Hi, I'm at a loss, I've recently had someone tell me that doing the big lap cost them over $52000 in a 12 month trip, also someone saying it cost them $10000. I know it depends on your rig and other variables, like events you participate in. The question is, is there any one that can fill in what you can do it for without going overboard on every tourist outings ect,
My expectations maybe not realistic, so I'm trying to decipher if we can afford the experience, I personally wanted to basically see this country I was born in and meet others enjoying the latter years, it seems that now because there is a lot more baby boomers wanting the same experiences we are a target for the greedy, (councils, caravan parks, plus anything to do with a caravan) when my parents and relatives travelled around in caravans it was really affordable but now it seem that the dream is becoming more out of reach. What is your thought on this subject, I'm now deciding what to tackle when planing a trip and if it's really worth it.
regards Rob
Happywanderer said
09:47 PM Nov 30, 2015
I did the lap in 10 months and that was on my pension. That included two services. One in Broome and one in Pt Lincoln. I'm talking a single pension here, roughly $400 a week.
Baz421 said
10:02 PM Nov 30, 2015
When on the road full time we budgeted $500PW but now we are more likely to spend $600.
MAJOR recurrent costs are generally, diesel, food and accommodation.
You can minimise travel distances and save on diesel and free camp = maximum savings.
OR travel longer and free camp. Saves on accommodation.
OR travel lesser distances and stay in CP. Saves on diesel.
Max cost IMHO is long travel and CP fees.
Please note this flexible approach/plan allows you to eat OK each week (the fixed cost bit eh).
I hope you get my drift Rob.
villatranquilla said
10:25 PM Nov 30, 2015
this year from Lakes Entrance to Albany, up the west coast, across to Darwin then to Charters Towers to Townsville to Aramac to Isisford to Blackall to Roma then through central NSW to Lakes Entrance 8 mths and $5000 for fuel - only about 21 nights in caravan parks
Cupie said
12:25 AM Dec 1, 2015
In my budgeting for major touring trips I estimate my major expenses thus -
Firstly I plan the trip with location of each stop, based in part on how far I want to travel each day & what my minimum stop over is eg. two nights min but 3 preferred & weekly at significant spots.
Of course this will vary greatly from person to person & the amount of time that you have for the trip. The above is indicative of what suits us when touring.
Fuel ...
Km to travel from maps & trip planner on line tools. Add at least 30% for side trips & calculation errors.
Fuel consumption L per 100 km. Always over estimate but base on your (honest) measured fuel consumption. Not the fanciful stuff that people bandy about at happy hour gatherings. Use your worst consumption & add a bit, say +10% perhaps
Price per litre. Use tools like motormouth to get approx price at the more remote spots & add a bit. Again circa +10%.
Accommodation
Decide where you are going to stay ... CPs or bush camping?
If CPs you may well have to book ahead so you should have a good idea of where you are going to need a CP. Easy then to get the nightly/weekly rate from their web sites.
If you want a rough estimate maybe decide of what proportion you want to CP v Free camp & go from there. Too rough for final costings ... Except that we do 100% CP, so its ok for our first rough estimate.
Tourist stuff
In our planning we identify most of the local touristy things at the major stopovers & ascertain the costs
In addition we give an allowance for extras ... $x per week.
General living expenses
We allow the same general living expenses as for at home. This includes all the normal food/ phone/ Internet/ Rates /Water /Power etc. So all the Fuel, Accommodation & Tourist expenses are on top of our normal living costs.
Don't forget to allow for any servicing. I try to do any major servicing before leaving home & only leave oil changes by myself when on the road.
If I wanted to do a 'first cut' 'feasibility' 'ball park', 'round the block' trip I would work on 25,000km @ 20L/100k & $2.20/L, plus $35/night for as many days as I will be on the road. This is for 'Touring' not for just to taking my time and dawdling round the block. Please don't take issue with my off the top of the head figures.
As we have done around 200,000KM touring in the past, we rarely do these types of trips these days as we prefer to go to a specific destination(s) & stay put at each for a few weeks. Both we and the rig are getting a bit past Touring long distances.
Edit ... PS Woolgoolga is one of those 'specific destinations' that we enjoy.
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 1st of December 2015 12:34:54 AM
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 1st of December 2015 12:35:42 AM
Roving-Dutchy said
02:24 PM Dec 1, 2015
Hi Cupie
Would have to agree with you about Woolgoolga it's a beautiful place to stay, which is your park of choice?
Cheers
David
gwb said
02:40 PM Dec 1, 2015
Last year we did a bit of a trip around and travelled 28,837 kms. We were away 30 weeks and spent a total of $24,558.56. We did not spare ourselves anything and did everything we wanted to do. That was our total expenditure including 2 vehicle services, everything that we spent while we were away. This could be easily pared back a bit by free camping, less eating and partying, and even less sightseeing if you are on a strict budget. When we do a similar trip next year it won't cost as much as we will have seen the major touristy bits and we are looking forward to seeing more of the back blocks.
Geoff and Bev
PeterD said
05:48 PM Dec 1, 2015
gwb wrote:
Last year we did a bit of a trip around and travelled 28,837 kms. We were away 30 weeks and spent a total of $24,558.56. We did not spare ourselves anything and did everything we wanted to do.
You have given us the total spending. Now subtract what you would have spent at home if you had not gone away. That is the real cost of your trip. Can you please supply us with the real cost figures.
With our annual schedule we have most of the registrations and insurances falling due in October through to December. Health insurances are due in March. We do most of our other clothing and large purchases whilst at home. Our average bank balances swing over about a $3,000 range. Unscheduled vehicle expenses and some trips whilst away come from our account based pensions. What that means is that we are able to travel without having to make special allowances for travel finance whilst we are away. It does not seem to matter whether we are at home or on the road, we manage to spend all our income as it comes in, it's just that our lifestyle changes a bit whilst we are away. We do a lot of running around whilst at home that we don't do whilst on the road. That goes a long way towards enroute fuel costs whilst on the road. Other things we do at home go a long way towards paying the park fees whilst on the road.
Start now to get your spending down and watch your savings grow and then it will provide you with that the little bit of extra money needed to travel. If you can average things out like we do then it does not cost much to be on the road.
Desert Dweller said
06:34 PM Dec 1, 2015
Do lots of bush camping & stay away from towns as much as possible on your way around. We get a pleasant surprise when we eventually use a teller machine in a town to get money for fuel & groceries. The balance is always much higher than we were expecting. Nothing to waste money on out in the middle of nowhere.
Cupie said
06:52 PM Dec 1, 2015
Roving-Dutchy wrote:
Hi Cupie Would have to agree with you about Woolgoolga it's a beautiful place to stay, which is your park of choice? Cheers David
SWMBO prefers a beach side site (3/4/8 or 9) in the CP across the road from the shopping center (Woolgoolga Beach?). I prefer the CP just up the road near the creek entrance (Lakeside?).
Her preference is based on proximity of the shops & mine on ease of access to the estuary for my kayaks & a short beach stroll to the shops. Having said that the one that I prefer is getting more crowded since they did it up.
In any case it is a great & relatively quiet place to chill out.
Ger08 said
07:58 PM Dec 1, 2015
Just wanted to say what a great series posts in this thread. I've really learnt quite a lot from it. A big thanks to all who posted.
gwb said
03:23 PM Dec 2, 2015
Hi Peter D,
Our cost breakdown whilst travelling was Fuel $6248.62 Accom $7705.64 Other $10604.30. To be honest we would not have a clue what we would have spent if we were at home as the only actual expense would have been $500 for the half yearly Body Corp but as for other outings shows fuel etc we do not know as we were away. Our major expenses all fall November, December and January with all of our regos, insurances etc falling then.
Geoff and Bev
pawsoz said
08:47 PM Dec 2, 2015
The thing is Rob it is such an individual thing, I prefer to freedom camp so my camping fees are usually very low, I don't feel I have to do the tourist 'thing' everywhere I go, if I like a place I may stay for an extended period, if I land a casual job I'll stay until the job ends! So the lap will cost different to everyone who does it really.
Aus-Kiwi said
09:36 PM Dec 2, 2015
Food for us is about the same at home ..our fridge and freezers work fine .. We buy from supermarkets or wholesale outlets and cook whenever usually one cooked meal a day with a few leftover for lunch depending what it is ?
Fuel is about the extra expense .. I service RV myself .. Only oil change is required as I have fuel filters serviced before leaving..
I haven't done the full lap yet . Traveled from Penirith to Way the other side of Brisbane all back down the coast to Adelaide ..
Free camping pretty much the whole way.. We are preparing the loop end of January ..
The big part is taking our time ..slowing down.. It's not a race, even against time .. I hope..
Enjoying the scenery etc.. Fuel would be approx $300 a week .. Which depends big time distance travelled..
8m 6 ton A class RV .. The newer lighter turbo 4 cylinder would be cheaper fuel wise..
WoolgoolgaRob said
10:57 PM Dec 2, 2015
Thanks for all for your experience, it appears it's still a viable option,in saying that we still would have to be street wise gathering information on where to fuel up, where to purchase your groceries, where to fill your water tanks ect.
The other thing to consider is where you can free camp safely, I recently heard where a couple around their seventies where robed at coonamble nsw, apparently some fellow hopped into their rear seat of the vehicle with a sawn off firearm and demanded money from them, given that news I think you would be wise to camp with other travellers, we older folks are know as a soft target.
With all this info I myself still want to see our country, I feel the wiser after hearing from all your input and wish to thank you all, and yes Woolgoolga is my peice of heven, but keep it quite wouldn't want it to change, Merry Christmas to all.
Rob
-- Edited by WoolgoolgaRob on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 10:59:21 PM
-- Edited by WoolgoolgaRob on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:05:55 PM
Tomcat said
11:01 PM Dec 2, 2015
Hello Rob My wife and I have done the big one in 6 months and did 26000km at 14ltr per 100km we did it on about $1000 a week plus we had money put aside for tours like the bungles and horizontal falls which are expensive. We have a range of 1000kms with 2 fuel tanks which allowed us to fill up in the bigger towns where the fuel is cheaper some of the smaller towns prices are over the top because they have you over a barrel. Also we bought food in bigger towns. but free camped as much as possible using wiki camps and other travellers recommendations. We didn't skimp we enjoyed the trip and bought what we wanted so i guess we spent about $30000. There was 2 services for the Prado one in Rockingham and one in Longreach. Plus a set of tyres they just happened to need changing then. The lap can be anything you make it as we left Melbourne and went clockwise and by the time we left Kununarra we had already seen Darwin on previous trips so we skipped it and saw the Heartbreak Hotel instead of turning at 3 ways. but did go out of our way to see Lawn Hill. We can't wait to go again also get a two way radio to communicate with others you will be surprised how friendly people are outback. I don't even turn it on in Melbourne. Tom : )
-- Edited by Tomcat on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:08:39 PM
-- Edited by Tomcat on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:09:36 PM
-- Edited by Tomcat on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:12:53 PM
Red Nomad OZ said
05:47 PM Dec 5, 2015
I've travelled all around Australia, but never done a 'Big Lap'! Breaking up the trip into parts might be an option if you're concerned about the amount of $$$ needed to do the whole trip.
A couple of years ago we travelled from Adelaide up the Centre to Katherine, across to Broome, then down the west coast with a couple of trips inland to Karijini and wildflower country, then down via Kalgoorlie across the Nullarbor and Eyre Peninsula back to Adelaide over 86 nights. We tend to base ourselves in a place for a few days and explore the surrounding areas with day trips, so we clocked up about 16,000 km. We hadn't travelled in WA before, so we stayed in caravan parks and campgrounds because free camping wasn't allowed within 50 km of a town - a more expensive option, but we didn't want a 100km+ round trip to explore the areas around towns.
We averaged around $35 per day on fuel, and $32 per night on site fees (16000 km and 86 nights) using a Subaru Outback towing a 1983 Jayco Dove Camper Trailer.
I didn't count the food cost because we have to eat whether we're travelling or not - although having your own accommodation means you can save on food costs by preparing your own food instead of eating out a lot. There are a lot of low- or no-cost things to do if you like natural attractions, exploring by walking, local activities like fishing, swimming, town heritage walks, botanic gardens, museums, wildflowers etc, and relaxing. Our main travel focus is sightseeing, so this approach suited us very well.
Our camper trailer is smaller and older, but this also means it's lighter so lower fuel costs. We didn't stock up at big towns as the extra weight would have possibly negated the savings we made on fuel. Buying local (depending on where you are) can be cheaper in areas where fresh produce is available, and we simplified our eating habits - for example, a common evening meal was patties with salad.
Although neither of us can go past a great country bakery :D
Barryh said
02:57 PM Jan 5, 2016
Many thanks to all that have posted with regard to this question. It is a BIG help. We take delivery of our new van next week and are complete novices but our intention is to get accustomed to towing and travelling locally over the next few months with the aim of setting of to do a BIG LAP in as much time as we need as soon as possible. Like most our aim will be to free camp as much as possible but was a bit concerned about the (overall) costs although it is not hard to calculate diesel costs ( erring on the generous side of 20L per 100 kms ). With our income whilst travelling of $950 per week I felt that this would be enough for our needs ( cash in bank as back up ) and I feel from reading other members experiences this should be an adequate sum. Thanks again everyone who posted.
Rig to be .... 2015 Mitsubishi Challenger and 2015 New Age Manta Ray
Hi, I'm at a loss, I've recently had someone tell me that doing the big lap cost them over $52000 in a 12 month trip, also someone saying it cost them $10000. I know it depends on your rig and other variables, like events you participate in. The question is, is there any one that can fill in what you can do it for without going overboard on every tourist outings ect,
My expectations maybe not realistic, so I'm trying to decipher if we can afford the experience, I personally wanted to basically see this country I was born in and meet others enjoying the latter years, it seems that now because there is a lot more baby boomers wanting the same experiences we are a target for the greedy, (councils, caravan parks, plus anything to do with a caravan) when my parents and relatives travelled around in caravans it was really affordable but now it seem that the dream is becoming more out of reach. What is your thought on this subject, I'm now deciding what to tackle when planing a trip and if it's really worth it.
regards Rob
I'm talking a single pension here, roughly $400 a week.
When on the road full time we budgeted $500PW but now we are more likely to spend $600.
MAJOR recurrent costs are generally, diesel, food and accommodation.
You can minimise travel distances and save on diesel and free camp = maximum savings.
OR travel longer and free camp. Saves on accommodation.
OR travel lesser distances and stay in CP. Saves on diesel.
Max cost IMHO is long travel and CP fees.
Please note this flexible approach/plan allows you to eat OK each week (the fixed cost bit eh).
I hope you get my drift Rob.
In my budgeting for major touring trips I estimate my major expenses thus -
Firstly I plan the trip with location of each stop, based in part on how far I want to travel each day & what my minimum stop over is eg. two nights min but 3 preferred & weekly at significant spots.
Of course this will vary greatly from person to person & the amount of time that you have for the trip. The above is indicative of what suits us when touring.
Fuel ...
Km to travel from maps & trip planner on line tools. Add at least 30% for side trips & calculation errors.
Fuel consumption L per 100 km. Always over estimate but base on your (honest) measured fuel consumption. Not the fanciful stuff that people bandy about at happy hour gatherings. Use your worst consumption & add a bit, say +10% perhaps
Price per litre. Use tools like motormouth to get approx price at the more remote spots & add a bit. Again circa +10%.
Accommodation
Decide where you are going to stay ... CPs or bush camping?
If CPs you may well have to book ahead so you should have a good idea of where you are going to need a CP. Easy then to get the nightly/weekly rate from their web sites.
If you want a rough estimate maybe decide of what proportion you want to CP v Free camp & go from there. Too rough for final costings ... Except that we do 100% CP, so its ok for our first rough estimate.
Tourist stuff
In our planning we identify most of the local touristy things at the major stopovers & ascertain the costs
In addition we give an allowance for extras ... $x per week.
General living expenses
We allow the same general living expenses as for at home. This includes all the normal food/ phone/ Internet/ Rates /Water /Power etc. So all the Fuel, Accommodation & Tourist expenses are on top of our normal living costs.
Don't forget to allow for any servicing. I try to do any major servicing before leaving home & only leave oil changes by myself when on the road.
If I wanted to do a 'first cut' 'feasibility' 'ball park', 'round the block' trip I would work on 25,000km @ 20L/100k & $2.20/L, plus $35/night for as many days as I will be on the road. This is for 'Touring' not for just to taking my time and dawdling round the block. Please don't take issue with my off the top of the head figures.
As we have done around 200,000KM touring in the past, we rarely do these types of trips these days as we prefer to go to a specific destination(s) & stay put at each for a few weeks. Both we and the rig are getting a bit past Touring long distances.
Edit ... PS Woolgoolga is one of those 'specific destinations' that we enjoy.
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 1st of December 2015 12:34:54 AM
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 1st of December 2015 12:35:42 AM
Would have to agree with you about Woolgoolga it's a beautiful place to stay, which is your park of choice?
Cheers
David
Geoff and Bev
You have given us the total spending. Now subtract what you would have spent at home if you had not gone away. That is the real cost of your trip. Can you please supply us with the real cost figures.
With our annual schedule we have most of the registrations and insurances falling due in October through to December. Health insurances are due in March. We do most of our other clothing and large purchases whilst at home. Our average bank balances swing over about a $3,000 range. Unscheduled vehicle expenses and some trips whilst away come from our account based pensions. What that means is that we are able to travel without having to make special allowances for travel finance whilst we are away. It does not seem to matter whether we are at home or on the road, we manage to spend all our income as it comes in, it's just that our lifestyle changes a bit whilst we are away. We do a lot of running around whilst at home that we don't do whilst on the road. That goes a long way towards enroute fuel costs whilst on the road. Other things we do at home go a long way towards paying the park fees whilst on the road.
Start now to get your spending down and watch your savings grow and then it will provide you with that the little bit of extra money needed to travel. If you can average things out like we do then it does not cost much to be on the road.
Do lots of bush camping & stay away from towns as much as possible on your way around. We get a pleasant surprise when we eventually use a teller machine in a town to get money for fuel & groceries. The balance is always much higher than we were expecting. Nothing to waste money on out in the middle of nowhere.
SWMBO prefers a beach side site (3/4/8 or 9) in the CP across the road from the shopping center (Woolgoolga Beach?). I prefer the CP just up the road near the creek entrance (Lakeside?).
Her preference is based on proximity of the shops & mine on ease of access to the estuary for my kayaks & a short beach stroll to the shops. Having said that the one that I prefer is getting more crowded since they did it up.
In any case it is a great & relatively quiet place to chill out.
Our cost breakdown whilst travelling was Fuel $6248.62 Accom $7705.64 Other $10604.30. To be honest we would not have a clue what we would have spent if we were at home as the only actual expense would have been $500 for the half yearly Body Corp but as for other outings shows fuel etc we do not know as we were away. Our major expenses all fall November, December and January with all of our regos, insurances etc falling then.
Geoff and Bev
Fuel is about the extra expense .. I service RV myself .. Only oil change is required as I have fuel filters serviced before leaving..
I haven't done the full lap yet . Traveled from Penirith to Way the other side of Brisbane all back down the coast to Adelaide ..
Free camping pretty much the whole way.. We are preparing the loop end of January ..
The big part is taking our time ..slowing down.. It's not a race, even against time .. I hope..
Enjoying the scenery etc.. Fuel would be approx $300 a week .. Which depends big time distance travelled..
8m 6 ton A class RV .. The newer lighter turbo 4 cylinder would be cheaper fuel wise..
Thanks for all for your experience, it appears it's still a viable option,in saying that we still would have to be street wise gathering information on where to fuel up, where to purchase your groceries, where to fill your water tanks ect.
The other thing to consider is where you can free camp safely, I recently heard where a couple around their seventies where robed at coonamble nsw, apparently some fellow hopped into their rear seat of the vehicle with a sawn off firearm and demanded money from them, given that news I think you would be wise to camp with other travellers, we older folks are know as a soft target.
With all this info I myself still want to see our country, I feel the wiser after hearing from all your input and wish to thank you all, and yes Woolgoolga is my peice of heven, but keep it quite wouldn't want it to change, Merry Christmas to all.
Rob
-- Edited by WoolgoolgaRob on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 10:59:21 PM
-- Edited by WoolgoolgaRob on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:05:55 PM
Hello Rob My wife and I have done the big one in 6 months and did 26000km at 14ltr per 100km we did it on about $1000 a week plus we had money put aside for tours like the bungles and horizontal falls which are expensive. We have a range of 1000kms with 2 fuel tanks which allowed us to fill up in the bigger towns where the fuel is cheaper some of the smaller towns prices are over the top because they have you over a barrel. Also we bought food in bigger towns. but free camped as much as possible using wiki camps and other travellers recommendations. We didn't skimp we enjoyed the trip and bought what we wanted so i guess we spent about $30000. There was 2 services for the Prado one in Rockingham and one in Longreach. Plus a set of tyres they just happened to need changing then. The lap can be anything you make it as we left Melbourne and went clockwise and by the time we left Kununarra we had already seen Darwin on previous trips so we skipped it and saw the Heartbreak Hotel instead of turning at 3 ways. but did go out of our way to see Lawn Hill. We can't wait to go again also get a two way radio to communicate with others you will be surprised how friendly people are outback. I don't even turn it on in Melbourne. Tom : )
-- Edited by Tomcat on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:08:39 PM
-- Edited by Tomcat on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:09:36 PM
-- Edited by Tomcat on Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 11:12:53 PM
A couple of years ago we travelled from Adelaide up the Centre to Katherine, across to Broome, then down the west coast with a couple of trips inland to Karijini and wildflower country, then down via Kalgoorlie across the Nullarbor and Eyre Peninsula back to Adelaide over 86 nights. We tend to base ourselves in a place for a few days and explore the surrounding areas with day trips, so we clocked up about 16,000 km. We hadn't travelled in WA before, so we stayed in caravan parks and campgrounds because free camping wasn't allowed within 50 km of a town - a more expensive option, but we didn't want a 100km+ round trip to explore the areas around towns.
We averaged around $35 per day on fuel, and $32 per night on site fees (16000 km and 86 nights) using a Subaru Outback towing a 1983 Jayco Dove Camper Trailer.
I didn't count the food cost because we have to eat whether we're travelling or not - although having your own accommodation means you can save on food costs by preparing your own food instead of eating out a lot. There are a lot of low- or no-cost things to do if you like natural attractions, exploring by walking, local activities like fishing, swimming, town heritage walks, botanic gardens, museums, wildflowers etc, and relaxing. Our main travel focus is sightseeing, so this approach suited us very well.
Our camper trailer is smaller and older, but this also means it's lighter so lower fuel costs. We didn't stock up at big towns as the extra weight would have possibly negated the savings we made on fuel. Buying local (depending on where you are) can be cheaper in areas where fresh produce is available, and we simplified our eating habits - for example, a common evening meal was patties with salad.
Although neither of us can go past a great country bakery :D
Many thanks to all that have posted with regard to this question. It is a BIG help. We take delivery of our new van next week and are complete novices but our intention is to get accustomed to towing and travelling locally over the next few months with the aim of setting of to do a BIG LAP in as much time as we need as soon as possible. Like most our aim will be to free camp as much as possible but was a bit concerned about the (overall) costs although it is not hard to calculate diesel costs ( erring on the generous side of 20L per 100 kms ). With our income whilst travelling of $950 per week I felt that this would be enough for our needs ( cash in bank as back up ) and I feel from reading other members experiences this should be an adequate sum. Thanks again everyone who posted.
Rig to be .... 2015 Mitsubishi Challenger and 2015 New Age Manta Ray