Dear GN Members, I would like to hear from anyone who is travelling in a small caravan we have an "A" Avan. We love it and have had some great shorter trips in it. I am wondering how it would go for a longer trip. Cheers DonnaC
Welcome to the gang DonnaC, enjoy here and out in the playground.
I had a Avan 'Sportliner' the baby of the family for the first 3 years of my travels but I am solo and then was only on the road 8 out of 12 months. I had a great time and loved it. I decked it out for off the grid camping.
When I decided to go on the road full time and sell the base camp I decided I wanted a full ensuite and something bigger. I have no regrets at all and love my aluminium tee per, what is listed below in my signature.
Just my thoughts and what I have done.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
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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)
I have a slide on camper that is no bigger then an A Van like Doug had. I do have a shower & toilet! Enough room inside for two. I did a trip to Alice Springs, gone for 6 weeks. we never once felt that it didn't suit our needs. I guess at the end of the day you just have to suit yourself.
We have an Avan cruiseliner and spend lot of time on the road have made some changes eg. - internal porta pottie under seat near door similar to the attached photo. we have gas / electric hot water with external shower, I have put external access doors under all seats, extra power points etc we have one of the larger annex's and have found no issues living together (after 30 years ) its a bit late to complain.
Hi Donna, I have a normal size avan. (16ft) The longest trip I've been on so far was 6 weeks in NW WA last year. I don't take my awning as its too heavy and not worth using unless you are staying a few days.
I'm about to embark on a longer trip of 12-14 weeks but will be much more organised this time. You need to do a number of practise trips to find the best way to organise your stuff as there's not much room for excess.
I'm travelling solo so there's no problem tripping over anyone. Lots of people in the Avan club travel as a couple and mostly they seem to convert the table and chairs to a second bed as the double is a bit squashy. You can get little portable tables to fit in the space between the two beds and there are a zillion modifications to make life easier when on the road.
If you're not a member already, the club is only about $30 a year and all club trips and activities are optional. It's well worth it. Apart from the great people in the club, you can get heaps of ideas by looking at what others have done.
Hi
We built our own full height (not pop top) van 10'6" long and 6' wide. Tare 450kg. It was built lightweight for our trike but was still too heavy for it.
I designed it with 2x single beds, toilet and shower, mini kitchen etc. Outside awning is essential as being small you spend more time out there and one side wall is important as is a fold down exterior table. We cooked on a single burner camp stove and sometimes a small hooded bbq.
We towed it with our Hyundai i30 diesel last year around the country (excluding Tassy and northern Queensland. ) 18500 km and $1900 fuel and therein lies the benefit, economy.
Our trip took a quick 13 weeks. But we dont like longer time away from home. If you prefer longer get a slightly larger unit say 13'-14'. But I stress toilet facilities inside the van was a godsend. A shower cubicle is handy. We simply heated water in our kettle and placed the bucket on top of our portapotti and used a submerged camping shower and pump. Cheap and effective. No expensive hot water unit. 12 volt only but if you go north an aircon is essential so 240v becomes a necessity. We wont be going north again, we arent tropical lovers.
We have storage under the beds each side via hatches and drawbar tool box. Its amazing how much "stuff" you have to take. We also have a hatch for the potti. I didnt fancy carrying it down steps.
We managed ok with a small waeco cf-17 chest fridge (works faultlessly) but the solar panel 120w with 100amp deep cycle battery wasnt enough. We installed another panel 90w and that is fine now. We spent every 4th day or so in a caravan park and used a smart charger to top up the battery anyway.
We have a small tv/dvd and folding antenna but only used the dvd.
We kept an eye on the weather. At Burra SA we had 100kph plus winds. We were camped at the showgrounds. Thankfully our van was built with a strong rollbar and two eyelets welded to it at the side of the roof. We had rope from them to telegraph poles. I think we could have been blown away otherwise, with us in it!. This is a hazard for small vans. Here is the van. Cheers.
http://s804.photobucket.com/user/eaglefree/media/van%20camping%20nug%20nug.jpg.html?sort=3&o=19
Our new towcar. 2001 JBA v6 Holden engine..
http://s804.photobucket.com/user/eaglefree/media/van%20camping%20nug%20nug.jpg.html?sort=3&o=19
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
I have a 13 foot van. Outside shower, twin battery system with solar, last a week in overcast weather bogged and off the grid! Happy with it so far and with the awning and an outside cot with midge screen, I am happy. Also have a jaffle iron!!
I have a 14 footer Goldstream Explorer ST off road with shower and toilet. More than big enough for Kathy and I. The only negative is the East / West bed makes getting out of bed a bit difficult for the one who has to climb over there the other.
Friends of ours went around the block in their A-liner, they enjoyed the trip, they still like the van and each other. It's all in the mind how you cope. If you enjoy travelling in the van then keep extending the length of your trips. Eventually you will get right around the block
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
The MAIN negative with small vans and beds. is a DOUBLE. even if it tilts up to wall.
2 singles give acces to full length of van. and double it's internal size.
When we started out vanning. beds were doubles. BUT either tilted up into internal wall. or some had higher headroom at one end and bed winched up into that area.
either way. FULL floor space to use.
They normally winched\tilted down to sit on backs of nice big lounge area seats.
a 1000 times more sensible than these modern "look at my BIG fancy queen bed". Taking up half my 7 mtr van. Drrrrrrrrrr.
Just walk into a van with singles sometime. or look at piccies of an old tilt up rig.
Completely different vans.
PS.
I've been round on a 600 dirt bike and tarp.
Toyota Hi-Ace lift top Camper
34 ft \42 ft yachts. and vans to 6.5mtr.
so covered all the variables.
Little.
Practically. Long term, in all climes.
is not viable, or (honestly to yourself)
comfortable.
Unlesss you a dwarf. Chuckle.
I couldn't handle it
But 17 yrs 24\7 with Di.
Looking forward to next 17 yrs.
The person ain't the problem.
-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 25th of April 2017 12:51:41 PM
There were big vans in the past too.
Early '60's I had a 28ft (static) then a 22ft mobile
for work travel.
First 2 kids we had while in that.
Third in new house.
15ft "Sprite" for around 4 yrs for fun. then over here.
Varying, 12 ft 6 to 6.5 mtr.
Back to 535 Coromal Tandem full height.
My fav the 6.5 mtr Roadstar offroader.
Big heavy safe.
and SUPER COMFORTABLE.
3 ltr Patrol towed it easy. and at 6,5 kmpl AVERAGED over 13 yrs or so.
Quite economical too.
Missus fav was the Compass pop top 17ft 3 in Off Roader..
Best layout ever For it's size.
but not enuff room for my fishing gear.
Welder, Genny. tool boxes etc.
Everybody different.
But If travelling I want comfort. Even in my 2 main yachts.
34 and 42 ft centre ****pit Cutters.
Room to move.
Could never see the point in scrimping ,to live in a matchbox.
Sorry.
Realistically. 17 ft to 18ft 6in is ideal size to live in long term.
Preferably the latter.
Everybody accumulates.
Thete are good reasons to own a small van.
Economy is the biggest. In our case mentioned above on disability pension and not much super etc we could not do a "lap" as we did last year in a larger van.
Consider this: when towing with our diesel i30 we got 9L/100km. When driving around the hills, shopping, visiting reloes 2 hours away in Melbourne we get 5.3 L/100kms. That's 1100kms to 60 bucks.
To own a larger van and often requiring a 4WD the sense if that is not very clever IN OUR SITUATION.
So our every day car an economical diesel hatch makes perfect sense for both purposes.
We had fun on a smaller scale. Our trips are limited to 6-8 weeks max apart from the lap at 13 weeks.
But if I was a longer traveller I'd go bigger.
So there are good reasons why some go small.
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
I hope that I am not too late to welcome you to the forum
In my opinion, (so I could be wrong), if you can adapt to the rig you travel in, then anything is doable, regardless of the size
From observation, I find that in the free camps, the majority of travellers, live outside their rigs, in good weather Their rigs are mainly used for sleeping, eating, and only as full time shelter, when in bad weather
My definition of a rig, is anything between a tent and a fifth wheeler motorhome
I'm trying Taliskers 10 at present.
a nice drop and fair price too..
Tony.
in the tropics.
a 15\18ft roll out is better to dodge sun with outside.
than a little 7 to 9 ft on small van.
Done both.
BIGGER is better in that case alone.
Plus also.
if you a fisherman (lot of us are)
you take the rooftopper, outboard and all the gear.
So have a large Ute, Minimum.
Normally Patrol. Troopy, etc.
So may as well have a decent van behind.
Sorry. I can see no pleasure apart from fuel economy.
in tiny rigs.
I'd rather travel less over same time frame and live in comfort.
My litle rear door 12 ft 6 was enuff for me. Matchbox.
2 x Beds. 2 small seats and a 2 burner gas ring.
YUK.
Oh and aa small fridge that never kept stuff cold. (3 way)
Horses for courses.
Just that I like 16.2 hand, "Appy's" thank you.
Jack liked her tiny Ayrabs.
Thank you all for your input. Its encouraging to hear the success stories of small caravans. We can't do any really long trips for a couple of years yet - last one in school :). The ideas of alterations and practice runs are great. We are members of the Avan club...only just joined. We work the SA country show circuit and use our van then but we aren't in it day and night. We have had clement weather that has kept us inside a few times. I'm a reader and Rik a bit of programming - we keep these activites for days we are closed in... We foresaw that need.
Thank you again for all your comments. Safe travels. Cheers DonnaC
This s a good example of how threads get off course. The OP asked about coping in a small van. He already has the van so why all the white noise about getting a larger van?
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
We are heading towards retirement and a couple of years ago decided to buy a caravan.
Our journey took us over many months of reading , visiting caravan yards, attending RV shows and talking to people with vans.
At the end of the day our personal criteria had to apply and that was what budget value, type of vehicle and runnning costs, style of camping e.g. we prefer caravan parks or places with shower and loo's available.
In our experience looking at vans above our budget was frustrating and almost caused us to give up our dream. Until, one chap at a caravan sales centre made this comment "the view out the window is the same from all vans mate".
We ended up with a 14ft Olympic Sprinter, pop top, single beds. Weighs 1130kg empty and we tow with a diesel Outlander (previously towed with a diesel X-Trail)
we have travelled over 18,000klms in it so far, longest trip so far 8 weeks and 11,000klms. The rest local getaways and a couple weeks here and there as we are still working.
We like lots of things about the van, light to tow, easy to store in our yard, easy to manoeuvre , lots of practical storage, we have made some modifications to suit us.
Would we like something bigger? Not really.
We have friends that we go camping with , they have a 22ftish silver line with roll outs etc, beautiful, comfortable , all the bells and whistles and we are very happy for them, we both get to see the same view from the window!
We are planning on 3 month stints when we retire and feel at this moment that we will wear this van out. I guess time will tell.
