I am very new to this caravanning caper -- haven't yet bought a van -- so I would love some advice from those who have been there, done that.
At this stage I have only a few ideas of where I would like to go but I accept that wherever I go there will be roads that, at certain times of the year, will have corrugations, potholes and so on. I am not planning on going off road although I guess some access roads may sometimes be classed as off road. For example, I have heard that the road to and from Willandra NP can sometimes become a bit lumpy.
Do I need an "off road" van for corrugated pot holed roads or will a "normal" van do the trick?
I guess that if I come across a road that has deteriorated to the lumpy stage, I just don't go unless I'm in an off road van or I leave the "normal" van at a c'van park and take a tent.
Any advice, help, suggestions and so on would be appreciated.
If you want to go off road , especially if you are driving on rough roads, then you will need an off road van! I have a slide on camper that suits me just fine as I can take my boat with me & I really wasn't interested in towing a van. I guess the choices you make will be dependent on your own needs & how much you want to spend. There are quite a lot of choices out there! I wish you luck with whatever you do. You will have a lot of advice from nomads with all sorts of glampers!
In my opinion, there is no such thing as an offroad van if it is more than about 15 feet. Due to ramp angles and turning circles, anything bigger will not go offroad. There should be a different category - non-sealed road vans. Rather than a bit of aluminium cladding and extra clearance, the suspension and overall strength of chassis is important if you are wanting to do the GRR, Cape York or similar.
99% of vans will go 99% of places. Driven by a knowledgable driver.
There are that many new mfg's on market it ain't funny.
Personally. Buyinga van to do 99% of Australia. there's only one sensible van to buy. Little company down in Victoria. sells through front gates only.
EVERNEW.. Around 50 yrs old nowadays. and I've never. in 40 odd yrs seen a bad one.
I had Roadstar. cause E New never had one ready when I wanted one. Saying that though. 2 Roadstars and a Compas. (Same co) never had a bad one there either. Semi offroaders only. These modern vans are too fancy. big and exxy for my taste. Anything around 18ft and a little over will live you in forever. Comfortably. More adventurous. Stay under 16ft max.
I wouldn't trust too many of these imports. they not built, underneath for our rough surfaces continually. Independant suspension with shockers the best. Tandem or single. Longer drawbar the better. and axle system further back from centre of van also the best for control. COuld go on forever.
Toss your coin. take your chance. and like tyres. It ain't forever. Just hopeyou made a good choicefirst time round.
Have fun. and lotsa decision making b4 spending..
Semi Offroad is best for all round. is all I'll say. with around 4mfg's KNOWN reliable long term builds. Look carefully if you go Simplicity.Susp. It needs one important mod. B4 usage. (I've had 3. 2 modded.
Just keep researching and doing your homework and above all keep asking questions from anyone and everyone as each will have their answer and experience.
Suzie and I were very much like you and in the end we styled up for a very comfortable well built on road van of 22 foot with all the bells and whistles you can think of but the one extra thing I got put on was good quality shock absorbers as this definitely AIDS the rebounding of your springs and softens the van riding ability.
We did this because we like our golf and fishing and free camping with a lot of every type of road you can think of dirt,rough,corrugated and bitumen and have had no problems so far.
Good luck just do the research .
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Tug Landcruiser Sahara Turbo Diesel/ Den Luxliner 21' plus
We spent a lot of time looking at vans, years of caravan shows in fact. We finally decided on a 15ft6in Millard Overlander with a strong chassis and good suspension. It's an old reputable company still building quality. They call it a Semi-Off-road mainly because they won't risk guaranteeing it in the scrub. It's a good little van, well made and nothing moves when travelling.
In our old van we had to be careful opening the door as you never knew what would roll out to greet you.
