Marlu Hybrid Camper Proves That Australia Will Always Be the Best in Off-Grid Living

Folks, if the name Signature Camper Trailers (SCT) rings a bell, it's probably because we've featured their work before. If they don't not a problem, this light review of the Marlu is bound to give you a clear understanding of what SCT can achieve.

Now, SCT is a rather new crew on the RV and camper market when compared to established giants like Winnebago, Airstream, and countless others, having been around only since 2017. But, through attention to detail and answering the call of the customer, this crew quickly rose to power to be considered one of Aussieland's go-to crews for a camper done right. Best of all, they don't cost an arm and a leg just to own. Heck, the Marlu starts off at only $62,000 Australian, which is roughly $40,400 American.

Overall, the Marlu is considered a hybrid camper, mainly because it integrates a soft wall or tent canvas into its final form. When driving down the road, this camper's top is to be lowered and secured, helping you keep fuel efficiency at optimum levels in comparison to hard-wall units.

But that's not really what matters here; the Marlu is designed to be your ultimate outdoor adventure haven, even when the rest of mother nature is trying to shake you off her back like a flea. Furthermore, Australians really love their outdoor living, and so, Marlu is designed to give you the ultimate outdoor experience.

To understand what that means, I want you to pretend you own the machine you see in the image gallery - have a look if you haven't done so already. Now, picture yourself in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the natural features and wildlife you've planned for. Maybe you're by some lake, a beach, a mountain pass, or the middle of the woods; you made it there with the help of an independent swing arm suspension with two Dobinsons shocks on each arm.

From here, it's time to unfurl your habitat. To do so, the roof is to be lifted in place with the help of gas springs, and once you've got this feature in place, it's time to start unloading your Marlu. Here's where some of the outdoor living I talked about starts to take shape.

One aspect of the Marlu that SCT takes great pride in is its ability to handle nearly tons of gear. This is made possible by all those locker cabinets you see all over the exterior. Heck, even the interior has storage capabilities. It's in these cabinets that you'll carry your outdoor dining set, climbing gear, inflatable kayaks, or tools to ensure you can keep rolling when the time comes.

Part two of the outdoor story has to do with the galley setup. You may have noticed that the interior of the Marlu is galley-less, and because of this, be it rain or shine, you'll be cooking outdoors. But don't worry about the weather; several options lead to a fully enclosed campsite, made possible with tent annexes. This sort of option can also extend Marlu's two-person accommodations toward larger groups.

As for the interior of this miniature home on wheels, as I mentioned, the bedding is only fit for two people, but the seating at the end of the bed appears to be modular, as long as you fill the gap between the benches. One aspect I enjoyed about the interior is the presence of a bathroom with a shower setup. No worries about the local wildlife disturbing your moments of meditation upon porcelain thrones.

Now, SCT is the sort of crew that knows what the outdoor lover needs, and so equips the Marlu with a Redarc BMS (Battery Management System), 300 Ah of battery power, a 2,000 W inverter, a dust reduction system, two 150 W solar panels, and plenty of fresh water made possible by two pressurized tanks.

Put all that together into one neat package, throw in a few other goodies that you want for your standard of on-road living, and you're set, well, sort of; there's a catch to buying a camper from Australia. Like any other manufacturer, SCT build machines for their local playground, and this means that the Marlu is built for Australian roads and to Aussieland standards.

So what are we to do? Well, you can call SCT and see if they're willing to build a Marlu to standards dictated by your country, and if they do, you'll still have to cover a hefty shipping cost. Honestly, if you're a digital nomad, this might be the opportunity you've been waiting for to move to and explore the land down under. It might actually be cheaper than shipping one over to your hometown. If those options aren't on the list, you can use the Marlu as inspiration for a camper aimed at outdoor and off-road living.