About the author
Following three years in the Royal Air Force as a ground radar engineer, I spent a short time working in England at de Havilland (in the guided missile area) and then in the Research Laboratory of Vauxhall/Bedford (General Motors), specialising in the monitoring and measuring various aspects of vehicle behaviour and performance.
In 1959-1960, a companion and I drove a large Bedford QL 4WD twice across the length and breadth of Africa, gaining first-hand experience that I use (in my work on vehicle suspension and stability) to this day. I then moved permanently to Australia (via two years in Libya - in telecommunications), became an Australian citizen and then spent some years designing and building scientific testing equipment - from coal sample XY-ray scanners to 500 tonne concrete testers.
In 1970 I switched careers to found and develop what became the worldwide ‘Electronics Today International’ magazine, and other publications in electronics, computing, telecommunications, and music.
From 1982-1990 I was technology editor of the national magazines, ‘The Bulletin’ and ‘Australian Business’. I founded the periodical ‘Australian Communications’, also wrote the Australian Federal Government’s ‘Guide to Information Technology’.
Apart from The Camper Trailer Book, my other current books include the Campervan & Motorhome Book, Motorhome Electrics, Solar That Really Works, and Solar Success. I am currently writing a solar engineering course and text book for auto electricians that is also running in series form in that industry’s trade journal.
My wife (Maarit) and I have travelled extensively around and across Australia, including to the tip of Cape York, the long route across the Simpson desert, and most of Australia’s inland tracks, in our self converted OKA (an Australia-made specialist 4WD truck). It was replaced in 2006 by our subsequently modified Tvan. Altogether, we crossed Australia and return (via mostly overland tracks through the Centre) more than 12 times, of which 3 were with our 4.2 litre Nissan Patrol and Tvan.
We lived in a self-built hi-tech home (100% self-designed and built solar powered) alongside the Indian Ocean, on 10 acres of otherwise untouched Kimberley land, 20 km north of Broome from 2000-2010. Home is now an all-solar powered and solar heated home in Church Point, Sydney, Australia.