Our New 5’ver Update No 4

Tuesday 22nd Feb 2011
A bit more to report from this week’s visit; a few minor revisions set in stone and a preview of what the interior will look like. This week the “boss” Peter, is in Adelaide at this year’s Caravan & Outdoor Show with one of his 5/vers on display. So if you get a chance to go, why not call in & have a look at what we are getting. Don’t mention our name; he might throw something at you.

As we drove into the car park we noticed that the door where our van was last seen was closed. The van now has wheels and had been moved into the bay next door. This is where the interior of the van will be worked on. The customising of the chassis is complete, extra water tanks, shock-absorbers for the suspension and the two-pack paint along the external framework looks great. Progression is steady; the light-weight interior panelling had been held up but was on the way as we visited.

The lino has been laid & looks good. Johnno, the cabinet maker and his mate are now working on the cupboard and benches. I think Johnno has been able to get his head around our “Entertainment Centre” cupboard design & the best way to tackle it. Nothing like a challenge to keep the brain cells active, hey! , Mark is fitting the lights, cable ducts and running the 12v cables. The Dometic air conditioner is installed & it is definitely slimline, looks really good; skylights installed as well as the “Fantastic” fan in the bedroom. The hatch/cubby hole for the water pumps have been built & yep, another hole for me to fill up. I’m always looking for any nook & cranny to store things in – Col cringes at the thought. By the end of our visit today there were tradesmen’s body parts sticking out any space around the van, drills and drivers buzzing along. Now we’ll see the construction become more exciting, the fiddly-bits take a bit longer.

In early March we’ll be taking the Landcruiser to Truelux & leave it for the week for them to work on the tow hitch. The camera system will need to be installed (3 cameras). So we’ll be without a vehicle for the week. Perhaps it’ll be a good time to catch the train into the CBD & check things out. Have a look at the latest photos:


Click on the link below to view progression photos of our new home.


https://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/New5VerProgressPhotos?feat=directlink

Our New 5ver update No3

Tuesday 15th Feb 2011
On our recent visit to Truelux one would have been forgiven if on first glimpse it looked as though work on our van had not progressed any further since our last. But, upon a closer look things were better than they first seemed. We were greeted by Linda who noticed that we were peeking in the shed to see the progress. Her first comment was “No peeking just yet.” After the usual pit-stop & greetings to all in the front office, we were given the ‘royal’ tour & as usual, everyone was very helpful in answering all our queries & double checking measurements & designs with several cupboards etc. All checked off ready to begin internal construction.

What has been done so far since our previous visit; all the outside walls are now up & the body trims are being meticulously put into place, all the roof cut-outs (a/c, skylights, and fantastic fans, except in the bathroom). Various outside entry points have been cut & frames have been clamped into place on the water pump & gas bottles hatches. The shower alcove has been put inside ready for installation. The chassis has had the final coats of two-pack paint. The storage area is now fully carpeted; this area will house the two main batteries, gas/electric hot water system, ducted gas heater & general storage for all our gear.

We now have our wheels waiting for the day they will be united with our van. Slowly, bit by bit our appliances etc are being delivered. While we were at the factory a pallet from Dometic arrived with our fridge, washing machine, air conditioner, skylights & even the awning. It was exciting to see, but just as we were about to leave, the lino arrived – special delivery. This was an even better sight as Truelux had been waiting for it for several days. No sooner had it been placed on the floor that I had to check to ensure it was the correct design. Nothing else can be done inside until this is laid.

We’ve since had a phone call to say that some of the cupboard materials are being delayed. So this puts our van back a bit further. We were given an ETA of 4 weeks at the end of this visit. It seems Josh & Kendehl will have us for a bit longer. Another sanity break imminent!

Click on the link below to view progression photos of our new home.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/New5VerProgressPhotos?feat=directlink

Our New 5’ver update No 2

Tuesday 1st Feb 2011
Today was our first visit to the factory for this year. The day was quite warm which it had been for the past week. It took us approx 1 ½ hours to get to Kilsyth where the Truelux factory is situated; at the bottom of the Dandenong’s. Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed as we were on our previous visit. As we drove into the car park we noticed a 5’ver which was in the early stages of construction, I turned to Colin & said, “I bet that one is ours”. We weren’t wrong; a bit disappointed that they hadn’t progressed any further than having the two long side walls up. We had hoped that all the outside walls were up. But it wasn’t to be!

We were given a tour of our new 5ver. The storage floor was almost complete, the four water tanks had arrived & were in the process of being installed & of course the front panel was being prepared for installation (scoring for the curves & the two vents were being cut out). Our new recliners had arrived in Melbourne; they had been ordered prior to us leaving Melbourne last year in November from overseas. Ah yes, our bed has now been ordered; we were having it specially made for us – longer in length & a pillow-top. Our Entertainment cupboard is still an item of debate; trying to decide on the design & construction. This should be finalised within the next few days.

We eventually decided on a kitchen sink. Decisions, decisions.

Monday 8th Feb
By today, the entire roof is complete & they are now waiting for the adhesive to set. We can’t have it falling down. The lino floor covering will be laid within the next couple of days; shower alcove is inside the van awaiting installation. This needed to have been put inside before the back wall went on, otherwise it won’t get in because of the size it won’t fit through the door.
Refrigerator, Air-Conditioner and Gas Stove are ordered, the internal panels and cupboards are being custom measured for pre-cutting, by the end of this week, and the shell should be being moved into the “internals” area in the next work-bay. Another chassis will arrive for customer number 49.



Click on the link below to view progression photos of our new home.


https://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/New5VerProgressPhotos?feat=directlink

Our new 5’ver

Since April/May 2010 when we decided that we’d like Peter Groom of Truelux 5th Wheelers to build our next home, we have been on the waiting list. At the end of October 2010, we eventually received that long awaited phone call, “We’re ready for you to come in and begin / finalise the plans of your 5’ver.” Our appointment was for the 8th November 2010. We still had two weeks to kill, & did they seem to take forever. The 8th came & went; by the end of the day, we looked at each other & wondered if we actually achieved anything as there had been so many interruptions. A couple of days later we attended another meeting just to sort out some of our concerns which we had from the previous meeting. This time we had Peter’s undivided attention with no interruptions. At long last our new home was on the drawing board. We were told that they will start the chassis by the end of November & that the outside walls should be up by Christmas when they will shut for 3 weeks for the Christmas / New Year break.

So by the middle of November, it was time for us to head back home to Napperby & get ready for the Christmas festivities & of course to bake the Christmas cakes & Puddings (a bit late!). In the meantime, phone calls going back & forth to confirm various things & a trip to the local carpet & lino store in town to choose another lino. With all this done, we could relax a while. Straight after Christmas, Colin advertised our current caravan on the internet, a couple of enquiries but nothing serious. Oh well, we’ll try again in the New Year. Christmas Day & New Year came & went as they always seem to do, so it was now time to get serious with selling our current caravan. Yeah, we had quite a few enquiries about the van, but the response was; “You’re on the other side of town”, or “That’s a long way”. No one seemed to want to take a lovely leisurely drive out to the country to see our van. Time was moving on & we were beginning to feel that no one was going to buy our home & we didn’t want to put it on consignment locally.

The week before we were ready to drive back to Melbourne we had a prospective buyer. They came & left after leaving a deposit. We were beginning to feel a weight being lifted. The next week was spent cleaning inside & out so it sparkled, putting together all the bits ‘n pieces that we’ll no longer require for our next home. Thursday 20th January 2011, we watched one stage of our life being driven out the gate & the next stage beginning.

By Christmas Day, after another delay; (composite panel machinery breakdown!), Truelux had received our chassis frame & the outside fibreglass walls. Our next appointment will be a progress meeting on February the 1st, with hopefully, the chassis completed, walls should be up, roof on and well on the way.

Click on the link below to view progression photos of our new home.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/New5VerProgressPhotos?feat=directlink

Lake Keepit to Napperby

This update is a long one with so many places that we stayed or saw along the way. We spent the school holidays at Lake Keepit. It’s been six years since we were last here & not much has changed. It’s still a favourite place for families to come for a day out, bush camp along the dam, or take advantage of powered sites or non-powered sites, but close to all amenities & barbeques. The magpies are nesting here & you’ll quite often see young children with electrical ties tied on their bike helmets for protection; quite a sight.

We were surprised during the long week-end this year; the park didn’t fill up as much as it did last time we were here. Perhaps it was the high cost which we noticed. The weather didn’t disappoint us as it did rain over the week-end. As all over NSW, some of the lakes have been as low as 7%, but with the high rain falls, they had risen as high as 103% full.

For a few days after our arrival, our campsite looked like a Chinese laundry as it had been a while since I had last done the washing. This is a regular sight after we have set up in our new sites especially if it’s been a while in between caravan parks. During our stay it was essential for us to travel into Gunnedah to do our fortnightly shopping. We were so fortunate this day; we went for a walk along the main street in town perusing some of the shops & upon arrival back at our car we noticed that we had left one of the canopy doors wide open (we felt like a couple of nit-wits). Nothing had been taken which we were very relieved to see. One of our favourite past-times was to walk to various places at the lake. To overlook the lake on top of the hill was so relaxing & spectacular whilst watching the sunset. While at the lake we managed to catch up with some good friends who also chose to stay here for several days before moving on. Good to catch up with you Bill & Joy.

On one of the few sunny days, we chose to visit Tamworth. This time I was able to enjoy the visit on both feet (last time we visited Tamworth it was because I had fallen out of the caravan & broke my foot, so all day was spent in the hospital). One of the highlights was a visit to The Golden Guitar Information Centre & Wax Museum where we found a plaque which mentioned the music group that Col’s grandson plays in – they won the ‘Fender Instrumental of the Year’ award at the 38th Country Music Awards for Australia -2010.

Our next town to visit was Mudgee which is a town in eastern NSW, well known for its fine wine; a bit like our Barossa Valley & McLaren Flat areas. As we are partial to a drop of Meadery every now & then, it was a must stop for us. And as usual, I can’t go past the cheese factory for some sheep cheese or local honey... ‘Mmm’. Close by Mudgee are several coal mining areas in operation. Looking at the mess it makes, I couldn’t help but feel that we are regressing instead of progressing with our thinking of fuels. That’s another story!! Walking through the main street of town I couldn’t go past a shop which sold ‘Golliwogs’. I’d been searching for these for a long time & at last a couple to sit on my bed next to Ted. One of the highlights when visiting is the town’s local Farmer’s Markets which are held; lots of local produce to replenish the fridge.

On one of the few sunny days we took a round trip which included Rylstone; a historic town on the banks of the Cudgegong River and is one of the oldest towns west of the Blue Mountains. It features a number of outstanding examples of colonial architecture which gives it a very distinctive character. Kandos, which is not far from Rylstone is quite notable for its cement factory. It’s a small industrial town located in the Capertee Valley. The cement works was developed in the 1913’s when it took advantage of the local supplies of limestone which is conveyed from the quarries about 5km away via an enormous aerial ropeway. It was quite fascinating to watch this in progress. The company today, produces 450,000 tonnes of cement a year. Dunn’s Swamp was a lovely place in the Wollemi NP. The lake was quite full & teaming with wildlife. After lunch a walk along the edge took us to the lake weir; the walk was relatively easy but at times having to use railing to climb cliff faces or walk along the side of rock faces, at times a bit of a challenge. We had a very enjoyable day.
A couple of days prior to leaving Mudgee we received our long awaited phone call from the manufacturer who is going to build our 5th wheeler to say that they will be ready for us in a couple of weeks, hooray! We’ve been waiting a long time & at times seemed like eternity.

Sofala is the oldest surviving gold town in Australia. It’s located in the Turon River Valley. The town itself is very small town which you could easily miss if you didn’t know it was there. Approximately 6kms out of Sofala was a lovely camp area where we spent four enjoyable quiet nights. It was pleasant to wake in the morning to the sound of birds. There was plenty of room for all, along the Turon River which was pristine & flowing. Once again we had plenty of rain which didn’t help with our solar panel which we use to keep our car fridge going.

After the four days at Sofala it was time to move on to Melbourne to finalise our plans for our new 5th wheeler which we have been waiting for since April this year. Our next few days stay was at Carcoar Dam which is a favourite with travellers. Carcoar Dam is situated between Blayney (known for the Blayney Windfarm which we can see from our campsite) & Carcoar. The campsite fills very quickly so it pays to arrive early to get the best spot. The dam had a bit more water in it this time. When we visited here in 2004, the dam was quite low. No doubt the dam will be full of water activities such as skiing, sailing, wind surfing, swimming & of course fishing this summer owing to the rains that we’ve had this year.

After a couple of not so relaxing days at Carcoar Dam we decided to move on back to Werribee South as our appointment was on the 8th November. Boorowa was our first stop for morning tea; a good opportunity for Colin to sample a meat pie from the local bakery. I’d say by now he has quite a palate for meat pies. Boorowa is well known for the Irish Woolfest, known as “The Running of the Sheep” which is held each year during the October long week-end. Harden was our next stop for a stretch; this town looked & felt sad & not so inviting unlike Boorowa.

Jugiong was our final stop for the day. Jugiong is a very small historic town on the Hume Highway. The town comprises of nothing more than a pub, church, cafe/bottle shop/fruit & veg. The town is situated along the Murrumbidgee River which runs behind the showground where we set up camp for the night.

I’m not normally an early riser but, three days in a row for early sunrise photos was a bit much; an all time record. Because we had to kill a few days before we could get into Werribee Caravan Park were only going as far as Nagambie. However upon arrival we were turned away as the park was full & we hadn’t booked so on we plod. Since leaving Jugiong, the highway was a dual concrete roadway, what a pleasure to travel on since all the other roads we’d been travelling had been quite rough & undulating.

On our way to Gundagai we just had to stop in to see the Dog on the Tuckerbox monument. The highway now by-passes this historical site. Whilst in Gundagai we took a walk through the main street which at one end led to the famous Prince Alfred Bridge & Railway Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River. Though the bridge is looking a bit dilapidated, it still displays its once youthful beauty of a gone-by era. The Prince Alfred Bridge is the longest timber bridge in Australia measuring almost 1 km, while the Railway Bridge is another bridge noted for its length also being nearly 1km.
A visit to the information centre proved to be very informative. On display was a piece of work called “Rusconi’s Marble Masterpiece. Rusconi, a local monumental mason carved the miniature marble piece from 20,948 pieces of marble collected from around New South Wales. The masterpiece is absolutely exquisite & can only be appreciated when personally viewed. A must see!

We couldn’t quite make it all the way to Nagambie so our final stop was to be at Chiltern Rest Area located on the Hume Highway. Unfortunately, it was also a truck stop so all night we could hear not only the trucks pulling in for a rest, but also the constant drone of traffic travelling along the highway which we were not used to. Time to go back we’d say. We’ve decided not to book into that hotel again, ha, ha! Glenrowan for breakfast, this is certainly a treat; scones with jam & cream, ‘Mmmm’ & a hot chocolate drink. Even I was able to get some gluten free scones. Glenrowan is known as Ned Kelly country with a tall statue of Ned Kelly watching over the town. Though the town is famous for its famous siege, the townsfolk are quite proud of their town.

Nagambie our next port of call for a couple of days, is situated about 40 mins from Shepparton along the Goulburn Valley Hwy, but unfortunately as the saying goes “All full at the Inn” so we continued on to Heathcote, pronounced as ‘eathcot’. A very busy little town nestled at the foot of the McIvor & McHarg Ranges. Heathcote was once a thriving goldfield town. Though the goldrush days have long gone, the town now relishes in its wineries & produce.

Trentham was a quaint little town situated at the very top of the Great Dividing Range. We found the folk her to be very friendly & informative. It is the home of the Trentham Falls which is the longest single drop waterfall in Victoria, descending some 32 metres over basalt columns. Though it was a bit cool outside, the walk to & from the falls was quite refreshing. A few hours later & we had arrived at our final destination, Werribee. It was good to catch up with some friends whom we had met earlier on the in year. It was good to catch up with you Dave & Liz.

I’m going to take this opportunity to wish all our families & friends a very Merry Christmas & a Happy & Safe New Year. Happy travelling to our friends we have met along the way.

Click on the link below to view some photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/108879761974384702036/LakeKeepitToNapperby?feat=directlink