While scrolling through Facebook, there are always interesting things to see, and sometimes you come across a little gem. Anton Willemse saw a new Micro Trailer from Afri Trak and explored it.
When the world was put under lockdown due to the c-word we no longer want to mention, camper and adventurer Mike Ilsley decided it was the perfect time to start building his first micro trailer. Fast forward a couple of weeks and several experiments on CAD (in consultation with his son) later, the first design was sent out for the chassis and body to be manufactured. Truly living his brand’s slogan – Explore New Worlds – the first Afri Trak at.EZee Xpedition adventure camper was born.
Similar to Mary Poppins’ magical handbag, this little trailer offers more than meets the eye. It comes standard with a 1.4m (wide) x 2.2m (long) Tentco Tour rooftop tent and there is ample space in the load bin hidden underneath the tent. Based on his own experience as an overlander always looking for more packing space, Mike designed it to fit four high-top ammo boxes with the lid opening up for additional storing space. Additionally, you’ll find a nose cone that can accommodate a small fridge and an extra 12V battery in the front.
The chassis is made from 2mm mild steel and sits on top of a 1500kg rated axle with 15-inch wheels and all-terrain tyres. The little trailer boasts a 320mm ground clearance under the axle and a departure angle of 38 degrees at the rear. With a tare mass of 310kg and a GVM of 550kg, this micro trailer gives you ample storage capacity for all your equipment and accessories. The highlight for us is that the Xpedition only requires a B license to tow, and you can hitch it behind most small SUVs. Being this light, it will be a breeze to tow with the bigger 4x4s on the market.
We were able to take the Afri Trak on our last trip to the Kruger National Park – towing it behind a Toyota Urban Cruiser. The little trailer did very well and was easy to pitch and put back.
Towing was indeed a breeze with the trailer sitting sturdy behind the little Toyota Urban Cruiser and did not affect our fuel consumption by much. It handled easily on the open road and never bounced around when we drove on gravel, and these were roads that weren’t in the best of conditions after all the rains in the Kruger.
Our trailer had an auxiliary battery fitted and was able to charge off the power supplied at our campsite. The Tentco Roof Top tent fitted to it was very easy to open up and had ample space for two people.
Other highlights include:
- Solid and well-executed engineering
- Easy to operate (one person can pitch it)
- Its low weight, low profile (centre of gravity), and big tyres make it a breeze to tow in all conditions (especially in sand and mud)
- Thanks to its low profile, it easily fits in the slipstream when towed
- Minimal effect on fuel consumption
- Softer ride, which minimises the effects of poor road and trail conditions
- Wide rear door access to the main storage area, with additional space for tall flat items (e.g. a camping table)
- Ample room above main storage area for two fold-up chairs and more
- Smaller internal storage areas above and behind wheel arches
- One key fits all door locks.
- A full-size spare wheel on swing away spare wheel holder
- Round 3-in-1 LED rear lights incorporating tail, stop and indicator lights in a single unit
OPTIONAL EXTRAS AVAILABLE
- A basic electrical system running off the tow vehicle’s electrical system, including 12V LED lights in the load bin and tent (also included are two USB charger points in the load bin and two USB points in the tent, a “cigarette lighter type” 12V socket and a “Hella” 12V socket)
- A comprehensive electrical system including a DC-to-DC converter (dual battery system) with a solar panel regulator, A/C charger, 12V battery and shore power cable with caravan park plug
- A solar panel to use with the electrical system
- A small fridge and wiring (12VDC and 250VAC)
- A front tent with four sides and fitted bottom that encloses the ladder and can be used as a full height changing room, or can accommodate a porta potti if you wish
- Underbody 50-litre water storage tank with a tap (or 12V pump)
- A “canister” stove or an LPG twin burner stove with a regulator
- Four high top ammo cases (you can fit one ammo case with foam inserts and crockery for six people)
- A cutlery bag that fits into the top of the ammo case
- Various options of zip-closed rip-stop bags with clear tops that fit into the ammo cases for food and utensil storage
- Additional lighting in the load body and two external lights for camping
- Folding chairs, fitted folding table and various other camping utensils
In a nutshell
- Trailer size: 2900mm (L) x 1550mm (W) x 1460mm (H)
- Trailer mass: 310kg (unloaded)
- GVM: 550kg (with optional extras: 750kg)
- Axel rating: 1500kg rated axle
- Departure angle: 38 degrees
- Ground clearance: (under axle): 320mm
- Long five-blade semi-elliptic leaf springs with bump rubbers
- 15-inch (or 16-inch, special request) wheels and off-road tyres
*Pricing starts at R68 950, and with a multitude of optional extras, you can kit this little trailer out to fit your exact needs
