosures and finally, a slide-out pantry. You get a two-pole 240v outlet, one each side of the kitchen bench and the water gauge is also fitted on the forward end of the bench.

The only thing you don’t get in the kitchen is hot water – that’s either optional in this unit (bundled with an external shower) or standard with the ensuite models.

Storage continues in the living area with two lockers under the dinette seat (with lockable external access for one of them) and a large double-door hanging wardrobe to the left of the access door. Under the wardrobe you’ve got six small drawers too.

SQUEEZY SLEEPING

Moving on to the sleeping quarters, you’ve got a step up to the side of the east-west bed (which measures 1450mm wide by 2000mm long) and then it’s a bit of a climb onto the bed itself.

The camper had the optional fold-out bed step, which is really a necessity for all but the tallest of users. There are two small mesh/blind hopper windows, one at the bedhead and the other at the foot of the bed.

The bed area feels a little claustrophobic, with the wardrobe wall containing the bed head area. Perhaps a skylight or forward window might improve this.

There’s plenty of 12v LED lighting in the camper, with reading lights at the bedhead (one each side) plus a large LED light on the ceiling above the bed.

In the living area, there’s a reading light each side of the dinette, a large overhead light in the centre of the living area and lights in the rangehood.

There’s co-ax and auxiliary port provision for a 12v TV on the forward end of the kitchen lockers, plus a two-pole 240v just below.

There’s also another two-pole 240v outlet and a 12v aux socket adjacent to the foot of the bed too. However, it’d be nice if Millard included at least one USB charge point.

Driving with the camper on the ute is clearly going to take some readjustment – the centre of gravity is much higher with the camper on the back so it goes without saying that you won’t be able to corner like it’s a sports car.

Yet the Ranger felt planted when cornering at sane speeds, with no significant body roll – and this with a vehicle sitting on standard suspension and having done more than 80,000km.

VERDICT

The Millard Slide On is a well-integrated camper with loads of storage space and plenty of room in the kitchen.

The bed area could perhaps offer a better view out, but this is a relatively small issue.

If you already have a suitable trayback ute, don’t like towing or have a smaller garage, it’s definitely a viable alternative to a more conventional caravan…

WE LIKED:

>> Plenty of food-prep space

>> Loads of storage space

>> No towing worries!

NOT SO MUCH:

>> Bed area feels claustrophobic

>> Not much cheaper than a small van

>> No USB chargers

MILLARD 12x7 SLIDE ON

Travel length (Ford Ranger): 6114mm (20ft)

Body length (open): 3870mm (12ft 7in)

Body width (external): 2270mm (7ft 5in)

Travel height: 3280mm (10ft 10in)

Interior height: 1900mm

Tare weight: 895kg (slide-on only)

ATM: N/A

Body: Aluminium frame and cladding

Chassis: Aluminium

Fresh water: 60L

Battery: 100a/h

Solar: 150watt

Air-conditioner: Dometic

Gas: 1 x 9kg

Hot water: Optional

Cooking: Dometic three gas burners

Fridge: Dometic 90L

Microwave: No

Toilet: N/A

Shower: N/A

Lighting: 12V

TV: Optional

Price: $45,680

Supplied by: Camden Caravan, Campbelltown, NSW