When solo traveller Ross Simon first hit the road three years ago, he quickly realised he had chosen the wrong rig for the type of travelling that he wanted to do.
The 66-year-old had bought himself a Ute with a good aluminium canopy that he could easily access, and which he organised carefully to take his camping gear.
The only problem was that it was a two-wheel drive vehicle!
“I quickly found it really did restrict me where I could go,” said Ross. “And that really got driven home when I got stuck in the sand near the Quobba Blow Holes in WA.”
The bogging incident also left Ross’s Ute with a burnt out clutch and, after it was eventually dragged out, the vehicle was put on the back of a recovery truck.
Ross can now hit the tracks in his rig.
While a bit of a blow financially, the misfortune did give Ross the opportunity to reassess his rig requirements … and to take action.
What more could a single nomad want?
“My main criteria were to be able to get to the most remote areas of our amazing country; and to do that in some degree of comfort,” he said. “And, as I’m single, don’t need a lot of room.”
Ross eventually chose a Trayon camper, complete with fridge, stove, and sink to go on the back of a new modified Ford Ranger.
As he travels on a tight budget, Ross says his set-up suits him perfectly.
“I camp in remote areas that are either free or low cost and I often stay in places for a week or more and ride my bike around when I’m there,” he said. “I buy food in bulk such as the large packs of sausages that I vacuum seal into packs of two and cooked chooks that I break up into Tupperware containers.”
Life is good, and Ross has no plans to stop any time soon.
“I’ve told myself when I turn 70 in four years I will evaluate whether I’m still well and enjoying myself,” he said with a smile.
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