Over the years we have accumulated a whole lot of gear as we progressed from a swag and tent to a camper trailer and more recently a full sized caravan.  This page provides a little detail on the gear we use, it's preparation, it's performance and it's problems. (lets hope there are not too many of the last) 

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The Cruiser

Our vehicle is a 2011 Toyota 200 Series Land Cruiser Sahara which we have owned since 2013.  We bought it with 50k on the clock and with a few accessories already fitted making it a super capable 4WD as well as the perfect tow rig, well, once we had the GVM upgrade complete.

The Cruiser came fitted with an ARB bull bar, OME suspension with airbags, Safari Snorkel, dual batteries and a Redarc Electric brake controller when we bought it. 

We have added a 10000lb Winch, pair of Powerful 4x4 Sliders and brush-bars, LED driving lights, GME UHF radio, a Redarc DC-DC Charger with 100ah battery, Outback rear-draws with cargo barrier, a Rhinorack roof cage with a 2.5*2 meter awning and to improve traction off-road, we've fitted a set of 275/70R18 Cooper ST Maxx's.

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Knowing our vehicle would be overweight towing the van fully loaded on extended trips, we decided we needed the Lovells 500kg GVM upgrade to keep us legal.  The upgrade increases the maximum carrying weight from 3300kg to 3800kg and provides about an extra 20mm of lift.  

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The Van

Our van is a 2014 Jayco Starcraft 19.61.2 Outback and it's pretty much the Jayco Outback Spec with a few of the extra outback options included.  The only real modification to the van is a new queen size foam mattress we fitted because the original inner spring was way too firm.  We've purchased privacy screens and floor mats for outside under the awning as well as a couple of 12v fans to circulate the air during the warmer weather.  I also added a jerry can holder to the rear bar to keep fuel out of the van and car. 

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Without going through the whole list of standard fittings, our van came with a island double bed which we discovered was really sized somewhere in between a double and a Queen size when we replaced the mattress.  In the end, we went for a full size queen memory foam mattress and while it just fits, its about 10cm longer and 10cm wider than the original.  It does make getting around the bed a little tighter but the comfort far outweighs the inconvenience.  Our van has a Coleman reverse cycle air-conditioning unit, 185lt three-way fridge/freezer, 25ltr Microwave, 3 burner gas cook-top with 4th electric element, oven and grill and an electric rangehood.  The en-suite area has a separate toilet and shower, hand basin and a 3kg washing machine.  The vans entertainment includes and a 22in TV with built in DVD player and a Fusion CD/Radio with both internal and external speakers. The van is fitted with a 150w solar panel and a 100ah battery, two 82ltr water tanks with filtered water to the kitchen, 18kg of LPG and a 22lt gas/electric hot water system.

Externally it has a pull out awning with built in led light strip and an external hot/cold shower perfect for rinsing sand off both us and the dogs.

We do have a couple of small mods planned like building in shelves in Denise's bedside closet, protecting all the PVC under the van with foam, installing a stone guard on the draw bar and fitting an external side table.  Nothing too exciting but all will come in handy and help protect the van on our trips to come. 

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The Other Stuff

Along with the two big ticket items, we have a range of other gear.  These include the Engel 40ltr fridge/freezer for the car which we have had now for about five years, taken everywhere and it has never missed a beat.  Also in the car, we carry a range of recovery gear including the usual straps, protectors and shackles etc, as well as a range of spares including hoses, filters and a tool box with a range of hand tools, tapes and fluids.

In the van we carry a second deep cycle AGM 120ah battery in an Ark Powerpak, which can be charged by either a battery charger plugged into the caravan power supply or using our 150w Solar blanket. We also have a brand new Honda 2.2kva Generator which will charge the van and run the Air-conditioner for those extended remote stays in bush camps or when the sun is a little hard to find.  Our outside kitchen consists of a Weber BabyQ connected to an external gas bayonet on the van.  We have a couple of camp chairs, I have settled on an Oztent Jet Pilot with solid armrests and lumber support which i've had for a few years now and still love it!  Denise has gone through a few different chairs from moon chairs to most recently an Oztrail Titan but i think the search continues for the perfect chair.

The dogs don't miss out either, we have tried numerous beds and chairs over the years and have settled on a raised dog bed from Bunnings with a cushion for outside under the van awning, a canvas dog travel crate for travel in the car and a purpose pet sleeping bag by Spinafex in the shower base for nights in the van. 

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Having done a few week long trips now, i think we are reasonably well set to hit the road but i'm sure that the more time we spend on the road, the more we will modify, change or replace.

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