The Marshian's New Home - 19ft New Age Gecko
- Thread starter Smergen
- Start date
Thanks @Pauly. We love it, and yes, it was the quality of the product that initially won us over initially. When they could accommodate our customisation, and Jayco couldn't even match prices, it became a bit of a no brainer.
Picked up some cheap ball weight scales from Supercheap on the weekend just to help us monitor and experiment with loading up the van.
Chucked the van on them yesterday afternoon....
Compliance plate says 120kg.... Now the tanks were half full, but also van isn't level in any direction. I'm pretty happy with the New Age accuracy of weights, and once I put on a tool box, load the front tunnel and fill the cupboards (all of which are infront of the wheels), I'm confident this weight will be around the 200kg mark where I want it.
Chucked the van on them yesterday afternoon....
Compliance plate says 120kg.... Now the tanks were half full, but also van isn't level in any direction. I'm pretty happy with the New Age accuracy of weights, and once I put on a tool box, load the front tunnel and fill the cupboards (all of which are infront of the wheels), I'm confident this weight will be around the 200kg mark where I want it.
That seems pretty low for a van over 2tonne Tare.. normally rule of thumb around 10%.
Where is the water tanks located. I know all your plumbing and fridge past axles.
I like to lower ours a bit as we on the 10%
Be a good van for those with a Pajero.. Low ball weight and pushing 3 tonne.
Where is the water tanks located. I know all your plumbing and fridge past axles.
I like to lower ours a bit as we on the 10%
Be a good van for those with a Pajero.. Low ball weight and pushing 3 tonne.
OK... shakedown trip #2 down and the love affair with this van continues...
One thing we saw at the show and finally put to use was the fact that the expanda bed is inset into the frame. This allowed for a ready made channel and storage space for our tables and benches. Two tables and associated benches, wedged in nicely with our foam mats. Brilliant.
Never had a van with a built in bayonet... Brilliant. New Age also provided a hose for it free of charge which saved us having to sort one out!
Awning got it's first run this time around and she's a big 'un... Going to need some rafters methinks...
Space in this van continues to astound.... The view from my "bedroom"
Only sour note was the light circuit kept blowing a fuse. Traced it to the outside light so once we didn't use that, it was all good. Will have a look at it during the week, otherwise it will be addressed at the first service.
Other new van highlights for us were
One thing we saw at the show and finally put to use was the fact that the expanda bed is inset into the frame. This allowed for a ready made channel and storage space for our tables and benches. Two tables and associated benches, wedged in nicely with our foam mats. Brilliant.
Never had a van with a built in bayonet... Brilliant. New Age also provided a hose for it free of charge which saved us having to sort one out!
Awning got it's first run this time around and she's a big 'un... Going to need some rafters methinks...
Space in this van continues to astound.... The view from my "bedroom"
Only sour note was the light circuit kept blowing a fuse. Traced it to the outside light so once we didn't use that, it was all good. Will have a look at it during the week, otherwise it will be addressed at the first service.
Other new van highlights for us were
- using an outdoor table
- Pandora stream through the stereo
- being able to hide dirty dishes under the fold down sink cover
When your using the gas bayonet set up just make sure the hose plug is clean, mine had a grain or 2 of sand and didn't take long to loose a tank of gas from a leak, I've actually gone back to the small gas bottle.
Looking really good, just have to retire to put it all to good use.
Looking really good, just have to retire to put it all to good use.
I'm just getting too old to roll under the van and wrestle with the thing to plug in, especially in dirt or gravel.......................just looked at all your pics again.................I really think I will block this thread.
Finished the first of the mods for the van this afternoon after getting back from the show, and something I was asked to do for the previous van and "firmly instructed" to get done for this van before Flinders trip.
The Gecko has an awesome large cupboard that was always earmarked for a pantry. I had originally planned for one of those swanky slide out jobs, but I think it wouldn't have utilised the space as well as the final solution and cost a crap load more I'm sure.
So following the tried and true design as spawned by @17triton and copied by millions, the shelves were designed and made up, with the first trial assembly undertaken in the shed.
If it was into the old expanda, that would have been it, but the nice white finish of the Gecko meant that a bit of paint was required. So a bit of left over ceiling paint was put to good use and I reckon it's come up pretty well. Finished with a few cuts of ally to give a lip and bit of "polish" and Mrs Smergs was stoked, which as we know, is the true measure of success of any project.
Also, as a shrewd suggestion from @17triton (he's quite learned) I mocked up a "cap" for the water connection using an old tap connector, some silicon and some gold spray paint (so I don't plug into it).
Simple and effective.
The Gecko has an awesome large cupboard that was always earmarked for a pantry. I had originally planned for one of those swanky slide out jobs, but I think it wouldn't have utilised the space as well as the final solution and cost a crap load more I'm sure.
So following the tried and true design as spawned by @17triton and copied by millions, the shelves were designed and made up, with the first trial assembly undertaken in the shed.
If it was into the old expanda, that would have been it, but the nice white finish of the Gecko meant that a bit of paint was required. So a bit of left over ceiling paint was put to good use and I reckon it's come up pretty well. Finished with a few cuts of ally to give a lip and bit of "polish" and Mrs Smergs was stoked, which as we know, is the true measure of success of any project.
Also, as a shrewd suggestion from @17triton (he's quite learned) I mocked up a "cap" for the water connection using an old tap connector, some silicon and some gold spray paint (so I don't plug into it).
Simple and effective.
Thanks mate, but if you look closely, my fit and finish is a shambles comparatively. But then my components aren't cut by computer either! It's wedged in very tightly though, and can remove without any damage to the van should we want to change the set up/arrangement.
Same as the shelves in our expanda but same as Mrs Smergen...... Mrs Dagree was stoked that she got her shelves so I got my brownie points also
Top job mate and look forward to inspecting the shelves in person in a few weeks:encouragement: and as long as the boss is happy then all is good.
I was looking at our pantry slide the other day and thinking a lot of wasted space, very nice set up with the shelves.
I have the hose connection on my tap but use a hose end with the open end blocked with silicon as a cap, I may have 6 hose connectors but can never find the things when I want one, thusly leave on tap with cap.............
Damn I wasn't going to look at this thread anymore, so I go and look at the pics again.........................ggrrrrrrr.
I have the hose connection on my tap but use a hose end with the open end blocked with silicon as a cap, I may have 6 hose connectors but can never find the things when I want one, thusly leave on tap with cap.............
Damn I wasn't going to look at this thread anymore, so I go and look at the pics again.........................ggrrrrrrr.
Ain't that the truth. Thanks for the template.
I do have a fear of hooking up a hose to it and blowing a little slug of silicon into the pipe so I reckon I will follow your lead. Design out the risk.
Oooppss, I forgot I have upgraded the fitting as I kept misplacing the cap, so I used a bit of cord with a big knot on the end which I jammed in the end of the hose fitting, then when it's not being used it just hangs around, thats for my front tap and my mains connector which is tucked up behind the rear wheel.
Took the van down to Ocean Grove for a couple of nights at the Riverview Family Caravan Park for, well, just because really. Will put up a trip report this week, just wanted to add a couple of pics and a couple of small things to note...
Had a shower in the van for the first time, it was brilliant. Never really had a shower in the 17.56.2, more of a wash down late at night. Being tall, I was always fearful of water going over or around the roof skirt at the top. The Gecko has a fully enclosed one piece shower from floor to ceiling. No chance of water to go anywhere other than down the plug. Great pressure, temperature and for a big dude like me, plenty of room. Palatial...
Also fired up the TV for the first time, and that worked no issue, crystal clear pic. Need to sort out a wall mount for the TV for the Big Trip. Won't really become a fixture before then as we're not massive fans of having the TV in there. Too much of a distraction for the kids.
The shelves in the pantry were a huge hit and apparently "the perfect height". Nice guess there Smergs...
Van sat well behind the Rock Truck and it's new suspension. No trouble there at all...
Happy to report, we still have more storage than we know what to do with...
The love affair continues...
Had a shower in the van for the first time, it was brilliant. Never really had a shower in the 17.56.2, more of a wash down late at night. Being tall, I was always fearful of water going over or around the roof skirt at the top. The Gecko has a fully enclosed one piece shower from floor to ceiling. No chance of water to go anywhere other than down the plug. Great pressure, temperature and for a big dude like me, plenty of room. Palatial...
Also fired up the TV for the first time, and that worked no issue, crystal clear pic. Need to sort out a wall mount for the TV for the Big Trip. Won't really become a fixture before then as we're not massive fans of having the TV in there. Too much of a distraction for the kids.
The shelves in the pantry were a huge hit and apparently "the perfect height". Nice guess there Smergs...
Van sat well behind the Rock Truck and it's new suspension. No trouble there at all...
Happy to report, we still have more storage than we know what to do with...
The love affair continues...
Good to hear all went well @Smergen ... Hope it continues going forward