The Camping Concierge

Source: caravancampingnsw.com

We were thrilled to be a part of Caravan & Camping NSW’s latest campaign, the Camping Concierge Translator. If you look closely you’ll spot one of our Campervans 👀

Try the translator now!

Frontline launches new Ford Transit Custom campervan

New Blue Oval base allows Sydney campervan specialist to offer more space and comforts inside

Source: caravancampingsales.com.au

Long-standing Sydney campervan conversion specialist Frontline has ripped the covers of its much-anticipated new Ford Transit Custom camper, at the 2025 NSW Caravan Camping Holiday Supershow at the Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.

Adding to Frontline’s Toyota Hiace, Volkswagen Transporter and Renault Trafic conversions, the new Frontline-fettled Ford boasts the largest bed area in the Frontline range, along with a big wardrobe, increased kitchen bench space, and an electrical system located in a way that opens up additional storage space in the boot area.

Pricing for the Frontline Ford Transit Custom starts at $110,000 drive-away, based on the Transit Custom Trend model in Frozen White. Four other paint hue choices are available for an additional $3600, while there are numerous other vehicle extras such as a towbar, alloy wheels, and side striping before you get to the fit-out optional extras.

Pricing for the Frontline Ford Transit Custom starts at $110,000 drive-away, based on the Transit Custom Trend model in Frozen White. Four other paint hue choices are available for an additional $3600, while there are numerous other vehicle extras such as a towbar, alloy wheels, and side striping before you get to the fit-out optional extras.

Pricing for the Frontline Ford Transit Custom starts at $110,000 drive-away, based on the Transit Custom Trend model in Frozen White. Four other paint hue choices are available for an additional $3600, while there are numerous other vehicle extras such as a towbar, alloy wheels, and side striping before you get to the fit-out optional extras.

Standard kitchen and cooking features include a stainless steel sink with electric pump, both butane and induction cookers, and a 12volt 90L fridge-freezer.

The pop-top has three flyscreen windows, and the conversion also includes soft fabric wall lining, fully-lined curtains, 15mm plywood flooring with vinyl coverings, a swivel passenger seat or fixed, front three-seat bench, day-and-night bed/lounge, a swivel table, external shower, 55-litre water tank and a wind-out awning.

The standard fit-out electrical system incorporates a 110Ah AGM battery with Victron 240v charging and DC charging and a Orion DC to DC and MPPT solar regulator. A couple of off-grid lithium/solar set-ups are available as options, while also standard is a 12volt fan with timer and six LED lights.

With a Tare of around 2350kg and a 3225kg GVM, the Frontline camper has a payload of approximately 875kg, to go with its 2500kg towing capacity.

The base vehicle, 2025 Ford Transit Custom, is a fresh-sheet design released in late-2024, and features upgrades to occupant safety and comfort, better cabin and rear area space and a more versatile and easily accessible cabin.

The powertrain consists of a 125kW/390Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, with eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, although Frontline says it will also offer an AWD version.

The fit-out includes multiple cabinet, seat trims and curtain colour and patterns to choose from, while there are numerous extra-cost options to add to the bill. These include flyscreens to the rear- or side door, a rear door tent, microwave, portable toilet, diesel heating, and lithium battery and solar upgrades.

Like all new Frontline campers, the Transit Custom is fitted out at the Brookvale, NSW factory, and comes with full volume second stage Federal approval.

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Frontline Camper celebrates success at CCIA NSW Awards of Excellence 2024

Frontline Camper is pleased to announce recognition at the prestigious 2024 Caravan and Camping Industry Association (CCIA NSW) Awards of Excellence. Held on Wednesday, 20 November 2024, at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel in Sydney, the event celebrated the outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals in the caravan, camping, manufactured housing, and land lease living sectors.

Frontline Camper received the NSW Manufacturer of the Year award, highlighting our dedication to exceptional quality of our campervan conversions.

This recognition reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional service, quality, and unforgettable experiences to our community.

The CCIA NSW Awards of Excellence brings together the best in the industry, celebrating outstanding achievements across a number of categories. This year’s event saw industry leaders come together to celebrate the remarkable contributions that drive the success of NSW’s caravan, camping, and land lease living sectors.

CEO of CCIA NSW, Lyndel Gray, praised the winners for their dedication and innovation in the industry.

“These awards showcase the exceptional talent and innovation driving our industry forward. It’s inspiring to see such dedication to customer service, sustainability, and community engagement, and we congratulate all the winners on their remarkable achievements.”

Michael’s off-grid adventures

I’m currently slowly driving Adelaide to Margaret River following the ocean Esperance etc plus detours. Then return Busselton to Kalgoorlie/ Nullarbor home. 6 weeks in total.

These days most road’s are sealed and I only drive on Graded service road’s which can be a bit Corrugated.

So Yes I am very happy for all your help and making such a wonderful mobile home off-grid.

Yours sincerely
Michael

Frontline Renault Trafic – le camping car

Bonjour mes amies! C’est le moment pour le camping car review. If you are wondering about the Français introduction, I’ve been getting around in Frontline Campers’ latest pop-top campervan based on a Renault Trafic van.

I have some fond memories of the French vehicle manufacturer. On a visit to France some years ago, our hire vehicle was a hot little Renault hatchback with a manual gearbox. I’m okay with driving on the left but getting my right hand to do what my left hand has been doing for nearly 45 years took a few days.

Frontline’s new Renault Trafic is based on plenty of years of experience in the campervan conversion business, which Frontline certainly has. When I first checked over the Trafic, several features looked familiar – but the Renault added a new dimension. Frontline distinguishes its various models by the base vehicle, so there’s the Frontline Toyota HiAce, the Frontline Volkswagen; and, ta-da! the Frontline Renault Trafic.

LE DRIVE

When I picked up the Carmin Red (a very striking colour) Trafic, Frontline’s Gordon Galloway was enthusiastic about driving it, and I soon discovered why. It has frontwheel drive, is powered by a 2.0 litre turbo diesel engine and has a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The idea of a dual-clutch transmission in a van seems odd, given they’re usually used in high-performance cars … but does this camper fly, or what? For the enthusiasts, a six-speed manual gearbox is also available. I didn’t have the vehicle long enough to get any fuel economy figures, but the Frontline team reckon it’s considerably better than the Hiace. On my little sojourn around the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, I had no reason to doubt that.

In the driver’s cab, all the controls and instrumentation were close to hand; even the sound system volume controls, once I discovered where they were. The centremounted touchscreen panel has the expected Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto® software and is very userfriendly. Around the cab, there are door pocket holders and cup/water bottle holders on top of the dashboard, but not much else apart from the good-sized pocket on top of the dashboard. It is large enough to hold a tablet or two and has two USB charger points for that very purpose. However, those same devices will be under the hot sun when driving along.

LE INTÉRIEUR

There are three layouts available with the Renault Trafic: The Vacationer, a two-seater with a walk-through; the Adventurer, a four-seater; and my review camper, an Adventurer Full Width, a four-seater with a full-width bed. The van itself has a sliding door and a rear lifting door. It’s also a flat floor layout, with easy access to and from the front cab seats. Adding to the rear layout is the passenger seat that swivels around. The rest of the layout is quite simple. There’s an offside kitchen bench and a day/night lounge seat that seats two when travelling and folds down into a bed.

Like most campers, the Trafic has a pop-top roof. It’s quite simple to elevate: just release the four corner
straps and push up. When the roof is raised, a removable shelf can be fitted across the air space in the rear. It’s a convenient feature for gear that might otherwise be stashed elsewhere when travelling. Large plastic boxes with lids are almost de rigueur in this style of camper.

There’s plenty of headroom and screened windows in the front and side walls of the gusset. In the van itself, there’s just one opening window on the offside. A couple of options fitted to my review van were zipped flyscreens for both the rear and sliding doors – an asset for sure. To get a bit more insect-free living space, there’s also the option of a flyscreen room for the Fiamma awning.

The plywood cabinetry in the Trafic is amazingly simple. Most of it in the Adventurer Full Width is fitted
along the mid-offside wall and forms up the kitchen cabinet. In addition to the induction hob, small stainlesssteel sink and 90 litre compressor fridge, there’s a range of small drawers and cupboards. There’s also a drawer under the rear seat for additional storage.

In the rear area, the platform and cushion form the bed at night but can be used for storage by day. Under the platform, the battery and battery management system take up part of the storage space.

LA NUIT

The rear seat folds down very quickly and what this layout has is a bed with a length of 1.85m (6ft 1in). It’s 1.6m (5ft 3in) wide at the rear (pillow end) which narrows down to 1.17m (3ft 10in) at the foot end. The downside is the loss of offside cupboard space, which is a feature of the Adventurer layout. It means a narrower bed – but given the minimal storage space, I know what I would be opting for. A great feature of the rear seat is that it can be folded to face the rear. With a couple of cushions, it makes a great place to kick back and enjoy the view outside.

LE POWER SYSTÈME

The Trafic has a 100Ah AGM battery with a 25A charger in standard form. However, my review Trafic came with a 200Ah Lithium LiFePO4 battery, a 100W solar panel and a Victron Multiplus 2,000VA inverter/charger. This electrical package is designed to easily cope with the induction hob, compressor fridge, water pump and LED lighting. As long as some basic amenities are nearby when camped up, the Trafic is quite well equipped for off-grid travel.

LA CONCLUSION

latest is built very much in the accustomed style. Undoubtedly, the Renault Trafic adds a new dimension and is a fun vehicle to drive. Designed for lightweight travel, the Trafic camper is highly manoeuvrable. It travels well on the road and fits easily into supermarket parking. Being a campervan, some set-up is required – but it can be done in less than 15 minutes. Ideal as a weekender and for longer-term travel. Très bien!

Source: The Wanderer
Written by: Malcom Street
Photography by: Malcom Street

Rob and Slava’s Second Great Big Australia Adventure 2024

After we left Magnetic Island we saw a different side of Townsville. The Strand Beach just to the north of the CBD is really quite attractive. From there we went to a freecamp on the beach at Toomulla. One thing that has changed since we were last up this way is that the warning signs aren’t quite so frightening for the uninitiated. Instead of listing a dozen or so creatures that could kill you while taking a swim, now they just warn you about crocs and stingers. They still provide vinegar in case you get stung by a box jellyfish, unless someone has used it up on their chips. There isn’t anything supplied if you get attacked by a croc, although I suppose you could use vinegar on that as well.

We bobbled up and down the coast between Tully and Innisfail for about a week. There is lot’s to see and do and lots of free camps. We also drove inland to see a few waterfalls. We booked a national park camp to see Wallaman Falls. These are billed as the longest single drop falls in Australia at 296m. It had been raining all day, although it had stopped before we arrived. 

But the camping area was a proper quagmire. I pitied the people staying in tents. In successive nights we camped at El Arish, Babinda Boulders, Tully Gorge and Paronella Park. It rained at the Boulders but was dry at the other sites. In fact day 77 at Babinda Boulders was the last time we experienced any rain. Incidentally we camped there in the rain last time we visited in 2014. It is a popular swimming spot despite over 20 people dying there since the 70s. There are signs describing in graphic detail how you will
die if you enter the rapids. Tully Gorge wasn’t so intimidating and is a great place for whitewater rafting. I took Jess there when she was a young teenager and she loved it. Paronella Park is a must se if you are up this way. It was built in the 30s by a young Spaniard who dreamed of owning a Castle and made his fortune selling cane farms. It has suffered several natural disasters but is currently owned by a family who is passionate about continuing the place’s legacy.

We spent the next few days at Mission Beach. Last time we visited it rained the whole time we were there. This time we brought the good weather and we were told it had been raining from December up to the day before we arrived. We used our time there to catch up on stuff like laundry. I even went to the pub to watch NSW get thrashed in the first State of Origin. It’s apparently a popular thing for New South Welshmen to do, get surrounded by fanatical Queenslanders while your team gets thrashed.

From Mission Beach we went to Ellis Beach just north of Cairns. We used that as a base while we did tourist things like the Scenic Railway to Kuranda (including Barron Falls and the Skyrail on the return trip) and the wildlife park on the road to Port Douglas. We also just wandered around the Cairns waterfront and shops and explored Cairns’ northern beaches. The van park we stayed in at Ellis Beach had been completely rebuilt in about 5 months after it was mostly washed away (along with sections of the Capt Cook Highway) when the region was hit by a rain depression following a cyclone last December. It is a lovely park, right on one of the nicest beaches in the region.

We had planned to do the Bloomfield Track from Cape Tribulation to Wujal Wujal. This was the scene of major environmental protests back in the day. The protests were about keeping the Daintee area as a wilderness and keeping it closed to tourism. The compromise was that the Bloomfield Track was built. It is a challenging 4WD track that we drove without any problems in the original Vanborghini. However parts of it were also washed away by the same rains that destroyed parts of the Capt Cook Highway. We got conflicting stoies about whether it was open or not, ranging from “people are driving through now” to “the track remains closed indefinitely”. Nobody we spoke to was able to give us a definitive answer. We decided to drive to the Daintree Ferry and ask them. If anybody knew, they would. Meanwhile I made two alternative plans, one in the event the track was open and another if it was closed. As it turned out, it was still closed, but the plan was to reopen it on 22 June. So our plan was to avoid it on the way north up Cape York and drive it on the way south, which would be a few days after its planned reopening. So that is what we plan to do in a few days time.

So our revised route up Cape York took us from Daintree to Laura, Coen, Weipa, Bramwell Station and Loyalty Beach.

We did a cruise on the Daintree River and saw 5 crocs in the space of an hour. Laura is home to the Quinkan Galleries, reputed to be one of the top ten rock art sites in the world. We did the arduous walk to one of the sites. Coen was exactly the same as when last visited, that is to say a small village that is dependent on its pub and school for its existence. We arrived in Weipa too late on Friday for the mine tour and we would have to wait until Monday for another one. A weekend in Weipa with nothing to do was not on the cards, so we missed out. Its a shame because I really like that sort of stuff. Next stop was Bramwell Station. Its a working cattle station that has a successful side hack as a resort. They average over 100 campers per night during the dry season. The night we stayed they only had 90.

The final leg of our Cape York adventure was from Bramwell Station to Loyalty Beach. Its indicative of how bad the Telegraph Track Bypass Road is, and how out of its depth the Vanbo is, that it took us 7 hours driving time to do the final 210kms, that’s 30kph if you’re slow at arithmetic. Included in that we did the detour to Fruit Bat Falls, which is a “must do” up this way. We also had to cross the Jardine River. For all its notoriety, the Jardine is not much of a river. There is a punt operating to get you across. But if they linked two punts together it would make a permanent bridge. But that doesn’t seem to be a priority. Maybe once they complete the magnificent new bridge over the Archer River. Just a side note on the condition of the three major roads up the middle of Cape York, the Peninsula Development Road from Laura to Weipa, the Telegragh Track Bypass Road from the Weipa turnoff to the Jardine River and the Bamaga Road from the Jardine River to Bamaga. Bamaga is just down the road from where we are camping and about 35 kms from the northern most tip of the Australian mainland. When Slava and I drove the original Vanborghini up here in 2014, the roads from Cairns to the Tip were about 60% dirt. It’s almost exactly 1000kms from Cairns to Bamaga, so that was 600kms of dirt. We measured it on the way up and the dirt bits now account for only about 35%, or 350 kms and the biggest chunk of that is north of the Weipa turnoff. So in the last decade, about 250kms of new sealed road has been built. But apart from the new Archer River Bridge, there is no work currently being undertaken to improve the road. So it could be decades before the road is all sealed. Even if/when it is sealed it will remain a frontier because it is so remote and that won’t change. But in the dry season, it is idyllic when you get here.

We spent 4 nights at Loyalty Beach, 26kms south of the Tip (Pajinka). On the first full day here we planned to drive to Pajinka. We had done it before in the original Vabo and didn’t have any problems. We took the short cut and faltered at the first water crossing. Too deep for us. So we took the long way round and we got to about 6.5kms from Pajinka when we were turned back by an even deeper and wider waterhole. I felt really deflated. The Vanbo has never failed us before.  A few more days of evaporation and both crossings might be fordable by us, but there is no way of knowing. So we accepted that we aren’t going to Pajinka on this trip. However, we did do a three Island cruise of the Torres Strait Islands which included stops at Horn, Thursday an Roko islands. Horn is famous for its role in WWII as a foward defence base. Thursday is the administrative capital of the Torres Strait Islands. Roko is a boutique resort with 4 glamps and an eye watering all up daily cost.

I have to mention the stunning sunsets up here. They are amazing. Daylight hours are pretty much 6:30 am To 6:30 pm. Daytime temperatures are in the high 20s and overnight it is in the low 20s. It is very pleasant.

So that’s it. We start driving south again this morning. Hopefully the Bloomfield track will be open by the time we get there, early next week. And then we head west on the Savannah Way, to the south of the Gulf of Carpentaria. I’ll write again in about a month, assuming that is a suitable milestone in the trip.

Cheers
Rob, Slava and Ruby

2023 NSW Caravan Supershow highlights

Source: CaravanCampingSales.com.au
Full Article

Some of the things that caught our eye at Sydney’s biggest caravan show

One of Australia’s biggest caravan shows, the 2023 NSW Caravan, Camping & Holiday Supershow, has kicked off at Rosehill Racecourse and runs for six days (April 18 to 23).

While not quite as jam-packed with exhibits as previous years, the Sydney Supershow still has plenty of the latest RVs and accessories on show with more than 260 displays spread out over the picturesque Rosehill Racecourse grounds and indoor facilities.

Not to mention a few sideshow acts including free daily educational sessions, cooking classes and children’s entertainment. It’s a dog-friendly event too, so no need to leave Fido at home while trying to nab a show bargain.

Here are a few of the highlights of this year’s show…

Two new Frontline campers

Sydney’s Frontline is best known for its Volkswagen and Toyota based campervans, but to broaden its range it’s unveiled two new variants at the Sydney Supershow including a 5.48m campervan based on the latest Renault Trafic commercial van, and another camper based on the Chinese-built LDV G10 panel van.

Priced from $96,000, the new Renault camper has a similar spec list and layout options to the Frontline HiAce camper, while the new LDV Frontline camper is pitched more at buyers on tighter budgets with fewer camping and comfort features for its $69,290 starting price.

Frontline launches Renault campervan

Source: CaravanCampingSales.com.au
Full Article

New Renault Trafic-based campervan from Sydney’s Frontline priced from $96K

Sydney-based campervan conversion specialist Frontline has ripped the covers off an all-new model at this year’s NSW Caravan, Camping and Holiday Supershow.

Joining Frontline’s existing Volkswagen Transporter and Toyota HiAce based models, the new Frontline campervan is based on the latest Renault Trafic commercial van, with choice of either Pro Trafic LWB or Premium Trafic LWB base vehicles and a six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Powered by a 125kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, the Renault-based Frontline campervan comes in three layouts: the two seat/two-to-four berth Vacationer which offers full camper walk-through thanks to its unique rear dinette conversion; the four seat/two-to-four berth Adventurer, or a four seater with extra large bed called the Adventurer Full Width.

Like other Frontline campervans, the new 5.48m long x 1.96m wide x 2.065m high Renault camper features a pop-top roof and optional swivelling front passenger seat, and all variants can be fitted with an optional roof bed for the kids.

All layouts feature a front kitchenette that faces the side sliding entry door and incorporates a stainless steel sink with 12V water pump, 75 litre fridge and Butane portable or electric induction cooker.

Other standard features include a tinted sliding window with flyscreen, six LED lights, interior curtains, inside/outside table, day and night bed lounge, Fiamma awning, 100Ah AGM battery system, 50 litre fresh water tank with shower hook-up, 12V fan, storage cupboards and various electrical sockets.

There are a number of options available, including colour matching paint and pop-top, rear and side door screens, a microwave, portable toilet, hot water unit and TV.

Introduced in late-2022, the latest Renault Trafic medium van offers a more car-like driving experience with an 8.0-inch infotainment interface that incorporates smartphone mirroring, DAB+ digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

Safety gear in the new Trafic includes active emergency braking system (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, and automatic high beam for the LED headlights.

Tare weight of the Renault Frontline campervan is approximately 2300kg with a GVM of 3070kg. The Frontline Renault can also tow up to 2500kg depending on the variant.

Pricing for the new Renault Trafic-based Frontline campervan starts at $96,000.

Also on display at the Sydney Supershow was a black metallic prototype of a new entry-level Frontline campervan, based on a Chinese-built LDV G10 panel van.

Priced as displayed was $69,290 with a few options fitted, with the basic fit-out on the new fixed low-roof model including a 38L fridge freezer, day night bed lounge, water tank, pull out shower, 100Ah battery system, butane cooker, and various cupboards, lighting as well as other campervan features.

Off-road adventure in our VW T6.1 all wheel drive campervan

We are currently in Carnarvon and loving van life!

We have been on the road for 5 weeks and we are finding the Frontline very practical, comfortable and fun!

Yesterday we dropped the air in the desert duelers and hit the sandy tracks to the beach, so much fun with the all-wheel drive!

Regards Greg & Cathy

4Motion Adventures road test the Toyota HiAce rear diff-locker

We met with Alex and the team from 4Motion Adventures to test and discuss the latest Frontline Toyota Hiace campervan with a rear diff-locker for off-road terrain.