TEST-RUNS AND DIY

AN overnight camp at nearby Gordon Country gave me a chance to test the new camping set-up, followed soon after by a week-long trip to Fraser Island (K’gari). The missus and boys approved as we were set up at Gordon Country with the campfire started, in under 20 minutes, leaving plenty of time to explore with our new puppy. The lightweight trailer made for easy towing along the beach and inland tracks at Fraser. The Prado found it easy too – it’s a tonne lighter than a fullyloaded LC79 so handles the soft sand with ease.

For two of the four nights, I explored the remote northern and western sides with just the vehicle and swags. Here I found a few like-minded adventurers who had solved some common problems with simplicity and style. Take Charlie for instance, who had solo sailed to Fraser’s west coast and set up camp on the beach for a few days. He’d made himself a self-levelling ‘stable table’ to hold his food and drinks steady on a rocking boat or a swaying branch. Or Dave who had baulked at the cost of $1200 for a slide-out drawer so built his own complete with custom compartments and a fold-out kitchen bench – all for under $200.

They say necessity is the mother of all invention, but I think it just takes a bit of common sense and not a whole lot of cash. I set out to make the most of what I already had and focussed on keeping it purposeful, lightweight, simple and modular. This means less stress on the car and trailer and keeps my kit fullyadaptable for long, short, solo or family adventures. Plus, I can still use the Prado to take the kids to school or do a dump run with the trailer.

You can easily find a similar mid-size 4WD or ute for around $15K and a quality off-road trailer for under $5K. All my upgrades will have cost me $12,500 across 17 years. So, whether you use a vehicle you own or one you buy tomorrow, you can easily have a capable and versatile 4x4 adventure rig for less than $35K.