Hi Nathalie. yes i have done it with my two sons about 15 to 20 years ago in tent ,from Adelaide to Wilsons promontory and the Great Ocean rd and back, great fun.
We travel in a wind up type camper trailer similar to the Jayco ones .... We always free camp where we can unless we plan on a lot of sightseeing and then we use low cost parks where possible for additional security when leaving the van for a day or two while we disappear In the car. Takes a bit longer to set up, and not as easy as just pulling up somewhere in a motor home or caravan, but it can be done. Only thing I don't like is when you just stop overnight somewhere, you need to rearrange stuff that is usually packed on the floor for travelling ... Some of this has to be left outside overnight so you can move around freely in the van. You get used to it after a while and only leave stuff outside that is cheap and easy to replace. It does not take long to get into a routine of what goes where. The low cost for petrol use and ease of towing is the trade off, however, in saying that, we will be selling the camper at the end of the year and buying a motor home for easier camping ... Getting too old for the continual winding up, pushing beds out and having to be a mountain goat to get in and out of bed each day, not to mention making the bloody things! Still, don't have any regrets over purchasing ... It was a cheaper way to start off and be sure that it is the lifestyle you want to pursue. A hell of a lot easier and more comfortable than a tent which we camped in for years prior!
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The Maccas ....
2013 Avida Esperance Motorhome - based in northern NSW.
I suspect that most travelers that have camper trailers try to find more permanent spots to stop, as like has already been said free camps are mostly limited to 24 or at the most 48hrs (with exceptions like Greens Lake) so the trouble you need to goto to camp overnight becomes a hassle..
When traveling the East Coast we see a lot of backpackers in cars and wagons that pitch a tent overnight but as you say very few camper trailers..
I have a Avan Camper Trailer and I free/alternative camp heaps and have had no problems so far. If I am only doing a one night stand I leave the den connected to to the tug and just level up and turn fridge to gas and it takes 30 seconds to put the sides of the Avan up. All up about 5 mins and ready for happy hour.
I have seen a lot of similar set ups in free/alternative camps as well.
Just go for it Nat.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
We currently use a Goldstream Off Road camper trailer for our travels partly due to our financial circumstances, but more importantly due to the ease of towing of this type of vehicle given its low profile. There are only two of us sharing the van so space isn't an issue and when we are set up we use the second bed as a storage area.
We utilise free/low cost camp sites most of the time nowadays having felt like we have been driven out of many caravan parks due to greedy owners who charge absurd tariffs.
As with almost every type of RV on the road, there are both advantages and compromises to be made and with this style of vehicle the downside for us is the time it takes to pack it up especially in the rain. Sometimes when you pull up at a free site, you are the only ones there. Then at about dusk, a bunch of Wicked wiz bangs pull up and want to party. There is only one response and that is to pack the thing up and move on. It would be so much easier if all we needed to do was to put the awning up and start the car!!
We traveled in a Campertrailer full time for 21/2 years and it was mostly free camping it's a great way of seeing the outback area's etc,got a van when we finnished the Gibb River road
We have just recently come back from a trip out to Cameron Corner, Innamincka and the Dig Tree in our off road camper trailer - sadly the poor thing did not make it home (another story) but we had no trouble with setting up in caravan parks and on the banks of the Cooper Creek (at Innamincka) it was just magic! We received some brouchures this morning in the mail with the view of buying another one for the off-road trips that we still want to do. Just go for it, and happy travels!
Pete & June
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Pejay are travelling in a 2014 Holden Colorado LTZ Twin Cab Ute + 2013 Coromal Element van
Don't forget, for many local government agencies and similar, self contained is usually not a pop up tent and porta pot .... It extends to you having grey water tank ....I have also heard of places where they want confirmation that black and grey waste are contained in your tanks and disposed of correctly, generally at dump points .... We are restricted to camping mostly where there are toilets even though we have portable shower, toilet and hot water system .... But we do not have the holding tank for grey water. In remote areas of course you may have the option of digging a hole! Enjoy whatever you do ....cheers
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The Maccas ....
2013 Avida Esperance Motorhome - based in northern NSW.
We have done a couple of trips from Newcastle, up through the centre, out western Macdonnel Ranges to Uluru, and into western QLD in a camper trailer. Due to time contstraints we had a lot of over night stops at free camps, not so much roadside camps, but bush camps. Usually we'd find an out of the way track and set up out of site of the road. Only takes us 15 mins to setup and about half hour to pack up in the morning if you don't use the annex (which you don't need for overnighters). Always take all your rubbish out with you.
hi just give it a go mate that's all I can say really.
me and boys travelled in a jayco finch but only 3months at a time though
it was a great time
enjoy
Regarding the free campsites, for those that have used them, do you see many camper trailers set up in them on your travels?
It is just that in our travels on the road, we never seem to see them, just camper vans, mobile homes and caravans.
Do people free camp with tents, or swags, or camper trailers?
Nat.
Nat, we used to travel with a camper trailer (canvas, soft floor) and only once were we moved on from a free camp at Childers. The caravan and motorhome who were also there were not moved. However, we have stayed at plenty of other campsites, along side caravans, camper vans, mobile homes, busses, and backpackers in cars, tents etc.
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DUNMOWIN is no longer on the road and still DUNMOWIN!
