Looking for advice on buying a caravan & 4X4

Stefan · Veteran Member

Looking for advice on buying a caravan & 4X4

Cruising Granny · Guru

What's wrong with the good old reliable Landcruiser tray back?
They're around - various ages, mileages and dollars.
I bought my '95 80 Series diesel station wagon for $20,000. No fancy GXL with buttons and gadgets for the same reason you don't want them. Just the basics.
It will tow what you want it to tow, there are minimal bells and whistles. Parts are readily available at resonable prices, easy to maintain unless it has turbo, but it's up to you.
Check out yards, web sites and trader mags, local papers etc.
You've got the right idea. Good luck and safe travel. Cheers Chris

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Just stay with diesel Stefan.
More expensive to buy, but better range and economy and better for towing.

Cheers,
Peter

Stefan · Veteran Member

Hi
Thanks for the reply i did hear the 80 series cruiser are the best for what i want!I now need to decide what size van do i need and what i need in it ,shower toilet etc .Its all so difficult.What i want is that im totally self sufficient so i don't need water power or anything else if im in a remote spot and i feel like sitting in the Simpson desert for 2 weeks etc.So far my research has led me to the conclusion that Solar sux and i would be better of with a decent generator?Any tips ? Thanks so much to everyoe who has taken time to respond !

Stefan

kenmarg · Veteran Member

the best two off road "caravans" in oz are bushtracker,and trackmaster. they will just about go anywhere,and both are set up so you are,very independant. the bushtracker ( just say a 20ft) weighs around 3tons,and is the largest van bushtracker say to pull with a landcruiser. they are rather expensive to buy ( but as they say you get what you pay for ) one of my mates here in brisbane has one and he has been around oz a couple of times,and he has had no trouble. there a few for sale on bushtracker's forum,if you want anymore info. if you wanted to go for a semi off road van, roadstar,or golf, make a pretty good van . i have owned a roadstar, and after sorting out the bugs,when we first bought it,it was a good van.

Cruising Granny · Guru

Don't forget to check out Phoenix and Kedron.
Also heavy, sturdy off road vans. Don't forget there are some places you just can't take a caravan. Even a camp trailer is risky on some tracks.
Keep looking and you'll find what suits your needs. Cheers Chris

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Firstly, you are not going to "sit in the middle of the Simpson for 2 weeks" with any caravan, but I guess that you know that. If that is what you want to do, you need a 4x4 motorhome or slide-on. Maybe you should start with a 78 or 79 series tray-top Tojo?
Secondly, your solar "research" does not agree with our experience. Any generator requires you to carry a seperate (smelly and danderous) fuel, and will always risk upsetting your neighbours.

Cheers,
Peter

Gary and Kerry · Guru

Stefan wrote:

So far my research has led me to the conclusion that Solar sux and i would be better of with a decent generator?Any tips ? Thanks so much to everyoe who has taken time to respond !

Stefan

In my experience solar is great if you are set up correctly.
The longest time we have been without plugging in to a power point is 5 weeks, so it can be done.
Do your research and work from there.
Check this link out
http://www.exploroz.com/Vehicle/Electrics/Solar.aspx

-- Edited by Gary and Kerry on Sunday 6th of September 2009 12:24:19 PM

Firefly · Guru

I have been watching these vans of late, don't know what they would be like but the off roader looks brilliant.

http://www.jurgensaustralia.com.au/

Rolly · Guru

Much depends on how much camping you want to do for free.

If you intend to spend only short periods away from 'shore power' then the capital cost of a decent solar set up might not be justified.

If you need an independent source of battery charging for extended periods, then the cost of buying, fueling and maintaining a generator may well exceed the cost of a decent solar system.

It does not need to be a case of 'either, or'; the savings created by a solar rig might well provide funds for the purchase of a small generator to supplement your charging when the sun is insufficient.

As in all things, beware of overly trusting the information you may be given by someone who will profit by selling you something.

Have a read of the books by Collyn Rivers on the subject and his postings in the CMCA magazine (The Wanderer) and on their fora.

He is a well researched and experienced writer with a lot of (the Oh! so uncommon) "common" sense.

-- Edited by Rolly on Sunday 6th of September 2009 06:41:35 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Gary and Kerry wrote:

In my experience solar is great if you are set up correctly.
The longest time we have been without plugging in to a power point is 5 weeks, so it can be done.

Quite right Gary & Kerry.
We can't plug into shore power and don't carry a generator either and we are on the road for 8 months at a time.
The initial investment is high, but the long term benefits are there.

Cheers,
Peter

Stefan · Veteran Member

Hi
There more questions i ask about solar the more confusing it gets.Can you run an air conditioner with solar ? ,sound unit ,lights, tv etc just relying on solar. Air con would only be used at nights for sleeping.

Obviously i wouldn't be running everything 24 hrs a day.What i want is to be able to sit where i want as long as i want without having to rely on an outside power source.

I am limited by my capacity to carry everything else i need.But i figure i can comfortably carry all supplies for at least 2-3 weeks of total isolation ie: food water fuel for generator.

Some of the honda generators (EU20i $2000)suitable for Air conditioner can run for 1 hr on 600ml of petrol.How much for a solar setup that can run Air con. ?

I would only be using a generator in isolated areas when im on my own so neighbors aren't an issue out bush.The only time i expect to be camped
with other people would be in caravan parks so there would be no need for the generator.

Regards Stefan

-- Edited by Stefan on Wednesday 9th of September 2009 10:22:49 AM

-- Edited by Stefan on Wednesday 9th of September 2009 02:16:16 PM

Rolly · Guru

Stefan wrote:

Hi
There more questions i ask about solar the more confusing it gets.Can you run an air conditioner with solar ? ,sound unit ,lights, tv etc just relying on solar. Air con would only be used at nights for sleeping.

Obviously i wouldn't be running everything 24 hrs a day.What i want is to be able to sit where i want as long as i want without having to rely on an outside power source.

I am limited by my capacity to carry everything else i need.But i figure i can comfortably carry all supplies for at least 2-3 weeks of total isolation ie: food water fuel for generator.

Some of the honda generators (EU20i $2000)suitable for Air conditioner can run for 1 hr on 600ml of petrol.How much for a solar setup that can run Air con. ?

If you were to run a generator all night you would find yourself being roundly abused by every other camper within a kilometer radius.

Someone with experience in this field might correct me here, but I don't believe that 600ml/hr would be sufficient to run a genny to power an effective air conditioner.

A solar set up would require a massive bank of batteries to provide enough power to run an air conditioner at night and a huge array of panels to charge them. i.e. prohibitively expensive and very heavy.

Also, I have read that many people who have bought air conditioners rarely use them because they are too noisy to sleep with and the generators to power them disturb them as well as their neighbours.

Others may have a different take on this subject, but I find that a caravan cools down fairly quickly in the evening and that having hatches and windows open with a small fan to stir things up, is usually quite sufficient.

Maybe not in some tropical areas though.

I hope that this help a little.