Hi girls and guys, I am a newone and still doing my research. Drives me nuts how much you can find on the net and as more I look as more I get confused!
I have had a little peek at the CMCA Christmas in July rally in Mareeba last Sunday with 100's of Motorhomes. They were a lot and all of them very nice (and I guess expensive) but to me most looked like more than "Camping" Homes which means you only would use them a few months a year. I have been in a few and "you hardly can swing a cat" in some of these! I know you spend I guess 80% outside but still you have to live and enjoy the space inside.
I am looking more at something you can use continuesly for years as I have to sell up my home base (small unit) so I can afford a "Motorhome".
I am looking something like a Toyota Coaster professional conversation in to a Motorhome. Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers Joker
-- Edited by Joker on Wednesday 3rd of August 2016 08:18:57 AM
El Gringo said
10:44 PM Aug 2, 2016
If you are looking for room to move I would suggest you look at something wider than a coaster.
For the perception of room you need as wide as you can get.
My wife and I live in ours permanently and have a big bus, but we want room for our grandkids to visit from time to time as well.
There are a few places that specialize in converting the later model Hino type buses which i would think might suit you better,
of course budget is always the limiting factor.
Have a look on Facebook, there are a couple of excellent motorhome sites (Australian) which you would get some good info from as well.
Cheers,
Bruce and Bev said
11:18 PM Aug 2, 2016
Hi Stefan. I suggest you ask a few people who permanently live and travel in motor homes. I suggest "Jules" is a good one to ask, as she will be very helpful to you - perhaps if you PM her. She and her partner have nomaded in m/homes separately and together for a few years now and what they don't know is probably not worth knowing.
Aus-Kiwi said
06:00 AM Aug 3, 2016
What licence do you have. ?
iana said
06:26 AM Aug 3, 2016
I think major influences in the decision process is 1/ are you a solo traveler, in which case everything is much simpler and what you need as mobile lodgings is or can be much smaller, and 2/ what style of traveling you intend to do.
For instance if you are to do the circuit as quick as possible, while looking at everything you can, you're off at sparrow fart the next morning to get to the next town asp, then a small Motor home is the go.
I looked at motor homes and found the same, cramped, the only comfortable chair is the one you've just spent half or all day driving in, and some the bed even lowers down on top of the lounge, too bad if one of you wants to stay up and watch tele.
We're planning on a slow trip, and house or farm sitting where we can, picking up work and generally mucking around, we will have no schedule, and can take as long as we like. So we brought a caravan, we have a lounge with recliners that you can recline all the way back, still have room to use the kitchen, and the lounge, bedroom and the ensuite are divided rooms, so we can have our own privacy when needed.
It all depends on what you are planning to do.
Joker said
08:09 AM Aug 3, 2016
Thanks for all your input so far.
A couple of things I have forgotten to ad:
1st - yes I am or will be a Solo Traveler
2nd - I have all the Licences including big buses/Trucks etc
3rd - I will travel indefinitely for some times meaning as long my health will allow it (I am 62 at the moment)
4th - yes I will also trying house sitting and farm working to earn a bit of extra cash.
I was driving a Tourist Toyota Coaster (Toyota Land-cruiser Reliable Engine) for a while and liked the size. Everything over 8m may be to big! I am also looking at the Hino but have no idea regarding engine size and reliability.
-- Edited by Joker on Wednesday 3rd of August 2016 08:18:18 AM
goldcoaster said
09:15 AM Aug 3, 2016
If you like room , then you should consider slideouts on what ever you buy.
stoney123 said
01:58 PM Aug 3, 2016
coasters are good choice, yes narrow but you wanna be outside to enjoy trip. Consider adding a trailer with solar and batteries + dcdc charger, water tanks, engel as a freezer and out door furniture and electric bike. take stuff to be independant and stuff for fun.
Aus-Kiwi said
02:08 PM Aug 3, 2016
Look around . There's some nice already build motorhomes out there.. Nothing wrong with Hino . One thing I like with larger bus ? Is the under floor storage . Another is a little extra weight doesn't effect fuel consumption the same way a car and van does . Turbo diesels don't seem to hog through fuel if driven with some respect .. We looked for new at first . We bought A class motorhome 5 years old. Less than new for half the size . There's a lot of depreciation on some prestige motorhomes. The come with features you wouldn't think of . Sat TV etc .,
wendyv said
07:28 PM Aug 3, 2016
We lived full time in a 14 foot caravan, when we first started travelling. By compariosn, our current Coaster seems quite spacious. Has adequate room for us.
I like the Coaster sturdiness, the 1HZ engine that ours has, the fact that most mechanics can cope with Toyota, and parts are not too hard to get. Can take Coaster on unsealed roads without it falling apart.
We have found that the professional conversions hold value. There are a number of companies do them, some better than others in terms of the base vehicle they use. I did not want a Japanese imported Coaster because may have been used on salted snow roads over there. Ours was conversion done by Melbourne company, and bus history was known (sort of).
jules47 said
07:52 PM Aug 3, 2016
Live in a Jayco Conquest - plenty of room, - especially if you get the one with the "hump" - great for storage. The bigger you get, the more to clean. and who wants to do that - not me!
Rin and Steve said
03:40 PM Aug 4, 2016
hi there , weve done a lot of looking too and we found the Avida esperance to be the one for us. Plenty of room with the big slideout, heaps of storage etc.
Hi girls and guys, I am a newone and still doing my research. Drives me nuts how much you can find on the net and as more I look as more I get confused!
I have had a little peek at the CMCA Christmas in July rally in Mareeba last Sunday with 100's of Motorhomes. They were a lot and all of them very nice (and I guess expensive) but to me most looked like more than "Camping" Homes which means you only would use them a few months a year. I have been in a few and "you hardly can swing a cat" in some of these! I know you spend I guess 80% outside but still you have to live and enjoy the space inside.
I am looking more at something you can use continuesly for years as I have to sell up my home base (small unit) so I can afford a "Motorhome".
I am looking something like a Toyota Coaster professional conversation in to a Motorhome. Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers Joker
-- Edited by Joker on Wednesday 3rd of August 2016 08:18:57 AM
For the perception of room you need as wide as you can get.
My wife and I live in ours permanently and have a big bus, but we want room for our grandkids to visit from time to time as well.
There are a few places that specialize in converting the later model Hino type buses which i would think might suit you better,
of course budget is always the limiting factor.
Have a look on Facebook, there are a couple of excellent motorhome sites (Australian) which you would get some good info from as well.
Cheers,
For instance if you are to do the circuit as quick as possible, while looking at everything you can, you're off at sparrow fart the next morning to get to the next town asp, then a small Motor home is the go.
I looked at motor homes and found the same, cramped, the only comfortable chair is the one you've just spent half or all day driving in, and some the bed even lowers down on top of the lounge, too bad if one of you wants to stay up and watch tele.
We're planning on a slow trip, and house or farm sitting where we can, picking up work and generally mucking around, we will have no schedule, and can take as long as we like. So we brought a caravan, we have a lounge with recliners that you can recline all the way back, still have room to use the kitchen, and the lounge, bedroom and the ensuite are divided rooms, so we can have our own privacy when needed.
It all depends on what you are planning to do.
Thanks for all your input so far.
A couple of things I have forgotten to ad:
1st - yes I am or will be a Solo Traveler
2nd - I have all the Licences including big buses/Trucks etc
3rd - I will travel indefinitely for some times meaning as long my health will allow it (I am 62 at the moment)
4th - yes I will also trying house sitting and farm working to earn a bit of extra cash.
I was driving a Tourist Toyota Coaster (Toyota Land-cruiser Reliable Engine) for a while and liked the size. Everything over 8m may be to big! I am also looking at the Hino but have no idea regarding engine size and reliability.
-- Edited by Joker on Wednesday 3rd of August 2016 08:18:18 AM
I like the Coaster sturdiness, the 1HZ engine that ours has, the fact that most mechanics can cope with Toyota, and parts are not too hard to get. Can take Coaster on unsealed roads without it falling apart.
We have found that the professional conversions hold value. There are a number of companies do them, some better than others in terms of the base vehicle they use. I did not want a Japanese imported Coaster because may have been used on salted snow roads over there. Ours was conversion done by Melbourne company, and bus history was known (sort of).