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.)

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!