Introduction to our new tow vehicle and holiday preparation - YAH!!

Friday 16th February 2024

OMG 5.22pm and we have had about 460mm of rain this year to date, well since we put the new weather station in on the property and we missed the first rain event here, so give or take 100 - 200mm on top of that - for pete's sake!

So, preparations for the holiday have most definitely commenced,  probably if I am honest for me they started a good month or so ago - yes I maybe a tinsey winsey bit excited!  Dining room table is starting to be covered with dry food for the trip and incidentals 😁 Also covered in maps and the planning book.

Craig has been working on our new tow vehicle (secondhand) that we got mid last year for the caravan purchase.  2019 Hilux Rugged X,  yep I know it's black we live in Queensland, not a colour we have ever ever ever wanted for a car, but as I keep telling Craig, it has a pretty blue fleck in the paint, it's very pretty 😊  I love my "new" black Hilux, the first UTE I've ever owned and driven!!

The Rugged X has been set up as a touring vehicle, stock standard for the mechanical stuff.  However the boot as I call it (tub) now has drawers, drawer fridge (yep really isn't for me because it gets filled up with husband's beer), Stork has made a false floor around the draws with hatches to lift out.  Forward in the tray houses the 120amp hour Lithium Battery, DC/DC charger, lots of impressive wiring, buses and other stuff 😎, also in there is the air compressor that has a line that runs to the back of the tub on the port side with a connection at the bottom.  As well, there is a 43lt water tank with pump and a line that runs to the back of the tub port side to fill up your water bottle etc. 

The starboard side at the back of the tub has the electronic panel there for switches for lights (still to put in), pumps, compressors, volt/amp metre and 3 Anderson plugs for solar input, 12v output and direct link to the battery for the 240 volt charger etc.  We have bought a solar blanket to help charge the battery in the back when we are parked up for more then one day.

And of course there are two spaces either side at the back, specially able to take a carton of beer in each!!  go figure 😄  again, not for me!

Right,  back to preparation for the holiday......... made use of the rain today and washed down the caravan with boat wash from top to bottom so it is nice and clean and presentable for the holiday.  We currently have a little bit of leak when it rains coming in from the vent in the ensuite, it's dripping down into the shower floor in two places, so something to investigate once this rain finally finishes but probably after we have our holiday.

The Hilux will get a good clean inside and out this weekend and hopefully won't get covered in mud too much during the week before we leave 🤞  We live on a dirt road now.

The 2020 Swage XT15 Raptor Overlander Hybrid Caravan:

It's a push up and push out arrangement with a king size bed, outdoor galley and inside galley, L shape settee, toilet/shower combo inside.  We have put an 85Lt Evakool fridge/freezer in.  A couple of little hacks we've done have been removable shower mat so you are not standing in the water when drying yourself, a couple of Fusion Loc towel racks to hold the shower curtain to stop the toilet getting wet and an extension towel rack to hang towels on, Fusion Loc shelf in the shower and one for in the living area of the caravan to hold whatever. A couple of Fusion Loc hooks to hang clothes, jackets on so they aren't piled up on the settee. 

We have also purchased a wireless reversing camera for the caravan from Englaon, which Craig is installing on the weekend.  I am sure it will be a marriage saver at some point 😄 and it'll be nice to see what's going on behind us as we drive along the road.  Decided we'd buy a 12 volt Smart TV from Englaon as well, since we have the aerial already set up in the van and of course the Supercars are racing the first weekend we are gone 🙄  There was no step on the caravan, so we purchased a black single step from TRA Australia with 2 blue lights on the top of the step and an under step light - just awesome.

Craig has also put a tool box on the slide on the opposite side of the fridge.

That pretty much sums up everything I think, onto that long awaited holiday now!!