We have a single axle 2005 Island Star van. No shower or toilet.  When free(?) camping we have a pop up toilet tent which hides our porta pottie and use a solar heated water bag for a shower.  Big truck stops often provide showers for truckies for a few $$

We used to tow with a 6cvl Falcon dual fuel wagon but eventually found a diesel Prado at a good price.  Now have over 300,000kms on it  Re the van it does not like corrugations as it was designed for the blacktop only.

Safe travels

It's a state of mind thing.  You don't have to have the biggest and the best. People are remarkably adaptable and can survive very happily in small spaces. If you were one of the keep up with the Jones's personality different matter. As long as you are happy with what you have it won't take too long to get set up just how You like it.

I saw some back packers with a Toyota Hi-Ace with two plastic drain pipes just big enough to slide into for sleeping, with a sheet of Ply on top and the other two on a mattress atop of that.

I have to admit they looked like Japanese who have some real small hotel systems in Japan, but you can get used to anything.

Enjoy what you have and enjoy the trip.

SouthernComfort wrote:

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Nothing wrong with smaller rigs at all. When you say "is it doable with a smaller setup" presumably you mean for extended nomadic wanderings. Anyhow, not all of us tow a block of flats, its a matter of what works for you personally. Some people can't cope with less than a 20' van, others do the lap camping under canvas. So long as your rig is within weight capacities for both car & van and you have enough space and payload capacity for what you need to carry, it's then only a matter of whether you can 'live' in the space you have for extended periods. If you're not suitable for off-road, plan routes accordingly.

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Yes, I'm thinking for extended nomadic wanderings. We've only done small trips up to two weeks in ours so far, and still learning how to manage gas, food supplies, and water when free camping, but do feel that we can live in the space we have. Over the next couple of years I'm planning to gradually extend to longer trips of a month or more as work allows, then by the time we retire we'll be ready to take off on the grand tour. I realise that our van, being very much a 'tarmac tourer', will preclude us from some of the areas that require an off road capable setup, so I'm interested to hear from others who are in the same position whether they have found this a real limitation to their enjoyment or not?

Thanks. 

Mamil wrote:

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Was just reading some of the profiles in the "Grey Nomads Characters" on the main website - really interesting!

However I noticed that most of them had what I'd call 'big' rigs, ie. Landcruiser or Pajero and dual axle caravan around 20'.

Got me wondering if it's doable with a smaller setup? We have a mid sized SUV and a 16' single axle caravan and really can't afford to upgrade, so it'd be reassuring to hear from those who also have smaller rigs.

Thanks.

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Not everyone started out with a big rig, Mamil

In 2013/14, I done the lap solo, in an old 17 foot Viscount pop top caravan, using my old 6 cylinder Ford Falcon to tow it
It had 3 x LED lights, a 12 volt TV, which all ran off the 55 Amp Hour AGM car battery

I had a pop top shower tent, and a porta potty, 59 litres fresh water tank, and a container for grey water, I did not use caravan parks as I was self contained

On returning home, I started to modify the caravan, for my next lap
When wife saw that I was dinkum, she asked/ordered/told/commanded/said (put your own word here)
That we were going to get a vehicle so that the cat could travel with us, not be lonely, and be able to walk from one end to the other

That is the reason we now have our "Big Rig"

You do not require a big rig to enjoy yourself
The secret is, (in my opinion so I could be wrong), if you can adapt to what you have, you will enjoy yourself

We have had a great time travelling around in our small 12'6" Jayco Starcraft  being pulled along by 

a Great Wall x240 . We have been around the block, and numerous trips to the northern states.

SWMBO had to have chemo treatment through 2017, but still able to do shorter trips this year.

Last 2 were to Rockhampton, Emerald ,Saphire, Jericho ,Barcaldine, Augathella Tambo, Cunamulla ,

down though to Bourke and wended our way home in Vic. A month ago we went to Malacoota,Buchan caves and back to home.

Had to come home due to an appointment with the oncologist. He's not sure if the beasty has come back or if its something else.

More appointments to see more people. I digress, sorry, regardless of what happens we will still get in our little home and 

buzz off  into the great outdoors somewhere. 'Cos were little we can fit in anywhere.

The choice of travelling with a larger van and an arguably more comfortable tow vehicle is purely the travellers choice....it has nothing to do with keeping up with Joneses or anyone else for that matter.

If your choice is to use a smaller unit then as long as you are enjoying the journey and doing it safely then away you go.

Over the years I have had a camper trailer, a pop top Millard 14 ft van with a tent for the kids and a couple of larger twin axle vans.
We could not go back to the camper or the pop top even though there is only the two of us now.

My mum and dad had a 6ft. X. 4ft trailer that my dad built with a canopy on top and with a lean to type tent attached to the back which was our mode of holiday in for many years. A Tilley lamp was a luxury back then.

I was in a park and overheard two old codgers in the dunnies guffawing about a bloke who was camped near the facilities with quite a large van and a yankee 4wd ute.
They went very quiet when I mentioned to them that this guy had this rig because he and his wife travelled the countryside with their adult disabled son and needed the space.

Each to their own....