Hi Everyone,
Its has certainly been a few quiet years. A lot has happened in that time and there have been some big changes. We expanded the family in 2016 with a human brother for Fergie. The webmaster didn't have as much time on her hands as she previously did to keep you all in the loop. Fergie still rules the roost though. In 2018 we put the business into hibernation for a year or two so we could move. Morayfield was a great location, but the area was developing too fast and we wanted somewhere quieter. So in 2020 we uprooted to the Sunshine Coast. We still offer the same services and more so now. If you are looking at buying a second hand van, we recommended booking an inspection. This may seem like an unnecessary expense, but if you spent $1000 on pre purchase inspections you still come out ahead. A new wall is over $2000 to rebuild, if you can get the materials and every van has four of them. Call us for a quote and chat.
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This 1984 model Millard XP-6 came to me as an unused unloved caravan. With an east/west rear bed, side kitchen, 3 seater side lounge and a 'U' shaped front dinette the owner said it was totally un-usable for two people. After a brain storming session the design was finalised. The instructions were; for the outside; new windows all round and a new door, re-paint the outside of the van, a black padded stone guard, new LED awning lights and new decals. On the inside is where the biggest change happened storage was the request, twin single beds with storage drawers underneath and a centre bedside unit with robe, the kitchen was then made into an 'L' shape with 100 litre fridge, pantry with all the 12 volt electrics down the bottom, large sink unit with stainless steel sink and flick mixer, two standard drawers and one pot drawer full stove/grill/oven combo and stepped side cupboard. The dinette was created by using the end of one of the beds and a separate seat with storage under and a tri-fold table. A new water pump and gauge were added as well as a 120 watt solar panel to charge the battery whilst free camping and travelling, and a Jack TV antennae for the times when you want to connect with the world. 12 volt power was used throughout the van for the LED lighting and various charging points. 240 volt power is now only used when in caravan parks and at home for the fridge, battery charger, and power points. After removing the styleside tub off the ute to replace with an aluminium tray so as to build a custom canopy I started to design a chassis that would be suitable to use in light off road conditions. I wanted the tub to bolt down in the 6 factory locations so as for easy removal if it was ever badly damaged. With 1000 kg rated suspension, a 45mm square axle and Landcruiser hubs I had the under pinnings all set up. A 61 litre water tank with Gal stone guard completes the under side while on the 'A' frame sits a custom 30 litre fridge box with jerry can holder and 4.5 kg gas bottle holder. The ute tub has had a custom raised hardcover built for it with LED lights mounted underneath to light the whole inside. While the outside has been covered in black tonneau material and is fitted with Rhino roof racks to hold a roof top tent. Inside the tub consists of a custom made slide out kitchen with 2 burner stove and griller and a sink with tap and water pump. The other side is the pantry drawer with ample storage above the fitout for all your camping goods. A 95 amp/hour battery sits in the front of the tub to run all the lighting and charging requirements when camping it can be charged from the vehicle when travelling or by a solar panel when camping. Awnings can be added to the sides and the back so you have plenty of shade and we are also currently designing a boat rack for the top as well so you can have all your toys with you at once. My clients have always been enthusiastic about the great outdoors and for years they have been using a camper trailer to do all of their touring. They bought a '74 Viscount and set about getting it overhauled. Daisy's makeover started with another company and they did an amazing job stripping her down and getting all of the structure secure. When she arrived at X-OVA RV's, she had no internals or floors and was a blank canvas for Bryan to start work on. *Update* Sorry this has not been updated earlier as we have been too busy finishing this van. The van is now finished and has started on it's Around Australia adventure. I think the van has worked out very well and the owners are extremely happy with the outcome. I am so proud of the final outcome. As any caravan enthusiast would see the Viscount has changed shape front and back considerably, we then added in all new windows and door, two 95 litre watertanks were installed before the new floor went down with timber look vinyl flooring. The layout was customized to the owners design and then it was left to me to finish the design and build. With the cabinetry completed it was time to start on all the electronics with all new LED lighting including touch lights, JVC DVD/CD sound system with 6 inch splits front and rear and a 24 inch LED/LCD TV. On the roof we have a Winegard TV antenna, two 150 watt solar panels mated to two 100 amp hour AGM batteries, two four season hatches and two Fiama fantastic 2 way fan hatches. Inside there is a battery charger, 1600 watt pure sinewave invertor, Dometic gas cooktop/grill, 190 litre 3 way fridge, and a Microwave/convection oven. LED lighting inside all the overhead and the base units make finding stuff in them easier. Bedding consists of a pillowtop queen size bed and the front lounge coverts to a long single bed. Outside has all new aluminium and alupanel another JVC CD player stereo in a locker with 12 volt and 240 volt power and Fusion marine grade speakers. A 14 foot Dometic rollout awning and two fold down picnic tables complete the outdoor experience. Here we have a new VW Transporter van the owner wanted a full flat floor with large lockable storage drawers underneath. The owner users the van to transport show dogs. It is constructed in 12mm structural ply that has been clear coated and has a 12mm floor with smooth marine carpet over the top with aluminium edging. This 1986 model Jayco Finch was towed into the workshop on the back of a car trailer after breaking a stub axle up at Burrum Heads. After discussion with the owner a new suspension/ braking system was ordered as well as 3 new wheels and tyre and a new jockey wheel. Replacing the old hydraulic system with a low maintainence mechanical braking system along with new 45mm straight axle (replacing the original drop axle) , backing plates, bearings, brakes and hitch the whole system was installed with no dramas. Sitting the camper back down on new wheels and tyres not only improved the looks but also gave it the 45mm lift that the owner wanted. After test towing and final set up the owner took it home extremely happy with the way it now tows and brakes. This is an 18 foot Franklin Caravan that we renovated in an onsite carvan park. When we started it was sorry sight, with the kitchen requiring a full rebuild, one small annexe and external access to the bathroom. All the walls were damaged through years of neglect and there was a mighty ant infestation.
It now has a brand new kitchen with gas cooktop, microwave oven and a stainless steel sink with flickmixer. We even left the fridge! All the walls were replaced and insulated, the floors were lined with new timber look vinyl tiles and we installed a fully insulated roof. We built a new solid annex that attaches to the original annex and caravan to create a lounge room with sound proofed walls, insulated roof, pure wool carpets and wired for surround sound. This also made the bathroom internal. There is also a study nook and a walk-in wardrobe/storage room. Outside there we created a small patio with timber railings and screens so the owner can enjoy the lazy afternoon in shade and privacy. This stereo in a 2009 PK Ranger Dual Cab Ute consists of a Kenwood 6.1 inch DVD/CD/MP3/AM/FM Tuner with reverse camera. A pair of Cadence 6 inch splits are in the front doors and Cadence 4 inch 2 ways in the rear doors with a 10 inch powered subwoofer behind the rear seat.
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AuthorBryan is the brains and brawn behind X-OVA RVS. He aims to keep you all updated on his current projects and your dreams. Archives
April 2022
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