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Offline stevem

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Hi All
« on: October 29, 2014, 08:41:01 PM »
Hi All,
Name is Steve, I'm up in Toowoomba Qld.
Just registered to the forum and thought I'd do a quick intro.

Been a life longer camper, did the tent thing for many years and always wanted a camper. A big storm went thru Hervey Bay one easter and set a change in direction.
We didn't like any of the campers on offer back then (2003/4) so I built my own trailer/kicthen etc and had Camel Group in brissy sew up the top.
We used it monthly (sometime more) for many years. between the kids getting older, and life getting busier and my other passion is cars... in particular hotrods. We decided a change in direction was in order so we brought an old vintage caravan to restore.
As soon as my mate heard we were selling the camper he snapped it up cause he knew how well we built it in comparision to professional built models of the time.

I think we have been about 4 years out of the camper scene.. but of late we have been doing a lot of bush camping - dragging the poor old 50's van carefully along behind the 4wd. I'm forever worried as they are very lightly built, that and it makes the poor van just filthy from dust cause they aren't sealed up the best.

So what has brought me to the forum is we sold our SUV piece of puss (lets not go there) and picked up a new Hilux last chrissy and are now planning to build or buy a new camper so we can get a bit futher off the beaten track than the old VV and pussbox will go.
We've had a quick look at current options, seems the chinese stuff is ok, and all the ozi made is in the $50k price bracket. So building might be the best way again to get exactly what we want.
Can't do a lot right at this moment as we have a hotrod that's off with the panel beaters getting the once over for paintwork, then wiring and bolt it back together for rego. But once we are over that financial hurdle we can get cracking in earnest. So lots of planning for the next 6 months....

Anyway thats my story, chewed ya ears off enough now  ;D



This is a very early pic after it was "finished" since then its had a stack of impoovements made.







The vinatge van is in the background.. the camper in the foreground is my old one that my mate brought off us. Still looks like new after 10 years even after all the use it has had.



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scarpsD40

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Hi All
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2014, 08:42:03 PM »
Hi Steve, great to have you onboard and thnx for the quick intro.  Look forward to you telling us a bit more about yourself:-)
Nah, seriously, BIG welcome.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2014, 08:45:01 PM by scarpsD40 »
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Offline Barrabart

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2014, 08:59:51 PM »
G'day Stevm,

Welcome to the forum mate.......... sure you'll find plenty to research here.... though it appears you may not need a lot of assistance......... sound like you can rely on previous experience with the potential 2nd camper build.

All the best with it mate.

By the way, that old Caravan looks cool as!

What type of CT you looking to build, soft floor/hard floor....... have you checked out Trackabout in Brissy (if ur chasing softfloor types), and you can't be bothered with building your own, sure they'll accomodate some special options in the build. Just a thought.

Stay well!
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KingBilly

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2014, 09:15:03 PM »
G'day and welcome Steve.  Good to see another local joining up.  Looking forward to following your build.

Happy camping
KB
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Offline stevem

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2014, 09:39:31 PM »
Thanks for the welcome  ;D

LOL no, not too many issues with fabrication etc to another DIY job. I'm a draftsman for a living which also helps a lot.

We are looking at hardfloor this time. A lot of we want to be getting into will be overnight stops and the odd weekend.
Reason we wanted out of the soft floor and into the caravan was the ease and speed of packup/setup. Its been bliss for the last few years - hence why camper V2 will be a lot more practical in that sence.

Still toying between forward or rear fold. I'm leaning towards forward fold at this stage.... Had a yarn to my mate today who's a canvaser and we can do the top for a really good budget for forward fold. Looking long term our kids are currently in Grade 8 & 11 so the option to have the trailer tub setup as beds for now and eventually once they leave the nest we can make it an eating area is where I'm thinking will be best for us.

Rear fold will take a lot more consideration to build, and I think long term after the kids stop coming with us the rear fold floor section won't have any use/benefit.
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Offline Aaron Schubert

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2014, 08:12:41 AM »
Welcome Steve!

Aaron
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Offline speedhump

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2014, 04:28:00 PM »

Steve,
Hello & welcome to my swag
Speedhump
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Speedhump
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Offline wilson79

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2014, 04:31:29 PM »
Quote from: stevem on October 29, 2014, 08:41:01 PM
Hi All,
Name is Steve, I'm up in Toowoomba Qld.
Just registered to the forum and thought I'd do a quick intro.

Been a life longer camper, did the tent thing for many years and always wanted a camper. A big storm went thru Hervey Bay one easter and set a change in direction.
We didn't like any of the campers on offer back then (2003/4) so I built my own trailer/kicthen etc and had Camel Group in brissy sew up the top.
We used it monthly (sometime more) for many years. between the kids getting older, and life getting busier and my other passion is cars... in particular hotrods. We decided a change in direction was in order so we brought an old vintage caravan to restore.
As soon as my mate heard we were selling the camper he snapped it up cause he knew how well we built it in comparision to professional built models of the time.

I think we have been about 4 years out of the camper scene.. but of late we have been doing a lot of bush camping - dragging the poor old 50's van carefully along behind the 4wd. I'm forever worried as they are very lightly built, that and it makes the poor van just filthy from dust cause they aren't sealed up the best.

So what has brought me to the forum is we sold our SUV piece of puss (lets not go there) and picked up a new Hilux last chrissy and are now planning to build or buy a new camper so we can get a bit futher off the beaten track than the old VV and pussbox will go.
We've had a quick look at current options, seems the chinese stuff is ok, and all the ozi made is in the $50k price bracket. So building might be the best way again to get exactly what we want.
Can't do a lot right at this moment as we have a hotrod that's off with the panel beaters getting the once over for paintwork, then wiring and bolt it back together for rego. But once we are over that financial hurdle we can get cracking in earnest. So lots of planning for the next 6 months....

Anyway thats my story, chewed ya ears off enough now  ;D



This is a very early pic after it was "finished" since then its had a stack of impoovements made.







The vinatge van is in the background.. the camper in the foreground is my old one that my mate brought off us. Still looks like new after 10 years even after all the use it has had.








Hi mate welcome to the forum, I think we need to see some picks of your hot rod!!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Regards,

Wilson79


My camper, http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=39588.msg711354#msg711354
2014 Ecomate Traveller FF

My Tug, OCT 2016 VDJ200 VX Landcruiser
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=54907.msg955281#msg955281

Offline stevem

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2014, 08:51:55 PM »
Quote from: wilson79 on October 30, 2014, 04:31:29 PM




Hi mate welcome to the forum, I think we need to see some picks of your hot rod!!!! ;D ;D ;D


hahahahaha yeah no worries - as long as everybody is ok with it here. Not exactly a CT  ;D
Not a lot to show really cause its all in pieces now. Long story short this pic is taken at muy first panel shop (mine is the maroon coloured one in its orignal paint)... it was booked in for 8 months in the que. It was outthere for 2 weeks and some mob came in and offered big $$$ to old mate so we were shafted out of there. All the bolt on panels are now off at a new panel beater, teh body is here at home waiting to be blasted and epoxy coated.
Got all the usual hotrod stuff happening - I'm building a 400 chev using a spankin new dart block with all the goodies inside. T700 auto. Custom IFS, 4 bar rear... all on fully adjustable coilovers. Its sits right on 100mm ground clearance, but I've made the rear suspension adjsutable to lift it up when towing the old van. Twin 3" exhausts all ceramic coated.
Inside I've fitted full climate control a/c, cruise control, falcon from seats, hyundai rear (had to remove the factory seat as I remove the rear floor to get the car low). Its been to the trim shop for some pre-plannig of the trim, got a custom centre console etc etc. Theers a full build thread on it on teh ozrodders forum - just look up Another 1939 Mercury  :D



We've got the EK Holden and the vintage van, modern car for the missus and a new Hilux, plus several other cars ready to be hotrodded. We also have this beaut old gal which I'm regratably going to sell to help fund the CT. We keep it on full rego but I rarely drive it... I'm not a vinatge car person really. And we squeeze all thsi onto the current 666sqm block of land.... but we ar ebuilding a new home next year on acerage as we are splitting at the seams.

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KingBilly

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2014, 09:27:00 PM »
Noice  :cup:
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Offline wilson79

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2014, 09:37:09 PM »
Awesome :cup:
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Regards,

Wilson79


My camper, http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=39588.msg711354#msg711354
2014 Ecomate Traveller FF

My Tug, OCT 2016 VDJ200 VX Landcruiser
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=54907.msg955281#msg955281

Offline Jeepers Creepers

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Re: Hi All
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2014, 05:20:09 PM »
Welcome to Myswag,

If you would like to meet lots of fellow MySwaggers, get ya backside to the 2015 Nat Meet at Rainbow Beach.
Check it out in the Trips, Tracks, Touring and Reports section. Towards the top of the page.  :cheers:

Nice cars.
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