Camper Trailer Australia — December 2017

positioned well past the rear axle. It’s a bit

like doing a push-up with a dumbbell on you

head – your neck will ache, much like your

chassis does! When it comes to after-market

ute chop conversions, don’t underestimate

how much strength the roof of the cabin can

addtotheoverallpackagefromstandard.

Cutting the wagons main roof in two typical

adds pressure to different parts of the

chassis that are often not designed to handl

increased loads.

12V CHARGING LEAD

Therearenotmanycampertrailersaround

these days that aren’t fitted with an auxiliary

battery, which means your vehicle should be

fittedwithachargingcabletohelpkeepthe

batteries charged while you’re driving. How

doyoudothat?Well,you’llneedto

have a dual battery system set-up

in your vehicle first. The idea is to

run the auxiliary charging cables

fromtherearofyourvehicletothe

auxiliarybatteryinyourenginebay,

so that it’s also isolated from your

vehicles start battery – we don’t

want the camper draining the car

battery overnight now, do we? If you’ve

got a late model vehicle you’ll need a

DC-DC charger to help bump up the

charge rate from the alternator. Without a

DC-DCit’llreceiveameredribbleofcharge

over the course of full day’s drive.

With voltage drop being a potential issue

hanks to the length of the charging cable,

ou’llneedtherightdiameter(thickness)

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CHASSIS STRENGTHENING

We’ve all seen the photos of an overloaded late

model utility with the tray hanging off the back

and the chassis snapped in two, right? Well, it’s

a pretty common sight these days, which has

created a demand for much needed chassis

strengthening options. There’s a heck of a lot

of factors to consider before you break-out the

welder, though. So it’s important to enlist the

help of a professional engineer to sort out where

the weak points are and the most efficient way

to strengthen it up. It could be via after-market

bracing or even ute tray mounts that help spread

the load more evenly or fishplates.

Dual cab utes are the biggest culprits for

chassis cracks. Thanks to plenty of storage space

the the hilt, with the bulk

of the weight

cable for the job too. Typically a 6B&S cable will

get the job done just nicely for your average

vehicle, but the longer the overall length, the

thicker it’ll need to be. Install an Anderson plug

at the end of your 4WD for your camper to plug

into, and make sure it’s wrapped in conduit,

secured properly and routed safely away from

heat and debris too.

y

Consult a professional engineer to see
where the weak points in the chassis are

Prioritise safety upgrades to your vehicle first,

for peace of mind on your next trip

Adding a second fuel filter can add even more

protection providing it's the right one for the job