how did i miss this thread?? this is a great setup :) top job Cuppa
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how did i miss this thread?? this is a great setup :) top job Cuppa
G'evening Cuppa.
Great build, good onya mate!
Regards,
RLI
Cuppa, I finally spent the time to see the rig that is at the top left corner of your posts.
I love what you have done regarding hot and cold water, and the storage and facilities that you have installed.
I have been researching solar and other things and thanks to one of your posts, and I now don't think this one, have some more information on sola and how I want to set mine up.
I'm travelling from SA to Wodonga at the end of April and will be there in May.
I'll check the map to see if I will pass your way, as I would love to see your rig up close and talk about the effort you have put in.
Might be out of the way at a guess, but when there is an opportunity to expand ones mind with awesome stuff like this I cannot have enough.
Thanks for the kind words Lieney.
I reckon it unlikely you'll be passing by my way en route to Wodonga, but if you want to detour south you'd be most welcome to visit. We have plenty of room for camping. We will however be away camping during the first weekend of May. (3rd to 6th).
Having now used the camper for some time away with both of us, I am quite pleased how it's turned out, & MrsTea has given it her approval. However , as always there are compromises, & and things I wish I'd done a bit differently, but nothing major. Basically just stuff to adapt to, rather than change. Par for the course for a fit out made up as I went along. I had an overall picture in my mind of what I wanted, but the means of achieving/constructing this was a process of evolution. I wish I could have planned all of the construction before getting start red, but my head just doesn't work like that. I'm better at working out that sort of stuff when I physically have it in my hands in front of me.
The main issue of course is being over the GVM, but this is now hopefully in hand.
I have changed the water pump yet again, now on the 3rd pump & finally got one suitable. It is a lot smaller, draws only a maximum of 3 amps, & has a flow rate of just 4.3 litres per minute, with a max pressure of 35psi. Initial opening of the 'tap' (trigger gun') needs a little care as 35psi will still cause 'splash back' (if running it into a cup for example), but as soon as this initial pressure is relieved flow is ideal. As hoped for the hot water remained hot for 3 days, & was still luke warm on day 4. Camped for 5 days saw us use about half the contents of the water tank, but we could have been a fair bit more frugal. With the under tray 30 litre tank utilised, I am confident we could make our water supply last for two weeks as planned.
I was particularly pleased with the solar. With the 35 litre freezer set on minus 17 throughout the day & turned up to minus 13 once the sun had gone in each day, & the 60 litre fridge set on minus two, plus minor stuff like recharging the iPad, lights etc we found the batteries were fully recharged by between midday & 1pm each day. On the day we drove home we arrived home with fully charged batteries. The main thing I found I want to change is to our chairs. Basically I enjoy my comfort & found that the lack of somewhere to lay down in comfort during the day unacceptable (kitchen needs to be closed to access the bed). MrsTea has a reclining chair, but my one isn't. Being able to recline made a huge difference & it was sometimes a squabble over who got which chair. I have just ordered two reclining chairs for the Patrol, both with alloy frames, (OzTrail Cascade 5's) almost half the weight of our existing ones. Nothing fancy, but allow for laying back with feet up (Eee looxury lud!).
The rooftop tent was great, but possibly needs a new mattress. The tent was *much' easier to put up with two of us, going up in 2 or 3 minutes. MrsTea pushes on one side with an extended tent pole, whilst I pull down on the awning. Very quick compared to struggling by myself. Once open two guy ropes attach to the side of the vehicle & that is basically it. Two poles & two more guys pegged into the ground give the full awning. Packing the tent away took a bit longer, but practice will speed this up.
The sliding plastic box system worked quite well. We kept the boxes out once camped & have decided that the extra camp table we were going to buy is not necessary as a couple of boxes piled one on top of the other make a reasonable table. Tools & spares & recovery gear now fit into 3 plastic 'tote trays' in the driver side under tray 'drawer space'. Took a while to find some the right size & of durable construction. They have cord attached to them to retrieve them, which worked well. I have junked the long drawer I made to store the OzTent under the tray on the passenger side to save a bit of weight, finding we can slide the tent in, inside it's original bag.
Probably the biggest issue was remembering where stuff was stored, often requiring a number of boxes to be opened to find what was wanted. This will improve with familiarity.
The driving cab will undergo a few changes when I finally manage to get a single passenger bucket seat at a reasonable cost.
Cuppa
Good to hear it worked well for you, like hearing about other people's setup and stealing the ocassional idea.
Top job cuppa. So did you reduce the payload or up the GMV?
Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories
Both KallenQuote:
Originally Posted by Westy's Accessories
The GVM upgrade is in train, & I'm hoping to have it sorted within the next week or two.
Cuppa
so how long before the big trip Cuppa ???
Ah, that's the big question Bob. No fixed dates as the hope is that when it happens it won't just be a 'trip', but rather a complete change in lifestyle. A few small things like fixing up the house here & selling it, buying another more easily 'leavable' home base etc etc need to happen first. Realistically we could be looking at a few years away still. In the meantime we prepare & save every $ we can. One step at a time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob
We are dreamers, but have found previously that sticking with our dreams has eventually enabled them to come true.
Cuppa
I'm trying to get the wife to do it now... While the kids are young and not in school... But she's worried of the might be's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuppa
Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories