Looking for advice.

redx2 · Member

Looking for advice.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

G'day redx2 - welcome to the forum where you'll get good advice & possibly meet some nice people as you travel around.

Don't be afraid to utilise the "Search" button as there may have been others with similar needs to yourselves - there is a "Travelling with Pets" & "Items for Sale" segment as well.

Some of us are like you & aren't afraid of buying second hand. There are a few ways of looking at it - either you may buy someone else's troubles or all the problems may have been sorted out by the previous owner(s) & you don't want to waste oodles of dollars on a van that you may end up wrecking on a rough road.

What you buy will be determined on where you want to go - eg stay on the black smooth top or be a little adventurous & head off into the "wilds of Australia", travelling on dirt or doubtful roads. Off road vans often have independent suspensions & are generally higher off the road. They will be smoother riding on rougher roads but have suspensions that may need a bit of adjusting from time to time. They may have dedicated off-road couplings.
Others are called "semi-off road" - have elliptical springs with stronger chassis than on-road vans & perhaps an off-road coupling.

As you said the range is mind boggling - dedicated high roof van, pop top & then what ever you want after that. Do be aware that the weights can be critical to your safety, insurance & the law - the Search button will show you lots on this subject. Just because you have a 20' van doesn't mean you can fill it to the brim - nor does it mean that your Ranger can carry what the dealer thought you could with a fully loaded van. I was caught out on this last point!

However, welcome & enjoy reading what the other members give. Some of us have "high horses", some have arguments but you get that with any organisation. The forum has helped me numerous times & saved me some dollars in my wallet.

redx2 · Member

Hi Warren, thanks so much for your advice. I certainly will check out the Travelling with Pets segment. I was reading in the forum where it had taken a couple 3yrs to find what they wanted in a van! Gosh we certainly don't want to wait quite that long. We live in the South West Slopes area of NSW & it's a tad chilly here in winter. We can't wait to get on the road, and hopefully get to head north for the next winter! I have a couple of friends who have motor homes & vans & they just love the lifestyle, & have met some lovely people.

Again thank you so much.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

G'day again Robyn,
One other way of looking is to wander around some caravan parks & ask people about their vans - that's what we did with camper trailers. Most people give good advice & let you "have a look". Don't be afraid to ask questions - it may simplify your search.

Another is to visit your library(ies) & read CV&MH, Caravan World magazines when you start to narrow the search.

Waiting three years for the "perfect" van? That wasn't us! Our Jayco Outback Eagle didn't have a toilet in it & "cool" early morning dashes to the loo in the caravan parks in Canberra in the middle of winter weren't pleasant!!
I narrowed our choice to a pop top & read up on a few, then saw "a suitable van in a dealer's yard" & lashed out. AND learnt about the weight issues not long after!

PS - It's a tad cool here in Warrnambool at the moment & we're staying with our daughter in her house. Can't wait to head home in the tropics!

Farmhat · Senior Member

Warren-Pat_01 wrote:
G'day redx2 - welcome to the forum where you'll get good advice & possibly meet some nice people as you travel around.

Don't be afraid to utilise the "Search" button as there may have been others with similar needs to yourselves - there is a "Travelling with Pets" & "Items for Sale" segment as well.

Some of us are like you & aren't afraid of buying second hand. There are a few ways of looking at it - either you may buy someone else's troubles or all the problems may have been sorted out by the previous owner(s) & you don't want to waste oodles of dollars on a van that you may end up wrecking on a rough road.

What you buy will be determined on where you want to go - eg stay on the black smooth top or be a little adventurous & head off into the "wilds of Australia", travelling on dirt or doubtful roads. Off road vans often have independent suspensions & are generally higher off the road. They will be smoother riding on rougher roads but have suspensions that may need a bit of adjusting from time to time. They may have dedicated off-road couplings.
Others are called "semi-off road" - have elliptical springs with stronger chassis than on-road vans & perhaps an off-road coupling.

As you said the range is mind boggling - dedicated high roof van, pop top & then what ever you want after that. Do be aware that the weights can be critical to your safety, insurance & the law - the Search button will show you lots on this subject. Just because you have a 20' van doesn't mean you can fill it to the brim - nor does it mean that your Ranger can carry what the dealer thought you could with a fully loaded van. I was caught out on this last point!

However, welcome & enjoy reading what the other members give. Some of us have "high horses", some have arguments but you get that with any organisation. The forum has helped me numerous times & saved me some dollars in my wallet.

Fantastic reply Warren-Pat_01

Joe

moamajohn · Guru

Robyn .If and when you make a purchase ,please go direct to a public weighbridge and get your weights checked out with and without the tow vehicle . Cheers.

wendyv · Guru

If you have never before towed a van, suggest you do a towing course before setting out.

Dave1952 · Senior Member

Hi RedX2,
When you do decide on a specific brand, log onto Caravancampingsales.com.au and set your search parameters. You can then search various brands and prices. As well, if there are any you see that you are interested in, you can save them and any activity related to your saved searches will generate an email notification to you. You can opt out at any time and it is FREE to join.
Another tip is to get onto our friend Mr Google and read reviews of the brands available, that way you get a bit of an idea of pros and cons of the brands and what pitfalls to watch out for.
Finally, if you rn into any strife, please feel free to message me on this forum. I did work in the motor trade when the safety industry was quiet and may be able to help.
Regards
Dave

redx2 · Member

Thanks again Warren, my only conditions on going with a caravan were must have a toilet/shower & air conditioning!! (My husband tells me I'm a bit of a princess!!!) I'm pretty easy about anything else!!! My mum & dad did a bit of fruit picking & travelling about 40yrs ago, way before there were toilet's, showers & washing machines in caravans. Looks like you've had Jayco van's for a while. How do you find them? My niece & her husband have done a huge amount of travelling, camping & caravaning & they don't recommend Jayco. There are a lot of them on the road & lots for sale, I figure they can't be that bad, so will be interested in hearing from Grey Nomad's on their thoughts about the brand.

Cheers

Redx2

redx2 · Member

Hi Dave

Thanks for your reply. Looking forward to our next adventure & enjoying life on the road with my man & 2 4xlegged girls. Thanks for the tip about going onto Caravancampingsales.com.au site. I'll certainly check the site out. I just love Dr Google!!! he/she/it answers so many questions. We have family that have done lots of camping & caravaning over the years & their only recommendation was to do lots of research & not to buy a Jayco. There are lots of Jayco's on the road as well as many for sale, surely they can't be that bad?

Thanks so much for your offer to contact you if we have any problems. We may possibly take you up on that!

Cheers

Redx2

redx2 · Member

Thank you for your comment Wendyv,

My husband has a heavy vehicle truck licence & has done lots of 4 wheel drive/defensive driving courses & driven a multitude of different vehicles (graders, bobcats,loaders etc) with his job. He worked for the National Gas Pipeline, so pretty well can drive most vehicles. Friends of ours bought a van & 4 wheel drive & did the towing course. This didn't turn out as well, as our friend's wife did much better than him, & so he will never live that down!!! Maybe I should do the course!

thanks again

Redx2

redx2 · Member

Thanks so much for your advice John,

We certainly will do as you've suggested.

It's just great getting all these helpful comments, things we may not think about at the time!

cheers

Redx2

TheHeaths · Guru

Robyn,

Enjoy the search and travel.

Just a quick comment re Jayco. We have had 3. A 6 year old one when we bought it, a new one , and then a 15 month old one when we bought it.

The 6 year old one was fine, and we only traded to change to our preferred layout (front club lounge). Very happy with our 12000 kms of travel.

We had issues with the new one. They were fixed without question, and we had a good run with that van. I did some upgrades as we travelled during the 4 years and 18000 kms that we owned it. We traded it for a bigger van with ensuite, getting a 15 month old one. Not sure if the original owner had issues, but when we got it was all sorted out. Still have it nearly 5 years later, and done 45000 kms with it. We are happy with them. Both of these vans were/are our preferred front club lounge layout, both Outbacks, and current one full van with full ensuite.

They have no more issues than other brands, and the back up with dealers around the country is good. Do not be afraid to buy one, especially second hand, as it will likely have been sorted if there were any issues, and may come with the little extras that make travel a bit nicer.

-- Edited by TheHeaths on Sunday 1st of July 2018 06:57:46 AM

mezza56 · Senior Member

Hi Red, we had a ranger first up , we bought the van with what we wanted, then the car thinking it was enough. After adding the usual stuff to the car , fridge , drawers , tools etc etc and kayaks on the roof . Bingo we were over our limit . Had to go to a smaller van or a bigger car. My advice is to write out a list of whatever tools , toys and gear you want to take , including a WDH. Put it all in the car and get it weighed including yourselves and the dogs. Whatever is left over is what your caravan can weigh up to a combined 6 tonne. ( assuming a late model ranger) However dont forget whatever the vans towbar weighs has to be added to the car weight and you still have to keep below the cars GVM. You'll sort it out , you might have to make compromises along the way.

Bulariver · Veteran Member

We have towed our River caravan all round Australia with a Ranger XLT - van weighs just under 3 tonnes fully laden and the Ranger tows it with ease. We carry extra water etc in back of ute to help stabilise the rig and it seems to work as we have never had any sway. We use leveling bars (Hayman) - some people say you don't need them but we have found they lift the rear of the Ranger slightly and so lower the front which seems to make a big difference to handling. Best of luck. Bula

redx2 · Member

Thank you so much for your advice Bula,

We've had a Ranger for 2 yrs & absolutely love it! We put a canopy on with sliding windows & had gates made for the back especially for our girls so they are safe & comfortable at all times (have to get the priorities right!!) Your suggestions sound great, I'll make sure the driver gets to read all of these suggestions. I seems to be the one to do the research which seems fair if he does the driving.

We may see you on the road a some stage, I imagine we will be the only ones who travels with 2 Irish Settters!

Cheers

Redx2

redx2 · Member

Hi Mezza,

Thanks so much for your suggestions, I'll make sure my driver gets to read all these great tips, nothing like talking to fellow travelers who've been there & done it & have a world on knowledge.

Cheers

Redx2

redx2 · Member

Thank you The Heaths for your advice, hopefully some other members may post their experiences with Jayco. As I said there are lots of Jayco's on the road as well as 2nd hand ones for sale, so they can't be all bad! Sounds like you've had a great run with yours. Looking at some of the 2nd hand ones there seems to be a lot of extra's added as well (as with other vans). So that's a saving. As you mentioned if there are any bugs there sorted out earlier hopefully.

Cheers

Redx2

Dave1952 · Senior Member

Hi RedX2,
I have but two comments re Jayco vans - first, Jayco are probably Australias biggest caravan manufacturer, so repairs and servicing are available in most major centres. Second, I dont have a Jayco simply because I do not care for the interior colour scheme with cabinetry, etc. having said that, I know plenty of people who do have a Jayco vans and they are completely happy with them.
People near us in Brisbane at present are on their second Jayco - a Silverline slideout - and they love it.
Regards
Dave

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Hello Robyn,
Answering you query regarding Jayco vans. Some love them, some hate them & some (perhaps like me) are in between.

Like a lot of members here, we graduated from small tents to big tents & back to small; to a tent trailer that I "built' - buying the trailer & tent & building it up & then going to "luxury" - our third hand Jayco Outback Eagle camper.

It taught me a few things - the disadvantage of having E-W beds (having to crawl over a sleeping partner to go to the loo), of having the springs reset to increase the spring travel to the bump stops - I should have left it at that but I added an extra leaf too, making it ride high & needing an extra step to exit the van. It went where we wanted to go (102,000kms in 9 years) over roads of varying qualities(??). Coming through Lakefield NP early one December, I doubted that I would have more than a chassis & set of wheels behind the car - but, it survived! Yes, I found a few little screws on the floor (found homes for them gradually).

The MAJOR lesson was DO NOT PUT OFF CHECKING WHEEL HUB TEMPERATURES when one has plenty of opportunities to do it. That was expensive! A new axle over the Christmas-New Year period + new brakes & a complete hub - all because a bearing seal let go & fortunately a young couple pulled me up 41kms south of Gundagai on the Hume Highway. Another few minutes, the van would have been totalled!
So that was fixed & we enjoyed several more long trips - SW WA, NW WA plus numerous birding trips from Townsville.

The toilet was becoming an issue & hence the purchase of the second hand Discovery - this was LUXURY! Air conditioned - heating & cooling (Heron), combined shower & toilet with adequate room, HWS & something that offered more security in a strong wind (we can live in it with the lid down, if need be - being tall, I have to bend my back a bit). We liked the single beds - no more "You pinched ALL of the blankets last night - I only had the sheet"! We can read independently at night without disturbing the other person & there is a nice bench that the TV sits on that I can rest my feet on while I'm asleep & stretched out!

Problems - weight (I'd like to be able to carry a bit more than the 375kg that we're allowed); the kitchen & entry door is at the rear so the step scrapes on "dippy" driveways unless I swing wide & turn to the right; it can carry 190L of water (190kg) so that means we have to limit what we REALLY need to carry (water vs clothing vs food vs odds & sods). I'm "learning" that the entry door & one LED light on the roof is not made for tall people over 6' in height.
We did the weight test nearly two years ago - going away for a "tropical" long weekend - both the van & the car were 100kg too heavy! On returning home I removed everything except the battery & checked the empty tare. I found it 35kg over weight - suggesting the battery was added to the van after manufacture but the awning was part of the original tare. The 5kg was the solar panel I added to the roof.

Now if money & towing weight was of no issue, I'd have a Trackmaster Kimberly van; a Goldstream 1760; perhaps a Windsor, Supreme, Evernew, Roadstar, etc. However Pat cannot see the use of paying big bucks for something I might knock around on some rough country that we travel on - so we have a van that doesn't owe us a lot & does most of what we want. Friends bought a new Jayco StarCraft (18' - same as mine) with independent suspension. Their comments now are while the appreciate its smoother ride, they are finding the extra entrance height an issue & would get a semi-off road next.

Do your investigating - enjoy the time. Follow up on the links already given & ask people lots of questions. Then get out & enjoy what Australia has to offer.

What am I likely to be doing soon? No, not buying another van. I'm hoping to beef up the axle/suspension if I can & get the ATM increased (even an extra 50kg would be nice). Then I'll have one of the best Jaycos in Townsville!

Dave1952 · Senior Member

Great advice there Warren. I dropped a wheel in late 2006 just after buying a "new" van - the dealer said that they would cover us for any issues for 12 months. First there was no mattress in the van when we first inspected it and we were promised a new innerspring mattress. We ended up with a six inch foam mattress. Then we were assured that all servicing had been done properly and to check wheel bearings in 12 months when we had the 12 month service done (we lived in a remote township in Qld at the time) but five months and three weeks after we bought the van, one of the nearside (left side) wheels fell off due to collapsed bearings. The dealer didn't want to know us, and we only got out of the damage through having good insurance cover. Ever since then, I have done my own wheel bearings. That way I know they are properly packed - a job to be done every year.
Having said that, I don't have a Jayco as I have a 2013 Regent (21 ft) and home is a 2016 Regal RSV which is 29 ft long.
Moral of this little story is to not trust a dealer unless you have plenty of research done and have checked reviews of dealers!

Bulariver · Veteran Member

No problem Redx2 - we love our Nov 14 Ranger too. one thing I would do if going round again is put a shelf and drawers into the ute tray - there are people who can do this, or your hubby can if he is clever in that field. It provides great storage for tools and all those pieces of equipment we seem to need. Your girls could sit on the top of the structure as there is plenty of room. If you enjoy the trip half as much as we have, you will have a wonderful time! B