The Trailer…

Posted by efloow on June 9, 2015 in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

We have a Jayco Swan Outback.

Why did we chose this over the myriad of other options out there?  Funnily enough, there was no real logic behind the choice except this is what we were always going to get!  I suspect that we may have read Alison Lesters’ “Are We There Yet?” too many times and their trailer cartoon is a Jayco Swan.  I can only imagine that this must have been permanently etched on my mind as the only way to do the trip.   Additionally I do have a dim, distant and probably drunken recollection of somebody else adventures and of their enthusing how easy it was to set up and pack up at the side of the road (thanks Neil).

I suspect that all of the above are the reasons for our choice and that we have justified it by the fact that it has loads of storage, we only have to tow 1.2 tonnes, it is easy and quick to set up (and disassemble), fits in the garage at home, has a built in cooker and fridge, we can get parts for it anywhere (we think), and it works for us!  So far so good (but more of that later).

“Are We There Yet!”, they even sleep in the same ends!

We bought it in March 2014.  We got a bunch of factory accessories, that included the Jayco awning (now well and truly gone and good riddance to it!), bed flys, external shower, 120W solar system, extra water tank ( giving us 80+80 Litres), and the Jayco roof racks.

For the record, here are the modifications that we made over the last 16 months.  Thank you Paul Tall in Londonderry for you amazing patience and advice around my far flung ideas:

• Suburban Water Heater… why we did not do this in the first place still remains a mystery to me!  We had this strange idea of camping in only warm weather, with fires and boiling kettles and… madness!
• Tregg Coupling… better for going to those more inaccessible places (the hitch can bend ninety degrees to the car for going over those step inclines).  Maybe we are dreaming, but it seemed like a good idea when it was suggested to us!
• Microwave exchanged for a very large and useful draw… storage or something that we are only able to use when powered!  Not too hard a choice.
• Shelves in the long cupboard… why would you need hanging room in a camper trailer?
•  Fiamma F45 Awing… this is a real treat, winds in and out and no poles… Bliss!  The Jayco one was heavy and clunky, needed us to carry millions of extra poles, and needed two of us to assemble and fold in and out.
• Extra Gas bottle hard plumbed
• Moved the gas bayonet from the A Frame.  When the bayonet was on the A Frame the Baby Q BBQ was practically under our bed (1.5m hose)… all the bed clothes stank after 2 weeks of daily use!
• External Towel rails
• Water filter
• Internal roof hangers
• BMpro Drifter, more accurate battery and water management (at a cost) seems worthwhile for 7 months on the road?!
• We put a tool box on the A Frame instead of the water bottle holder that came with the trailer
• Pipes bolted to the frame x3 for poles and rods
• Changes Jayco roof rails to Thule cross bars to make carrying bikes and accessories easier

At home in Pebbly Beach.. Easter 2015.