Hey,

 

I don't know if it is appropriate to start with multiple questions from a newbie, but here goes..

 

My wife and I are seriously considering buying a caravan, renting the house out and doing a 2 year trip around this beautiful land.

 

We'll be working our way around. Hopefully half work, half play. Even less work if we can afford it. The work side of the trip will be easy to sort out.

 

The car we have is a SWB Pajero DiD which is rated to pull 2500kg (braked) with a tow ball limit of 250kg.

 

We haven't got a van yet. I've been doing a lot of research on the net and on the forums. 

 

I appreciate that the advice on which type/make of van we should get is quite subjective.

 

But what would you recommend as a suitable van (size and manufacturer) considering the tow vehicle?

 

We will mostly be traveling on main roads and high ways, staying in parks with the possibility of very occasional soft roader stuff.

 

Are there any makes I should steer clear of?

 

Would I need to make any modifications to the Pajero?

 

If we were to buy a second hand van what traps should we look out for?

Tell tell signs of leaks I'm aware of. What else should we look for?

 

What do you think are musts in a van? A difficult question I know but we really can't afford to make the mistake of buying an unsuitable van.

 

 

I know it is a lot of questions and I'm sure your advice will raise further questions but your advice will be greatly appreciated. In actual fact, all advice and comments will be greatly appreciated.

 

Please excuse any typos or bad grammar, my wife is at work so I don't have the usual spell checker available. 

 

Regards

 

Keef

-- Edited by keefymonster on Sunday 31st of May 2009 11:16:48 PM

Hi Keef, and welcome to the mob. There are others here better qualifed than me to answer your queries, however some things that come to mind are; Your tug sounds like it should be able to take a reasonable size van, mod you would need is electric brakes on your tug (already fitted to van side) and weight distribution hitch, but check with your tug maker first, some don't recommend them. Make a list of what you want in a van, do you want shower/toilet, single or double beds etc, etc. Personally, I would go for one of the more popular vans on the market, Australian made for Oz conditions, a couple but not limited to Jayco or Coromal, they are best suited for Oz and spare parts and repairs/repairers are easier and lest costly than some others. You could hire a van if you wanted to get an idea of what and what doesn't suit you, although hiring is not all that cheap. If you haven't already done so, have a good look at different models at a caravan show in your State? Don't be sucked in by some of the overseas vans that look good but may not be suitable for Australian road conditions. Look under the van if second hand for damage to the chassis or signs of accident damage, also water damage underneath. Look inside for water stains in roof, floor and inside cupboards etc. I'll leave the rest of this to our other members for their input. Regarding spell check, google "IE Spell Check" to download free spellcheck program, then once you have it you don't need to do it again, just highlight your post after you have typed it, right click on it and choose "spell check" etc. Good luck with the van, Vic

As Vic has said, Buy Australian, if you decide to take a left turn off the highway and the import dont like it ,it could cost you big bucks, even our bitumen is hard on em, My fancy is a Golf, consider them the best Qld van, but there is a wide choice, Visit a CP and have a look at whats there and ask the owners opinion

Welcome to the best forum I have visited,so much good advise available here.I looked for a couple of years,many second handies,half a dozen different shows.Finally decided on a Golden Eagle 17.5 ft.Purchased at the Sydney van show in April.Liked this van for the quality of finish,plus the excellent deal offered at the show also helped.Van is currently being constructed in Vic. to our requirements.Should be delivered end July. ....Be patient Greg,be patient. Good luck Greg & Caz

Whatever you choose,....try to avoid the first timer mistake of trying to marry up the vans estimated loaded weight to  the current tow vehicle's maximum legal towing capacity.

I made this serious error with our first and only caravan purchase, and the fictitious tare weight which had been wildy guestimated by the manufacturer and seriously only compounded the problem.

We ended up with an unloaded  van weighing close enough to 2100kgs tare weight (ID plate said 1900kgs) and tried to get away with towing it with a beloved BA Falcon Ute.(legal towing capacity of 2300kgs)       With our belongings it weighed over 2.5tonne!        We were immediately illegal so the Ute went and had to be replaced with a trusty Landcruiser.

If I had my "druthers, next time, I would probably not buy a big shower van, and instead go for a smaller lighter van, especially if I was going around Australia for a couple of years.      As a concession, a compact corner shower and toilet would be acceptable.      The fuel savings alone would justify this decision, let alone the stress factor of lugging around a monolith.
We rarely use our shower and toilet, and it is there only for emergencies.

I always believe in the other persons entitlemement to do as he sees fit, but, I am always fascinated by the short trip travellers who have washing machines, driers, plus large spaces devoted to ablutions and then are struggling to tow the monsters.

Welcome to the Grey Nomads. If you plan to live in your van full time while travelling and working you will need storage space and comfort, but not the kitchen and lounge room from home. I would suggest 18ft minimum, dual axles for stability and even distribution of weight. Only take what you use everyday at home, but halve it. Solid tops are more sturdy and durable than pop tops, and with aerodynamic design, the wind drag is minimal. Most buy a pop top to get it under the carport at home. Avoid Jayco. Even though the parts are easily accessible, there's a really good reason for that. You're going to need them. There are some terrible stories about warranty issues etc. Coramel make a good van, but there are others just as sturdy and reliable. Everyone has a story, and none are perfect. The advantage of buying used is, most modifications have been made, and when you're shopping, you can decide how many of those you'll need. Some even have bar fridges, washing machine and driers, dish washers, huge lounges, everything that opens and shuts. All weight and space considerations. You will need more cupboard space than couches. Buy a couple of comfortable, reclining outdoor chairs for "lounging". If you need to lie down, there's always the bed. I prefer island double or queen bed. Easy to access, easy to make. Twin beds are jammed up against the walls and not as wide as a single bed. If your van of choice has carpet, get rid of it! Lino throughout is much easier to manage, but then don't cover it with mats, as this will defeat the purpose. The annexe is essential. Entertaining, shelter, bbq, relaxing, enjoying those reclining camp chairs with a read or a cuppa and a chat. Everyone has different stories. I live and travel in my 20ft all the time, and experience has been my best teacher. I tow with an 80 series Landcruiser, diesel 4.2 litre, 5 speed manual station wagon. Now with the advantage of all the information the nomads can share, you choose. Good luck. Cheers Chris

Hi Granny, Sliding on a tangent to this topic, do you have any fuel consumption figures for the 4.2 litre Land Cruiser please? I don't like many of the reports about the 3 litre engine, so I'm thinking about older, more reliable technology. Cheers, Tony

An absolute must for me is a good mattress, 2 days, 2 months or 2 years on a standard supplied foam mattress can spoil any day. An innerspring is not that much more in the big scheme of things. Good luck with whichever van you buy. regards

Thank you all for the warm welcome and the very useful advice.

I just reviewed my consumption today, so it's fresh in my mind. 8 kms to the litre, or 22 miles to the gallon. I can't convert litres per 100 kms. I'll leave that up to you. The figures are average of towing, aircon, no towing, town and country. I've been stuck in Cairns for almost 12 months now, and can't take advantage of the cheap fuel prices - currently 1.14.9 cents per litre in Cairns, less 4c discount. When I arrived up here it was almost $1.80 per litre. That's my luck. Never mind, I will be on the road again soon - I hope. I'm happy with my mileage. Good luck with that. I think some of the later vehicles are a bit more juice wise with better injecting and turbo.

Hi Keef,

Bear in mind that Jayco (like Coromal) are mass produced to a price and you will always get the odd lemon.  If you want Jayco owners opinions, see the see the seven pages of this link;

http://www.caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2163&hilit=Jayco+Caravans

There are a couple of heated exchanges on the site, but all in all gives an insight into the product.

Regards,
Vic

-- Edited by Vic41 on Monday 1st of June 2009 10:47:57 PM

-- Edited by Vic41 on Tuesday 2nd of June 2009 12:25:25 AM

-- Edited by Vic41 on Tuesday 2nd of June 2009 12:29:42 AM