oh dear... we bought a Supreme Getaway

[wakychapmans]

yep... does this mean we have to become biccy dippers now?

I'd been looking around online and came across the Supreme Getaway range. The earlier ones have a great reputation for being a damn solid off road beast.

I spotted this one on Gumtree.  1994, 14'. Yes, it's old... but maintained well by a couple that clearly loved it. They have owned it since new.

in 2004/2005 they did a big lap and lived in it full time for two years. So they've done all sorts of little mods to it to suit their needs during that time.

They're selling as they're getting older and have just bought a brand spank in' new Spinifex with en-suite. http://spinifexcaravans.com.au/listings/atomix/

We picked it up for $9,800 with grand plans to move the kitchen from one side to the other, switch the bed from North/South to East/West, put chairs at the end(side?) of the bed and then install a shower/toilet where the kitchen previously was...

I'll take more pics when we pick it up but... our "grand" plans are changing further as on Sunday we made the drive from the Blue Mountains to Summerland Point on the Central Coast to check it out. Owners Duncan and his wife Chris were very helpful and even put up with Tucker running around their property being his usual mad Samoyed self.

turns out they had their own home made show inside it. You can see in one of the pics below there is a large square thing on the back of the seat. (we thought it was a table) Well... turns out it's a shower base. then they have a hula hoop (yes really) with a shower curtain attached to it that clips onto some brackets on the roof. The shower base has a drain that goes out through the side of the van and you just use a 12v hand held shower and a bucket of heated water (or cool) for your shower.

So we may just use that for the time being.

It will be getting painted inside. Some kind of "off white" I'm thinking for the walls and chair frames and cabinets. Roof will be roof white and then doors on the cabinets... well I'm leaning towards a grey of some sort.

Kyria the quilter will recover the chairs and any other fabric trims and make new curtains..

The current owner has 750/r16 wheels on it. We'll swap them to 285/75/16. (difference in height is 30mm total, so only 15mm under the guards)

It needs a clean up. But it looks like a nice solid van to build on.

Need to figure out a spot for the spare as it currently sits under the bed. Maybe the drawbar? Or I was thinking of a swing away wheel carrier from a 80 series or similar and put it on the back...

anyway... more pics when we pick it up.

these are from the online ad and some that my wife took.


oh yeh... it has a 3 way fridge. Am I correct that the general opinion of them in't all that positive? Should I be budgeting to change it for a 12v/240v more modern type?

[GBC]

As soon as somebody mentions 'Supreme Getaway' I think of Thommo the bush cook swinging around his like tarzan somewhere up Cape York showing off how strong it was.
Congratulations, it's got adventure written all over it.

[Bird]

Nice work wayno...

[GeoffA]

I like 'em too....

[wakychapmans]

Nice work wayno...

I should mention... it's narrower than a "normal" caravan too. Almost identical wheeltrack to our 105 Cruiser.

[wakychapmans]

As soon as somebody mentions 'Supreme Getaway' I think of Thommo the bush cook swinging around his like tarzan somewhere up Cape York showing off how strong it was.
Congratulations, it's got adventure written all over it.

hahahaha...yeh, I ignored them for ages as I couldn't stand the "getaway" name. But then I did more research and they really do have a rep for being solid and reliable (well... the older ones do).

Funny that you mentioned Cape York. The current owners took it up the tele' track in 2005 as part of their 2 year big lap. They turned off just short of Nolans though...

[edz]

Good stuff MC always liked those Supreme Getaways, Fit up a 270* batwing awning to cover the rear door etc then fit up one of these and have the toilet shower on the outside https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl6_N0Smocw   ..  shower cubical build bits detail
  https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php/180047-Share-your-DIY-Camping-gadgets/page78

[Craig Tomkinson]

Yep You can still see the Cape york dust around things on it, Thanks for the share as it looks the goods, It looks like a van stuck on a trailer, Thats funny as I have just been thinking of building a ally flat top trailer to use around home and then cut all the chasy of my old pop up van and bolt it to the flat top trailer for going away just one rego then, Craig 

[Steffo1]

Good choice. We have seen a Getaway where the North/South bed was converted to two single with hanging wardrobe and mirrored door in between beds. It means removing existing rear cupboards though.
Friends of ours have the same as yours with an East/West bed and do say that sometimes the clambering can be a pain in the arse.

[Steffo1]

It looks like a van stuck on a trailer,

Exactly what the older ones are, Craig. Basically a big box trailer with a van body placed inside.
Solid as.

[tryagain]

I don't suppose your bunduawn will fit lengthwise?

[Bird]

re-reading your post, basically your going to gut it out totally.. ?

[outbackogre]

Yep .. 14' is as big as I'll go.  We need 3 beds and I hunted around for ages for a better solution to the Jayco Freedom we have now (13.42.1 layout with single beds and dinette converted to single bed).  In the end I gave up searching and bought the same layout in a 2013 Starcraft Outback (leaf springs rather than independent coils because of carport height limitations).  I've converted the dinette, and will also remove the wardrobe between the single beds (too claustrophobic).  These single bed Jaycos are very roomy for a 14' van.  Anyone want to buy a nice 2003 Freedom?

[tryagain]

I have just been thinking of building a ally flat top trailer to use around home and then cut all the chasy of my old pop up van and bolt it to the flat top trailer for going away just one rego then, Craig

I have had similar thoughts, although mine involve keeping the camper and box trailer and "sharing" the one rego between them. 

[wakychapmans]

Good stuff MC always liked those Supreme Getaways, Fit up a 270* batwing awning to cover the rear door etc then fit up one of these and have the toilet shower on the outside

I was thinking of the two sided awning. The 3 sided Bundutec on our camper isn't long enough to swap over. So it may move to the car... or be sold off.

regarding the shower... that's also an option.

we have one of the Kickass shower tents on the old camper already. So we could swap it over easily. If we wanted...

[wakychapmans]

re-reading your post, basically your going to gut it out totally.. ?

that was plan number 1...

plan number 2 is more like... "use it for 6-9 months and then decide what works... and what needs changing to suit us".

But those curtains will be gone in a few days....

[Rodt]

oh yeh... it has a 3 way fridge. Am I correct that the general opinion of them in't all that positive? Should I be budgeting to change it for a 12v/240v more modern type?

Mate you here a lot of people bagging them and I am not super fussed with how ineffective they are on 12v (basically just hold temp) but for all of that I have had two now and they both work pretty good on gas and 240v. A lot talk about how when you run on gas they must be dead level but I have had mine going when a bit of a lean and it seems to go OK.

Might be like anything with some being better than others. A lot also bag them when taking into the North particularly if they aren't the tropics rated ones. Haven't taken my van that far north so not sure

Give it a go and can always change if not good enough

[wakychapmans]

one thing the owner mentioned...

it has a scupper style vent on top.

Apparently it sits closed if the van is stationary and then open up (lifts up at the front) when the van is moving.

This is to slightly pressurise the van. They said that it's always kept all the dust out.

*except* for that time his wife left the rear roof vent open on a road in the gulf. He was saying that everything down the back of the van had a light coating of dust. But the bed being up the front and directly under the scupper vent... was just fine.

[wakychapmans]

so many questions...

it has inertia brakes *and* electric.

the owner is of the opinion that it can be towed legally (behind our Landcruiser) without having an electric brake controller fitted.

is this correct?

Obviously we'll be fitting one in the future, but I just wanted to get it home safely is all.

[GBC]

Drums with the override hooked up to the handbrake? My Trakshak had that setup. You won’t wear out the pads on override if you get my drift.

[wakychapmans]

Drums with the override hooked up to the handbrake? My Trakshak had that setup. You won’t wear out the pads on override if you get my drift.

ok... good thing we're going to be heading UP into the Blue Mountains on the way home then

But we should take it easy down Mooney Mooney... (and crawl up the other side in the 1HZ cruiser)

[tryagain]

I was thinking of the two sided awning. The 3 sided Bundutec on our camper isn't long enough to swap over. So it may move to the car... or be sold off.

regarding the shower... that's also an option.

we have one of the Kickass shower tents on the old camper already. So we could swap it over easily. If we wanted...

Let me know if you want to swap your 3 sided Bundu awn for the two-sided "Bundu L"             

[wakychapmans]

Let me know if you want to swap your 3 sided Bundu awn for the two-sided "Bundu L"           

How long is your two sided?

[tryagain]

How long is your two sided?

Just checked, just the 2.45. Was only half serious, would be more than happy to swap but guessing you will likely want something longer.

http://bundutec.com.au/awnings/bundu-l/

[Jeepers Creepers]

Don't forget to attach the "80kph speed limited" sticker to the back.