looking for info on travelling aus for 2 years

simon and mell · Member

looking for info on travelling aus for 2 years

brickies · Guru

Good day welcome , Why a coaster and tow a car ? 2 motors to look after why would you just tow a caravan , Now I know plenty of people have coasters and tow a car but what is the reasoning , I am not saying it is wrong I just want to know why people decide on that rig

Hylda&Jon · Guru

Hi & welcome!

We did it for 2 years aronnd Aus in a caravan and Land Cruiser. Make sure you take something with 4WD or you will miss a lot.

Keep volunteering with power and water included in mind.

Cheers

simon and mell · Member

we where thinking of the expence of bying a 4wd and a caravan as aposed to bying a coaster and a little 4wd but i could be wrong what is your experiance

wendyv · Guru

Due to age and health issues, in 2012 we sold our 4WD and van. Had the rig since 1997, spent about 9 years all up in it. The driver was over all the hassle of towing the van, setting up etc. Bought a Coaster motorhome and a Terios to flat tow behind it. The towing is different: you are basically pulling the vehicle along - the only weight on the back of the bus is that of the hitch. With the van, was "down" weight as well.

We went for a Coaster because Toyotas are all over Australia, so repairs and parts available. Have spent a lot of time up north and seen the way Coaster buses used in communities and tourist operations handle pretty rough treatment. Very strong.

In Vic, it will cost us more to register bus and Terios than it did 4WD and van, because van rego is very cheap here.

Harr0 · Member

buy an toyota landcruiser and deck the back out ,no towing,no extra rego,go where you want,that's just my two cents

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

As I get older the MH becomes much more attractive for me as there is far less setting up when arriving and leaving, have camped and caravanned for more than 60 years and have rented MH's when overseas.
Why not try both, before deciding, rent a caravanand try it out and then a MH, what is right for one person will not suit another.
There are many MH's for sale on the CMCA site and that will give you an idea of the prices
http://www.cmca.net.au/pages/members_market/MembersMarketJanuary.php
Cheers
David

-- Edited by Roving-Dutchy on Tuesday 22nd of January 2013 10:41:45 AM

-- Edited by Roving-Dutchy on Tuesday 22nd of January 2013 10:44:42 AM

brickies · Guru

David I think that is a good idea has were always wanted to buy a motor home went to NZ and hire a 6 berth for 28 days and came home and finished up buying a caravan , We all have different needs and till you try both you don't know which one for fill those needs after all what suit one doesn't everyone

capricorn and pisces · Senior Member

We travelled Australia for two years, some time ago, in a Landcruiser and 17' pop top. It had a very good annexe which extended the living space when staying in the one place for a period of time, we also took a small tent for times when we left the van and headed for more difficult terrain....the best two years of our lives!! We also had a small monthly income and found work on a couple of occasions, can't wait to get travelling again. We found as time went on that we really hadn't indulged in too much "over packing", we took just what we needed in most cases, one thing that we did off load to relatives after six months was a patchwork quilt that I had intended to hand quilt in my spare time as we travelled Firstly I hate hand quilting and secondly we didn't seem to have a lot of "spare"time, there always seemed to be something to do or see. cheers Capricorn

neilnruth · Guru

Welcome from us too simon and mell. Hope you don't have too much trouble deciding. It will be your choice in the long run but there'll be lots of helpful advice. We prefer towing a caravan so we can leave the van behind and 'go see'. We have a 14'6" lightweight Viscount.

Hi Capricorn. Can't believe you didn't have time to quilt!!

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Whatever you decide Simon and Mell.. best wishes! There are hundreds of different rigs and combinations out there, its what suits you that counts. Make yourself a list of the places you'd like to go, things you'd like to do, things you'd hate, etc, might clarify the type of set-up you are going to need.

We have a 15ft pop-top, planning a short trip with a hired motorhome to test whether we'd prefer that to the van.

I'm like you Capricorn, never seem to have time for hobbies other than photography...