Check Out the Australian Wayfinder, the Result of Two Decades of Off-Grid R&D

In this spirit, I've decided to shed light on a unit I recently discovered, and yes, it's from the land down under. Better whip out your wallets or book your tickets to Australia because this one is hot, to say the least. Why so dang attractive?

Well, the Wayfinder, both variations that we'll be exploring today, is an outdoor-inclined pop-top camper with the ability to bring us nature lovers as close to the beauty around us without feeling like the local wildlife is about to take a bite out of you if you happen to fall asleep by the fire.

For starters, what we're looking at starts off priced at no more than $51,000 Australian, which is roughly $34,300 American. Hang on a minute. A six-person pop-top camper tuned for off-road and off-grid living for under $35K? Sign me up!

This is all achieved through New Age Caravans' know-how and experience building travel trailers that can go the distance. After all, this crew has been around since 2004 and initially started its history building frames for existing camper manufacturers.

In short, they entered the market building what is essentially the most important piece of any off-road anything: the chassis. In 2008, they took things into their own hands and haven't stopped since. As for what they've done with the Wayfinder, let's dive deeper into the Base variation as it sets the stage for what this lineup has to offer.

Now, I mentioned that the Wayfinder is a pop-top camper, and this comes with multiple benefits and a couple of drawbacks, too. Starting with the good stuff, you'll be towing along a unit that is smaller than your average travel trailer because of the innate compact design of such units.

While the manufacturer doesn't state just how much this puppy weighs, the average pop-top weighs up to around 3,500 lbs. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this puppy will be coming in around that weight for sure. The Adventurer variation comes in with a dry weight of 1,560 kg (3,439 lbs), so the Base can't be too far behind.

Why? Well, suppose you happen to check out the video below. In that case, you'll glimpse this unit's suspension system, which is an independent trailing A-arm setup with two shocks on each arm. In short, it's the sort of setup you want if you plan on taking the old truck or 4x4 out for a spin where roads don't yet exist.

From here, I want you to picture yourself packing up this unit with all the goodies you'll be using while on the road, be they toys, tools, gear, food, and clearly some life-giving water, all 80 l (21 gals) of it, and off you go. Again, up to six people can fit in one of these puppies, so grab the kids or travel with friends.

After driving for what may seem like hours, you finally arrive in the middle of nowhere, on some beach or the edge of a forest overlooking the valley below, and this is the place you'll be calling home for the next few days. Take a moment to breathe in the freshest air and the sights and sounds.

Once you've relaxed your mind and stretched your legs out, it's time to expand the Wayfinder into its final form. At the press of a button, the top of this bugger lifts into place, and once it does, two beds pop into view, one on each side of the unit. These are queens, so four guests are already taken care of during nighttime. The third couple or remaining persons will rest their heads on the padding of modular dinettes found in the central shell.

Speaking of the shell, it's also here that New Age adds all the rest of the features they place at our disposal. This includes features like an induction or gas cooktop (optional), a 105 l (28 gals) fridge, sink and faucet, an AC unit, and even a microwave. Be sure to check out all the countertop spaces New Age adds to the floorplan.

Aside from some lighting, power sockets, window screens, storage options, and a few other features, that's basically all the interior of these babies has to offer. I mentioned that the Wayfinder is all about outdoor living, and the fewer features you have indoors, the less time you're inclined to spend inside a camper.

With that said, let's head back outside and complete the rest of our campsite. At this stage, unload and set up the outdoor dining or lounging options, pitch another tent for the kids, add an annex privacy room, and kick back in the shade of an awning. All the while, solar panels are working their magic and reloading the Wayfinder's battery for the day(s) to follow. The setting sun catches you and your loved ones by a fire, roasting s'mores and telling stories of things past and futures to come. The way things should be.

But, there is a catch to all this; the Wayfinder doesn't seem to be available outside of the land down under. Oh, and units such as these are rarely suitable for four-season exploring and living, so you'll need to take that into consideration if you plan on acquiring any mobile habitat.