One of Trakka's earliest camping conversions was performed on a LandCruiser Troop Carrier more than 30 years ago. The latest iteration of the Bushman has just been released, and Allan Whiting was keen to check it out

Bush travellers' tastes and expectations have changed since Trakka kicked off as little more than a backyard business in 1973. Trakka's founders, Sally and Dave Berry, liked bush travel and discovered there was a market for vehicles that were kitted out to make bush living easier. One of their earliest conversions was performed on the LandCruiser Troop Carrier, a vehicle that combined a spacious interior with rugged bush dependability.

Since those early days, Trakka has moved on to bigger things, but the company continued to build Bushman conversions on successive generations of Troop Carriers. However, demand slackened as the venerable 'Troopie' lagged behind newer machines' performance levels. Then came the 70 Series, with 4.5-litre V8 diesel power and the inquiry rate at Trakka went up. It was time to redesign the Bushman.

Trakka's general manager Martin Poate described the process: "Today's bush travellers have different expectations from those who bought the original Bushman.

"Back then, it was acceptable to squeeze a cooking area and a dinette under the pop-top sleeping area, but we felt that design was too cramped for today's buyers.

"This new layout puts the emphasis on outdoor cooking and sitting, with the interior reserved for storage, sleeping and backup seating in the event of really bad weather," said Poate.

To that end, the new Bushman comes standard with a side-mounted roll-out awning, and cost-optional rear and side awning extensions that further increase the shade area. The kitchen, which consists of a portable two-burner metho stove, flexible tap with hot and cold pressure supply, and a wash basin, rolls out from the side of the vehicle.

Two long, deep drawers roll out through the rear doors and a work bench clamps to the vehicle side. Even the 12-volt chest-type fridge is portable, lifting off its cradle at the rear doors.

The interior is primarily a storage area, with cabinets and drawers, but the tops are padded and upholstered, making a cosy living space when required. The high-density foam bed can be left made up when the roof is lowered. Gas struts take the work out of raising the bed and the roof, even with the optional 125-watt solar panel bolted on top.

Insulated curtains are fitted to all the windows and there are removable screens on the sliding panes. A fly mesh rear door screen is an option.

Durability has long been a Trakka hallmark and the company is confident the use of pressure-laminated Euro-Plywood for the cupboards and drawers will ensure years of trouble-free bush travel.

The Bushman comes standard with a 70-litre fresh water tank, 100 amp-hour deep-cycle battery, outdoor shower point, 240-volt plug and 12-metre extension lead, two 12-volt outlets, six-amp battery charger and battery condition gauge. The house battery charges when the engine is operating and when the vehicle is plugged into 240V power.

Options include window tinting, a diesel space heater, a portable loo, drinking water filtration and a push bike rack.

Driving and camping

The Toyota Troopie is a bush legend and the new model extends the marque's horizons, with improved ride quality and V8 diesel performance. With optional factory diff locks fitted, a Troopy will go where most fear to tread.

The principal limiters on the Troopie's abilities are the difference in front- and rear-wheel track and the fitment of old-fashioned split-rim wheels and skinny, 7.50R16 tubed tyres. We'd suggest budgeting for a pair of rear wheel arch flares and some modern wheels and tyres.

The Trakka Bushman rode beautifully on-road, with the additional weight of the Trakka inclusions taking the natural harshness out of the rear leaf-spring suspension. Handling was limited by the tyres, but most Bushman owners won't be fanging around corners anyway.

Vision was good and the bucket seats gave reasonable comfort and support. The V8 diesel is a delight and doesn't seem to suffer from the excessive oil consumption the twin-turbo version in the LandCruiser 200 Series does. The Troopie's single-turbo 4.5-litre pulls strongly in all gears and delivers around 12-14L/100km economy, giving the Bushman excellent touring range from the Troopie's 180-litre tanks.

Setting the Bushman up for camping is simplicity itself. The roof pushes up with little effort, the awning cranks smoothly and the kitchen slides out with finger tip control. You can be sitting down with a refreshing beer or G&T in five minutes. Importantly for many bush travellers, packing up the Bushman is just as rapid, taking the hard work out of overnight, roadside stops.

For long-stay camping, stage two involves setting up the optional shade extenders with poles and guy ropes.

In the end

The outdoor-living concept has made the new Trakka Bushman an ideal back-blocks touring camper. However, it's a shame the outdated Toyota running gear doesn't match Trakka's innovative conversion treatment.

Published in Australian Caravan+RV magazine, issue 9 Autumn 2009.