Five-star Camper Project, Part 2

(Click here for Part 1)


I’m luckier than most. I have fished all over Australia and the South Pacific and have driven around this country a number of times.

One of those times was in a 30-foot bus with family on board and car on trailer in tow. That trip took three years!

With the kids off our hands it was time to do it again but it had to be different. My wife Anne and I had our fill of caravan parks and bitumen and needed to go bush. My re-kindled interest in hunting dictated that going remote was the only option.

One problem; Anne was into five-star travel and accommodation and I would rather have dirt under the fingernails and rabbit stew on the campfire.

Although I could handle a welder and had a reasonable workshop I had neither the time nor the inclination to go down the path of building what I needed.

THE CUSTOM ROUTE

I recalled a trip five years ago to Fraser Island seeing a mobile BBQ and bar trailer. Yep, a big gas BBQ and glass-fronted fridges as well as on- board refrigeration for beer taps being dragged along the beach on a set of wheels servicing beach fishers from one of the angling clubs.

I tracked down Ron Meddings of Go-Anywhere Trailers and saw on his website some of the 'one-off' trailers he builds. That’s where it all started...

I needed an extra heavy-duty trailer capable of serious off-road work, and able to carry a huge amount of gear and supplies. A single axle wasn’t viable considering its payload so I set about planning with Ron something that was me; oh, and Anne too!

A set of Alko 1000kg axles with electric brakes on each hub got the ball rolling.

Next, a set of Coopers ST tyres were fitted which offer a more vertical wall under excess weight (less bulging) which should hopefully help avoid wall punctures from sticks and sharp rocks.

Although more expensive than typical Sunraysia steel rims seen on most campers, I opted for alloy wheels with zero offset to get the weight directly over the bearing journals. These Advanti Racing wheels were much lighter than steel and had a LandCruiser six-stud pattern.

The draw bar of 100mm x 50 RHS was made over length so that a Kymco MXU400 quad bike could be parked at its back end, up against the box section that made up the fridge storage area.

Two 4.5kg gas bottles were to be mounted forward of the quad bike but I somehow ran out of room. I initially mounted them under the Kymco quad bike but they were fouling on creek banks when four-wheel driving so they ended up in the back of the Pajero and came out when needed.

Once I ran out of space there I put the bottles in the rack on top of the trailer. That’s not an ideal spot but will do for now until I can fathom a better option.

The base of the trailer box was crafted from 1.6mm galvanised sheet while the top section was 2.5mm aluminium checker plate.

KEEPING COOL

A stand alone box across the front of the main structure between it and the quad bike holds a 110 litre Waeco fridge freezer. This pulls out next to the kitchen extension and in the opposite side a 60 litre Waeco is used as just a freezer.

Both these fridges are four-years-old and have operated flawlessly, but they have more work to do.

The void above the fridge and freezer has been left as open as possible to allow ventilation when travelling and here I installed one of the wide frame Waeco fridge slides on which a box was built to hold tools and other gear.

A shelf to one side here holds the Waeco Perfect Charge IU252A charging system and the battery system for the breakaway brakes.

I have since done away with the tool box idea and converted this compartment into a lockable, legal gun cabinet.

Waeco’s Perfect Power PP602 inverter is installed in the kitchen and is ideal for charging the laptop computer rather than risk it with a generator that might fluctuate in its charge rate.

The rear of the top alloy section has a Howling Moon Stargazer camper installed, opening out to the offside; this would be sleeping accommodation when on the road between extended camps.

The space in front of the tent top features a roof rack to hold the camp tables, chairs and other gear that needed to be readily accessible.

WORK OF ART

The rear section of this trailer is a work of art. One swinging arm holds two fuel jerry cans to service the Honda 1kVa genset and Kymco quad bike and next to it one of the two spare wheels. The other is chained to the TJM roof rack on the Pajero.

Once the trailer spare arm is opened the kitchen is released and swung out and around to the near side. An extension table slides out from under the structure for installation as a bench extension.

From here one can access the pantry which is built on top of the nearside mudguard. To its right is another of the Waeco draw kits holding a microwave and to the left a back bench area for whatever goods need storing.

I have since removed the microwave and permanently fixed it next to the slider, using the latter for the carriage of two tubs of cooking utensils.

Two alloy water tanks are slung under the belly of the trailer, higher than the axles for protection against bashings from stumps and rocks.

The tanks are connected to a Johnson Pump Flow Master pump with a manifold taking a pipe off to a Johnson duel cell water filtration plant and another pipe to the hand rose that services the sink.

The first stage of the filter is carbon activated to remove taste and odour from the water and the ceramic second stage filters down to 0.1 of a micron to remove bacterial such as guardia and other nasties.

The bulkheads at each end of the pantry hold stereo speakers, a Fusion radio/iPod dock and switching systems for pumps and other electrical components.

On the external skin of the bottom box section on the offside, a flush mounted bayonet fitting is plumbed to the pressure pump and to this I connect a Johnson Pump marine deck wash for cleaning equipment with high pressure water.

On top of the guard inside the offside of the trailer hosts a tie-down facility to secure a Weber Baby Q barbie, Honda 1kVa generator and a Dometic portable toilet and chemicals.

MARRIAGE SAVER

Accessible from the rear and running full internal length inside are compartments to carry Oz Tent’s RV-5, five-man tent. These tents are the marriage savers of the camping industry.

Just 30-seconds and they are up and if you wish, you might want to put in some pegs and use two poles for the awning. I use this if based in an area for some time as a getaway from the elements and the insects.

On the left hand side is another cavity running under the microwave in which all the extras such as panels for the RV-5, screen and shower and toilet tent are stowed. In here also is a fishing rod tube and picks and shovels for prospecting.

I fitted a Hitchmaster DO35 hitch which offered the best articulation of any of the hitches available when I was shopping around.

The trailer has a ball weight of around 150kg so a Hayman Reese Weight Distribution System was employed using levelling arms. These will be removed when off the bitumen to maximise articulation.

When in use they lift the rear of the Pajero 70mm when the trailer is attached making the vehicle easier to handle at speed on the tar.

FINAL BILL

This trailer comes in at around $50,000 fully decked out. I can hear some of you say: “I can get a caravan for that price”. Sure you can, but you won’t get one that can go to the remote places this one is designed for, and survive the ordeal.

It is unique but so are all the rigs manufactured by Go-Anywhere Trailers. No two are the same.