Let’s set something straight right from the get-go; there is no right or wrong way to camp and subsequently, there’s no right or wrong way to set up a camping 4WD. Whether you choose to sleep bent backwards over a large rock, with little more than a knife and flint, or choose all the luxuries of a camper trailer, hot water shower and king size bed, you’re getting out there and that’s all that matters.

That said, no matter how you choose to tailor your camping experience, there are always little things you can do to improve your processes, vehicle setup or camping gear. It might be as simple as laying some moss over your sleeping rock, or installing a 12V point in your roof top tent, but one thing’s for certain; it isn’t until you spend time in the camping company of others that you really open your eyes to the sometimes incredibly simple, yet super effective little modifications and tricks that can make all the difference when you’re out in the scrub.

To prove the point, we teamed up with a group of passionate 4WDers that just so happened to own some of the best built camping 4WDs in Australia. We camped for a week straight from bush campsites, right through to a couple of days on Moreton Island to really get a feel for why, and how they’ve built their rigs and to sink our teeth into the tiny little tricks they use to camp anywhere in Australia. The aim was to bring you guys at home the gems that’ll make your next camping experience that much more enjoyable and efficient.

If by the end of this article you still prefer your sleeping rock, knife and flint then we salute you – you’re tougher than us. But, for everyone else, we reckon just one of these tips is enough to get you out in the shed, or down to your local hardware store for some weekend DIY.

EASY PULL ZIPPERS

Cold weather, tightly packed roof racks and small tags are all the natural enemy of the bloke trying to pull a zipper up tight – on camping gear that is. Use a loop of para cord through the zipper tag to give yourself something easier to grip and pull up tight.

CARAVAN LEVEL

Use a small, two way caravan level somewhere on your roof rack – this’ll let you know instantly if your Adventure Kings Rooftop Tent is level before you open it up.

ROOF TOP TENT POWER

Install a dual outlet 12V point in your Adventure Kings Rooftop Tent. This’ll be super handy for charging a phone or head torch, or running a small camp light.

SLIDE OUT UTE TABLE

Something as simple as a sheet of ply and two legs makes a perfect quick-attach table for the side of any tray back ute. Simply use some hooks to attach one side to the edge of the tray, while two fold down legs take the weight on the other side.

FIRE SAFTEY

How much do you value your 4WD? More than about $100? If so, then fork out for two fire extinguishers and a fire blanket. Keep one extinguisher nearby in the cabin and one up the back along with the fire blanket. It can save your 4WD, and your life.

PORTABLE FIRE PIT

In some areas of Australia, open fires are banned however a self-contained, raised fireplace is allowed. Get yourself an Adventure Kings Camp Oven/Stove and you’ll be enjoying all the comforts of an open fire without breaking the rules.

CAMPSITE COMPASS

There’s not much worse than planning a sleep in at camp, only to be woken up at 5am by the first light. Before you set up your camp, use a compass or app to check your direction and camp on the western side of your 4WD, or at least face your windows to the west.

ROOF TOP TENT ROPES

When you’re camping on hard ground and can’t secure your Adventure Kings Rooftop Tent ropes with pegs, loop the ropes around the bottom of the tent’s ladder and haul ‘em up tight.

CAMPING WASHING MACHINE

Call us soft, but if you spend enough days in the scrub, you’re going to run out of (semi) clean clothes. Cut a hole in the lid of a 25L bucket, big enough to pass the handle of a toilet plunger through from the inside. Then chuck some fresh creek water, your clothes and some detergent in, seal the lid and plunge away for a couple of minutes.

NON-SLIP ROOF TOP TENT LADDER

Wet ladders are no fun – especially in thongs. Grab some non-slip matting and cut strips the same size as the ladder rungs. Use some contact adhesive to glue them to the rungs and you’ll have safe wet weather access to the Adventure Kings Rooftop Tent and less chance of taking a spill.

KEEPING YOUR COOL

If you’ve fitted your Adventure Kings Rooftop Tent with 12V outlets, grab yourself a 12V fan to keep air circulating through the tent and keep you cool in those hot tropical climates.

“JUST ONE OF THESE TIPS IS ENOUGH TO GET YOU OUT IN THE SHED”

CAM STRAP TENT ROPES

Using fluro coloured cam straps as tent ropes, gives you a super quick to adjust, high-visibility solution for tying down your Adventure Kings Awning.

QUICK CONNECT ROPES

Using carabiners on the ends of your Adventure Kings Awning or Rooftop Tent ropes (or cam straps) means you’ll have a two-second job attaching ropes, instead of trying to tie crappy knots in the dark or while it’s blowing a gale.

FIRST AID KIT FIRELIGHTERS

Like so many of us, if you find you’ve forgotten the fire lighters at home, dip a cotton bud into petroleum jelly and use it as a water resistant fire lighter.

WET WEATHER AWNING

Get yourself and Adventure Kings Awning Wall for your camp setup. Attaching it to the end of your Awning massively increases your out-of-the-elements area when you’re at camp. Set the swag up under the Awning Wall and use the area under the Awning as a living/cooking/eating area.

AUTO RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS

No one wants to wake up in the morning to find their fridge has popped a fuse and turned off overnight. Fitting an auto reset circuit breaker to your fridge circuit will automatically turn the fridge back on if it was just a minor power surge. If there’s a dead short it won’t reconnect, keeping your fridge safe.

DUAL AWNINGS FOR A BETTER CAMPSITE

Two Adventure Kings Awnings makes for a wicked setup. Use one to sleep under, the other to cook under – add an Adventure Kings mozzie net to the one you cook under and you’ll have somewhere comfortable away from the mozzies to hang out. The mozzie nets for awnings pack away tiny too, to save space.

ONE PERSON AWNING SETUP

There’s a trick to setting up your Adventure Kings Awning on your own, regardless of the terrain you’re on. Unzip the cover, and roll the awning out just enough so you can sit it up on top of the roofrack. Now, swing the horizontal poles just past 90° and extend them all the way out. Now unroll your Awning to the end, drop the vertical poles and the horizontal poles will be within reach. One-person pack-up is just a reversal of the same process.