News & Stories

Are you on a way to another expedition?
Travelling to any destination can be a little risky regardless of its perceived safety, especially if you are on camping.
If you love travelling, and you are planning to head towards another destination then, it is important to be a little self-contained. The reason for being so is, you cannot run for small things every single minute.
[caption id="attachment_12399" align="alignnone" width="700"] Keeping a toolkit has never been out of style. It helps you keep organized and self-reliant, especially, when you are familiar with basic maintenance and repairs. Moreover, when you are a person who prefers convenience over everything and if you need something to fix any issue then, an organized and handy toolkit with travel essentials is what you need.[/caption]

What are the essentials?

When you are into camping and travelling, never travel with a tightly packed travel agenda. It is important that you should have the right tools in your RV toolbox. Here are some travel-essential gadgets and tools that would help you keep away from the frustration arising out of lack of simple tools.

A Set of Screwdrivers

Carrying a set of screwdrivers with multiple bits could be the best thing you can do to yourself. It goes quite well and helps you to fix a plethora of issues as they are enough to do most of the jobs.

A Cordless Drill

A cordless drill is another essential item for any RV toolbox. It may seem to be a luxury and yes, it is. It helps to fix minor issues, it’s light-weight, handy, manageable, and easy to use. Moreover, it helps save a great amount of time.

Multimeter

Stuck somewhere? how to check battery voltages?
No worries, the answer is fairly simple- A digital multimeter, yes! It is the handiest gadget that you can carry with yourself to check battery voltages with much ease.

Duct Tape

Troubles arise when you are miles away from an RV dealership and here comes the duct tape for your rescue! Yes, it is a lifesaver as it helps fix holes in your awnings and roofs when hit with a building or slipped on ice.

Air Impact Gun

When you are on a trip especially on an RV trip, it is important that you keep your tires inflated during the journey. So, having an air compressor along with an air impact gun is extremely important as it makes inflating tires easier.
Final Words
These were some travel essentials that could be of utmost importance for you while camping.
Add Extra Convenience to Your Experience!

With xtend Outdoors

Everything of our campers and trailers we take care of but we often miss out on or do not focus as much as we do on other things is, maintaining the tires. Tires are an important part of a camper, although they do not do as much rigorous work as the RV wheels do.
Well, this perception of campers leads to infrequent top-ups and eventual tire failures. One should get the camper tires inspected every year by a professional and if they are stored well, they can be more durable.

There are several indicators of a tire wearing that even you could spot such as discolouration; tire shoulders going blue, ozone cracking, signs of under-inflation.
Here are the top reasons why camper tires wear.

Direct sunlight

In case the tires of your camper are exposed too long to direct sunlight they would wear at a faster rate. Sunlight produces heat which is a major factor of wearing.

Proximity to a compressor

In case your camper trailer is parked in close proximity to an air compressor while it is idle, it would wear faster. The reason being, electrical motors emit huge amounts of ozone which breaks down the rubber of your camper tire.

No tire rotation

Another reason camper tires wear is if you do not rotate them. Tires of the camper should be rotated from side to side every 3 to 6 thousand miles.

Irregular wheel alignment

Irregular wheel alignment is one of the major reasons your camper tire would wear faster, especially if the camper has independent suspensions. To put it into perspective, even one degree of incorrect alignment of the wheel affects the sideways 55 feet in every mile.

Continued driving on a separated belt

The life of a tire ends when the steel belts in it start breaking. This becomes quite visual as a bulge appears on the tire. If such a tire is continued to be used the steel belts break completely and may damage the camper.
The wear of camper tires can be prevented simply by taking precautionary measures such as parking the camper under a shade, away from an air compressor while it is idle, regular tire rotation, correct wheel alignment and understanding when to replace an old tire.

Adventure lovers have made off-road caravaning equally pursuable as on-road. But it requires a completely different set of skills and along with dissimilar skills, it calls for sturdier caravans.
Off-road caravans are designed for treacherous terrains and harsh outbacks making them “the go-anywhere” vehicles. There are several features which make an off-road caravan different from its counterpart—an on-road one, such as heavy-duty suspension, better battery, a reinforced chassis and much more.

 
Here are the “essentials” that makes your caravan a true off-road caravan.
 

1. Suspension- An off-road caravan trip means bumpy trails and rough routes. A regular suspension might not endure the off-road adventure and so, you need an independent suspension that absorbs most shocks. Some of the best independent suspension types for an off-road caravanning trip are coil springs with trailing arms and independent rubber suspension.

 

2. Ground Clearance- A vital factor to consider before you hit an off-road trip is your caravans' ground clearance. Unlike a paved road, routes running in the outback are treacherously uneven which makes your caravan’s underbelly more susceptible to damage. Off-road caravans have a good minimum height off the ground which makes them fit for treacherous roads. Although, not only a good ground clearance is important for an off-road caravan but a larger rear departure angle makes the manoeuvring smooth.

 

3. Chassis- Chassis could be called as the skeleton of the vehicle. For an off-road caravan, a chassis needs to be stronger than the regular ones the on-roaders have. A good configuration of a sturdy chassis could be a box section chassis with A-frames made of 150X50 mm and chassis rails made of 100X50 mm rectangular hollow structures. The perfect meal for a chassis with that dimension is aluminium, despite a bulky set up the metal is light and robust.

 

4. Coupling- An off-road coupling is fundamentally different than the regular ones. Treading on a bumpy outback not only requires a smooth horizontal articulation but a great vertical articulation as well. A ball coupling is a great coupling option, although there are various other options available as well.

 

5. Storage and power- For an outback trip, the storage and power in a caravan require to be beefed up. An off-road caravan should be equipped with a 200Ah battery, 300W solar panel and about 190L of water storing capacity.

 
No doubt an off-road caravan is heavier, but beefing it up is important to meet the extremities of an off-road caravaning trip.

A suspension system in your trailer is a combination of tires, linkages, springs, and shock absorbers. You might not have been keen on knowing about it, although understanding the basics of your trailer suspension types would not only be harmless but also might help you in the future with its overhauling.
First, it is important to know the functions of the suspension. There are 3 of them-

1. Maximize the friction between the tires and the road surface.
2. Provide steering stability.
3. Ensure the comfort of the passengers.

The chief component of a suspension system is its spring, and it has evolved over time into various forms of different types of caravan suspension systems.
 

Leaf Spring

Leaf springs are one of the oldest suspension types and are still manufactured in good numbers. These first suspensions are used today for light trailers and are excellent at absorbing blows, yet they are not recommended for heavy-duty use.
 

Trailing-Arm Suspension

Trailing-arm trailer suspensions were commonly seen in landing gears of aircraft but now are extensively used in ground vehicles as well. A trailing arm or a trailing link has a link or an arm is connected between the axle of the trailer and a pivot point on the chassis. The arm is located at the rear of the axle of the trailer and is also perpendicular to it. Using independent trailing-arm suspensions on the trailer makes every wheel independently move vertically thus making the ride more comfortable.
 

Air Suspension

 
Air suspensions are being used in ground vehicles since the 1980s. Making a slight change in the trailing-arm suspension gives us air suspension. The steel springs used in a trailing-arm suspension are replaced by bellows made of textile-reinforced rubber, called airbags/bellows or air springs. The load of the trailer in the air suspensions is borne by these air springs as opposed to the steel springs in the trailing-arm suspensions. Air suspensions are a great choice as they are amazing with all kinds of terrains, although to modify the pressure according to the terrain, you need to have an air compressor or an air cylinder with you.
 

Rubber Suspension

A rubber suspension is a lightweight and relatively simple suspension type. A rubber suspension is a torsion arm suspension. The torsion arm is attached to the frame of the trailer, inside which is a heat-treated inner bar surrounded by 3 or 4 rubber cords. The inner bar rotates when the load is applied, which causes a rolling compressive resistance in the rubber cords. The actions provide the same functions as the conventional sprung axle. A rubber suspension is also independent of the trailing-arm suspension, also rubber cushioning eliminates metal-to-metal contact.
Hope you had a brief idea of the commonly used suspension systems in camping trailers.

Which fuel to choose for towing your caravans; petrol or diesel? Its a big question for all the camping enthusiasts and although many of us are already partisans of diesel, as it is more economical than petrol, there are various factors to consider too.
 

Diesel VS Petrol

Torque

Torque in an automobile is the power transmitted through the tail shaft to the other components that cannot be connected directly. Typically diesel engines have greater torque which could be assigned to various reasons such as—they are turbocharged, they have high cylinder pressure and longer piston stroke lengths. This means diesel engines have higher strength and better towing capacity.

Dependability

Diesel engines are more robust. With a higher compression ratio, a totally different ignition system and less corrosive byproducts diesel engines survive better as compared to their petrol counterparts. On the flip side, if a diesel engine goes awry, it takes a fortune to fix it.

Resale value

Diesel engines hold stable resale values as compared to petrol engines, major reasons being; they are economic and relatively reliable. Also, diesel engines slowly evolve as compared to petrol ones, that makes their resale higher.

Cost

Typically diesel engines are costlier than petrol engines and that makes them not for everyone. You pay a premium on diesel engines and to recover that premium you need to drive your diesel more.
The above discussion surely makes it easier to take a call to buy a diesel or petrol engine. It is clear once again that diesel engines are better than their petrol counterparts as diesel engines are dependable, have higher torque and higher resale value, the only argument against being they are costlier.

Melbourne is the place known for its scenic beauty & adventures places. As this is the fox capital of the world officially & the second largest city in Australia. Foodies, travellers, adventure seekers, peace seeker & other categories of tourist can be found here at Melbourne because that’s what it is rainbow of awesomeness. This is the reason that 38% of the population were born overseas because people who visit here see themselves as Melbourians.

There are many places to wander around in or out of Melbourne; some are far some are close. So here is a list of 8 fantastic day trips out of Melbourne you should take:
• Great Ocean Road: The name might seem fanatical, but it’s the same as the name. Ocean on the side of the road but not just the ocean instead of a breathtaking fresh experience of awesomeness. You should be ready to capture this view in your eyes & the camera because it will surpass your expectations beyond the level of imagination. You can spend a whole night on the beach if you just have a canvas annexes. You can easily buy canvas annexes in Melbourne.
• Grampians National Park: If you want to go on the trip of nature or wildlife, breathe freshness of nature, experience an untouched world then Grampian national park is the right place for you. It is a 13km drive from the Melbourne city & that driving time is worth it. You should go fully prepared for this adventure, and definitely, all tools and tents are essential for this journey. You can easily buy canvas annexes in Melbourne from Xtendoutdoors. You can wander off the national park as there are 3 main waterfalls in the Grampian national park named Silver Band Falls, Mackenzie Falls & apart from that, there is also a Stringybark forest.
• Black Spur: Black spur is located 60km from the Melbourne city & after 30 km the adventure starts. It's like going deep & deep into the forest with the scenic beauty of the evergreen rainforest & there are many hairpins turns which gives the best view of the forest. This is also a racing spot which is famous due to its hairpin turns which provides the racer with a moment to drift. If you are racing fanatic, then be sure to visit this place.
• Altona Beach: This beach is one of the nearest place listed in this list as this is just a 25minute drive from the city. It is also suitable for families to organize a small get together or picnic. The water here is so clear you can look what’s beneath the waters. If one is a kite surfing nerd than this is heaven for you.
• Philip Island: If you have some off the chart likings then this Philip Island is the best place for you. As this place is famous for penguins & some wildlife parks also because of what better than to watch penguins do their stuff & relax. This is a 140 km drive from the Melbourne city, so you just have to get in the car in the morning & be there till evening to enjoy the show of penguins & relax.
• Yarra Valley: Yarra valley is situated in Victoria & the name of Yarra valley is derived from the river Yarra which surrounds the Victoria region. The Yarra Valley is also famous for its wines as it is rapidly topping up the charts in the wine industry. This place is like a full package of scenic beauty, forests, and ranges of the hills. But the centre of attraction is the Ada tree located in the forest of Yarra state. It is giant mountain ash & has a record for itself as the most massive living tree in Victoria. The Yarra Valley is the spot where you can take out a day off & free from all tensions as this place has the camping facility too but if you want you can opt for canvas annexure also as they don’t require time in setting up & gives comfort also. Finding “canvas annexes in Melbourne” is not a problem as you can go through this link for help https://www.xtendoutdoors.com.au/collections/caravan-annexes.
• Sovereign Hill: It is located in a gold rush town which just an hour drive from the Melbourne city & there is a wildlife park also which is famous for kangaroos. On the top of the sovereign there is an open-air museum & from there you will be experienced to an unforgettable view of nature. As this place is so much famous among the tourist because one can visit two places on the drive of one & its short distance from Melbourne city, make sure you packed up your canvas annexes in Melbourne city only and also makes it a centre of attraction.
• Mornington Peninsula: This place is famous for its taste & known for its cheese. Just a 10-hour drive from the Melbourne city to this urban style place. You can find here the best vines, foods which has a good record in Australian food history. Listen to some country music & have the feel of an urban place. If you are a national park person, then this place has it too named Mornington peninsula national park.

Australian Valentine’s Day is a day meant for lovers of all ages and races, regardless of where they are from. Couples from all across the world come together to enjoy their time with their loved ones, whether it is a romantic lunch or dinner, or some outdoor activity, or just staying home and enjoying some alone time together. In Australia, you can even find popular events happening around your locality. You can plan a romantic getaway in Australia if you are looking for where to go for Valentine's weekend. Valentine's Day Australia is a fun day to get together for the same shared love for each other and to take a day off and appreciate all that your partner has done for you.

There are a lot of activities that you can plan with your loved one to surprise them. If you are both exceptionally daring, you can even try the great outdoors. Going valentines camping is an entirely new and unique experience for the both of you if you have not ventured out doing this before.
Here are some tips and steps you can take to ensure you have the perfect date in the woods together.

Do Your Research

Before you plan on taking your partner out for your particular outdoor date, be well aware and well informed about the place, location, and equipment you need to carry. Do thorough research on the various spots that you feel is safe for both of you. Check the weather and be prepared for any potential downpour or sudden change in temperature. Keep the number of the park rangers handy, just in case.

Find Your Ideal Location

You can check online around your area for suitable camping sites that you think you both will enjoy. If you want a place that is serene and tranquil and does not attract a lot of crowds, then search for some primitive camping grounds, that is, camping sites that are secluded and not that easy to reach or that visible. It’s usually a long way away, but it is worth the effort if you are looking for a secretive location to spend your time together.

Plan Ahead

Keep a list of all the things you have to take to ensure you have a memorable stay. One way to do that is to visualise what you two would be doing the whole day there. If the two of you are going to trek quite a distance, then it is recommended not to carry too much of a burden since you would be walking quite a bit to reach your destination. Below are some items that you would require on your valentine camping trip. It is not necessary to carry all of it, but this is to give you a rough idea of what you can take:

• Air mattress or sleeping bags: There are lots of options online that are easily portable and won't weigh you down. You can even get double sleeping bags so you two can just share one.
• Pillows: Use it to set the mood and give your tent a cozy feel.
• Blankets: Always carry extra blankets to keep yourself protected against unexpected weather.
• Fancy battery-operated lights: You can also get the solar powered version of these string lights or fairy lights and hang it around your tent to set the mood.
• Flashlights: It’s ok to be fancy, but you would also need a working flashlight or lantern to find your way in the dark.
• Portable sound system: For entertainment purposes, and to keep the romance burning.
• Water: the essential item on the list.
• Cooler or picnic basket: To carry all your food and beverage, and to keep it fresh, and chilled for a more extended period.
• Utensils: Plates, knives, forks, you name it, whatever you need to enjoy your meal with.
• Camping chairs: To sit up, and take in the serenity of your surroundings.
• Stove and matches: For making a meal from scratch and to impress your loved one. Be careful to put out the fire once you’re done.
• First-aid kit: To heal basic cuts and bruises, it’s always a good idea to keep a kit handy.
• Board games or cards: Playing games is a great time pass and will bring you two closer together.

Deciding the Menu

No campsite date is complete without food. Plan the menu the day before you leave so you will have a clear idea of what you would be having. Carry your leftovers to make something unique on the site. Take a lot of snacks so that you would both have something to munch on before dinner time.
But most importantly don't forget to carry beverages, especially water. You can also add in a couple of juice bars to quench your thirst. Fruits are also an excellent option and can also be used as dessert for a sweet ending to your night.
If you genuinely want to impress your date, you can show off your outdoor RV with extended, state of the art annex, perfect for the great outdoors. With Xtend Outdoors, you can never go wrong. They are leaders in premium RV products, from awnings to extensions and shades and other accessories. They have an onsite fitting service throughout Australia so you can have your caravan fitted to your liking. With unbeatable prices, Xtend Outdoors has the answers to all your camping problems and will ensure that you have the best valentine camping experience in Australia.
 

Christmas day comes on the 25th December and is a festival for Christian to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Many people, even if they are not Christian celebrate the birth of Jesus, give each other gifts and decorate their homes on this special occasion.

In which month is Christmas in Australia?
Australian Christmas comes in the summer holidays! Also, 25th Dec is a public holiday or the general population; children have their summer vacations from December to February. Because it is hot at Christmas time in Australia, people might even go camping with their family.
 

Christmas Traditions in Australia

 

When is Christmas in Australia?

Christmas in Australia comes in the summertime. Australians live on the world's largest island, so people often spend part of Christmas day with their family at the beach. Australian decorates their homes with greenery along with summer flower (Christmas bellflower). Most of Australia's migrants came from England and Ireland, fetching their Christmas traditions with them.

How does Australia celebrate Christmas?

On Christmas Eve, families and friend gather together to attend the church. Children assume gifts from their dad and others wait for Santa Clause to visit and deliver the gift.

Australian Christmas traditions

The most popular event of Christmas season that is attended by masses is Carols by Candlelight. People come outside from their homes, gather and sing Christmas carols outside. The event gets popularised when in Melbourne in 1938 by radio announced by Norman Banks when he witnessed the crowds gather in parks and outdoor venues to listen to carols sung by candlelight.

Christmas Gift Ideas for campers

We all get baffled when we have to choose the gifts for others, some of you might wonder what to gift someone who loves the outdoors? Selecting a gift and buying it offline is time-consuming. To make things simpler for you we have chosen some of the items that can make person happier who loves to go camping.

Camping Christmas gifts

There are several items that you can gift to the adventurer. All of these camping items are useful, intensive and camping- friendly.

• Outdoor cooking accessories

Adventures like camping, hiking requires a lot more cooking efforts. Campers follow a rigid diet chart and intake food according to the situations, but a well-rounded diet is essential to an outdoorsman. To have proper nutrition, they need to have outdoor cooking accessories.
If I mention specific products then a set of pots and pans, camping knives and a compact coffee maker, popcorn popper although the best cooking gift for a camper can be an iron pie iron, with a pie iron, you give the gift of grilled cheese a la campfire, as well as plenty of other simple recipes.

• Camping Firewood Carrier

It is hard to carry the gathered wood for a long route to your camp. A simple and useful gift for adventures is camping wood carrier; it will take the pain away from your wood gatherer with this excellent firewood carrier with handles!

• Mini Screen Projector

Yes, we all love to be under the stars, but sometime to fill up the void of emptiness, campers can watch their favourite shows with the help of this mini-screen projector. It is small, easy to carry, comfy and lightweight.

• Camping Espresso Mini Coffee Machine

Now you don’t need to change your morning drink while you’re camping. Enjoy a delicious espresso with this incredible small coffee machine. This little machine definitely to bring a smile on campers. The capable device has – a semi-automatic piston which allows you to operate, mix the coffee into espresso at a squeeze of a button. Just press at will to control the amount of extracted coffee.
Whether you are in the home, kitchen or doing camping, this is necessary to have for coffee addict.

• Camping Shish Kebab Baskets

Want to eat a delicious bbq meal while camping, then have this or gift this to your camper friend. You need to collect veggies and insert it in shish kabab stainless steel then place it over fires. You will have the best campfires meal of your life. Features - Commercial Grade Stainless Steel Keep Food from Falling onto the BBQ Heat Resistant Handles.

• Floating Camping Tent

Well, camping in Australia is risky, the forests are full of dangerous animals. The campers need to be extra conscious, and the only thing that protects the person from these life taking animals is the Floating Camping Tent. The Tent stuck between two trees and considered to be the most versatile and comfortable tent in the world.

• Car Seat Organiser

A car seat organiser is a perfect gift for your camper friend. It stores a lot of small items. They are perfect for all those tiny objects which mostly get lost in your car.

• Wireless Electric Brake Controller

Naturally, a brake controller is the instrument which controls the brakes most of which are already fitted. The latest innovation in the category of electric brake controllers is Wireless Electric Brake Controller( Bluetooth). You can buy this Bluetooth brake controller without needing to hard wire it into your car! Giving you the freedom to change tow vehicles! Check them out here for Christmas.

• Pocket Camping Shower

Now you can have a shower in your camping trip. The pocket-size camping shower can hold 10L and it is made from heat resistant water-proof fabric. It works similarly as your bathroom shower but only for seven minutes. However, in seven minutes, you’ll be able to soap up, rinse off and possibly even wash your hair!
All you have to do is hang the Pocket Shower from the nearest tree or your existing shower head. The small showering machine provides equal spray dispersion, and just a twist of the showerhead allows you to turn the water on or off and even adjust the flow.

• Hiking pack

Most of the campers are hikers, they carry a small backpack and fill it with a sort of handy knick-knacks to make life outside a little bit easier. So a hand warming Hiking pack is a perfect gift for your adventure buddy. You can up the ante with this one by throwing in a personal water filter that’s extra handy on longer hikes.

• Comfy clothing

One of the best parts about camping is everyone enjoys the weather conditions. Campers prefer to wear clothes according to climate conditions. The first thing they look for while choosing the clothes for camping is that apparels are comfortable or not.

• Outdoor seating

This is a perfect gift. The campers need somewhere to sit, and they are mostly in a hunt of scoring a spot. Plus the place with the most outdoor seating usually becomes the place to be when night falls and campfires crowds grow. Travellers need somewhere to sit, too! In this case, look for something more compact and easy to pack away.

• Portable games

Have you ever imagine what campers do a whole day in the forest? They play games and enjoy. If you want to gift something to a traveller, gift them portable games. Games like cards, sudoku, chess, ludo and word searches are great for vacationists.

Christmas holidays are about excitement, enthusiasm, family, and friends. Did we miss something?
What about vacations?
Yup, no time of the year is the best time for a nice vacation than Christmas.

 
Well, were you planning a vacation in the countryside but couldn’t book a vacation this time? Don’t fret, here are 5 last-minute tips to arrange an amazing Christmas camping trip.
 

1. Somewhere nearby - Last-minute plans tone down everything. Well, that doesn’t mean you will have lesser fun as compared to your regular, awaited camping trips. Plan a trip to a campsite not too far away. Closer the campsite, you have more time to relax and unwind with the family.

 

2. Pack less - Do not rush to pack for a regular trip when you have decided to plan this trip on a short notice. Pick a spot which has easy supplies so that you spend more time with family or friends.

 

3. Meal plan - No matter your camping trip is short or long, awaited or impulsive, food is important. Chalk out a meal plan based on your stay. Remember this trip is a last-minute trip and you don’t want to spend much time packing, cook pot meals for the camping trip.

 

4. First-Aid - Equally important as food is the first-aid. No matter the duration of the camping trip or how less time you took to plan one, always carry a first-aid. In fact, it is imperative to pack a first-aid first on a last-minute camping trip as chances are you might forget it completely.

 

5. Free campsites - Go for free campsites on a last-minute camping trip as they are first in, first served. A few free campsites are Ingar Campground (NSW), Briggen Park (QLD), Badden Powell (WA), Blue Pool (VIC).

Knowing how to hitch an annexe to your camper is as important as knowing how to pitch a tent. A tent is a home away from home on a camping trip, and so is an annexe. In case you don’t hitch an annexe in the right way, it could spoil all your camping experience.
To know how to install an annexe right, follow these steps-
 
Before starting with the installation, make sure you extend the awning out.

 

1. Anti-flap kit- The first step is to prepare the anti-flip kit. Undo the bolts and remove the extension bar which is inside it. Now, turn the extension bar around, insert it again and retighten the bolts. Connect to other section and retighten.

 

2. Anti-flap kit brackets- Once the anti-flap kit is assembled, drill the brackets on to the wall of the vehicle.

 

3. Drum barrel- Drill 2 holes on the drum barrel at the two ends of it. At the center of the drum barrel, drill another hole to give support to the curved roof bar which would be installed later. Drill a bracket on the wall of the vehicle exactly in line to the hole drilled at the center of the drum barrel.

 

4. Attach anti-flap kit bars- Now, attach the anti-flip kit bar by hooking one end to one of the brackets drilled (2nd point) and insert the other end into the pre-drilled hole in the drum barrel. Tighten the lock nut, hold the canopy down and fasten the lockdown handles on the bar. Repeat the procedure with the second bar on the other side.

 

5. Attach the curved roof bar- In a similar way, attach the curved roof bar at the center.

 

6. Install sail track- Place the sail track against awning track and attach it with screws. Repeat it on the opposite side.

 

7. Installing end walls- Slide the end wall into topsail. Insert velcro strip into vehicle sail track and attach the wall panel to the velcro strip. Repeat the process on the opposite side.

 

8. Front wall- Velcro the front wall to the drum barrel.

 
We hope these steps of installing annexe is going to be helpful to you.

Installing a stereo to your caravan might sound too tedious to be done on your own, but it is not that complicated. Caravan stereo installation could be a pretty interesting DIY project. All you need are a few general tools such as a jigsaw, hole saw, a drill and some cable.

 
Here is a stepwise explanation on how to fit a stereo to a caravan.
 

1. Mark the spot- First things first, you need to measure and mark the spot in the caravan where you want to install your stereo. Go for a soft background such as a wooden board or an acrylic sheet on which the stereo would be installed. This is the most important part of the process as a few errors could ruin the subsequent installation. Although you could dodge the errors to some degree by allowing some amount of space while marking the spot as a margin of error. Measure and mark according to the stereo unit’s dimensions.

 

2. Cut the shape- Once you have marked the spot, you now need to cut the shape to fit the stereo in the wall. Using a jigsaw, neatly cut the shape, thus making a cavity to install the stereo.

 

3. Drill- Now, drill on the wall for screws. For this, you need to consider the stereo unit and the length of the screws supplied with it. Mark exactly at the spots where the screws would be screwed and drill holes.

 

4. Install the power supply- After screwing the stereo, the next thing to install is the power supply. The spot to install the power supply (inverter) could be anywhere around the stereo. Also, make sure a powerpoint is in the close proximity of the inverter.

 

5. Connect- With the 12V cable, you now need to connect the inverter and the stereo.

 

6. Speakers- Once you have set up the stereo, speakers are to be installed. Speakers could be installed anywhere in the caravan, wherever you want the music. To install speakers once again you would have to create a cavity. Using a hole saw, drill holes at the spot.

 

7. Connect the speakers- Once you have drilled the holes to house the speakers, it is now the turn to connect the speakers with the stereo. Make sure you follow the correct polarity. In case of confusion follow the speaker instruction manual.

 

8. Mount the speaker- The last step is to mount the speakers in the holes you carved. Determine where the aerial needs to go and drill a small hole from the inside of the van.

 
Mount the Aerial- Mount the aerial from the outside and connect the wiring to the stereo on the inside. It is recommended to use stainless screws rather than the screws that come with the aerial as in most cases they are plastic screws which might break in the long run making the aerial unstable.

Somethings bring life to almost all things, such as music or colours. Talking about colours, they are the essence of life and without them, life would be monotonous. Probably that is the reason we have a range of colour options for the things we buy.
As a camper, you would love to buy an awning of your favourite or best colour, but do you know, every colour is has a significance? Different colours represent different emotions and you as a colour enthusiast may want to know what are they.

Here are some popular colours with what they reflect and resonate which would answer how to pick an awning colour.
Red
Be it Scarlet or Crimson, red is the colour that stands out among all. Red represents excitement, passion, desire, love, fire and so is emotionally an intense colour. Choosing a red coloured awning would tell a lot about the zealous camper inside you.
Green
Green is one of the most soothing colours of all. The earthy colour resonates with growth, harmony, freshness, fertility, nature and health. A green awning on a camping trip in nature would echo the spirit of camping in nature.
Blue
In general, blue signifies loyalty, trust, wisdom, truth, faith, confidence and such virtues, but just like green, blue is an earthy colour. It represents the sky and the ocean. Relaxing beneath a blue awning is like sitting under your own sky under the sky.
Purple
Purple is not a basic colour, it is a blend of red and blue and thus it reverberates the significance of both the colours. Purple signifies luxury, ambition and royalty.
White
One of the most common colours is white. White says nothing and that is why it represents serenity, calmness, innocence and purity. What better colour to choose for your awning on a calm and quiet camping trip.
Check out our awnings with a wide range of joyful colours at https://www.xtendoutdoors.com.au/awnings/.