Navigation in the geovan is high priority with more then one GPS in use most of the time. Getting in and out and knowing where we are are is left up to three devices pictured below the first most commonly used is the Garmin Nuvi.

While this is our daily street nav it show’s us where we are at at street level and is used to navigate the geovan through towns and city’s and to find locations we may have to visit. Often we will load the Nuvi with our routes and destinations before hitting the black top for the day.This PND also has a mount for my mountain bike. 

The Tevion is a hacked street navi that run’s CE.5 as it’s OS. With more then one street navigator installed it mainly runs  Ozi Explore’r CE and is used for when we are of the beaten track.

The Eee Pc also runs mapping software such as Ozi Explore’r and is used to make maps for the Ozi CE PND, mapping can be scanned from paper charts and calibrated as well as being loaded from DVD,CD,SD or downloaded from the internet ect, google earth/maps. Ozi Explore’r can also make its own maps by drawing a track from one waypoint to another ideal for off road or anywhere where the street navi stops.

Lately we have spent a lot time on the coast by the ocean or not far from, here is a spot we stayed at a few days ago not far from Urunga on the east coast.

Wenonah Headland is a beautiful reserve nestled right beside the beach and is ideal for beach fishing bush walking or just kicking back after a picnic,it offer’s day going people a place to have a barbecue with picnic tables under cover.

You will find toilets at Wenonah but there is no running water so you must bring your own,there are rubbish bins provided and it is as always encouraged to use them.

Wenonah also has 4wd access to the beach for further activities. Warning a few days rain could see the road washed out so be prepared and keep an eye on the weather.

Our travels of late has taken us to Trail Bay jail and its camp ground for a few days.Trail Bay jail and the National Park reserve is situated along the coast near South West Rocks,the camp ground has full amenities with hot showers wash room with dryers and out door clothes lines near the powered sites to the side of the jail and also at the base of the jail where there is unpowered  sites.                
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The National Park surrounding the jail has a number of different walks that start and end close to the camp grounds and range from a few hundred metres to a few klm’s,these walking tracks are in good condition and are sealed in places with seats provided every hundred metres or so,the going is medium to hard and is for the adventurer at heart.

Harnessing the sun rays to convert into energy is the preferable method of powering up one’s mobile home. The use of solar panels on a camper van or your mobile home to charge your battery’s while your not in motion will allow you to be truly self sufficient. Avoiding the need to run your generator or your vehicle if you have a dual battery solenoid will save you a lot of hassle not to mention a lot of fuel,and help to reduce your carbon foot print all in one go.

Solar panels these days are very efficient and are getting better all the time with reports of increased efficiency from some of the major suppliers make them a worthy addition. Picking the right size panel will depend on your requirements,why I run a laptop for a 3 to 4 hours a night,my power demands are not big by any means with my other needs being minimal,allowing my 135watt panel to charge my bank of battery’s with ease.

One thing to keep in mind wet and over cast days are something we cant really avoid,a slightly larger panel or 2 will help to produce a little more current in those sorts of conditions.

With the addition of the new Kyocera kd135 watt solar panel the need to regulate all that power so as not to overcharge the battery was high. So this is what i come up with a perfect balance of value and features all packed into one little unit.

The Sundaya Apple 20amp regulator,with more feature’s then i hoped,for the money spent.

With feature’s such as : Low voltage warning buzzer : Low voltage-disconnect    : Penalty mode                                        : Deep discharge cut off with led indicator  : Overload/short circuit protection : Boost charge mode/Electronic master to cut of all loads. And the list goes on all for under $60 dollars Aus.

Having a form of renewable energy to keep all things needed for a mobile office running is a must. Recently i spent a few months researching solar panels with my needs worked out i shopped for the best technology.

What I found is there are four major brands all offering very much the same thing so how to pick the one for me. One brand stood out amongst the rest and that one is Kyocera.

The Kyocera kd135 is a 135watt solar cell with over 16% conversion efficiency and a 20 year warranty on the output. It also has the highest Maximum Power Current in its range, a whooping 7.63amp and a Short Circuit Current of 8.37amp. With Kyocera producing panels in its new green factory the decision was easy.

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Having access to accounts and your money is something a traveling nomad has to consider before departing on your journey for a live time.

Electronic Banking has become the choice of choice’s for the traveling nomad,making it easy to be able to pay bills transfer money and check account history,all on line.

Auto tellers are all over the place these days with most linking to others,if not all major financial institute’s,remember to check with your bank on charger’s for using other institute”s auto teller’s.

Eftpos is another one that can be handy,being able to pay for things as you get them,and taking extra money out at the same time can save you money.

A debit card linked to your saving account might be the best for some allowing you to use it as a key card at Eftpos’s with out acquiring a charge. Check with your bank for the best option’s while your on the road,and don’t forget to shop around for a good deal that works for you.

Storage is something to consider more so if your home is a little smaller then usual,living and traveling full time on the road may require you to think about all the stuff you have acquired.

What to do with all that stuff,storage sheds or units might be the answer for you,with most places allowing 24 hour access this can be convenient for the traveling nomad.

Storing such things as seasonal clothing linen bicycles and other gear that might other wise only get used for a few months of the year can free up a lot of space.

Storage location should also work for you,having it based in the middle of the area you frequent will save you time and money and maybe some frustration,prices vary from place to place with a shed big enough for me to store my 6×4 box trailer and other things starting at 100 dollars a month.