Lionel and Lyn are no strangers to travel. With many years spent camping across the country in tents, they not only got to know the terrain and how to do it the hard way, but also picked up a lot of ideas from people they met on the road. A social happy hour beer with fellow travellers gave the couple some great insights into what worked and what didn’t. Not only that, but Ron is a pretty handy bloke and knew what sort of electrical system would cut the mustard for their style of travel and purpose.
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With the list formulated they set about finding a manufacturer that would be able to accommodate their needs in the manufacturing process, and this is where Elite came to the party. Finalising the plans, Elite set to work on what is one very unique 24 footer, a unit which they have now owned for seven months and taken right along the NSW and Qld East Coast and into the NSW High Country.
First thing to go was the bunk beds. Not needing them left a considerable space to be filled, space which is now inhabited by cupboards which surround the 84L freezer and washing machine. The washing machine relocation freed up some space at the rear, which in turn allowed for what is one of the most impressive generators we have ever seen in a van: a 3.6KvA Cummins petrol, accessible from the outside rear and fed by an outboard boat fuel tank. An additional external storage space above the petrol tank completes the space made by the bathroom and bunk redesign. Pretty nifty stuff.
With a mighty Cummins on hand you could expect the rest of the power system to be robust, and you wouldn’t be disappointed. At the heart of the system is a Victron Energy 1600VA inverter charger complementing the generator control panel, solar monitor and controller and voltage monitoring. Two 100Ah roof-mounted solar panels keep the three additional batteries, two parallel wired 6V 275Ah deep cycle units and a 12V 110Ah sealed unit.
Another less technical but more enjoyable mod is the externally mounted TV, perfect for sitting back and watching the footy while tending to the OZ Pig. And while you’re at it, why bother to go inside for a beer when you now have a 60L Engel fridge-freezer right next to the TV? It is a well thought out modification which suits their outdoor lifestyle perfectly, one which we are incredibly envious of. In addition to the externally accessed fridge, there is a full-sized fridge-freezer and the previously mentioned 84L freezer.
Underneath, two 97L fresh water tanks and a 97L grey water tank take care of the liquids. Other than that the caravan has stayed pretty much true to the off-the-shelf design, which Lionel and Lyn did not see a need to change.
After the initial shakedown trips Lionel reports that he has had a few teething problems, mainly relating to minor quality control issues, but Elite remedied these and the whole setup is now running well. They are looking forward to their next series of trips, which kick off shortly with a four-month trip around Tassie. And while we may be just a little bit jealous, we wish them the best in their unique home away from home.
