Rob & Carol hosted
their fifth Australian CamperTrailers Group weekend get
together at the Upper Colo Reserve over the weekend of
Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th of March attracting
forty-seven camper trailers, tents, windup & popup
campers from as far afield as Brisbane, Wollongong,
Dubbo & Orange.
After torrential
rain over the previous weekend that produced flooding in
the Hawkesbury catchment, we were lucky to see the river
levels drop & glorious sunshine with temperatures of
around 30 degrees each day. The Upper Colo River had
been over the bridge near the reserve up until the
Thursday morning. Flooding was evident as you walked
down to the river with debris caught
several metres high in the trees above.
It is a pleasure
to see such a large gathering of people from all walks
of life gathering in a harmonious group with a common
interest in camper trailers. There were no planned
activities over the weekend. Members were free to either
explore the area, sit & chat or browse the
modifications others had done to their campers. These
weekends are
also a great way for members who do not yet own a camper to
get a firsthand unbiased opinion of the
vast array of camper trailer types & brands
assembled.
Saturday afternoon
saw a large group gather for happy hour. We were pleased
to see Ian Hamilton attend his first camping trip after
heart problems & a trip to hospital during the Wellington
national meet last October. He thanked everyone for
packing up the camper, getting it home to Sydney for him
& Brenda & also the
camaraderie
shown by the group overall.
Special guest speaker
on Sunday morning was Collyn Rivers, well know author in
the RV industry of several 12volt books including the
'Camper Trailer Book'. Collyn spoke on the new laws governing 240volt power leads used by RV
vehicles which also covers camper trailers. He then
covered the often confusing subject of differing
12volt cable sizes, plus the way Jayco have their
campers 12volt electrics setup which is more suited to
caravan park stays with only a one night unpowered camp between. He
then discussed his favourite subject of
suspensions. Collyn's chair
enjoyed the time in camp & also the travels coming home
with us after he left it behind.
George was very
thoughtful after leaving Wendy's clothes bag at home,
driving into Windsor to do a quick clothes shop for her
which included some underwear.
The resident koala
made another appearance again this year & was not the
least perturbed with the activity from the onlookers
massed beneath the tree. We also had a visit from a very
tame goanna & the camp was overlooked during the day
by a
tawny frogmouth.
Thanks to everyone
for a fantastic weekend. Looking forward to next year.
Rob & Carol
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