Family holidays in Isuzu truck

The NNR 45-150 Crew Cab was raffled off during 2022 by Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) in partnership with the Gotcha4Life Foundation - to help raise awareness on mental fitness and supporting communities across Australia. 

Her prize, the NNR 45-150 Crew Cab raffle truck, came decked-out with all sorts of goodies including solar panels, a weatherproof Samsung TV, Bushman fridges, and all housed within a top quality, custom-built service body from Service Bodies Australia (SBA). 

“Winning the truck was such a fantastic surprise and we immediately knew we could put it to good use,” Ms Yasserie mused. 

“We started on our road trip heading up north just after Christmas last year. Surprisingly to some, packing the truck to leave was the real highlight. Everything has its spot in our Isuzu truck!

“We weren't playing Tetris to try and get everything into the car or on a trailer like in the past. It was unbelievably easy to get ready especially with all the extra storage.”

Rather than having ice bricks and eskies stuffed with food for the road, Tegan and her family were able to pack groceries, meals and snacks into the fridges and trays that are built into the body of their NNR Crew Cab. 

“On the side where the fridges are we had all our food packed in the drawers. The fridges were fully stocked with cold drinks, sandwich meats, margarine and butter, all the snacks and condiments you need on the road and for a BBQ, and milk for coffee to-go from our espresso machine,” said Tegan.

“We travelled from Sydney to Mackay in two days in split into roughly two 14-hour trips. All the kids had plenty of space and heaps of leg room. My two older sons are quite tall, so they very much appreciated the space compared to our family Kluger.”

With so much room for the kids to spread out; 15-year-old twins Kai and Nathaniel, 10-year-old Jesse, and six-year-old Willow found the trip less stressful with no overcrowding or cramping in the backseat.

The family were eager to reach Cape Hillsborough, a campground north of Mackay, and Tegan’s old childhood stomping ground.

“When we pulled up in our Isuzu truck, the whole family even our extended family were there to greet us,” laughed Tegan.

According to Tegan her family could not believe their eyes when the NNR Crew Cab pulled up in the driveway.

“My Dad had told them that we'd won a truck and they're thinking maybe like a ute or a pickup truck, but then when we pulled into the backyard in an actual Isuzu truck, they're like, ‘Wow, they weren't joking. That’s an actual truck!’” recalled Tegan.

The family had a lot of appreciation for their unique camping vehicle, with other campers coming over to explore the truck and comment on the truck, body build and overall set-up.

When it came to dividing the driving, Tegan took to urban and inner-city legs of the journey while her husband Jason took the open highways. Playing to their strengths and driving preferences made the trip a breeze.

Isuzu light-duty trucks can be driven on a standard car license so neither Tegan nor her husband had to upgrade to a heavy vehicle licence.

“The cruise control was fantastic on the highway, and the visibility from the cab was better than in a car. Even the kids in the back seat had an amazing view of everything on the road.”

The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) meant that the driver had alerts for road conditions making the trip safer.

“My kids love our Isuzu Truck,” said Tegan.

The NRR Crew Cab is evolving to become an integral part of the social lives of Tegan and her family.

“My husband plays OzTag in the Sutherland Shire competition, and I manage the team. So, for the end-of-year last game we set it up in the car park, got the barbecue out, cooked sausages for the boys, had drinks in the fridge, and really put the Isuzu truck to use.”

With a longer trip in the works to travel through South Australia and up to Uluru in the second half of the year, Tegan and her family are keen to make more memories with their NNR Crew Cab.