The Marshians 17.56.2 OB
- Thread starter Smergen
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- 17.56.2 17.56.2 ob
Just finished drafting a plan for our trip.
Leave on June19, taking 6 days to get to Wyndam, 6 days in the Kimberleys, 3 days in Broome and then taking 8 days to work our way back to Adelaide.
Questions: to those who have been up there, any special sites to visit, camp sites to stay at?
Russ ck camp site, Mt Barnett camp site, Glen Rest Area (NT553) are contenders.
Will start a special trip thread when things firm up a bit.
Hi again, so that I don't hijack this thread any further, have started a new thread re Trip to the Kimberleys in June/July 2015. Have a few questions others may help me to answer re preparing my Panda for the Gibb River road.
See you over in,
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/marv_mart-trip-to-the-kimberleys-2015.6071/
Will definitely be a Where's Marv trip this one!
Thanks to any assistance you can provide.
Marv
See you over in,
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/marv_mart-trip-to-the-kimberleys-2015.6071/
Will definitely be a Where's Marv trip this one!
Thanks to any assistance you can provide.
Marv
I think the Tekno fire drum is gunna get a workout. Bit stiff with the weather mate.
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You know @17triton it isn't too bad... The rain comes in, we throw chairs under the awning for 5min and it blows over. Fishing hopefully on the cards tomorrow ( famous last words)... But yes the barrel channels the team that inspired it and chugs along with no fuss and great performance...
OK, about time I put up a little review of our vans latest adventure to Lake Fyans. I've put up a review of the camp site on the forum here:
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/lake-fyans-holiday-park.6089/
The more we use this thing, the more we love it and confirms it was the right lifestyle decision! The kids love it and the adventure that it brings. We love that it's different and gives us the impetus to get out as a family and enjoy our time together and explore this great country.
And simply there is fewer things I like more than sitting around a fire with my wife and some mates (and the kids before bed!) having a beer and realising how lucky we are to afford such a lifestyle.
Lake Fyans is a good spot and we may head out there again to test out their unpowered sites which looked more appealing than their powered sites. Would also like to have a bit warmer weather (minus the bugs) to better utilise the lake itself.
But our van was awesome and this was the first time we've used the toilet in the ensuite. It was a snap, and I'm not really sure why I hesitated at first (baby steps with all the cool gadgets I reckon....). Either way not having to ferry the kids to the dunny during the night was a god send...
We had a great time exploring the area, with lookouts and the Zoo the highlights (even caught up with @Bluey for quick chat!)
Smergling #3 suffered a pretty bad ear/throat infection during the stay which put a dampner on the situation but he battled through as well as he could, and is now on the "good stuff" and on the mend.
OK van highlights and happenings and things to get moving on, all of which I welcome comment and thoughts on.
And then home safe and sound..... new slab hopefully this weekend....
http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/lake-fyans-holiday-park.6089/
The more we use this thing, the more we love it and confirms it was the right lifestyle decision! The kids love it and the adventure that it brings. We love that it's different and gives us the impetus to get out as a family and enjoy our time together and explore this great country.
And simply there is fewer things I like more than sitting around a fire with my wife and some mates (and the kids before bed!) having a beer and realising how lucky we are to afford such a lifestyle.
Lake Fyans is a good spot and we may head out there again to test out their unpowered sites which looked more appealing than their powered sites. Would also like to have a bit warmer weather (minus the bugs) to better utilise the lake itself.
But our van was awesome and this was the first time we've used the toilet in the ensuite. It was a snap, and I'm not really sure why I hesitated at first (baby steps with all the cool gadgets I reckon....). Either way not having to ferry the kids to the dunny during the night was a god send...
We had a great time exploring the area, with lookouts and the Zoo the highlights (even caught up with @Bluey for quick chat!)
Smergling #3 suffered a pretty bad ear/throat infection during the stay which put a dampner on the situation but he battled through as well as he could, and is now on the "good stuff" and on the mend.
OK van highlights and happenings and things to get moving on, all of which I welcome comment and thoughts on.
- Dunny chems - Need to work out the best mix of additives to keep smells and stink down. I've read a few threads so I should be able to work something out I think.
- Sink/Drainage - Identified last time, we do suffer from "shower reflux" where the drain from the sink finds it way to the shower. The latest visit I'm sure was compounded by a long drain hose and poor fall to the sullage. I think I need to pick @Bluey , @mfexpanda and @Colin&Sue brains for exact details on their improvements to solve this. At this stage we’ve only got the standard double manifold plastic thing...
- Weber Q.... we didn’t bring the BBQ this time and missed it. Sure we cooked on the infallible Tekno Barrel, but we know the Q would be a ‘tad’ more practical, particularly on sites where fires aren’t allowed... J So, we need to go shopping... just got to find a good deal!
- We actually loaded the bikes into the van this time and it worked pretty well. With a fair bit of care, we managed quite easily and will put off out need for a bike rack. Still want to put the spare on the back though to free up some more space at the front... maybe for Weber Q box? J
- And the biggest “scare” of all... driving home all of a sudden the oncoming truck flashes his lights and I do my regular mirror check and notice the roof of the van had popped up! WTF?!? Emergency stop on the highway and I’ve no idea what happened. I always triple check all latches, locks and hitches... Biggest issue was getting the roof up and down square with the annexe rolled up. No damage appears to have happened, so we’ve dodged a bullet hopefully. When we called in at Jayco Ballarat on the way home, they suggest that perhaps when I latched the lid, the “hook” perhaps wasn’t screwed as tight as it should have been and possibly jumped out. Really the only thing I can possible blame. Either way... take it as a cautionary tale.
- Annexe... Jayco also confirmed what I recall reading on here, that the Mrs Smerg’s was dreading... that we can’t actually purchase an annexe for our van due to the new gas regs regarding the fridge vents... I’m happy ‘coz we get $2k to spend elsewhere, but yep... we need find a solution for more “outdoor rooms”.
And then home safe and sound..... new slab hopefully this weekend....
Great read @Smergen
Ive had quite a few chem toilets over the years and have always used cheap no name "napisan" in the holding tank. Its cost effective and a plastic canister lasts forever. Its also septic safe. It works very very well, as you'd expect, and is field tested by a gazillion people using this stuff for a bazillion years by choice in the most relentless and worst possible circumstances imaginable ...... kids !!!
We had a 16.49.1 and the obligatory Thetford Porta Potti under the wardrobe that we didn't use all that often, especially now our little children are 23, 21 and 9 ... (plus a grand daughter now)
We free camped in January 2013 with some friends at a beach side ablution free Parks Victoria free camp area. There was zero facilities aside from a single pit toilet. After happily using many many pit toilets, this offering was by far the best Ive ever experienced. It was only just short of Hilton standard. It became a bit of a joke because one family of "reluctant fringe campers" found it all to much and made bi-hourly trips to town to use the town public facilities there. Maybe I shouldn't have assumed my family was not excessively using the pit toilet; or maybe someone should have told another someone that two of the three weren't exclusively using the pit toilet.
Shortly after that trip I had a shoulder reco, which deferred any camping for a while, and forced the van into hibernation. Winter gone and shoulder as good the one my mum made for me. Almost 10 months after our fun weekend in the free camp down the coast, in late Oct 2013 we did the Stampede cross country run for a laugh. We decided it was a good opportunity to get the van out, organise a few friends and stay in a caravan park near the Stampede venue for the weekend.
We both free camp and park camp, sometimes on the same trip, sometimes mutually exclusive. I tend to unload the "camping" camping gear when we're park camping, because it occupies floor space in the van. If your keeping up with where this is heading, the next paragraphs should be obvious .... if not brace yourself.
Moving around the contents of the van to meet the needs of the weekend, I found the tiny broom in the wrong spot ... in the toilet cabinet under the wardrobe. Moving the Thetford I felt what was "surely" water in the top tank ..... odd I thought. I never leave water in the top tank.
It then became horrifyingly apparent it wasn't just the top tank that was sloshing around. Oh my god. It was like that point when you realise the telephone call to the baby sitting is coming from inside the house. Im casting my mind back, way back, to the last outing ..... OH MY GOD ... January???? NO000000000ooooooooo. S*#T !!!! (so to speak)
I tentatively removed the Thetford and carried it toward the house toilet, whilst trying to process the situation, how it happened, and what was coming next. A great many things were running through my head as I gingerly walked, one deliberate step after the other whilst mentally prepared myself as best I could for what was about to happen. I also had to brace myself to continue in the process once it started, seeing it out to completion without being overwhelmed. My family made a dash to a safe haven at the emergency assembly point at the nearest sporting oval.
I opened the lid and ..................... no biggie. Absolutely no different to emptying it way back in January, those long ten months before. I was astounded. No name "napisan" generally performs flawlessly in the usual camping circumstances, but I expected this time it would most certainly have met its match. The no name "napisan" had punched well above its weight and cemented its place in the Crusty Camp History Book as the best and only toilet tank additive that will ever see use in the Crustinator.
You can have your expensive sweet smelling nancy smancy additives, time delay dissolving bags, and eco friendly liquids etc etc. Nothing has been tested over an over and over again in a multitude of venues in an array of situations; pushed to its limits by the most horrendous of circumstances yet never once been beaten, like the mighty no name "napisan". (Plus its super cheap)
I think the sump idea is possible the best solution. A 20ltr plastic tub with the sullage pipe connected, and all the van wastes just dumping into the tub. Any "back up" will simply over flow the tub .... better than noodles and cocopops in the shower
Many years ago we came across an old JayDove that the owners had forgotten to clip the roof. The roof was entirely ripped off and went sailing down the road with the canvas flapping behind it
I left the best till last **** READ ON WITH CAUTION **** (and after breakfast)
Ive had quite a few chem toilets over the years and have always used cheap no name "napisan" in the holding tank. Its cost effective and a plastic canister lasts forever. Its also septic safe. It works very very well, as you'd expect, and is field tested by a gazillion people using this stuff for a bazillion years by choice in the most relentless and worst possible circumstances imaginable ...... kids !!!
We had a 16.49.1 and the obligatory Thetford Porta Potti under the wardrobe that we didn't use all that often, especially now our little children are 23, 21 and 9 ... (plus a grand daughter now)
We free camped in January 2013 with some friends at a beach side ablution free Parks Victoria free camp area. There was zero facilities aside from a single pit toilet. After happily using many many pit toilets, this offering was by far the best Ive ever experienced. It was only just short of Hilton standard. It became a bit of a joke because one family of "reluctant fringe campers" found it all to much and made bi-hourly trips to town to use the town public facilities there. Maybe I shouldn't have assumed my family was not excessively using the pit toilet; or maybe someone should have told another someone that two of the three weren't exclusively using the pit toilet.
Shortly after that trip I had a shoulder reco, which deferred any camping for a while, and forced the van into hibernation. Winter gone and shoulder as good the one my mum made for me. Almost 10 months after our fun weekend in the free camp down the coast, in late Oct 2013 we did the Stampede cross country run for a laugh. We decided it was a good opportunity to get the van out, organise a few friends and stay in a caravan park near the Stampede venue for the weekend.
We both free camp and park camp, sometimes on the same trip, sometimes mutually exclusive. I tend to unload the "camping" camping gear when we're park camping, because it occupies floor space in the van. If your keeping up with where this is heading, the next paragraphs should be obvious .... if not brace yourself.
Moving around the contents of the van to meet the needs of the weekend, I found the tiny broom in the wrong spot ... in the toilet cabinet under the wardrobe. Moving the Thetford I felt what was "surely" water in the top tank ..... odd I thought. I never leave water in the top tank.
It then became horrifyingly apparent it wasn't just the top tank that was sloshing around. Oh my god. It was like that point when you realise the telephone call to the baby sitting is coming from inside the house. Im casting my mind back, way back, to the last outing ..... OH MY GOD ... January???? NO000000000ooooooooo. S*#T !!!! (so to speak)
I tentatively removed the Thetford and carried it toward the house toilet, whilst trying to process the situation, how it happened, and what was coming next. A great many things were running through my head as I gingerly walked, one deliberate step after the other whilst mentally prepared myself as best I could for what was about to happen. I also had to brace myself to continue in the process once it started, seeing it out to completion without being overwhelmed. My family made a dash to a safe haven at the emergency assembly point at the nearest sporting oval.
I opened the lid and ..................... no biggie. Absolutely no different to emptying it way back in January, those long ten months before. I was astounded. No name "napisan" generally performs flawlessly in the usual camping circumstances, but I expected this time it would most certainly have met its match. The no name "napisan" had punched well above its weight and cemented its place in the Crusty Camp History Book as the best and only toilet tank additive that will ever see use in the Crustinator.
You can have your expensive sweet smelling nancy smancy additives, time delay dissolving bags, and eco friendly liquids etc etc. Nothing has been tested over an over and over again in a multitude of venues in an array of situations; pushed to its limits by the most horrendous of circumstances yet never once been beaten, like the mighty no name "napisan". (Plus its super cheap)
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Great write up @Smergen & @Crusty181 but it was a anticlimax Crusty, I had visions of Robin Williams in RV as I was reading it lol.
With the potential it started out with, and as much as a horrid ending would amuse the readers .... from a personal perspective im glad it ended the way it did
Howd the Stones concert goLol @Crusty181 ! I was both horrified but also giggling as I was reading that hahaha
Have heard of the almighty napisan being used, but never from someone who actually has used it. Thank you @Crusty181, for that, and for the laugh you just gave me. It was priceless!
@Crusty181... that is a classic... what a top read. I think you should repost is somewhere, and not hide it away in this ol' thread for the few that pass through here...
And thank seriously thanks for the tips. How good is Napisan (or the cheap equivalent)?? I got told that it's the greatest deck cleaner to use if you are planning on restaining your deck... After a test patch I was amazed... What would have cost me >$100 in deck cleaner was done with ~$15 of napisan. Final look was pretty good.
I had heard that Napisan was the tip, and you've now sold me on it. Will get Mrs Smerg's to get some on the next run into town to do the shop.
I also like the sump idea, to create what those of us in the industry call a "hydraulic break". I wonder what fancy contraption I could come up with...
And thank seriously thanks for the tips. How good is Napisan (or the cheap equivalent)?? I got told that it's the greatest deck cleaner to use if you are planning on restaining your deck... After a test patch I was amazed... What would have cost me >$100 in deck cleaner was done with ~$15 of napisan. Final look was pretty good.
I had heard that Napisan was the tip, and you've now sold me on it. Will get Mrs Smerg's to get some on the next run into town to do the shop.
I also like the sump idea, to create what those of us in the industry call a "hydraulic break". I wonder what fancy contraption I could come up with...
The other thing that came out of this trip was the thought/need to get an inverter for off grid stuff... Another thing I now need to go start researching and reading on...