Best caravan, Motorhome and RV mods
You buy a new or second hand caravan, then do a few trips and find that you want to modify something about your caravan, camper, motorhome or hybrid. Perhaps that modification is more than a new set of kitchen curtains. The trouble is knowing what to buy when you want to up-grade your hitch, add a bike carrier, boost your suspension, replace a fridge, or add solar or something else. These things might hit the hip pocket, so here's a few recommendations from RV& Caravan Centre that will make things a little easier.
Getting hitched
For over a decade now the Cruisemaster DO35 hitch has become a highly popular product that RV&Caravan Centre recommend to anyone looking to improve their towing experience. Once considered as an off-road hitch, the benefits and build quality of this hitch make it ideal for any touring from the gentle experience of the black-top tourer or the rugged adventurers of the off-road brigade. And the new V3Plus is worthy of consideration.
RV & Caravan Centre's Matt Linton says that the Cruisemaster product is, "probably the best hitch on the market today. Purely because it's easy to hitch and un-hitch."
Key features include:
Patented “Checklock” Gen.2 Dust Cap & Bumper for an easy, secure seal
Improved Bumper molding gives the from reflector strip improved staying power
Rear support webbing allows for mounting upside down on the underside of the drawbar
Great Suspense
When it comes to rolling along the highway, rattling along a bush track, or rampaging across a gibber-strewn paddock and up the side of a red-ochre jump-up, quality suspension is essential. If you're suspension doesn't seem to be up to the task then Matt Linton has the answer for you.
Typical suspension upgrades, Matt says, usually boost the suspension in order to accommodate a payload of 3.5 tonne. When it comes to suspension Matt recommends Al-Ko suspension and for independent suspension Matt reckons Cruisemaster is just the ticket.
Noteworthy in the Al-Ko range is the Enduro X range or perhaps up-grade with Al-Ko shock absorber or Cruisemaster's XT range is well worth considering.
On your bike
For those motorhome owners thinking of taking a couple of push bikes on their next adventure might like to consider Fiamma's Carry-Bike racks for Motorhomes. Matt's says that in terms of value and build quality Fiamma's products across the 15 different models are the bike-riding, motorhome mod of choice. Across the range, most models will carry 2-4 bikes and weights in at a modest 40 to 60 kg, depending on the model.
Caravan Bike Carrier
The Fiamma range of bike carriers for Caravans includes carriers for the front and for the rear of the caravan. There are two special models for electric bicycles (Carry-Bike Caravan Active and XL A Pro 200 E-Bike).
Matt Linton likes this product because, "They're actually fitted to the structure of the van itself and not just slung on the bumper bar."
"Fitting bikes on the rear bumper bar," says Matt, "seems to give you this bouncing effect and it tends to fracture the bike support." That, Matt says is a recipe for either a broken bumper, bike or bike carrier.
Bump the wheel
If you are tired of battling with an old-fashioned jockey wheel to support your van in camp then you might consider up-grading to a hydraulic jack and leave behind the days of manually winding the jockey wheel up or down.
The tip here is to consider a Trail-A-Mate hydraulic jack.
The Trail-A-Mate Hydraulic Jack Mk II key features include:
Capable of handling ATM 3.5 tonnes
Fully complies with Australian Standards.
A Purple Patch
Matt Linton suggests that when it comes to manoeuvring your caravan into tight spaces you might like to consider fitting Purple Line e-go caravan mover. They enable you to have total control of your van at the push of a button.
Matt reckons that the Purple Line products are "fairly easy to fit and we don't have many troubles with them."
Power from the Sun
When it comes to quality, sometimes it's worth shopping for Australian-made products. The price tag covers worthwhile quality. At least that's the case when it comes to portable solar. In that case, RV & Caravan Centre recommend Redarc portable solar.
Around the inside
RV & Caravan Centre's Matt Lenton said that the brands to consider when it comes to interior creature comforts like cook-tops, air-conditioning, fridges and the like, consider Dometic and Thetford.
That's because he recognises that "They are recognised and the biggest players in the market" and that has advantages in terms of service and warranty support.
If you want more advice on caravan or RV mods then contact RV& Caravan Centre at:-
Best caravan, motorhome and RV Mods