HI Nelly

When I decide on a campervan it will be checked by both RACQ and also my regular mechanic, to make sure there is little changes for nasty surprises. You are right there is a "sister" company in Wollongong and it is my understanding they work together.

I am not in a hurry to change setup so I will take my time and let the company find  the suitable camper for me.

Cheers Sommer

Wow you carry a lot of stuff with you Sheba to need that storage

I did my own conversion a bit at a time with test runs in between. My HiAce is a standard length because I wanted the 4WD and it didn't come longer. But it means I can go more places

I've been solo camping for many years and find I sleep better knowing I can get from my bed to the driver's seat without exiting the vehicle (tho that is getting tricky now that I'm not so young and flexible)

I have a double bed permanently in the back with storage boxes underneath that can be accessed from front or rear. Porta Potti also lives under. At the front end of the bed I have a cupboard specially built to include the chest type fridge under and shelving (to the roof) to hold all the daily use cooking gear. Then there is a slide out table  (a bit like those keyboard shelves in an office desk). Chairs, table and portable solar panels slide in between the cupboard and the driver's seat. I made the bed frame in 2thirds/1thirds sections thinking I might like to remove some of it part of the time but find that storage under the bed is more useful than extra floor space.

With no pop-top I obviously can't stand up in the van, but I'm not real good on my feet anymore anyway and do most stuff sitting down on the end of the bed. Has the added bonus of pre-warming the foot area on cold nights. Plus I have a Fiamma awning I put out if I'm staying a while.

I travel about half of each year (miss the grandkids too much to go permanently) and although the van is small, it's comfortable and for me the ideal compromise between daily use vehicle and travel home.

I still dream sometimes of full time travelling in a coaster bus with a postie bike on the back, but the reality is that as my granddaughter is only 5 and my grandson 5months (and they plan a couple more), I don't think it will ever happen. They live on the property with me (600m away thru the bush) and I'm very involved with my granddaughter (grandson is still attached to mum most of the time). We cook, garden, read, do jigsaws, watch movies etc. and she loves "sleepovers". As a career mum I never had the chance to do all this sort of stuff with my son, and I find it very rewarding.

So, my point is that it really is "different strokes for different folks" and starting minimalist then developing your own style as you go is my recommendation

Hi Hiace98,

I'd love to see a pic of the way you have set out your van. I'm always looking for improvements with mine.