2022 Cub Drifter II Updated: Better Equipped And Lighter

Camper trailers and caravans are, thanks partly to our current Covid misadventure, more popular than ever, and while we don’t go looking for news or information about them as a general rule, it seems to find us. There was that piece David wrote about Kimberley Kampers in our magazine, just before they appointed an administrator, and more recently, we took an Offline Raker to the Flinders Ranges, which was featured in the first episode of our one-episode so-far series.

Earlier this week, I was provided with the lowdown on the recent update of the re-imagined Cub Drifter, and thought it looks too cool, not to cover. Now I’m not the camper trailer expert that David Wilson is (he rents them if you want to borrow one), but even I’ve heard of Cub campers, and what really made me prick my ears up, is the fact that the Cub Drifter is made in Australia.

The original Cub Drifter was introduced in the 70s with production ceasing in the late 90s. Apparently, they remain sought after on the second hand market, thanks to their family friendly design and robust construction. Cub brought the Drifter back from extinction in 2020, as an all-new double fold camper, and according to Cub, the Drifter II has been a big hit and even went on to win the 2021 Camper Trailer of the Year competition’s Best Build Quality award.

The Cub Drifter II that won that award was fitted with a bunch of options that proved to be quite popular at the time, and the experience has led to an upgrade of the Cub Drifter II which now includes a range of new features as standard equipment.

If you’re a Club Drifter spotter, the first thing you’ll notice is the new colour as the Drifter now comes with ‘Monument’ panels as standard. Additionally, the draw bar has been extended by 100mm, allowing for better maneuverability as well as improved accessibility to the back of your vehicle while the camper is hitched up.

The draw bar itself is made from 150mm x 50mm x 3.0mm Australian Steel so it’s up to the challenge presented by your average Outback track. Cub has also added an extra clamp on the draw bar that allows you to attach the jockey wheel when towing, so that you aren’t left to store it in your vehicle or the camper.

On the inside they’ve extended the bed from a Cub Queen to a Cub King, measuring 2100mm x 1600mm x 135mm. A Slumberest Cloud 9 Pillow Top mattress now comes standard, replacing the previous inner-spring mattress. In the dinette area, they’ve included corner in-fill cushions to eliminate the once-empty corner areas around the table.

Club has upgraded the 12-volt electrics considerably. Two 100ah lithium batteries are now standard, replacing the heavier AGM batteries previously used. Club claims the lithium’s have a longer lifespan and an improved charging efficiency. They can also be discharged down to 10-20% of their capacity without affecting the battery’s life cycle, allowing for more time between charge cycles. Complementing the battery change is a set of lithium-compatible Projecta IDC25L (12V) and Projecta IC2500L (240V) battery chargers. A 12V Master Switch and 12V resettable fuse for the fridge have been added to provide full control over the power in the camper.

Three LED sensor lights have been added – two under the lounges and one in the driver’s side locker – these automatically switch on when accessing these areas. They’ve also added a 12V accessory/USB socket inside the driver’s side locker. The Fusion Stereo with twin speakers is now standard.

And here’s a neat trick, that battery change means that Cub has been able to add the above new features as standard, all while reducing the Drifters tare weight down to 1414kg, almost 40kg lighter than the previous model.

Club Drifter pricing starts at $54,000, for more info, tap the following link – Club Drifter II