READER STORY
You only need a plan – and some smart friends – to tailor your trailer to your exact needs, reckon Paul and Mari Fouche from Montana Park, Pretoria.
Paul and Mari have always camped when on holiday. Their philosophy is that each camp is a story that is part of their life path. The story begins with their desire to see the more remote places in our country. This desire grew stronger after they’d been towing a caravan for many years and they realised their Gypsey Romany was not up to the task. So, they put a rooftop tent on their 4x4 bakkie. That worked well for a while, but then the tent’s limitations and their frustrations got too much. They decided to buy an off-road trailer but found the ones on the market too expensive for their budget. In the end, they bought a used Venter Bushbaby and put their rooftop tent on it. They had the trailer’s large luggage compartment split in two so that they could have a drawer system underneath for ammo boxes with storage on top. Their fridge/freezer was too big for the existing drawer, but there was enough space in the back of the bakkie for it to go there. The existing fridge space in the trailer was, therefore, used for more ammo boxes for their clothes. The trailer was an absolute pleasure, and the couple travelled all over the country and as well as Namibia and Botswana. They kept the Romany, however, and use it for the somewhat tamer camping experiences.
is a registered trailer builder, and Rhona an excellent tentmaker. Initially, Paul and Mari were simply customers of the Brooks couple, on whom they relied for the maintenance and repair of their camping equipment, but soon the two couples also became good friends. It was round about this time that Paul and Mari started thinking about selling the Romany, because they no longer had the parking space and the storage costs were high. At least they would still have the off-road trailer and, therefore, would still be able to camp. Mari, however, had to undergo a second back operation, and they started thinking about replacing the off-road trailer. They began looking at smaller caravans, as it simply became too risky for
her to climb to the roof tent or balance on the mudguard when they needed to take the roof tent down again. They weren’t, however, happy with the little luggage space of the offerings and also realised they would miss their trailer’s comfort too much. With this trailer, everything is always in place. Except for a gazebo and a table, there’s very little packing or unpacking to do, and everything is always locked away from four-legged thieves. They decided to explore the possibility of rebuilding their own trailer to better suit their needs. Paul tells us more… On the way back from a monthlong camping tour through the Eastern Cape, we started playing around with the idea of rebuilding the trailer so the rooftop tent would no longer be on top. Our chatting eventually turned into plans, but we couldn’t find information about what we wanted to do anywhere. We decided to approach Willie with our idea and were convinced he’d think we might have gone crazy. Except not. He was just as excited and immediately accepted the job. Our plan was to slice open the trailer just above the mudguards and build a kind of drawer deep and high enough for the roof tent to slide in. The drawer needed to open on the side and would slide out so the rooftop tent can be supported on struts that are attached to the drawer. Willie looked at our plans and implemented a number of changes. Willie first removed the lid with its roof rack, installed a drawer, and then put the lid back on. As part of the process – and to save weight – the tent’s wooden floor was replaced with a sheet of aluminium. Rhona also trimmed the tent to make sure it fitted on the drawer. The end result is a huge success. The tent now fits on the drawer that slides from the trailer. Then the tent folds open and the adjustable struts are inserted. Finally, it’s just hammering in the pegs and then the trailer is ready for camp. THE ADJUSTMENTS, HOWEVER, didn’t stop there. After our shakedown camp in the Kruger National Park with the converted trailer, Rhona made a tarp that threads into the bottom of the tent floor. This creates a lovely packing area with
The end result is a huge success. The tent now fits on the drawer that slides from the trailer
its own zip-up flap, which helps keep our camp nice and tidy. Rhona also made a canvas canopy with folding sides for the gazebo. The sides are each divided into two with a zipper, and each section can be rolled up or down. When you look at the end product, the question arises whether the conversion has led to less luggage space in the trailer. Not at all. Although the tent takes up storage space inside the trailer, more than 80% of the loss is compensated for by the new space created above where the fridge would have been, and the extended part of the tent drawer on the left side of the trailer. Both spaces have their own door. The lid of the extended part also becomes a useful worktop. In the tent drawer, there is a new floor that has been inserted above the tent, which creates a separate space. Because the tent is no longer on the roof of the trailer, it’s really easy to lift the lid to gain access. Once the tent has been moved out, there is also a new space where all the loose items that normally fill your vehicle can be safely stored while you camp. Although the trailer itself is now higher than before, it is, in fact, the same height as when the roof tent was on top. What is also important is that the trailer tows well. With his years of experience as a trailer builder, Willie made sure the weight distribution – and, of course, balance – of the trailer is excellent. We couldn’t be happier or more proud of the end result.