Camping tips from the pros

ROPELESS AWNING SUPPORT

Don’t have enough ropes to peg out an awning to the desired angle? Rob Sanderson, from Stockton, NSW, proved just how easy it is to put up your awning with two spare tent poles. The tent poles can be crossed over and the bases moved in or out, depending on what angle you want the awning at. The closer they are together, the shallower the angle; the further apart, the steeper the angle.

TAILGATE KITCHEN

Looking for a place to do your food preparation? Terry Agland from Windsor Downs, NSW, has a full kitchen inside his camper but, sometimes when you’re outside, you need more room. So he replaced the lining of the lower rear door on his LandCruiser with a sheet of clear perspex, backed by upholstery material so you don’t look into the messy interior of the door, and uses it for such things as preparing damper dough.

DRAWBAR CARRY SPACE

We pinched this idea from caravanners Terry and Jenny Harris, from Woolgoolga, NSW. Terry modified his drawbar to add a steel mesh carry rack for firewood or those items that continually get dirty (wheel chocks, ramps, etc). Terry screwed in two new cross-members to provide bracing for the mesh, which he cut and bent to shape from a scrap piece he found. The mesh is held in place by Tek screws.

ROOM AT THE TABLE

For those with pop-top or hybrid-type campers that have an internal table, Steve Merchant, from Yarrahapinni, NSW, has found an interesting wrinkle. The Ajusta table leg bracket is a moveable off-centre pivot for the table top, providing added room on any side of the table whenever needed for exit and entry.

DEFACTO TRUCKIE

Do a lot of miles on the highway travelling around this big country? Sick of the “truckie’s arm” on the right side from sitting next to the window? Queenslander Graham Levet was sick of it, as was his wife Mary, so she came up with an easy solution — a right sleeve cut from an old shirt, which is held with a safety pin to the top of the singlet top that Graham favours while driving. The result is a more balanced appearance for Graham, and a better health outcome with no excess sun on the right arm.

SAVING THE KITCHEN TIDY

Karen Roberson, from Moruya, NSW, uses spare stubby holders around her camper in a kitchen tidy to stop knives, skewers and other sharp objects from poking holes through the bottom of the material.

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Check out the full feature in issue #82 November 2014 of Camper Trailer Australia magazine. Subscribe today for all the latest camper trailer news, reviews and travel inspiration.