MODUON

Taking the Plunge

Every custom build reaches a point where you have to stop tweaking in the shop and get out into the wild. For our first field test, we loaded up the Moduon M1 trailer and headed to Bela-Bela for a long December stay. It was a 2.5-hour drive, far enough from home that any minor and major build flaw would make itself known very quickly.

38°C Heat and an Unexpected Oven

The drive went smoothly, and the fridge performed flawlessly despite scorching 38°C ambient temperatures. However, once camp was set up, we ran straight into a thermal wall. It was an absolute oven inside and under the new Howling Moon XT tent. Even the aluminium tent poles became scorching hot to the touch. By the second day, the campsite emptied out, leaving only four families in the entire area, including my in-laws. While moving our whole combined camp under the large, shady trees nearby wasn't an option, my father-in-law saved the afternoon with a massive silver reflective sheet over the top of the tent. The temperature drop was instant, and I even managed to catch a comfortable afternoon nap.

Finding the Root Cause

Upon closer inspection, I spotted the actual problem: the tent's fly sheet was resting flat against the main tent canvas, completely eliminating the insulating air gap that makes these tents perform in hot weather. I improvised a quick field fix by pulling out the aluminium fly sheet poles and stuffing in rags to ensure a proper air channel. The difference was night and day. (Back home, I permanently lengthened the support poles—you can read about that modification in our follow-up shop post).

Camp Life & Uninvited Guests

Since this was our first shake-down trip, the trailer's internal lithium battery setup wasn't fitted yet, so we relied on 220V campsite mains power to run the essentials.

Despite the heat, camp life provided plenty of humor. We had a swim in the duck pond, which was a lot cooler than the camp site swimming pool. Naturally, the ducks were allowed to swim in the pool as well. To top it off, we had a resident ostrich named Frik who strolled through our campsite daily to inspect our setup.

Camp Life & First Night in the Tent

That first night in the tent was a big milestone for the family. The kids had plenty of room to stretch out in the add-on room, settling right in on their stretchers topped with stretcher mattresses and warm duvets.

Finding Our Groove

Because it was our very first time out with this rig, setup took a bit longer than expected, and we quickly realized we had packed far too many things we never actually used. We were still figuring out where to pack what and who put what where, but this is natural and is to be expected at the start of any overlanding trip aswell. But that's exactly what a shake-down trip is for—finding your rhythm, dialing in the campsite workflow, and taking notes on what to optimize for next time.