G'day from Tassie

[gazq]

Hi All,
The wife and I call Tasmania’s Huon Valley home. We have a 2007 Tambo Cooper we call home when on the road.  So far we have done a couple of trips to the mainland.  One to Broken Hill and more recently a trip up to Cape York.  Not excluding many weekends around Tassie.

We pull our CT behind the old trusty GQ Patrol with the 4.2 diesel (no turbo atm).

We settled on the Tambo because of the sheer quality and affordability of the unit.  The only let down has been the horrid stiffness and creaking in the piano hinge tail gate.    Any advice is appreciated.  I contacted Tambo and they recommended drilling some holes into the hinge and try and get some light oil into it.  Unfortunately the oil hasn’t penetrated and the issue persists.  The other suggestion was to cut off the old hinge and replace with a new on.  My welding skills are not quite up to that yet.

We are planning a big trip to the Simmo in 2014 to do the French Line, that is if they haven’t banned trailers from the tracks by then.  Any tips on sand dune driving with a trailer is appreciated.  Havent done much in the way of sand yet.

Anyways thats my story.  Great forum!

Cheers,

-Gaz

[StrvnMrvn]

Welcome to the clan gazq,

Nice to have you aboard!! Ask questions and give advice mate!

But so you know

 

 

Strvy

[Marcus73]

Welcome to another Tasweigan. We're possibly looking at heading to your neck of the woods this weekend as our other plans have changed. Not sure where yet, but we'll probably just drag the camper there and hope for the best. Any tips on some good spots?

[gazq]

I'll go one better than photos.  Here we are doing Logan's creek on the OTT with the Tambo in tow.   

http://youtu.be/Ibpo-c75hkA
	Small | Large

As far as camping down south.  Cockle Creek is a nice spot.  A favorite of ours is http://www.riversedgecamping.com.au/  in Lonnavale.  Better call them before rocking up.  They can get pretty popular on long weekends.

[Rob C]

Welcome to Myswag Gaz,
Good set up

Rob C

[gowalkabout]

Welcome Gaz always good to see more from Tassie on here 

[speedhump]

Welcome to my swag
Speedhump

[Heiny]

Hi Gaz and welcome to My Swag

  Brett

[Marcus73]

Gotta agree.... Riversedge rocks!

[BrettnJules]

Gotta agree.... Riversedge rocks!

[weso]

Hi there but X2 hehehehe

[Turbojohn]

Welcome to myswag !

[gazq]

Thanks for the warm welcomes.  Here is a link to the River's Edge photo gallery

  http://www.riversedgecamping.com.au/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=1&Itemid=5

A bit more about the trailer for those of you interested.  Its the Cooper XT with the following extras:

• 2 additional jerry can holders (total of 3)
• electric brakes
• Full sized front tool box
• 100 litre water tank w/steel bash plate
• Lockable filler cap
• water hand pump
• water gauge
• end wall

Kind of wished we had optioned the built-in kitchen.  However our setup is very simple and there is very little to go wrong. Every time i start planning on including a drifta setup i always talk myself out of it because i hate the thought of losing any storage capacity.

Other than fixing the tail gate hinge issue i mentioned above id like to add a few brackets to take another spare wheel, hold a long handle shovel, and convert the tail lights to LEDs.  Once i have a bit more fabrication experience id like to add some gas struts to help with lifting the whole tent/bed up while its packed to make accessing gear at the front of the trailer easier.  A set of racks would be good as well for the canoe i plan to get one day.

Sad to hear that Tambo had to close up shop.  Makes me appreciate what i've got that much more.

My wife and I just spent two nights out at Dago point off lake Sorell.  Unfortunately the lake is closed for recreational use.  Still a really nice place. The pooch is Tasman. Hes my shed buddy and always there to drool on me when im working at ground level.

[Snow]

G'day Gaz and welcome to Myswag. 

[KingBilly]

Welcome Gaz.  Thanks for sharing your photos and vids.  Keep them coming.

Happy camping
KB

[BigJules]

G'day & Welcome Gaz.

Those are some great photos, your camper is certainly being put to good use.

[muzza01]

Welcome to the forum Gaz.  Bloody nice trailer mate.  Why don't you try and build a kitchen yourself instead of the Drifta?  Muz

[GGV8Cruza]

Welcome to the Forum Gaz, a great combo you have their and I have the newer additions of both with a GU and an Omeo. Good to see it out and about being used properly, keep us updated on your travels and mods.

If you have a look at this thread of my old cooper, http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=1870.0  you will see that I made a few kitchens which may give you a couple of ideas

GG

[middojnr]

Great to have a contact on the Apple Isle. We've been told to hold a date in October next year for a wedding somewhere in the North West.

What this means, though, is that I have time to work my magic on the boss about taking 3 weeks off work and driving down (from Brisbane) with the car and c/t to make a bit of a holiday out of it.

She is demanding the night before and the night of the wedding to stay in a hotel (and i want to stay at the wedding venue, or where most other guests are staying, anyway, so that was an easy sell) so she can get ready. I've banned 240V from the trailer and the 12 volt hairdryers - I'm told - wouldn't blow the skin off a rice custard. I also conceed that it isn't very nice getting ready in a caravan park loo, even for bloke....

So, I have to earn my brownie points, and some really nice picturesque, tucked away camping spot hints in Tas would NOT go astray, either...

[gazq]

G'day & Welcome Gaz.

Those are some great photos, your camper is certainly being put to good use.

Thanks Mate.  When I bought it i wanted to make sure we got something that would follow a GQ into just about anything.

Welcome to the forum Gaz.  Bloody nice trailer mate.  Why don't you try and build a kitchen yourself instead of the Drifta?  Muz

Funny thing is my old man was a builder, but I never learned to hammer a nail straight.  You are right I should at least have a go.

Welcome to the Forum Gaz, a great combo you have their and I have the newer additions of both with a GU and an Omeo. Good to see it out and about being used properly, keep us updated on your travels and mods.

If you have a look at this thread of my old cooper, http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=1870.0  you will see that I made a few kitchens which may give you a couple of ideas

GG

Patrol and a Tambo - definitely a solid combo!  Also thanks for the links.  I'll definitely take a gander.  Its the whole reason why I joined this forum.  Find the inspiration (steal good ideas) to tweak my own CT.

Great to have a contact on the Apple Isle. We've been told to hold a date in October next year for a wedding somewhere in the North West.

What this means, though, is that I have time to work my magic on the boss about taking 3 weeks off work and driving down (from Brisbane) with the car and c/t to make a bit of a holiday out of it.

She is demanding the night before and the night of the wedding to stay in a hotel (and i want to stay at the wedding venue, or where most other guests are staying, anyway, so that was an easy sell) so she can get ready. I've banned 240V from the trailer and the 12 volt hairdryers - I'm told - wouldn't blow the skin off a rice custard. I also conceed that it isn't very nice getting ready in a caravan park loo, even for bloke....

So, I have to earn my brownie points, and some really nice picturesque, tucked away camping spot hints in Tas would NOT go astray, either...

You going to visit any other areas of Tassie besides the West Coast?  I have yet to spend a lot of time up that way myself.  Camped in Zeehan once.  Not exactly picturesque.  However, there are a boat load of other spots i could recommend in the central highlands and down south.

You all are a friendly bunch!  Thanks for the posts and encouragement.

-GazQ

[middojnr]

Gaz,

The intention was to simply transit from BNE to MEL as quickly as we could. Likely catch the boat on the Wednesday, leaving enough time for those things that keep cropping up with us while we're on holidays. The intention was to travel on the boat to the mainland on the Wednesday & transit from MEL to BNE, just in the reverse of the trip down.

The bulk of the time we will be by ourself or, if we can convince others from Brisbane to join us, with some other vehicles from here. The plan, except for the few days around the wedding, when any others would be by themselves anyway, is to be in our camper trailer & try to see as much as we can of Tas - especially some of the more 'Wildernessy' areas. I would think that we'd also take a tent in case we decided to really head off the beaten track to places where even towing an offroad CT isn't considered practical.

[gazq]

A favorite of mine is Edgar Camp ground off Lake Pedder - http://www.roamingdownunder.com/pedder-campgrounds.php  Surrounded by the Arthur ranges and Mt Anne.  We are talking mountains rising directly out of the lakes.  Last time i was out there the ranger dropped off fire wood!  That was a couple of years ago.  Also Dago point is another location which is pretty schmick based off Lake Sorell.   There is also Arthur's Lake which has camp grounds on Hydro Tasmania's land.  It is free and if you are willing to explore you can get away from other campers afraid of a few rocks and ruts.   Then there are the must see camping areas like anywhere off the Bay of Fires, and as close as you can get to Wine Glass bay.

Some of these places are managed by parks and wildlife Tasmania.  So you may need to purchase a tag for a few days for some of these places.  http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/?base=412

This book is a little gem - http://www.exploroz.com/Shop/BoilingBilly+Camping_Guide_to_Tasmania.aspx

Hope this helps!  Some other taswegians may chime in as well.   Enjoy.

[middojnr]

Hope this helps!  Some other taswegians may chime in as well.   Enjoy.

If their advice is as good as this, then I certainly hope so!