solo touring setup for an old fella

Hi Dermie,

I have set-up a 2019 Subaru XV for a three month trip starting in August (hopefully covid willing) around the NT and WA.

I don't intend to sleep in the vehicle not enough room, unless I take out all the gear every night.

I have constructed a plywood box/tray that slides inside the car with the rear seats down and is fixed to the brackets that locks the rear seat backs, I have removed the useless spare tyre and have an opening in the box that I can put stuff into the now empty wheel wheel.

In the plywood tray goes the following:

Engel 40L fridge
2 Spare wheels
15L Water Container
2 by 10L petrol jerry's (only if required)
Food
Spares
Clothes

On the roof I have a Rhino Platform, Rhino Bag and a Rhino Sunseeker Awning
In the Bag goes:

Tent/Self-Inflating Mattresses/ Sleeping Bags/Chairs/Tarps/Maxtracks/Table/Solar Panel

I have a battery box with a 135amp deep cycle battery with a DCDC charger on top, this sits in one of the rear passenger footwells.

The XV is quite capable (200mm ground clearance but nowhere to fit recovery points), have only fitted A/T tyres you just need to take your time and pick good sensible lines. I think its achilles heel would be deep mud. I have driven it on the "Peron Dunes" in NE Tasmania with no problems (tyres at 15psi) and some tough tracks in NE Victoria.

The Forester would be a better choice room wise, I only went with the XV as the Forester is now getting bigger and bigger. Both have the same soft off-road capability

My XV came with 18" rims and tyres which I have replaced with 17" rims of a wrecked XV of a lower Spec.
There is a better range of A/T tyres for 17" rims.

Sorry can't do photo's of the set-up at present as I have it in standard trim at the moment, which is the beauty of the set-up town car one day, touring/camping vehicle the other.

As far as sleeping in the vehicle have a look on the "Subaru XV forum" and do a search, there are some threads on there were members have set-up their XV for sleeping. Would apply to Forester/RAV 4 as well

With all the gear and two people I am only 30 kilos under GVW so you have to be careful with what you take but I reckon 80% of 4WD's out there are over their GVW, just the pilot in me.

The XV forum also shows lots of Mod's that they do to their XV's to enhance off road capability.

https://www.subaruxvforum.com/

Good on you for keeping your parents motivated to keep travelling, if you don't use it you lose it.

Good Luck CJ

Ex hire Troopy camper?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Van, hi ace or similar. They can be had in awd if needed. I have a forester and wouldn’t fancy climbing in and out of it to sleep.

.
Dermie, I know where you are coming from.
We have been touring Aus in a Troopy with bed in back. At 88 years old it was becoming difficult to pull on the jeans whilst laying on one's back on the bed! But our move to something more comfortable was precipitated by our kids getting concerned about the 'oldies' safety.

I would have considered moving back to a camper trailer but Roz fancied an indoor toilet and shower so we are jumping all the way to a 4WD motorhome. I'm not ready to give up the 4WD stick!

I rather like your idea of a Forester or RAV4 or the like. In those it is possible to arrange sleeping space in the rear (with seats removed) alongside well designed storage with cooking outside under an installed awning. And you still have a good 'everyday' vehicle.

I am surprised that you cannot find appropriate info on the internet. I just searched "sleep in back of forester" and produced 2 millions hits.

Hi dermie
Keep in mind that the newer Subarus are not the 4wd that they used to be. They are now AWD, which is a different beast altogether.
Skoda has a good range of nice vehicles.

Cheers
Jim

We've had seven Subarus over the years (Outbacks, Foresters and Imprezas, and even the old Leone wagon) and towed light campers with them. They are fantastic vehicles and really do go almost anywhere.
Good on your Dad for still getting out there, but at his age (or mine !!) I wouldn't want to sleep in a Suby - a small 4WD camper van would be my option.

I’d think a 4wd van of some type would be a good option, there’s plenty of people touring the country in 2wd Sprinter vans and the like also.....Plenty of room to stand up in the higher vans like the Sprinters etc.
https://www.autotrader.com.au/car/11612943/mercedes-benz/sprinter/nsw/condell-park/van

I have met a few old codgers outback and one locally where I live who have bought ex rental Hiluxes with slide on campers.

They were happy with their choice and had no troubles although the cars had 250KK+ on them.
The older diesel Toyotas will do 400KK without major problems.

I bought an 85 Camry wagon once for my daughter as a short term thing with AFAIR 354Kk on it and she drove it for a year without major problems.
They still go for quite a tidy sum but that shows the demand for them.

H ve a look at the " japanese auto imports " site some great vehicles there

https://japaneseauto.com.au/buy/2005-mitsubishi-delica-hr-chamonix-van-wagon-8st-4dr-auto-4sp-4x4-3-0i/0CrmNSVtuLX8KcHEoZ_sPA

lots to choose from
Bob

Gday everyone

Thanks so much for all the replies. I was lucky enough to get away for most of the long weekend and was overwhelmed with the responses when I got back. Thank you all.

Sleeping in the Subaru was always questionable, even for a night or two. Like many have suggested, it aint easy at the best of times and certainly not when you’re 6’ and need to get up a couple of times in the night. Dad’s thinking was it would only be a few nights while travelling and then the camp bed when at a destination. Nowadays he sometimes travels alone for a few days but always to meet up with friends where they spend a week or two in one spot. Maybe we need to be a bit more patient sorting through all the irrelevant stuff that comes up in the googling. We’ll look over everyone’s thoughts and have a chat about it and come up with something.

The one thing we won’t talk about is a Troopy. I did mention he was a Landrover man, always was. I should add I’m a Landcruiser man, always have been. I could mention it but would likely be written out of the will.

cheers
dermie