imotorhome+emagazine+issue+31+ +17+august+2013

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iMotorhome magazine

because getting there is half the fun...

Issue 31: August 17 2013

This mighty beast is a

Trailblazer by name and nature...

Land of PlentyTouring from Alice Springs to Ballina

Sweet Sweet Musica!An Italian slide-on with style and substance...

TrailBlazer

Win!$50Calte

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FuelCard!
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The stirring anthem I AmAustralian concludeswith the lyrics, I am,

you are, we are Australian.

Its a beautiul song and I love

it, so pardon me or saying

its bollocks. Far rom being

One, Australia is ractured

along geographic, political,

economic, religious, ethnic and

social boundaries but dont

eel bad so is the rest o the

world!

Perhaps the closest Ive

been to experiencing a truly

egalitarian society is when

touring by RV. In caravan parks

and ree camping areas across

the country, neighbours live

on a frst-name only basis; are

usually glad to lend a hand andno matter the size or price tag

o your rig, everyones welcome

or sundowners. Perhaps theact most people in this group

are white and middle aged or

older has something to do withit, but travelling is a great social

leveller.

I live and work on acreage

and rom my desk as Imwriting this I cant see another

house; just occasional trafc,birds and a pair o horseswarming themselves in the late

aternoon sun and dreaming

o their next bucket o treats.I dont tell you this to boast,

I tell you because when Mrs

iMotorhome and I travel we

dont want to swap the space

and serenity o our home ora cheek-by-jowl experience

in a crowded caravan park.Yet thats exactly what a air

section o Australias so-calledpeak tourism and RV Industry

bodies seem to believe wewant no, need while

eectively saying we cant betrusted to stop by the roadside

at night without leaving theplace looking like a tip.

There are some great caravanparks around like Gemtree

on the Plenty Highway, notar rom Alice Springs that

provide valuable services toweary travellers and an island

o security in a vast landscape.

On my mind

awrvworld.com.au

5 Melrose Dr, Wodonga 3690 Ph: 02 6024 4222 Follow us on Facebook

View today the new

Sunliner Twist Limited Edition

Continued...

WE ARE ONE?3
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The iMotorhome Team

Richard Robertson

Publisher & Managing [email protected]

Malcolm Street

Consulting [email protected]

Agnes Nielsen-Connolly

Design & Production [email protected]

2013 iMotorhome. All rights reserved. Published by iMotorhome. ABN 34 142 547 719.

PO Box 1738, Bowral. NSW. 2576. Contact us on 0414 604 368 or Email: [email protected]

They also charge realistic taris,dont cram their patrons inand are honest small-businesspeople working hard to make aliving. But there are others...

We use caravan parks whenwe need to top up water,batteries, do laundry and/orjust want to stay close to theheart o a town without moving.They arent resorts to us;were not looking or liestyle

experiences to make our staymemorable and we dont needanother bloody jumping pillow!

So Id like to start an

iMotorhome register o reader-reviewed caravan parks (andother camp sites). Tell mewhere, when, how long youstayed, how much you paidand what your experiencewas, warts and all, but dontorget praise where due. Ill

publish some in the magazinebut also build a section on thewebsite. This is not so youcan rant thats my job its aservice to ellow RV travellersthat could develop into amost valuable reerence or all.Citizen journalists, what are youwaiting or?

Richard

A long-time reelance RV,

motoring and travel writer,Richard is a dedicated, long-term motorhome enthusiast.

He has held senior editorialpositions with some o thebest know recreational vehiclemagazines in Australia. Richardalso has a passion or liestyle-enhancing technology, which

is why he is the driving orcebehind the new iMotorhomeeMagazine.

Unquestionably Australia and

New Zealands best knownRV journalist, Malcolm is axture at CMCA rallies andRV shows and is now in hissecond decade as a specialistRV writer.

I its available on either sideo the Tasman, Malcolm hasprobably driven it, slept in it,

reported on it, knows how itsmade and can tell you justhow good it really is.

Agnes is an experienced and

talented graphic designerwith extensive experienceacross a wide range odisciplines, including traveland advertising.

Designing and producingiMotorhome issues since June2012, Agnes does much othe behind-the scenes work

to ensure every issue looksgreat and is easy to read.

...Continued

On my mind...On my mind 4
mailto:richard%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:malcolm%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:allan%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:allan%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:info%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:info%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=http://www.paradisemotorhomes.com.au/mailto:info%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:info%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:allan%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:allan%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:malcolm%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:malcolm%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:richard%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=mailto:richard%40imotorhome.com.au?subject=


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Paradise Motor Homes www.paradisemotorhomes.com.au245 Brisbane Road, Biggera Waters, Queensland, 4216

ph (07) 5597 4400 - email [email protected] Motor Homes products are protected by registered designs, patents and copyrights 2013

Australias Best Quality Motorhomes

Enjoy the prestige o owning Australias best quality motorhome

Outstanding value ormoney, competitivelypriced from $158,000.

Unrivalled Safety includingrollover protection,auto-locking cabinetryand superior appliancemounting systems.

Industrys longest & mostcomprehensive motorhomewarranty.

Built or Australian conditions.

Models available with or without slide-outs. Superior fnish with stylish new contoured exterior.

Patented moulded bins or maximum storage capacity.

Outstanding road handling & ride comort.

Genuine island queen beds and huge wardrobes.

Spacious rear ensuites with separate toilet & shower.

Market leading layouts & liestyle eatures.

Full living area slide-outs providing superior living space.

Proven reliability o Paradises patented slide-outs.

Relax in Paradise
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INSIDE INSIDE

10NEWSWhats happening in the RV world

14 TESTEDTaking a slide on the wild side Richard tries out Trailblazers tough truck camper

32 TESTEDMondo Rocks! Malcolm has a day out with a beautiul Italian...

3We are one? I dont think so...

ON MY MIND

7Have your say or a chance to win a $50 Caltex uel card!

ON YOUR MIND

NEXT ISSUE72Whats coming up, plus our show calendar

CLASSIFIEDS67This weeks eatured iMotorhome Classifeds

ROADSIDE EATS68Berkelouw & Behold Books, coee, ood and wine. Perect!

48 TRAVEL DIARYLand o Plenty Highlights rom our recent Outback adventure

6


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On your mind

Hi Richard, I just wanted toshare a quick tip I discoveredby chance when the missusused up all the hand cleanerin the laundry. Concentratedclothes washing liquid likeDynamo, because thats whatwe had, gets rid o greasequickly and isnt abrasive.

I use a nail brush as well orany really tough bits but mostlyit just gets anything o. Youhave to rinse it o really wellbecause it seems to sort ocling a bit, but gee it works

well. The best thing is we nowdont have to keep a separatehand wash by the sink. Justuse a tiny bit cause it seems togo a long way.

Regards,

Geoffrey via email

Gday Georey, thanks or that I tried it a ew days ago andyoure right, it works a treat.Just or that Im sending youthis issues $50 Caltex uelcard reward, but I suggest you

buy something or the missusso she doesn't resent younicking her laundry detergent!

Hi Richard, I may be themillionth person to ask thisquestion. I so I apologise!

Is an Index a possibility?Similar to Choice Magazine

perhaps, to check the articleon the new Chinese van orthe Suncamper Sydney, etc,etc. Just a thought. Thanks or

an extremely inormative andaordable!!! magazine.

Regards,

Steve via email

Hi Steve, thanks or youremail and glad you like themagazine. You're only aboutthe second person who has

asked or an index, but it is onmy to do list. Are you thinkingo the website or magazine or

both? In the meantime, youcan use the search acility onour website to fnd every article

and reerence to a particularvehicle or subject. Try it!

Its only tting that since Edhas his say in On My Mind, you

should be able to have yourstoo. I you have anything tosay or ask just drop a lineto [email protected] and well share it with

our readers. Well also rewardthe most interesting, useul or

thoughtul letter each issuewith a $50 Caltex uel cardto help you on your way.

7
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On your mind

Hi Richard, we use one o thoseEcoheat induction cookers andfnd it terrifc as we try to do mostcooking outside on it or on ourgas burner (hate cooking in thebedroom unless the weather isbad!)

At $300 they are not cheap butbuyers should be aware oncethey are outside the twelvemonths warranty and anythinggoes wrong, then you mightas well put it in the bin as theCompany reckon they have noparts to repair them and are lessthan helpul! The rear an cover

on mine is broken although theunit still operates okay.

I was talking to a couple up theSunshine Coast recently who toldme they had been ree campinga couple o weeks ago adjacentto a park in Northern NSW andawoke the next morning tofnd some lowlies had used aspray can during the night toextensively grafti the rear o theirmotorhome. Perhaps a storyon "Keeping sae whilst reecamping" may be something youcould consider down the track..

Cheers, Alan via email.

Hi Alan, thanks or the eedbackon the Ecoheat pad and good

to hear you get good use rom

it, but a bugger about parts and

service. Did you really mean

cooking in the bedroom? Also a

bugger about those olks getting

gratied. Was it a park in a

town? Whatever, its a good story

idea Ill ollow up soon. Cheers.

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On your mind

Hi Richard, I have just readthe letter rom Bryan in thesection "On Your Mind"in iMotorhome Issue 30.

We have owned 3 new

Winnebagos in the last threeyears. A Birdsville on a FordTransit in which we travelledto the tip o Cape York anddid 50,000 km. An Esperanceelectric bed on an Iveco inwhich we travelled 20,000 km(we didn't like the bed) andnow an Eyre on a Fiat Ducato

that we bought this year andhave travelled 10,000 km in.Like Bryan, we had reservationsabout the Fiat but took a chancebecause we liked the concept othe Eyre.

We have just returned rom a tripto the Northern Territory wherewe travelled 7000 km. We

travelled on dirt, corrugationsand sand and I now have noreservations. The clincher isTraction Plus that nobodyseems to mention, but is a orm

o dierential lock that whenswitched on ensures that thedrive wheels both rotate at thesame speed. The other big dealis the uel economy. The Ducatohas a 125 L uel tank, enough

uel to travel rom Port Augustato Alice Springs and Alice toKatherine, thus avoiding thehigh diesel prices in the bush.Since new we have averaged9.7 L/100km at an average o80kph and our loaded weight is4.3 tonnes. The best economywas 8.3 L/100km at the end o

the trip or 1212 km rom Aliceto Port Augusta, travelling at 80kmh.

By the way the ront suspensionhas never bottomed or us. It isthe latest 180HP model and Ienjoy your magazine.

Regards, Bob via email.

Gday Bob, thanks or such

great eedback on the Fiat

Ducato, your experiences with

the three Winnebagos and the

photographs. Its interesting

to hear your comments on

the electric bed, I know a guy

whose heart is set on a new

Avida Esperance because o

the electric bed. Whatever

foats your boat, I guess.

Most importantly, its terric to

hear youve encountered no

problems with the Ducato on

dirt roads and corrugations. By

coincidence, I was talking to

a courier driver about an hour

ago in an older Ducato that has

300,000 km on the clock. Its a

company van but he says itsreliable, comortable and very

economical (he goes ve days

on a single tank). Next time I

have a Ducato Ill be sure to put

the Traction Plus to the test. Re

the ront suspension bottoming

out, I obviously drive much

aster than you!

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vGRAND DESIGNS? v

oTAKING THE FIFTHo

Avida says it, Has long beenregardsed as a trailblazer inthe Australian RV industry

and in another industry rst, hasannounced that Avida motorhomescan now be ordered by customersin choice o external breglasssandwich panel wall colour.

raditionally, the majority o

motorhomes retailed in Australiahave generally been white unless

painted, an expensive and timeconsuming proposition, but now

Avida customers can personalisetheir new RV by choosing a wallcolour rom a choice o threediferent colours, Artic White,Frosty Silver or Champagne Gold.

Customers also now have a choiceo thirteen diferent external

decal colours and inside the RV,a choice o thirteen trim decors

with matching scatter cushionspatterned diferently on eitherside to create additional stylesinternally. See your Avida dealeror visitwww.avidarv.com.au ordetails.

A

rthur Bugden owww.reechoicecamps.com.au

orwarded this tous ollowing a Facebook post o adodgy US custom th wheeler.

Arthur wrote,Hi Richard your

photo on Facebook remindedme o a ew photos I took on the

last trip. Saw this at Home Hill.Now this is a genuine th wheelercaravan. Owner said he was

wrapped in the way it improvedthe handling and would do the

same to the next caravan he wasconsidering buying. Conversion

costs around $6000 with electriclegs, all engineer certied. Nowthats news!

News 10
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kTRAILLITE OF REPLYk

Following last issues test

o the Traillite Kaikoura,Malcolm received this

clarifcation rom ShaunNewman, Traillites General

Manager.

Tanks or the recent review onour Kaikoura lowline model. Indepth and complete as per usual! I

just wanted to bring your attentionto a ew very small points:

Te lights are 100% LEDthroughout. While the roolights look like they arehalogen, they are in act LEDs

Te model you drove was aprototype and as such, had aew preproduction quirks oneo which was the gas bottlestorage and access. Tis itemhas since been resolved, with allproduction models eaturingexternal access to the gas bottle,

as well they should

We knew that abric was goingto be love it or hate it, and itturned out to denitely be thelatter! We took it to a show,listened to the eedback andtook that option of our listo available choices. Tatsthe only one we ever built

with that abric and we even

stripped it rom that van andreupholstered it beore sellingit. Unortunately i you takerisks, they dont always all inyour avour.

Tanks again and keep up thegood work.

Advertising inquiries: Phone (02) 9695 7749 or visit www.timetoroam.com.au

Australias most accessible caravan, camping and travel magazineAvailable free at over 600 outlets including caravan & holiday parks,

visitor information centres, caravan accessory stores and dealerships nation-wide.

Were at the places where readers have time to relax and read!

20,000 copies per issue with an estimated readership 45,000 and growing.Visit the online live eMagazine for our current and past editions.

News 11
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Y NEW MASTERSZ

News

Renault says it isexperiencing a surge indemand or its range o

light commercial vehicles (LCVs)as the Australian market gets to

know the brand better. Year-to-dateit has delivered record numbers,including 364 o the largest van inthe range, the Master. Year-to-date,Renault LCV deliveries are up 70%on the same period last year.

Now Renault is expanding into theupper end o the light commercial

market, with the introductiono 3 new 4.5-tonne cab-chassisMaster variants, which seem tohold promise as motorhome basevehicles. All are rear-wheel drive,available in single and dual cabguises and will only require astandard car licence to drive.

Te dual cab will eature an

automatic diferential lock asstandard (optional on single cabmodels) and promises to deliverexcellent traction on loose and

slippery suraces. Te Master cab-chassis ofers a payload o up to2.5-tonnes and a 3-tonne towingcapacity, partly thanks to its dualrear wheels.

A high level o saety equipmentwill be standard, including dualairbags, ABS and ElectronicStability Program with ASRtraction control, cruise controland variable speed limiter, andeven a brake pad wear indicator,a press release said. Comort and

convenience eatures abound andinclude remote central locking,Bluetooth handsree connectivityand audio streaming, airconditioning, a multitude o drinksholders, chilled glove box, overheadstorage and power ront windows,

while the available options includea actory alloy or steel drop-side

tray, satellite navigation, and rearview camera. Mechanical optionsinclude a transmission-drivenPower ake Of and a towingpack. A number o the options are

bundled together as a Saety &

Security Pack.

Te new Masters eature the same2.3-litre turbo-diesel 4-cylinderengine that has been ofered in theMaster van range since its relaunch18 months ago, but now produces110 kW and 350 Nm o torque.It ofers up to 30,000 km service

intervals, determined by an OilCondition System. Like the vanvariants, the Master cab-chassis willbe available with a choice o a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed

with automated manual called theQuickshit.

Te Single Cab ofers a choice owheelbases, 3682 mm or 4332mm, while the Dual Cab is onlyavailable in 4332 mm. Te longerSingle Cab model can be builtup to an overall length o almost8 metres, o which almost 5.5metres is load area. Renault isofering the Master cab-chassis

with a 3-year/200,000 km actorywarranty as well as 3 years o

Roadside Assistance and CappedPrice Servicing or the rst 90,000km or 3-years, whichever comesrst.cab-chassis

Te single cab variant is pricedrom $45,490 and the dual cabrom $50,490. Te Quickshitautomated manual transmission

adds $2,500. Pricing isManuacturers RecommendedRetail Price and does not includeon road costs or dealer delivery.

12


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http://www.avidarv.com.au/


14/72

Day Test: Trailblazers RV Truck Camper

Take aslideontheWildsideOn-road or off this adventure-rated expedition wagon takesa lot of beating...Review and images by Richard Robertson

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Its dicult not to beimpressed and/or intimidatedby Trailblazers super-serious

looking o-road truck camper.Perched atop huge singlewheels and with enough drivinglights to cook creatures at 100metres, this is not a vehicleor shrinking violets. What itis, however, is about as close

as you can get to a truly go-anywhere motorhome withoutit having rotors on top and youneeding a helicopter licence.

Trailblazers RV, a Melbournebased business that startedout a decade or so agoimporting slide-ons rom

Canada, now designs andmanuactures its own slide-onsand th wheelers. Althoughthe company has a standardrange, every unit sold turns out

to be a custom build, accordingto director Phil Richardson.

We build to suit the specicrequirements o our customersvehicles and their individualequipment requirements anddecor wishes. We didnt setout to do this, its just how thebusiness has evolved, Phil

said.

Two To Go

Slide-ons are at the coreo Trailblazers business,but when most o us

think slide-ons we think otraditional utes and smallertray-back light commercials.The thought o building aslide-on or a truck doesntcome easily well, not to me,anyway but when you thinkabout it it makes perect sense.

Trucks are much more at homecarrying heavy and high loadsand when you think o all thatbeautiul, fat tray space thepossibilities seem endless.

The test unit is a majordeparture or Trailblazers inthat it involves both a slide-on and a host vehicle. The

company teamed with o-roadtruck experts EarthCruiser,which has since had a changeo ownership, with the originalowner moving to the USA andthe local operation relocatingrom Queensland to just southo Sydney.

EarthCruiser makes serious4WD truck-based motorhomesand has earned an enviablereputation or excellence odesign and engineering. Taking


Ready or adventure and enough driving lights to cook auna at 100 metres...

15


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stock Japanese 4WD trucksrom the likes o Mitsubishi andIsuzu, which are renowned orreliability, toughness and theworst ride quality imaginable,EarthCruiser has xed thissuspension-based Achilles heeland totally transormed them.By completely redesigning

the suspension system andinstalling large, single wheelsand tyres all-round, ride qualityand general go-anywhere-ability have been brought intoline with the rest o the vehiclesabilities.

Whereas EarthCruisermakes complete o-road

motorhomes, Trailblazers havetaken an EarthCruiser truckand married it with a purpose-built and rather large pop-

top slide-on. The result couldbe seen as the best o bothworlds, allowing the body to beremoved and set-up as a base

camp at some remote locationand leaving an unencumbered4WD truck or exploring, workor whatever. Its a tantalisingprospect...

Whats All The Fuso?

I

n case youre a littleconusoed, Mitsubishistruck range is called Fuso,

so while you might see theMitsubishi diamond on itstrucks, youll probably just seeFUSO across the grill. Got that?


Compact but space ecient, the camper body sits high and should stay dry during water crossings.

Big Michelin tyres are better suited to o road than highway cruising.

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This particular 4WD Fusomodel has been superseded.Gone is the 4.9-litre turbo-diesel engine; replaced by

a much higher tech 3.0-litreunit thats Euro V emissionscompliant and, despitenearly 2-litres less capacitystill manages to produce the

same 110 kW and 470 Nmwhile delivering lower uelconsumption.

For normal operations drive isthrough a ve-speed manualgearbox to the rear wheels,with high and low-range4WD available via a manually

selectable 2-speed transercase with a 1.987 low rangereduction. This is as basic as4WD systems come thesedays complete with manuallocking ront hubs butprovides a mechanically simplesystem thats likely to outlastthe vehicle.

The Fusos awul standardront suspension system hasbeen replaced by properlyengineered parabolic springswith real shock absorbers,transorming the ride rom bonejarring to quite acceptable.Coupled with a set o Stratossuspension seats added by

Trailblazers, the makeoverprovides a remarkable level oride comort over all suraces.


Stratos suspension seats are excellent and dont require extra headroom.

Instrument cluster is standard Japanese light truck are.

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To allow or driving on astandard car licence theFuso which normally has a6000 kg gross vehicle mass(GVM) comes with a chassisderated to 4500 kg. With atare (unladen) weight o 3000kg that leaves 1500 kg orthe camper, passengers, uel,water and so on. Trailblazersslide-on or this truck weighs720 kg, which leaves 780 kgor everything else a veryhealthy gure. The derating

also means theres no wayyoull ever over-stress thisvehicle, even i loaded to itsinscrutable Japanese gunwalesand towing its 3500 kgmaximum.

Capacities-wise the test Fusocame with a second 90-litre

uel tank, doubling its uel load,plus an optional 85-litre watertank along with the standard180-litre unit. Grey watercapacity was 85 litres.

Taking the High Road

C

lambering up to thedriving position is moresemitrailer-like than

motorhome: a air climb andnot one or people with mobilityissues. Once seated the viewis literally commanding and younot only eel like King o theroad, but King o the road, too.

They say i it looks like atruck, sounds like a truck and

drives like a truck it probablyis a truck, and thats exactlywhat this 4WD EarthCruiseris. Theres nothing wrong withthat, o course, just dont be


Stairs are long and tall, so the grab handle is a must.

Auto stairs would be ideal!

Modied ront suspension makes or good ride characteristics,despite over-wheel seating position.Note campers ront jacks stored behind cab to reduce body width.

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Trailblazers Truck Camper issurprisingly compact. Bullbar, CB,

winch, lights and cab roof rackare all included in the price.

Day Test: Trailblazers RV Truck Camper 19


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ooled by all the sexy drivinglights and big wheels intothinking its some kind o ast,oversize, desert-racing SUV. Itsa truck. With spunk.

At just 6.1-metres long withthe camper body in place, thiswhole unit is just a whiskerover a metre longer than aToyota LandCruiser. Its alsoonly 2.9-metres tall and whencombined with an 11.4-metreturning circle, excellent ramp-

over angle and excellentground clearance you begin tounderstand what a versatile o-road machine it is. Im inclinedto think most drivers would runout o nerve beore it ran out oability. Im pretty sure I would!

Geared or o-road workwhilst carrying a considerable

payload, this truck and it isa truck revs a lot and you

soon run out o gears. Indeed,a cruising speed o 80 km/hseemed about right, althoughIm sure you could sit on 100km/h i you really wanted to.Also, given the chunky tread

pattern and massively tallsidewalls o the 255/100R16Michelin XZL tyres, a lowercruising speed would certainlydeliver a quieter and (likely)more stable ride.


Camper sides are fat and well tucked in; ideal or o-road exploring.

Driving lights can be selected and used in dierent combinations.

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The Stratos suspension seatsare an absolute necessity inthis vehicle because, like therubbish o-road suspensionthe Japanese produce or theirlight trucks, they make seats tomatch. Unlike air-suspendedseats common in buses andlarge trucks, the Stratos unitsare specifc or this class o lighttruck, which lack the headroomto allow or such movement(and whose owners probablylack the wallets to aord them).

Utilising a spring suspensionsystem Stratos claims theyeliminate 60-70% o vibration.From my brie drive session Imcertainly not going to disagree.

Outside The Box

T

he unromantically namedTruck Campers slide-

on body is its real partytrick. Neat and compact at just3.8-metres long by 2.06-metres

wide, its held securely in placeby our mini container truck-style locking pins. Speakingo containers, the wholetruck/camper unit has beendesigned so it can be driveninto a 20 t shipping containerand exported to your avouriteinternational destination.Removing the camper body isaccomplished by extending theour electric jacks via a remotecontrol, once youve slipped theront two into position (the rears

are permanently mounted),and driving gently away. Youcan then lower it to the groundor easy access and stabilityand at home it could easily beused as sel-contained guestaccommodation.

The test camper was ftted with

an electrically operated pop-top roo and awning (manualitems are standard), but the

biggest drawback was the lacko vehicle mounted entry stairs.Powered stairs were apparentlyon the drawing board but theEarthCruisers spare wheellocation scuppered those plans.In its place was a heavy set oscissor steps that had to bemanually attached and removedto access the living area whilethe campers on the back othe truck. Other expedition-style vehicles like this seemto have their spare wheel/s

mounted at the rear. Givensuch an arrangement wouldlikely complicate the camperbodys easy removal, perhapsrelocating the entry door toallow or vehicle-mounted stepswould be the best move.

Steps aside, everything else

about this vehicle seemswell thought out and wellengineered. The camper body


Electric pop-top roo and awning are optional, but highly recommended.

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seems as solid as a rock, withlaminate wall construction anda general eeling o robustness.Three large, dark tinted single-hopper windows are provided,plus a hatch over the bathroom

and a large old-out handle bythe entry door.

Up ront, under the queenbed area, is a sizable storage

locker accessible rom bothsides that houses dual 105 AHhouse batteries (one batteryis standard) and the optionalindustrial-strength 3000 W puresine wave inverter, plus sundry

electrical switches, uses, etc.On the roo 3 optional 130 Wsolar panels charge the housebatteries, while a reverse-cycleair-conditioner is also optional.

In the kerbside rear corner asmall locker is home to dual4-kg gas bottles (one onlytted to this unit), plus easily

selectable lines to the externalbarbecue point and internalappliances. There are twolockers across the back: thekerb-side one being home tothe optional slide-out stainlesssteel barbecue while thedrivers side is actually quitewide and seems to run acrossto the barbecue locker, despiteits relatively small hatch. Mucho it is taken up by the 85-litregrey water tank but there is stillroom or hoses.

Inside The Box

T

o climb inside literally you rst need to openthe entry door, remove

the concertina scissor stepsand attach them to the vehiclestray side via two pin mountingpoints. Im sure youd get into asystem with this arrangement,but to the uninitiated its a bit oa chore.

Because the camper sits sohigh the switches or internaland external lighting, theelectric roo and awning, plusthe remote control connectoror the electric jacks are alljust inside to the let o theentry door, not ar above foorlevel. I realise money is a majorconsideration with a purchaselike this, but I cant imagine why

you wouldnt order the optionalelectric roo and awning iyou could possibly stretch toit. Given how requently youwould use these items, not


Front hatch houses batteries and electrics and runs ull width,

providing good through storage.

Concertina stairs are heavy and need practice to attach easily.

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Cab access, while not for those

with mobility issues, is otherwise

easy and the seating position

provides a commanding view.



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speciying them would surelybe a alse economy you wouldregret daily.

Stepping inside, the compactbut well-designed nature othe camper is immediatelyapparent. Occupying the entire

area orward o the entry dooris a queen size east-west bedwith widows at both endsand six good-sized storagedrawers beneath. Immediately

to your right as you enter isan L-shaped kitchen thatruns down the kerbside othe vehicle and returns halway across the rear. It buttsup against the bathroom, inthe rear corner on the driversside, while a smart two-seater

lounge sits between thebathroom and bed, along thedrivers side wall.

Because Trailblazers custommakes each unit to the ownersrequirements there are plentyo variables and optionsavailable, including slide-outs,individual lounge chairs and awide range o decor coloursand nishes. The test camperhad a bright, contemporaryeel with white and silver-greylaminates, plus a grey leatherlounge, contrasted by a brilliantorange ridge door and cookersplash-back. Theres plenty o

headroom with the roo raisedwhile the usual screened,zippered openings all aroundthe roo gusset provide a foodo natural light and resh airwhen opened. Ater hourslighting is taken care o by 12V LEDs throughout, with themain ceiling units being round,

touch-operated units withsingle-stage dimmers.

Cooking!

Whilst not expansive,the L-shaped kitchenhas everything you

need and keeps the che outo the way or is that the otherway around? By the entry door,but acing inside, sits a 110-litreunder-bench Arctic Fox 12 Vcompressor ridge, while aboveit is a compact Dometic threeburner gas cooker with glass lidin the benchtop.

At the opposite end o thekitchen, in the return, is a single

bowl stainless steel sink withfick mixer tap, up against thebathroom wall. Above the sinkis an (optional) microwave andto the right o it is the kitchens

Bathroom mirror door enhances the eeling o space.Note dining table stored on wall.

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only overhead cupboards;an interesting unit with a metalmesh door that could do with

a little more hinge-out space.The benchtop also has a handyfush-mounted, removablerubbish bin (that can alsodouble as a wine cooler!) and

a clever pop-up Modulinedouble power point pole thatretracts fush when not in use.

Beneath the sink is a stacko three deep drawers, whistbetween them and the ridge isa shallow cutlery drawer with atall cupboard beneath.

Above the sink, on thebathroom side wall, are thecampers internal electricalcontrols; the main unit o whichis an integrated Redarc digitalunit that covers everythingrom solar charge rate tohouse battery levels and next

weeks winning Lotto numbers(I think). Above it is a moreconventional tank level gauge,plus the Truma 240 V/LPG hotwater system control switch.Nighttime kitchen illuminationcomes rom a single strip LEDtucked neatly under the lip thatthe retracted roo rests upon,on the kerbside wall, midway

between the cooker and sink.

Compact kitchen has everything, except an oven and grill or those who love to cook.

Microwave is optional. White disc is clever pop-up power point pole.

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Eating And Lounging!

Many owners wouldprobably cook andeat outside, especially

i the optional gas barbecue isspecied.

The lounge, which sits ratherlow, is also the dining tableseating. The dining tableitsel is another bright orangedesign eature that storesvertically against the bathroomwall, above the end o the

lounge and alongside thebathrooms ull length mirroreddoor, to ree up space. Whendeployed it can also sitequite low more like a coeetable or be raised with legextensions. O course, itcan also be taken and usedoutside. A little bit ddly or use

multiple times each day, Im

sure other table options areavailable.

Bathing!

Compact, as youdexpect, the rear cornerbathroom is more

than adequate and providesa surprising amount o spaceonce youre standing inside.

The bathroom has a Thetordbench-style cassette toiletwith its back to the driversside outside wall. Its part oa modular moulding that veryneatly incorporates a small,stylish hand basin with smokedglass/perspex side panel,which sits above the toilet,about where a normal cistern

Rear slide-out barbecue is optional. Note old-down tray table to its right.

Two-seater lounge sits a bit low but is otherwise comortable.

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would sit. To save space andcomplexity the stubby fickmixer tap to the hand basinslet also has a removable handshower that reels out.

A nice touch is a Maytow old-out and extendable drying rackor towels, while the need or aroo hatch has been negated

by a rear-acing zip-openingwindow in the roo gusset. Around, touch-operated LEDprovides more than adequatenighttime lighting.

Snoozing!

T

he queen sized bedacross the ront has aninnerspring mattress

and is easily accessed. Aspreviously mentioned, largewindows at each end, plusgusset openings overhead,provide masses o light andresh air. Like the kitchen theresa small LED strip light, this timeabove the bed head, which ispresumed to be the driversside. Lights at either end wouldbe a good idea, to allow oruneven campsites or justnapping with your head awayrom the road, i pulled over or

a quick aternoon snooze.

There are TV power and aerialpoints on the wall by the entrydoor, while the test camperhad a great little 12 V anthat olds out o the way andalso works on a timer, justabove the TV connections.

The aorementioned six pack

Indoor/outdoor dining table has leg extensions or added versatility.

Moulded-in hand basin is clever. Tap doubles as pull-out shower.

Foldout clothes line with towel rack is a worthwhile inclusion.

Moulded bathroom unit is neat andspace ecient.

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o under-bed drawers isalso very useul as there areno overhead cupboards and

clothes and bedding storagespace is at a premium.

Verdicting!

As a complete unit thisinteresting and capablevehicle not only provides

perhaps the ultimate o-the-beaten-track getaway machine,its split personality givesyou an amazing 4WD truckplus ully relocatable guestaccommodation!

Slide-ons, by their nature,

dont suit everyone and eveni you leave the camper bodyattached ull time there is

still no through-cab access.But the ability to unloadyour accommodation atsome distant beach/desert/mountain location and useyour expedition vehicleunencumbered to exploreand enjoy, without needing topack up each day, is a majorattraction.

O course you dont need atough expedition truck to enjoya Trailblazers truck camper.They make them to suit trucks

o all sizes, including dual cabs,and i you have one already itcould be a cost eective way o

converting it to a capable andcomortable motorhome in justa ew minutes.

Either way, i youre in themarket be sure to check outthe Trailblazers website andtalk with Phil and Christine.The possibilities are basicallylimitless and you could end

up with a vehicle that doesso much more than you everimaged even i you can imagea lot!

Front queen bed is comy and has an innerspring mattress.

Under-bed drawers provide valuable internal storage. Optional 12 V an is adjustable and comes with a timer.

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Wherever in the World youd

like to go, this truck/camper combo

would likely get you there.

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Versatility

Capability

Buildquality Comfort

Buildoptions

Cabaccess

Cab-camperaccess

Stairsneedsorting

Manuacturer Trailblazers RV

Model 4WD Truck Camper

Base Vehicle Mitsubishi Fuso 4WDEngine 4.9-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel

Power 110 kW @ 2700 rpm

Torque 471 Nm @ 1600 rpm

Gearbox 5-speed manual

4WD system 2-speed, manual select

Brakes Vacuum assisted hydraulic drums

Exhaust Brakes Yes

Tare Weight 3000 kg

Gross Vehicle Mass 4500 kg

Licence Car

Passengers 2

External Length 6.10 m (20 t 0 in)

External Width 2.06 m (6 t 9 in)

External Height 2.90 m (9 t 6 in)

Internal Height 2.00 m (6 t 6 in)

Rear Bed Size Queen

Cooktop Dometic 3-burner gas

Fridge Arctic Fox 110 litre 12/240 V

Microwave OptionalLighting 12V LED

Batteries 1 x 105 AH

Gas 2 x 4 kg

Heater Optional

Solar Panels Optional

Air Conditioner Optional

Hot Water Heater Truma 240 V/LPG

Toilet Thetord cassette

Shower Flexible hose, variable height

Fresh Water Tank 180-litres

Grey Water Tank 85-litres

Price $180,000 on road NSW

Ph: (03) 9588 0077

W: www.trailblazersrv.com

E:[email protected]

Trailblazers RV

222 Governor Rd

Braeside, VIC. 3195.

Click for

Google Maps

http://www.trailblazersrv.com/mailto:info%40trailblazersrv.com?subject=http://goo.gl/maps/yHM9Shttp://goo.gl/maps/yHM9Shttp://goo.gl/maps/yHM9Shttp://www.trailblazersrv.com/mailto:info%40trailblazersrv.com?subject=http://www.trailblazersrv.com/


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Custom Truck Campers

A Trailblazers RV Truck Camper has all the features of a luxury motorhome with the convenience of a slide on. Totally custom built, we designto suit any truck and purpose - touring holidays, fishing trips with the tinny behind, 4WD adventures in the outback, drive into a container for

overseas journeys or as a demountable site office. Models include side and rear door layouts, optional slide outs, hard walls or pop tops.All campers are built to order to enable you to choose from a range of features and options including appliances, interior finishes and fabrics.

[email protected]

222 Governor RoadBraeside VIC 3195Ph: 03 9588 0077

Pop top option

Side slide out option

Island bed option

North South bed

Leather lounge

Slide out & recliners

Buy Factory Direct and SAVE

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Day Test: Mondo Pick-Up Musica

Review and images by Malcolm Street

Only the Italians couldmake a slide-on this sexy!

MondoRocks

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Bonetti Campers is arelatively new namein the campervan

and motorhome industry,but the man behind thecompany, Steano Bonetti,is not. Between 2007 and

2012 Steano was the FleetOperations Manager or KeaCampers Australia. As youmight imagine that gave himconsiderable experience ineverything rom two berthcampers to a six berthmotorhome. Since the demiseo the original Kea Campers,

Steano has been busyon several projects, whichincludes oering an RV repairservice Steano is a qualiedmechanic as well as having

available a large stock o ex-

Kea Campers spare parts.

However, the item that has

drawn considerable attentionis the interestingly named

Musica slide-on camper. Fully

made by an Italian company,Mondo Pick-Up, it sets a newstandard in slide-ons and

certainly plays an interesting

tune.

The Vehicle

I

t has to be said that manya slide-on has a distinctly

boxy look about it, whichis why the Musica tends to

stand out in the crowd. By

comparison it has a very curvy,

streamlined appearance that

extends to covering the ute

tub walls. From a distance it

looks almost like a cab chassis

motorhome.

The appearance is mostly due

to the breglass monocoque

construction o the entirebody. Not only does that give

a stunning appearance, but

very strong construction as

well. Along with that are other

advantages as well: good

water resistance, minimal

maintenance and excellent

insulation characteristics.Additionally, a range o colours

can be used, including

matching that o the host

vehicle.

Looking more like a mini motorhome than a ute with slide-on, the Musica ts its host vehicle perectly.

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The side windows are a Seitz

hopper-style on the right and

a sliding window on the let.

In the rear wall, the entry door

has a blind that is integrated

into the double glazing o the

top hal window. Surprisingly,

there are three external

hatches: one on the osideor the gas cylinder and two

on the nearside. Neither o

those oers much general

storage but do give access to

important items like the water/

space heater and Thetord

toilet cassette.

Out o sight on the roo are the

two very fat looking Solibian

130 W solar panels, along with

a Dometic air conditioner.

Attaching the Musica to thehost vehicle is simply done by

an electro-mechanical locking

system that utilises our conical

pins bolted to the vehicle tray.

For raising and lowering theMusica, our inbuilt aluminiumlegs can be operated byremote control and they canalso be used or levelling upthe camper.

The connecting pins aren'tthe only modications that are

done to the carrying vehicle,because the suspensioncomes in or some very specialattention. It is produced byOram, an Italian company that

Four inbuilt aluminium legs can

be operated by remote control and

they can also be used for levelling

up the camper.

Day Test: Mondo Pick-Up Musica 34


35/72

is a supplier to Rally Teams or

events like the Dakar Rally.

This particular setup was

engineered in collaboration

with Mondo Pick-up, who

have the sole trade rights

on their camper suspension

system. It is based on

oversized shock absorbers

with an external oil/nitrox

reservoir and adjustable bases

or the springs at the ront and

rear. Depending on the vehicle,

the rear shock absorbers may

have a coil spring tted to carrysome o the additional load othe slide-on camper, or havereinorced lea springs. Theshock absorbers ront andrear, plus the adjustable springbase, allows the level o vehicleto be adjustable when laden.There is also a valve that canbe adjusted to suit the load othe vehicle.

Our review vehicle, a NissanNavarra, had all o the above,

including coil springs over therear shocks.

On the Road

Ihave to say perormanceon the road was oconsiderable interest to

me. Not so much in terms othe perormance o the Nissan


Electromechanical locking system keeps camper andhost vehicle connected.

Smooth lines aid high speed stability and would undoubtedly improve uel eciency.

35


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its 2.5-litre 126 kW turbo

diesel certainly delivered thegoods through a ve speedauto well enough but ratherthe vehicle's handling. Beingsomewhat top heavy, slide-oncampers are oten not great inthe ride handling department,suering both rom side-to-side sway as well as ore and

at pitching.

Having ound a ew roughroads in a national park I gavethe vehicle a bit o a bouncyroad test. Undoubtedly thestreamlined nature o theMusica helped, but there'sabsolutely no doubt thatthe vehicle suspension

modications helped no end.There was little evidence o theusual sideways sway, althoughto be honest it wasn't aparticularly windy day and both


Special (optional) rear shocks are the key to ride quality and stability.

On a 4WD ute like this you could get well away rom the crowds.

36


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The Musica makes otherslide-ons look like big,boring boxes.

37


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a smoother ride and reductionin ore and at pitching were

readily noticeable.

Steano also has an interestingvideo o the Musica beingdriven in Italian mountainsnow conditions, which tosomeone who has spent timein mountain country lookedquite impressive!

Living Inside

Given their nature, it'sa act that slide-oncampers oten appear

cramped inside. Given thecurved appearance o theMusica one might expect thesame, but it's not. Sure, thereisn't room or dancing a jig,

but everything has been puttogether in very Europeanstyle, that is in both the careuluse o space and the generaldecor. In our review model


Interior colour choice is optional. Italian style is standard.

Lounge/dinette seats two comortably.

38


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the predominantly orangecoloured upholstery and roo

lining catch the eye and lookpleasingly dierent. However, ithat's not your thing then thereare plenty o other coloursavailable. In the looking goodand practical department is theceiling moulding that extendsover the bed. It has LED striplighting around the outside,

inset speakers and LED lightsand makes a nice surroundor both the roo mountedair conditioner and the hatchabove the bed.

In motorhome style, thebed is tted into the Luton,leaving the middle area orthe oside dinette and the

nearside kitchen. Amazingly,that still leaves room or a smallbathroom in the rear nearsidecorner and a cupboard

opposite. Under that cupboardis not only the gas cylinder binbut also a very sophisticated

set o electrical controls thatincludes the mains circuitbreakers and the 12 V jack andlocking pin controls.

Lounging Around

I

n a rig this size you'd notexpect too much room

to stretch out on theL-shaped lounge, but there'scertainly room or two to sitand at least one person might


Round sink is stylish, London bus and car set is Malcolms!

Overhead cupboard space is handy.

39


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put their eet up. Both seatshave under-cushion storagecompartments and the wallseat can be drawn out toorm a second bed. A noveladdition are the old-down ootrests. For the table there's asingle pole mount but it's notjust a simple pole, instead thetable mounting not only allowsthe table to be moved aroundbut also to old over sideways.

Time to Eat

Acompact kitchenanyone? There'scertainly one here,

complete with a sideways

mounted two burner cooktopand a round stainless steelsink. Under both are threedierent sized drawers, one


Main bed olds in hal during the day or extra room. Kitchen is compact but well equipped.

Under-seat storage is useul.Note old-down oot rests that are more style than substance.

Every bit o space has been cleverly designed or maximum eciency.

40


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with a cut out to t aroundthe sink, whilst the cabinetalongside has benchtop spaceabove with cutlery drawersand Waeco 12 V ridgebelow. An overhead lockerlls the top corner area andoers a surprising amount ostorage space. Like just abouteverything else in the Musica,the kitchen is a very workableproposition.

After Hours

At rst glance the rontbed looks a bit small,but it olds out quite

simply to orm a north-south

bed something a littledierent to most motorhomeLuton-style east-west beds.Even when olded out, it stilldoes not take up too much

room, just covering up a bit oseat and kitchen bench space.On both sides o the bedare narrow circular storagecompartments with the novelidea o rotating doors that arequite good or stashing smallitems. Oh, I should mentionthat the bed can also be litedup, giving access to both theunder bed area and the threesmall storage compartments.

Keeping Clean

Like the bed, thebathroom on rst glancelooks on the small side.

No worries, it comes with a

slide-out! However, insteado the usual sort o slide-out,which slides out o a vehicle,this one slides in, into theentry door area. Perhaps it


Main bed is generous when extended and out o the way when stored.

Lounge/dinette convertsto a useul extra bed.

41


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should be called a slide-in? Anyway, thispart is mainly or using the shower. Boththe Thetord cassette toilet and old-down wash basin that can be used withthe slide-in closed up. Slightly dierent

rom the moulded design usually seen,the wash basin hinges rom the side, notthe wall behind the toilet. This is quitea well appointed bathroom, with LED


Small corner handbasin or large drop-down unit (below right): You choose.Note stylish pull-out shower on let.

Bathroom door and foor pan extend outwardsto provide more showering room.

42


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strip lighting, a mirror dooroverhead locker and wallmirror.

What We Think

Slide-on campers or utesand tray trucks havevery denite advantages

and disadvantages. Their

principal advantage is that thecarrying vehicle can still beused or other purposes andthe principal disadvantageis that with the slide-onon board, as previouslynoted, vehicle handling isn'talways great. However,with the Musica designand the vehicle suspensionmodications, several othose problems seem to havebeen solved.


Toilet can be used with bathroom retracted.With bathroom extended theres roomenough to shower.

Integrated screen door and electric step are standard.

43


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It's hard not to be impressed by the Musica.It is not only sophisticated in its engineeringand build but it looks and eels sophisticatedas well. O course that comes at a price andit isn't cheap. However, or the traveller who

eectively desires a small motorhome butwants to have the fexibility o a separatevehicle, the Musica is a winner. I reckon itplays a melodious tune that will be a hit on thecharts!


At $75,000 the Mondo Pick-Up Musica is dear but impressive. Hopeully you could still aord ull size chairs...

Clever sliding screen door in action.

44


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It's hard not to beimpressed by the Musica. It isnot only sophisticated inits engineering and build, itlooks and feels sophisticated

as well.

45
http://www.trakka.com/


46/72

Manuacturer Mondo Pick-Up

Model Musica

Base Vehicle n/a

Engine n/a

Power n/a

Torque n/a

Gearbox n/a

Brakes n/a

Tare Weight n/a

Gross Vehicle Mass n/a

Licence Car

External Length Min 1.4 m tray length requiredExternal Width 2.05 m (6 t 9 in)

External Height2.1 m (6 t 11 in)with A/C 2.3 m (7 t 7 in)

Internal Height 1.9 m (6 t 3 in)

Luton Bed Size 2.1 m x 1.47 m (6 t 11 in x 4 t x 10 in)

Cooktop Smev 2 burner

Fridge Waeco 110 litre, 12 V

Microwave Yes

Lighting 12 V LED

Batteries 2 x 100 AH

Solar Panel 2 x Solibian 130 W

Heater Truma Combi D6

Air Conditioner Dometic B1900

Hot Water Heater Truma Combi D6

Toilet Thetord cassette

Shower Flexible hose, fxed height

Fresh Water Tank 140-litre

Grey Water Tank 100-litre

Gas Cylinders 1 x 4.0 kgPrice in Australia $75,000

Streamlineddesign

Europeanstyleinside

Gooduseofspace

LEDlighting

Slide-in/outshowercubicle

Vehiclesuspension

modications

Excellentinteriorstorage

Pricey,butyougetswhat

youpaysfor

Slidingwindowratherthan

hopperonnearside

Lackofstorageforwethoses

Ph: 02 4627 8281

E: [email protected]

W:bonetticampers.com

Bonetti Campers

Unit J4, 5-7 Hepher Road

Campbelltown NSW 2560

Click forGoogle Maps

Day Test: Mondo Pick-Up Musica 46
http://../Library/Caches/Adobe%20InDesign/Version%208.0/en_US/InDesign%20ClipboardScrap1.pdfhttp://../Library/Caches/Adobe%20InDesign/Version%208.0/en_US/InDesign%20ClipboardScrap1.pdfhttp://www.trakka.com/http://../Library/Caches/Adobe%20InDesign/Version%208.0/en_US/InDesign%20ClipboardScrap1.pdfhttp://../Library/Caches/Adobe%20InDesign/Version%208.0/en_US/InDesign%20ClipboardScrap1.pdf


47/72

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>> Since 1973 TRAKKAs have been tried, tested and trusted by

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Travel Diary: Alice Springs to Ballina

Plenty Highway, Plenty Riverand plenty of open space,that is...

Story and imagesby Mr & Mrs iMotorhome

Land ofPlenty

48


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Day 1Dear Diary, the Sundaymorning fight romSydney to Alice Springswas choccas, but wemanaged to secure a pairo comortable seats andsettled in or lunch andthe 3:45 hr fight. Later on,

bits o the Simpson Desertslipped beneath the wingsand excitement grew as thevastness o the Outbackbegan to sink in andI poured another (small)glass o red.

On arrival the plan wassimple: I already had the

spare key as Horizons CEOClayton Kearney had let theWaratah in the long termcar park the day beore,with the ticket in the centre

Travel Diary: Alice Springs to Ballina

Campsite Alice Springs and time or a rst evening drink.

Saying Australia is vast

is like saying rain is wetor horses like grass: its

stating the obvious. So whenI signed Mrs iMotorhome andmysel up to drive HorizonMotorhomes new 4WDWaratah rom Alice Springs toits home base in Ballina, thescope o the adventure didnt

really hit home.

Even exploring specialistOutback travel websites andreviewing our route options onGoogle maps when I couldget it to steer o the bitumen the distances didnt reallysink in. The plan, ater fyingto Alice Springs, was to drive

87 km north and turn rightonto the Plenty Highway. ThePlenty runs about 500 km dueeast to the NT/QLD border,where it becomes the Donahue

Highway or another 250 km

or so beore reaching the tinyOutback Queensland town oBoulia. From there the planwas to head south to Birdsvillebeore nally heading east andmaking our way or Ballinaand the coast, some 2000 kmdistant.

The bulk o the Plenty andDonahue Highways is dirtand only 4WD vehicles aresupposed to undertake thejourney. This is more due to theneed or high ground clearancein deep wheel tracks, plusbulldust holes and the variabilityo weather conditions (thinkmud), than technically dicult

terrain. It would be a good testor the Waratah and the sort ojourney an owner might readilyundertake. Heres our story...

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console. Id collect it, MrsiMotorhome would collect ourbags and all o us would nipinto town to provision-up andbe on our way. The plan wasrunning like clockwork right upuntil we ound out our bagswere on their way to Darwinand wouldnt be with us until9:30 the next morning. Bugger.So we collected a pair o

emergency overnight packs think shortie pajamas and atoothbrush each and headedinto town anyway.

Shopping at Woolies in AliceSprings was an interestingexperience, both in terms owhat they didnt have and thecost o what they did. What

they especially didnt havewas wine in the bottle shop

(were not really alcoholic!),as Northern Territory bottleshops dont open on Sundays.Fortunately, Clayton had letenough supplies to last us aew days and so the plan wasto complete our provisioningthe next morning, ater ourbags arrived, and then heado.

Because the Waratah had beenon the road or a month withClayton and his amily it was

well stocked with all the oodbasics, as well as jam-packedwith their bedding, a widevariety o outdoor urniture andother bits and pieces. Workingout where to put our bags wasgoing to be a challenge (i theyarrived).

We overnighted at the caravan

park at Heavitree Gap, wherethe Stuart Highway, railway

Rock Wallaby eeding at dusk at the Heavitree Gap caravan park.

Travel Diary: Alice Springs to Ballina 50


51/72

Sundown quickly lowered the

temperature and thats when wediscovered the heater didnt work.



52/72

and (dry) Todd River all sneakthrough the only convenientgap or miles in the spectacularMacDonnell Ranges. The

Gap is the southern gatewayto Alice Springs and was aseldom-traversed and sacredsite or the local Arrernte people until White Fellas arrived.Enough said.

At dusk we congregated withother travellers at the northernend o the Park to hand eed

rock wallabies that ventureddown rom the saety o theMacDonnells steep lowerslopes. To the oohs and ahhso European and Asian touristswe were thoroughly enchantedby these tiny creatures;especially a mother with a doll-like joey protruding slightly rom

her pouch.

Sundown quickly lowered thetemperature and that waswhen we discovered the diesel-red Eberspacher-brand heater

in the Waratah didnt work.Bugger. So we settled in ordinner and a bottle o housered, ollowed by TV and anearly night in make-do beddingrom the Clayton Collection (ourcold weather sleeping bagswere overnighting in balmyDarwin).

Day 2Dear Ddddddddiary, whatdo you call a heater withoutheat? An er, I decided,greatly amusing mysel atabout 7am ater a tul nightssleep in our makeshit bed.The Eberspachers digital

ambient temperature gaugewas showing 3 degrees C

inside the Waratah as the sunclambered up with the rockwallabies and did its best topeek above the MacDonnells

and bring us some warmth.Mrs iMotorhome didnt quietshare my enthusiasm or theer concept laughing more atme than with me but at leastshe was laughing. Or was shejust shivering?

While getting ready to bug outo camp our bags whistled low

overhead, wrapped snugglyin a small Qantas jet and soonwe were all happily reunited atthe airport. Id never been sohappy to see a couple o oldbags come o a plane in mylie...

We lingered in Alice Springs ora ew hours, seeking advice

rom Mr Eberspacher via a

The Alice rom Anzac Hill, looking south. Note Heavitree Gap in the distance.



53/72

series o phone calls, but nallydecided wed tough it out andhead bush just as soon as westocked up the wine cellar.Thats when we discoveredthat in the Northern Territory,apart rom not opening onSundays, bottle shops dontopen until 2pm every otherday. Bugger. Again. So ater aquick look at the town rom thetop o Anzac Hill it was timeto top up the diesel and headnorth to the Plenty Highway

turno, crossing the Tropic oCapricorn along the way.

An iMotorhome Facebookriend Kate McMaster had invited us to visit herand her husband Aaron atthe Gemtree Caravan Park,some 70 km down the PlentyHighway rom the StuartHighway turno. Gemtreeis billed as the Gateway tothe Gemelds and husbandAaron is a Geologist whoruns almost-daily garnet andzircon ossicking tours duringthe tourist season (and out oseason by appointment).

Wed planned to overnight inGemtree on our rst night asits only a 157 km drive romthe Alice and an all bitumenone at that. So we spent oursecond night there instead,arriving early aternoon andsetting up the Waratah beorehaving a nose through the gemshop (very reasonably priced,so Mrs iM kept remarking!)and then heading out on the3.5 km nature walk. Kate andAaron deserve high praise or

Straddling the Tropic O Capricorn, just north o Alice Springs.

On to the Plenty! The road is well signposted and all signsmust be obeyed.

Strange looking mulga ant nests dotted the roadside early onand required investigation!



54/72

their eorts to make Gemtree adestination, not just a stopover.For example, this is the onlycaravan park I know o whereyou can have drinks, yourevening meal or even a ullcooked breakast deliveredto your vehicle on site! Seenext issues Roadside Eats ormore details.

Being a Monday night thingswere pretty quiet, but we wereinvited to dine with the sta

by the re pit. Kate showedus a remarkable black andwhite, newsreel-style movierom the 1960s screenedon a whitewashed corrugatediron wall o a week in thelie o her then eight-year-olduncle Charlie. In case you visit and you must I wont sayanything more.

Day 3Dear Diary, with all our ownbedding or the rst timelast night the 4 degrees Cshowing on the Eberspacherthis morning seemed ar lessdisagreeable: At least or Mrs

iMotorhome, who volunteeredme to make the tea.

Wed intended meeting Kateagain this morning, but slept inand she was in the classroomwith her two young sons ortheir School o the Air sessionby the time we emerged. Sowe uelled up Gemtree is also

the rst uel stop heading easton the Plenty and then hit theHighway.

From Gemtree the bitumen

The Gem tree!

Playing a round in the bush? It's been a while, on Gemtreesgol course.

Fuelling up beore hitting the Plenty Highway proper.



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continues, but reduces toa single lane with very wideshoulders. Its all yours untilsomeone approaches, orcomes up rom behind, atwhich time you need to slowdown and just keep yourdrivers side wheels on thebitumen. That is unless thesomeone approaching you isa truck like a cattle road train when its a very good ideato pull completely over to thelet, slow right down (or stop)

and let that someone continuehappily along the bitumen. Outhere, might has right-o-way.

Eventually the bitumendisappeared and some600-plus kilometres o dirtstretched ahead. This wasMrs iMotorhomes rst trueOutback experience and the

remoteness and sheer scale oit began to sink in in a niceway. The terrain along this parto the road is quite dramatic asthe road dips through dry riverbeds and crests small ridges;all the while the Harts Range tothe South rises and alls, almostin sympathy, keeping youcompany.

Passing by the remote HartsRange police station westopped briefy at the AtitjereAboriginal Community shop,which is about 75 km easto Gemtree and is anotherimportant uel stop, beorecontinuing on to Jervois Stationor a uel top-up. Jervois is a2750 square kilometre cattle

Last o the bitumen, with Harts Range in the distance.



56/72

station named ater the Rangethat runs though it, which also

sells uel, drinks and, on theday we visited, was givingaway tomatoes. It seems theyhad too many and rost wascatching up with them. Nice!Jervois also has a campsiteand we saw one couple romGemtree who at noon werealready setting up or the night.

A young English girl romKent no this is not the starto the dirty ditty attendedthe uel bowser ater theklaxon-like press button or

attention - warning, its loudbutton lived up to its promise.

Shed been working at Jervoissince last September andlooked like a true local. Tohave survived the summerheat and fies, plus the dust,Mrs iMotorhome concluded ayoung Mr Jervois couldnt havebeen too ar away. I concludedshed probably watched toomany episodes o McLeodsDaughters...

Our target or the evening wasto get close to TobermoreyStation, some 220 km east

o Jervois, but ree campnearby in the bush. This iscattle country and the PlentyHighway carves its waythough huge swathes ounenced grazing land, wherestock wander laconically andtravellers need to keep a

constant vigil.With the sun low in the westernsky we stopped to check outa Leather Handbag: a termwe coined or the parchedremains o unlucky cattlethat had met equally unluckytravellers. These poor beastshad long since lost their insides

to scavengers and decay,but their outsides were stilllargely intact. By coincidence,just across the road rom thisparticular handbag was a goodclearing where we were easilyable to get 50 metres o theroad and set up camp well,park or the night. As night ellwe hadnt seen a car or hoursit was just a little eerie knowingwe were, truly, the only peopleor miles around. It did giveme just the tiniest appreciation

Jervoise Stations tiny kiosk. The tomatoes were ree!



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or how Neil Armstrong musthave elt setting up camp onthe Moon that rst night (but atleast his heater was working).

Day 4Dear Diary, ater another chillynight the sun did its best tostart warming us immediatelyater sunrise. Yet anotherperectly clear day, with tempsexpected in the low 20s, buta strong and icy southerly thathad been blowing since we letAlice was still with us, keepingthe windchill actor well down.At least it had quickly cleareddust rom the occasional

passing vehicle yesterday andlooked set to do the sametoday.

Packing up or the short

run into Tobermorey StationI discovered wed had visitorsin the night: curious cattle. Onehad let its hoo prints besidethe Waratah and lick marks onthe side, beore retiring to thesaety o its brethren, who in themorning light were watchingus interestedly rom a sae

distance.

Tobermorey Station, whichhas only relatively recentlyreopened to travellers, is awelcome oasis along the PlentyHighway. Another enormouscattle station, Tobermoreyseastern boundary is the NT/QLD border and as we arrivedto uel up there was plenty o

action amongst the stockman.

Mrs iM points to the bones that once held this long dried-outcow together.

Our ree-camping spot near Tobermorey Station. Watch or sot ground i theres been recent rain.



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Fuel aside, the Station also hasa pleasant green campsite,which was being watered whilewe were there, and a smallshop with the usual suppliestravellers need. Interestingly,the whole homestead/campsite/work yards area isringed by a sizable earthenbank; testament to theinrequent but substantialfoods that visit the area.

Crossing into Queensland the

Plenty Highway ends and theDonahue Highway begins. Idbeen told that road conditionsdeteriorated substantially theurther east we headed, butin reality the Donahue didntprove much worse thanthe Plenty, and both werebetter than expected. Whilecertainly not as well madeor maintained, the Donahuewasnt that bad and whilethere were still sections ocorrugations to negotiate, themain thing to watch out orproved to be potholes lledwith, and stretches o, deepbulldust.

Its well neigh impossible toconvey in words any realsense o the scale o thiscountry. You oten drive orhours without seeing anothervehicle, and when nallyreaching a distant crest orhorizon youre presented witha view seemingly to innitythat could be a mirror imageo your last hours travels.But the terrain does change,and quickly in places: Fromstony gibber plains to spiniexgrasslands to low scrubby

Curious morning visitors.

Tobermoreys campsite is a green oasis in an otherwiseparched and dusty land.

Horses or courses. These station animals were riendly and in goodcondition despite being miles rom anywhere.



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woods to low rolling hills andback again. Time loosensits vice-like grip on moderntravellers as you begin to sensethe almost unimaginable timerame required to shape thelandscape.

From the border it was about250 km to Boulia, our intendedstop or the night, and in thenal 80 km or so we began toencounter stretches o bitumenbeore nally rejoining the ully

sealed road. We passed ewvehicles today or yesterday,save or a handul o miningtrucks and a sprinkling oprivate travellers in 4WDs, mosttowing caravans. Maybe 25all-up in 2 days? The speeddierence o the Waratah incomparison to the caravantowers was stark. We played

leaprog with a couple in a Fo

imotorhome+emagazine+issue+31+ +17+august+2013

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