GORV - Digital Magazine Issue #61 | Page 24

Ray and Natasha love their self-supporting slide-out Dometic kitchen .
TRUE SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Ray and Natasha previously owned a Hilltop Grampian , which they loved . When choosing their new van , the couple had some overarching stipulations : it had to be fully self-contained and have the ability to go anywhere they wanted , without compromises .
The Hilltop Macedon certainly meets their brief . Built on a 6in chassis , with a 6in drawbar and Cruisemaster XT suspension , it ’ s easy to see this solid van following their 200 Series tow vehicle anywhere it can tow it . It was especially pleasing to see bash plates fitted to the grey water plumbing , the town water inlet , etc .
“ We really wanted a van that we knew would be built well , reliable , and able to tackle the harsh Australian extremes ,” Ray said .
Ray , an electrician by trade , has an occupational focus on automation and robotics , so he was particularly keen to ensure the van had the right 12V system for their needs . It ’ s comprised of 400Ah worth of lithium batteries , an incredible 800W worth of solar on the roof ( with an Anderson plug on the offside to allow them to plug in a portable panel ), a 50A DC-DC charger , and a 2000W inverter .
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