Hi guys (and ladies on the forum?) I not a social media guy and this is my first serious post hope I haven’t broken any etiquette.
My use case is very similar to emax’s and others.
I just turned 61 and have been retired for a while. Our boy is now a man studying in Melbourne and we need to get on with our lives. The misses and I have been contemplating how to get back into the touring that we used to do 20 years ago before the kid arrived. We have a Merc GLC for blacktop touring (a fantastic long distance tourer IMO) but it obviously isn’t going to cut the mustard.
We have kicked around ideas around towing caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes towing little cars. The lady isn't too keen on having to tow a van or pilot a motorhome an an emergency etc. Our real preference, that the Grenny has helped lock in, is a camper type option. We will tour wherever the heart takes us, stay in motels etc and use our Grenny camper in remote locations or wherever the accommodation isn’t enticing. Of course, free camping at wineries and gun clubs is a no brainer. We aren’t into extreme off roading or rock hopping just exploring our big island, and the smaller spectacular one just across the Bass Straight – checking out wine, food and sights, we are a sort of wine snobs and could spend 4-6 weeks just doing Tassie’s wineries. I’m also into competition field and game, trap and skeet shooting (shotgun) and there is always a gun range somewhere nearby. The big tick for the Grenny is that it looks capable enough that with some training, practice, sensible driving and risk mitigation the wife and I should be able to stay out or get out of trouble by ourselves.
So like others we are thinking utilising the Grenny’s payload for storage and a sleeping setup. We are leaning towards sleeping in the back rather than a roof top – partly because the wee breaks (I don’t mean little as in a wee dram of scotch that my Scottish friend’s feed me, which always seem to end up as a wee dram of 10 different scotches and me being being poured in a cab) during the night might be too much of a challenge up and down the ladder - especially after a few wines. I know I’d be fine with an empty juice bottle but the lady won’t be to keen on that solution – either using it or having it near where she is sleeping. A car tent (sorry I don’t know the actual name but one of those that are attached to the car like a closed in awning) is also an option. We see the big plus of sleeping in car as safety and being able to run a small heater or air cond.
Thus, I think we will end up with a full rack up top to maximise the150kg payload eg “light stuff”, empty jerries, a lockable storage box for my guns, etc and the hopefully not needed stuff eg removable winch, tools and solar panels and maybe a small generator. Not that I have seen one but I imagine some tow hitch storage solution that could also take a far amount of weight (350kg?) coming into play. I can see a batwing awning and lots of other storage/camping gadgets being added. We will go with an underbed storage system. During the day the bed platform will have to be setup to store those items that can be readily removable to set up camp. I’d be interested if anyone has ascertained if a storage solution for a bonnet mounted spare wheel or other items might be viable.
I’m thinking the external utility rails can be used to hold stuff to make the camp life easier and I hope carry some of those slim jerry cans mounted for fuel (when full and but not around town) and or water.
We have gone with the 5-seater on the basis that the rear seats can be removed when touring and the front seats pushed forward to maximise the length of the bed. Now some cargo barrier solution is needed for safety while driving. I was very tempted by the 2-seater but the full height factory cargo barrier makes the sleeping space too short for 180cm couples and looks like it could be a real pain to remove for sleeping and refitting the next day (I assume it would be illegal to remove for driving since it is a stock fit) and it makes pushing the front seats forward irrelevant to maximise the rear space. BTW I recently saw a video where Justin H (INEOS Australia) spoke about a draw solution that once the rear seat is folded down would give a level platform. Any news on that would be welcome or I might try to build my own like this
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The big challenges I need to solve are Cargo barrier for a full length bed, the internal storage fit out, efficient fresh water storage (a bladder across the floor near the rear seats might make use of otherwise unused space), grey water storage, adding additional lithium power with solar, upgraded sterero (I love music but I gotta feel it, quiet black sabbath, prodigy, ted Nugent, led Zep, sex pistols, clash, rage against the machine - just doesn’t work.) eh so if you see a Scottish White parked with a guy who looks like a bit of a throw back to grizzily adams meets Johnny Rotten meets a 60s hippie, maybe give it a bit of space although your welcome to party - no dope - beer, wine, gin, scotch well anything really acceptable as long as your preference is not country, classical, or dead cat music I'll party to anything while having a fun game of bridge/canasta or tiddlywinks.
I'm really interested in aids/tricks to help get heavier items such as spare wheels, full jerries, winches etc up to the roof and to the rear mounting - has anyone seen a trick way of using a highlift jack or manual winch?
I’m also still grappling with Petrol vs Diesel mainly around long term servicing cost, reliability and the taxes the stinking lousy governments want to hit us up with. I think range anxiety is less of an issue – but as the misses reminds me I have run out of fuel at least once in every car in have owned in over 40 years including 130L cruisers. I do also like the idea of hydrogen injection - mainly just because I like gadgets.
Paul
Please feel free to contact me to discuss these thoughts if it isn’t appropriate for the widespread forum.
It’s December so Merry Christmas is in order. “All I want for Christmas is ………. Yep the same as the rest of you! Lets hope it is Christmas in July at the latest!
Paul
