Troopie drawers system/bed arrangement

Hi Margaret,

Please check out this blog Our Troopy Setup.

Our Troopy is of mature age (been working well since 1987!) and has covered a lot of Australia for us over the last decade or more. What you'll see in the blog is our solutions to the bed, fridge and drawers issues. (Click the photos to expand.) We use a full width bed ( there really isn't room for separate beds), with 2 foam mattresses and full width bedding. Since I'm more proficient with woodwork than metal, our drawers are from timber and mdf and have survived unexpectedly well (and they don't add metal to metal rattles!). The bed base is set just high enough to clear the 40 litre fridge which means there isn't a lot of headroom when in bed - not uncomfortably so, but you quickly learn not to sit up in bed!

Seat comfort isn't a feature of Troopies, but is probably much better now than in our old one. We haven't fitted non-Troopy seats, mainly because of the costs of decent 4WD ones and meeting the formalities.

Should also mention - Troopies are big, but get very full on a big trip. We added a light trailer to the rig a few years back to carry some of the overflow. Suggest you don't rule out a trailer in the longer term. Ours is an old Road and Track which ceased production years ago, but you still see the occasional one. They provide a gas kitchen down one side and the rest is storage - fibreglass shell on a solid metal chassis with Troopy wheels, lockable, all weighing in at around 250 kg empty.

Enjoy!

John

definitly not cheap but putting in a pop top with bed works well
means your bottom is for storage etc and the bed is like a roof top tent

Hi Margaret,

We have a Troopy setup similar to John and Val but there are two full-length drawers on the left with stowage and the fridge on the right. The fridge actually hangs on the door as shown here. It is arranged to sit on the floor as the door closes.


The bed is a double size, full width of the body and fixed with slatted base and 6" foam mattress. Very comfortable but you do need to be able to dress in a sitting position!
All our cooking is performed outside. An aluminium folding table with the LPG camping stove sitting at one end. An overhead awning is quick to set up if needed.

Before acquiring our Troopy we hired one with an internal kitchen and a bench seat that opened to a bed. We learned how to do "Synchronised Turning" in bed! LOL

After our first trip across the Simpson Desert we realised the need for better seating and invested in Sratos suspension bucket seats. Unbelievably comfortable but also very expensive at over $3000 fitted. Some people have fitted car seats from a wrecker and may respond with advice.

As John has said, storage space is at a premium, especially as the bed occupies the upper half of the space. All our clothing is accommodated in overhead soft lockers and we have to be very economic in the amount of stuff carried but experience has taught us how to cope. Surprising what you can do without when you put your mind to it.

What about these guys .
http://www.drifta.com.au/