we are planning on travelling from perth to melbourne in october or november this year towing a 14" pop top van we have done the road trip many time but never towing a van the tug is a 4x4 challenger dual fuel and van is gross of 1020 i would love to hear all imput as to cost and time and to recomended distance to travel each day there is no hurry and want to make it as easy on the vechicals as posibble thanks in advance Red Dog
Just did Ballarat via Streaky Bay to Ballarat. Van covered 3360kms. Day trip w/out van to Ceduna. We did up to 650kms and down to 200kms per day. Stopped as early as 1:00pm and as late a 6:00pm. Most I've done in a day is 1,000kms last year. If you are doing some "free-camping", there is no hurry to get anywhere other than off the road when the wildlife comes out. Dragged our feet from Whyalla via Port Lincoln to Streaky Bay. If there was something good to look at, we did. It was a "hurry up and wait trip".
Good part about the van is that we had food, drink & toilet so not particular where we stopped during the day. Also had a Engel in the boot that proved invaluable. SWMBO and self don't drink tea or coffee so having a cold drink on board was great. Fruit cake and breakfast / muesli bars are a good foods that requires no looking after for a snack.
Prior to van & Engel, we just had a big esky that we effectively added a bag of ice to very other day. Cheaper that buying soft drink at a servo. A few drink bottles for water with a handful of ice from the esky was good too.
Mostly got fuel at next available stop after tank went below half full. Further you get away from towns, the cheaper is diesel. Dearest was Port Augusta at $1.19 but was anywhere from $1.03 to $1.19. Petrol prices were all over the place. Sometimes 10c cheaper than diesel and sometimes 10c dearer at the same servo.
Ceduna via Streaky Bay to Poochera is only 34kms longer than sticking to the highway and is worth the detour along the coast.
When heading home via Peterborough (SA) we were going to free-camp about an hour short of Peterborough. However we decided free-camping in 40 degrees was not good so we went on to Peterborough has a swim in the pool while the A/C cooled the van. Probably at least 8 other vans there for same reason. Just having a swim or a cold shower was a god-send in 40 degrees.
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GRANDPARENTS & GRANDCHILDREN GET ON SO WELL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A COMMON ENEMY
We took 19 days to do the 3360kms and stayed at 9 locations. Probably most relaxed trip we've done. Previously we've basically just gone flat-chat to get to a destination, stayed for a week or two, then flat-chat home. We are planning to go across to the West next year. Streaky Bay was a test run. Whole new perspective on vanning when you are in your 60s and no kids.
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GRANDPARENTS & GRANDCHILDREN GET ON SO WELL TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A COMMON ENEMY
Yes this is very true as I said have done the trips many tines but never with a caravan so am hoping to get some good travel and camping tips from the ones who on a semi full time basis, as this will be a hole new deal for me, and I am looking forward to it so much.
We have travelled to Melbourne (and back) quite a few times. We tow an Expanda 14.44.5 (overall length 6 metres and approx 1800kg) behind an Isuzu D Max 3.0 litre diesel. We average 13 litres per 100km travelling anywhere between 90 - 110km per hour
We cover 600 - 800 kilometres per day, so 5 days to Melbourne. We have yet to do the trip at a more leisurely pace. There are numerous free camps and some not to pricey parks. Carry all the water you need between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta.
Hi David - met you at the rodeo on New Years Eve, with Sue and Phil - we came back to the East pretty slowly - some fave stops of ours are Head of Bight (free camp at the gate), Haslem (just at the Ceduna end of the eEyre Peninsula) - Pildappa Rock in SA, the RV camp at Port Augusta, (must contain grey water). Lots of others, just take it easy and slow and enjoy!!!! Water is one of the hardest things on the trip - we carry drinking water, and use water in the tank for washing, dishes etc., very sparingly. For the ladies (and gentlemen) a pack of baby wipes gives a good refreshing all over wash without water - dispose of in bin though not in the toilet - they DO NOT BREAK DOWN!!!!
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
we are planning on travelling from perth to melbourne in october or november this year towing a 14" pop top van we have done the road trip many time but never towing a van the tug is a 4x4 challenger dual fuel and van is gross of 1020 i would love to hear all imput as to cost and time and to recomended distance to travel each day there is no hurry and want to make it as easy on the vechicals as posibble thanks in advance Red Dog
Hello Red Dog
As you have previously done the road trip, then you already know what the conditions are. The difference with pulling a caravan is only one of cost.
If you hit a hot head wind, just keep your eye on the temperature gauge, and be prepared to pull over under a tree, from time to time.
I found it was not worth the effort to carry spare fuel, between Norseman and Ceduna, as it was only about a 1,200 kilometres section of higher fuel prices.
I would suggest that pulling a small pop top caravan, you should get around 7 kilometres per litre, travelling around 90 kph. This means that you would be using around 170 litres of fuel on this stretch. If the cost of fuel on the Nullarbor is 50 cents per litre higher, then it is only an extra $85 or thereabouts. The recommended distance to travel each day, is entirely up to you.
I have based my fuel calculations on my own experience of towing a 17 foot pop top, with a 6 cylinder Ford Falcon. I had always averaged around 10 kilometres per litre, normal driving without towing, and sticking to the speed limit I averaged 7 kilometres per litre towing my caravan at 90/95 kph around Australia, and there are some very big hills in the east, which makes Greenmount hill look like a baby.
Hope this is the type of info you are looking for
-- Edited by Tony Bev on Friday 25th of March 2016 03:20:51 PM
