Ok here are some Pics;
Some caveats;
Yes it's Chinese and Yes it has a lot of Dodgy bits - If you expect to buy one of these (off pickles plus or Grays online) and go camping the next day, forget it - you would be much better off going for a brand name Aussie import or Aussie made.
However thanks mainly to this site I went into this purchase with eyes relatively wide open.
List of things i have done thus far;
- Lots of metal filings everywhere through out the trailer causing spot rust (Vacuum cleaners obviously do not exist in this factory)- cleaned all of this up and touched up with a bit of stop rust spray where necessary.
- Leaks (two) in the water tank - had to remove the tank and braze up the holes (very minor holes so easy enough to stop up)
- Hand brake was not connected properly - a quick job to re-tension the cables and connect the handle properly.
- Each Spare Wheel had a cross threaded nut, which was difficult to remove due to the use of a round headed bolt to secure it (had to remove the entire spare assembly to access it and get enough grip on the bolt - fixed for now with another bolt but I plan to weld the bastards on shortly)
- water leak in the front locker due to a dodgy bolt with no washer on the top tie down bar - took to the opp to take it completely off and silicon underneath it and add some rubber washes as well. Also discovered a potential for water ingress due to capillary action underneath the checker-plate covering the front box, so i siliconed this as well on each edge.
- A nice AGA approved 4 burner stove came with the kitchen, however i have spent the last two weeks trying to find out how the hell to connect it to an LPG gas bottle (it has a 1.2" connection) - thought i found a solution with a reducer and a reverse thread adapter but it spewed gas out everywhere - so I gave up and just purchased a cast two burner to sit in the alcove - hope to find a solution to the HP gas top eventually as it looks much neater.
- A weld has been missed on the inside draw bar - nothing too major, but i would certainly want it done before taking off road - was going to weld myself (my dodgy welds would fit right in
) but my old man tells me i should get someone with a MIG to do it rather than an Arc. - will probably get this done when i take it in to get the suspension/alignment/ bearings looked at (on the to do list, but current set up looks OK and should suffice for the first couple of on road trips.
- replaced various pot rivets as i just didn't like the way they looked.
- Press studs around the outside door need replacing with something of a better quality (not a big job)
- Spewing the Coopers on the trailer are 16" as they would have gone on the FJ nicely.
So a few things to do to get it up and going.
In general though it seems pretty strong, and tows nicely, The tent and lounge area are great and seems very water proof (gave it a good hose down and not a drop got through (managed to store some 240w panels, sleeping bags etc under the lounge area when closed) - to have two beds off the ground is a real advantage to us with two young ones. Mattress are OK as long as you like a firm mattress (which I do)
The electrics/battery set up are basic but seem to work well as does the water pump, sink etc. (but i had to spray paint the filler hose black as it was clear) - Fridge fits in nicely etc
Along with the suspension upgrade etc I Plan to add another 100amp/h battery and maybe a stereo system
. Also going to investigate if i can get the aqua cube connect to the outlet tap in the tank (120L)
It's been (a will be) a bit of work (with a few surprises).
Will post some more pics once i have it set up fully if anyone is interested.
