My 12 month plan

yeoeleven · Guru

My 12 month plan

GypsyWanderers · Veteran Member

Hi John, We bought our 1973 old Bedford bus of Ebay , We spent 6 months with it in storage working on it and now we are getting ready to start our big trip early in the new year, we are also on a pension and we planned to stay at a lot of free camps and parks. I believe we can do it and enjoy ourselfs at the same time. Theres a lot to see and a lot of GreyNomads out there to meet......look forward to metting you along the way.......Enjoy Life....Sandra

Happywanderer · The Master

Hi John, Welcome. You will find numerous threads on here from me and many others with exactly the same idea. I have one in Techies Corner of a campervan I am looking at. There are some good ones on Ebay at the moment.
That is the hardest part, finding the best one for you.

Allara · Senior Member

Hi John

Welcome, Good on you for making a plan and having a dream to work on.

I am sure everything will work out well for you and you will be very happy finally living your dream.

Happy travels
Allara

yeoeleven · Guru

Thank you for your helpful responses, hopefully will enjoy a long association with this forum and may meet up some of you when I eventually get underway.

Have just bought the Grey Nomad's Guidebook and have been reading through it's interesting chapters. Just the thing to answer most of my questions.

Chapter 3 on planning the trip is particularly interesting and "When to go" will be the basis of my trip, the section between Cooktown and Broome looks to be the most potentially difficult and it would be prudent to leave the Gold Coast with ample time to start that leg in the dry season.

John

lyn-n-ken · Senior Member

hi john
love your plan
we will be taking of again next year and we are on a pension we find its cheaper to live on the road than in a house.
but we stay in towns for a few weeks so we dont spend as much on petrol as most do.
were quite happy to pick a nice town here and there and call it home the fact that were in our 1988 dove camper is irelivant. we dont go of road as i'm the only driver and i'm not mechanicaly apt and hubby is vissualy impaired so we stay safe.
but if of road and free camp is your thing thats cool.
we traveled for 18 months before and loved it, cant wait to get rid of whats left (we had it in storage) and take of again, dont put any thing in staorage it costs to much.)
hope you have fun looking for your van and that you have a great adventure
lyn

yeoeleven · Guru

It looks like the 12 month plan has been upgraded to a 6 month plan.

I was able to buy a Hi Ace campervan for a reasonable price and was able to arrange for a new 6 month registration as part of the deal.

Now I am concentrating on having all the necessary checks and certification done within that time as well as saving up a starting $$ balance. I want to be able to sell my car and renew the van registration for 12 months with the pensioner discount and be ready to set off in July.

I have started a blog outlining efforts preparing for the trip and included the URL in my signature so any comments in that direction would be welcome. Also have changed the avatar now reflecting my latest acquisition.

John

-- Edited by yeoeleven on Sunday 9th of January 2011 08:20:26 AM

Happywanderer · The Master

Well done John, you have done well. It looks in really great condition. You will be rapt and can now get organised for your trips.

blaze · Guru

Hi John
Looks to be sitting a little tail heavy, maybe worth while looking at putting some form of overload/helper springs under the bum. I think that would make it much more pleasant to drive. Looks to be a good unit for what you intend.
Happy planning and travelling.
cheers
blaze

yeoeleven · Guru

Thanks for your observation blaze, I will definitely have that looked into well before I set off.

I have placed more photos with Picasa if anyone would like to see.

http://picasaweb.google.com/yeoeleven/Camper?authkey=Gv1sRgCOOpydqZxPfdFQ#

yeoeleven · Guru

A little update is in order.

Now the camper auto electrics have been done as well as the gas certification. I have bought and attached an annex that has walls skirt and floor, this has changed my thinking about the length of time I may stay in one location in favour of more lengthy stays. This brought with it the need for mobility once set up and that is where the mountain bike came in together with the need for a carrying rack. This has all been completed together with the additional number plate.

I was able to buy a Saturn fringe area antenna and mounted a 1.2mtr painter's extention pole which allows me to raise the antenna 2.4 mtrs plus 600ml from the ground. Also I bought the dongle mentioned in my other post MobiDTV Pro and it works brilliantly on my desk top when connected to the TV caravan antenna. Currently I am looking at a 17" Dell Studio laptop which hopefully will work as well from the Saturn antenna in the campervan.

All this and more has been posted progressively on my blog www.yeoeleven.blogspot.com together with many photos progressively taken and uploaded to Picasa https://picasaweb.google.com/yeoeleven/Camper?authkey=Gv1sRgCOOpydqZxPfdFQ#

So four months on from this thread's start looking at a 12 month plan I am getting closer, all I have to get now is a solar folding panel and a replacement deep cycle battery plus a GPS. I have bought Camp6 and would like to make sure that all the coordinates can be uploaded to the GPS that I buy.

Then I will start on the campervan's mechanical aspects, it is an old van so I may be up for some unlpeasant surprises after the first check up.

John

Cruising Granny · Guru

It seems you are a veteran member of this forum, but all the best for safe and happy travels in your campervan.
It's a pity your marriage failure brought about such a change of life.
You're among friends here.

Happywanderer · The Master

Have been into your blog and checked out all the photos. Your van is so similiar to my Myrtle. Layout almost identical and even the dash looks the same. So much is like looking into mine. Except where yours is white mine has the brown furniture. What year is yours yeoeleven. Mines 1981. You've done quite a bit to it since last posting, done well.
Hope no nasty surprises when you start on the mechanical check up. Will be interested to see how you go after all the hassles with mine.

yeoeleven · Guru

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

CG in my case tbe veteran tag came from being gabby and posting on the forum I would like to earn the tag as and when I set off on my travels.

HW my van is 1979 so it will be very similar to yours. I must admit it comes up very well on photos but for $4500 I can't grumble. Especially when $470 was immediately spent on 6 months rego.

Up to now the total cost of bringing it up to scratch is a further $4500 but at least it was spent to my own plan. As you can see from the photos on Picasa it has come a long way since January.

John

Travel Bug · Guru

G'day John,
I have had a look at your blog and photos and am impressed.
You have done a great job on the van...and I love your awning smile
Hope to meet up on the road sometime.
Happy travelling. smile

yeoeleven · Guru

I made a spur of the moment decision on Saturday morning to go to Bigriggen Park and emailed them the details hoping for a speedy reply. Debbie must have been sitting next to the computer because the acceptance came back within 5 minutes. www.bigriggen.com.au

I was far from ready for my first overnight camping experience and having possesions in two areas I completely forgot the most basic things. No hammer to peg out the annex....No dishwashing cloth....No dishdrying cloth....No camera.

It was an intersting experience but I am not sure that type of location is good for me as a solo traveller. The area is over 40 hectares and there were family groups dotted about but they seemed to be well organised within their groups far enough away from other groups for their own privacy.

I took the push bike since the website suggested that there were trails to ride on so I was able to get around most of the park. There is a good amenity block with plenty of drinking water and hot showers using 20c coins.

I was able to take a photo with the mobile phone and transfer it via bluetooth to my GPS. I have no PC connection to my phone so it was a little challenging getting the photo across.

After 5 months of my 12 month plan I have made the first overnight trip, there are still several things to complete before I will be ready to set off. The projected set off date is August.

John

Happywanderer · The Master

That is looking really good yeoeleven. You have done well. So no problems with the mechanicals at all? The van runs well?
And you beat me to it on the road. I'm not far behind you though.

Should have added, hoping to get myself a nice canopy with walled annexe next summer. Something that is easy to put up.

-- Edited by Happywanderer on Tuesday 19th of April 2011 07:17:22 PM

HeadnHome · Senior Member

Wow thats looking good!! my camper came with awning (pull on with rope) and full annexe walls etc, very heavy duty
looks great up, my brother helped me put it on the first time no dramas, but I tried by myself... just didn't happen...
so will have to eventually try something else, but at the moment I will be only doing short trips away etc so not a major
problem.
So where is your bike rack holder? maybe I'll go check out your other photos might see how your set up is there.
Cheers!!

ChiChi1 · Guru

Hi Yeoeleven, Read you blog. That was great. You have accomplished a lot. Pleased to hear you are now getting out and about. All the best.

yeoeleven · Guru

Hi HeadnHome,

I bought a Mackrack but it has to be taken off to lift up the back door.

After the photo I ordered another smaller numberplate anf fitted it to the rack.

John bike stand.JPG

Firefly · Guru

The first trip, great way to iron out those bumps isn't it. You won't forget any of those things next time though, good on you, glad you are having fun. smile

yeoeleven · Guru

6 months on and $13000 spent at last the van is ready to go on my planned trip. Not all the money has been spent on the van there have been many purchases made to make the trip easier for example the GPS, antenna. inverter, new phone and solar panels just to mention a few items.

Major items for the van were the annex, fridge, both batteries and gas certification. Major work was with the auto electrician who reorganized the camper side of the electrics. A new alternator was installed and the deepcycle battery was correctly wired including anderson plugs outside the van for the solar panels and outside the storage area for the inverter.

Mechanically the van was sound in the engine but needed work on the cooling system including all welsh plugs and a radiator replacement. The front brakes needed work and the shoes,cylinders all replaced. A fluid leak had impregnated the shoes on the drivers side causing the need for new cylinders and shoes. An engine mount was replaced and sundry nother things were done. The gear change behind the steering wheel is a place that usually needs tightening up after a few years usage and the mechanic explained the gate system to help reduce unneccessary wear

When the van was up on the hoist the mechanic noticed that an air pipe into the rear shockabsorbers was unconnected. I had no idea that the van had air shockabsorbers and was pleasantly surprised when after reconnecting the pipe and pumping them up the van lifted a couple of inches at the rear, blaze commented on the the van being tail heavy previously and was spot on in his observations. Now the van travels the road bumps better at the rear than at the front.

So now when can I set off???? Just as soon as I can save up a total of $5000 plus the latest pension. I have set that as an arbitrary figure to allow for unexpected expenses and hope to achieve that by mid August. I have already sold my 1996 commodore, ready to renew the vans rego in July with the pensioner's discount. so my saving up has already begun.

John

HeadnHome · Senior Member

Sounds like the plan is ready to go.. well done and hope you have a great time when and wherever you head off to..

Travel Bug · Guru

Good on you John....your van looks great!!

I have been following your progress with interest and it's great that you are all set to get going.

I look forward to updates as you travel around.

Cheers. Pam. smile

ChiChi1 · Guru

Very nice set up John. Have fun

Happywanderer · The Master

I have been following your progress too John. You've done well, spent a lot of money and ready to go. Hope everything goes well for you and have fun.

Cruising Granny · Guru

There's nothing cheap about getting vehicles up to a reliable standard. Good for you! You have your priorities in the right order.
You should see the bills for Rosy my Landcruiser. 4X4s are more expensive to fix. That's life.
As long as it's safe and reliable now you should have a good run.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

John - you are almost there mate - keep saving those pennies. In your first post you mentioned your age - and I commend you for doing this now - met a guy yesterday who is just 70 - he has virtually no outside interests, or friends - I asked him what he did with his time, and he said housework, working on the car, watching TV and cooking (he is on his own) - he looks to be relatively fit and active, met him out walking. After reading your adventures, all I can say - he is wasting his life in my opinion.
I hope to be on the road next year (pension comes through in April) - and I have some money behind me, and I own a house (rented to son at present), my car his very reliable (4wd), and I have a 14ft Coromal pop top - easy to tow. Can't wait to get out there.
Good luck for the future, and stay in touch on this site, we are all interested in what everyone else is doing.