Every Tommy Camper has a story. From tackling remote 4WD tracks, off-grid camping, clever modifications and builds, and hard-learned lessons along the way. Every second month, we highlight the story of one of our legendary owners to hear how they’ve built their setup and where they’ve taken it.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy this month’s Tommy Tracks & Tales.
Would you like to be featured in next month’s Tommy Tracks & Tales? Fill out the form here, and we’ll be in touch!
Meet Callan and his 1995 OKA Truck
If there’s one thing we love about the Tommy Campers community, it’s seeing just how many different vehicles they end up travelling in. And Callan’s setup might be one of the most unique yet.
Meet Callan and his Australian-built 1995 OKA truck, powered by a Cummins 6BT diesel engine and carrying a Tommy Campers S8 on the back.
Callan spends around six to seven months of each year travelling, following paragliding seasons around the world.
When he’s back in Australia, the OKA truck becomes his home base for exploring new parts of the country.
Most recently, that’s included travelling through the Kimberley and the Northern Territory. While, as Callan puts it, doing his best to avoid the cold!
It’s a setup designed not only for remote touring, but to carry everything he needs for months of travelling and the hobbies that come along with it.
Why a Tommy Camper?
Interestingly, Callan didn’t actually set out looking for a Tommy Camper.
The S8 was already fitted to the OKA when he bought the truck, and initially, it wasn’t necessarily the style of camper he thought he wanted.
That changed pretty quickly once he started using it.
“I quickly fell in love with the setup and how easy it was to use.”
One of the biggest advantages for Callan is the ability to remove the camper from the truck.
When he finds somewhere he wants to stay for multiple days, he can take the Tommy off, set up a more permanent camp, and still have full use of the OKA truck. It also gives him access to the tray whenever he needs the extra space.
But it’s some of the simpler, practical features that have really won him over.
The original Tommy setup provides 150L of water storage, a separate kitchen area and easy access to equipment through the original drawers.
For someone spending extended periods travelling remotely, that simplicity and accessibility make a big difference.
The 1995 OKA Truck
Callan has owned quite a few different touring vehicles over the years, such as a VW Kombi, Suzuki Sierra and Toyota Troopy.
One thing he often found himself missing was storage.
The OKA truck has solved that problem.
An additional canopy fills the space where a ute body would usually sit, creating a huge amount of storage alongside the Tommy Camper.
“It allows me to take everything I need for my hobbies and those long trips through different terrains and climates.”
That’s particularly important when your travels can take you from remote Australian tracks to completely different climates. And when paragliding equipment is coming along for the ride.
Tommy Campers S8
For extended remote travel, Callan has built the OKA truck around being as self-sufficient as possible.
His setup includes:
- 480Ah battery capacity
- 3000W inverter
- Solar charging
- Induction cooking
- Joolca hot water system
- 300L of water across three tanks
- 320L diesel capacity
- Engine-driven air compressor with a large air tank.
The solar setup has involved a bit of a compromise. Callan previously had a large solar panel mounted on the cab roof, but for some of his more remote trips, carrying a second spare tyre became the bigger priority. The solar panel had to make way.
It’s one of those decisions that highlight the reality of setting up a vehicle for remote touring. Sometimes it’s less about fitting everything and more about deciding what matters most for the trip ahead.
Suspension, Tyres & Weight
At around 5.4 tonnes fully loaded with all tanks full, the OKA truck is certainly a different beast from your average dual cab touring setup.
Despite the weight, Callan has kept the standard OKA leaf-spring suspension.
The longer leaf springs used by the OKA truck work well for the vehicle, while the 37-inch tyres help absorb plenty of the vibration from corrugations, washouts and rough tracks.
Weight distribution is also relatively even across both axles when the truck is fully loaded.
Callan adjusts his tyre pressures depending on the terrain:
- Around 60 psi on the highway
- Around 30 psi on dirt roads
- Generally 20 – 30 psi on sand, depending on conditions.
As always, tyre pressures will vary depending on the vehicle load, tyre construction and conditions, but for Callan, regularly adjusting them is simply part of travelling in the OKA truck.
And with recent trips through the Kimberley and Northern Territory, it’s a setup that certainly gets put to work.
Advice for new Tommy owners
After years of owning different touring setups, Callan’s biggest piece of advice for new Tommy Campers owners is refreshingly simply:
“Don’t go overboard with modifications and accessories. Get out there, use it and make the change to suit your needs as you go.”
It’s easy to think you need to have the perfect touring setup before heading away.
But often, it isn’t until you’ve spent some time actually living out of your camper that you discover what you use every day, what you rarely touch and what would genuinely make travelling easier.
Callan’s OKA truck is a great example of a setup that has evolved around the way he actually travels. With plenty of water and fuel capacity, huge amounts of storage, room for his equipment and the ability to drop the Tommy Campers S8 when he wants to establish a base for a few days.
Follow Callan’s Adventures
Want to see where the OKA and Tommy Campers S8 head next?
You can follow Callan’s travels and adventures on Instagram at @hartyy90
A massive thanks to Callan for sharing his unique setup with us. We love seeing Tommy Campers fitted to all kinds of touring vehicles, and this Australian-built OKA is definitely one of the more unusual combinations we’ve featured!
If you have your own unique Tommy Campers setup, we’d love to hear about it. You might just feature in an upcoming Tommy Tracks & Tales.
And if you have any questions about the Tommy Camper, get in touch here.
More owner stories & Builds
Read more stories from Tommy Campers owners, from custom builds to real experiences travelling around Australia.
