been wondering for myself when dads not around, which he's always telling me to plan for

i had thought of the slide on camper van to go on a 4wd ute but not sure what there like for when driving, and you kinda have the hight issue there
now kind of thinking of an off road- semi off road on road van, say 15-18 ft possibly with shower toilet, kinda thinking of pop top, as im only 5` 9 and would like to be able to move around a bit even if the pop top is down during stormy weather..
also kind of thinking of a 4wd to go with it , probably a budget of $6okish

any thoughts, what kind of 4wd would be good , easy to drive, not so much for river driving but the odd dirt road or rough corrigated road i may find my self on

I want to have the option of free camping when inbetween caravan parks

with the vans these sizes, are they easy to reverse park, or put in the right spot off the car? and can you have a reverse camera on the back of the van,  and car??? as well??

would like some ideas..

Milo,

Even if money was no object, as far as a van is concerned, I would not consider anything over 17ft, for it is becoming more evident that we need to lessen our footprint in all things.             It is not only more practical in terms of economy, but is easier to get into smaller places.             I am sure that there is a small semi off roader with a shower/toilet available.           I am seriously considering downsizing for this reason.

Now regarding the tow vehicle, if you regard price as your main issue, you couldn't go past the Ssanyong diesel crewcab.          They are great value, but where do you get it serviced outback?          A Hilux or Rodeo ute is probably a better servicing proposition so that is an important consideration when you are up a rocky creek somewhere.

How long is a piece of string???

You need to collect your thoughts on what sort of lifestyle you're planning and what your budget is. e.g. permanently on the road, based at home but travelling regularly, etc, etc.

Then make a note of all the different types of "rigs".....caravan, pop-top, wind-up camper, motorhome, campervan, 5th wheeler, etc., also sealed road and dirt road types of each.

Then note down all the advantages and all the disadvantages of each type and see how they fit your lifestyle and budget.

The selection of a suitable towing vehicle will be narrowed down by the type and size (weight) of the rig you are towing.

Also a short course with a towing school (eg "Tow Ed") should give you the necessary skills and confidence to tow and reverse your rig. Like you I'm a solo traveller and I don't have any great difficulty reversing onto a site, or "hooking up" the rig to the tug without guidance despite have a Treg hitch which is more tricky to line up than a ball hitch.

I have to agree with Brigalow about the size of the rig particularly for a solo traveller.

-- Edited by jimricho on Saturday 15th of May 2010 08:14:05 AM

I agree with Jim........choosing a tug is a personal thing.......make sure what you buy you can legally tow ...........I've just ordered a Goldstream mini..12ft.....Goldstream make one they call a Explorer 14ft long with an ensuite..........look around.theres lots of vans to choose from..

http://www.goldstreamrv.com.au/products/poptop_explorer.php

Dave

the other thing is new or used or even a few years old , car and van?

milo wrote:

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the other thing is new or used or even a few years old , car and van?

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I suppose a lot would depend on your budget but I would never buy a brand new caravan, personally I would go for one about 2 years old in good condition as the previous owner would have had all the annoying little and big bugs rectified.

Only my personal point of view.

 

the millard one with out shower was $26k was quite nice , pop topwas 2003ish i think 15 foot, guy at dealer ship said anything with a V6 should be comfortable with some thing like that

I know JRH.......but there was only $1,600 between a 2007 model and new one.......so I went new

milo wrote:

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the millard one with out shower was $26k was quite nice , pop topwas 2003ish i think 15 foot, guy at dealer ship said anything with a V6 should be comfortable with some thing like that

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What the dealer has told you regarding a suitable tow vehicle may well be quite ok but my suggestion is you get some independent advice as these guys are salespeople and their main aim is get a sale and send you on your way.  You will need to know the fully loaded weight (Aggregate Trailer Mass or ATM) for the caravan concerned before seeking this advice.  I would suggest shying away from a front wheel drive even if it is a V6..... rear wheel drive, all wheel drive, 4WD ok.

 

Smokeydk wrote:

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I know JRH.......but there was only $1,600 between a 2007 model and new one.......so I went new

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Sounds a fair thing Dave, with only that small difference why wouldn't you go brand new.

 

more i think about it, im still partell to the slide on idea , im thinking i may go upto sydney and spend some time with north star slide on campers , and see what my options are, been reading alot about slide ons on line and for me seems to be a way to go as i dont know if i want the hassle of a caravan... but not the hassell of motorhomes,and this seems my answer, I just have to work out which rig, kind of thinking nissan navara , but will have a talk with them when i go up next week..

If it is any help when we were buying our A;Van camper we rang the R.A.A. and gave them all the specs and they told us that out veichle was O.K. for towing it Helena.

Well Milo you sure have a lot of thinking to do. I'd do the second hand van again, because, as they say, the teething problems and any adjustments have already been made. There will also be a few extras on the used van if the previous owner was serious. There a pop-top slide-ons around which appear quite roomy. If you're going to be out and about over long periods of time, in all weather and locations you'll need to have a bit of room inside. Being stuck in a 14footer would have given me the twitches after 15 days of continuous rain. There's also the matter of storage and how much gear you pack in. If you tow with a ute with canopy you have all that extra secure storage space for "stuff". Unfortunately we need to pack more than a toothbrush and spare jockeys to go away for any length of time. You can add cameras to tug and van. They're everwhere. Good mirrors are still very important when towing and/or reversing. I don't envy you and all that thinking. All the best.

thanks CC, yeah , doing research, dreaming etc, knowing how things could be in a year or two or 3.. all depends on my dad for now. some times it does your head in.. something else been thinking about, have been kind of thinking , when i eventually get the set up i want ,AD , and sell my house , i may after some time and do some traveling for a while, if i want a base for a couple of years I thught of buying a relocatable home in a caravan park some where, wondering how it would go, say a 2 bedroom place, and let the rest of my funds build up for a while if i decide i want a house again...just some ideas, seen a one in tweeds (nsw) for $69k,. sounds good ,then i can invest the rest for a while.. just some thoughts

make sure you read the fine print Milo if you are going to buy into a village.

I live in an over 55's village on the south coast - not far from you actually - and have done my stint on the Parks Committee and some of the horror stories we have heard are enough to put you off.

Don't let these stories deter you, just make sure you know what you are getting into and how hard it is to get out at a later date.

Good luck.

thanks Ma.... another idea, are there any semi off road 13 ft vans/poptops with shower toilet? i looked at a very nice corimal van ,2010 model, poptop, would be a perfect one for me if i go caravan way ,

say if i got a 14ft van, with a bt-50 ute or similar, does it take long to get used to towing it? ie i guess im used to the Tardis, and the big size of that, can you have a reversing camera on the van and on your rig as well?