© Summer Life Drifters 2024

Hi all we are the “Summer Life Drifters”,

Karen and James.

We met in 2009, hit it off and well; we are still writing our history and the story is continuing as we embark on this chapter of adventure. Our work experience is diverse with Karen coming from a medical background and James from the RV industry starting in 1971 with Campervans and Motorhomes until early 1990 and then with Fifth Wheelers from 1999 until 2022.

About Us

Summer Life Drifters
As we explore we only have a ruff plan and we will basically allow the road ahead to takes to exciting places. Our intention is to avoid the known “Wet Seasons” up North and Travel South through summer. We follow other You Tube families for advise, tips and to get an idea of interesting places to visit when we are in that particular area. Some of these You tubers are travelling with children, some with dogs, some with both children and dogs and some like us travelling together. Their experiences give us a glimpse at places that tick boxes for us, as we seem to be more interested in nature than cities, places of interest instead of urban sprawl. Between us we have 18 grandchildren and three great grandchildren (and growing) so we intend to come home a couple or three times a year to catch up and then return to our travels.

About Our Set-up

With our experience we have purpose built both tow

vehicle and trailer to suit our needs.

We are no way saying this is the best set-up out their but it is certainly one that ticks a lot of boxes for us and will suit our lifestyle. I have had the absolute pleasure to send many people out to follow their dreams and and create memories that will last a lifetime.

The Tow Vehicle….

We bought a 2021 Ford Ranger and had the 6 x 4 conversion done by Mike and his team at Six Wheel Conversions in Toowoomba. Over the years I have had the pleasure to do a few of this type of vehicle and it certainly gives us the ability to carry our weight with confidence and still maintain a reasonable 4x4 type of ride to take us off the bitumen. So lets start with a basic Ford Ranger before registration we had the vehicle converted to six wheeler prior to first registration and this is achieved by the six wheel conversion meeting the requirements for “Second Stage Manufacture”. This conversion adds a Lazy Axle and this gives 60/40 load share, gives a good ride and a new GVM of 4.5 tonne with an 4.5 tonne Fifth Wheel Hitch. Our vehicle is insured with Club 4x4 and we have given them a complete list of everything we have done including the following in no particular order… Six Wheel Conversion with 7 new 17” Rock Allied Wheels and Falken Wildpeak Tyres (we run the same wheels and tyres on our trailer). We added a 3” exhaust so it breathe a little better, a Ironman Snorkel with K&N Hi Flow air filter. From there we created the body recessing the Hayman Reese Fifth Wheel Hitch, adding an extra 174 litres of fuel, custom designed storage boxes above and below the tray for recovery gear, chainsaw, compressor with air hose and Maxtrax Indeflate, Awning poles and straps etc. We designed a box behind the fuel tank for a Dometic 45 litre Fridge/Freezer, Solar King 150 amp Lithium Battery with DC Charger and Solar Controller. We also added a Fire Wood carrier behind the hitch and this will give us somewhere for fire wood, extra storage for water and or fuel if needed, Ford towbar and wiring complete with Hayman Reese IQ Brake Controller. The Ford is now ready for registration. After rego we added and Ironman Colour Coded Bull Bar and 12,000 Synthetic Rope Winch (I hope I never need), Light Force Driving Lights to compliment the new VLand LED Headlights. The body also sports extra LED lights and LED Tail lights with Sequential Blinkers. Up to the Roof Platform we have four Maxtrax Recovery Boards, 200 watt Solar Panel and Darche 180 degree Awning. We went with Darche 180 Degree because they have a Retreat Tent that attaches to the awning and thought this would suit rather then swags. We have the Retreat Tent and an Air Mattress, small Companion Cooker and Companion Portable Hot Water System for those away from trailer trips. We have the normal creature comforts including Premium Nighthawk Window Tint, Moulded Floor Mats (these don’t smell), Uniden UHF radio, Magnetic Phone Mount, Reversing Camera fitted to rear view mirror and Neoprene Seat Covers for that little extra comfort. I have a Scan Gauge to keep an eye on the vehicle. On the vehicle we have done a Gearbox Modification including new Valve Body, Deep Dish Oil Pan (extra 3 litres of oil) new Gearbox Thermo Valve that opens at 50 degrees instead of 90 degrees and Transmission Cooler and this all helps when towing. Add to that we have had the Ford tuned by Tune Works at Raymond Terrace and we chose to have it set up to tow and aid with fuel efficiency instead of straight out grunt and performance.

The Fifth Wheeler…

We designed this trailer knowing we were going “off-road” and so used our proven chassis and set it on Cruisemaster XT Independent Air Suspension. The Cruisemaster set-up has on board air compressor and air tank with controls to adjust ride height and level side to side when camping. We have the 17” Rock Allied Wheels and Falken Wildpeak tyres with the rims the same stud pattern and offset as the Ford so we can interchange if needed. Our Construction features Full Composite walls and roof with a one piece Resin Induced 30 mm Composite Floor. All of the panels are water proof so will never deteriorate or rot. This style of construction has proven to be extremely strong, very light and easy to maintain and provide great insulation quality. The trailer as it is set up has a Tare Weight of 3.4 tonne and ATM of 4.5 tonne, the Cruisemaster Suspension has a 4.5 tonne rating. We have 330 litres of fresh water, 110 litres of grey water on board with a Thetford Cassette Toilet and two LP Gas bottles. Power comes from 5 x 175 watt eArc Solar Panels giving 875 watts on the roof and with these new panels we get around 22 amps when its raining and 45+ amps in full sun. This power is channelled into 450 amps of Solar King Lithium Batteries with and 240 volt battery charger, 12 volt battery charger and 70 amp Lithium Controller. We have a 3,000 watt Cotek Inverter on board which can run everything in the trailer. When designing the trailer and with the power available we decided to go with a Bushman 274 litre Fridge, Westinghouse Induction Cook Top, Sharp Convection Microwave Oven and Fujitsu Split System Air Conditioner. This means with no gas inside the trailer we do not need vents and that makes it more likely to be a Dust Free set-up on dirt roads we intend to drive on. We did decided to use the Truma Aqua Go Instant Hot Water System and of course our Sizzler BBQ and these are the only LP Gas appliances on board. Just a quick note at the time of writing the Sizzler BBQ is the only legal BBQ available in Australia, it has Flame Failure Device and two burners as required by the Gas Act. Inside we have a full Queen Size mattress, plenty of storage under the slatted bed base. There is ample storage with bedside drawers, six clothes drawers under the double wardrobe, Washer and Dryer, Linen Cupboard and good bathroom with large shower, large vanity basin with storage above and below. Down in the living room we elected to go for Lazy-boy Leather Suite with two recliners and two seater lounge (we decided we did not need a table inside). The entertainment features a 55” Samsung Smart TV, Blue-tooth Furion Stereo with internal and external speakers and we have installed a Sphere Satellite Dish and Winegard 4G Internet Antenna/Booster to keep us connected. Outside we have two 13’ Carefree Altitude 12 volt Awnings with LED Light Strips integrated, an outside table couple of external lights. Also have external Blue-tooth speaker, Mosquito Buzzer and Yellow or White Light, we enjoy our music so this is a good mix for us. With the Sizzler BBQ when cooking outside we have a portable Westinghouse Induction Cooktop that we place on the drop down table. We will do detailed walk around videos on both the Ford Ranger and Fifth Wheeler.
© Summer Life Drifters 2022

Hi all we are the “Summer Life Drifters”,

Karen and James.

We met in 2009, hit it off and well; we are still writing our history and the story is continuing as we embark on this chapter of adventure. Our work experience is diverse with Karen coming from a medical background and James from the RV industry starting in 1971 with Campervans and Motorhomes until early 1990 and then with Fifth Wheelers from 1999 until 2022.

About Us

Summer Life Drifters
As we explore we only have a ruff plan and we will basically allow the road ahead to takes to exciting places. Our intention is to avoid the known “Wet Seasons” up North and Travel South through summer. We follow other You Tube families for advise, tips and to get an idea of interesting places to visit when we are in that particular area. Some of these You tubers are travelling with children, some with dogs, some with both children and dogs and some like us travelling together. Their experiences give us a glimpse at places that tick boxes for us, as we seem to be more interested in nature than cities, places of interest instead of urban sprawl. Between us we have 18 grandchildren and three great grandchildren (and growing) so we intend to come home a couple or three times a year to catch up and then return to our travels.

About Our Set-up

With our experience we have purpose built both tow

vehicle and trailer to suit our needs.

We are no way saying this is the best set-up out their but it is certainly one that ticks a lot of boxes for us and will suit our lifestyle. I have had the absolute pleasure to send many people out to follow their dreams and and create memories that will last a lifetime.

The Tow Vehicle….

We bought a 2021 Ford Ranger and had the 6 x 4 conversion done by Mike and his team at Six Wheel Conversions in Toowoomba. Over the years I have had the pleasure to do a few of this type of vehicle and it certainly gives us the ability to carry our weight with confidence and still maintain a reasonable 4x4 type of ride to take us off the bitumen. So lets start with a basic Ford Ranger before registration we had the vehicle converted to six wheeler prior to first registration and this is achieved by the six wheel conversion meeting the requirements for “Second Stage Manufacture”. This conversion adds a Lazy Axle and this gives 60/40 load share, gives a good ride and a new GVM of 4.5 tonne with an 4.5 tonne Fifth Wheel Hitch. Our vehicle is insured with Club 4x4 and we have given them a complete list of everything we have done including the following in no particular order… Six Wheel Conversion with 7 new 17” Rock Allied Wheels and Falken Wildpeak Tyres (we run the same wheels and tyres on our trailer). We added a 3” exhaust so it breathe a little better, a Ironman Snorkel with K&N Hi Flow air filter. From there we created the body recessing the Hayman Reese Fifth Wheel Hitch, adding an extra 174 litres of fuel, custom designed storage boxes above and below the tray for recovery gear, chainsaw, compressor with air hose and Maxtrax Indeflate, Awning poles and straps etc. We designed a box behind the fuel tank for a Dometic 45 litre Fridge/Freezer, Solar King 150 amp Lithium Battery with DC Charger and Solar Controller. We also added a Fire Wood carrier behind the hitch and this will give us somewhere for fire wood, extra storage for water and or fuel if needed, Ford towbar and wiring complete with Hayman Reese IQ Brake Controller. The Ford is now ready for registration. After rego we added and Ironman Colour Coded Bull Bar and 12,000 Synthetic Rope Winch (I hope I never need), Light Force Driving Lights to compliment the new VLand LED Headlights. The body also sports extra LED lights and LED Tail lights with Sequential Blinkers. Up to the Roof Platform we have four Maxtrax Recovery Boards, 200 watt Solar Panel and Darche 180 degree Awning. We went with Darche 180 Degree because they have a Retreat Tent that attaches to the awning and thought this would suit rather then swags. We have the Retreat Tent and an Air Mattress, small Companion Cooker and Companion Portable Hot Water System for those away from trailer trips. We have the normal creature comforts including Premium Nighthawk Window Tint, Moulded Floor Mats (these don’t smell), Uniden UHF radio, Magnetic Phone Mount, Reversing Camera fitted to rear view mirror and Neoprene Seat Covers for that little extra comfort. I have a Scan Gauge to keep an eye on the vehicle. On the vehicle we have done a Gearbox Modification including new Valve Body, Deep Dish Oil Pan (extra 3 litres of oil) new Gearbox Thermo Valve that opens at 50 degrees instead of 90 degrees and Transmission Cooler and this all helps when towing. Add to that we have had the Ford tuned by Tune Works at Raymond Terrace and we chose to have it set up to tow and aid with fuel efficiency instead of straight out grunt and performance.

The Fifth Wheeler…

We designed this trailer knowing we were going “off-road” and so used our proven chassis and set it on Cruisemaster XT Independent Air Suspension. The Cruisemaster set-up has on board air compressor and air tank with controls to adjust ride height and level side to side when camping. We have the 17” Rock Allied Wheels and Falken Wildpeak tyres with the rims the same stud pattern and offset as the Ford so we can interchange if needed. Our Construction features Full Composite walls and roof with a one piece Resin Induced 30 mm Composite Floor. All of the panels are water proof so will never deteriorate or rot. This style of construction has proven to be extremely strong, very light and easy to maintain and provide great insulation quality. The trailer as it is set up has a Tare Weight of 3.4 tonne and ATM of 4.5 tonne, the Cruisemaster Suspension has a 4.5 tonne rating. We have 330 litres of fresh water, 110 litres of grey water on board with a Thetford Cassette Toilet and two LP Gas bottles. Power comes from 5 x 175 watt eArc Solar Panels giving 875 watts on the roof and with these new panels we get around 22 amps when its raining and 45+ amps in full sun. This power is channelled into 450 amps of Solar King Lithium Batteries with and 240 volt battery charger, 12 volt battery charger and 70 amp Lithium Controller. We have a 3,000 watt Cotek Inverter on board which can run everything in the trailer. When designing the trailer and with the power available we decided to go with a Bushman 274 litre Fridge, Westinghouse Induction Cook Top, Sharp Convection Microwave Oven and Fujitsu Split System Air Conditioner. This means with no gas inside the trailer we do not need vents and that makes it more likely to be a Dust Free set-up on dirt roads we intend to drive on. We did decided to use the Truma Aqua Go Instant Hot Water System and of course our Sizzler BBQ and these are the only LP Gas appliances on board. Just a quick note at the time of writing the Sizzler BBQ is the only legal BBQ available in Australia, it has Flame Failure Device and two burners as required by the Gas Act. Inside we have a full Queen Size mattress, plenty of storage under the slatted bed base. There is ample storage with bedside drawers, six clothes drawers under the double wardrobe, Washer and Dryer, Linen Cupboard and good bathroom with large shower, large vanity basin with storage above and below. Down in the living room we elected to go for Lazy-boy Leather Suite with two recliners and two seater lounge (we decided we did not need a table inside). The entertainment features a 55” Samsung Smart TV, Blue-tooth Furion Stereo with internal and external speakers and we have installed a Sphere Satellite Dish and Winegard 4G Internet Antenna/Booster to keep us connected. Outside we have two 13’ Carefree Altitude 12 volt Awnings with LED Light Strips integrated, an outside table couple of external lights. Also have external Blue-tooth speaker and light, we enjoy our music so this is a good mix for us. With the Sizzler BBQ when cooking outside we have a portable Westinghouse Induction Cooktop that we place on the drop down table. We will do detailed walk around videos on both the Ford Ranger and Fifth Wheeler.