Decision.. Road/Off-road purchase… Finally .. (with pictures ;)

[HuskyInAuz]

So beating our heads against the desktop had went on way to long so we decided we’d just do a impulse buy on the cheap.

Bought what appears to be a gutted ‘Trek’ camper trailer that is in pretty good nick. Reasoning was why buy a cheap caravan just to sell, if we hate it, or sell to upgrade if we love it. The Trek trailer has a removable top so we can always use it as a box trailer if nothing else. I’ve used my mates box trailer so much I rebuilt it for him last year given it was in such poor shape, bottom rusted out, sides half gone..

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So, picked it up Monday the 8th late avo AM, ordering stuff started with a once over and fit-out starts with the assumption we will camp and hotel/B&B mix our trip over the next 4-6 weeks.

SS kitchen
82L under frame water tank

Couple Fullriver 120ah AGM batteries
Morning Star PV controller (have)
Mount PV (have one, purchased second)

Mount additional Anderson plugs for feed in to trailer and one to feed PV to Aux battery in Patrol

Determine how to mount additional rollers/slides, probably 3 more in trailer tub . I’m thinking that since the width of the trailer is 1500mm and the kitchen is 500 I can get by with two more slide outs in the rear, one for a 300mm wide x 1500 second kitchen slide, this will be opposite the SS kitchen area and leave a 600 mm work area, the second would be in the middle for what I’ll call ‘stuff’ right now. Fold out of 300mm kitchen slide will be AL but the top will be SS.

Build the ‘power pack slide out that is upfront which will hold batteries, controller, charger and other electrical/plumbing equipment. I am waiting for bus bars to arrive tomorrow so I can finish this line item.

Install a new 53L underslung water tank, 25mm fill hose, 12 feed and vent lines. Need to source a good fitting to dress the installation properly.

So by Thursday late avo a number of items have arrived, by Friday avo all the big, aka necesary things, have arrived.

It's CHRISTMAS .. except I'm paying for mine.
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Saturday;
Hammered off the rear swing door.
Replaced bearing grease, tested.
Cleaned

Sunday;
Soldered Anderson plugs
Selected PV array

To be continued

[HuskyInAuz]

More stuff, mainly the kitchen arrived damaged and the vendor in Melbourne has not responded.
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Started to install and place items in or on trailer.
First the water tank[ATTACH=CONFIG]47132
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Then the kitchen
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And started installing kit in the 'power pod'
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[HuskyInAuz]

Most of the upgrades/additions are completed
Ran conduit under the lip of the trailer and through forward bulkhead.002.jpg
Added three power points on both sides of CSU in the rear. 003.jpg
Added a second 4kg gas bottle. You can see third power point mounted outboard and Waeco on slide inside tub.
004.jpg
Yes as a matter of fact I do know where everything is or was in the case of the wine, still looking for the refill though
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Power Pod completed
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Camper.Patrol 002.jpg
Built a sliding shelf to store the LIFO gear

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Camper.Patrol 004.jpg

[Avo]

looks like your set mate..just remember NOTHING goes back in the way you pull it out..i don't think I've ever packed twice the same way.

[HuskyInAuz]

Missed this, one 100w soft backed PV array. There was suppose to be two inline but one didn't show up on time so I ended up kind of Micky Mousing the feed wire. (BTW, MM is 'means a pretty dodgy job' in the old country. The tradies and myself have a good laugh when we talk about a MM job here )
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[HuskyInAuz]

Oh ya, those rolls (self inflating mattress) are about 10" in diameter now but the packing straps are about a Meter long. That was a clue not to unroll them until I got back home, they would have never fit in the luggage. Suppose to be 4" thick so I'm going to imagine they will be laid out fore/aft on top after the first use.

We did a lot of sailing and getting ready everything was neat and tidy, then we started making a mess because we could never remember where all the crap was put even though we had an inventory/location list.

We are trying to go back to the basics and not take the house along with us as we have found ourselves doing. I'm actually not going to be using all the storage space I am preparing for, I'm sure the wife will find some pottery or dishes to bring back.

Scott

[Cuppa]

All seems to be coming together very quickly, you are clearly not a procrastinator. Looks good. Are you planning to stay with the existing suspension?

[HuskyInAuz]

Cuppa, had too we are leaving in the morning !!
All we know right now is we are going north as far as Cooktown taking some inland and coastal roads (we've been up the Bruce once or twice) to Proserpine so hoping so see new lands.

I'm not going to do anything with the suspension, this really is a adventure so see if we like it. I've thought about it if I had more time but we have a hard stop and the end of August. Wife has to fly back to see her 90y/o father and I have to go back and take care of grape harvest prep and then harvest mid September which puts us out of any spring travels.

If things go well I would probably upgrade to some sort of hybrid, caravan/poptop/camper trailer that is small. I don't want to pull a big van around or at least I don't think I do right now. Ying is always reminding me 'KISS' .. but Yang pops in a lot of the time too.

[Cuppa]

Cuppa, had too we are leaving in the morning !!

Have a great trip. Keep an eye underneath the trailer if you end up doing any significant corrugated mileages. This was the damage we had to get fixed in Darwin to our ‘on road’ enclosed motorcycle trailer.

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