Australian custom builder, Majestic Motorhomes, has created an unbelievable demountable truck and camper setup with numerous design and build innovations. Grab a coolie. This one goes for the gold.
Every once in a while we come across a rig that fits our own strict definition of a truck and camper, and defies it. It’s not every day that the same rig also showcases new design thinking.
For 37 years, Geoff of Western Australia had a dream to build a one-of-a-kind camper on a flatbed Hino 500 Series GT truck. His vision was to make this camper a full-time home for him and his wife to spend the rest of their lives in and go gold prospecting in Western Australia’s Goldfields-Esperance region.
For the build, Geoff teamed up with Majestic Motorhomes in Bega (south of Sydney, north of Melbourne) where his years of drawings were taken to another level.
Slide-Out Corner Jacks
The feature that really grabbed our attention was the four slide-out corner jacks. When in travel mode, the four corner jacks remain inside the camper itself with a flush aluminum exterior panel.
When it’s time to demount, these jacks push out from the camper body, lower, and lift to unload the camper.
Having the corner jacks retract into the camper body with a flush panel improves not just the aesthetics of the camper, but also the aerodynamics, and the long-term condition of the jacks themselves. When retracted, the jacks are not exposed to the elements or road grime. It’s as if the jacks are garage-kept. Brilliant!
Cabover Nose Mounted Split-Air Units
Another stand-out exterior feature is above the truck cab. In the location normally reserved for the camper cabover bedroom, this camper has another flush lift-up panel, this time with two Daikin brand split air conditioners and a generator.
We have seen split air conditioning systems in many custom campers before, but never in this location with a lift-up panel, and never two units to provide adequate BTUs for a larger unit. The takeaway here is for custom builders and production manufacturers to put split units on your radar. We are looking at a build where presumably anything was on the table in terms of budget and capability, and Geoff and his team chose Daikin split air conditioners.
Completely Walled-Off Exterior
The entire camper appears to be framed and skinned in aluminum. In another unique twist, exterior aluminum panels cover every feature including the windows. The window panels lift up with electric actuators and then double as a window awning or shade.
The walled-off exterior windows and features are for security and to keep out the dust while traveling the desert areas of Australia. The resulting presentation looks like Mad Max’s dream retirement rig; if he could source the fuel.
Front Garage With Quad Bike
In another twist from tradition, just behind the front driver side jack is a hard panel hiding a garage. This time the hard panel lowers with the help of a small winch revealing a garage and quad bike.
The aluminum panel contains tracks to become the gate for the quad to roll out and onto the ground. We have seen a few front garages before, but the elegance of this design and execution are in another league.
Drop Down Kitchen Bed
The interior of the camper is fully appointed with a kitchen, wet bath, and double bed. How they accomplished the bed is one more never-seen-before innovation. Using a robust lift system, the double bed lowers over the kitchen area, and then lifts up to the ceiling out of the way during the day.
This would not be ideal for many truck camper owners, but it is certainly an innovative approach to having everything in a more condensed envelope. Ironically, this truck and camper don’t appear small enough for space efficiency to be a concern, but Geoff and his wife wanted features, like the garage, that consumed interior space for other purposes. And I bet someone out there knee-deep in a CAD design will see this solution and say, “Eureka!”
Going For The Gold
Geoff’s rig, lifestyle, and mission are after my truck camping, and metal detecting, heart. The idea of prospecting for gold in Australia and having a custom-built truck and camper on location has to be a dream come true.
Good luck, Geoff! We hope you find the nugget that pays for your truck, camper, and more. And a big thank you to Majestic Motorhomes for sharing their incredible creation. Good on ya!
