MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => Introductions => Topic started by: Malcolm Tugless on June 04, 2012, 03:53:53 PM
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Someone once told me that posting on an internet forum was something akin to farting in public, they were right you know, so here we go.
Many years ago we started with a tent, but to lug all the required paraphernalia along one really required a truck or a trailer. So we gave that the flick and joined the endless procession of happy punch buggy big brother owners, yes sports fans the kombi. This wonderful vehicle was the start of our love affair with the national parks and glorious crooks and nannies of northern N.S.W. The Kombi has been around awhile now and they're getting a bit long in the tooth, as in old and in constant need of attention, so it was sayonara to the zombie van and hello to the Jayco, finch that is. We just loved that little windup camper, loved it for ten years, but then the yacht appeared on our bank statement and the finch flew the coop. The hole in the water eventually drifted away and was replaced by an old Viscount, no not an aging member of European royalty, a caravan, an oldie but a goodie.
Now here's the funny bit, for many years I've been sitting back with a cleansing ale or ten and watching those poor hapless souls as they attempt to erect the ungainly monstrosities of canvas screwed to trailers. Often mumbling incoherently “Campertrailer, ya gotta be kidding, who in their right mind would purchase one of those clumsy setups”. Well in a nutshell, I would, yes I know I'm a hypocrite and all that, its just that I couldn't resist the temptation to capitulate.
You see its like this, although the caravan is easy to setup, watertight and has all the bells and a whistle or two. It does burn some fuel in the tug, I'll admit that, but thats not the problem, the issue we have is accessibility. Not getting in and out of the van, although on occasion, after over lubrication with ones preferred libation it is better to stay where you have fallen, than attempt further movement. No the problem is getting the rig to some of the more hard to get to places.
So after researching and costing and researching some more, we came to the conclusion that maybe just maybe those hapless fool and their trailer tents were on to something, maybe.
We looked at second hand setups, had a gander at the minefield that is imported or partly imported product, had a quick squiz at new Aussie made models, looked at the bank account and scratched our heads.
After much deliberation the final conclusion amongst the myriad of confusion was that a short sojourn up the motorway to Springwood was in order. The end destination was Lifestyle Camper Trailers where a deposit was placed on an Explorer.
Thats it, short and sweet, can't wait.
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Welcome to MySwag Malcolm, the hard bits done, you have made your first post and purchased the trailer. I hope the wait is not too long, enjoy your stay and join in the banter
GG
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Welcom Malcom!!
Great Read, look forward to some more of your posts and adventure pics.
Cheers, Mace.
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G'day & Welcome.
Great user name, very funny. Thanks for the introduction, I sense that you will become a regular on these virtual pages.
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Welcome to My Swag Malcolm hope you have plenty of spare time :cheers:
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Quite a fart Malcom ;D
Welcome to myswag, sing out if we can help with anything.
regards
jas
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welcome malcolm, enjoy the forum mate.... good to see you have a sense of humour... if only more people in the world were like this
Regards
Scott
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Hi
That has to be the best intro I have read!!
Cheers
Becboo
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Quite a fart Malcom ;D
Welcome to myswag, sing out if we can help with anything.
regards
jas
x 2 ... ;D
Kit_e
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G'day Malcom and welcome.
Great intro and congrats on the new camper mate.
:cheers:
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Welcome to myswag, sure you will love it! Congrats on the camper :)
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Welcome to the forum Malcolm. You make great reading. You weren't a paper reporter in your working life by any chance, were you?
Cheers
Graham
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I have a small confession to make, its nothing dire or abhorrent, more a slight matter of house keeping, doing the dishes and ironing out the creases so to speak. A problem has arisen, and it needs to be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand. Its the Malcolm thing, yes its an alias, although one could pronounce my name in the aforementioned manner, its the spelling that differs ever so slightly but quite drastically; as in my given name is spelt “bee-are-ewe-sea-eee”.
Now that that is sorted, we can all move on, except for the Tugless bit, again, its the same, and in reality probably a bit to far removed from the truth, but you more than likely had that one figured out early on in proceedings. But feel free to call me Malcolm, if you so desire, I'm always up for a challenge. Proof of that being the simple fact that we is, as in the royal we, purchasing one of them there trailer tent behemoths like contraptions and are rather excited at the prospect.
I'm very tempted to start asking questions about fridges, considering the hours of entertainment the topic brings to the table. But after a recent visit to the zoo, masturbating monkeys and gorillas eating and throwing pooh at each other has lost its gloss. Mind you, one of the main reasons I found this site more endearing than some of the others, was during the endless search for knowledge on all things pertaining to portable refrigeration, its inmates were far more reasonable in the discourse than some of the other lunatics floating around in the sub-ether. Refrigeration, its certainly a hot topic, makes politics, religion and bestiality seem rather timid in comparison. But I think I've got that one covered now, no not the monkeys or god or Canberra, the fridge thing is pretty well sorted.
Now theres the slight matter of battery charging, predominantly the second battery, isolator, dc-dc charging, portable, fixed, automatic or switched, hitched, unhitched or unhinged with a convulsive twitch. Not quite there yet, even though the medication seems to be working, I've still got that itch.
The tent on wheels is quite a few weeks away, in the meantime we'll wait, plan and procrastinate. Thats life in the zoo.
Cheers Malcolm.
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Now theres the slight matter of battery charging, predominantly the second battery, isolator, dc-dc charging, portable, fixed, automatic or switched, hitched, unhitched or unhinged with a convulsive twitch.
Hey Mal,
Whatever the question you ask ... just remember you can purchase what appears to be a tennis racquet, but it runs off 2 batteries ... and you can electrocute bugs with it.
So no matter how you get your camper wired up or even what fridge you've purchased (heaven forbid it's "that" brand or size) ... I'd seriously recommend one of those tennis racquets. Serious fun to be had on camp!
Kit_e
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G'Day Malcolm,
(http://www.hairfysh.com/images/Icons/Smileys/welcome.gif)
To MySwag.
If your sinus are blocked and you are deaf, who's to say that your farted? ;D
Congrats on the camper, plenty of great ideas here to help with mods and to wet your appetite for adventure before dementia.
Funny how you have just given the flick to the Kombi, The couple in their 70's next door have just bought one to travel with. A Kombi is something I wish I had when I was a kid, for those surf trips up & down the coast.
While hitchhiking from Briisvagas to Byron as a kid, I got a lift from a bloke and his kombi, at the time I thought how cool this would be, You car is your home, you always had somewhere to crash, it had a fridge, a tape player so you always had your tunes with ya.
Yes you're right about the subjects of refrigeration and all things electrical, Even tho I am 6'3', I keep out of those cages.(http://www.hairfysh.com/images/Icons/Smileys/shocked.gif)
I'd rather watch from a distance with a cold beer in hand.
Happy & Safe travels,
:cheers:
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Welcome to MySwag you sound like the type of bloke we need around here but thats what they thought about me :cheers:
So ask away on any topic re gear or bits & pices somebody will know ,, or get a firestorm going be slagging a product we know & love .
You will enjoy it here , you just have to as theres is no way out :cheers:
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I'm with everyone here. Welcome. Awesome intro especially if it leaves you hanging for the next post, which you also delivered excellently. Enjoy this place
Cheers
Frank
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You sold a Kombi... :cry:
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Dare I say it?
Intro Of The Year!!
Welcome to the forum.
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Hi Malcolm and welcome to My Swag
:cheers: bubba
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Dare I say it?
Intro Of The Year!!
Welcome to the forum.
x2 :cheers:
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Hi Malcolm
Welcome to this wonderful site. I have learned heaps here and I sure you will. By the way, nothing wrong with farting in public, at least then everyone can enjoy the scent, I do it all the time. Probably why the grandkids call me an old fart.
Regards
Tjupurula
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:cup: :cup:
what an intro!
Good stuff mate!
Disco Teddy.
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luv ya writing style welcome, doesn't matter what your ct is just being out their is whats important. Look forward to viewing some more of ya wit
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Welcome Mal looking forward to more posts
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Ok, so what have we learnt so far, well for one thing I can't whack a happy snap up until I'm well on the way to thirty posts. No biggie, but you don't get them until I get there.
The natives around here seem to be obsessed by large springs, bright lights, big snorkels and snatches in the mud, understandable I suppose.
Its amps, amps, amps and more amps, watts are second rate, solar is good, generators not so, but VSR's are great, oh and that ever present constant flow of franticly hectic unadulterated refrigeration debate continues unabated.
Ah, and a date, not the fruity type, dried or otherwise, or the outing between a couple, with one party so concerned about getting past first base that they take the other to a restaurant that they really cant afford and then forget to put on clean underwear. No neither of those, a delivery date, specifically concerning a camper trailer, our new camper trailer, July, second last week of it is.
Originally we opted against the tropical roof, but have since added one, along with a stone guard.
We have purchased a fridge.
An 80watt solar panel, that will be mounted on the front tool box (hence the stone guard requirement), it will charge whilst in situ and also be removable for optimum placement.
Batteries, one 105 AH to be fitted and a smaller 60AH portable backup.
The brake controller is awaiting installation, as is the VSR, although the wiring has commenced on that project. Anderson plugs and circuit breakers were sourced from Traxide, good price, great service, thanks Tim.
Other items to be cobbled to the setup include an 240 volt smart charger and a 10 amp DC to DC charger. The only charging options I haven't included so far are wind turbine, hydro electric or nuclear. We a seriously considering a couple of guinea pigs and a treadmill, but we're still waiting for national parks to get back to us on the legalities of having black jellybean manufacturing mammals within their precinct.
Non-electricaly speaking, I've slapped together a kick arse pantry box, reconditioned a 25 year old primus three burner stove (they don't make em like the use ta), and sorted through a plethora of camping gear.
The pole holder is still to be constructed, but after that the jobs are thinning out, until the the camper lobs on the door that is, then the soldering iron, drills, thread tappers, self-tappers, left hand corner-post holes and cable ties will be flying of the hook.
Yeah yeah I know, P-O-S-T-F-U (pictures or shut the frock up), but I've already explained that little conundrum.
Anyway, I'll see ya's through the bathroom window.
Cheers
Malcolm.
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Welcome Bruce,
One hell of a fart!
Sounds like you have been lurking in the background before letting rip.
Look forward to the pictures after your next 27 posts!
Cheers
Dave
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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You're right it has along time been since we last spoke of canvas dreams.
The Lifestyle.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8089130509_c470fb6144_z.jpg)
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8184/8089129036_1669e179e2_z.jpg)
Got it, all good.
I spent some time the other day with some extended doggrel, only to have the server or whatever was the problem, crash and burn as I tried to post the waffle. At some time in the near future I will make another attempt. For now the photos shall have to suffice.
Cheers MT
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Well there ya go ... what a difference a few months to a year or two can do. The camper trailer has left the building, only recently mind you, and it hasn't gone too far away either. I'll grant you this ... its found a nice new home. The ironing lady and I enjoyed it, but circumstances change and it was time for a new tack, and the lack of tackers in tow meant sizing downwards was once more on the agenda.
Hapless fool that I am, it was time to revisit an earlier incarnation of campfoolery ... Mr J and Co. It had always been our as in us, we, she and me's idea to retread the boards of a Jayco windup. Having spent a glorious decade in ownership of the finch. But bugger me, when big bro went out and purchased an Outback Swift, modified the front end and hit the tracks, enough was enough. The bird had flown so to speak. The annual Jayco sale planted the seed, the bank manager watered it and voila ... order placed.
Theres a bit of a wait, like always. Next months end should see us well and truly entrenched in the new one.
What is it ? you say ... oh ... its a Swift ... tourer.
Not an Outback ? ... no thats quite correct, but underslung with drop down jacks, roof racks, bag awning, bed flies and such.
You see considering the tow vehicle is a Subaru Forester diesel, a standard underslung model will suffice. Contrary to some misconceptions that abound out there on the internets, the wee Jayco camper is reasonably robust. Robust enough for the dirt and dust that will be presented to us, as in we, me and the cheese, on our travels in the future.
Pictures in about 4 weeks from ...................... now.
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It's not farting Malcolm it's sharing, especially when you get herself to duck under the blanky.
Welcome to the Forum. ;D ;D ;D