Cub Campers Weekender 2021 review

How big is this camper-trailer? How much does it weigh?

The Weekender is Cub’s smallest, lightest camper. 

Cub’s Ezy-Wind system takes the muscle out of the set-up so that anyone can do it easily. 

The diminutive Cub Weekender adds 3.6m to the length of your vehicle when you’re towing and is only 1.4m high and 1.7m wide. The main body measures 2.2m closed but opens up to a little more than 4.4m, including the 2.23m x 1.7m of floor space that’s created when you’re at camp. It’s actually the same body as the more off-road-focused Explorer and Brumby campers, but with a shorter drawer bar and no front-storage box. 

As it’s designed to be towed behind small vehicles and little SUVs, the Weekender is light – 600kg at tare, depending on the options you choose. 

With an ATM of 900kg the camper can carry up to 300kg of gear, and the light 60kg ball weight shouldn’t be a problem for any vehicle. 

How easy is it to set up?

The simple, rear-fold design is quick to set up at camp.

Cub Campers are renowned for being easy to set up, and the littlest of the bunch is no different. Although plenty of manufacturers now use a boat trailer winch to manage the camper’s flip, Cub was the first to do so, decades ago. 

To open the Weekender, you simply unclip the lid and unwind the winch. When the strap tells you to ‘STOP’, give the lid a nudge, and gas-struts help take it over. The strap catches it just over centre, and you can easily lower it down to the ground from there. 

The floor supports are easily adjusted to bear the load on uneven ground, and the last thing to do is extend the rear tent hoop and push the passenger-side part above the door. 

I can set this camper up in about three minutes; I’ve seen it done in half that time.

How practical is the space inside?

There’s a lot of interior space inside.

There’s a lot of interior space inside.

Underbed storage is great, but the poles for the awning are a bit awkward.

The rear-fold design camper has always been popular for its practicality. Once open, the camper has an off-ground, level and firm area to spread out into. People variously use it for indoor dining, sleeping kids, storing extra camp gear or as the place to stand up while getting dressed for the day. Although it’s only a small space in this little camper, it’s still great. 

Cub’s quick awning is standard fitment on the Aussie-made tents, which also adds more undercover space. There are plenty of canvas upgrade options, though, so you could fully enclose the area if you really needed to. 

There’s a little bit of storage under the bed; just enough for a weekend’s worth of stuff. One problem, though, is that the poles for the awning store diagonally across the under-bed area, effectively dividing it into two triangles of space. That will make it awkward to pack, as you can’t slide things in neatly. Of course, you could probably store the poles on top of the bed, but that’s not a very elegant solution. 

What is the bed like?

The bed is long, wide and comfortable, but can be upgraded if you prefer an inner-spring mattress. 

There are two USB charging points next to the bed.

The Cub Weekender bed is easy to get into via a small step up onto the north-south-oriented mattress. It’s just high-density foam, but measures 2.1x1.35m so is long enough for taller folks. Because the foot of the bed is open to the living area, you don’t have to feel like your squashed in between two walls. 

On one side of the bed are two USB charging points, although I think one on either side would be more useful. A couple of extra 12V sockets and two 240V sockets can be found at the foot of the bed, also. 

The base lifts, making it easier to access the storage space underneath and also revealing the 35ah battery. That’s a pretty small battery by modern standards, but considering its duties are limited to some LED lights, the water pump and occasional phone charging, it’s a good fit, without adding unnecessary weight. 

What’s the kitchen like?

The kitchen is simple but elegant with a generous pantry. 

The kitchen is simple but elegant with a generous pantry. 

The Cub Weekender’s kitchen is small but elegant. It slides out from the front of the camper and is self-supporting, although a fold-down leg can be used for extra stability. 

There’s a simple Dometic two-burner gas stove and stainless-steel sink, with a couple of drawers for utensils and essentials. I really love the accompanying slide-out pantry so close at hand, which is more than big enough for a weekend’s worth of food. 

There’s no fridge box as standard on this camper, and given the battery fitted, a fridge would cause more trouble than its worth. But, there is space on the drawbar to fit a small fridge box or extra toolbox, and you can upgrade the battery to suit. 

How easy is it to tow?

Disk brakes are a great feature on a camper like this. 

Disk brakes are a great feature on a camper like this.

Disk brakes are a great feature on a camper like this. 

The mechanical override brakes mean any vehicle can tow it.

Cub says it’s perfect for light off-road towing.

This is a really easy camper trailer to tow because it is so light, and also because its underbody components punch above its weight. Cub uses a simple ball hitch on this model, with a mechanical override braking system, rather than electric. It means that owners don’t need to get an electric brake controller fitted to their, often, smaller vehicles. And almost any car with a towbar could tow it. 

It rides lower than many other campers, because of its on-road bias, so a bigger tow-ball drop than standard is useful if you drive a modern 4WD like the Ford Ranger. 

Eye-to-eye leaf springs damp the ride on, or slightly off, the road and everything underneath is neat and well protected – both the water tank and water-pump assembly have stone guards. Impressively, the little camper features disc brakes, which pull up the trailer nice and smoothly and will perform well under strain. 

What options are available for it?

You can replace the 35ah battery with a larger 100ah version.

Cub has a long list of optional extras for the Weekender. The most popular is the XT Pack, which adds a pole carrier (overcoming my aforementioned criticism), a stainless-steel side-table (which clips onto the side of the camper under the awning, creating a handy breakfast-bar) and a toolbox. 

You can also upgrade the mattress, add canvas, hot-dip galvanise the chassis or get shock absorbers fitted. 

Any potential issues with it?

Although the chassis is painted and seems well sealed, whatever Cub’s charging for galvanising the chassis will be worth it if you plan on keeping the trailer a long time. 

I’ve already mentioned the pole storage. Otherwise, Cub has an excellent reputation for reliability and is very committed to building high-quality trailers in Australia. 

Verdict