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Writer's pictureMichael N
Jun 18, 20226 min read

Wandering Glampers Guide To Our Y62 Patrol Setup.

Updated: Oct 21, 2022

Our complete guide on how we set up our Nissan Y62 Patrol for travelling around Australia in 2022.


It can be an absolute minefield of opinions and suggestions when you start looking at what setup you want to use on your adventures, whether it be for full-time travel or just a weekend trip with mates or family. I know, because I was stuck scratching my head scrolling through too many forums on socials.

I have had several setups over my time from a work Ute and a tent ready for a long weekend trip with mates to a wagon with a drawer setup to carry everything needed to live out of for a few week trips and a swag on the roof.

This time however we will be living on the road full time so thought a caravan would be better suited.

So here are my thoughts and reasons on why I chose the setup I have chosen to take my partner & myself around this beautiful rugged country.




 

Why we chose our car & caravan set up to travel Australia


Our decision to travel Australia in a Caravan and 2021 Nissan Y62 was based on comfort.

We have done the swag and while it's great for the long weekend but full-time travel would not be viable for us.

We thought about the rooftop tent, however, decided the idea of packing up the whole setup just to go to the beach or a museum just wouldn't suit our way of travelling. We are notorious for setting up somewhere and heading off down a random track we have seen on the way in just to see what might be down there.

So we came to the conclusion that we would need a Caravan. Without getting into the old "who's better" debate, we decided on the Nissan Patrol Ti Y62. We wanted a new vehicle and could not justify the price at the time of the Toyota Landcruiser. We factored in the Petrol Vs Diesel prices and decided we could spend the difference on fuel and still come out close to ahead after travelling for a few years. This may be different for many people, but for us, it worked.

With the long drives expected while travelling Australia, we wanted something that could tow the caravan with ease while giving us the safety and comfort needed on these drives. Also, we wanted a vehicle with enough power to be able to sit on or close to the speed limit and be able to safely overtake if needed.

As for the Caravan we had a few prerequisites to stick to.

  1. Off-Road ability.

  2. Internal Bathroom/toilet.

  3. Budget

We happened to stumble across a 2018 Coromal Pioneer XC 552 on a local marketplace and it ticked the boxes we were after, so we snapped it up as quick as we could. The van was perfect for us to travel Australia full-time in comfort and also have the reliability needed to tackle some of the remote roads on offer.

Now that we had the setup we wanted we had to think about fitting it all out to ensure we were most importantly legal, but also functional for our needs.


 

The Fit-out & Modifications to make a functional setup work for us.

This setup suits us but may not suit everyone.


Our Y62 Build.


Our goal for our 2021 Y62 Nissan Patrol Build was to make sure we could access every part of Australia while maintaining safety and functionality. With a bit of style and comfort thrown in too.

To start with we had to make sure we were legal with our weights. GVM & GCM is something so many people overlook or underestimate when travelling. Click here if you are unsure about any of your weights.

We knew we would need a GVM upgrade so that was first on our list. After plenty of research, we discovered AMV Automotive, who was local to us and offered a 'one-stop shop' for everything Y62, along with providing GVM upgrades with all of the paperwork required to be legal in Australia.

To us, this was a no-brainer as we didn't have the time or skill to do the work ourselves.


We wanted to keep as many of the products Australian-made or owned as possible.

After plenty of late nights researching products and reviews, we decided on what we needed (and wanted) so we made a Santa-type list and took it to AMV Automotive who were able to make it happen for us.


2021 Nissan Patrol Ti Y62 Mods by AMV

Additional Works by others


 

Rear Setup


We wanted to keep the Rear Setup as simple as possible, yet still be able to carry what is needed and access it easily.

After having a few drawer setups in the past we were pretty sure what we were looking for in this one.

We settled on the Full Boar Fourbie Fitouts Stockton Drawer with a 40L EvaKool Drawer Fridge. This would allow us to carry the tools needed should we need them, along with some items we may like quick access to like our drill or awning straps etc. While also allowing us to still use the rear for things like shopping or to throw some gear in to go to the beach or the likes.

Additionally, the fridge is small enough to not take up too much space but big enough to keep enough beers cold and enough food for day trips out away from the van.



 

Caravan Mods & Fit-out.


We purchased the Coromal Pioneer XC 552s 2nd hand so it came with the standard fittings and features you would expect for an Off-Road Caravan, however, we knew this would not suit our way of travelling.

We needed an off-grid power setup and enough water to allow us to get to and stay at those amazing spots remote Australia offers so a few upgrades were required.

We had to keep in mind we had a single axle caravan so the weight would need to be kept to a minimum to ensure we stay under the ATM.


Starting with the power setup, We opted for an Enerdrive 200AH lithium battery and 3x 175watt Victron Solar panels combined with a Victron Multiplus-II inverter/charger. This setup ensures we have enough power to last us off-grid while still being able to use the "essentials" being the coffee machine and any other 24v accessory needed. (except the A/C)


With the water it is a little tricky, as carrying water adds a lot of weight to your caravan.

We had 2x 65L fresh water tanks which wouldn't be enough for us to stay off-grid as long as we wanted so we added another 95L tank which gives us at least a week off-grid. To combat the weight we opt to travel with the 95l tank empty and fill it up from our 105L bladder which we carry in the car.

We opted to keep the 2x20l Grey water tanks to allow us to catch our grey water if needed. This is a contentious subject at the moment with more and more locations requiring you to catch your grey water in order to stay there.

We added a Weber Baby Q and slide to the tunnel boot which lets us cook outside. The Weber also doubles as our oven as we don't have one inside. See our recipes to see what we can cook with it.


We knew we wanted to take the caravan on some dusty roads and didn't like the idea of having to tape up windows and doors to prevent dust from getting in every time we go on a dusty road, so we installed a CaraFan Sahara CP700 Caravan Pressuriser unit. This simple unit has saved us so many times and I would highly recommend it to anyone travelling Australia.

As you get dusty roads you also get stones which is why we installed a StoneStomper to our caravan & car. This acts like a big blanket that attaches to the back of your car and to the front of the caravan stopping the rocks from flicking up and smashing anything they hit. Namely your rear windscreen or the plumbing under your van. Now, this isn't a complete solution, however, we haven't had an issue yet. Touch wood.


Other than the above we haven't changed anything else in the Caravan which is a testament to the design and quality of the Coromal builds.



 

Who would this setup suit?


I feel this is an ideal setup for a couple, be it the grey nomad type or a younger couple looking to travel Australia and to get off highway 1 as much as possible.

As we do not have bunks this probably wouldn't suit a family with younger kids however if you had teenagers who you could put in a swag it would work well.

With the bathroom/toilet inside the caravan, there is no need to use public toilets or bathrooms along the way.

The Y62 is spacious and comfortable no matter the road you wish to take, While the caravan tows along behind you with ease, ready to set up, crack a cold one and enjoy the amazing place you have just arrived at.



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