New camper decisions, decisions...

[kylarama]

You don't pack the chairs on top of the canvas?

Seriously considering this setup.

As a carpenter/joiner the Drifta's are well made for the $$'s.

Pity the camper top doesn't hinge the opposite side to make access to the open top storage box easy.

[KingBilly]

Pity the camper top doesn't hinge the opposite side to make access to the open top storage box easy.

The design reasoning behind the storage box, is so you don't have to reach over the top and lean against a dirty CT.  Have a gander at the Drifta website, explains it all.

KB

[kylarama]

The design reasoning behind the storage box, is so you don't have to reach over the top and lean against a dirty CT.  Have a gander at the Drifta website, explains it all.

KB

I understand that with the slide out storage box, the comment was more about if your going to have a hinged camper top, it might as well be on the (what I see) more practical side.  The Drifta setup kind of makes the hinged top redundant though.

[KingBilly]

I understand that with the slide out storage box, the comment was more about if your going to have a hinged camper top, it might as well be on the (what I see) more practical side.  The Drifta setup kind of makes the hinged top redundant though.

Yeah agree, it does make the hinged top redundant.  But can't swap the hinge side due to the kitchen location when set up.

KB

[Bird]

You don't pack the chairs on top of the canvas?

Seriously considering this setup.

Timbo had an O'briens with the built in draw setup like that.. 1 trip to Fraser Island, and 1 to Sheepyard, and he sold it - only lose $7k...  He found it too restrictive, with different size chairs/tables/kitchen stuff. Didn't want to risk rubbing holes in canvas from chairs and stuff.
I've actually put Bek's pushy inside our trailer pre-Macrack days and it worked well...

Plenty of people have the full length gig, I'd be like Tim though

I agree the open top one would be better near the opening.

[D4D]

Well I have decided to get the DPO package, time will tell if it works for us.

Now to work out of I want the spare on the tailgate or on the drawbar...

[Bird]

Now to work out of I want the spare on the tailgate or on the drawbar...

I'd love to put mine on tailgate to get weight off the front...

[D4D]

The Tambo was fine with the spare on the front and a large toolbox, how much heavier is your camper on the front?

[Bird]

The Tambo was fine with the spare on the front and a large toolbox, how much heavier is your camper on the front?

I havent weighed mine, but its heavy... I'd hate to lift drawbar off the ground. add the weight of the mount and tis a bit

[Matto]

Great work D4D - you'll be happy as a pig in mud.

I think you'll be very happy woth the DPO package - it includes the pull-out storage drawer, doesn't it? Initially I didn't want one. I thought that it would make the camper tub not as useful by breaking it up into smaller fixed sections, etc. Thought they were very expensive for a plywood box. Now however, I'm in the process of building one for our camper because I'm so sick of climbing in to reach the stuff right at the front. So far I'm about $400 into the project, and about half complete. I'd be kidding myself if I thought that I'd be able to finish it to the same level that the Drifta products are. I can't wait to get it done, it's going to make life so much easier at camp.

I'd also go the spare on the back. I've got mine there, and it's perfect. You'll always find more stuff to stick on the drawbar down the track - getting the spare off onto the tailgate just gives you more options. Not sure about other camper's drawbar weights, but I can easily lift mine up. I've got the wheel on the tailgate, and the watertank behind the axle (but my axle is pretty far back too...).

I'd also look into getting the canvas tailgate draft curtain that KB mentioned. It's another thing I'm considering doing to mine. Just a piece of canvas, with press-studs around the outside. If you were fancy you could quilt in a piece of airspan insulation. Once I have my kitchen set up, I don't want to have to unhook gas lines, fold over benches, etc, to pack it up every night.

Did you end up going for the gal chassis?

Sounds like you've got an awesome unit on the way - I can't wait to see the pics of it in the flesh!

Cheers,
Matto

[D4D]

Yep I weighed up making my own vs. getting a Drifta and in the end the Drifta won. Time will tell whether it works for us but Luke puts a lot of thought into his gear so I think it will.

I am leaning to the spare on the rear but haven't decided 100%

We have to pack up each night, more for the cold that anything which is why I went for the DPO as it is quicker than the DPOR to pack up.

Didn't go the gal chassis, you can buy a lot of cans of paint for $600.

Matching wheels is a costly exercise, I just dropped $100 on wheel nuts to match the Prado...

[staghornflat]

Congrats on your purchase D4D, $100.00 is alot for wheel nuts, but small price to pay to have matching wheels between camper and tug. 

[Matto]

Small price to pay not to have the wheels fall off too.

Aside - One night (about 1AM) I stopped to help a young girl change a tyre on a freeway onramp in Bris. Of course she had no idea how to, and the car was running big aftermarket mags. Which use tapered nuts. The spare tyre was steel, and needed flat nuts - which (of course) they didn't have. So we swapped it on anyway, and I told them to get off the freeway and stay on side roads, and below 50kph. As soon as they noticed any weird feeling, wobble, ANYTHING, to stop the car straight away because it might be the wheel working loose. Job all done, off we went. As we exited the freeway 10 mins down the road, we were passed by the same car merrily heading along at 100kph. It was about then that I started worrying if, by stopping to help her, I'd actually ended up endangering everyone else on the road.

WRT packing up at night, how do you think you'd go with some airspan insulation under the mattress, and some sort of canvas/insulation cover to go across the rear tailgate opening? Packing up the kitchen every night would really annoy the living daylights out of me. I guess that's one of the reasons I live where I do - we tend not to have that problem much.

I get your point about the gal chassis costing what it does too, but I'd still go that way every time. Have a think about it - it's one of those things that you can't really change later if you change your mind.

Cheers!
Matto

[D4D]

I'll probably add some insulation under the mattress anyway. I closed the Tambo up every night and it wasn't that big of a deal.

I'd love a gal chassis but I am already over budget and the ROI just isn't there.

I was planning on fitting these Narva lights so I had an inbuilt reversing light, dunno how much light they would throw though. Thoughts...

[fuji]

Noice!

[Bird]

mount a couple of them small LED light bars at the back, just the 4 light ones would do... 

[brickiematt]

Deposit paid, and the winner is...

Very nice looking setup there mate, congrats
Good choice on the Drifta too!

[02-SR5]

Nice mate.

IMHO, the best sub 20k camper in Aust.

[FZJ]

I know what you mean about keeping the cold out.I have had plans to make an extension for the lower draught skirt that hangs below the trailer opening.PVC or canvas that velcroes on at night over the opening, keep the critters out as well.. Just a thought.

Yep I weighed up making my own vs. getting a Drifta and in the end the Drifta won. Time will tell whether it works for us but Luke puts a lot of thought into his gear so I think it will.

I am leaning to the spare on the rear but haven't decided 100%

We have to pack up each night, more for the cold that anything which is why I went for the DPO as it is quicker than the DPOR to pack up.

Didn't go the gal chassis, you can buy a lot of cans of paint for $600.

Matching wheels is a costly exercise, I just dropped $100 on wheel nuts to match the Prado...

[sunshine]

hey D4D
yeah had something similar on my tambo and the light those suckers emitted rivaled the mcg light towers absolutely brilliant , from memory they were truck or trailer types and purchased from ebay ..of course

and yeah agree with insulating the bed base and keeping critters out .... as well as unwanted ...mongrels who help themselves whilst asleep  ...  to the esky etc  etc 

best of luck with the new rig

mick

[GraemeL]

I'll probably add some insulation under the mattress anyway. I closed the Tambo up every night and it wasn't that big of a deal.

I'd love a gal chassis but I am already over budget and the ROI just isn't there.

I was planning on fitting these Narva lights so I had an inbuilt reversing light, dunno how much light they would throw though. Thoughts...

I have the Narva LED work lights, mounted on my CT. You can get these off ebay for $125 a pair. They put out plenty of light for reversing.



Do you guys use the black matting under your bed? I have it in my CT and it stops condensation under the mattress. I am also looking for something to insulate the bed.

[KingBilly]

Do you guys use the black matting under your bed? I have it in my CT and it stops condensation under the mattress. I am also looking for something to insulate the bed.

I have carpeted my bed base.  No issues with condensation using an inner spring mattress on the carpet.

KB

[D4D]

I have the Narva LED work lights, mounted on my CT. You can get these off ebay for $125 a pair. They put out plenty of light for reversing.

Thanks, I was trying to avoid using a separate light hence the combo unit.

[Bird]

Thanks, I was trying to avoid using a separate light hence the combo unit.

The advantage of a seperate light is you can adjust it and use it without the car attached and running if need be.

One thing I've never ever understand is why cars have Shit revesing lights from factory - why isnt it a requirement to have something at least useable? Why isnt it part of the ADR's to have GOOD QUALITY reversing light in all cars.

[Matto]

The taillights on the Trackabout have built-in reversing lights, very much the same as the LED ones above. They work pretty well, but my taillights are all incandescent. I've been looking for fully-sealed LED replacement ones for a while now - easy to find ones without reversing lights, not so easy to find good looking ones with.

If you do go ahead with those ones D4D please let me know what you think of them. If they're decent, I'll probably grab a pair myself.

Cheers,
Matto