PRODUCT REVIEWS
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Over time we have purchased all sorts of things for motorhomes, caravans and camping in general and after using all these products for some time we have some definite views about what products are good and which are useless money wasters. In this section we present a set of reviews about the items we have been using in the hope that they will help you decide what might be good to take on your own trips and what to avoid.
Although we try to be as objective as possible in writing these reviews it is difficult not to say some pretty unpleasant things about expensive junk that doesn’t work or gives up the ghost too quickly.
What has this got to do with W.A.? Well if you are travelling around it is likely you will be using much the same sort of things that we use as we travel and research information for this site, so we thought it might be useful to pass on some of our accumulated experiences with various products.
Power | Lighting | Tables and chairs | Tents | Refrigeration | Aerials | Radio and Boating | Miscellaneous
Caravan Parts
Roll out awning A&E by Dometic
Price: $1700 approx From: Caravan dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: * Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: * Product quality: * Our recommendation: Avoid this brand like the PLAGUE!
Our van originally had an A&E awning on it and we were very impressed by the solid construction and long lasting nature of the various components. When it came time to put a new awning on the van we naturally selected another A&E. This was a horrible mistake!
The new model looks pretty as it is coated in white paint, unlike the old version that was plain aluminium. Sadly the new version is utter rubbish. Cheap plastic parts have replaced long wearing metal. The whole thing rattles and clanks in even a medium wind and after just over two years it is already falling to bits.
Following is a list of problems we have had with this awning to date:
1. Support arm clips (now plastic) regularly fall apart. 2. The material is already starting to rip at the edges. 3. One of the plastic friction adjusters on the arms has fallen off. 4. Support arms can come out of the rail they slide along. 5. One of the slide out arms jams. 6. It is impossible to stop the metal arms rattling in medium to strong winds. 7. The flip lever that reverses direction when pulling out or putting away is sticking.
When it comes time to replace this again (very soon we expect) we WILL NOT be getting another A&E.
Power
Projecta 12amp (20amp RMS) Battery charger
Price: $279 From: Repco RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Our solar system was occasionally suffering from a lack of sun so we decided to get another battery charger. With big chargers (50amp etc.) costing so much money we opted for a 12amp continuous (20amp RMS) charger that we saw in Repco.
It will charge both 12 and 24 volt batteries, start a car with a flat battery and includes a timer so you can prevent overcharging. There are three levels of charging and if weight is anything to go buy, it seems to be well constructed.
Update July 2007: We have been using this unit regularly and apart from one occasion when we accidentally flicked the switch from 12 to 24 volt (and boiled the batteries briefly) it has been a very useful adjunct to our power system. It is used to top up the batteries when we run the generator at night and in the morning we usually have a reasonable charge (11.8-12.2v) in the batteries when the fridges are turned back up. It seems to put in between 5-6 amps while our batteries are reasonably charged up and will increase this if they are less charged.
Update 2011: This unit had worked well for years until it suddenly became dangerous. For some unknown reason the outer metal casing became 'live' and one day when I touched it I got 240v up may arm. It was promptly discarded and a new unit purchased.
Repco 16amp 12v Battery charger
Price: $279 From: Repco RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: Pending Our recommendation: Pending
This unit recently replaced the older charger (above) and to date has worked well. The only hassle is that it does not remember which type of battery you have when switched off and defaults to lead acid. As we have gel cells we have to remember to change this setting every time it gets turned on.
It is a 7 stage charger but as we have not used it much to date we don't have any informed comments to make so far.
Rutland 913 Wind Generator
Price: $1800 including mounting From: Outback Marine RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: ** Ease of use: ** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: *** Available in 12 or 24 volt models Our recommendation: Think twice before you buy this
We purchased a wind gen in order to try and do away with using the petrol generator at night. We had to make the mounting up ourselves as they are not available from the supplier. The mounting cost around $220 for all the bits and pieces.
Wind generators need to be set up high, away from your vehicles and need to be mounted on a strong metal pole with wire cables running down to the ground to stabilise it.
The big problem with this is that you need to be staying in one place for an extended time to make it worth while putting up. It really isn't a good idea for those people travelling from place to place all the time. The wind generators are quite high tech and they sense the state of charge of the batteries or they use a separate regulator. One model (the Air X) shuts down when the batteries are charged and starts again when required. This is an expensive item and will only be useful to people intending to camp in one place for several weeks or months.
One thing we can immediately comment on is the noise level of the Rutland as opposed to other wind gens we have seen. The Rutland is amazingly quiet and even in the ferocious winds of Bush Bay. I can hear nothing from the wind gen which is a mere 10 metres away. Other 3 bladed wind generators are quite unpopular (with other campers) as they a very noisy.
Parts needed for a stand: 1 galvanized or aluminium pole greater than 8 feet high. (the higher the better). 4 x 5mm steel cables (length depends on the height of the pole.) 8 x 5mm cable clamps 4 x 5mm hook and eye turn buckles 8 x 5mm U bolts 4 x 5mm stainless steel D saddles 8 x appropriately sized rivets to attach the D saddles to the pole 1 base plate with holes for tent pegs 4 x tent pegs 4 x star pickets 1 x larger diameter pole segment to slip the main pole in for stability. (this needs to be attached to the base plate and only needs to be a couple of inches high.)
Update May 2008: While we were happy with this unit when it was being used at Bush Bay (a VERY windy area) we are less than happy with its performance while it has been in use at Karratha. We are also concerned that it seems to put out only half the Amps it is supposed to and that our numerous enquiries to the manufacturer (Marlec in England) have been completely ignored. We are also worried about a strange vibration the wind gen develops in wind speeds of around 40 kph.
In the very highest winds we have been in (40 plus knots) the wind gen has only managed to generate 9 amps. During light winds we are lucky to get 1-2 amps. We are starting to think that a couple of new solar panels would have been a better investment.
A comparison in varying winds:
The Rutland 913 is about the equivalent of 1 x 120 watt solar panel in light to moderate winds that blow for at least 12 hours a day. It is about equivalent to 2 x 120 watt solar panels if it is in light to moderate winds for 24 hours a day or in strong winds for 12 hours. If the winds are strong and continue for 24 hours then the 913 is about equivalent to between 3 and 4 x 120 watt solar panels.
Light to moderate = 10 to 20 knots Strong = 20 to 30 knots or above.
Note: This wind generator may overheat in very strong continuous winds and to cool itself down it will stop generating power and start to free-wheel. When it does this it sounds like an aero plane taking off – don’t panic it is normal. The best thing to do if it continues to do this in strong winds is turn the blades out of the wind and then tie the unit up so that it does not operate. This is the only time that the Rutland is noisy.
You also need to be aware that if you want to work on your batteries and want to disconnect the regulator you MUST close the wind gen down first by tying it up and then disconnect it from the regulator BEFORE you disconnect the regulator from the batteries.
Update October 2009: This unit was only a month out of warranty when we had a problem develop. For some reason it stopped producing power and on investigating inside I found one of the brushes had stuck and jammed. I had to order a new set (costing around $30 including postage) and when I installed them I found a dramatic improvement in the power that the unit was generating. It now regularly supplies 4-5 amps instead of 1-2 amps in similar winds.
Air X wind generator
This model generates about twice the power of the Rutland 913 (see above) but it is about three times as noisy.
Smart Charger
Price: $?? From: Specialty dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Get a better unit than this
This charger operates when you have 240v power available and will charge up your house batteries and has a 'float' state that won't damage your batteries through over charging. It is fine for a system with a limited draw (3-4Amps) but this model is too small for anything bigger. It tends to overheat and shut down in hot weather.
Rechargeable Batteries
Price: $24+ From: Super Cheap Auto. RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: Non-existent Our recommendation: Do not buy
Small rechargeable batteries have a host of uses from running submersible water pumps to powering echo sounders and much more. This one is a small 7 amp hour battery and cost only $24. It is a sealed unit and can be recharged by solar power.
Update: Having used these for a while we have found that the lugs on top are prone to corrosion and easily fall off leaving the unit quite useless. Next time we need one we will spend the extra money and get a maintenance free motorcycle battery ($50-80). Don't waste your money on this style of battery.
Rechargeable Motorcycle Battery
Price: $47+ From: Marshall Batteries RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: * (for our intended use) Our recommendation: Do not buy for this purpose
After the disaster of the Super Cheap, super crappy batteries (see below) we have now bought a standard motorcycle battery and are hoping that it will be a big improvement over the cheap and nasty ones we had before.
We will be using this for the echo sounder, shower, water pump and a small inverter. I will have to come up with some way of monitoring the charge and providing a standard (and easy) way to connect all the different components to it.
Update 2007: We have only had this battery for just under 12 months and already it is showing signs of not re-charging fully. In the end the battery would not re-charge and this was probably my fault because I didn't keep checking it regularly. We have now switched to a $68 Masse heavy duty battery from KMart and are trying to ensure we keep it fully charged all the time. I know we really should be using a small 50ah deep cycle battery but they are too expensive.
Deep Cycle Batteries (Trojan 130ah)
Price: $205 From: Marshall Batteries / Barry Edwards Solar RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Ok to buy but get gel cell batteries if you can
We first purchased these in late 2005 and the first one failed in September 2009.
To start with these deep cycles have two positive and two negative terminals, each with its own wing nut. This is exactly what is required on a deep cycle battery. Too many manufacturers still seem to think of deep cycles in terms of starter batteries and put normal car terminals on them. Deep cycles (or house batteries as they are often referred to) are not for starting a car, they are for running 12 volt appliances in a caravan or motorhome and as such they need a system to allow people to easily remove cables and add cables when required.
You can clearly see the dual post connections in the photo above that allow simple attachment to the battery. We have chosen to use Trojan batteries as we have been told that they are better quality than most others and having used other brands in the past we have found that battery life has been limited to 2-3 years. It turned out that the first Trojan failed after 4 years fairly heavy use.
We have made the mistake (in the past) of buying different brand and different amp hour rated deep cycles and using them in the same bank. This time we bit the bullet and spent around $600 to get 3 batteries all the same make and amp hour rating. We hope this will be worth while in the end but only time will tell.
One note that needs to be made about these batteries is that they are higher than normal starter batteries and we did have trouble putting one in the Landcruiser as a second battery as the bonnet would not close. Some quick panel work with a BIG hammer was required to make it fit.
Deep Cycle Batteries (North Star 100ah) Gel Cell
From: Specialised suppliers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: Brilliant - buy gel cells not lead acid!
Gel Cell batteries do not need constant monitoring for fluid levels like lead acid batteries. They can be mounted anywhere as they do not spill or gas like lead acid batteries. They can last many times longer than lead acid batteries if used correctly.
Why doesn't everyone use gel cell batteries if they are so much better than lead acid? The reason is the price. They are 3 to 4 times as expensive. It is possible to get these batteries from a re-cycler as many big businesses use them for security systems. They can be bought for just 10% of the new price and we have seen examples of these batteries still being over 90% effective at nine years old.
150w inverter
Price: $150 From: 12 Volt Shop / Dick Smith etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
A very handy little inverter that can be combined with the power pack (see below) to provide a useful 240v outlet where ever you are. We typically use these small inverters (we have 2) to run things like an electric can opener, electric drill, a compressor, a water pump etc. They are very useful and their portability makes them easy to chuck in the back of the car and take anywhere.
Of course at 150w they are limited in what they can power so make sure you know the power draw from the appliances you intend to run from one of these.
Inverter 1500w (MSW)
Price: $800 From: Specialty dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy but think about getting a sine wave model instead
This is the second modified square wave inverter we have owned. The first died after about 3 years and we are waiting to see how long this one lasts.
Inverters are VERY useful if you have sufficient solar panels and batteries to get and store the power you need. Typically inverters like this draw 0.5-1.5amps and there is a 10-20% loss of power. What this means in reality is that you need enough solar panels to get your big batteries charged up and enough big batteries to handle the demand from the inverter.
We have been told of modified square wave inverters causing problems with variable speed motors and electronic gear like laptop computers. So far we haven't experienced any problems with this model but we can't make a blanket statement that no-one will have problems if they choose to use one of this style.
Given the funds I would much rather have a sine wave inverter as there is less chance of a problem and no interference with TV signals etc. We chose a large inverter (1500w) because we have used it in the past to run a 240v house fridge (17amp draw once started) and high wattage is needed to get the compressor started.
We have operated the following on the inverter with no signs of a problem (yet). Washing machine, Laptop computer, TV, Video, DVD, Stereo, Domestic fridge, Lights, Fan.
Sine wave inverter 700w Asian Electronics
Price: $710 delivered From: Specialty dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
This is the first pure sine wave inverter we have purchased and as it has only been in use for a short time we can't comment on the product quality.
One thing I can say is that I was crazy for purchasing a MSW inverter in the first place. Being able to use any electrical appliance without wondering if it will fry itself is a nice change. Although the old inverter (shown above) was able to run most of the appliances we wanted to use, there was always the fear of having something expire the minute you turned to power on for the first time.
At just 700 watts the new inverter won't run everything but it is big enough to run the computer (which takes a surprising 240 watts of power) as well as the TV, Video, DVD and satellite decoder all at the same time.
It will also run the washing machine but we tend to keep other appliances off when we are doing the washing.
We restrict use of the inverter to the hours 9am-3pm to ensure we get maximum benefit from the solar system. On the odd occasion when we want to watch a program late at night and can't run the generator in case we disturb other campers, the new inverter comes in very handy as well.
(Note: When we use our wind generator in very windy areas we are able to use this inverter on a 24 hour basis and never need to run the petrol generator for 240v applications.)
Generator (Honda EU20i)
Price: $2150 From: Specialty dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
Not everyone wants to take a generator camping and many people try to rely purely on solar panels and batteries to run their power. We have found that a few cloudy days can put paid to any solar system and we have lost count of the number of people we have spoken to who have had problems once the sun goes away for a few days.
We started off with a Honda 500w generator and progressed from there to an EM100f (Honda) which was too small when we were travelling in the big bus. This Eu20i model has plenty of power to spare and is very economical. It is reasonably quiet and produces perfectly clean power as there is a sine wave inverter integrated into it. We have only had this model for a little over a year but it has run for over 1600 hours without a problem. It usually starts first pull and will run on a full tank of fuel (4.2 litres) for around 11 hours. (Others we have met who have a similar sized generator with no eco-throttle report that a tank around 4 litres lasts only 7 hours.)
There are many cheap generators around today and you can get 750w models for as low as $98 from Bunnings. What they are like I have no idea, but for that price I wouldn't think they will last too long and the power they produce would be pretty dirty. The real cheapies are also 2 stroke motors which are more noisy and tend to pollute more.
Update: We still rely heavily on the Honda and run it for around 3-4 hours a day when we are bush camping. It is yet to be confirmed but we have heard that the expected working life of these generators is around 4,000 hours. So far this one has run for over 1,600 hours without a hiccup.
Update: Cheap generators like the $98 Bunnings specials may DESTROY expensive equipment with their dirty power. We met at least one person with a new expensive Engel fridge that was wrecked by using a cheap generator to run it. Why buy a $1600 fridge and run it on a $98 generator???
Update July 2007: After having our first Honda eu20i for 4 years and running it for well over 2500 hours we decided that it would be a good idea to sell it before anything went wrong and get a new one. We managed to get $900 for the old one and Honda offered a $200 cash back at the end of the financial year on a new one so we ended up purchasing a brand new eu20i for $1050. The new model now comes with a 4 year warranty. We do like to see manufacturers showing this sort of confidence in their products.
The only problem we have ever had with one of these generators was the pull rope breaking on one occasion. This was covered by the warranty and fixed at no charge.
Solar panels 64w Unisolar / 40 & 85w BP
Price: Unisolar $695 / BP 40w $450 / BP 80w $655 From: Solar Suppliers BP panels from Barry Edwards Solar Ph. 08 9336 2414 RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: BP panels Ok to buy
Uni-Solar claim these are heat and shade tolerant and that their 64w panel produces the same power as an 85w. From our observations to date, these claims seem to be largely true. The 64w panel IS HUGE. We have an 85w BP panel that is around 2/3 the size of the Uni-Solar. Uni-Solar panels ARE NOT suited to pull out and move around. Their size and weight demands that they are mounted on top of a vehicle and forgotten about - almost.
The BIG drawback of these panels is that they MUST BE REGULARLY CLEANED. They DO NOT SELF CLEAN. This is the main reason they are not accredited for use by big organisations like Telstra. Due to the uneven surface of the panel it is a magnet for dirt and dust and has to be inspected and cleaned at regular intervals to ensure correct operation.
BP panels are basically mono or multi crystalline. Mono being the older looking panels with hexagonal black looking cells and multi crystalline being the blue flecky looking ones. There isn't much to choose between the different types.
Currently we have 2 x 40w BP panels 2 x 80 w BP panels and 1 x 120w (made in USA) panel all mounted permanently on the caravan roof.
Angling panels towards the sun MAKES A HUGE difference to the power they put in. We opted to place all panels on the roof for simplicity and security but we do lose some power because of this.
Recent changes in solar panel design mean that now you can get 200w panels that are cheaper than the old 120w model we bought 8 years ago.
Battery Charger Energizer
Price: $30 From: Supermarkets RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
Because we make use of AA and AAA batteries all the time we finally decided to get some NiMH batteries and a charger to try and save money. To date we have made great use of this for our camera, GPS, torches and walkie talkies and it has paid for itself very quickly. It needs 240v power to recharge and that is taken care of by either the Honda (above) or our sine wave inverter. (We do not recommend using battery chargers with modified square wave inverters.)
As for the batteries we have used to re-charge. Energizer are good, Sanyo Eneloop are good, Eveready are rubbish. Any cheapie brand is rubbish. You pay for what you get. Expect 2 years more or less continuous usage before the better quality batteries need replacing.
Power Pack / Compressor
Price: $79 From: Bunnings RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: * Our recommendation: Do not buy
This is the second of these power pack units we have purchased. The first was an American unit that did not include a compressor. It eventually died due to electronic component corrosion after about 5 years but we were still able to use the internal battery for some time afterward.
The model pictured above is Made in China. It includes a compressor and a power meter and is quite a good deal heavier than the American unit we had. The initial unit cost $135 and lasted a long time. These type of units are very useful and can be combined with a small 150w inverter (see above) to give you easy to access 240v power.
Update: As expected this cheapie didn't last anywhere near as long as the more expensive American version. Next time I need one of these I will go back the a quality version and not waste money on a cheap Made in China product.
Solar Regulator 6 amp
Price: $49 From: Barry Edwards Ph. 08 9336 2414 RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ***** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: ** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Get a 20 amp model to allow for expansion
The big complaint I have with these units is that the terminals for the wires accept only 3-4mm wire and you have to put in a joiner (see picture above) to attach the 6mm wire you need when using 12v systems. his seems to be a basic design flaw that could have easily been avoided.
The other problem is that these units have been blowing fuses even though they are only accepting power from a panel that produces less than 6 amps max. It is probably a bad idea but I have upped the fuse size and haven't had any further problems. There is a risk attached to this but I got fed up with replacing fuses of the correct amperage.
Update: Putting a bigger fuse in WAS A BAD IDEA. As expected the unit eventually failed. Next time I will just spend the extra money and get a 20A model instead.
Solar Regulator Plasmatronics PL 20
Price: $298 From: Barry Edwards Ph. 08 9336 2414 RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
Plasmatronics have a good reputation in the solar world and we have seen plenty of these units in use and have yet to hear a single complaint about them. As I managed to destroy the Solsum regulator and needed one that would take up to 20 amps, the PL 20 seemed the best option.
The Plasmatronics is a little more sophisticated than is really necessary as it maintains a history of solar use over a period of 30 days. The statistics available from these units are quite comprehensive and include: State of charge in %, Amp hours in, Amp hours out, Maximum voltage reached, Time charging ended, Current charge in Amps, Current load in Amps and Current voltage.
The charging cycle includes boost, equalisation, absorption and float. The unit has a low battery disconnect option (11.2 volts) and can be set to send current to the load automatically once charging has finished for the day.
Although it may be a little more complicated to operate than other regulators, the information it provides means that it can be used by people requiring a sophisticated monitoring system, or by people wanting just a good reliable unit to keep their solar system working.
I am still quite suspicious about these so called 'intelligent' regulators as they restrict power flow to the batteries when the batteries are getting close to being full. This appears to happen even if there is a reasonable load on the batteries and it appears to reduce the number of amp hours that would normally be put in to the battery bank. The analogue Amp meter shows the solar panels putting in over 16 amps but the PL20 only allows 8.3amps to flow through to the batteries.
Update: Having done a lot more research into solar systems I now see why the regulator acts as it does. Reducing the power coming in when the battery is close to charged stops over gassing and prolongs the life of the battery bank.
240-12v Transformer
Price: $99 From: Marine and camping stores RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Used to allow you to use 12v danfoss fridges (WAECO etc.) on 240v power when it is available. We have only had limited use for this item but it has been handy to have when we needed it. It is a nuisance that you need to physically switch over from one power source to another. New fridges are coming out with automatic switching but for older fridges that are still out there this is still a useful option.
Lighting
Energizer Re-chargeable LED torch
Price: $28 From: Coles etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
This is the first LED torch I have bought and according to the blurb that comes with it, the bulb will never need replacing. LED lights are set to make a big impact on the motorhome and caravan scene because they can generate reasonable amounts of light wile using a fraction of the power needed by incandescent lights. This torch uses 1 small battery and will work for up to 8 hours before needing a recharge. Similar sized torches with incandescent bulbs last 1-2 hours at most and require more batteries to do the work.
That makes LED based torches much lighter. When you pick this one up it feels like there is no battery in there at all. The recharging unit is cleverly built in to the torch (It is the section on the bottom below the line you can see in the picture above.) It simply unclips, is turned 90 degrees and then the torch plugs into it and it plugs into a power socket. Very neat and it means you always have the recharger with the torch.
If the power turns off while the torch is recharging, it can be set to automatically turn on (this means you can find it immediately in the dark) and it can also be put into night light mode for those who want a low light source at night.
Assuming that it lasts a reasonable length of time it makes a good backup torch to the Eveready we already have (see below). It doesn't have anything like the candle power of a bigger torch but you can see reasonably well outside at night with the LED bulb. We really like the clever design but sadly, like almost everything else these days, this is not a product made in Australia.
Woolworths 5 LED solar light
Price: $29.95 From: Woolworths RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Not that good.
A useful and versatile light that is charged by the sun. It can be fixed via screws or attached to a metal surface via internal magnet. It is not waterproof so care needs to be taken with placement. Initial charge is 13 hours before use but after that just daily exposure of the small panel to the sun seems sufficient. The small panel comes with a mounting plate and is on a swivel so it can easily be attached to a roof or wall. The recharge cable is detachable so the light can be used in any location without regard to wiring. The main determining factor in deciding if this is a good product will be the length of time it lasts in everyday operation.
We have found that the light is not working very well. It keeps turning off even though there is sufficient charge in the battery.
Woolworths 8 LED head light
Price: $4.99 From: Woolworths RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ***** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: Pending Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Considering the fact that we have seen this style of light selling for $30-$40, these little units appear to be a real bargain. We have not had them long enough to comment on the quality yet but we did buy three of them because they looked ok and they were so cheap compared to everything else.
There are 4 settings; off, 2 lights, 4 lights and 8 lights. Each higher setting gives better light but also uses twice as much power. We have used these lights many times and we have not yet had to change the batteries (3 x AAA) which initially come with each one.
I suspect that the elastic straps will be the first thing to fail but this remains to be seen. To date we are very impressed with the light they produce and the fact that using a head light means both your hands are free unlike using a traditional torch.
Nelson Wind-up-chargeable LED torch
Price: $25 From: Coles etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
LED style torches are starting to take over the market and there are a couple of very good reasons for this. Firstly LED globes take far less power than conventional incandescent globes and this means you can use small batteries that last much longer. Secondly the torch can be much lighter and last the LED lights last much longer.
This torch incorporates a winding handle that turns a small internal charging mechanism. The advertising blurb says it uses no battery but we find it hard to believe that there isn’t a small re-chargeable battery inside to store the power.
The torch also incorporates a radio, an alarm and can be used (according to the pamphlet) as a mobile phone charger for some models of phone.
Because you use the internal charger to charge the torch up there is no need to worry about power sources. Winding the handle for 1 minute is supposed to give enough stored power for the torch to operate for 45 minutes.
There are two power settings, a low setting using 1 LED and a high setting using all 3 LEDs. Although we have only been using this torch for a short time it seems like a very handy addition to our odds and ends.
Lucky 12v Light
Price: Single tube $25 Twin tube $38 Similar lights are available from Auto 1 for just $19.95 twin tube From: Ranger Camping RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ***** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
We have had a Lucky single tube 12v florescent light for quite a while now so when deciding to upgrade the caravan lights I wanted to get the same model. A mix up with the supplier saw two 2 tube versions being sent out instead of the single tube ones I had ordered. As the hassle of getting it sorted out was too much I just bought the 2 tube models after a further discount from the retailer (the price above is normal retail). The single tube model draws only 0.4 amp and I thought logically that the twin tube model would draw 0.8 amp. The box said 1.75 amps but the PL 20 agrees with me and registers only a 0.8 amp draw.
It isn't possible to remove one tube and use the other with the twin tube model as the circuit is broken when you remove one globe. Even so 0.8 amps isn't too bad and is half the draw of a single incandescent 12 volt globe. This makes the single tube model 4 times as efficient as a 12 v incandescent light and it produces much more light as well.
Portable 12v Light
Price: $20 (wholesale) $35-45 (retail) From: CAMEC and dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
A handy go anywhere light that has a tough plastic cover to protect the bulb. This one has a stand and a hook included and produces plenty of light. It is weatherproof and has a reasonably long lead with a cigarette lighter plug.
Update July 2006. There was a small problem with the wires inside the light detaching because not enough slack had been left and they gradually came off the connections. This was easily solved with the judicious application of a couple of blobs of solder. We modified this even further later on by adding an in-line on/off switch that means we can leave it plugged in all the time. (The in line switch came off one of the old shower pumps we had.)
The light was accidentally broken in late 2009, it would have lasted longer than this if it had not been trodden on!
Dolphin rechargeable torch
Price: $80 From: Kmart / Bunnings RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Finally a good torch that doesn't cost the Earth in batteries to use. Although this might appear to be an expensive purchase to start with the battery lasts a long time between charges and the torch provides very good lighting. As yet we can't say how long the battery will last before it can't be charged again but to date we have been quite happy with this purchase.
The torch has a 2 year warranty.
The one particularly nasty thing about this torch is that there is no warning about when the battery has run out. With normal torches the light starts to fade when the battery starts to run out, with this one the light goes from full brightness of compete darkness once the battery gets low. This is a bit of a pain. Having said that we did eventually find out (R.T.F.M.) that it is important to re-charge the torch after each use and not to allow it to run down so I can't really blame the torch.
Update March 2006: The bulb blew recently and we tried to get a new one only to find that no-one had bothered to stock them. In the end we had to contact Eveready directly and they are sending one out free of charge (good) but it would be better if those retailers who stock the torches also stock the bulbs. We have come to depend on this torch a great deal as we use it almost every night. Being without it for a couple of weeks has been a big hassle.
Having got the new bulb from Eveready (thank you to them) the battery has now died and checking on the purchase date we found that the torch managed to last just 2 months (to the day) beyond the 2 year warranty. Perhaps this is another example of planned oobsolescence. We will now find out if the battery can be replaced and how much it will cost to do so if it can be done.
Despite the criticism, we have made extensive use of the torch and have (being clumsy) managed to drop it numerous times and it still kept going right up until now. Anything electrical that survives 2 years with us would usually last much longer with someone else. We used the torch almost every day and the light from the torch was very good.
Update April 2006: After contacting Erveready again about the battery we found that one could not be purchased, but as the torch was only just out of warranty they very kindly sent us a replacement (complete torch not just the battery). This is an example of good old fashioned customer service that has almost vanished from the world. Our thanks to Eveready for their excellent service.
Update May 2008: The battery in the torch eventually wouldn’t hold a charge so we have given up on this style and are switching to the newer LED light based torches with rechargeable batteries or with built in winder chargers that do not require a battery.
Lantern Guard rechargeable bug zapper
Price: $44 From: Coles RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: *** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
This is a terrific idea for anyone who goes camping. An insect zapper with a rechargeable battery that lures and kills all the nasty biting insects from midges to mosquitoes and even sand flies. We have only been using this for a week but it has already reduced the sand fly population around the camp site to a point where we are hardly being bitten. This is a huge change from two weeks ago when I had over 40 bites on just one arm!
If this turns out to be a good quality product we will recommend that everyone gets one and takes it on their camping trips. So far we love it.
After a few weeks use we have found that if a large number of moths land on the unit at the same time they seem to overcome its ability to zap them. As there are LOTS of moths where we currently are we have taken to using the unit inside the caravan and leaving it on for an hour or two before and just after we go to bed. This way any nasties in the van are killed without the use of noxious chemical sprays.
Update: To date we have been so impressed with this that we have now bought a second one.
Update 2: One of the units is showing signs of battery re-charge problems. It is running out of power far too soon and as it is only around 6 months old we may have to return it. If the batteries in these units prove to be unreliable it will be a real shame as they are fantastic at getting rid of sand flies and other small insects that can't be kept out using normal fly screens. Moths continue to cause problems with these units if they are used outside.
Update 2006. There is now a new model available (right hand picture) that works the same way as the old one. Despite the fact that the battery in these units seems to last only about 12 months before it starts to deteriorate, we still think they are an essential item to carry in the caravan or motorhome. Even when the battery does finally give up the lantern can still be used on 240v power via the transformer.
One good thing about the new model over the old is that it catches the dead insects in an internal (removable) tray and you don't get a ring of dead bugs around the base as you did with the old one.
Update 2008: The newer model is now having problems with the light not coming on properly. It still works and still attracts and kills bugs but the light is very dull.
Update 2009: Sadly you cannot get replacement bulbs for these lights so once the bulb gives up you throw the whole thing away. We will still buy new ones because they are so useful but the lifespan of each one is probably no more than 3 years.
12/240 volt 13cm TV / Light / Radio etc.
Price: $49.95 From: K Mart RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Normally we don't need a TV as small as this one and being black and white it isn't all that flash but on the rare occasions where we are 'roughing it' without the caravan and are close enough to town to get a TV signal, this will ensure we don't miss our favourite programs. It is handy as it runs from 240 volt and 12 volt via a car cigarette lighter or from C cell batteries. Other bits it comes with include a radio, torch, fluoro light, compass, temperature gauge and of all weird things, a siren. Quite what that is for I don't know. As it can receive VHF1 and 3 and UHF it will pick up any available TV signal and at just $50 it is good value.
After using it on our first trip down south we found we were too far from town most of the time to get a signal for the TV and we ended up using the fluoro light more than anything else. The light is bright enough to read by.
Tables and chairs
Folding Chair
Price: $10 (this one) From: Many places this one was from Bunnings RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ***** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Go for a medium priced model (not more than $50)
Everyone needs chairs of some sort when camping and this style seems to be very popular. They have a continuous back that stops cold breezes from affecting you as badly as chairs with open backs (see below).
My main grumble with this sort of chair is that the front edges are prone to dig in to the back of your legs and cut the circulation off. There is a huge price range for this style and they start at as little as $7. The cheaper ones have thin legs and less fabric re-enforcement than those just a few dollars more. We have had this one for several months and it has been in almost continuous use. Although less than a year old it is already showing signs of falling apart with stitching coming undone and the fabric at the back of the chair starting to split open.
We bought a second folding chair of this design but of a higher quality made by Coleman ($50). This is superior in every respect but as we have only be using it for less than 12 months it is not possible to comment on the longevity aspect of it yet.
Folding Chair (Jackeroo)
Price: $30 From: Kmart RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: *** Our recommendation: Not recommended
For a long time we have been buying this style of chair minus the fold out side table. I have been eyeing the ones with fold out tables but they were always too expensive. ($70+). We were fairly happy with the original ones we bought although the first pair cost $50 each (from a camping store) and the next pair cost $27 (from Bunnings). Both of these pairs were very light weight and had no problems with rust as they were made of an aluminium type frame. There was a constant problem with the material as it deteriorated badly after about 2-3 years.
When I spotted this type (with the fold out side table) in Kmart for just under $30 I grabbed a pair but have since found that they are much heavier and the frame is made from a metal that IS VERY subject to corrosion and discolourations. (See above) The chair pictured is only about 2 months old and already is showing signs of rust. The metal frame, although 2-3 times heavier than the original models, is nowhere near as strong. Both chairs are bending already and it looks like it is only a matter of time before we send them back to Kmart and ask for a refund.
The lighter chairs we can recommend as they were (eventually) reasonably cheap and they did last around 3 years before the material gave up. These ones from Kmart we cannot recommend as they seem unlikely to even last 6 months.
Update July 2006: Having said nasty things about these chairs last year, we do in fact still have them. They are looking worse than ever as the metal discolours but they still work and to date haven't shown any signs of falling to bits.
Update July 2007: We have replaced one of the original two chairs that we purchased but two years on one is still serviceable and will probably last at least another year.
Folding Chair (Coleman)
Price: $89 From: Ranger Camping RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
We needed a couple of new chairs as the cheapies from Kmart were getting a bit old and to be honest they were just too heavy.
We bought two different types (see the Kookaburra below) and this Coleman was a shop soiled version knocked down to $50. We certainly would not have bought it at the normal retail price of $89.
It is light, only 4.4kg and strong, with a capacity of 125kg but it is not as comfortable as the Kookaburra below. It remains to be seen just how long it lasts but people should steer clear of overpriced camping gear as doing so will bring prices down.
Update: December 2009. Much to my surprise this chair has lasted well and isn't yet showing any signs of falling to bits. Usually with folding chairs it is the material that gives up before the frame but this version is still doing well.
Folding Chair (Kookaburra)
Price: $59 From: Ranger Camping RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Although this chair lacks a side table it is probably the most comfortable folding chair we have had to date. The back is nice and high and is angled back which gives a nice relaxed posture.
It is slightly lighter than the Coleman (above) but only drops 5kg in its weight rating (120kg). Just why the Coleman is so expensive we don’t know, it certainly is NOT worth $30 more than this Kookaburra. Just profiteering we suspect.
Camp Kitchen
Price: $149-189 (Now as low as $75) From: KMart RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
A 'knock off' of the VERY expensive Coleman camp kitchen which isn't much different is construction or quality. It folds up neatly into a suitcase sized package and comes with its own carry case. (Although the zip doesn't last long).
It is very useful and comparatively light weight. It is a big table once unfolded with useful racks to store things on and hooks to hang utensils from. The sink has an extendable tube to direct waste water into a bucket but this didn't last long before falling to bits. Overall an excellent idea for use in a tent or annex.
We have seen another 'knock off' under the brand name Jackeroo in Kmart priced very similarly to this one. We expect it is probably about the same quality.
Update July 2007: We have been using this table for several years now and it has held up quite well to the rough treatment it has received. We did find it was necessary to install a support under the table just to the left side of the sink but apart from that it is still in quite reasonable shape. The zip on the carry case eventually gave up but that doesn't bother us too much as the unit just gets put up on the roof rack under the boat when travelling.
Camp Kitchen Mk II
Price: $170 From: KMart RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
This new design offers a better quality than the old version and has a stainless steel draining board and sink. The sink is not as deep as the older design but should be sufficient for most people.
There are now two fold out side tables instead of just one and the whole look and feel of the product is an improvement over the original.
There is a lantern holder and a tap (to which you can attach a hose and a pump (not included) and there is also a cutting board and paper towel holder included. The paper towel holder is a bit silly as it is the wrong size but it is only attached by Velcro so it can easily be replaced.
At around 23 kilos this version is almost double the weight of the original but it compensates for this by being better constructed and much stronger.
A hose is included for draining water from the sink and it looks like it will outlast the old version. There is also a handy sink plug / strainer that works quite well.
A carry bag is included but like the original we don’t expect the zip on this to last all that long.
Metal Folding Table
Price: $50 From: Supply Mart Roebourne RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
This table is a little heavy for its size as it is completely constructed of metal. We are hoping that we have finally found a folding table that is strong, folds down easily to a flat easy to store shape and will not rust or deform. These are things we are hoping for, time alone will tell if they apply to this table.
The table is very uncomplicated and has a slide out towel rail at one end. Apart from that there is very little to say about it. The metal surface has been coated and it is certainly a good strong table.
The coating on the table top is poor and the legs are prone to rust.
Folding Table
Price: $49 From: WA Salvage RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: *** Our recommendation: Ok to buy if you keep it dry
Everyone needs some sort of folding table when they go travelling and this is a good one as it folds down flat but opens up to a reasonable size. Its main flaw is that you can't put anything very heavy near the centre but otherwise it is quite strong and stable. We have had a huge range of folding tables over the years and this is one of the better ones. The frame is aluminium and so the table is very light weight and easy to transport. It has a carry handle and clips for use when folded.
The tops on these tables deteriorate badly if soaked by rain.
Folding Table Coleman
Price: $69 From: Ranger Camping RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: * Our recommendation: Not recommended
This is a variation on the old card table but has what looks like a nice durable plastic top (the card tables all seem to have useless vinyl tops that rip very quickly). How well stabilized the plastic is to sunlight remains to be seen. * see below!
The table is easy to erect and has a nice strong mechanism for the legs. Surface area is good and so far it has resisted most knocks and scrapes fairly well. The price is a little high considering card tables are around $30 but the other tables we looked at were more flimsy and were only slightly cheaper.
Although the table is quite light it seems quite strong but as we have only been using it for a few months we are reserving judgment on it at this stage.
So far this model doesn’t seem to be affected by moisture like the one above.
Update: December 2007: We are less than happy with this table as the frame has already started to rust and the top surface is separating from the underlying structure causing a bubbling effect on top. It is not yet 1 year old. The plastic top does not stand up to direct sunlight and is not at all suitable for an outdoor type of table.
Tents
Touring 2 Man Tent
Price: $110-299 From: Kmart / Woolworths / Ranger Camping RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: OzTrail Highly recommended
We wanted a tent that was big enough to be comfortable overnight but was also very easy and quick to erect. We found a real beauty by OzTent but at around $1000 (ARGH!!!!) we decided to look for something a little less shocking price wise. How in God's name can anyone justify charging $1000 for a bloody tent!!
We opted in the end for an OzTrail touring tent from Ranger Camping (we later saw a very similar design in Big W for $100 less - how typical is that? Then we saw one in Kmart for just $110!!!). We are yet to go away with the tent but we have set it up to see just how easy it is. To be honest it took all of 5 minutes from start to finish to get the basic setup done. There is only one pole that needs to be used (you can put the front awning out if you want to and that uses two more poles). Without the awning out there are no guy lines around to trip you up at night but lines are provided if you are in a windy spot and want to make the tent more secure.
There is room in the tent for two folding beds and there are some nice little design improvements like a place to put an electrical cable through and somewhere to hang up a light. The screens in tents finally have moved away from the old fly wire and now use micro-mesh that keeps out midges and sand flies HOORAY!
There is both a front and a back door which makes a nice breezeway and the side windows are low to the ground so you can maximise any wind available if the temperature starts to go up. Windows and doors are all zip down and that helps stop flapping in strong winds. Both awnings also zip down but I suspect that is a little difficult to do from the inside.
Overall it looks like a good sturdy tent that has been well thought out and can be put up or taken down in as little as 5 minutes if you are in a sheltered area and don't need to use extra pegs and guy lines. We still have the Stockman 8 man tent (see below) for the times we want to stop longer than a night or two but hopefully this will make our up-coming camping trip easier.
The only odd thing we have noticed about this tent so far is the fact that there are two awnings but only poles for one????
Update July 2007: We have now been away using the tent and it worked out fairly well. It is quite small and I would not like to use it for more then just overnight but it is very easy to put up and take down.
Update 2008: We now use this tent as a portable shed. When we go away in the caravan we set this up next to the van and chuck all the odds and ends that we can’t find a place for in the tent. So far it has worked out quite well as it packs away well, doesn’t weigh too much and is so simple to put up and put away again.
Update December 2009: We have had this tent up in very VERY strong winds and it has coped very well.
Update March 2010: The floor on this tent has finally given way and if you look only at the date we purchased it (2007) you might think that it has not been very good value. Actually the tent has been up in all conditions for months at a time and the canvas part of the tent is still in very good shape. We are going to turn it into a shower tent by completely removing the floor and it has lasted well considering the conditions it has been used in.
Stockman 8 Man Tent
Price: $400-ish From: Kmart RATINGS: How useful is it: ** Value for money: *** Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
We occasionally have the need for a tent to camp in and we have had several over the years. This is by far the biggest, heaviest and strongest that we have bought. We have had two 4 man versions of this style and both lasted for many years. The advantage of this style of tent is that they WILL NOT blow down in a strong wind. Modern tents with flexible poles and guy lines everywhere are a huge pain in the bum.
The BIG disadvantage of this style of tent is that the are big and cumbersome to carry. Because there is a separate front area you can have a living space and a sleeping space and quite a large outdoor sitting area under the front shade. We have had this tent up in the worst winds that Bush Bay could throw at it. Every one was waiting for it to blow away BUT IT DIDN'T! If you want space and comfort with plenty of headroom and you also have room to pack one of these tents, then get one in preference to the new fangled floppy tents that fall over at the slightest hint of wind. If you don't have quite as much room then think about the 4 man version (which gives half the inside space) instead of dome tents that will fall to pieces in bad weather.
We did have a dome tent for all of about 4 days. When we were camping at Rapid Bay a storm came in and the rotten thing collapsed on top of us in the middle of the night. I will NEVER buy one of that style again. The Stockman is surprisingly easy to put up and only has 3 guy lines to trip you up at night. The insets on the left show the inside of the tent and the one on the right is a 4 man version of a similar design that we had many years ago.
A fly over the top of this tent is very useful in keeping the inside temperature down once the sun comes out.
Pop Up Enclosure
Price: $49 From: Bunnings RATINGS: How useful is it: *** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ** How well designed is it: ** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Another pop-up camping product that would be useful if it worked properly. This worked fine the first time we used it but after that it got all twisted out of shape and is now very difficult to put up and almost impossible to fold back down again properly. We are still managing to use it and it will be handy for overnight stops to get away from flies and mozzies. It is big enough for a couple of chairs and a table so we shall persevere with it for a while at least.
Update: This is still quite useful but the metal bands seem to get mixed up about which way to pop out and as a result it can be a struggle to get it to stand up properly. It also takes a bit of fiddling around to fold it back up again afterwards. It is still useful and we are still using it to keep flies and mozzies at bay.
Shower / Toilet tent
Price: $59 From: Kmart RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Not recommended
This type of toilet / shower tent is rapidly falling out of favour because of the type of material it is constructed from. The plastic fabric is VERY noisy in any sort of wind and can drive you crazy at night if it is placed too close to where you sleep.
In other respects the toilet / shower tent is all right but it lacks the number of pockets provided in the flip out model shown below. We have found that this type does stand up quite well to fairly strong winds but very strong wind will start to separate it from the peg down loops along the bottom. Our preference is for the newer designed flip out tents.
Pop Up Shower / Toilet Tent
Price: $89-$110 From: Ranger Camping etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: *** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
Pop-up camping gear is becoming more commonplace and these pop-up shower tents are very handy when you are travelling between various places and are only stopping overnight. They save the hassle of setting up a shower tent with poles and guy lines but they are quite susceptible to wind and need to be placed in a sheltered area. We definitely don't recommend using one of these without at least pegging the bottom down first - it could be quite embarrassing.
Although less than 12 months old this tent is already showing signs of wear on the bottom where the material has been rubbed away by contact with the ground and the metal bars are showing through. This can be repaired but shows how quickly these items can wear.
The removable top on this type has proven to be very good as it helps the tent to dry quickly and avoid getting mouldy. We would suggest that if you consider getting this type of shower tent then get one with a removable top.
Update July 2006: We are now on our second of these pop up shower tents. The first one lasted about 18 months. This is a little misleading for anyone who only camps occasionally as during those 18 months is was probably in constant use for about half the time. It stood up well to very strong winds and eventually the zip gave up and the fabric just wore out.
We were happy enough with the first one to buy the same type again although we do feel that the price should be closer to $50 than $100 as currently they are quite over priced.
In very strong winds, this type of shower tent just seems to fold up on itself and have a little lie down until the wind stops and you just pop it back to the original shape again. We have found some people who have bought similar pop-up shower tents who cannot get them to fold up again once they have unfolded. We tried to help one couple at Cleaverville re-pack their tent but there was no way it wanted to do what it was supposed to. There seem to be some makes with very strong springy bars inside the fabric so be aware that this could happen. We can only suggest that you get the sales people to show you how it is done with the one you buy before you leave the shop.
Update July 2007: It looks like these tents last only about a year (if used regularly) as the new one is showing signs of zip failure. The fabric isn't showing signs of failing yet but like most products these days it is only designed to last just beyond its warranty limit. What type of shower tent we buy next remains to be seen.
Update December 2007: The price of these tents is gradually coming down (currently about $70) and we are now on tent number three. Why? Because we haven’t found anything more convenient and light weight, so although they only seem to last us about 18 months we will probably just make room for a new one every year or so in the budget. We have to be fair and say that we do leave the tent set up for weeks at a time in all sorts of weather so anyone using these as intended will probably get many more years out of them than we do. The design has changed slightly with a larger floor area and a Velcro-on floor that looks like a waste of time.
We have had a number of shower tents over the past few years and this is the ONLY one we would recommend.
Price: $99 From: Camping stores RATINGS: How useful is it: *** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ** How well designed is it: * Product quality ** Our recommendation: Not recommended
This shower tent is smaller than we would like. It tapers too much towards the top end does not allow enough room to hang clothes when you are showering. It is not a pop-up design as it relies on 4 metal poles to hold it up. There are not enough pockets or hanging points inside for shampoo, soap, towels etc. Overall it is a poor design with not enough room to be comfortable. It is also much taller than many other shower tents and tends to catch the wind more.
Price: $89 From: Camping stores RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ** How well designed is it: **** Product quality ** Our recommendation: Not recommended
If it wasn't for the weak metal supports in this tent it would be the best designed shower tent on the market.
It is roomy enough to be comfortable and the only design fault are the ventilation openings on each side at the top. These CANNOT be closed off so in windy weather it makes showering cold and in wet weather the rain comes in.
Otherwise it is well designed with a zip window on the rear wall and plenty of places to hang things inside. The addition of a rope through the interior tie points makes an ideal place to hang clothes.
Sadly the material is too flimsy and the metal supports are much too weak. This tent lasted only a few weeks in windy weather before it collapsed and would not pop back up again. It was difficult to fold away because of the weak supports not keeping their shape 'memory' but with a bit better quality components this tent could be really good.
Refrigeration
Engel 80 ltr upright
Price: $1059 From: Ranger Camping RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: DO NOT BUY THIS MODEL Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: What quality? Apart from the motor there is NONE! WARNING! If you intend to drive over rough roads with one of these fridges on board REPLACE the top bolt (holding the fridge door) as it is FAR TOO SHORT and the door will come off the fridge if you don't! Our recommendation: Not recommended
As with all 12 volt fridges this is vastly over priced. Somewhere there must be someone making millions of dollars out of this rip-off and so far no-one has done anything about bringing prices down. When you consider that a similar sized 240v only fridge costs around $200 I simply do not believe that a 12/240v fridge costs 5 times as much to produce.
This fridge, like the MT60F below, automatically swaps from 12v to 240v when it is available but it looks like this one has a much higher power draw as it seems to take 3.8 - 4.2amps consistently.
When you look at the freezer door you think, 'Great, a full width freezer' only to be disappointed when you open the freezer door and find the temperature control takes up about a quarter of the area that should have been freezer space.
The big 'pain in the bum' with this fridge is that some dill has made a fridge door that WILL NOT take either a 3 litre or 2 litre milk bottle. In the picture above you can clearly see the indents in the door intended to hold bottles, this is a good idea but should only have been done for half the width. The other half should have been made to accommodate a milk container and Engel SHOULD FIX THIS in this range of fridges. While it is possible to put a milk bottle in one of the inner shelves by flipping up a section of wire shelf, it is awkward and means pulling just about everything else out to do it.
Engel has spoiled its good design reputation by not thinking too hard about this model. The wire shelves have a cheap and nasty feel and are too flexible. The door catch is simple and would be effective if the door was hung correctly.
The height of the fridge door shelves is quite good. The fridge comes with two small ice trays but the length and gauge of 12v wire (hidden in a box at the back) leaves a lot to be desired. There should be a pre-drilled hole for the 12v connection with a rubber insert to protect the very thin wire. The insulation and the black plastic stuck to it around the sides and back looks awful. Yes I know this goes inside a cupboard and isn't seen after it has been installed but surely it could be done in a better way than it has been. Even compared to the Vitrifrigo we used to have (see below) the Engel lacks finish and is somewhat disappointing.
As this is currently the largest upright in the Engel range we are also less than impressed that it is only 80 litres. The crappy gas fridge was 90 litres and the Vitrifrigo was 113 litres. People in caravans need every bit of fridge space they can possibly get and Engel needs to develop a range of slightly larger fridges to give people a better choice.
Although we have opted for Engel reliability in purchasing this fridge, we are not very happy with many of its features. If Engel wants to continue to be the leader in 12/24v fridge technology it needs to lift its game when it comes to upright fridges.
Update: After only using this fridge for a few days we are VERY disappointed with it. The motor is excessively noisy and there are rattles in the metal frame work that can only be cured by pushing bits of cardboard between them. The freezer door rattles constantly and nothing we have done seems to keep it quiet for long.
It uses far more power than is claimed by the brochure, which claims the fridge runs at 0.5 - 3.3 amps. The PL20 shows a draw of 3.8-4.2 amps which is exactly what you would expect from a fridge drawing 48 watts at 12 volts. What is the point of blatantly lying about the current draw? A more realistic rating system needs to be developed for assessing the power use of these type of fridges. An average daily consumption in amp hours at 20 / 25 / 30 and 35C would be much more useful.
At present - and we are still testing this - we believe that the compressor will NOT COME ON AT ALL on a setting of 2 or less. (It turned out that the fridge did eventually come on but at this level everything in the freezer would defrost.)
The fridge is currently exceeding 44 amp hours a day on a setting of 3 with daily temperatures of less than 30C. As the door fell off after driving down a corrugated road and dumped the contents of the fridge on the floor we are now going to send a written complaint to Engel. If this fridge is typical of the quality of Engel uprights, then we suggest that caravaners and motorhomers look elsewhere and do not consider an Engel upright until they fix all the problems associated with this model. Compared to the top opening Engel, this upright is a downright disgrace and Engel should be ashamed of producing something this poor.
Update April 2006: After taking the fridge to the local repairer the problem with the door has been sorted out (so we are told) but the excessive noise and vibrations from the cabinet remain unresolved. The construction of this fridge is so poor, it is my opinion that the vibrations will never be sorted out. The conclusion is simple: DO NOT BUY ENGEL UPRIGHT FRIDGES!
Update May 2006: After driving from Nerren Nerren to Barradale rest area and crossing nothing more rough than a few cattle grids on the sealed highway this was the sight that greeted us when we arrived at our destination for the day. The useless Engel fridge had dropped the door off its hinges AGAIN after supposedly being fixed.
There really is nothing more I can say about this fridge, except that if you buy one you will regret it. Our letter to Engel has been ignored so we will be making our complaints about this fridge known to as many people as we can.
Update October 2006: It came as no surprise at all that the bloody door fell off yet again on our latest trip down to Perth. This time we didn't leave the bitumen at all and there were NO cattle grids!!
Update December 2007: As we can’t afford to replace this fridge we still have it and it continues to act quite well as a fridge but the freezer compartment is unusable as we have to turn it off at night to get some sleep. We simply freeze a big bottle of water each day and this helps keep the temperature down over night. It is still a rattly, noisy horror of a fridge.
Two Zone Engel MT60F extension.
Price: $400 From: Retra-Vision / Taylor Marine etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: ** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy but too expensive in our opinion
You can turn your Engel 60 litre fridge freezer into a 100 litre fridge freezer with this somewhat pricey extension. It is hard to see why it costs $400 when it is basically a cool box with no top or bottom. I guess the rationale is that if you have enough money to buy an Engel then the makers of the Two Zone figure you have too much and are happy to separate you from even more. The existing Engel fridge lid unclips, the extension box replaces the lid and then the lid goes on top of the extension. You can use it as all fridge or as a 60 litre freezer at the bottom with 40 litres of fridge space on top. We are yet to test this out in any warm weather but at around 25C during the day and 13C at night it is working very well. The extension comes with 2 baskets and the freezer can be accessed by simply opening the bottom catches (see above). Some sort of leg to hold the top section up while you get at the area underneath would have been a nice addition.
If you intend to use one of these you need lots of room. We found it was too big to keep in the back of the Cruiser so it had to come out and be set up in the caravan annexe.
Update Jan 06: We have now been using this for quite a while, even at home as it gives us an extra freezer to put specials in whenever we find them. No complaints about the performance yet but we have only had a few days of 30+ temperatures this summer so it hasn't had a good hammering.
60ltr Engel MT60F 12 / 24 /240 volt fridge / freezer
Price: $1599+ From: Retra-Vision RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
Although we have only just purchased an Engel and our experience with this model is still very limited, there is little doubt that this is the standard of fridge to which all others aspire. Simple design features like a lid that leans back slightly so it doesn't keep falling down on you when you open it, catches that release easily and are very secure when closed, a PROPER temperature control (see insert) and self-starting when the power goes off and on.
With this model there is no fibbing about the space actually available. Far too many fridges we have seen claim to be a certain size but use space above the compressor or up in the lid as part of the size quoted. With the MT60f what you see is what you get, 60 litres of real fridge / freezer space.
Power options are 12 / 24 volt DC from batteries or 240v AC. Unlike many cheaper fridges the 240v is built in and the fridge will switch automatically from 12/24 to 240v when it is available.
Our biggest complaint about the Engel is the price. $1599 for a 60 litre fridge is a hell of a lot of money. Even if it is the best on the market a price closer to $1000 would be much more realistic.
As far as we are concerned the jury is still out regarding the performance of this unit but as we use it more we will be able to give you better informed comments about how well it works.
A good option to purchase for this fridge is the cover that not only insulates it more but protects it from damage while in the back of the car or trailer. Covers are $150. Another option is an add on section which sits on top and increases the useable space. Not having one of these at present we can't comment on how well they work but the price quoted to us was $400.
Update Jan 06: The Engel is being used a lot on both 12 and 240 volt and to date it has performed flawlessly. More than I can say for the horrible little Waeco look alike. The main problem with an Engel is you need a big caravan or motorhome to have somewhere to put it. In our little van is sits in the middle of the floor and gets in the way a bit but this is only a problem when we are moving around a lot.
One strange thing that I can't explain is why the unit sometimes uses as little as 2.5 amps and other times it will use up to 4.5 amps. If anyone can give me an explanation I would be most grateful.
Update April 2008: This fridge still plods along. It is still fairly quiet and it does what it is designed to do. If I can still say that in 10 years time then I will regard the horrendous initial purchase price as worth while.
90ltr Gas Fridge Freezer
Price: $1500+ From: 12 Volt Shop etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: * Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: *** Our recommendation: Not recommended
Our experience with gas fridges IS ALL BAD. First they chew up gas at the rate of about 1 x 9kg every 2 weeks. Second they seem to break down at the drop of a hat. Of the 5 we have had, from a big 2 door model down to a very small one with no freezer, 4 have broken down. They have to be level to operate and they generate LOTS OF HEAT. The one that didn't break down was sold before it had the chance to do so and we never actually used it.
To be honest we think gas fridges ARE CRAP! They don't operate properly when the temperature goes over 32C and they cost around $800 to fix if they drop the refrigerant gas. (Ammonia which is highly corrosive.) We are yet to meet anyone who has a gas fridge that works well when it is humid and hot. We have seen people come in to places like Cleaverville in May with a brand new gas fridge telling everyone how good it is. Four days later they have been cursing the fridge as the cabinet temperature creeps up to 8C and finally 12C.
The only gas fridge we had that managed to operate anything like properly in hot or humid conditions was the large 2 door model. Even though this just managed to keep food in the freezer mostly frozen in high temperatures it broke down twice and we threw it away on the second occasion.
If you absolutely must get a gas fridge then make sure the model number has a 'T' (for tropical) attached to it. These do work a little better than the normal gas fridge but they cannot compare to a 12/24 volt compressor fridge.
Doing the maths, I have worked out that a proper solar based system with a 12v compressor fridge will pay for itself after 10 years. That may sound like a long time but a gas system will go on costing money for ever!
All fridges have to be set up correctly and this means correct air flow around the sides and rear of the cabinet. Even 12 volt compressor models will struggle if they are not correctly ventilated. Heat has to be removed from the fridge in order for it to get cold. If the heat cannot be removed the fridge will stay at a much higher temperature.
Update May 2008: We continue to laugh heartily at people with gas fridges who come to Karratha in April and May and then find their fridge stops working.
12/24 volt 40ltr Fridge Freezer (Vitrifrigo) top opening
Wholesale Price: $645 From: CAMEC & Dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: *** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: ** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Do not buy
This is a reasonable unit EXCEPT for the digital control panel that does NOT turn back on once the power is interrupted. This could be disastrous if the power gets turned off accidentally and goes unnoticed. The insulation could be better but the unit seems to work well in all temperatures and will act as a freezer if used on the highest setting. The lid catch is rather poor and I would like to see a catch that holds the lid shut. It utilises a Danfoss 35f 12v compressor (a good unit) and comes with a lock down bar that holds it in place in the vehicle. Power draw is around 4.5AMPS. The number of AMP hours used per day varies with the temperature setting and the ambient temperature.
Update Feb 2006. We are still using this fridge mostly as a handy way to get cold items back during shopping trips. Given all its design faults we still manage to make use of it ourselves, but would be hard pressed to recommend it to anyone else. The lousy lid latch has finally broken but thankfully gravity does a good job of working in its place. The string that is used to keep the lid from falling back when opened is too short and ensures the lid falls on you every time you go to get something. The hinges are plastic and I expect them to break, the plug holding the silly short string pulls out and the lid flops backwards pulling screws out of the hinges.
Also the fridge cannot under and circumstances be regarded as a 40 ltr fridge. Anything above the cooling element (Ie. in the lid area and above the compressor) will NOT stay cold when in fridge mode and will NOT freeze in freezer mode.
Whereas an Engel fridge will go on working when voltage drops a little low, these units cut off and that is a real nuisance.
Update 2007: Despite using this unit very little over the past couple of years it recently gave up the ghost and we are about to see if it is worth repairing. (It wasn’t!)
12/24 volt 113ltr Fridge Freezer (Vitrifrigo) front opening
Wholesale Price: $1072 From: CAMEC & Dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: ** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: ** Product quality: *** Our recommendation: Not recommended
Another fridge using the Danfoss 35f compressor. The internal freezer door opens upwards and has no catch (a nuisance). The temperature control is by the side of the freezer which reduces freezer space. (There is a model with a full width freezer.) Unlike the 40ltr fridge listed above, this one has a sensible temperature control that allows the unit to come back on automatically when power returns after an outage.
This model has a built in compressor (which reduces available space in the fridge) but there is a model with an external compressor if you have room to fit one. There is NO crisper draw (optional extra) which sucks! In general terms it is quite a good unit drawing the same power as the model above. The door catch is hopeless and has to be replaced. Theoretically the door can be hinged at either side but in practice the screws are almost impossible to remove.
Aerials
UHF antenna (compact) Price: $? From: Specialist stores RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: ? Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
As this antenna came with the caravan we purchased recently I don't have information on pricing or suppliers but it is worth including in the review page because it actually produces a better picture than the model shown below. It is also more compact and therefore easier to store (or mount) on a caravan or motorhome.
Hills UHF antenna
Price: $79-$149 From: Retra-Vision / Betta Electrical etc. RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: **** Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Where we can (and it is getting harder and harder) we support Australian companies so we bought the Hills antenna and not the cheapie import. This type of antenna is needed in areas where TV stations broadcast on the new UHF frequency (as opposed to the old VHF that is slowly being phased out.)
This is the bigger 18 element version and there is a smaller 9 element variant for areas with a better strength signal. The antenna was a simple to assemble click together system with only the mast bolts requiring a spanner to do up. Because this antenna easily clicks together it is easy enough to pull it apart again for travelling. The area we have the bus in now means the old T bar (see below) antenna is useless but it is still good enough to take with us in the caravan.
Magnavox antenna
Price: $69 From: Dick Smith Electronics RATINGS: How useful is it: * Value for money: * Ease of use: ** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: ** Our recommendation: Do not buy
So far we have been less than impressed with this antenna. It is reasonably small and easy to erect BUT despite the fact that it has an amplifier (240v only) it does not perform very well compared to the T antenna (below). These are supposed to be omni-directional antenna and perhaps that is why they don't perform as well as directional antenna. Some people we have met have had major electrical problems with this antenna, to date we haven't had these problems but will let you know if it ever fails to operate.
It does not work at all without the amplifier and having to have 240 volt all the time when we have a 12 volt TV is a big pain.
Update: In the end we got fed up with the poor performance of this antenna in even strong signal areas so we got rid of it.
T Bar antenna
Price: $99 From: Caravan Accessory Shops RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
We have had two types of this antenna, this is the second and much simpler design (which you could easily build yourself). It consists of nothing more that antenna wire which splits at the T and runs down each arm and back to the centre. It works reasonably well in areas where there are not too many hills.
The second type of T antenna we have owned has a black box on the side with some electrical connections inside. This is the type we started off with and it worked very well in most areas including those in hilly regions. The connections on top finally gave up and the black box on the side fell to bits. I simply re-connected the aerial wires to the top of each arm with a screw and it still works perfectly back at our big bus. This T bar antenna is more complex than the one pictured above and each arm of the T has a hollow copper tube inside. It can be used in a horizontal position in flat areas and in a vertical position in hilly areas.
The T Bar style of antenna is easy to erect and easy to store as it comes apart and folds flat.
We have also used a 9 element UHF antenna when we stay in the Karratha area. There is also a (better) 18 element model which other people use. These UHF antennas are widely used by those who stay in this area camping at Cleaverville and 40 Mile. Other antenna types do not perform as well in this area. (WE now have an 18 element UHF antenna - see above.)
Our most recent 'antenna' is an 88cm satellite dish which is supposed to work everywhere that you can get a bead on the satellite. It was difficult to get a signal on the North West coast but we did manage. Other people with smaller dishes COULD NOT GET A SIGNAL AT ALL in these areas. (This recently changed as the power of the signal from the satellite was increased.)
As we have now been using it for a while we can make a few observations about using a satellite system to get free to air TV.
1. Setup costs are dropping all the time. As of July 2007 a full basic setup consisting of: Set top decoder, Cable, Satellite finder (squealer), Fly lead, Compass, 88cm dish, LNB, stand, should cost no more than $350. You can buy all sorts of 'flash Harry' gear but if you want just the basic setup that will get the English language free to air stations then you shouldn't be paying more.
2. We have been told that dishes less than 85cm do not work well in the north west of WA. After trying to get one to work for someone else and failing it looks like this is correct. We even have problems getting a strong signal on our dish if the weather turns wet. GWN, WIN and Westlink all seem to drop out in bad weather.
3. Setup time, from the time you stop your vehicle to the time you get a signal can be as little as 5 minutes or as much as 20 minutes. If it takes longer you need more practise.
4. Some retailers will tell you that you don't need a squealer. DO NOT listen to them. GET A SQUEALER or you WILL regret it.
5. You need a clear line of sight in front of your dish. Setting up in the middle of a forest is hopeless but with the simple addition of a pole you can get over low lying scrub (see below). Strangely enough this doesn't seem to go out of alignment even in quite strong winds.
6. Peg your dish stand in BEFORE you start to try and find the satellite.
7. Make sure you connect the cables to the squealer correctly. Look at the back of the squealer to see which cable goes on which end.
8. Never over tighten cables. Finger tight is tight enough.
9. Get HUGE pegs to peg the stand down. Make sure it is very well secured or the first strong wind will put it out of alignment.
10. With a gold card you will get the following channels: ABC WA, ABC SA, ABC NT, ABC QLD, ABC SE, SBS WA, SBS SA, SBS QLD, SBS SE, Imparja, Seven Central, GWN, WIN, Westlink, a religious channel, Foxtel help channel and two shopping channels. THIS IS ALL THERE IS on free to air. One GOOD thing is that you can get your HOME STATE news while on the road (at least until Optus stops gold cards from working).
A few shows differ from state to state but there isn't as much content on the satellite as some sales people will try and tell you. There are also a bunch of radio stations but I am yet to meet anyone who uses them. You can of course add pay TV (Foxtel/AustNet) to this but pay TV remains a very over priced alternative that does not give you the opportunity to select exactly the stations you want. If Foxtel ever allow us to select the channels we actually want and not supply packages with channels we will never watch we will seriously think about pay TV because free to air is full of utter trash these days.
11. If you are able to get a strong signal on your satellite (60% quality or more) then it will always be a perfect signal. Unlike UHF and VHF once the quality of the signal reaches around 60% you will get a perfect picture on the TV.
12. The signal comes from the Optus C1 Aroura satellite located about 2000kms off the Queensland coast. As you move around the inclination and horizontal angle of the dish will change. Here is a brief guide to various areas:
DIRECTION COORDINATES FOR OPTUS C1
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Albany 54 33 4L Broome 65 46 15R Bunbury 57 32 0 Carnarvon 65 35 10R Esperance 51 37 5L Eucla 44 43 9L Exmouth 67 37 14R Geraldton 61 34 5R Halls Creek 60 51 10R Kalgoorlie 53 38 1L Karratha 67 40 14R Katanning 55 33 2L Kununurra 62 54 13R Marble Bar 64 41 12R Margaret River 57 31 0 Meekatharra 60 37 0 Merredin 56 35 0 Newman 62 41 9R Perth 58 33 0 Warburton 52 45 10R
NORTHERN TERRITORY
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Alice Springs 45 53 4L Barrow Creek 48 55 1L Daly River 64 56 8R Daly Waters 56 58 8R Darwin 65 56 18R Katherine 60 58 12R Tanami 55 52 10R Tennant Creek 50 56 1R
QUEENSLAND
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Bowen 10 60 25L Brisbane 6 58 39L Bundaberg 9 61 37L Burke 44 62 3L Cairns 32 67 14L Charleville 21 57 26L Cooktown 35 68 11L Hughenden 30 62 17L Mackay 18 64 28L Mount Isa 40 59 8L Port Douglas 33 67 15L Rockhampton 14 62 33L Roma 16 58 31L Toowoomba 9 58 37L Townsville 26 65 20L Weipa 49 68 2R
NEW SOUTH WALES
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Batemans Bay 10 48 37L Bourke 19 53 28L Broken Hill 26 50 23L Byron Bay 5 57 41L Canberra 12 48 35L Dubbo 14 51 34L Grafton 5 57 41L Lightning Ridge 16 55 40L Orange 12 51 35L Port Macquarie 6 53 39L Sydney 9 49 38L Tamworth 10 53 37L Wagga Wagga 15 48 33L
VICTORIA
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Bendigo 19 45 30L Echuca 19 46 30L Horsham 22 45 27L Lakes Entrance 13 45 35L Melbourne 18 45 31L Mildura 24 47 26L Warnambool 21 43 28L
TASMANIA
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Devonport 14 41 34L Hobart 13 40 36L Launceston 13 41 35L
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
TOWN HORIZONTALVERTICAL LNB ROTATION BEARING ELEVATIONDEGREE L / R
Adelaide 29 44 22L Ceduna 38 45 14L Coober Pedy 39 49 12L Mt Gambier 24 43 26L Murray Bridge 28 45 10L Port Augusta 32 47 19L Smoky Bay 37 45 14L
13. Make sure the bolts holding the dish are tight enough so that it won't move around easily but loose enough that you can move the dish side to side and up and down without too much effort. When you let go it should stay in the last position you put it.
14. Use your compass to roughly align the dish to the degree given in the 'direction box' above for your current location.
15. Use your squealer by adjusting the needle to about half way along the scale. To start with turn it up until you get a squeal then reduce it. Adjust the dish on its horizontal (side to side) axis first. move it until you get the needle up to 10 then reduce the needle using the knob on the squealer to about half way again. Keep doing this until you have the strongest signal you can find. Now tighten the bolts holding the horizontal movement of the dish.
16. Now tilt the dish using the squealer in the same manner to get the strongest signal you can. When the notch on the squealer adjustment knob reaches about the 7-8 o'clock position you should have a strong enough signal to get a picture. Now lock off the vertical movement using the appropriate bolts on the back of the dish.
We have noticed that the decoder sometimes gets confused and refuses to show a signal even when we know from the squealer that it should. If this happens just turn the power off and then on again.
How to get a signal in a scrubby area.
Hills satellite dish stand
Price: $105 From: Shops specialising in satellite gear RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
This is probably the best portable satellite dish stand we have seen to date. It is effectively the top end of a Hills folding clothes hoist turned upside down with a couple of bits missing.
The one problem we have with this stand is that the pole that holds the dish is a little too short and this makes getting satellites like Panasat 8 very difficult if not impossible.
Otherwise the design is good. The folding legs drop down to form a nice flat stable connection with the ground and once pegged in, the stand puts up with 40 knot winds without any trouble.
The stand comes with a bag and the addition of a small section of poly pipe slit down one side will stop the mounting pole from becoming scratched by the dish.
Strong brand satellite decoder Our recommendation: Ok to buy
Radio and Boating
Fishing reel type 1 'egg beater'
Price: anything from $30 upwards From: Many sources RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: varies with price Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: varies greatly Our recommendation: Buy Alvey instead
Instead of trying to review the various brands of fishing reels (and there are too many to count) I have decided to review the different types of reel that we make use of.
The 'egg beater' style of fishing reel is by far the most popular and is one of the easiest to use as a general purpose reel. We tend to be pretty rough on these reels as they don't get much maintenance apart from a clean and oil once a year. As a result they tend to only last 2-3 years before something in the gears gives up or they won't lock into 'spool in only' and we get rid of them and buy new ones. The ONLY exception to this is a Butterworth reel that we have had for many years that has been very reliable and is still in use almost every time we go out.
There are all sorts of sizes and ratings for this type of reel so it is usually necessary to have a range of them for different fishing situations. They are a good reel to start with as it is easy to learn to cast with them and they suit almost any fishing style. We have had more of this style of reel than any other.
WARNING: Jarvis Walker reels. The cheap end of this series of reels is a complete waste of money. They do not last more than a couple of months.
Fishing reel type 2 'egg beater' rear drag variation
Price: anything from $30 upwards From: Many sources RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: varies with price Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: varies greatly Our recommendation: Buy Alvey instead
This is a variation on the 'egg beater' style of reel that has the drag adjustment situated on the rear of the reel not on the front as with the type above. This makes adjusting the line drag much easier when you have a fish hooked and it is a great reel for kids to start off with as they learn the basics of fishing (including casting) in the easiest way possible.
Fishing reel type 3 'overhead'
Price: anything from $50 upwards From: Many sources RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: varies with price Ease of use: ** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: varies greatly Our recommendation: Ok to buy
When you want to get a bit more sophisticated in your fishing methods you will probably start moving up into the 'overhead' style of reels. They are called 'overhead' reel because they are used on top of the rod rather than underneath like the other versions shown here.
This is an entry level overhead reel that does not have an automatic line laying system built in so you need to remember to feed the line across the reel manually each time you retrieve it. This can be difficult if you have a large fish on as you tend to forget all about laying the line correctly.
This style is probably the hardest type of reel to learn to cast with. The spool is so loose that it continues to spin at high speed after your bait hits the water and you have to stop the line BEFORE the bait hits or you will end up with a huge 'birds nest' on your reel.
Despite being one of the most difficult reels to learn to use I favour it when targeting light biters of fussy feeders like bream or big emperor. You can leave the line free spooling and let the fish take it out with no drag at all until you are ready to set the hook then with the click of a lever you have full drag set and it makes catching these fussy feeders much easier.
This is definitely NOT a reel for the beginner but once you have learned the basics it is the next logical step up and can lead to full on game fishing with top end gear.
Fishing reel type 4 'Alvey'
Price: from $40 upwards From: Many sources RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: ***** Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: ***** Product quality: ***** Our recommendation: Highly recommended
Every fisherman should have at least one Alvey reel in their tackle box – we have 6. There are various sizes but they all have the same characteristics.
First and foremost Alvey reels are simple and TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS. They are easy to completely disassemble (even for a dill like me) and fix. This one was given to me by a big Welshman called John Davis at Heron Point (if you ever read this John - thanks again and I have caught MANY BIG fish with this reel).
It is my absolute favourite reel for catching the biggest fish. Because of its rugged construction and simplicity it has never let me down and only three fish that have been hooked on this reel have ever managed to escape.
These reels are a little more difficult to cast with than the 'egg beaters' but they are awesome in every other respect. I have teamed this one with a Jarvis Walker Toronto solid glass boat rod and I call the combination 'the winch'. It has caught more BIG fish than all my other combinations put together. It isn't terribly sporting as the fish don't have much of a chance of getting away but then I am there to get the fish into the boat and then decide if I want to keep them or not.
My advice, if you have a boat and want to catch big fish, get an Alvey reel and a good solid rod. These are probably the only reels that are still MADE IN AUSTRALIA.
Savage Swift 3.3m dinghy
Price: around $4-500 second hand for a good one From: Second Hand RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: ?? Ease of use: **** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: *****
As this is an old model which can only be found second hand, I am going to talk about the style of boat rather than the actual model in this case.
As a real car topper these boats are much lighter (around 50kg) than other dinghies. That is good for getting them up on to a car roof rack but it also means they are weaker and more susceptible to damage than more heavily constructed boats.
Another compromise is the shallow stern going forward to a deep V bow. This gives fairly good stability but means less freeboard at the stern. The hull shape means you are in for a rough wet ride if there are wind waves about.
Although there are 3 seats in this style of boat, it can only realistically carry two adults, and it is not suitable for rough conditions. We would suggest that this style of boat not be used more than 2-3km from shore and only taken out on very calm days. We generally only took this out to sea if the forecast was for 8-12 knot winds.
A 9.9hp engine is about the largest we would recommend for this boat as anything larger may damage the transom.
Stacer Sea Sprite 3.5m dinghy
Price: $1800+ From: Marine Dealers RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: *** Ease of use: *** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: ***
At 74kg this boat is much more solid than the Swift above. The weight means that people with bad back (like me) need to put an electric winch on the vehicle's roof rack if it is going to be used as a car topper.
This is one of the deepest small dinghies around and gives a much better sense of security if you are out in rough weather. We are reasonably happy to take this out in 10-15 knot conditions and have been out when the forecast was 13-18 knots but that tends to be quite uncomfortable.
Although this is a mere 6 inches longer than the Swift, it is a bigger boat in every way. The beam is wider and the depth greater so there is more room to move and better storage space. The bow has a small covered area with a shelf and the transom is reinforced with a support bar. This boat can easily accommodate a 15 or even 25hp engine.
With two seats it is only really suitable for two people but could carry three if you are prepared to be a bit cramped on one seat.
The most disappointing thing about this boat was the lack of 'finish'. There are rough edges all over the place and 'slag' from poor welding has not been cleaned away from many of the surfaces. This means a lot of nicks and cuts to your hands if you aren't careful. Most people who saw it when we bought it thought it was second hand and this reflects very badly on Stacer's attention to detail.
Performance wise we are quite happy with this boat. It rides reasonably well in both wind waves and swell. It appears to be built very strongly and we feel confident in it (much more so than in the Swift) when we go out fishing in the open ocean. I do feel that the 9.9hp we have is a little under powered for this boat and a 15hp would be a better choice. On flat water we get a maximum speed of around 30 kph but if there are small wind waves this drops to about 12 kph.
Little Bulldog Folding Trailer
Price: $1993 (Delivered with fat pack, caravan bracket and jockey wheel) From: Specialist stores or direct from the manufacturer
RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: ** Ease of use: ** assembly ***** road use How well designed is it: **** Product quality: * (new models) **** (old models) Our recommendation: Do not buy new models with Chinese steel they are useless
As we have had this for over two years now I decided it was about time I reviewed it as I have quite a lot to say about it.
Because it is designed to be road licensed it is vastly over engineered which makes it cumbersome and far too heavy. The idea of a folding trailer SHOULD be something you can easily put together and use to move your boat a few kilometres on dirt tracks to get to a river or the sea.
This trailer is not easy either to put together or to get apart again. There is a central bar that needs to slide inside the two main parts of the trailer and this is a huge pain because dirt and dust easily gets inside and is almost impossible to get out. On one occasion I had to attach one end of the trailer to the Coaster and the other end to the 4x4 and pull it apart with brute force. Even then it moved all 3 tons of Coaster about 3 feet before it came apart.
The standard trailer does not come with a jockey wheel and the one pictured above was purchased separately for about $90.
The trailers biggest failing (and this applies to the early model as the design flaw was finally recognised and corrected) is two bars that bring the wheels forward as the trailer is unfolded. The ends of these bars (shown in picture 7) break off due to corrosion and are a potential accident waiting to happen if it breaks while towing on the road at high speed. Repairing it requires buying two new bars at a cost of around $140. As it is a dangerous design flaw it should be fixed free of charge but isn't. (We have since seen other Bulldogs of the same model have exactly the same failing so ours was not an isolated case.)
On the positive side the trailer is quite adjustable and can accommodate boats between 11-12 feet with varying hull shapes. The trailer in most respects appears to be fairly rugged if you ignore the flaw mentioned above. Its main draw back is that it is far too heavy for most elderly people to move around and assemble on their own. The whole point of a folding trailer should be light weight and easy assembly, this has neither.
It attracts dirt like nothing else I have ever seen. In the pictures above you will note that the front end is reasonably clean, while the rear end is coated in red dust. When these pictures were taken I had been cleaning the trailer with a drill mounted wire brush for about 4 hours to get the front end clean. The red dust bonds to the trailer so well that it takes a lot of effort to get it off again.
Conclusion. This trailer is designed both as a road legal trailer and as a portable folding trailer and because of this it basically fails at both. Because it has small wheels the tyres wear out too quickly and because it is far too heavy, it is difficult to use as a folding trailer. It is both expensive and awkward to pack away due to its size and weight. Although we do make a lot of use of this trailer I am on the look out for a design that is much lighter and easier to assemble. In the end this trailer is a poor compromise between what it should be and what it is.
Update May 2006: Despite the seemingly harsh review of the Bulldog, we are yet to find anything that does a better job of moving a fully loaded boat over unsealed roads. Because of its rugged construction it can handle any road conditions with ease. I still dislike the weight and the difficulty in packing it, but we have just purchased our second Bulldog. As we now have a caravan mounting bracket for the trailer it will be far easier to transport than it was in the past. (When we get a big enough van to carry it that is.)
Update July 2006: We did have a minor problem with a broken support on one of the mudguards of the new trailer but Bulldog did the right thing and sent us a new one as soon as one was available and are happy to wait until we bring the broken one back to them when we get home around September. Things can go wrong with any product but it is the backup you receive from the supplier that makes the all the difference to how you view their products.
New Model (2006) review. There have been a number of small but important improvements made in the Little Bulldog since we first bought one a few years ago. The basic changes are listed below:
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1. Waterproof lights are now available. 2. The caravan bracket now carries the complete trailer not just the main body. This is MUCH better! 3. Wider wheels are now available. (Rated for highway travel up to 130kph.) 4. The side support adjustment has been improved and is now much easier to use. 5. The hitch is now a quick release rather than the old screw up version and makes getting the trailer on and off the car much easier. (I really hated the old style of hitch as it continually jammed on the tow ball. The new one is heaps better. 6. There are now proper tie down points for strapping the boat in place. 7. The fault with the bars corroding and breaking (see above) has now been fixed. 8. Webbing is now used on the hand winch instead of wire cable. We would rather see marine grade nylon rope as the strap has a tendency to fold over itself if not watched carefully. 9. The winch is better and makes retrieving the boat much easier. (3:1 ratio) 10. The side supports (slides) are longer and therefore help to support the boat better. They are also mounted in a way that stops them flopping over in the wrong direction like the old ones did. 11. The jockey wheel that can now be purchased with the trailer is very easy to attach and remove and is better than the add on version we put on the earlier model.
These changes have made the trailer more user friendly and safer. There is one small complaint, there is no safety chain for the boat to trailer connection (despite the presence of a lug to attach one (see pic 8) supplied with the trailer. $5 worth of chain and a U bolt is not much of an add on when you pay this much for a trailer.
Update: March 2007: Disassembling the Bulldog trailer and putting it up on the carry rack isn't as easy as you might think. It is a two person job and still requires some heavy lifting to get the main body of the trailer on and then align the front section with the correct lynch pin hole. The one thing we really find annoying is the three different sizes of nuts and bolts on the trailer. Some bolts have a different size head to the nut (a good idea for those with only one set of spanners) but this idea isn't carried through to every bolt and it can be very frustrating switching between three different spanners all the time. One set of bolts with differing size for bolt and nut would be a much better idea. The first time we put the trailer on the rack was time consuming and quite frustrating. It will get better as we get more used to it but we would never say that it will be easy.
Update April 2008: I have got much better at loading and unloading the trailer now but the things that really are annoying about the wide wheel version is that the rims rust and the tyres go flat on their own after a few weeks.
Bulldog trailer carry rack for caravans.
This is an optional extra (costing around $105) that allows you to carry the complete trailer on the rear bumper of your caravan. We have added two lugs to the back of the caravan so that a ratchet strap (seen above) can tension the Bulldog trailer once it is mounted. This isn't something mentioned by the manufacturer but we feel it adds a degree of security.
We are still testing this set up so we don't have a great deal to say about it yet, except that it certainly frees up some space in the car.
Update April 2008: The carry rack has been great so far. The bolts that secure it certainly aren’t rust proof so we have treated them with Fisholine but otherwise I have been very happy transporting the trailer this way. Adding around 70 kilograms to the rear of the caravan may have been a bit of a worry if I hadn’t already added 100 kilograms to the front end in the form of 4 deep cycle batteries.
Update June 2009: Well the Bulldog trailer really hasn't lived up to expectations. The metal being used in these trailers is now sub-standard. We have had 3 broken mudguards and the main cross piece that holds the boat skids also broke. We hear that the trailers are now being made in China – this cannot be a good thing. When the time comes to look for a new trailer we certainly will not be considering a Bulldog.
Clip on boat wheels
Price: $250 From: Specialist stores RATINGS: How useful is it: **** Value for money: *** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: *** Product quality: **** Our recommendation: Ok to buy
These wheels are meant for moving the hull only. If you load the boat up and put the engine on then odds are that the wheels will fall off. They are very handy for moving a dinghy for a short distance by hand but are not meant for use over long distances or in soft sand.
They are very simple to operate as you just clip the top over the rail of the boat, position the L bar on the bottom edge of the boat and then wind the handle until the wheel is tightly held on to the boat. We have had these for years and for some reason I forgot to include them in this section. There is also a nose wheel available that we didn't get, but the boat is easy enough to move without it. The closer to the middle you position the wheels, the less weight you have to take yourself when pulling the boat along.
Mangrove Jack Folding Trailer
Price: Basic model $398 / $534 (includes wide wheels, extension bar, tow hitch stainless steel axle) From: Mangrove Jack Marine (08) 9494 2500 www.flatoutboats.com.au RATINGS: How useful is it: ***** Value for money: **** Ease of use: ***** How well designed is it: **** Product quality: See Update below. Our recommendation: No longer available as far as we know
We recently found another type of folding trailer and this one is designed to be used only for moving a boat short distances. Unlike the Bulldog (below) it is not a road trailer. The basic construction is aluminium and we opted for the stainless steel axle which appears to be stronger than the cheaper aluminium one. We also wanted the extension bar (as our boat is long enough to require one at 11.5 feet) and the wide wheels for launching over sand.
Putting the trailer together is very simple and a one man job as opposed to the two man struggle with the Bulldog. There is no winch post on this trailer but one could easily be put on a plate at the front of the draw bar. We have chosen to put an electric winch (see below) on the roof rack of the car and we hope this will make retrieving the boat, and loading it on to the car much easier.
Once the boat is loaded on to the trailer it is very easy to move around - even with the heavy engine attached), in fact much easier to move without a jockey wheel on than it was with the bulldog with a jockey wheel.
The lightweight construction of this trailer makes packing and storage easy, but it remains to be seen how well it stands up to the gravel roads we need to cross in order to launch the boat.
As a folding trailer, this one is a clear winner over the Bulldog in terms of ease of use, mobility and storage. It appears to be exactly what a folding trailer needs to be. We are withholding judgement on the strength of construction and its ability to deal with rugged conditions up north, until we have been there for a few months.
The basic model weighs just 14kg and the one we have purchased with all the optional extras weighs around 20kg - much better on my poor back!
This is an Australian designed and made product. Check out the range of excellent folding boats from the same manufacturer.
Update May 2006: Sadly it turned out that this trailer didn't measure up to our needs and we have concluded that it is fine to move around by hand over short distances but should not be towed for anything over a couple of hundred metres with a fully loaded boat on top. We would recommend a load no greater than 100kg ever be placed on the trailer and we would also suggest that the R clips that hold the wheels in place be replaced with something a bit more substantial.
The trailer is still basically a good idea for moving a boat over very short distances and would be ideal in places like Bush Bay or Ningaloo where you are parked next to the water but we do not believe it can be used to move a boat over longer distances. If it were to be equipped with better wheels that incorporated some sort of bearings, it would be a much better proposition.
The money we paid for the trolley above was fully refunded so we can certainly recommend dealing with such an honest decent company as this. After our report of the problem with this trailer, Mangrove Jack Marine stopped producing this design and came up with a new one. They have also come up with a brand new heavy duty folding trailer (see below). |
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