Just starting out

PoggyLu · Member

Just starting out

wendyv · Guru

Go for a compressor fridge - 12v or 12/'240v. I do not know specifically about the Thetford, but 3 way fridges do not work well in the tropics. Some will tell you that they do better, these days, but the experiences of others disputes this.

With 12v options, if you are intending to stay off the power grid, you will need to carefully match the power draw of your fridge - and other things like lighting - with your battery storage capacity, solar panels inputs etc. Expert advice needed there. A starting point would be the books on RV power systems published by Collyn Rivers.

Have never heard of - or seen - the van make you mention. I know there are lots of new companies making vans these days, but be careful. There have been some new companies that don't last long, and some who have not been great at delivering vans that are the qaulity or weight they promise - and the latter is very important. I do tend to prefer established, proven companies with good reputations - even though one may have to pay more.

Out of curiosity I just googled the van. I see it claims to be offroad - but from the pictures, it looks as though the heavy duty part of the chassis only extends as far as the wheels. For me, a true offroad van, that will stand up to rough roads, has the chassis going right along the length of the van - like our old Trakmaster did. Seems to offer a lot of "bling" - caveat emptor!

Kebbin · Guru

Do you have any specs on the van? Like ATM,tare who makes it? What's your tow vehicle?

Possum3 · Guru

You can get a lot of helpful free information and Checklists at the Caravan Council of Australia website www.caravancouncil.com.au/

RustyD · Guru

My 3 way fridge (gas/12v/240v) only runs off the 12 when its connected to the vehicle. Even then its just to keep what is in there cool. 12v from van battery is just for the smarts. Fridge only works fully with 240v or gas. However my 12v/240v Engel in my vehicle boot runs off a 12v battery charged by either solar or car or direct from 240v.

PoggyLu · Member

Thanks for the input. This helps us begin to focus our questions and direct our thinking.

We have a Mazda BT50 4X4, since we've loved Mazda for a long time. Most everyone we've talked to have given the BT50 a good report. Actually, I haven't heard anything at all bad about it. People tend to like the things they like.

The Grand Salute is is one we've started looking at, which has the things we were looking for.

For the curious- I'm ready to take the leap from working to transitioning (not totally retired, but fully 'tired'). We are planning to slowly make our way north from Port Lincoln SA and take the Great Central Road before it all gets capped, reports say that could happen relatively soon. I'm a newly sworn-in Australian that my Aussie wife brought back from the USA as her souvenir (she loves telling people I'm better than a Frig magnet (most days).
We've done lots of living close- lived in the US Caribbean, camped out of backpacks in the Mountains back home, did the territory out of an Apollo pop-up. We're more the small group around a quiet campfire than the big, full-on campgrounds.

We aren't hardcore four-wheelers, but we do enjoy being able to get away from the usual parks. Last year, we did the Mereenie Loop and fell in love with the area. We plan to get back and spend more time around Ormiston and Rainbow Valley.

Since we plan for this caravan to be our home for the next who-knows how long, there are some things we want that makes sense to us- like having the dining area inside to be a club lounge rather than a cafe.
I'll be adding additional batteries and solar and we'll be adding extra water bladders.

I'll drop it now, so I can go look at the

It's funny that Wendy has mentioned the very things we are questioning about the photos of the Grand Caravan. Is it really a Fully Off-Road?

One of the big down sides to our situation is that we are in Port Lincoln, which is far removed from any source of options to look at, in terms of caravans. We're stuck with the google... and every photo of every van looks awesome (of course).

So, it's now looking at what's out there that won't break our bank and still give us a place that we can be happy living in...

I'll leave it there so I can go look at the Caravan council site...
Thank again for your comments... like the movie says,

There's no present like the time...

Kebbin · Guru

Just a tip, if you go for the biggest van that you think you can tow ie 3500kg ATM then with passenger, driver, fuel load, towbar and bullbar your payload for the tug will be all but taken up, most people think having the tow vehicle heavier then the van is a good thing.

-- Edited by Kebbin on Saturday 7th of April 2018 08:07:43 AM

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Welcome to the gang Darrell, enjoy here and out in the playground.

Sorry, I no nothing about the van you ask about so will keep out of that one. Just make sure the weight of the van and tug are within plated weights to avoid any dramas down the track. Easy to sort now than later.

My 184Lt Thetford 3 way fridge does everything I want with ease, including in the tropics. It mainly runs on gas or 12v. when on 240v it's great too.

Keep Safe on the roads and out thjere.

lkyphl · Member

Darrell,

Speaking from experience, I would suggest looking at suitable (for where you want to take it), good quality second-hand vans ; after living with a van for a while your needs will almost certainly be "more focussed".
If you buy a recognised quality van second-hand, you should have little trouble selling it,

Phil

wendyv · Guru

If you want a really versatile off road van, it should not be too big - they get too hard to tow on narrow, twisty tracks, for example. The heavier they are is also a limitation.
You ask if it is truly an off road van? Suggest you have a look at the Trakmaster web site, and look at the specifications of their vans. This should give you key points for comparison. Things like strength of chassis and its extension all the way along, whether wiring and pipes are well protected underneath, ditto tanks....... and so on. Another site that can give you comparison points is Kedron.
You need to really think through aspects such as - onboard washing machine.....means you need more water and more storage for the resultant grey water.....means more frequent visits to watering and grey water discharge points, thus limiting the time you can stay out in the bush. It might be better to let the washing accumulate and visit a town laundromat, or caravan park, every so often. Or wash by hand sometimes!
Having all the suburban conveniences may not be compatible with the sort of traveling you want to do - maybe you should be answering that question, then looking for van to suit, rather than starting with the van?????

PoggyLu · Member

Thanks Wendy,
While some of the things you've mentioned are things we've already considered, it's nice to have someone else mention them, just to make us feel we're at least on the right track.

We have begun the process by defining the life we want to live, then looking for a caravan that fits that life, without too much sacrifice. Although we know there will be some. It's how much can we give up and still have the experience be worth it.

There's merit in buying a used van, I know. But, buying used is most times a crap shoot, as few used ones come with any warranty. I'd prefer to buy a new one, if we can.

We've laid out what we want our future to be:

1. We will continue to work some. We've been looking at the Help Wanted pages and can envision ourselves parked up for a month or more in some place like Alice Springs, doing part time work, while taking extended trips out to Ormiston and the like. We're also open to Farm-sitting. I'm currently a WHS Safety Advisor and a Trainer/ Assessor, with experience in high risk workplaces. So, things like shutdowns and contract work is always an option.

2. To that end, a van with a washing machine is not any weight to the decision. If we have one, we'd likely use it while parked up where we can easily empty the Grey Water. We've spent days out where we did exactly what you've mentioned, let the laundry pile up, while washing those things we need to by hand. Most of our lay-overs will be in places that have laundry facilities and such. If I can trade the TV for an extra battery, I'm there.

3. It seems rare to us that we'll be staying anywhere for only one night. So, we plan to have an annex that encloses the awning, along with a good ground sheet. This would give us a large living space addition. We once lived in an apartment in Melbourne that had less living space than the set-up we're thinking about with the awning. But...

4. One of the big selling points for us, right now, is having a club lounge dinette. This lay-out just gives us more space inside, should we have a few days of bad weather. The down-side to this is that any van with this lay-out is big... 21 ft mostly. I'm still grappling with the trade-off. Buying a Fully Off Road of that size still limits the ability to go off road, unless you have a tank to tow it. My goal will always be to plan NOT to get into places I have to plan to get out of...

5. Once we do decide on a particular van, we're committed to two things: We'll make sure to have an independent appraisal of both the van and our tow vehicle. We'll plan to pay that cost to have someone that knows tell us what they think.

I'll go to the sites you've mentioned and look them over.

Today, we're looking at two other vans:

1. Legend Kickback

2. Retreat Daydream

Both fully Off Road.

Please keep adding any thoughts or ideas you have :)
Thanks Darrell

wendyv · Guru

Darrell - sounds to me like you are on the right track, regarding planning and thinking things through before committing yourself to one rig.

Re work: back when we were travelling with offroad van and 4WD, found there was work to be had in remote tourism operations in the far north - where the operations are very seasonal and they have a peak need for staff for a few months only. Grey nomads are regarded favourably, often - work harder, more reliable than backpackers. If you can get "paperwork" like Responsible Service of Alcohol, Food handling certification etc - that adds versatility.