We tow a 20′ Jayco Starcraft with an Ford Ranger XLT 3.2L diesel 4WD ute.
The Van
… is a 2013 Jayco Starcraft with Floor Plan 20.62-2. (The Starcraft range has since been replaced with the Journey range.)
Not our model
Our Floor Plan
Factory options:
- Air Command IBIS reverse cycle air conditioner
- 3 x 120 kW solar panels – the most they could fit on our roof around the obstacles
- Fiamma Carry-Bike Pro C bike rack
- Dometic RM4601 186 litre three-way (240VAC/12VDC/LPG) refrigerator
- Winegard Sensar HV TV antenna
- Topray TPS-555 1230 Solar Charge Regulator
- SETEC Drifter tank and battery monitor
- SETEC ST-III power management unit – house battery charger, 12V distribution, etc.
Of these, the Topray Solar Charge Regulator and the battery monitoring component of the SETEC ST-III have been replaced (see Solar Setup for reasons).
Dealer-fitted accessories:
- Tebbs annex
Aftermarket accessories:
- Espresso machine – preferred solution is still work in progress
- Weber Baby Q barbecue – used by caravaners everywhere
- SPHERE Crystal Series 19 inch HD LED TV/DVD/USB Combo
- Apple TV – for streaming services etc. – not that we do that much with Internet at mobile data prices
- Victron Energy BlueSolar MPPT 100/30 Solar Charge Controller – the factory-supplied Topray TPS-555 1230 unit behaved badly, so it had to go (see Solar Setup for details)
- Victron Energy BMV-702 battery monitor – to complement the above
- Safety Dave SD 7″ Mirror Rear Vision Kit – this is the second caravan-rear-view camera and screen combination we have tried – we are happy with this one
- Trumatic E 2400 E LPG heater (see blog post)
- Teltonika RUT950 4G/LTE Dual-SIM Wi-Fi router – this is a seriously good, industrial strength, travel router (but may not suit everyone)
- RFI 7.5dBi Folding Antenna Kit – Caravan/Marine – 3G/4G antenna, deck/wall mount and cable kit – increases mobile data signal strength in marginal coverage areas
- QNAP TS-212P 2-bay Network Attached Storage (NAS) – terrabytes of photo storage
- Projecta 600W inverter – not often used but good to have it there for when a low-powered 240V appliance is needed when off the grid.
The Tug
2015 Ford Ranger XLT PX MkII Auto 4×4 Double Cab 3.2L turbo diesel ute
Factory options:
- Tech Pack – adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, etc.
Dealer-fitted accessories:
- ARB Ascent canopy – this has central locking on side and rear windows
- ARB Summit bull-bar – contingency
Aftermarket accessories:
- ARB under vehicle protection – more contingency
- ARB recovery point – even more contingeny
- ARB Tailgate Assist – damping struts stop the rear tailgate crashing down when lowering it (or dropping it while raising)
- CLEARVIEW Towing Mirrors – permanently fitted replacement mirrors, extendable for towing
- RHINO-RACK Vortex 2500 Black 2 Bar Roof Rack – in case we take up surfing
- ARB air compressor – for inflating tyres and air mattresses
- Revolution Power 12v 60Ah Slim Line Lithium Battery with Redarc BCDC1250D in-vehicle DC to DC battery charger – to supply the car and caravan fridges and other accessories without flattening the starter battery
- GME TX3350 UHF CB radio with two, alternative antennas:
- RFI CD34 whip antenna – for comm’s with nearby vehicles and around town
- RFI CDQ5000 – Quick Removable 5dBi UHF CB Antenna – for longer distances
- RFI CDQ7195 – 6.5dBi Quick Removable Spring Based 3G 4G 4GX Mobile Antenna – for improved mobile data signal strength in marginal coverage areas
- THINKWARE F800PRO dash cam – smile when you see us!