Based on the Fiat Ducato chassis with
a 2.3L turbo diesel V-6, the BaseJumper 2 is a 6.0-metre long campervan that offers up seating and accommodations for two. Wilderness has managed to comfortably equip the Ducato with 2-metres of headroom, a full kitchenette, shower/ toilet facilities, and a good-sized table with wrap-around seating that folds into a very comfortable queen-sized bed at night. Te kitchenette is equipped with all
the necessary utensils a wannabe chef could want. A glass-covered two burner propane stove and oven sit next to the sink, while a bar fridge sits behind with the closet space capable of holding several days meals. Additional food storage in overhead cabinets and under the counter means grocery shopping will only have to come once every four or five days. Te shower stall behind the driver is a
tight affair, but quite useful with a vanity and head as well. Hot water comes from the same two, 5-pound gas bottles used for the oven, and lasted us the entire 17- days. With heating vents and a clothesline also installed, the shower doubles as a drying room, ideal aſter long wet hikes into the mountains. Storage tanks on board hold 91-litres of fresh water, 91- litres of grey water and 25-litres of black water, so frequent dump station stops will be required. Power is supplied via a 240-volt main and extra long life 12- volt house battery while a very effective diesel heater makes the BaseJumper a cozy refuge during winter camping.
Te living area of the van is a very
comfortable place to relax at the end of a fun-filled day. Wrap-around seating for six is possible in a pinch, but three or four is better. With the double rear doors open to any of the spectacular surroundings I’d chosen, the BaseJumper makes a great get-together location as many nights were spent with friends in the back of the van with a bottle of wine, rather than their own homes. Te LED pot lighting and surroundings of the van just made it a great place to spend time. Ten when the bottle was empty, the table and benches folded easily into a queen- sized bed, even if my vision was a little blurred. Laying out the sheets however required a set routine that would take some time if to get everything tucked in to its regular place. However, waking up on a beach, or mountain top and opening the rear doors to take in a majestic view while still laying in bed made up for any fumbling the night before. Despite the heavy weight of the
BaseJumper, it is easy to drive as a mini- van, offers great vision out the front and really was a joy to drive. All vans are manual transmission equipped, so brush up on your clutch work before you go, and there is no camera out the rear, so backing into parking spots takes some getting used to. Te 2.3L diesel may seem a bit under-powered, however, with the 6-speed manual transmission, the big van tackled all the steepest roads with ease and held up few cars.
PACIFIC AXLE LTD. 5749 - 203A Street, Langley BC Canada
MANUFACTURER OFTRAILER AXLES 2,000 - 22,000 lbs. WHOLESALE - RETAIL INSTALLERS and SUPPLIERS of PARTS, including:
• Axles • Brakes • Jacks
• Controllers
• Ride Rite Air Springs • Extra Leaves • Steering Axles 2K - 20K
• Springs • Couplers • Trailer Built Kits • Wheels and Tires • Overload Kits • U-bolts and more
DISTRIBUTORS FOR DEXTER & HAYES AXLE PARTS Tel: 604-532-9599 • Fax: 604-530-7698
Toll Free: 1-800-664-3933 28 RVT 143 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
Once you’re there Te Kiwi’s may share the same language
as we Canadians, however, when it comes to navigating their roadways, it’s all up-side-down so to speak. Like many commonwealth nations, New Zealanders drive on the leſt side of the road, which means all camper vans will be in right hand drive. Now this is nothing to fret over if you don’t have any right hand drive experience, however, it’s best to putter around a commercial park or empty neighborhood to adapt regular Canadian habits. For instance, keeping in the close lane when turning leſt, right hand turns will cross traffic into the far lane and in New Zealand the person turning right has right of way to oncoming traffic turning leſt; odd I know, but an important fact that drivers need to know. Also when navigating round-a-bouts, and there’s quite a few, always yield to vehicles already in the circle, or if you arrive at the same time as other drivers, vehicles to the right always have the right of way. New Zealand’s roads, like Europe, are
quite narrow and twisty. Freeways can only be found near the major city centres connecting to the suburbs, however all highways and most roads in the country are rated at 100-kmh, no matter how twisty they are, making for some great fun going through the mountains. I was having a great time wheeling the BaseJumper through the twists and turns of the south islands Alp region, however, had to keep my calm when one of very few straights appeared. Te Kiwi coppers are strict when it comes to speeding, and the penalties severe, so get your willies in the twisties if you need to. While on the road, I found that New
Zealand’s Campervan infrastructure was quite familiar to that of Canada’s, although, much more abundant. Dump stations are plentiful and well signed, offering both grey and black water dumping, clean water. Campsites are also in abundant supply throughout the country. Tere are two kinds of camping in New
Zealand, site camping and free camping. Site camping is done with dedicated private campsites that come equipped to handle RV’s, and usually offer power, water and washroom/shower facilities. However, as many of these sites as there are, they fill up fast and there is always a charge, usually starting around $15-NZD per night. Te problem
Mon. – Fri.
7:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday by appt.
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