Car – 2023 model Nissan Navara NP300 (purchased 2024)
The car was a low mileage demonstrator set-up for touring with the following accessories:
- Canopy
- Electric brake controller
- Rear suspension airbags
- Half-bar bullbar
- 9in. LED driving lights
- Fog lights
- UHF radio
- Roof racks
- Tow package (including anderson plug)
- Rear cargo tray 12v connections (anderson plug & cigarette lighter plug)
- 60litre fridge/freezer on slide out tray
All I added was the monitor and wiring for a caravan mounted rear view camera. I was able to also slot a second battery into the tray to allow the fridge/freezer to remain running when I wasn’t driving.
Caravan – 2022 model Jayco CrossTrak 16.48 (purchased 2024)
I decided on a hybrid caravan with reasonable off-road capability and settled on the Jayco CrossTrak as it was one of the lighter hybrids available. I then was able to find a 2nd hand unit that had been barely used (the underbody was spotless, so it had never been of-road). I have made the following additions to it:
- Diesel heater
- 30litre drawer type fridge/freezer
- Rear vision camera
- Bike rack (on front drawbar)
- Jerry Can holders on rear bumper
- 20amp DC-DC charger
- 2 x external anderson plug connections
- 2nd 12v internal caframo fan
- Changed gas bottle holders (original one would only fit 8kg cylinders & not the 8.5kg cylinders)
MY PREVIOUS VEHICLES
We bought our 2014 model Avan Owen 2nd hand in 2017 and the previous owner had made several changes, including moving the under bed drawers toward the back of the van (they were set back under the bed prior to this move) and changing the hitch to an ALKO Stabiliser Coupling.
Once we had the van I have made a succession of changes:
- Change from 2×4.5kg gas bottles to 1×4.5kg and 1x8kg bottles (changed again to 2x8kg bottles)
- Moved location of jockey wheel clamp
- Added dual gas bottle connection with valve to select which bottle was used
- Added towel hooks in the ensuite
- Added hat hooks near the entrance
- Added input for a portable solar panel via anderson plug connected to existing solar controller
- Added multiple usb outlets (either side of bed and near table)
- Added external anderson plug for 12v ‘out’
- Added external 12v outlets
- Added bike rack to back wall of van
- Added sail track to the offside to enable use of privacy wall as shade
- Added diesel heater (located under bed)
- Changed from 100ah AGM battery to 200ah Lifepo4 battery
- Upgraded solar controller to MPPT
- Added AC-DC battery charger with lithium profile (bypassing battery charging from the Electroblock)
- Added DC-DC battery charger to charge from car when travelling
- Upgraded from 70watt rooftop solar panel to 190watt panel
- Added fold down table on outside of van
- Replaced Proster awning with more robust Dometic awning (after damaging the awning in heavy rain)
- Changed outside light to LED
- Added Sirocco 2 fan over the bed
- Mounted and wired 300W inverter
- Bypassed and removed Electroblock (it died during trip)
- Fitted new water tank level sensors and gauge
- Fitted battery gauge
The car was a 2013 Nissan Navara D40, 2.5l turbo-diesel, automatic
Changes from original include:
- Fibreglass canopy
- 2nd battery mounted in rear tray
- Electronic brake controller
- Nudge bar
- 9 inch LED driving lights
- Scangauge engine monitoring
- UHF 2-way Radio
- Android head unit with Android Auto & Apple Carplay
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
- Reversing Camera (also connecting to rearview camera on caravan)
- Tough Dog suspension package (40mm lift) – not fitted when above photo was taken