PHIL'S NEW 20.63-1 OB - ADVISE PLEASE

[4wdphil]

New to this forum.
We are after a van for travelling with the 2 little rug rats. Needs to be off road, have bunks, club lounge and separate toilet and shower. Thinking the 20.63-1 would suit us

So I am after some advise as to what other options are needed or if any that I have chosen are not required.
So we are going to get a 20.63-1 Outback with the following extras
- Slide out , I am not sure on this but the wife wants it
- 3rd water tank connected directly to the hand pump only
- drifter control panel
- TV bracket
- TV antenna
- Stereo with speaker in the ceiling above the lounge
- extra 12volt plugs
- Annex
- Privacy screen
- upgrade the air con to the IBIS
- Battery
- Anderson plug direct to battery
- An extra light near the door and another on the non door side for night set ups
- Shelving in the rear robe
- ESC
- All switches to be off the ground and put in the cupboard where the circuit breaker is
and finally content plating leather as we can not decide on a cloth trim we like

Any other suggestions would be great as we want to keep this van for a good 10 years

The wallet is going to be empty after this exercise.

Thanks in advance

 

[17triton]

G`day Phil and welcome to the forum. If you are free camping you would be well off getting solar as well. Sounds like a great van mate.

 

[relgate]

Hi Phil and :welcome:
I reckon that is a nice van, although with 2 kids you might get away with an 18'? We have 3 kids and plan to go up to the 20 at some stage.
There are some who dont like the slide out, but we saw one at the Sydney show in April and loved the extra room it gave. It would be a personal choice but It's money well spent in my opinion, especially on rainy days or cold nights inside.
I like the 3rd water tank.
Extended a-frames are popular. Gives you ability to put a tool box etc on the front, and gets the van further away from the vehicle so you can open a rear car door and drop the bed end without unhitching.
Are you getting an outside drop down table? Very handy
I dont see external shower on the list. We love ours and would put it at the top of the list on any van.

I'm sure others will have some great ideas and contribute.
Good luck and let us know how you get on with it.

 

[DRW]

Hey Phil
looks like you have most bases covered, personally I would go the leather as well, I really wish I had it in my car but too skungy to pay the extra (stupid me). We (I) are thinking of having the van dinette re-covered in leather. Remember money is only a figure that gets shifted from black to red, you can't eat it, drink it and now a days you can't even see it.
enjoy
Dave

 

[Xpandafan]

Welcome Phil.
From experience I'd go for slide out for the versatility of the extra space...what may seem a little extra is quite a lot in a van.
relgate and 17triton are on the money with extended a-frame and solar if your budget can stretch that far.
At least getting your van pre-wired for solar is a must (You can add panel/s later).
Third water tank good idea but keep weight in mind.
A drop down table is a reasonably cheap option with a multitude of uses and better factory fitted.
If you can afford it also get a second battery fitted so its weight is included in your compliance plate mass.
Someone on here also has fitted a double 240v power outlet which is a terrific idea (Toaster and coffee machine)...that's high on my "to do" list. What about an external 12v outlet?
And an external bayonet gas connection?
If I was starting over I'd also go the outside shower.

Remember retrofitting is almost always more expensive.
Additional weight of heavy retrofitted items will cut into your vans load capacity.

 

[4wdphil]

Thanks guys for the extra options.
I would love to get the longer a frame but due to storage constraints I am not able to fit this option, I think I will be able to still fit a box on the front for the generator.
The drop down table is a great idea and will add to the list.
The OB now come pre wired with solar I am told and I already have a portable solar panel which I will connect via the Anderson plug.
I think I need reasons for an external shower - cant see the reason for one.
Double 240 power point is now added. did not even think of the toast and coffee machine.
Is a second battery really needed especially if using a solar panel??
The OB also has a gas bayonet standard.

Thanks everyone
more suggestions / comments are very welcome

Thanks
Phil

 

[Xpandafan]

Looks like you're going well, Phil. We haven't cost you too much, really.
2nd Battery: I like to have 12v power to spare (lights, pump, appliances, AV stuff etc. and no hassles if solar panels (on roof) shaded for days on end). Can even pop fridge on 12v in an emergency. Like my van to be completely
self-sufficient from the tug.
Outside shower: So you can hose off the kids (with cold water) helps build their water saving awareness and stops 'em tracking dirt inside on the carpet (you'll need to carpet your van of course!). Also more useful than the tap on a-frame for (warm water) hand-washing.

 

[relgate]

Outdoor shower is great with kids when you come back from the river or beach. You can warm up and clean off the rugrats all in one blow and not worry about messing your new van!
I've also found the outdoor shower very handy for washing the BBQ plates and is great for a big load of washing up (especially if camping with a group).
One final reason is that when we camp for an extended time, especially in summer, we set up a shower tent with the outdoor shower and i stand in there for as long as possible during the day! great to cool down in the really hot weather!!!

 

[4wdphil]

Thanks for the info guys.
Might have to add the external shower to the list.
Now just have to sell the 18.57-5OB

Phil

 

[Brad]

Thanks for the info guys.
Might have to add the external shower to the list.
Now just have to sell the 18.57-5OB

Phil

Hey... What's wrong with the 18.57.5....Now they don't make them any more they are likely to become collectors items.

 

[4wdphil]

Nothing wrong with the 18.57-5OB it is a great van. It has everything we want with the exception of bunks. hence the sale.

 

[4wdphil]

I have also been thinking of an inverter which would be connected into the main power supply, however not sure if it is worth the expense since I have a generator. It is just a pain on cold mornings getting out of bed to start the generator to heat the van.

 

[Gadgets 21.63.1]

inverter is a great idea, i run a second set of power points around the van dedicated to inverter use only. so they run tvs, chargers, computers. and the main caravan points are for heavy use items, such as heaters, cooking items. that way the inverter is always safe. the generator can run the heavy items and charge the batterys, while the inverter can run everything else all the time. i have a remote starting generator to save the hastle of going outside to start and stop the gen.