The Wanderer: Australia Offers the Wildest and Most Intimate Camper Experience in a Hilux

Folks, the camper before us has been dubbed the Wanderer. With a name like that, you can clearly understand what it can do: roam around without end. Or at least until you run out of gas.

If the name Red Sands Campers doesn't sound familiar to you, then you probably never made it out to Australia. But if you do and want to take an RV adventure like never before, give this off-road and off-grid vehicle rental service a call and buckle up for one wild vacation.

Simply put, Red Sands Campers is known as one of the premium RV and camper rental services in Australia. For example, a 21-day trip around the South-West Edge in a 5-person 4WD machine will run you around $251 Australian ($170 American at current exchange rates) per day. Currently, four machines are available for these adventures, one of which is the Wanderer, their newest addition to the family. It's a two-person machine, so get ready for some very intimate moments.

This RV starts off with nothing more than a 4WD Toyota Hilux. But, just a simple Hilux isn't enough to tame the Australian outback, so Red Sands offers a machine of which nearly every inch has been custom-fitted to stand up to the treacherous outback and make it home, again and again, and again, and... you get the idea.

For example, the rear of the truck has seen heavy modifications in order to drop that cab-over shell onto the rear. Then, to make it across the harshest of landscapes, an "upgraded off-road suspension" is added; the sort of setup we find is not yet clear. Be sure to check out the bull-bar setup mounted to the front of this puppy and the snorkel, too. The latter unlocks wide and deep river crossings.

One aspect of this EV worth mentioning is its gas mileage. According to the brochure, with a turbo diesel engine, automatic transmission, and a 142-liter (37.5 gals) gas tank, this Hilux can pull in a peak of 12 liters per 100 km consumption. That's the equivalent of 19.6 miles per gallon. How far into the wild can you venture with 735 miles on a full tank? Sure, that's a peak range, but you get the idea.

As for the other little knick-knacks Red Sands adds to the Wanderer, we're looking at a fully-equipped off-grid machine, so expect to find features the likes of two batteries, solar panels, an emergency locator beacon, 80 liters (21 gals) of water, two gas cans, and one of the neatest galley and storage setups I've seen in some time. A portable campsite shower is also part of the package.

But what is the campsite experience like? Well, all we have to draw our conclusions from at this time are nothing more than the renderings we have in the image gallery. To do so, let's take a quick trip through Imagination Land to see what we may be up against.

All of this starts with you at the wheel of this behemoth, trudging along through thick and thin and muddy or rocky terrain. Finally, you'll reach a place so secluded, so out into the wild, that the only sounds you hear are those of the natural world around you. Only the occasional jet flying overhead will remind you that you're still part of a society.

Once you've reached this hidden haven, you'll stretch your legs, take in a deep breath, and proceed to expand this camper into its final form. We'll start off by unloading the exterior cargo bays of your campsite goodies. Hook up that annex shower room, throw up the outdoor dining table, and those yoga mats. Maybe you've got a couple of kayaks strapped to the roof. Extend that awning and even spark a little campfire.

From here, our attention moves to the interior of the Wanderer. But first, you'll need to lift the roof in place, expanding the available headroom. Once you've completed this step, you'll be able to marvel at the rather simple interior waiting for your tired bones.

Just don't expect some fancy luxury living stuff; Australians are lovers of the outdoors and interior spaces such as these are only for the basics like dining, sleeping, and a bit of rocking the casbah. All we can see in the renderings is a dining area and an elevated bed partially set above the cab.

Once you've unrolled the quilt and fluffed the pillows, it's time to head back outside and prepare the evening meal. To complete this last and final stage in the day-to-day of an off-grid adventurer, we'll need to access the port side of the unit.

Here, Red Sands includes a dry food pantry, a portable sink, the 80 liters of water I mentioned, and an 80-liter fridge. Let's not forget the two-burner top and all the little shelves and bays to store utensils and spices. If you've got a phone that needs charging, this is also one place where you can achieve this.

With a hot meal whipped up, spread the table, give your significant other a heads up, and enjoy a view of the setting sun over the horizon. After the meal, you draw the short straw for the dishes, and soon after, it's time for the remaining evening plans: S'mores, anyone?

Now, the beauty about teams like Red Sands is that they offer lovers of the outdoors one massive benefit: to explore our wild world without buying an account-crushing RV or even worrying about any upkeep costs. Planning an unedited trip around Aussieland? You know what to do.