Make a Cheap Offroad Window Protector
Make a Cheap Offroad Window Protector
When going offroad towing a caravan or camper trailer you need to have some sort of rear window protector fitted or you risk an expensive breakage.
We made a cheap window protector for our ute canopy rear window. We travelled the Birdsville and Oodnadatta tracks and the Strzelecki Track plus a load of other outback gravel roads towing our van with this fitted and it worked well. At the end of each trip there were noticeable chunks out of the protector cause by flying rocks but nothing had damaged the canopy back window. These days we use a StoneStomper so the rear window doesn’t need the protector fitted, but this was a good very cheap option. Read on to find how to make a DIY rear window protector on a budget.
Making The Back Window Protector
We used some corflute, a yoga mat, a bit of silicone and some gaffa tape. All up cost was about $30.
We made a template out of newspaper and traced the outline on to the corflute. We then cut it out of the corflute using a sharp stanley knife. It would have been an easier job if we hadn’t picked a windy day to trace the outline on to the newspaper!
We had to cut a few holes in it to allow for the plastic bits on the window (used to fit the hinges etc) and for the lock handle. These were a bit tricky to get in the right place but we just kept doing back and forward with the newspaper template. The holes were cut out using a retractable thin bladed box cutter type knife. We used the thinner bladed knife as the wider blade on the stanley knife made it hard to cut out the round bits.
After cutting the corflute to shape we siliconed the yoga mat to it and left it to dry overnight. We placed a few weights on top to hold it flat. We used good old roof and gutter silicone.
When the silicone was set we covered the whole lot in strips of gaffa (with cloth in it) tape to protect it. It fits to the back window with gaffa tape around the edges stuck to the glass. Here’s hoping it does the job. I reckon it should.
Update – Our DIY Window Protector Worked!
We completed many trips and the DIY window protector job actually worked really well. After getting home and having a good look at it after each trip I found a number of places where chunks had been taken out of it by flying rocks. I reckon if the rocks were going fast enough to take a chunk out of the window protector then they would been a fair chance of breaking the window. All up it was a good thing.
Camp Oven Bread In 7 Easy Steps
Camp Oven Bread In 7 Easy Steps
Quick and easy camp oven bread. We show you how. Amanda and I will be off camping in some remote spots in a little over a month so we decided to figure out making camp oven bread before we head off. It’s taken us a few attempts to get it right but we think we’ve now nailed it and would like to share the secrets with you.
Step 1. The Ingredients
We used the prepacked Laucke crusty white mix and have tweaked the yeast and added some bread improver to what it says on the packet. The whole 600g packet of Laucke Crusty White bread mix is put in a bowl along with a full 7g sachet of Tandaco Dry Yeast and teaspoon of Wallaby Bread Improver.
Step 2. Mix the Ingredients
The dry ingredients were all mixed well to combine. Amanda added slightly more than recommended 380ml of room temperature water, maybe an extra 50ml or so. The whole lot was then folded/cut together to make a dough.
Step 3. Let it Rise
This dough was then covered with a tea towel and then set aside in a warm place to rise for an about an hour. If you are out camping and the day is a bit on the chilly side then put your bread inside of your vehicle to rise as it’s usually a quite a bit warmer.
Step 4. Knead the Dough For a Few Minutes
After an hour roll the dough out of the bowl on to a lightly floured board and knead it for a few minutes. Put a bit of dry flour on your hands as this makes the kneading process simpler as the dough is less likely to stick to your hands. Knead it by pushing down on the dough with the heels of your hands as you roll it forward. Then after it flattens tuck it back under itself and repeat. It’s easy once you get the hang of it.
Step 5. Second Rise
Put the dough in to a bread tin and place the tin inside a 12″ inch camp oven and leave it to rise a second time for about 45 minutes. once again, if it’s a bit cold put it inside your car.
Step 6. Prepare Your Heat Source
While the second rise was underway I got the heat beads ready to go. I put 29 heat beads in a heat bead starter chimney with a couple of firelighters underneath and let it do it’s thing. How did I arrive at using 29 heat beads? There’s a chart I have been using and it lists the number of beads to use for a given size camp oven and tells you how many to put on the lid and underneath for a given cooking method, be it baking, roasting, stewing or frying. Camp Oven Heat Bead Quantity Chart.
If you prefer to use wood and you are allowed a campfire burn down some wood until you have some coals.
I used about ten heat beads underneath the camp oven as per the chart.
The camp oven was put on top and the remaining heat beads were added to the lid and left to warm up for about five minutes.
Step 7. Bake Your Bread
Put the bread inside and bake it for about 30 minutes. The recipe says 25 to 30 minutes but we have found that the best result is closer to the 30 minute mark.
And there you have it, beautiful camp oven bread! If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments section below.
Carinda Hotel David Bowie Lets Dance Location
Carinda Hotel David Bowie Lets Dance Location
Carinda hotel was used in the David Bowie film clip for Let’s Dance. Amanda and I called in to Carinda Hotel and we absolutely and totally loved the place.
Our Pub Ratings
- Vibe 90%
- Architecture 50%
- How Easy Is It To Get To? 75%
- Was The Beer Cold? 100%
- Did We Love It? 100%
Location Map
About The Carinda Hotel
Years ago I was sitting on the lounge early one Sunday morning watching Rage and the film clip for David Bowies “Let’s Dance” came on and being a lover of both Bowie and country pubs I decided to look up where it was with the view to going there one of these days.
The hotel from the film clip is in a small town called Carinda, about 70ks from Walgett NSW. Amanda and I called in to Carinda Hotel and we loved the place. You could feel the history inside, it’s old, it’s a bit dishevelled but you wouldn’t want to change a single thing about it. Throw the David Bowie history in to the mix and well, just go there and see. I bet you can feel something. I did.
The Carinda Hotel publican Leanne was a lovely lady, very welcoming. The beers were icy cold and the lunch was bloody awesome. You can camp for free out the back of the pub, or if that’s full (pretty unlikely) there’s also free camping down the road at the showground. Well done Carinda and Carinda Hotel, the place is a 10 out of 10.
Let’s Dance Carinda Festival
The small rural town pays an annual tribute to legendary musician David Bowie when it hosts the annual Let’s Dance Carinda Festival over the October long weekend.
Up to 800 people are expected to attend Carinda Hotel for the next Let’s Dance Carinda Festival.
Let’s Dance Carinda Tribute Committee are in the throes of putting together a wonderful time for everyone to enjoy and hopefully lift the morale in the drought-stricken country.
Committee secretary Joy Dare said the inaugural event attracted about 200 people.
“Then there was about 450 people at the second event (in 2017) and this year we’re hoping it builds up to 800 people,” she said.
“People who couldn’t make it last year told us that they were sorry and are hoping to attend this year.”
Free showers, toilets and camping are accessible at the sports ground where the festival takes place. Breakfast will be available with a continuous barbeque during the weekend and meals at night. https://www.facebook.com/Lets-Dance-Carinda-303940966427490/
Carinda Races
Carindas’ biggest event of the year is its picnic race meeting held each July. Carinda and District Race Club has been racing since 1915 and stages a six race meeting every July. Outback racing at its best! All racing enthusiasts please put it in your diary. https://www.facebook.com/carindaraceclub/
Where’s Carinda Hotel?
Carinda Hotel is in the small regional NSW town of Carinda in central NSW about 70ks from Walgett NSW.
Convert Microwave Cupboard Space In A Supreme Getaway Caravan
Convert Microwave Cupboard Space In A Supreme Getaway Caravan
We are very rarely hooked up to power when we camp so for the past few years we have used the microwave in our van for a bread bin. Amanda came up with the idea of pulling the microwave out and replacing it with a door.
The Old Microwave In Our Supreme Getaway Caravan aka The Bread Bin
First thing to do was to remove the old microwave. It was screwed in from underneath. There was a screw in the bottom of each “foot”.
Removing The Old Microwave
After removal of the microwave we had a space that was much larger than we thought. Bonus! There was a load of wiring in the left side of the cupboard, it belongs to the solar controller, hot water switches, a CIG outlet and some light switches.
Wiring Inside of Microwave Cupboard
I tidied the wiring up with cable ties and then made up a cover to hide it all away inside the cupboard. On the bottom and top I mounted a bit of aluminium angle with sikaflex. The cover screws in to these angles so as to be removable in case the wiring ever needs to be accessed in future.
Wiring Tidied Up and Angles In Place
The cover is just a thin piece of MDF cut to size with a bit of angle on the corner to hide the join. It does an effective and neat job of hiding the wiring away.
Wiring Cover Fitted
The door is made from a piece of 4mm marine ply from making shelves in the van cut to size. There was no chance of matching the old door panelling so we didn’t even try. Amanda had a great idea to cover it up anyway. I couldn’t match up the trim profile in the rest of the van either so instead of buying something that wouldn’t match anyway I used an offcut of skirting that I had. It was all glued together with PVA wood glue and clamped up to dry.
Making a New Cupboard Door For Supreme Getaway Caravan
After the glue was dry I gave the door a light sand and put on two coats of Cabots clear floor finish. I purchased some hinges and a matching catch from www.caravansplus.com.au for about $15 delivered. I had an old door knob kicking around in the shed that matched the others in the van pretty well so that was fitted along with the hinges and catch. Then the door was fitted up to the cupboard in the van.
Hinge & Catch
Amanda made up a photo collage to fit inside the door panel and then laminated it. It was fitted to the door front with some velcro dots so it’s removable and can be swapped out in future.
Completed Door Replacing Microwave
All up it was a really easy project and we are happy with the result. We have a heap more storage space, the van is 10kg lighter without the microwave and if needed we can refit the microwave in about 20 minutes.
Heaps More Storage Space in the “Microwave” Cupboard
MARS Enthusiasts 2019 NSW Camping Muster
MARS Enthusiasts 2019 NSW Camping Muster
We’re back from Carrathool after attending the 2019 NSW Camping Muster with the MARS Enthusiasts Facebook group. This time at Pinkers Beach near Carrathool NSW on the mighty Murrumbidgee River. Amanda and I love this group.
Pinkies or Pinkers Beach Carrathool NSW
We Donated to Buy a Bale
Sean and Laura decided to do something different with prizes this year and that was to do a raffle and donate all proceeds to “Buy a Bale” to which on the night $270 was raised. This was a huge effort by all and it is something we should 100% do again.
Saturday nights dinner was camp oven roast and veggies with salads and also some home made desserts. There was a small army of helpers cutting veggies and wrapping trays and also deserts where made Amanda Sloane and Suzi Pallett. We were also treated to some tunes from Muster legend Spikey Singline who bought up all his PA and guitars and sang for us all. Spikey goes good!
MARS Enthusiasts NSW Muster 2019 Camp Oven Cook Up
Plenty of Firewood
We were all kept warm by the wood cutting crew. We cut some of the biggest logs we’ve ever seen on a camp fire ever. Mark was the absolute standout in this regard, dragging back what was almost half of a complete gum tree chained up behind his ute.
Camping Muster Pub Lunch
Sunday came and most of us decided to go and help the local Carrathool Hotel by having lunch their. This was a Muster first as we normally all stay on site and this was a great way of getting out and about and doing something different. This was a terrific idea and one we should definitely do it again.
Family Hotel at Carrathool NSW
Sunday night and something that started at National 2018 was a slap together meal with what ever we had left over and we all just picked at it. It was a bloody ripper meal and thanks go out to all that made something. My personal favourite was the curried sausages made by Leanne.