Well for a long while now i have been looking forward to going to this show. My first carvan show attendance.
For me it will be about finally pinning down the van or vehicle which best suits. First on the list will be to have a look at a Brushtracker, not that its necessarily my type van but makes for a great comparison, i think.
I will be walking though those gates at noon and my guess is i will be there all day. So if you see a guy with a patch on one eye, looks awfully like a pirate,( A pirate without attitude that is) tap him on the shoulder and say hi!
Then again I may go incognito and just take the parrot.
Escape said
01:13 PM Feb 23, 2010
I have news for you ....as for finally pinning down the van or vehicle which best suits...I bet that doesnt happen you will be so over come by it all it will just confuse you ...but but let me tell you ..you will have a great time lookng...ENJOY..might see you there hehehe
Cruising Granny said
09:14 PM Feb 23, 2010
If you think you'll do it in an arvo you're dreamin'.
You'll walk from van to van, pop your head in every door, even climb aboard to check out the layout, the quality of the layout, the decor etc.
Then you'll do it all over again, van after van until you lose your sene of direction, and realise you've already looked at that van, AND the one behind it AND the one next to it.
You'll feel the dizziness come over you, and you'll sit down, probaby near a stall where some hopeful is hoping to sell you something.
All he'll succeed in doing is confuse you, and keep you awake. Nothing will ease the pain in your feet by this time no matter how comfortable those shoes were the last time you wore them.
So you head for the gate - mmmm, which gate? The northern gate or the eastern gate?
You'll scratch you head and think, "Where the hell did I park the bl...dy car?"
You'll stop, get your bearings right next to a gigantic 5th wheeler which only serves to confuse you even more, if it's possible.
Ah, you spot the gate, and everything falls into place, as you unlock your car and flop into the driver's seat. The drive home will be a challenge, but nothing compares to the trauma of picking a brand new caravan.
You didn't get to see them all, did you.
So it's back to the caravan show. Will it be tomorrow or the next day?
Have to have a think as you browse through all those brochures, and then try to sleep.
Oh what a great event! You'll love it! How exciting! Have a good time and good luck with your van selection. Ha ha ha ha.
Escape said
02:40 PM Feb 24, 2010
Granny ...I couldn't have said it better myself hahaha..and with all that I can't wait to go ...with my list of course...have fun everyone.
seonau said
08:33 PM Feb 24, 2010
Well i have attended my first caravan camping show. The crowd was huge and the range of vans, accessories, massive. the only thing i didnt like was no where to be found were jam donuts which seems a bit of a shame to me and meat pies with sauce were $5.50.
Sorry Granny you were a bit wrong and as for you Escape two chicky babes ganging up on me doesnt give me much hope at all.
It was like this granny...i walked from van to van looking in the doors, checking on the layouts, quality etc then i did it all again. The sad bit is i got a bit dizzy and confused and when i had a sit down to take time to think about it a salesman jumped on the chance to chat with me and fixed my confusion further. I was so overwhelmed by it all had a bit of trouble finding my car. I will not have trouble sleeping tonight....See granny you were wrong!
What i did manage to conclude was this. No 5th wheeler, no pop top, not less than 18 foot, no RV. For me its not about buying a caravan but getting one built to my speciation. What i will do is though this forums advice make a complete list of features i want and then select a few different makers who are capable of building to specs and already have vans i like give me quotes. Once done then i will buy my real car. However....before all that i will buy second hand and cheap to make sure long term is for me and to check out my wish list.
I was very impressed with the A vans, Jurgens and one i hadnt seen or heard about before the Traveller. I found the boat i will get, the Porta-bote, very clever.
My advice to you Escape is take two head ache pills before you go. Granny was right I still might see you there!
Denise said
10:54 AM Feb 25, 2010
Hi !Pete, I love your new little avatar....or is that a portrait? Its so sweet! Thanks for the report, I can't wait till the Sydney show in April , although I've got a pretty good idea of how I want the camper v to be. Mind you, it keeps evolving, the other day I realised I can just fit the bed across the van which is much better. If I sleep diagonally then I can do it.
I have dreams about container homes and bus conversions all the time. I wish I had some "Bloke Strength" too....to do the conversions myself..I love the challenge of maximising a minimal space...if I'd been better at maths ,part of me would have happily been an architect....but another part wanted to be a vet, another,a potter.....another a naturalist.... plus at least half a dozen other things. If you want at least 18'...what was it you liked about the Avan? and what is the most interesting thing you saw.....? :)
seonau said
01:38 PM Feb 25, 2010
Hi Denise....some interesting statistics from one caravan builder
In regard to the success of intended long term full time travelling and caravanning quoted are these figures. The success of a 14 foot longer than two years.......nil. The success of a 16 foot " " " " ......25% If they are to be believed size does have a lot to do about long term travel. Its about features, comfort and accessibility when fully loaded. Design flexibility, suspension and aerodynamics are in there two.
There seems to be a swing in caravan wall finishes. Within their ranges both A van and Jurgens have fibre glass front and backs with the walls made of a composite materials. Basically i just like the look. Both but especially the A van had great and different internal styling. While i would not buy any caravan on these features alone it just made them both look solid and comfortable with practicality thrown in. I just liked the look of then Denise.
Given buying a caravan for me is about getting the features i want and that i will specify exactly what i do want when i buy/build the most interesting things at the show for me were the add ons you can get for your journey. The boats, the bikes, the vacuum sealers, the cookers...all in all its the boat and the cookers that grabbed my attention. Using a tent as well as a awing made sense to me also ( your original idea I believe ). Loved the oz tents ( thank you again).
Foot note....i will not deal with a caravanning salesman ( why always a salesMAN? ) who sports a neat hair cut, swish clothes, talks funny and is under 40 y.o..
Well for a long while now i have been looking forward to going to this show. My first carvan show attendance.
For me it will be about finally pinning down the van or vehicle which best suits.
First on the list will be to have a look at a Brushtracker, not that its necessarily my type van but makes for a great comparison, i think.
I will be walking though those gates at noon and my guess is i will be there all day.
So if you see a guy with a patch on one eye, looks awfully like a pirate,( A pirate without attitude that is) tap him on the shoulder and say hi!
Then again I may go incognito and just take the parrot.
Well i have attended my first caravan camping show. The crowd was huge and the range of vans, accessories, massive. the only thing i didnt like was no where to be found were jam donuts which seems a bit of a shame to me and meat pies with sauce were $5.50.
Sorry Granny you were a bit wrong and as for you Escape two chicky babes ganging up on me doesnt give me much hope at all.
It was like this granny...i walked from van to van looking in the doors, checking on the layouts, quality etc then i did it all again. The sad bit is i got a bit dizzy and confused and when i had a sit down to take time to think about it a salesman jumped on the chance to chat with me and fixed my confusion further. I was so overwhelmed by it all had a bit of trouble finding my car.
I will not have trouble sleeping tonight....See granny you were wrong!
What i did manage to conclude was this. No 5th wheeler, no pop top, not less than 18 foot, no RV.
For me its not about buying a caravan but getting one built to my speciation. What i will do is though this forums advice make a complete list of features i want and then select a few different makers who are capable of building to specs and already have vans i like give me quotes. Once done then i will buy my real car.
However....before all that i will buy second hand and cheap to make sure long term is for me and to check out my wish list.
I was very impressed with the A vans, Jurgens and one i hadnt seen or heard about before the Traveller. I found the boat i will get, the Porta-bote, very clever.
My advice to you Escape is take two head ache pills before you go.
Granny was right I still might see you there!
I love your new little avatar....or is that a portrait? Its so sweet!
Thanks for the report, I can't wait till the Sydney show in April , although I've got a pretty good idea of how I want the camper v to be. Mind you, it keeps evolving, the other day I realised I can just fit the bed across the van which is much better. If I sleep diagonally then I can do it.
I have dreams about container homes and bus conversions all the time. I wish I had some "Bloke Strength" too....to do the conversions myself..I love the challenge of maximising a minimal space...if I'd been better at maths ,part of me would have happily been an architect....but another part wanted to be a vet, another,a potter.....another a naturalist.... plus at least half a dozen other things.
If you want at least 18'...what was it you liked about the Avan? and what is the most interesting thing you saw.....? :)
Hi Denise....some interesting statistics from one caravan builder
In regard to the success of intended long term full time travelling and caravanning quoted are these figures.
The success of a 14 foot longer than two years.......nil.
The success of a 16 foot " " " " ......25%
If they are to be believed size does have a lot to do about long term travel. Its about features, comfort and accessibility when fully loaded. Design flexibility, suspension and aerodynamics are in there two.
There seems to be a swing in caravan wall finishes. Within their ranges both A van and Jurgens have fibre glass front and backs with the walls made of a composite materials. Basically i just like the look. Both but especially the A van had great and different internal styling.
While i would not buy any caravan on these features alone it just made them both look solid and comfortable with practicality thrown in. I just liked the look of then Denise.
Given buying a caravan for me is about getting the features i want and that i will specify exactly what i do want when i buy/build the most interesting things at the show for me were the add ons you can get for your journey. The boats, the bikes, the vacuum sealers, the cookers...all in all its the boat and the cookers that grabbed my attention. Using a tent as well as a awing made sense to me also ( your original idea I believe ). Loved the oz tents ( thank you again).
Foot note....i will not deal with a caravanning salesman ( why always a salesMAN? ) who sports a neat hair cut, swish clothes, talks funny and is under 40 y.o..