Taking the T6 for a drive outback.

[T6 Dave's Dad]

@Bryn23 please don't forget to put up photos of your conversion, especially your build of the cabinets and their design/ layout. There are posts by others who have made there own, some from flatpack kits others from scratch, but all seem to recommend tambour doors for ease of access and where "flap" doors intrude and access is limited.

Good luck with it all, take your time and enjoy the process because you will truly "own" the result .

 

[GarryM]

Bryn,

I installed a Todo single hotplate into a recession in the bench top. Have found it gets really hot underneath which is where I keep the Metho stove so will probably change that for a single induction top. However we went with the folding pots etc and an induction stove requires the iron pots that don’t fold and take a lot of space, something we don’t have much of. We are finding the Butane stove is the primary one we use on a table outside and is fine.

We went with the 1300mm wide bed as our old kombi (1964) had the original R & R bed that was only 1100m wide and in the northern Aust heat it was not that good. I am really glad we forfeited space for the extra wide bed, its great. I also used sound deadener and resomat everywhere I could and it is also working well.

Cabinetry on the passengers side comes about 100mm into the door space and is 100mm wide. We now realise that it could come into at least 1/3 of the door space and could be 200mm wide in the door area giving a bigger cabinet on that side in front of the bed. Hope that all makes sense.

We hope to work our way down to Brisbane by end of June. Where are you in Qld,?

 

[GarryM]

Have a look here where I photographed as I went over the past year.

Camper Build Down Under

 

[GarryM]

Dave, tambour doors???? I used a side roller but was disappointed on the amount of space the rolled door took within the cupboard. It had to go that way as the cupboard is curved where the drivers seat rotates. Maybe they are much better in the up/down roll.

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

@GarryM, Tambour is the 'technical' term for "roll front" doors and agreed they take up internal space especially in horizontal mode as vertically there is normally headspace to accommodate the roll over action. Everything is a compromise when only limited space is available .

 

[GarryM]

We have now moved from the Gulf of Carpentaria across to the East coast and are staying in the Daintree National Park, a world heritage rain forrest area in Far North Queensland and boy it’s been wet, and this is the dry season.

 

[former member]

We had a lot of rain in Oz too - convinced we're cursed!

 

[DaveyB]

We have now moved from the Gulf of Carpentaria across to the East coast and are staying in the Daintree National Park, a world heritage rain forrest area in Far North Queensland and boy it’s been wet, and this is the dry season.


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Wow that looks amazing.

 

[Bryn23]

Hey Garry

Im in Brisbane CBD and have a workshop close to the city, its handy living in the city. but its even nicer to get out of the city.

I just re read your build, id had a look at it a while back, its a really nice build and i bet you appreciate the 1300mm bed, we went with a 1200mm bed and i just can't see how you could sleep with anything smaller, it might be different in a cooler environment.

I can see why people like using Tambour doors, but i don't like them, they are handy, and allow access without having to move seats or bed around.

but I've found that something always falls in the tracks, they tend to take up a fair bit of space in a small cabinets, in a hot environment like we have here i can see issues with de-lamination of the tambour tape, also, they can rattle within the tracks.

Having said that i haven't ruled them out altogether, ill just see how my full size template comes together.

I'll have to get around to doing my own build thread, I've been busy fitting out my workshop, getting ready for some new wood working machinery to come in from Austria, but i finally get my crimsafe sliding windows next week, so ill have no excuses not to crack on, as i didn't want to line the van until i fitted the windows.

hope you are enjoying the far north coast, hopefully the rain stops and you get a dry spell

 

[GarryM]

Hi Bryn,

I just installed the slide in open windows that vw fitted. A mistake I made was not to fit any in the two rear side windows as well. I just use velcro fly screens on the two in the sliding doors that works fine. I fitted the one Tambour door that slides sideways but it does take up some room in that cupboard. It is on the side of the kitchen unit where the drivers seat swivels so I had limited room there. My slide out bed works really well and is a big drawcard when we have it out, to makes so much room inside when opened it feels spacious and I am really glad I did it. Cabinetry under it on the slide and also around it on the sides took a bit of thought but had a young cabinet maker who did well. There are a few things I would do differently if I was doing it again but I am happy with the whole working of the camper.

Rain has stopped and we are going to Kuranda and Cairns for the next week then will head south some more over the month of July.

Garry

 

[GarryM]

From up in the Northern Queensland Rain Forests we have moved down the coast a bit to a place called Mission Beach. All golden sand, 25 Degree C temps and still a little rain but warm and the water temp is running around 18c as well so a bit of swimming. Beaches are near deserted. Visited by a Cassowary flightless bird one morning, a dinosaur still alive but a rare sighting. Plenty to see between the coastal mountains and the sea. Off shore is the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef which we are yet to get a boat out to see. Been husking some coconuts picked up on the beach and getting coconut water and some very yummy coconut flesh.

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

What beautiful photos to remind you of a super trip @GarryM . Enjoy the rest of your trip and keep up posting photos, please. Woo envious of what you are seeing.

 

[GarryM]

From The tropical rain forests of far North Queensland, we have moved about 200km south to Townsville, via Tully, a large sugar cane and banana growing area and the Tully George. The area gets about three meters of rain annually, sometimes a meter in a 24 hour period and is subject to some pretty big floods.

The local lawn mowers doing their thing.


Van going like a dream and all working as planned.

 

[PukkaT6]

Recognise this?

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

From The tropical rain forests of far North Queensland, we have moved about 200km south to Townsville, via Tully, a large sugar cane and banana growing area and the Tully George. The area gets about three meters of rain annually, sometimes a meter in a 24 hour period and is subject to some pretty big floods.
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The local lawn mowers doing their thing.
View attachment 10693

Van going like a dream and all working as planned.

@GarryM So glad to hear that the van is going well (sshhhh!) and that everything is performing as intended . You certainly seem to be having a dream trip, long may it continue . I guess the tyres are holding up now your travelling the coastal leg ?

 

[GarryM]

Recognise this?



View attachment 10694

Is it the old part of Townsville. I am astounded how big the city is and how much it has in the way of walking tracks, salt water swimming pools, eateries and other amenities for tourists along the water front.

I have been able to get the Van on a passenger/car ferry in two days time to take us across to Magnetic Island, not far off shore from here where we will camp up for the rest of the week. The island is really on the fringe of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef.
There is good diving and snorkelling out there. To the right in the picture is the island. It is mainly a national park and whilst it has lots of accommodation, it does not have much camping available unless you are in a small van or have a tent.

 

[PukkaT6]

My sister lived there for a year in a hut working on a farm - small world - Im from Manchester. She was miles away from neighbours and he offered to get her a horse to go into town lol.

 

[Oldrat]

Hi Garry
I'm loving this thread, fabulous.

 

[GarryM]

Pukka, That looks like an old bush hut in the rain forest. There is some pretty rugged mountains and rivers around there.

On Wednesday I get the van out to the island and some 4 wheel drive only roads. Will soon find out if it can hold its own and if the diff lock will be needed. I tried it in some creek beds down south early in the trip and it went well enough but ground clearance was a bit tight even with the higher heavy duty suspension. One thing I am going to do when I get home is put air bags on it so I can pump it higher when needed.

 

[PukkaT6]

She is a university educated academic 5ft blonde - Yet she came back being able to use a chainsaw, build nesting boxes, trap animals, catch and cook fish, round up cattle, ride a horse, drive a lorry/tractor and a few other things - I can only be a tad jealous of her time there as some of her pictures were stunning and it was a fantastic life experience.