The call of the road is getting strong and it's time I got serious about travelling. I have so many questions to ask and none of my existing friends are GNs so this is the only place for me to look for some sensible advice. In the past I've done lots of travel but only in limos and 5 star hotels, sadly now I'm broke and will be wanting to keep costs as low as possible. My plan is to initially take small trips venturing away from my base in the wheatbelt of WA. As my confidence and experience increases I anticipate my trips will get longer and go further.
My first (and biggest decision) is do I spend $10K upgrading my Falcon station wagon and buying a camper trailer?
Or do I buy an old van?
Do I keep my wagon for when I'm at home?
Or am I better to only have one vehicle?
I have started following the adverts on Gumtree for both camper trailers and vans to try and get a feel for what is available in my price range. Is there another market place I should be monitoring?
Are there any insurance problems or issues arising from spending so much more time in a vehicle?
I am a keen photographer and would like to travel with plenty of camera gear and computer gear including a table and desktop computer with big monitors for use when editing images - is that stupid?
I would really appreciate some opinions.
Cheers Bob
Duh said
08:25 AM Aug 3, 2013
Welcome to the forum Bob, do plenty of research and lots of posts like the one have made here, I will make this a short reply and leave the rest to others here.
Some places to monitor besides Gumtree, Quokka is another, also
My first (and biggest decision) is do I spend $10K upgrading my Falcon station wagon and buying a camper trailer?
To answer this question appropriately, you really need to know what and where you wish to go. If you are staying on sealed roads then the Falcon will probably serve you well and save you the expense of a new vehicle (or second-hand one).
If you are intending on going bush, which I suspect you might considering the photo angle, then you are looking towards a 4WD. Not sure if it will assist you - I started out with a Coaster motor-home. After about five years I worked out the bus wasn't going to get me where I wanted to go, and I needed a more suitable means of transport - a 4WD was really the only answer. I to do photo work, and getting the best photos, and hopefully something special no-one else has means getting off the main tracks = 4WD.
Or do I buy an old van?
This will limit where you can go. You have to also consider the availability of spare parts should the need arise.
Do I keep my wagon for when I'm at home?
You can, although you will be paying registration and insurance for two vehicles, could become costly. Also leaving a vehicle in the one spot not driven for months on end isn't real good for them.
Or am I better to only have one vehicle?
Read above.
I have started following the adverts on Gumtree for both camper trailers and vans to try and get a feel for what is available in my price range. Is there another market place I should be monitoring?
I recently brought my 4WD off eBay - had to fly to Sydney to pick it up and drive it back here. Vans Vs. 4WD+Camper - Both have good and bad points, some will say one is better then the other. In the end it comes down to what you feel suits you best.
Are there any insurance problems or issues arising from spending so much more time in a vehicle?
I believe the CMCA have really good insurance deals, and can do contents as well.
I am a keen photographer and would like to travel with plenty of camera gear and computer gear including a table and desktop computer with big monitors for use when editing images - is that stupid?
In a nutshell - yes and no. Keep in mind if your in the outback, especially top-end WA and NT there is going to be a lot of very fine dust around. Computers and moreso monitors due to their mass, don't take kindly to ingress of dust. I've done a few monitors in this way. Also after a days exploring taking photos, do you really want to be setting up tables, computers and monitors?
I'm reading between the lines and guessing you have a permanent residence, so what might be best is to take a laptop with you, shoot in RAW mode and download the RAW images to the lappy and maybe a backup external drive as well, and then when you're home do your editing work then.
I just have a laptop with an external monitor - seems to be the best solution and works well for me. I do editing on-road, usually at a camp when it's raining or the weather is to miserable to go out searching. Like you I was considering taking a desktop, but it's extra space you're taking up, which could be used for more important items. I was going to take a desktop as well, but then decided having a desktop computer bouncing around in the vehicle probably wasn't going to do it much good.
Dougwe said
01:55 PM Aug 3, 2013
Howdy Bob and welcome from me, enjoy here and out in the playground.
I started out with Falcon Sedan as a tug but changed it over very quickly to a Land Cruiser Prado 4x4 for any of those times a 4x4 might be needed and that has got me out of minor trouble over the last few months, the Prado also gave me heaps more storage space.
I chose a Avan Camper Trailer ( Sportliner ) as I am Solo and choose not to be on the road full time and have a overhead storage problem at home, I live in a village that has no van storage area so need to put it under my carport. The Avan was my choice as it has solid insulated surrounds and no canvas, my feeling there was if there is canvas around me I might as well tent it and I am over tents. The Avan is low to the ground so if you go that way make sure you get the chassis ' Upgrade ' .
I too love photography and really prefer to use film but in these days it is a very expensive process so when on the road I use my digital SLR and store on my Lap Top and a copy on a portable hard drive. The only time I "Edit" a photo is to maybe add text and that is only ever done to a copy. I personally don't believe in ' Playing ' with an image. what I tell the camera to do is what I get, digital does help a little as you get an instant image to look at. As with my film camera I love to play with ' Bracketing ' . All this is my opinion only of of course as I know a lot of people have fun with editing images and in SOME cases maybe something to do.
One thing I strongly suggest is you check out the 12 Volt system of what ever you decide on and make sure the wiring is good heavy quality to reduce current loss as I and others I know have had to upgrade the 12 Volt system. I spent quite a bit of money early this year and did a major re-wire of the 12v system in the Avan and also wired up for portable Solar Panel, I also added extra 12v wiring and upgraded the battery to the Prado to be more helpful when the Avan is hooked up. All has worked beyond expectations.
All of the above is my opinion only but you will get heaps of help from other forum members. Most of all though, enjoy and,
Tassie Tiger said
02:26 AM Aug 4, 2013
G'day Bob and welcome to the forum.
My thinking would be that if I was going to be carrying expensive camera(s) and computer equipment I would want something that was secure. How about a small caravan say something around 12ft? The other side of that is related to where you want to travel. Bitumen or off road.
Hope it all comes together for you. My experience so far is that it is about compromises.
Cheers
Wayne
GypsyBob said
05:05 AM Aug 4, 2013
Thanks for the welcome folks :)
@Duh - Great links, but sadly all are way out of my price range :(
@vkportable - Thanks, some good advice in there, I shall restrict myself to a laptop and external monitor when I edit. The laptop will also be my communication tool for email, social media, blogging and (very) casual studies. More importantly it is my entertainment for when I want music :)
@Dougwe - I have film as well as digital cameras an I never (rarely?) look at digital images until some time after they were taken when I can perhaps be more objective about them, but all images, even those taken on a film camera will make their way onto my computers and undergo at least some processing before they see the light of day. Things have certainly changed in the photography world over the last few years and I think anyone would be hard pressed to find any images entered into major competitions that have not been edited in some way.
@Tassie Tiger - I imagine that it would be impossible for me to remain purely on bitumen roads. WA is a big place and the bitumen only covers a small part of it. Perhaps it's different in Tassie, which I hear is only about the size of a decently large station :) Even when I travel around here, I am on gravel or sand a good deal of the time so I doubt a small caravan would suit (or be in my price range).
I can see that if ever the Lotto goddesses smile upon me there will be no limit to the options available, however for me, I need to look within a different market. Gumtree seems to have an abundance of back packer type vans in the $3K to $7K range which it seems is where my horizons must be. These 'cheapie' vans seem to cost no more than what a half decent cheap trailer costs and I'm concerned about how easy it would be for one person to erect a trailer tent especially if tired or in the dark at the end of a long day.
nomadic1 said
08:51 PM Aug 4, 2013
Have you looked at the cmca members market www.cmca.net.au/pages/members_market/index.php. They advertise a huge variety of campervans and motorhomes. If you do buy a campervan or motorhome and join the cmca then you can take out insurance with Ken Tame - follow the links on the cmca website. It's probably the best insurance around for that kind of vehicle.
Whatever you finish up with have fun! I promise you that after the first couple of weeks you'll wonder what you were worried about.
Colls said
03:33 AM Aug 5, 2013
Hi Bob, I had a similar situation a couple of years ago. I bought a small CV and was told my little corolla wouldn't be big enough to tow with so I bought a camry. I also bought a starwagon that had just been rebuilt. The camry died...the CV was not good for me and I discovered I didn't like towing which left me with the wagon. I have fitted it out very cheaply (about $200.) and I love it. Only problem is it doesn't have a/c.
Hope this helps. Being broke is not a nice feeling after living the good life but in many ways much more rewarding.
GypsyBob said
03:59 AM Aug 5, 2013
Colls wrote:
Being broke is not a nice feeling after living the good life but in many ways much more rewarding.
Yeah, I lived the good life before but I'm certainly happier now and probably healthier too. But certainly far more broke :(
I'd be interested to see your Starwagon sometime I'm down on the coastal plain. Are newbie visitors welcome for a cuppa?
Colls said
06:01 AM Aug 5, 2013
Hi Bob, Sure thing. Just pm me and we can sort out a time. Where abouts in this great state do you live??
Duh said
07:44 AM Aug 5, 2013
Colls wrote:
I also bought a starwagon that had just been rebuilt. The camry died...the CV was not good for me and I discovered I didn't like towing which left me with the wagon. I have fitted it out very cheaply (about $200.) and I love it. Only problem is it doesn't have a/c.
My first RV was an older model Mitsubishi Starwagon with heaps of kms on the clock. I removed all the passengers seats. It was the type with the sliding hatch on the roof so you could open it for ventilation and also to see the stars at night. All I had was a single mattress in the back towards the front with the space between the wheel arches used for clothes bags etc. Across the back I had three milk crates, one filled with food, one with eating and cooking utensils, and the other had a small gas bottle with a gas cooker attached to the top, just cleared the top of the crate.
With the tail gate up, I could stand at the back and do my cooking and was out of the weather if it rained. I took that van on my first trip around Oz which it did with ease, from the West to the East coast, north and south. The only thing that went wrong was my fuel filter needed water drained from it after picking up some contaminated fuel at Airplane (spelling) on the Stuart Highway in SA. No aircon, no fridge (everything in packets and cans) and I had a ball....... So you can start off cheaply in the right circumstances.....
Colls said
08:06 AM Aug 5, 2013
Vic you starwagon sounds similar setup to mine although I don't have the luxury of the roof hatch I do have a bed...single with half of one leg chopped off to fit it over one of the wheelarches. I will be going to go to country WA very soon.
Duh said
09:16 AM Aug 5, 2013
Colls wrote:
Vic you starwagon sounds similar setup to mine although I don't have the luxury of the roof hatch I do have a bed...single with half of one leg chopped off to fit it over one of the wheelarches. I will be going to go to country WA very soon.
Sounds good Colls, I didn't have a single bed in mine, just the mattress on the floor, but saw another bloke with a Hi Ace delivery van which he had a single bed in (spanned the wheel arch) bolted to the floor, so used under the bed for storage. He had replaced the wire on his with boards for better support. Worked well for him.
Yes the older models had the sliding electric roof hatch over the passenger area, also had a smoked Perspex type roof hatch over the drivers cab but no inside cover to keep the sun out when you didn't want it, so I covered that with aluminium cooking sheets to keep the sun from boiling my brain while driving, LOL !
I was unemployed when I did the around Oz trip, but managed it ok but was a bit younger then. Still an easy way to start off reasonably cheaply if you can find a good vehicle.
Dunmowin said
07:17 AM Aug 7, 2013
Colls and Gypsie Bob, you may be able to meet and compare notes at our WA get together.
The dog lady said
08:12 PM Aug 8, 2013
GypsyBob wrote:
Snip
I can see that if ever the Lotto goddesses smile upon me there will be no limit to the options available, however for me, I need to look within a different market. Gumtree seems to have an abundance of back packer type vans in the $3K to $7K range which it seems is where my horizons must be. These 'cheapie' vans seem to cost no more than what a half decent cheap trailer costs and I'm concerned about how easy it would be for one person to erect a trailer tent especially if tired or in the dark at the end of a long day.
Welcome GypsyBob
Just thought I'd put in my bit (for what it's worth). Like you I had limited funds to buy a home away from home, and I opted for a 4WD HiAce, which had not been fitted out as a camper. I designed the fit to suit ME, and my son helped me make the fitout. I thoroughly enjoy my digital SLR, laptop, tablet etc while travelling, and as for dust, well, the road home is dirt so live with it . I can't afford to register, insure and maintain 2vehicles, so the 3L turbo diesel HiAce doubles as "normal" car when I'm home. Plus the added advantage that if I'm tired after a day of errands and shopping and I don't want to drive the 75km home, I don't have to It's not a serious "off-road" vehicle, but it takes me a fair bit further than a 2WD van, and to be honest, I did the "serious" off-roading when I was younger and am white happy to be a little less intrepid now. With the fiamma awning there's enough room in here for me and my dogs and all the stuff I want to take, just need to be organised .
Hope that a year from now you'll wonder why you ever stayed in those lonely hotels and let others dictate the speed of your road trips
Dunmowin said
05:34 AM Aug 9, 2013
I am a keen photographer and would like to travel with plenty of camera gear and computer gear including a table and desktop computer with big monitors for use when editing images - is that stupid?
In a nutshell - yes and no. Keep in mind if your in the outback, especially top-end WA and NT there is going to be a lot of very fine dust around. Computers and moreso monitors due to their mass, don't take kindly to ingress of dust. I've done a few monitors in this way. Also after a days exploring taking photos, do you really want to be setting up tables, computers and monitors?
I'm reading between the lines and guessing you have a permanent residence, so what might be best is to take a laptop with you, shoot in RAW mode and download the RAW images to the lappy and maybe a backup external drive as well, and then when you're home do your editing work then.
I just have a laptop with an external monitor - seems to be the best solution and works well for me. I do editing on-road, usually at a camp when it's raining or the weather is to miserable to go out searching. Like you I was considering taking a desktop, but it's extra space you're taking up, which could be used for more important items. I was going to take a desktop as well, but then decided having a desktop computer bouncing around in the vehicle probably wasn't going to do it much good
-----
I will only answer this part of your long question. With the right cables, you can use your television as a monitor, but I am no too sure of the requirements for this, but certainly something worth looking at.
GypsyBob said
07:17 AM Aug 9, 2013
Dunmowin wrote:I will only answer this part of your long question. With the right cables, you can use your television as a monitor, but I am no too sure of the requirements for this, but certainly something worth looking at.
It would be well over 10 years since I owned a television, maybe 15 years. Have they started showing worthwhile stuff on it yet?
Having said that, I do watch some shows but very rarely, I like Luther and Breaking Bad and of course Dr Who but I watch all of those online either on ABC iView or BBC iPlayer.
The dog lady said
08:57 PM Aug 11, 2013
GypsyBob wrote:
snip
It would be well over 10 years since I owned a television, maybe 15 years. Have they started showing worthwhile stuff on it yet?
Since they turned off the analogue transmission here at Baffle Creek, I have only been able to receive SBS and occasionally 7. I keep checking the programs to see if there's anything I would spend $600 on a special reception setup for, but so far I haven't bothered
-- Edited by The dog lady on Sunday 11th of August 2013 08:59:40 PM
Hi folks.
The call of the road is getting strong and it's time I got serious about travelling. I have so many questions to ask and none of my existing friends are GNs so this is the only place for me to look for some sensible advice. In the past I've done lots of travel but only in limos and 5 star hotels, sadly now I'm broke and will be wanting to keep costs as low as possible. My plan is to initially take small trips venturing away from my base in the wheatbelt of WA. As my confidence and experience increases I anticipate my trips will get longer and go further.
I would really appreciate some opinions.
Cheers
Bob
Welcome to the forum Bob, do plenty of research and lots of posts like the one have made here, I will make this a short reply and leave the rest to others here.
Some places to monitor besides Gumtree, Quokka is another, also
Action RV http://www.actionrvcentre.com.au/RVForSale.aspx
Dove Campers (new and used) http://www.dovecampers.com.au/c7/used-campervans/
KB Campers http://www.kbcampers.com.au/
Good sites for getting an idea of prices etc. Action RV mainly sell on consignment but get some good RV's there.
KB Campers are ex hire vehicles.
Dove have trades or vehicles they have converted (also great for repairs or conversions etc).
This mob sometimes sell off their hire campers and are at Rockingham;
http://www.gocamper.com.au/
The call of the road is getting strong....<chop>
To answer this question appropriately, you really need to know what and where you wish to go.
If you are staying on sealed roads then the Falcon will probably serve you well and save you the expense of a new vehicle (or second-hand one).
If you are intending on going bush, which I suspect you might considering the photo angle, then you are looking towards a 4WD.
Not sure if it will assist you - I started out with a Coaster motor-home. After about five years I worked out the bus wasn't going to get me where I wanted to go, and I needed a more suitable means of transport - a 4WD was really the only answer. I to do photo work, and getting the best photos, and hopefully something special no-one else has means getting off the main tracks = 4WD.
This will limit where you can go. You have to also consider the availability of spare parts should the need arise.
You can, although you will be paying registration and insurance for two vehicles, could become costly.
Also leaving a vehicle in the one spot not driven for months on end isn't real good for them.
Read above.
I recently brought my 4WD off eBay - had to fly to Sydney to pick it up and drive it back here.
Vans Vs. 4WD+Camper - Both have good and bad points, some will say one is better then the other. In the end it comes down to what you feel suits you best.
I believe the CMCA have really good insurance deals, and can do contents as well.
In a nutshell - yes and no. Keep in mind if your in the outback, especially top-end WA and NT there is going to be a lot of very fine dust around. Computers and moreso monitors due to their mass, don't take kindly to ingress of dust. I've done a few monitors in this way. Also after a days exploring taking photos, do you really want to be setting up tables, computers and monitors?
I'm reading between the lines and guessing you have a permanent residence, so what might be best is to take a laptop with you, shoot in RAW mode and download the RAW images to the lappy and maybe a backup external drive as well, and then when you're home do your editing work then.
I just have a laptop with an external monitor - seems to be the best solution and works well for me. I do editing on-road, usually at a camp when it's raining or the weather is to miserable to go out searching. Like you I was considering taking a desktop, but it's extra space you're taking up, which could be used for more important items. I was going to take a desktop as well, but then decided having a desktop computer bouncing around in the vehicle probably wasn't going to do it much good.
I started out with Falcon Sedan as a tug but changed it over very quickly to a Land Cruiser Prado 4x4 for any of those times a 4x4 might be needed and that has got me out of minor trouble over the last few months, the Prado also gave me heaps more storage space.
I chose a Avan Camper Trailer ( Sportliner ) as I am Solo and choose not to be on the road full time and have a overhead storage problem at home, I live in a village that has no van storage area so need to put it under my carport. The Avan was my choice as it has solid insulated surrounds and no canvas, my feeling there was if there is canvas around me I might as well tent it and I am over tents. The Avan is low to the ground so if you go that way make sure you get the chassis ' Upgrade ' .
I too love photography and really prefer to use film but in these days it is a very expensive process so when on the road I use my digital SLR and store on my Lap Top and a copy on a portable hard drive. The only time I "Edit" a photo is to maybe add text and that is only ever done to a copy. I personally don't believe in ' Playing ' with an image. what I tell the camera to do is what I get, digital does help a little as you get an instant image to look at. As with my film camera I love to play with ' Bracketing ' . All this is my opinion only of of course as I know a lot of people have fun with editing images and in SOME cases maybe something to do.
One thing I strongly suggest is you check out the 12 Volt system of what ever you decide on and make sure the wiring is good heavy quality to reduce current loss as I and others I know have had to upgrade the 12 Volt system. I spent quite a bit of money early this year and did a major re-wire of the 12v system in the Avan and also wired up for portable Solar Panel, I also added extra 12v wiring and upgraded the battery to the Prado to be more helpful when the Avan is hooked up. All has worked beyond expectations.
All of the above is my opinion only but you will get heaps of help from other forum members. Most of all though, enjoy and,
My thinking would be that if I was going to be carrying expensive camera(s) and computer equipment I would want something that was secure. How about a small caravan say something around 12ft? The other side of that is related to where you want to travel. Bitumen or off road.
Hope it all comes together for you. My experience so far is that it is about compromises.
Cheers
Wayne
@Duh - Great links, but sadly all are way out of my price range :(
@vkportable - Thanks, some good advice in there, I shall restrict myself to a laptop and external monitor when I edit. The laptop will also be my communication tool for email, social media, blogging and (very) casual studies. More importantly it is my entertainment for when I want music :)
@Dougwe - I have film as well as digital cameras an I never (rarely?) look at digital images until some time after they were taken when I can perhaps be more objective about them, but all images, even those taken on a film camera will make their way onto my computers and undergo at least some processing before they see the light of day. Things have certainly changed in the photography world over the last few years and I think anyone would be hard pressed to find any images entered into major competitions that have not been edited in some way.
@Tassie Tiger - I imagine that it would be impossible for me to remain purely on bitumen roads. WA is a big place and the bitumen only covers a small part of it. Perhaps it's different in Tassie, which I hear is only about the size of a decently large station :) Even when I travel around here, I am on gravel or sand a good deal of the time so I doubt a small caravan would suit (or be in my price range).
I can see that if ever the Lotto goddesses smile upon me there will be no limit to the options available, however for me, I need to look within a different market. Gumtree seems to have an abundance of back packer type vans in the $3K to $7K range which it seems is where my horizons must be. These 'cheapie' vans seem to cost no more than what a half decent cheap trailer costs and I'm concerned about how easy it would be for one person to erect a trailer tent especially if tired or in the dark at the end of a long day.
Whatever you finish up with have fun! I promise you that after the first couple of weeks you'll wonder what you were worried about.
Hope this helps. Being broke is not a nice feeling after living the good life but in many ways much more rewarding.
Yeah, I lived the good life before but I'm certainly happier now and probably healthier too. But certainly far more broke :(
I'd be interested to see your Starwagon sometime I'm down on the coastal plain. Are newbie visitors welcome for a cuppa?
My first RV was an older model Mitsubishi Starwagon with heaps of kms on the clock. I removed all the passengers seats. It was the type with the sliding hatch on the roof so you could open it for ventilation and also to see the stars at night. All I had was a single mattress in the back towards the front with the space between the wheel arches used for clothes bags etc. Across the back I had three milk crates, one filled with food, one with eating and cooking utensils, and the other had a small gas bottle with a gas cooker attached to the top, just cleared the top of the crate.
With the tail gate up, I could stand at the back and do my cooking and was out of the weather if it rained. I took that van on my first trip around Oz which it did with ease, from the West to the East coast, north and south. The only thing that went wrong was my fuel filter needed water drained from it after picking up some contaminated fuel at Airplane (spelling) on the Stuart Highway in SA. No aircon, no fridge (everything in packets and cans) and I had a ball....... So you can start off cheaply in the right circumstances.....
Sounds good Colls, I didn't have a single bed in mine, just the mattress on the floor, but saw another bloke with a Hi Ace delivery van which he had a single bed in (spanned the wheel arch) bolted to the floor, so used under the bed for storage. He had replaced the wire on his with boards for better support. Worked well for him.
Yes the older models had the sliding electric roof hatch over the passenger area, also had a smoked Perspex type roof hatch over the drivers cab but no inside cover to keep the sun out when you didn't want it, so I covered that with aluminium cooking sheets to keep the sun from boiling my brain while driving, LOL !
I was unemployed when I did the around Oz trip, but managed it ok but was a bit younger then. Still an easy way to start off reasonably cheaply if you can find a good vehicle.
Colls and Gypsie Bob, you may be able to meet and compare notes at our WA get together.
Welcome GypsyBob
Just thought I'd put in my bit (for what it's worth). Like you I had limited funds to buy a home away from home, and I opted for a 4WD HiAce, which had not been fitted out as a camper. I designed the fit to suit ME, and my son helped me make the fitout. I thoroughly enjoy my digital SLR, laptop, tablet etc while travelling, and as for dust, well, the road home is dirt so live with it
. I can't afford to register, insure and maintain 2vehicles, so the 3L turbo diesel HiAce doubles as "normal" car when I'm home. Plus the added advantage that if I'm tired after a day of errands and shopping and I don't want to drive the 75km home, I don't have to
It's not a serious "off-road" vehicle, but it takes me a fair bit further than a 2WD van, and to be honest, I did the "serious" off-roading when I was younger and am white happy to be a little less intrepid now. With the fiamma awning there's enough room in here for me and my dogs and all the stuff I want to take, just need to be organised
.
Hope that a year from now you'll wonder why you ever stayed in those lonely hotels and let others dictate the speed of your road trips
In a nutshell - yes and no. Keep in mind if your in the outback, especially top-end WA and NT there is going to be a lot of very fine dust around. Computers and moreso monitors due to their mass, don't take kindly to ingress of dust. I've done a few monitors in this way. Also after a days exploring taking photos, do you really want to be setting up tables, computers and monitors?
I'm reading between the lines and guessing you have a permanent residence, so what might be best is to take a laptop with you, shoot in RAW mode and download the RAW images to the lappy and maybe a backup external drive as well, and then when you're home do your editing work then.
I just have a laptop with an external monitor - seems to be the best solution and works well for me. I do editing on-road, usually at a camp when it's raining or the weather is to miserable to go out searching. Like you I was considering taking a desktop, but it's extra space you're taking up, which could be used for more important items. I was going to take a desktop as well, but then decided having a desktop computer bouncing around in the vehicle probably wasn't going to do it much good
-----
I will only answer this part of your long question. With the right cables, you can use your television as a monitor, but I am no too sure of the requirements for this, but certainly something worth looking at.
It would be well over 10 years since I owned a television, maybe 15 years. Have they started showing worthwhile stuff on it yet?
Having said that, I do watch some shows but very rarely, I like Luther and Breaking Bad and of course Dr Who but I watch all of those online either on ABC iView or BBC iPlayer.
Since they turned off the analogue transmission here at Baffle Creek, I have only been able to receive SBS and occasionally 7. I keep checking the programs to see if there's anything I would spend $600 on a special reception setup for, but so far I haven't bothered
-- Edited by The dog lady on Sunday 11th of August 2013 08:59:40 PM