Starting out?

Susanmay · Newbie

Starting out?

travelyounger · Guru

Hi Susan may

Your next biggest expense would be caravan park or site fees.We free camp as much as possible so I would suggest a van with a good solar and battery storage system

Ideally lithium 200 amp or more agm battery 240 or more and solar input of 300 watts or more

Next your water at least 200 litres plus separate drinking water run through a filter.

Food would be your next big exspence I would suggest at least a 200 litre fridge in van and also a fridge freezer in your tug and keep well stocked when shopping in big towns as the the small and remote towns are expensive to do big shopping I could go on forever and not knowing your budget its easy to spend other peoples money.

Doing the tourist things like tours and seeing remote areas can also eat into your pocket but definatly worth it I hope I have covered a few things here and enjoy your travels

Cheers

Susanmay · Newbie

Hi, Travelyounger thanks for your input we are looking to spend about 80k on a van which will hopefully have all you have suggested or we will keep looking, good point about a freezer in the tug I will look into solar on the tug and inverter/ batteries to keep it running?

travelyounger · Guru

Hi again 80,000 will definitely get you a really good near new van with all those bells and whistles just try and stick to a reputable off road company if your heading that way cheers

Possum3 · Guru

Welcome Susanmay, You can download a lot of free technical information and checklists at www.caravancouncil.com.au/

If you have been driving trucks around the "Lucky Country" you will be aware of the diversity of roads and their condition - total differs from any UK road trips you may have been on - Caravans out here must be built to survive local conditions.

Tony Bev · Guru

Welcome to the forum, Susanmay

I think that cost wise, you have probably got it covered
Perhaps, have a bit of reserve in the bank, just in case the unexpected crops up

If I was starting off with a clean slate today
I would be making sure that the rig I purchased was, or is able to, be self contained

When the Coronavirus started, the free camps closed down, and caravan parks did not want anyone, who was not self contained

No one knows for a certainty, if the Coronavirus will/will not, raise its head again

Hope that there are many happy road trips, ahead of you both

Dougwe · Chief one feather

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

I find the biggest cost is fuel, accommodation when needed, running repairs to both tow vehicle and aluminium tent, in that order.

I try not to worry too much about the fuel coast as we need that to get around the playground. Don't get me wrong, I keep and eye on it as other costs but don't worry about it. No spreadsheets etc for this old Indian Chief. I spent many moons in a previous life preparing and working with spreadsheets and big budgets and don't want to spend my retirement years doing it. No way known to man, oops, person kind.

Keep Safe on the roads and out there.

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Susanmay

We are motorhome travellers - on the road for 250-280 days annually, now for the past 16 yrs, and using a Ford Transit based motorhome

Our rig does plenty of sealed roads and plenty of gravelled roads - 2 yrs ago we were out at Birdsville, last yr we dod the Oodnadatta track - so 4wd / off-road is not essential (but a good base-rig helps). We rarely use caravan parks - the MH has 100Lt of fresh water + 350watts of solar + 2x120Ah house batteries and almost everything on board runs off 12volts &/or LP gas

Over these 16 yrs we have keps records of our travelling costs ... Attached below is our 2018 annual summary 2018 Travel Expenses.jpg

Hope this helps

Phil

Susanmay · Newbie

Hi, Phil Thanks for taking the time to write, your spreadsheet is helpful and a way to plan?

When I was truck driving I had all my expenses paid for so really did not have to worry about the cost, but now we are retired we have to watch the pennies and savings?

Susanmay · Newbie

Hi, We have been looking around for a caravan (caravansales.com.au) and are a bit confused in the prices? we can see that a new off-road caravan can cost as much a 5 or 6-year-old caravan?
We know that the marque like Spinifex is very high end as are other makes so why is there not alot of depreciation?

Possum3 · Guru

Reasoning behind retention of value of SH Caravans is; Older vans built better than most new ones, less Asian components factor into it. The manufacturing faults have been rectified by previous owner. No manufacturing wait time for SH vans. Any disaster faults would be self evident in van that has been used. Most second hand vans have been up-speced by previous owner. If buying privately seller can answer questions relating to van - commission salesmen/spruikers can't.