Hi, I have the same van as you. I was just wondering where you got the tv arm from and how much? And also where you got the bike rack bracket for the rear bar? Also what mods did you do to strengthen the rear bar if any? Thanks
Benrosenicks 2013 17.56-2 OB
- Thread starter benrosenick
- Start date
Yeah @macca , well spotted! Was a quick setup in the rain, I pegged them down and moved the drum later on.
Hi @Grogen_dude , great choice of van! The tv arm is a visidec brand. They are pricey compared to others but are beautifully done, here's what I got - Visidec VF-AT Mounting Arm for Flat Panel Display
I also got a HP quick release vesa compliant monitor mount so I can lift the tv off when we travel, and am also planning a mount on the outside of the van, with the same quick release mount I'll be able to move the telly inside & out easily.
To use the visidec arm with the existing cable hole in the bench top you will need a couple of strong washers above & below the existing hole. @Burnsy made mine, they are very solid stainless discs with holes cut for the centre bolt and also for the AV leads.
All up the mount cost more than the tv that sits on it, but it's very solid and looks great, so I'm happy...
For the bike mount, @Burnsy again made mine and also strengthened the bumper mount by adding high tensile bolts through the chassis rail and bumper mount. The bikes do bounce a lot with the carrier I have, it's a Pacific 3 bike model and there is a heap of movemement between the pacific mount and the removable carrier. I'm planning to make some nylon spacers to try and stop the movement as it is very disconcerting to see how much they move as you go over bumps (a downside of the rear camera...!). A more rigid bike carrier I reckon would be good but it still needs to be removeqble so you can get the rear bed out....
I check for movement in the bumper every time we head off and to date it's remained solid, but as everyone says here the bumpers aren't made to carry bikes so anything you do is at your own risk....
Cheers, benrosenick
looks like fun. Just picked up my new second hand caravan 17.56.2. I also have a prado 120 series diesel. how did you go with fuel. I was quite shocked at how the prado struggled with the van. In saying that once i got up to speed was ok but did notice fuel gauge on first tank go down quite quickly. Im looking forward to also fitting some led lights and extras. thanks for the tips. Oh what brand of reverse camera did you get as I'm also going to need one..wifes hand signals getting hard to understand
Hi @seanparky, yes we have had a blast in it. We got it in December and since then have been to South West Rocks, Stockton, Swansea, Umina, Dunleith, and Toowoon Bay - its perfect for us to be able to head off on a Friday evening, drive for an hour or two and be set up by 7pm or so.
The 150 Prado has been good, we normally get 11-13 l/100 around town, with the Expanda it goes up to 16-18 so not too bad. We feel the weight of the van on the long steep hills but other than that its easy to forget its there. We've got a HR WDH and don't feel any instability when towing.
My camera came from Safety Dave in Melbourne, its his standard caravan kit with 5.8" screen but I paid more for a dual WOZA cable and also got a twin camera; its not on his website but it looks like this one.
I only really use the rear camera, as the bikes on the bike rack obscure the reversing camera view. It has a mic in the camera as well so you can hear what your wife really thinks of your reversing...
If you go with the WOZA cable you will need to find a way to mount the plug ends on the vehicle & van, the guy that installed mine has some made up but you don't get a mount in the kit from SD.
Enjoy!
Cheers
benrosenick
The 150 Prado has been good, we normally get 11-13 l/100 around town, with the Expanda it goes up to 16-18 so not too bad. We feel the weight of the van on the long steep hills but other than that its easy to forget its there. We've got a HR WDH and don't feel any instability when towing.
My camera came from Safety Dave in Melbourne, its his standard caravan kit with 5.8" screen but I paid more for a dual WOZA cable and also got a twin camera; its not on his website but it looks like this one.
I only really use the rear camera, as the bikes on the bike rack obscure the reversing camera view. It has a mic in the camera as well so you can hear what your wife really thinks of your reversing...
If you go with the WOZA cable you will need to find a way to mount the plug ends on the vehicle & van, the guy that installed mine has some made up but you don't get a mount in the kit from SD.
Enjoy!
Cheers
benrosenick
Some further mods.....
Have had an external TV mount &aerial point added (now have two TV's of different sizes that can move between the internal & external mounts with the use of HP quick release brackets)
And also finished the bunk curtains
And a few other bits & pieces...added a water filter; finally put shelves into the wardrobe (now known officially as the pantry); got the dual sail tracks from supercheap auto so can have the annex wall as well as an extra shade wall horizontally with some poles to give a nice outdoor shaded area; got a squeezebox ladder (brilliant idea); and finally a twin tub washing machine....
Next mods are a pole carrier fitted behind the wheels in a week or so for the AFK, and am now deciding whether or not a toolbox is worth the $ so I can carry my generator & annex walls or Weber.
There is always something more to do or buy!
Have had an external TV mount &aerial point added (now have two TV's of different sizes that can move between the internal & external mounts with the use of HP quick release brackets)
And also finished the bunk curtains
And a few other bits & pieces...added a water filter; finally put shelves into the wardrobe (now known officially as the pantry); got the dual sail tracks from supercheap auto so can have the annex wall as well as an extra shade wall horizontally with some poles to give a nice outdoor shaded area; got a squeezebox ladder (brilliant idea); and finally a twin tub washing machine....
Next mods are a pole carrier fitted behind the wheels in a week or so for the AFK, and am now deciding whether or not a toolbox is worth the $ so I can carry my generator & annex walls or Weber.
There is always something more to do or buy!
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@benrosenick love your work. What is this squeezebox ladder an where is it from? You seem to be thinking along similar lines to me but much more capable! Keep up the posts!
Thanks @Dandy, I use a guy to do anything slightly difficult and stick to the very simple stuff myself... Costs more but makes for a better outcome!
The squeezebox ladders fold down to be small enough to go into a pole carrier. The are online here http://www.txp.com.au/shop/product.php?productid=16314, but I got mine at Jayco Newcastle-same thing but a different brand http://www.transacagencies.com.au/Transac List 2013 Accessories.pdf and not Red like the TXP version.
They are a bit expensive but well worth it I reckon, I got my 4 step ladder for $100. For a pop top 17' van you could get away with the 3 step version too.
Here's my ladder
Open,
And folded
Cheers! Benrosenick
The squeezebox ladders fold down to be small enough to go into a pole carrier. The are online here http://www.txp.com.au/shop/product.php?productid=16314, but I got mine at Jayco Newcastle-same thing but a different brand http://www.transacagencies.com.au/Transac List 2013 Accessories.pdf and not Red like the TXP version.
They are a bit expensive but well worth it I reckon, I got my 4 step ladder for $100. For a pop top 17' van you could get away with the 3 step version too.
Here's my ladder
Open,
And folded
Cheers! Benrosenick
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I am planning something like this for my next van. Any close up shots of how it actually attaches? Thanks.
Here you go... One at each end, hopefully these make it a bit clearer. The dual track just slides into the sail track in the drum, it comes in packs of 2x1m lengths and I needed 4 m total for mine ( so two packs). Once I it's in the drum, the annex wall slides into the inside track, and the shade wall into the outer track. Add poles & guy ropes and it's done!
My Aussie Traveller AFK has two tracks on it already, so I used the lower one for the annex wall and the top one for the side shade wall.
Cheers benrosenick
And what are looking for to place it on, is the van not gone?? Pace.
Edit, oops just saw previous post, retract retract, retract, retract.....
Got the van back yesterday after having a toolbox (Apex brand, $450, thanks to @Mogsaway , @1rockhorse and others that found the box) fitted. Sits on my non-extended drawbar with a pole carrier behind it - just enough room left for the WDH brackets, and turning circle is fine with my longer HR drop hitch. Also got another pole carrier fitted behind the rear axle, just fits in next to the jacking point and won't affect clearance.
The toolbox is big enough to fit my 4.4Kva generator, a 10L fuel container, Weber babyQ (in its duffel bag), squeezebox ladder and other bits & pieces. I got the gas bottles mounted in the middle of the box as I generally turn them on when I arrive and don't touch them until I leave. If I have to switch the regulator over or change a bottle its only 5 minute job to lift the front bed, so I'd rather keep the side access free for those bits & pieces that are accessed more frequently (like the broom...).
Its not pretty, but it will do the job.
The front tap has been relocated but will require some protection as it is exposed.
My AFK takes up 1 pole carrier, the other has some poles and the dual sail tracks and has room for some fishing rods as well. They are lockable and keyed alike (which is a good thing - including keys for van, generator, various padlocks, safe, wheel clamp etc my caravan key ring has 18 keys on it!!)
My spare has been moved to a mount on the rear bumper but I will be changing this. Current setup is a tall bar that sits above the rear lights, and swings to the side to allow the bed to drop. I'm not happy with it as it bounces because of its height, the weight is all sitting on the end of the bumper, and it will also be sat right outside the bed end window when open. The guy that did it for me was trying to avoid moving the license plate & associated lights, but I'll be going for a drop down mount and relocating the license plate now.
As a side note I can put this in the centre of the bumper now as I won't be carrying bikes on the back anymore. While my bumper bar mount itself was and still is solid, the amount of bounce in the rack itself was just too much. My daughters bike had one of the removable cross bars on it so it could fit onto the bike rack, these are the ones where the cross bar clamps to the seat post and the handlebar post to compensate for no useable cross bar on the bike itself. Whilst bouncing the bikes back from Darlington Beach both posts actually pulled out of their tubes, leaving the bike hanging by the brake cables. Luckily we watched off of this unfold through the rear camera so could stop and chuck the bike into the van, but enough is enough and the bike carrier is now replaced with three roof bike carriers on the Prado. You can see the mount and base of the carrier in the photo; this is where the spare wheel will now be going.
The toolbox is big enough to fit my 4.4Kva generator, a 10L fuel container, Weber babyQ (in its duffel bag), squeezebox ladder and other bits & pieces. I got the gas bottles mounted in the middle of the box as I generally turn them on when I arrive and don't touch them until I leave. If I have to switch the regulator over or change a bottle its only 5 minute job to lift the front bed, so I'd rather keep the side access free for those bits & pieces that are accessed more frequently (like the broom...).
Its not pretty, but it will do the job.
The front tap has been relocated but will require some protection as it is exposed.
My AFK takes up 1 pole carrier, the other has some poles and the dual sail tracks and has room for some fishing rods as well. They are lockable and keyed alike (which is a good thing - including keys for van, generator, various padlocks, safe, wheel clamp etc my caravan key ring has 18 keys on it!!)
My spare has been moved to a mount on the rear bumper but I will be changing this. Current setup is a tall bar that sits above the rear lights, and swings to the side to allow the bed to drop. I'm not happy with it as it bounces because of its height, the weight is all sitting on the end of the bumper, and it will also be sat right outside the bed end window when open. The guy that did it for me was trying to avoid moving the license plate & associated lights, but I'll be going for a drop down mount and relocating the license plate now.
As a side note I can put this in the centre of the bumper now as I won't be carrying bikes on the back anymore. While my bumper bar mount itself was and still is solid, the amount of bounce in the rack itself was just too much. My daughters bike had one of the removable cross bars on it so it could fit onto the bike rack, these are the ones where the cross bar clamps to the seat post and the handlebar post to compensate for no useable cross bar on the bike itself. Whilst bouncing the bikes back from Darlington Beach both posts actually pulled out of their tubes, leaving the bike hanging by the brake cables. Luckily we watched off of this unfold through the rear camera so could stop and chuck the bike into the van, but enough is enough and the bike carrier is now replaced with three roof bike carriers on the Prado. You can see the mount and base of the carrier in the photo; this is where the spare wheel will now be going.
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Also just fitted a CO and gas detector. Runs off the 12v, detects carbon monoxide and also flammable gas (i.e. natural gas, LPG etc), when there is no alarm it just shows the temperature.
It protrudes quite a bit and can't be recessed so I've put it somewhere where I hope it will still work but won't get kicked - below the sink opposite the fridge door, just after the dinette.
It protrudes quite a bit and can't be recessed so I've put it somewhere where I hope it will still work but won't get kicked - below the sink opposite the fridge door, just after the dinette.
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How do you go with reaching your gas bottles to turn them on and off with them in the centre of the box, when your bed is set up? I t would be a bit of a pain, in my opinion, but trying to decide for when I get a box on the front of mine!
really like the box, want to put one on once we get the van. How much spare room with the Baby Q? We have a Q200 worried its a little to big to fit. think around 10-12 cm's diff.
I had to decide what was most important to be accessible from the sides. I generally don't touch the gas once I've turned it on, and in the event that I have to its a 5 min job to lift the front bed. On the other hand, I find I am always using the broom, ladder, general bits & pieces etc so for me leaving room at the side for those was the right option. Even with the bed end down doing anything other than turn the bottles on or off (ie swapping the regulator to the other bottle or taking one out to refill) would need the bed end to be taken up if the bottles were on the outer end.
I intend to open the box when I arrive and take the weber out,turn on the gas, and if needed take out the generator. Then drop the bed end and only access via the side doors until it's time to go home.
No right answer other than than one that suits you I think!
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