We caught up with Brad Rayner, a Cub owner from Perth whose passion for off-roading with his family has built up quite a following on social media. His pages on Facebook and Instagram, named Dad 4×4 Adventures, has attracted more than 2000 followers and he’s taken some truly spectacular photographs of his travels around Australia.
Tell us about the Dad 4×4 Family
There is myself ,Brad, my wife Tremaine, my son Caleb, who’s 10, and my daughter Jessica who’s 5.
Why did you purchase a Cub Brumby?
We previously owned tents, but as much as we enjoyed that, the car started to get very full after we had kids. We decided if we wanted to keep on camping, we needed to get a camper trailer. I had always wanted a Cub ever since I started four-wheel driving. I did look at other brands but I had my heart set on a Cub.
How have you found it?
Love it! Absolutely love it. It has done everything we have ever asked of it and it is so comfortable.
What is the sleeping configuration for your family?
We sleep in the bed and we bought a set of bunk beds for the kids. They are fantastic. We put them against the sides of the camper and still have room for other things on the hard floor. For quick trips the kids sleep on a 4WD self-inflating mattress. When you pack up you can just deflate it and put it on top of the bed in the Cub and pack the camper away.
How often do you get away camping?
We try to get away for a few nights every month if we can. We try to keep the Cub Brumby set up and ready to go with the bedding in it. If I have the weekend off work, we try to get away on the Friday. I use plastic containers to store food so we just go to the supermarket before we head off.
Your facebook page is called Dad 4X4 Adventures. Does that mean you’re keener on camping than your wife?
My wife Tremaine is English. She moved over here and we met in high school. Before we got together, the furthest north she’d been was about 20 minutes north of the city. The good thing is that the first time I took her away camping, she loved it. She still loves her creature comforts, such as running water and flushing toilets, but she loves camping too.
Tell us about your most recent Cub adventure?
This was the biggest trip we’ve done in the Cub. We were away for 3 weeks and travelled from Perth to Exmouth. For the first leg, we left Perth at 4am and drove for 10 hours to Wooramel Station, where we stayed for two nights so we could break up the trip. From there, we drove another 5 hours to Ningaloo Station and we were there for 7 nights. We stayed right on the beach and had to be completely self-sufficient – and we loved it! We used solar panels for all our power and we had a 12V shower so the kids could rinse off after swimming and fishing. After our 7 night stay, we went to Exmouth.
Did you do any four wheel driving on your trip?
There is a track that goes through Coral Bay, through the station along to Yardi Creek. We travelled up and down there quite regularly, finding different places to snorkel. It was fantastic.
What sort of meals do you eat when you’re camping?
We do eat pretty well! For this trip we pre-made a lot of our meals. We had curry, spaghetti, and we even had a full English Roast with Yorkshire Pudding. On our recent trip, Tremaine pre-made a lot of our meals and put them in vacuum bags. We just put a 62 litre fridge in the Cub and we have a 40L freezer we run from the car. We eat better when we’re camping than we do at home!
What’s your top tip for camping with kids?
You’ve got to be able to make them enjoy it. Instead of fishing alone, I gave them the fishing rod to try it for themselves. If they enjoy it you will too, so just make time for them.
What’s your favourite thing about your Cub?
It’s just so easy. We have it packed up and ready to go permanently, so all we need to do is change the water, hitch it up and off we go. We enjoy our four wheel driving and the Brumby is so easy to tow. Wherever the car can go, the Cub Brumby can follow.
If you would like to see all the places the Rayner / 4X4 Family visit, be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
