Hi all,

haven't done any caravanning for over 20 years, so it's like starting from new!

We bought the van first, 2nd hand 4 years old but in excellent condition, a credit to the previous owner.

Jayco Sterling 21.65-4, tare 2375, ATM 2850

Car, Ford Everest Trend, bought new 2 weeks ago, max towing 3000, kerb weight 2407, GVM 3100. GCM 5800.

Getting ready for our first weekend away probably 18th - 20th June.

We think it best to not go too far, no more than an hour or two from home.

Happy travels. Looks like you scored a pretty good deal all round!

Thanks, everyone!

Grahos, the Everest is essentially a Ranger with a SUV body, plus a whole lot of extra frills.
We are loving it, even without having towed yet!
We are hoping to have our first trip away this weekend, but the weather here in FNQ has turned a bit iffy.
Not that that will dampen our enthusiasm, but I don't relish fumbling around in the pouring rain!
And I'm sure there will be a lot of fumbling, lol!!!         

Okay, time for an update.

We have had the rig for several months now, and have done numerous short local trips for 2, 3, or 4 nights at a time, mostly up to the Atherton tablelands region.

Not done any free camping yet.

Firstly, the van tows like a dream! Rock-steady at up to 90/95km/hr on the highway, even without stabiliser bars. The Ford Everest Trend does have active sway control, but I don't think it has kicked in yet. I also invested in a rear view camera system. Highly recommended!

The Everest itself is a superb towing vehicle. I am averaging about 9.5L/100k unhitched, and around 13L/100k towing.

We live just south of Cairns city, and have done numerous trips to the Atherton tablelands via the Gillies range road. If anyone knows this road, it is about 25 minutes worth of hairy tight twists and turns and climbing from just above sea level to up around 900metres. The car and van perform seemingly effortlessly.

On our very first trip, I got a warning light saying the Adblue system was low. This, as it turns out, is a common fault which Ford have now addressed with a firmware update, which they applied at the 1st service.

But then, at just 7,500 kms, the warning light came on again. Ford service had advised me the Adblue tank holds 18 litres and should last 12-18,000 kms. Strange, I thought. Anyway, I bought a 10L drum from Supercheap, $34, and poured it in. Warning light did not go out. I took it in to Ford service centre who advised me to fill it to the brim. I did this at the servo as I found out they had an Adblue bowser, at just $1.07/L. Still the warning light remained on. Back to Ford and they said it must be a sticky sensor, and to book it in to be replaced. This was just before Christmas, so I decided to wait until the New Year. Several days later, the warning light went out all by itself! Hmmm, I guess the sensor will still need replacing at some point. If it has stuck once, it is liable to stick again.

Anyway, this raises the point of high Adblue consumption. Two thoughts come to mind. Either the tank was not full when I picked the car up new, or towing sucks more Adblue. A little from column A, a little from column B perhaps?

Other than that, the Everest is a beaut! Highly recommended!

The wet season seems to have started up here, so we might not get out so much for the next couple of months.
Looking forward to when we do though. We might venture a bit further afield this year!

Apparently AddBlue wont keep in storage once the container is open (air contamination) I'm no expert just what I'm reading

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Should I keep some extra AdBlue in my boot?

While at first it might seem sensible to keep a few extra litres of AdBlue in the boot, this isnt something we recommend, as any spills or leaks are likely to damage your cars interior. Do also note that you cant keep a half-empty container of AdBlue in your garage if you have some left over after topping up, as airborne contaminants can affect the chemical composition of AdBlue.