After The Forester Decisions and Comments.

ateday

ateday

Forum Member
Joined
May 2, 2014
Messages
982
Location
Happy Valley, not the loony bin, Adelaide.
Car Year
2002
Car Model
MY03 Forester
Transmission
5 sp manual, 1.59 LR
Sadly I have reached the conclusion, aided by my (much) better half, that our, although not necessarily mine, camping days using my trusty 3 person, who need to be very good friends, tent are over. Mainly because she, not altogether unreasonably I suppose wants a (shudder) shower and toilet. Just doesn`t agree that the latter is that spade just there with accompanying box of matches and white roll.......
At least if I want, and I do, my (much) better half to be with me.
So what to do as a next step, like stilson I hate towing so that means a slide on camper "box" or an all singing, all dancing, bells and whistles camper van.
The outfit must be, non negotiable, 4WD with good ground clearance and low range.
There are, at a heavy price, good and versatile camper vans around but the thought of an expensive piece of ironmongery sitting in the drive/garage for lengthy times without being used makes TAB me cringe as we are not yet ready for an extended long term trip
So I am leaning towards an Innovan. One of which I looked at in Toowoomba about a week or so ago. This item struck me as being a well thought out and designed idea. Being a new idea it is still work in progress and continually being modified by the designers.
Not cheap but what is.......?
I would need a ute which of course brings its own set of decisions to carry this thing on. A double/twin cab for its versatility with a lengthened chassis/wheelbase to allow the camper to legally and practically fit.
A ute + Innovan combination would be a lot more versatile and cheaper than an expensive camper van but, of course less roomy. This would be improved by suitable tent type annexes currently under development.
So any comments/suggestions from interested parties welcome. Particularly as to what suitable ute around the 3 to 4 litre turbo diesel range.
 
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$_12.JPG


problem solved

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20L-Out...wer-Tent-Set-Pop-Up-Change-Room-/311123246779
 
Agree with Lefty and ST, Ate ...

Combine with a basic 6x4 trailer with an OzTrail Camper 6 on it, and both you and your good lady wife will be both more comfortable and happier.

Having a dodgy back myself (since I was about 13 y.o. ... ), I fully sympathise with her!

BTW Lefty, thanks for that link. I might just spring for one of those myself. I need one part for "emergencies", and the other part for after the "emergency". It is more than just unaesthetic to go into more detail than this; so I won't ... :poke: :puke:.
 
Ateday ... Yes, I agree with Lefty, stilson, Ratbag ..... but here's my 2c for what it's worth. I still reckon the shovel if you really need it is far less complicated and space saving than a chemical toilet. If you think about it... if you are really remote and that thing is full.... you've gotta find an RV dump point to empty it. Just the thought of emptying those things puts me off ever wanting one.

The popup ensuite is awesome. For the shower, I would lash out and get something a little more advanced like this:

https://www.kulkyne.com/au/High-Pow...Y3VBz_YTCiSOY1hX-PHIekjPcWullqAWUoaApXU8P8HAQ

This needs to be positioned somewhere near your dual battery (yes, you will need this for other things - not just the shower!). Add to this a bucket big enough to stand in and you have a continuous shower using minimal amounts of water (meaning you can actually wash and rinse your hair if you need to). If you store some water in a 5L container next to the warmth of your Engel, you don't get a "hot" shower, but it's certainly not freezing. Of course if you want a really good hot shower you could heat some water either on gas or fire depending where you are and what permits.

After tenting for many years, I love our shack... aptly named the Love Shack. I love that we can go away and not be exhausted by the experience, worried about how much weight is in the vehicle (the load is spread between the trailer and tow vehicle) and that our bed is always comfy and dry. Depending on where we are going and what we are doing we tow it with ease behind either Scooby2 (00 Outback) or our dual cab Hilux. The best addition to the Shack recently has been one of these:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/32...2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107&chn=ps

It's very versatile. It can be a spare room for extra travelers, or it can be used for remote trips in places it's risky to take the Shack.

Only other thing I would suggest is that when you decide what it is that will be your home away from home.... go out shopping for it on at least a 38 degree day, get inside it and see how "home" feels. Nothing worse than having to sleep in an oven!

Kind regards,
 
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Scooby2 said:
Ateday ...

I still reckon the shovel if you really need it is far less complicated and space saving than a chemical toilet. If you think about it... if you are really remote and that thing is full.... you've gotta find an RV dump point to empty it.
Click to expand...

Nah, just use a shovel and empty it into a hole some distance away from a tree (most native plants don't like the phosphates in our poo), and camping areas or water courses. I'm thinking of more the middle of the night, when I really don't want to get bitten on the funnel by a finger-web spider :iconwink: :rotfl:. Unfortunately, this is a real consideration for me.

Just the thought of emptying those things puts me off ever wanting one.
Click to expand...

Doesn't do wonders for me, either.
However, they are designed to be hygienic, so should not be quite like emptying a can from a bush thunderbox ...
Non-surgical, disposable, biodegradable gloves could be useful ...
Ansell now even make a size that fits my pretty wide hands. They are their LARGE + 15% range.
 
lefty said:
getting your guests to fold it back up again is great for cheap entertainment
Click to expand...
Lefty.... somebody told me on the second fold up that "if you go onto youtube there's destructions there how to do it"..... so I said to them or you can watch it live... right here right now.... in 15 seconds....:rotfl:
Best regards,
 
Ratbag said:
I'm thinking of more the middle of the night, when I really don't want to get bitten on the funnel by a finger-web spider :iconwink: :rotfl:
Click to expand...

RB... couldn't you just pipe it outside? :iconwink:

Best regards,
 
^ :rotfl:

Mate, the pedestal, small water tank and stand, and the dis-mountable 100 mm UPVC piping might just attract the attention of the other campers or the authorities. So might something else ... :lildevil:

Besides, the pedestal is too high to put in my trailer bed - the sides are only 300 mm high ... :iconwink:.
 
RB.... methinks we are thinking differently. I was just thinking... a funnel and a very long length of 10mm pipe .... discretely positioned somewhere externally in some bushes that people don't go. You wouldn't even have to get out of bed!....
Best regards,
 
Hahahahaha ...

Last time I had something like that, it was in hospital ... Fortunately, there was no funnel used! :poke: :biggrin:.
 
I really like the Innovan and have been watching them for years; if I had a single cab then I would probably have had one for a few years now. I don't like towing but could almost be convinced to have the trailer version!
 
cut a hole in a camp chair and put it over a hole, stick loo roll in the drink holder and your set, just like home :lol:
 
Nah, the best is the towbar-crapper. There's even a patent (US of course) for it, while there's also a commercial product. And there's another version that is just the seat, BYO shovel - not intended for long stays ...
 
zippo said:
Nah, the best is the towbar-crapper. There's even a patent (US of course) for it, while there's also a commercial product. And there's another version that is just the seat, BYO shovel - not intended for long stays ...
Click to expand...

:rotfl: Do not forget to get the t-shirt, too, it is only 14.95!
 
Thank you all for your various replies.
However to reiterate.
I DON`T want to tow anything.
I don`t have a problem with tenting and bush crapping etc but my (much) better half does.
I carry a shovel/spade anyway when in the bush.
A solar shower is fine for me and will most likely be for her too.
So looks like an Innovan but what twin cab ute.
A Land Rover 130 inch wheelbase flatbed perhaps.
However having owned two LR`s in the past I just hope they are a bit more reliable these days.......
 
As an addendum many years ago I saw an old Landy which had just crossed the Sahara and it had, bolted and hinged to a rear quarter panel, a wooden toilet seat.
Struck me as a good idea for those (very) out of the way places......
 
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