We (my wife and I ) are currently planning a trip around Australia some time next year. For a starter trying to work out what sort of vehicle and van would be best for this adventure is really doing my head in. Would appreciate any feed back from those that have done it or planning to do the same. This may confuse me more, but am willing to take that chance.

Hello and welcome! I am a newbie too and we almost made the mistake of getting too small a car to tow a van. We knew nothing at all when we started a year ago. We now own a Mitsubishi Pajero and have just ordered a Creative Tanami 20ft van with ensuite. when we first looked we were just getting a small van with nothing in it but after being on this site and talking to people we realized we needed bigger and better things. We did have a good time looking though so take your time and you will work out what you want. There are some beautiful vans out there, also 2nd hand ones in good condition. Make sure you know your towing capacity. We hope to be on the road after July!

Thanks for your feed back, did you buy your Pajero new or did you also look at a second hand car. A good 4wd is so expensive. I have been looking  the new Mitsibishi Challenger, but it is a long way to travel if you make a mistake with the vehicle or the van.

I have a NP Paj.........a few members have had bought the wrong vehicle...one now has a Nissan Pathfinder..another bought a new caravan.....and found his vehicle couldnt legally tow it and bought a very well kept second hand Landrover Discovery 2.....that can tow 3 ton... remember some vehicles arent reall 4x4s...just AWD

Should be some "bargain" hail damaged vehicles coming on the market in Melbourne now, if that's any help. If you answer the following questions, might help you begin to sort out the choices: 1. Will you be staying on bitumen - with van? with vehicle? If not, what sort of non-bitumen do you plan being on? As in good gravel road. Where you might actually need 4WD or high clearance? Exploring this line will help guide you as to whether you need a 4WD vehicle or an off-road van. 2. Will you always be in caravan parks or do you plan on camping in the bush/free camping? That will tell you whether you need solar or genset capacity and what appliances etc might be feasible for van. Also whether you really need to tow a bathroom or not. 3. Make a list of absolute must have features for van. That will give you an idea of minimum van size. Make a second list of "would like if possible" features and rank these from most important down. See how that might fit with the essentials list, compared to vans available in your price range. Research vans with these parameters in mind. Sort out van before you commit to vehicle.

We bought an NS 2008 Paj second hand. Had been looking for a while at Prados and Pajs but the Prados were quite expensive even at the government auctions. Good luck in your searching.

I think that the first step is to decide on what sort of van you want/need & then what sort of vehicle is required to tug it.

The answer to the first part will include such things as ..
How long you will be on the road
Will you be Free Camping or using Caravan Parks or a bit of both.
Do you intend to go off road, or soft road of primarily bitumen
What sort of fit out do you want .. basic or deluxe or in between
Where are you going to store it when not travelling
What is your budget both for purchase & when travelling

Make a list

Read lots of caravanning mags .. Go to Caravan Shows. . Talk to experienced caravanners .. Seek out those who seem to have similar interests to you. Visit Caravan sales yards & see what's about that meets your desires. Ask them what sort of vehicle will be needed to pull those that you are interested in.
Listen but make your own judgements.

It took us over 12 months to go thru this stage...

This was our list for a van in 1999 ..

Must have on board shower & Toilet
Be self sufficient for 2-3 days (batt gas water)
Suitable for resale in 2 to 3 years  (ha ha)
Meet the budget
Within the towing capacity of a Nissan Patrol
Prefer aluminium frame
Air Conditioning
Prefer new van
Full van not pop top.
Off road capability not required


The Van & Vehicle that we decided on has suited us perfectly for over 10 years now and after >180,000km of van travel we can find no reason to change.  So this approach worked for us

-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 15th of March 2010 08:05:44 PM

Thanks a lot for the feedback, we have also allowed 12 months to try to get things sorted out and have been visiting caravan shows (the Melb one was last weekend). I think the one of the best sources is from those that have done it and that is why I value this forum as a source of information.
With regards to how much we intend to go off road, the answer is that we would like to see as much as we can, again I am not sure if this then means that you do need to go well off the beaten track or most things are on reasonable roads these days. We are not restricted to a set time period, so we could end up the same as many others where they just keep going.  

Welcome, and congratulations on your decision and dream. Cupie has things in the right sequence. What you'll need to live in, and what will tug it. Pretty simple really. New or used. Always remember it has to suit both of you. Take your time, and happy hunting.