Update. Deli-chan has been sold.
Her new owners will also be making their way around Australia with her. We’ve already heard from a few friends who have seen her out on the roads, which is great to hear! We whole-heartedly hope that she brings them as much joy as she did for us.
Our beloved home away from home, and freedom on wheels is for sale. We purchased this car with one purpose in mind – to travel around this big sunburnt land. Apart from a few (not un-expected) hiccups with mechanical failures, this car has been spectacular. This car has taken us everywhere that we have wanted it to take us, from the long highway stretches across the Nulabor, to the remote and rugged roads to Cape York, to the deep creek crossings in Kakadu, to the corrugated nightmares in the The Kimberleys, to the twisty, wet, muddy mountain roads in Tasmania and along the beautiful beaches in Western Australia. And, it has brought our small but comfortable home with it.
We bought this car to travel around Australia, and now that it is finished, we are leaving Australia for the foreseeable future, and have no choice but to sell our beloved Deli-chan.
Over the period of nearly six-months, this standard, long wheelbase, Mitsubishi Delica was transformed into the campervan that it is today. The middle and rear seats were removed and then a timber bed frame with cupboards and a slide-out kitchen were installed. The electrical system was augmented with a tertiary (there are two brand-new batteries in the engine bay to start/run the engine) 120AH (big) deep-cycle battery and a 120W solar panel mounted on the roof. This electrical system runs a 1000W inverter (want to bring a rice cooker on your travels? Well, you can!) and a 57L Engel fridge, as well as the usual auxiliaries like an MP3 player, and heavy-duty cigarette lighter sockets to run mobile phone/laptop chargers. There is a brand new alternator that connects to the auxiliary battery through an automatic isolator (switch) that stops the auxiliary power (fridge, music, internal lights, chargers, inverter etc) from making the starting battery go flat.
For piece of mind, there are extensive spares and recovery equipment, including two spare wheels/tyres, an air jack, an air compressor, a snatch strap, radiator expansion bottle (common failure point), radiator hoses, fan belts and other assorted components.
There is a full-length steel roof cage and a Terzo rear ladder (to be able to get onto the roof). The second spare wheel is on the roof, as is a 50L water tank, a large toolbox and two 20L jerry cans for spare fuel (and there is still plenty of space for other gear). A heat-exchanger has been installed underneath the car to be able to have hot showers while free-camping.
This model Mitsubishi Delica has several known common points of failure, including the fuel pump, the air conditioning compressor and the head. This car has had all of these repaired/replaced professionally, so as a word of caution, if you are interested in buying a Series 1 (1994-1997) turbo diesel Mitsubishi Delica, it is something you should be aware of.
Deli-chan:
- 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Super Exceed 2.8L Turbo Diesel
- Column shift Automatic
- Full 4WD transmission, including low-range and centre diff lock
- ~220,000km
- QLD Registration (until November 2014)
Mechanical:
- Fuel pump rebuilt at 185,000km
- Air Conditioning Compressor replaced at 201,000km
- Head replaced at 202,000km
- Suspension overhauled (new bushes, new shock absorbers, heavy duty springs)
- Custom 2.5” exhaust (improved power and economy, very minimal extra noise)
- UniFilter foam air filter (improved power and economy, cheap/easy filter servicing)
- Stainless Steel intercooler tubing (rubber hoses prone to splitting)
- BFGoodrich AT KO tyres (good tread)
External:
- Full-length roof cage
- Terzo rear ladder
- 6mm steel bash plate (protects the sump/oil filter)
Electrical:
- Dual brand new heavy-duty starting batteries
- 120AH AGM auxiliary battery
- Automatic isolating relay (between starting/auxiliary batteries)
- 120W solar panel and MPPT charger
- Custom LED internal/external lighting
- JVC USB MP3 player with radio (dual auxiliary inputs, remote)
- Multiple high-current cigarette lighter sockets (ideal to charge laptops)
- 1000W pure sine wave inverter
- 57L Engel fridge (with easy access front opening door)
- Garmin satellite navigation
- Engine Watchdog (electronic temperature monitor/alarm)
Accessories:
- 2x spare wheels/tyres (235/75 R15)
- Air compressor (dual piston, 150L/minute)
- Air jack (exhaust or compressor driven)
- 8000kg ARB snatch strap (plus eye bolts)
- Tyre repair kit
- Spare radiator hoses
- Spare coolant expansion bottle (prone to cracking)
- Spare AC/Alternator belts
- Heat exchanger for hot water (plus pop up shower tent and pump/hose)
- 50L roof mounted water tank (for shower)
- Fishing rods (with accessories)
- Large toolbox (tools not included)
- Mosquito netting
- Window tinting
- 2x 20L spare fuel containers
- 3x 20L water containers
Internal Fixtures:
- Full queen-size bed (50mm of high density foam, topped with 30mm of memory foam – very comfortable)
- Multiple under bed storage compartments
- Mini home theatre (50” screen) (projector not included)
- Dual butane gas burners (on slide out drawer)
- Large size food storage drawer
- Medium size cookware storage drawer
- Lockable storage compartment (custom stainless steel lockable concealed box)
- Storage compartments in custom centre console
Really, all you need for your own trip around Australia is six-months, money for food/fuel and a sense of adventure.
Leave a Reply