NEW to Grey Nomads and the learning curve has started. Seeking advice on front or rear wheel drive motor homes
Ozmarkymark said
07:59 AM Jul 13, 2016
Hi everyone. I am new to the Grey Nomads and starting to gather information, look at rigs both new and old and start to plan my big adventure to travel our sun burnt country extensively.
I am not planning to leave the tar very often and if I do it will be on graded dirt. As it will primarily be me travelling alone I am looking at a smaller rig that sleeps 2 people & is around 21/22 mtrs in length.
To date I have been searching the internet for rigs plus have visited 2 motor home dealers looking at pre-loved rigs. The first confusion has arisen already and that is relating to front or rear wheel drive rigs. I understand that rear wheel drive rigs generally have 4 wheels at the back which supposedly helps with stability.
Any input with regard to opinions on which drive units are preferred and why they are preferred would be greatly appreciated.
The second question is in regard to motors and chassis. i.e. Iveco, Fiat, Mercedes, VW, Ford etc
When travelling does it make a great deal of difference for access to parts and repairs. If yes then which would be better as the choice seems to be quite vast.
I look forward to guidance and opinions.
Regards
Mark
Dougwe said
10:42 AM Jul 13, 2016
Welcom to the gang Mark, enjoy here and out in the playground.
Now, I am a little confused and that's not hard for me. You say a "small" rig and also say "21-22mts" is that mts or feet? I have a caravan that from tow hitch to spare wheel on back is 8mts. That makes a big rig you are talking about? I am also guessing you want a motorhome?
Not having a motorhome I will not confuse you with possible faulse info.
Keep Safe on the roads.
Woody n Sue said
06:44 PM Jul 13, 2016
And it's welcome from us two 2 Ozmarkymark
I also am not into motor homes so have no opinion on which would be the best way to go however if I may, I suggest you would be much better off reposting your question in the general or techie forum as there will be a much larger audience to offer their opinion on said matter
Woody
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:23 AM Jul 15, 2016
Iveco, Fiat, Mercedes, VW, Ford are all well regarded as motorhomes.
Personally, I would never choose a front wheel drive because I have seen too many "bogged" on damp grass. With lots of weight on the rear axle and less on the front, traction can be a problem. That eliminates Fiat, for me.
Another aspect of the Fiat is that except for the vans, the chassis behind the cab is not built by Fiat, but by a third party. That makes them popular with motorhome builders, but many of them are so light that towing capacity is severely reduced.
The next main issue is that of length.
The maximum length for normal street parking is 6m. Over 7m the cost of shipping to Tasmania increases sharply and flexibility and manoeuvrability reduce.
Cheers,
Peter (whose OKA is 6m including spare wheels, has shower and toilet and N-S bed over cab)
Ozmarkymark said
11:00 AM Jul 15, 2016
Sorry, I meant 21 - 22 ft. I have been looking at a number of rigs and it is all very confusing. I understand now that rear wheel drive rigs are better if you wish to tow and they also have better traction although both front and rear wheel drive seem to have attributes depending on the needs of the buyer.
I have been looking at the AutoTrail units and they seem to be far more logically thought out in order to meet my needs. I am not thinking of starting my adventures until early Feb 2017 but will most likely get a rig this side of Christmas so I can set up and go on some smaller adventures to familiarize myself with the rig and get used to driving something so large.
I also found some previous posts on in the general forum which have been very helpful.
Thanks
Peter_n_Margaret said
12:45 PM Jul 15, 2016
It may also be useful to hire a couple of different types for short trips.
It is rare for people to buy their first motorhome and then find it perfect for their requirements. Most seem to need to own a couple before understanding what suits them.
That is usually a good reason to choose second hand and lower cost in the first instance. Let someone else de-bug them and take the hit of the big depreciation.
Cheers,
Peter
Ozmarkymark said
01:34 PM Jul 15, 2016
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
It may also be useful to hire a couple of different types for short trips.
It is rare for people to buy their first motorhome and then find it perfect for their requirements. Most seem to need to own a couple before understanding what suits them.
That is usually a good reason to choose second hand and lower cost in the first instance. Let someone else de-bug them and take the hit of the big depreciation.
Cheers,
Peter
Thanks for that advice Peter, I travelled extensively around Europe in a campervan some years back and have done an Uluru road & camping trip a couple of years back so I am not totally green to this. I am however new to the Grey Nomads.
I have been watching a number of second hand sales sites and am finding that quality units seem to hold their price when it comes to selling. In fact all of the rigs that appear to be kept in good condition are commanding hefty prices & seem to be wearing very little price depreciation. I most likely will buy a second hand unit for the exact reason you mentioned , take the bugs out, plus all the extras are already part of the rig rather than additions.
I did look into the cost of taking a rig over to Tasmania and spoke to their sales office. They quoted $109 to take a 7 mtr rig across and $99 for a 6 mtr rig so not a great deal of difference. They did say that their main price increases come due to seasonality.
I also checked on the size of a vehicle and weight for parking on the street and the restrictions only apply to vehicles over 7.5mtr in length or gross weight greater than 3.5 tonne. At this point in time I have only checked for NSW and Victoria but will check the other states before I take the leap and purchase a rig. Thank you for bringing this to my attention as it was something I had not considered. Thankfully the rig that I buy, when I find it, will not be that long or heavy.
Cheers
Mark
Ozmarkymark said
06:05 AM Jul 28, 2016
So much change in a short period of time. I started considering a motor home for my planned travels. The disadvantages outweighed the advantages for my personal needs so I started to look at small 5th wheelers. Finally I have settled on a small off road pop top van.
I am pleased to announce that I have secured the purchase of a 14 ft Goldstream Explorer with independent suspension (full off road pack). Now I move forward to plan my big adventures.
Thanks everyone for your help and advice regarding motor homes.
Hi everyone. I am new to the Grey Nomads and starting to gather information, look at rigs both new and old and start to plan my big adventure to travel our sun burnt country extensively.
I am not planning to leave the tar very often and if I do it will be on graded dirt. As it will primarily be me travelling alone I am looking at a smaller rig that sleeps 2 people & is around 21/22 mtrs in length.
To date I have been searching the internet for rigs plus have visited 2 motor home dealers looking at pre-loved rigs. The first confusion has arisen already and that is relating to front or rear wheel drive rigs. I understand that rear wheel drive rigs generally have 4 wheels at the back which supposedly helps with stability.
Any input with regard to opinions on which drive units are preferred and why they are preferred would be greatly appreciated.
The second question is in regard to motors and chassis. i.e. Iveco, Fiat, Mercedes, VW, Ford etc
When travelling does it make a great deal of difference for access to parts and repairs. If yes then which would be better as the choice seems to be quite vast.
I look forward to guidance and opinions.
Regards
Mark
Now, I am a little confused and that's not hard for me. You say a "small" rig and also say "21-22mts" is that mts or feet? I have a caravan that from tow hitch to spare wheel on back is 8mts. That makes a big rig you are talking about? I am also guessing you want a motorhome?
Not having a motorhome I will not confuse you with possible faulse info.
Keep Safe on the roads.
I also am not into motor homes so have no opinion on which would be the best way to go however if I may, I suggest you would be much better off reposting your question in the general or techie forum as there will be a much larger audience to offer their opinion on said matter
Woody
Personally, I would never choose a front wheel drive because I have seen too many "bogged" on damp grass. With lots of weight on the rear axle and less on the front, traction can be a problem. That eliminates Fiat, for me.
Another aspect of the Fiat is that except for the vans, the chassis behind the cab is not built by Fiat, but by a third party. That makes them popular with motorhome builders, but many of them are so light that towing capacity is severely reduced.
The next main issue is that of length.
The maximum length for normal street parking is 6m. Over 7m the cost of shipping to Tasmania increases sharply and flexibility and manoeuvrability reduce.
Cheers,
Peter (whose OKA is 6m including spare wheels, has shower and toilet and N-S bed over cab)
I have been looking at the AutoTrail units and they seem to be far more logically thought out in order to meet my needs. I am not thinking of starting my adventures until early Feb 2017 but will most likely get a rig this side of Christmas so I can set up and go on some smaller adventures to familiarize myself with the rig and get used to driving something so large.
I also found some previous posts on in the general forum which have been very helpful.
Thanks
It is rare for people to buy their first motorhome and then find it perfect for their requirements. Most seem to need to own a couple before understanding what suits them.
That is usually a good reason to choose second hand and lower cost in the first instance. Let someone else de-bug them and take the hit of the big depreciation.
Cheers,
Peter
Thanks for that advice Peter, I travelled extensively around Europe in a campervan some years back and have done an Uluru road & camping trip a couple of years back so I am not totally green to this. I am however new to the Grey Nomads.
I have been watching a number of second hand sales sites and am finding that quality units seem to hold their price when it comes to selling. In fact all of the rigs that appear to be kept in good condition are commanding hefty prices & seem to be wearing very little price depreciation. I most likely will buy a second hand unit for the exact reason you mentioned , take the bugs out, plus all the extras are already part of the rig rather than additions.
I did look into the cost of taking a rig over to Tasmania and spoke to their sales office. They quoted $109 to take a 7 mtr rig across and $99 for a 6 mtr rig so not a great deal of difference. They did say that their main price increases come due to seasonality.
I also checked on the size of a vehicle and weight for parking on the street and the restrictions only apply to vehicles over 7.5mtr in length or gross weight greater than 3.5 tonne. At this point in time I have only checked for NSW and Victoria but will check the other states before I take the leap and purchase a rig. Thank you for bringing this to my attention as it was something I had not considered. Thankfully the rig that I buy, when I find it, will not be that long or heavy.
Cheers
Mark
I am pleased to announce that I have secured the purchase of a 14 ft Goldstream Explorer with independent suspension (full off road pack). Now I move forward to plan my big adventures.
Thanks everyone for your help and advice regarding motor homes.
I can not wait to start exploring.