I've just returned home to Adelaide from a 5 week 8,000 klm lone trip across to Kalgoorlie, Karonie, in to Perth, down to southern W.A. and then across to Esperance before returning home, back across the Nullarbor to Adelaide. Enjoyed the trip immensly and intend repeating much the same trip again over this coming Xmas.
I used various means of accomodation during the five weeks including partially staying with family or friends for a total of about 13 nights... and paying at other times in budget or cabin accomodation along the way. My total outlay for this paid accomodation was around $750 to $800, which covered about 12 nights,....a total of around 24 nights accounted for out of about 34 or 35 nights away. The other 9 or 10 nights was generally spent driving through the night or camped in the car or a combination of both When I was too late arriving somewhere to find a motel that wasnt going to slug a big hole out of my hip pocket for nothing more than a short sleep and a shower......or I found myself midway somewhere and dozing a bit at the wheel,...time to pull over and just lay the seat back for a few hours.
My question to myself after all that and as I intend doing a few more of these lone trips away in the coming years,...would it perhaps be an idea for me to buy myself a cheap lightweight 6 x 4 based camper/ tent trailer to hook behind my Toyota hilux dual cab with canopy and only need to rely on free caravan parks along the highways or paid sites (and shower facilities) in normal powered sites in caravan parks.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this sort of travel and was a viable and good experience.
I AM in the older age pensioner part of the population but by no means synonomous with my age and more than capable of carrying on like I was 30 years younger than my 75 years. Money therefore while being okay as long as I don't go stupid, is certainly not in endless supply, so I do need to save money where I can.
Would love to hear from other like minded people who have done the same thing.
Cheers,.........Lance.
dazz49 said
10:33 PM Oct 22, 2017
Hi Lance. Could you fit a roof top tent to your vehicle,??? Would be cheaper than a camper trailer. ,5 minutes to set up. About 10 to fold down . only a suggestion. Cheers daz
LanceS said
10:45 PM Oct 22, 2017
Hi Daz. My thinking with getting a tent type camper trailer, based on a 6x4 trailer, was that I could take the presumably trailer top mounted 'tent' off of the trailer when required and still use the trailer as a normal trailer.
Cheers.
daffyfrancis said
09:50 AM Oct 23, 2017
Hi Lance,
I have never owned or used one but note that a lot we see in peoples yards here in Tassie seem to be always mounted on the trailer. Friends owned one for a few years & always left it attached & under cover with all their camping gear loaded in ready to go - they never removed it to use the trailer only.
How heavy & difficult are they to remove & reinstall ? - would need help I presume.
They seem a great versatile camping option with most trailers able to carry 3/4 tonne or so & check how easy they are to erect on your own as some makes are easier than others I believe.
Think about carrying a portable drill to drill pilot holes in hard ground for tent pegs - we always carry one in our Merc Sprinter campervan for our fully enclosed heavy duty canvas annexe.
David
macka17 said
10:20 AM Oct 23, 2017
Hey.
Compromises never really work fully.
I'm your age.
A Dual cab is a real compromise. Towing. Roof top camper. Yes.
Anything else. not really, (I'm on my second)
$5 or 7 grand will get a reasonable trailer tent in basic config. But after third or 4th night of putting up in rain. You'll have had enuff.
Specially after sitting watching them in pissin' rain while you in van having dinner. No Thgank's.
Roof topper. Fine. Till you get a bad knees day. then that ladder is a LOOOONG way up.
Personally. after going round on dirt bikes. Sailed round. Campervan. and vanned.
Holidays with kids in frame tent to a few yrs.
I'd go for MY comfort.
$5 to 8 grand will buy an early but good small van. Pop top or full.
You need a 6x4?. Hire or borrow.
I have a 1200 buck one here, sits under carport. Down the dump maybe 5 or 6 times a yr. same as prev did for over 30 yrs. Other 360 days of yr. It just sits there laughing at me. FOOOOOOL.
You fish?.
Get a rooftopper tinny on trlr for around $3\3.5k. (I have 3.75Quinnie with 15hp Yammie.
Handles Darwin Harbour and all dams nicely.
Rooftop tent
or\plus Roll out awning for ute with tent that fits under it. for short trips.
No ladder. sleep bag on Fold up bed (COMFORT)
Surf bars on ute with solar and 4\6in sewer pipe painted matt black and tap on end for Hot water. Shower etc.
And a solar panel or two for second battery in tub.
Can run fridge. TV. Laptop. fans. Lights etc. Shower every night with water supply.
Completely self sufficient..
For Boat. $3.5ish.
roof top tent. $1500ish. Bars and rollout\tent. $5\600ish either, iether.
Bed $30. 1 x Solar Panel eg. $120ish. Sewer pipe shower head etc. $60. (Shower bag. $12.)
I also take a 1 man "mesh" tent with tinnie when I go to dams for Barra.
Keeps Mossie's\Sand flies at bay.
Kip on ground beside boat for predawn start.
Plus. For comfort with missus. 535 Coromal Tandem van '99 mod. $12k. collected from Melb.
Sold the Patrol and 6.5mtr Off roader.
Nowadays I PREFER the van. Fish off banks. (or hire boat with missus). But run both systems.
Tony Bev said
03:43 PM Oct 23, 2017
I see no reason why you should not buy a camper trailer, LanceS
There are plenty out there, and it will give more flexibility, than what you have at present
One of the best rigs I have come across, was a man with a camper van, (like a wizz bang), towing a trailer
Inside the van, there was a bed, fridge, stove, wash basin, and nothing else
All his possessions were inside the covered trailer
macka17 said
08:00 PM Oct 23, 2017
Don't forget you ARE on the point where you start to slow down. No matter how you feel now.
I raced the Outrigger canoes (6 man) with the 55\60 yr olds till I was 68.
Started tearing ligaments and core. Time to slow down. We all do.
Didn't cruise. Just Race.
You looking to go for a few yrs yet. (I am) Think of the comfort a little bit mate.
I also did. Still ride bike in hills round here. Walk the beach, take boat out fishing.
Do 30 laps in pool twice a day (heated)
Roughing it. Will catch up with you quicker than having a bit of comfort in the roughing it bits.
My old brains thorts on it anyway.
Best of luck whichever way you go.
oldbloke said
03:25 AM Oct 24, 2017
Perhaps a small 12ft van or pop up. pita those trailer tents.
Possum3 said
10:58 AM Oct 24, 2017
If you do go for a camper trailer make sure you get a hard floor fold-over type with a ratchet pull over.
We have a soft floor that is heavy at the best of times to pull over by hand and a Herculian task when wet.
Tip; use a six inch strip of Corflute around your mattress to stop it getting wet (even heavy dew gets in).
This mob makes campers in Tamworth NSW www.aussieinlander.com.au/ seem to be reasonably priced seen a few out on our Safari Trips.
jgb said
05:46 PM Oct 24, 2017
Hi Lance
I started living in a camper trailer when started out, mine was a soft floor, would recommend a hard floor same as Possum, if going for a camper trailer,also depends on how much going to use of course your budget will decide what you can afford, the bad side of soft floor camper trailers are the setting up and taking down especially when raining and cold weather ,mould can be a problem due to all being canvas .loved the camper trailer as mine was fairly large but took time to set up and pack up.
suggest get to a caravan camping show and see whats available, whats invoved in putting them up etc or around to a caravan dealer new or 2nd hand and see what they have, what you can afford, and what suits you for the purpose you are going to use it for, a cheap pop up caravan van means apart from hooking up to car and the unhooking all you really need to do, plus put up the roof, can jump in and out without to much trouble if raining, can leave van attached to car if don't need to unhook, everything has it good and bad points, caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers,even camper vans spend some time looking to see whats out there.
with my camper trailer purchased a fold up shower tent (not the easiest things to fold up)got an aquacube to heat the water, got an engel fridge freezer to freeze and keep drinks etc, can buy cheaper units than engels but engels are probably one of the best, or use an esky but not much good if need to freeze food, I had two batteries for car one to run accessories for camping, plus the one needed to start the car, isolated them so starting car battery didn't go flat.
if want to know more happy to help
but again best advice can give is get to a show, caravan or camper dealer new or 2nd hand and see what need, can afford and best suits your needs
jgb said
05:55 PM Oct 24, 2017
sorry posted twice
-- Edited by jgb on Tuesday 24th of October 2017 05:56:53 PM
Ubif said
09:01 PM Oct 24, 2017
Hi Lance
maybe look at 2nd hand Avan Sport Liner good for one person
has kitchen , fridge etc and no canvas to get wet .
Dougwe had one he may be able to add more
cheers Mark
LanceS said
09:14 PM Oct 24, 2017
Tony, that just about pinpoints my own thinking to a tee. Have the camper trailer as light as possible with just the canvas top folded down, a mattress and bedding inside it with the various poles and things inside for travelling. Everything else would be locked away inside the ute canopy.
My only other thought was to maybe somehow attach a tent setup to the open back of the canopy, using the ute floor for the mattress.
Aus-Kiwi said
09:24 PM Oct 24, 2017
Think of where your going and how cold things get st night ? IMO camper trailers are very good in summer . But lower than SA boarder in winter gets very cold st night . The top half of Aust is ideal . If traveling as they are light and easy to manoeuvre ., some with anex take a while to assemble ? But if thereâs only two of you? Not required !!
LanceS said
09:36 PM Oct 24, 2017
The weird part of my upcoming travel plans is that I/we do have a 17ft Jayco pop-top, 1998 model sitting at the end of our driveway, lovely caravan, a/c, double bed, 3 way fridge, stove, oven, etc, ..all the nice stuff and tows like a dream but for a whole heap of unavoidable circumstances has only been out on the road once in the past 5 years and no immediate likelihood of it being used in the near future either. I could quite easily hook that on behind for this trip but it weighs around 1400kg with gear on board and that WOULD knock a pretty big hole in my fuel wallet. My ute is a V6 petrol which gets between 23 and 27 mpg depending on where my foot is in relation to the speedo reading. (My best so far has been about 26.8mpg sitting on a steady 70 to 90kph when kangaroos are ever present). The Jayco hooked on behind would knock a good 5 mpg off of that without even blinking and with me travelling alone again, it's not a viable option to even consider. I'm not going for another 7 or so weeks yet so I do have a bit of time yet to come up with a plan. Thanks everyone. Lance.
-- Edited by LanceS on Tuesday 24th of October 2017 10:08:12 PM
Aus-Kiwi said
11:42 PM Oct 24, 2017
Thought of turbo diesel ?
daffyfrancis said
11:57 PM Oct 24, 2017
Hi again Lance,
I would think a camper trailer is also going to increase your fuel useage considerably so why not just take the Jayco, travel a bit slower, enjoy the extra convenience & comforts - the cost of a camper trailer would buy a lot of extra fuel & with the Jayco you know what you have.
Sooner or later fuel will be one of the least of your travelling expenses so consider not going so far if the budget is tight. (breakdowns, repairs & towage can be extremely expensive & murphy can be just around any corner)
David
jgb said
08:09 PM Oct 25, 2017
you are still going to have to purchase a camper trailer, an additional cost, plus what you need in terms of a fridge, cooking etc, say around 3,000 or more depending how much your gonna spend on the camper trailer, anything less wouldn't think you would get much for, the money saved and time could travel with the money saved not buying the camper,and using the van , the van would probably be worth it, have a budget, plan staying an extra day or two before moving on, will help reduce your fuel costs, will still get where want to go just a few days later, if youre not on a time frame take an extra week or two to do the trip
LanceS said
09:36 AM Oct 27, 2017
Thanks everyone for your ideas and thoughts. Because I am sticking this trip into a 3 week break from my lawn bowls season, I actually do have a time frame that I need to stick to and because of the places that I want to re-visit would require a fairly solid 3 week time frame (based on the same 5 week trip that I have just completed)... I won't have time to add any days on.
I really don't think that I could take the caravan anyway because of it restricting me on some of the places that I will be returning to...including several of them being on dirt roads out of Kalgoorlie.
I still think that a dual purpose 6 x 4 camper trailer ( trailer use only when the canvas etc is removed) would be good, or one of the basic rooftop campers for a lesser cost outlay, would be even more applicable to most overnight stopping points. Also not as greater loss to the pocket if future events ever restrict my travel thoughts,....as it enivitably some day will.
I do have a pretty decent vehicle that I don't see giving me any troubles just yet and I do have the top RAA Australia wide accomodation and towing cover as well so I shoukd be okay for the forseeable future.
Once again I thank you all.
Cheers
Lance.
jules47 said
03:34 PM Oct 27, 2017
Lance - we travelled 10 years with a camper trailer - before we retired - so only part time. But we had one that could be set up in 10 minutes to be in bed - it was a soft floor model (Dingo) with off road gear. Some of them are so complicated, make sure you get an easy oe to put up - ours was take cover off - pull "tent" off, grab two end ropes, pull them out till the "tent" stands up - hammer pegs in - you are up - we always left the bed made up, often with a tarp over it on the inside, if the weather was iffy.
Guy I know had a small one that he towed behind a motorbike, easy to put up, and ample size for two people, but one it would be terrific, Not sure if he still has it - I could ask for you - very reasonable price he wanted as well. Not new, but kept under cover and is good condition.
You can get a free standing unit to put on the back of the ute, gives you sitting room, set up stove etc. - good idea.
macka17 said
04:12 PM Oct 27, 2017
If you buy a camper. to go with the Petrol Ute.
You've still got outlay of camper plus bits (there's ALWAYS bits.)
THEN. You still have to pay for heavy fuel bills with what you have.
While vans sits there collecting dust.
Why not see what you'll get for your ute. against a Diesel second hand unit.
Put the camper money plus Current ute, towards that.
and go in comfort with van.
A well mainained veh don't have to be new to be reliable.
my '02 Patrol I'd put against any modern units.
This 2010 D-max better than a lot of newer ones and cost me $23.5 on the road.
ANNNND. The pre Common Rail or early. are a lot cheaper to service\Maintain.
Than the latest super common rail systems.
Stay away from Toyota and you'll get some real good prices for the quality.
A 5 cyl L.R. Disco with full service history will be one of the better ones. with good pricing.
As is the 3 ltr one after it.
I nearly bought one for G Daughter a while ago (Over in the West.)
$6 1\2 grand. full books and good paint job.
They cheap as and probably the better one of the MID Range tugs. (up to 2.5ton).
While definitely being the best drivers seat of all.
Check them out. And the forums.
macka17 said
04:22 PM Oct 27, 2017
Sorry.
But I can't get my head round the fact you have a thirsty tug.
Already own a van and are going to buy another trailer
to tow with the thirsty tug.
Surely the Alternative.
IE. More economical tug WITH current van.
Would be more sensible way to go???.
2 rego's\Insurances over 3 for a start.
A bit like me with a Yacht. 2 fishing boats, plus a 6.5mtr van.
and 2 x 4wd's. with Honda Civic.
Till Di drew the line and said ONE of each. OR NONE of any. Whoops.
2 fishing boats. (one "car topper" shhhh) One caravan. one ute. one Civic. Phew.
I'd be checking an earlier Diesel first.
jules47 said
04:54 PM Oct 27, 2017
LanceS wrote:
Tony, that just about pinpoints my own thinking to a tee. Have the camper trailer as light as possible with just the canvas top folded down, a mattress and bedding inside it with the various poles and things inside for travelling. Everything else would be locked away inside the ute canopy.
My only other thought was to maybe somehow attach a tent setup to the open back of the canopy, using the ute floor for the mattress.
Lance - this is on sale at BCF for $399 at the moment.
The use of a rooftop tent by anyone of 75+ years is stark staring crazy.
I am early sixties and have used a RTT for about four years.
Just *one* slip on that ladder and you are going to be injured, probably, seriously, in the bush in the middle of the night.
Whilst erecting a RTT is pretty easy packing the damn thing away is a whole different ball game.
I could go on but am pressed for time... suffice it to say I *strongly* recommend you *do not* buy a rooftop tent.
LanceS said
11:47 AM Oct 28, 2017
I must admit, I DO like the side attached tent from BCF that Jules showed. Seems to be the most cost effective solution for my probable future usage. I only bought my 011 hilux a year ago so changing to something else now would be right out of the question. I knew that the V6 was going to be a couple more stops at the petrol pumps but I weighed that up against my already having had four Toyotas over the years and never a problem with any of them so if my biggest running cost was going to only be petrol cost, spread over a time frame of X years, I'm going to be well and truly in front. (Something that my late uncle who owned and ran trucks, drummed into me over 55 years ago and I never forgot it.) My last hilux ute, a 2000 single cab model, put up an effortless and completely trouble free life of 260,000 K's and still going strong when I traded it on what I have now. A diesel would give me better fuel mileage but I keep hearing horror stories about the lesser quality diesel fuel that comes into Australia that has been known to eventually cause VERY expensive injector problems. I was getting just under 27 mpg across the Nullarbor, sitting on a constant 100 kph and down to around 23 in the cities and built up areas. Highest price petrol was $1:78 to $1:81 between Nullarbor and Balladonia while Eucla and Mundrabilla were both the cheapest at $1:69,... Nundroo was $1:33 with Penong and Ceduna a more respectable $1:26 to $1:29. Norseman on the other side was $1:46 with Esperance and Albany down to between $1:25 and $1:28. I was more than happy with those prices which put my overall average litre cost for 8,000 klms travelled at something around $1:45 a litre. I dont think that I would have saved too much more had I had a D4D diesel. Apart from that, its a lovely vehicle to drive on a long trip, quiet, comfortable and very smooth.
Cheers Lance
-- Edited by LanceS on Saturday 28th of October 2017 11:48:32 AM
macka17 said
04:35 PM Oct 28, 2017
Hey. That was suggested earlier.
PLUS. You can have a mesh tent on other side too for daylight..
Surf bars. Roll out BOTH sides. Tent att one side of. Mesh t'other. Boat loader on top with tinny on, OR on trlr behind you,
Panel and spare fishing rods etc on bars. for battery in tray to cover. Teev. Movies. Ph Charge etc Electric 240 fan and 150\300 Inv. THAT is great. on a windless night trying to sleep. Don't use much, and magic airflow.
4in sewerpipe on top with shower outlet. You made.
Foldup bed with super mattress. no snakes etc.
UP North. a single man Sand fly\mesh tent is a must. Takes NO room and keeps the bities out. without having to lie in clothes at 35\38 deg's.with NO wind.
Sticky. Then some.
tip. With ute. IF travelling light. Just tinny NOT van TRLR on back have a second set of rims with O\Size tyres. Less rotation Less juice. As long as you travelling light. makes a difference.
I have a set of mag's. x 4 with larger Road tyres. (Smooth tread.
Normal driving round. Home. Town, etc.
I get an average over 3 yrs of 10 to 10.1kmpl.
At road\traffic speeds.
Bridgy A\T's give. at road speeds. 9.5 to 9.7KMPL
A set of second hand rims\tryes can save a bit of juice.
I had tyres. NEW from prev van Spares.
New Mag's off e Bay Del $250.(Owner wanted steelies and muddies from new. A lot do it)
-- Edited by macka17 on Sunday 29th of October 2017 01:37:55 PM
DarylC said
09:58 AM Oct 30, 2017
If you get a camper trailer be sure to get one that sets up & packs away easily & doesn't have an awning permanently attached.
Apply the old KISS principle.
I have owned caravan parks & frequently had people staying in cabins with the camper trailer parked beside it because they are "sick of setting the bloody thing up"
& on roof top tents.... can someone please explain why it is better than a normal tent that you can leave set up & go exploring?
Surely tents these days are quick & easy to set up & you can still throw it on the roof rack for travelling?
I've had them all (except the roof top tent) & much prefer my caravan these days.
Cheers & remember that what ever decision you make it is the right choice for you
jules47 said
02:35 PM Oct 30, 2017
LanceS wrote:
I must admit, I DO like the side attached tent from BCF that Jules showed. Seems to be the most cost effective solution for my probable future usage. I only bought my 011 hilux a year ago so changing to something else now would be right out of the question. I knew that the V6 was going to be a couple more stops at the petrol pumps but I weighed that up against my already having had four Toyotas over the years and never a problem with any of them so if my biggest running cost was going to only be petrol cost, spread over a time frame of X years, I'm going to be well and truly in front. (Something that my late uncle who owned and ran trucks, drummed into me over 55 years ago and I never forgot it.) My last hilux ute, a 2000 single cab model, put up an effortless and completely trouble free life of 260,000 K's and still going strong when I traded it on what I have now. A diesel would give me better fuel mileage but I keep hearing horror stories about the lesser quality diesel fuel that comes into Australia that has been known to eventually cause VERY expensive injector problems. I was getting just under 27 mpg across the Nullarbor, sitting on a constant 100 kph and down to around 23 in the cities and built up areas. Highest price petrol was $1:78 to $1:81 between Nullarbor and Balladonia while Eucla and Mundrabilla were both the cheapest at $1:69,... Nundroo was $1:33 with Penong and Ceduna a more respectable $1:26 to $1:29. Norseman on the other side was $1:46 with Esperance and Albany down to between $1:25 and $1:28. I was more than happy with those prices which put my overall average litre cost for 8,000 klms travelled at something around $1:45 a litre. I dont think that I would have saved too much more had I had a D4D diesel. Apart from that, its a lovely vehicle to drive on a long trip, quiet, comfortable and very smooth.
Cheers Lance
-- Edited by LanceS on Saturday 28th of October 2017 11:48:32 AM
I have a story about petrol at Penong - coming East one year, we stopped at Penong for Diesel, we were very low. Parked at the diesel pump, and next to us was a Double B - the driver got talking to Billy, where ya going etc. He was heading 200k north of Kalgoorllie. Anyway his boss hadn't put his pay in the bank, so he had no money to buy food that day - he says how about you put $100 in your tank, hand the nozzle to me and I will fill mine, put it on the company card - we thought this was a good deal, so we handed him $50 and proceeded to fill up. Spent the other $50 of our fuel money on two nights at a nice caravan park in Ceduna. Cheapest diesel ever.
the rocket said
12:17 PM Nov 5, 2017
dazz49 wrote:
Hi Lance. Could you fit a roof top tent to your vehicle,??? Would be cheaper than a camper trailer. ,5 minutes to set up. About 10 to fold down . only a suggestion. Cheers daz
Saw in an ad roof top tent $685. Think it was 4wd super centre On fb.
johnnz said
09:17 AM Nov 6, 2017
If your to be a serious traveler get motorhome, there so quick to set up. I travel in my Coaster, had it now for 9 years it's paid for it self several times over saving on camp fees. We can park, quick level check, awning out, chairs and drinks out in about 10 minutes. If there's bugs or it's raining you don't even have to get out.
Yes, we love our Coaster!!
I've just returned home to Adelaide from a 5 week 8,000 klm lone trip across to Kalgoorlie, Karonie, in to Perth, down to southern W.A. and then across to Esperance before returning home, back across the Nullarbor to Adelaide. Enjoyed the trip immensly and intend repeating much the same trip again over this coming Xmas.
I used various means of accomodation during the five weeks including partially staying with family or friends for a total of about 13 nights... and paying at other times in budget or cabin accomodation along the way. My total outlay for this paid accomodation was around $750 to $800, which covered about 12 nights,....a total of around 24 nights accounted for out of about 34 or 35 nights away. The other 9 or 10 nights was generally spent driving through the night or camped in the car or a combination of both When I was too late arriving somewhere to find a motel that wasnt going to slug a big hole out of my hip pocket for nothing more than a short sleep and a shower......or I found myself midway somewhere and dozing a bit at the wheel,...time to pull over and just lay the seat back for a few hours.
My question to myself after all that and as I intend doing a few more of these lone trips away in the coming years,...would it perhaps be an idea for me to buy myself a cheap lightweight 6 x 4 based camper/ tent trailer to hook behind my Toyota hilux dual cab with canopy and only need to rely on free caravan parks along the highways or paid sites (and shower facilities) in normal powered sites in caravan parks.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this sort of travel and was a viable and good experience.
I AM in the older age pensioner part of the population but by no means synonomous with my age and more than capable of carrying on like I was 30 years younger than my 75 years. Money therefore while being okay as long as I don't go stupid, is certainly not in endless supply, so I do need to save money where I can.
Would love to hear from other like minded people who have done the same thing.
Cheers,.........Lance.
Cheers.
Hi Lance,
I have never owned or used one but note that a lot we see in peoples yards here in Tassie seem to be always mounted on the trailer. Friends owned one for a few years & always left it attached & under cover with all their camping gear loaded in ready to go - they never removed it to use the trailer only.
How heavy & difficult are they to remove & reinstall ? - would need help I presume.
They seem a great versatile camping option with most trailers able to carry 3/4 tonne or so & check how easy they are to erect on your own as some makes are easier than others I believe.
Think about carrying a portable drill to drill pilot holes in hard ground for tent pegs - we always carry one in our Merc Sprinter campervan for our fully enclosed heavy duty canvas annexe.
David
Compromises never really work fully.
I'm your age.
A Dual cab is a real compromise. Towing. Roof top camper. Yes.
Anything else. not really, (I'm on my second)
$5 or 7 grand will get a reasonable trailer tent in basic config. But after third or 4th night of putting up in rain. You'll have had enuff.
Specially after sitting watching them in pissin' rain while you in van having dinner. No Thgank's.
Roof topper. Fine. Till you get a bad knees day. then that ladder is a LOOOONG way up.
Personally. after going round on dirt bikes. Sailed round. Campervan. and vanned.
Holidays with kids in frame tent to a few yrs.
I'd go for MY comfort.
$5 to 8 grand will buy an early but good small van. Pop top or full.
You need a 6x4?. Hire or borrow.
I have a 1200 buck one here, sits under carport. Down the dump maybe 5 or 6 times a yr. same as prev did for over 30 yrs. Other 360 days of yr. It just sits there laughing at me. FOOOOOOL.
You fish?.
Get a rooftopper tinny on trlr for around $3\3.5k. (I have 3.75Quinnie with 15hp Yammie.
Handles Darwin Harbour and all dams nicely.
Rooftop tent
or\plus Roll out awning for ute with tent that fits under it. for short trips.
No ladder. sleep bag on Fold up bed (COMFORT)
Surf bars on ute with solar and 4\6in sewer pipe painted matt black and tap on end for Hot water. Shower etc.
And a solar panel or two for second battery in tub.
Can run fridge. TV. Laptop. fans. Lights etc. Shower every night with water supply.
Completely self sufficient..
For Boat. $3.5ish.
roof top tent. $1500ish. Bars and rollout\tent. $5\600ish either, iether.
Bed $30. 1 x Solar Panel
eg. $120ish. Sewer pipe shower head etc. $60. (Shower bag. $12.)
I also take a 1 man "mesh" tent with tinnie when I go to dams for Barra.
Keeps Mossie's\Sand flies at bay.
Kip on ground beside boat for predawn start.
Plus. For comfort with missus. 535 Coromal Tandem van '99 mod. $12k. collected from Melb.
Sold the Patrol and 6.5mtr Off roader.
Nowadays I PREFER the van. Fish off banks. (or hire boat with missus). But run both systems.
There are plenty out there, and it will give more flexibility, than what you have at present
One of the best rigs I have come across, was a man with a camper van, (like a wizz bang), towing a trailer
Inside the van, there was a bed, fridge, stove, wash basin, and nothing else
All his possessions were inside the covered trailer
I raced the Outrigger canoes (6 man) with the 55\60 yr olds till I was 68.
Started tearing ligaments and core. Time to slow down. We all do.
Didn't cruise. Just Race.
You looking to go for a few yrs yet. (I am) Think of the comfort a little bit mate.
I also did. Still ride bike in hills round here. Walk the beach, take boat out fishing.
Do 30 laps in pool twice a day (heated)
Roughing it. Will catch up with you quicker than having a bit of comfort in the roughing it bits.
My old brains thorts on it anyway.
Best of luck whichever way you go.
We have a soft floor that is heavy at the best of times to pull over by hand and a Herculian task when wet.
Tip; use a six inch strip of Corflute around your mattress to stop it getting wet (even heavy dew gets in).
This mob makes campers in Tamworth NSW www.aussieinlander.com.au/ seem to be reasonably priced seen a few out on our Safari Trips.
I started living in a camper trailer when started out, mine was a soft floor, would recommend a hard floor same as Possum, if going for a camper trailer,also depends on how much going to use of course your budget will decide what you can afford, the bad side of soft floor camper trailers are the setting up and taking down especially when raining and cold weather ,mould can be a problem due to all being canvas .loved the camper trailer as mine was fairly large but took time to set up and pack up.
suggest get to a caravan camping show and see whats available, whats invoved in putting them up etc or around to a caravan dealer new or 2nd hand and see what they have, what you can afford, and what suits you for the purpose you are going to use it for, a cheap pop up caravan van means apart from hooking up to car and the unhooking all you really need to do, plus put up the roof, can jump in and out without to much trouble if raining, can leave van attached to car if don't need to unhook, everything has it good and bad points, caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers,even camper vans spend some time looking to see whats out there.
with my camper trailer purchased a fold up shower tent (not the easiest things to fold up)got an aquacube to heat the water, got an engel fridge freezer to freeze and keep drinks etc, can buy cheaper units than engels but engels are probably one of the best, or use an esky but not much good if need to freeze food, I had two batteries for car one to run accessories for camping, plus the one needed to start the car, isolated them so starting car battery didn't go flat.
if want to know more happy to help
but again best advice can give is get to a show, caravan or camper dealer new or 2nd hand and see what need, can afford and best suits your needs
sorry posted twice
-- Edited by jgb on Tuesday 24th of October 2017 05:56:53 PM
maybe look at 2nd hand Avan Sport Liner good for one person
has kitchen , fridge etc and no canvas to get wet .
Dougwe had one he may be able to add more
cheers Mark
Tony, that just about pinpoints my own thinking to a tee. Have the camper trailer as light as possible with just the canvas top folded down, a mattress and bedding inside it with the various poles and things inside for travelling. Everything else would be locked away inside the ute canopy.
My only other thought was to maybe somehow attach a tent setup to the open back of the canopy, using the ute floor for the mattress.
The weird part of my upcoming travel plans is that I/we do have a 17ft Jayco pop-top, 1998 model sitting at the end of our driveway, lovely caravan, a/c, double bed, 3 way fridge, stove, oven, etc, ..all the nice stuff and tows like a dream but for a whole heap of unavoidable circumstances has only been out on the road once in the past 5 years and no immediate likelihood of it being used in the near future either.
I could quite easily hook that on behind for this trip but it weighs around 1400kg with gear on board and that WOULD knock a pretty big hole in my fuel wallet. My ute is a V6 petrol which gets between 23 and 27 mpg depending on where my foot is in relation to the speedo reading. (My best so far has been about 26.8mpg sitting on a steady 70 to 90kph when kangaroos are ever present). The Jayco hooked on behind would knock a good 5 mpg off of that without even blinking and with me travelling alone again, it's not a viable option to even consider.
I'm not going for another 7 or so weeks yet so I do have a bit of time yet to come up with a plan.
Thanks everyone.
Lance.
-- Edited by LanceS on Tuesday 24th of October 2017 10:08:12 PM
Hi again Lance,
I would think a camper trailer is also going to increase your fuel useage considerably so why not just take the Jayco, travel a bit slower, enjoy the extra convenience & comforts - the cost of a camper trailer would buy a lot of extra fuel & with the Jayco you know what you have.
Sooner or later fuel will be one of the least of your travelling expenses so consider not going so far if the budget is tight. (breakdowns, repairs & towage can be extremely expensive & murphy can be just around any corner)
David
I really don't think that I could take the caravan anyway because of it restricting me on some of the places that I will be returning to...including several of them being on dirt roads out of Kalgoorlie.
I still think that a dual purpose 6 x 4 camper trailer ( trailer use only when the canvas etc is removed) would be good, or one of the basic rooftop campers for a lesser cost outlay, would be even more applicable to most overnight stopping points. Also not as greater loss to the pocket if future events ever restrict my travel thoughts,....as it enivitably some day will.
I do have a pretty decent vehicle that I don't see giving me any troubles just yet and I do have the top RAA Australia wide accomodation and towing cover as well so I shoukd be okay for the forseeable future.
Once again I thank you all.
Cheers
Lance.
Guy I know had a small one that he towed behind a motorbike, easy to put up, and ample size for two people, but one it would be terrific, Not sure if he still has it - I could ask for you - very reasonable price he wanted as well. Not new, but kept under cover and is good condition.
You can get a free standing unit to put on the back of the ute, gives you sitting room, set up stove etc. - good idea.
You've still got outlay of camper plus bits (there's ALWAYS bits.)
THEN. You still have to pay for heavy fuel bills with what you have.
While vans sits there collecting dust.
Why not see what you'll get for your ute. against a Diesel second hand unit.
Put the camper money plus Current ute, towards that.
and go in comfort with van.
A well mainained veh don't have to be new to be reliable.
my '02 Patrol I'd put against any modern units.
This 2010 D-max better than a lot of newer ones and cost me $23.5 on the road.
ANNNND. The pre Common Rail or early. are a lot cheaper to service\Maintain.
Than the latest super common rail systems.
Stay away from Toyota and you'll get some real good prices for the quality.
A 5 cyl L.R. Disco with full service history will be one of the better ones. with good pricing.
As is the 3 ltr one after it.
I nearly bought one for G Daughter a while ago (Over in the West.)
$6 1\2 grand. full books and good paint job.
They cheap as and probably the better one of the MID Range tugs. (up to 2.5ton).
While definitely being the best drivers seat of all.
Check them out. And the forums.
But I can't get my head round the fact you have a thirsty tug.
Already own a van and are going to buy another trailer
to tow with the thirsty tug.
Surely the Alternative.
IE. More economical tug WITH current van.
Would be more sensible way to go???.
2 rego's\Insurances over 3 for a start.
A bit like me with a Yacht. 2 fishing boats, plus a 6.5mtr van.
and 2 x 4wd's. with Honda Civic.
Till Di drew the line and said ONE of each. OR NONE of any. Whoops.
2 fishing boats. (one "car topper" shhhh) One caravan. one ute. one Civic. Phew.
I'd be checking an earlier Diesel first.
The use of a rooftop tent by anyone of 75+ years is stark staring crazy.
I am early sixties and have used a RTT for about four years.
Just *one* slip on that ladder and you are going to be injured, probably,
seriously, in the bush in the middle of the night.
Whilst erecting a RTT is pretty easy packing the damn thing away is
a whole different ball game.
I could go on but am pressed for time... suffice it to say I
*strongly* recommend you *do not* buy a rooftop tent.
I must admit, I DO like the side attached tent from BCF that Jules showed. Seems to be the most cost effective solution for my probable future usage. I only bought my 011 hilux a year ago so changing to something else now would be right out of the question.
I knew that the V6 was going to be a couple more stops at the petrol pumps but I weighed that up against my already having had four Toyotas over the years and never a problem with any of them so if my biggest running cost was going to only be petrol cost, spread over a time frame of X years, I'm going to be well and truly in front. (Something that my late uncle who owned and ran trucks, drummed into me over 55 years ago and I never forgot it.)
My last hilux ute, a 2000 single cab model, put up an effortless and completely trouble free life of 260,000 K's and still going strong when I traded it on what I have now.
A diesel would give me better fuel mileage but I keep hearing horror stories about the lesser quality diesel fuel that comes into Australia that has been known to eventually cause VERY expensive injector problems.
I was getting just under 27 mpg across the Nullarbor, sitting on a constant 100 kph and down to around 23 in the cities and built up areas. Highest price petrol was $1:78 to $1:81 between Nullarbor and Balladonia while Eucla and Mundrabilla were both the cheapest at $1:69,... Nundroo was $1:33 with Penong and Ceduna a more respectable $1:26 to $1:29. Norseman on the other side was $1:46 with Esperance and Albany down to between $1:25 and $1:28.
I was more than happy with those prices which put my overall average litre cost for 8,000 klms travelled at something around $1:45 a litre. I dont think that I would have saved too much more had I had a D4D diesel.
Apart from that, its a lovely vehicle to drive on a long trip, quiet, comfortable and very smooth.
Cheers
Lance
-- Edited by LanceS on Saturday 28th of October 2017 11:48:32 AM
Hey. That was suggested earlier.
PLUS. You can have a mesh tent on other side too for daylight..
Surf bars. Roll out BOTH sides. Tent att one side of. Mesh t'other.
Boat loader on top with tinny on,
OR on trlr behind you,
Panel and spare fishing rods etc on bars.
for battery in tray
to cover. Teev. Movies. Ph Charge etc
Electric 240 fan and 150\300 Inv.
THAT is great. on a windless night trying to sleep.
Don't use much, and magic airflow.
4in sewerpipe on top with shower outlet. You made.
Foldup bed with super mattress. no snakes etc.
UP North. a single man Sand fly\mesh tent is a must.
Takes NO room and keeps the bities out.
without having to lie in clothes at 35\38 deg's.with NO wind.
Sticky. Then some.
tip.
With ute. IF travelling light. Just tinny NOT van TRLR on back
have a second set of rims with O\Size tyres.
Less rotation Less juice.
As long as you travelling light.
makes a difference.
I have a set of mag's. x 4 with larger Road tyres. (Smooth tread.
Normal driving round. Home. Town, etc.
I get an average over 3 yrs of 10 to 10.1kmpl.
At road\traffic speeds.
Bridgy A\T's give. at road speeds. 9.5 to 9.7KMPL
A set of second hand rims\tryes can save a bit of juice.
I had tyres. NEW from prev van Spares.
New Mag's off e Bay Del $250.(Owner wanted steelies and muddies from new. A lot do it)
-- Edited by macka17 on Sunday 29th of October 2017 01:37:55 PM
Apply the old KISS principle.
I have owned caravan parks & frequently had people staying in cabins with the camper trailer parked beside it because they are "sick of setting the bloody thing up"
& on roof top tents.... can someone please explain why it is better than a normal tent that you can leave set up & go exploring?
Surely tents these days are quick & easy to set up & you can still throw it on the roof rack for travelling?
I've had them all (except the roof top tent) & much prefer my caravan these days.
Cheers & remember that what ever decision you make it is the right choice for you
I have a story about petrol at Penong - coming East one year, we stopped at Penong for Diesel, we were very low. Parked at the diesel pump, and next to us was a Double B - the driver got talking to Billy, where ya going etc. He was heading 200k north of Kalgoorllie. Anyway his boss hadn't put his pay in the bank, so he had no money to buy food that day - he says how about you put $100 in your tank, hand the nozzle to me and I will fill mine, put it on the company card - we thought this was a good deal, so we handed him $50 and proceeded to fill up. Spent the other $50 of our fuel money on two nights at a nice caravan park in Ceduna. Cheapest diesel ever.
Saw in an ad roof top tent $685. Think it was 4wd super centre On fb.
Yes, we love our Coaster!!