New here, and doing some reseach for a future life of travelling.

gdayjr · Senior Member

New here, and doing some reseach for a future life of travelling.

Whenarewethere · Guru

If you want a motor bike & trailer then it's a self contained van so you can tow it.

The other option which I have seen in Europe is a bus with a garage in the back. The front on the bus was raised about half a metre so the rear would drop so the car, or bike in your case, could be winched up into the garage. Impressive stuff but I am sure the price in pretty impressive as well!

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I replied to your same question in the rules and introduce yourself section of the forum.

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

G'day Graham,
Welcome to this forum, I trust you'll find lots of info that will assist you in your future lifestyle. The Search tabs open up a lot of info.

Have a look at vans such as the Jayco Basestation - built for carrying toys, workshop equipment, as well as living quarters.

Back in the mid 60s I saw an average sized, normal looking caravan at Lake Bonney near Barmera in SA. The owner also had a 16' half cabin bondwood boat with a Hamilton Jet engine, drive & I wondered how he managed to tow both. He was a German engineer & had built both. Many were impressed with his outfit. On his last day at the park, he lifted the back of the caravan & winched in his boat!
I wasn't as curious then as I was later & should have had a good look at the layout of the van - it was obviously well designed to have a living quarters & a boat trailer in one. What it weighed, I don't know but cannot recall him having a monster vehicle towing it.

travelyounger · Guru

gdayjr wrote:

Newbie

Status: Online
Posts: 1
Date: 07:26 AM Feb 19, 2021
New here, and doing some reseach for a future life of travelling.
Permalink Reply Quote
Edit Post

Hello from Sydney Australia.
My name is Graham. I have just turned 65, although people dont believe me when I tell them my age.
I am in the research stage of finding what sort of vehicle I need. I plan to retire soon, and hit the road for as long as I can
I am currently a single guy, but that may change at any stage in the future.
So, my main question is what sort of set up do people think is the right one.
I have considered the following.
A van of some sort as the prime mover, and a caravan. My reasoning on this is that I am a keen motorbike rider, and whichever way I go with vehicles, a bike will be part of the package.
I was thinking of using the van as the storage area for the bike, and an assortment of D.I.Y tools.
I am a handyman by trade, and hope to pick up some work along the way. The vehicle will be my home for the foreseeable future, so it would need to house two people at the most.
I do want a degree of comfort, and at this stage the budget is not too restricted. I used to teach people to drive trucks and i am licensed to drive almost any vehicle on the road, so towing and manouvering a caravan is not an issue.
My other option is a self-contained R.V. I will definitely be doing a lot of free camping, and like most people, I will also stay in caravan parks as well. This is a long-term commitment to living this sort of lifestyle, so I want to be as comfortable as I can.
If I go with the R.V, I would have a lightweight trailer to tow, that will carry the bike. I am drawn to the relative freedom that the motorhome will provide, but i am also drawn to the better level of room and comfort of the cvaravan.

A bit about me. Exe sportsman and exe military, so reasonably fit, and very capable in D.I.Y, and mechanical stuff, so not afraid to get my hands dirty, and more than capable of overcoming any mechanical issues that may arise on the road.
Homestays, farm stays, and seasonal work will be possible.
I am currently working as a maintenance officer in hospitality, and did 5 years in aged care, so i do have plenty of experience to allow me to pick up most types of work as i move around.
I have no idea at this stage, which way to go, when to go, or what to take, its all research at this stage.
Any thoughts, or experience you want to share is more than welcome.

Many thanks

Hi Newbie

I love spending others money

Iveko 4wd duel cab aluminium canopy with hoist for bike.

Off road van around 20 feet long with all the bells and whistles.

or

Large motor home with slide out and duel wheel trailer for bike and all the gear.

Many travellers wont get it right the first time so maybe hire first and do a few testers before you commit to such a huge investment

Mike Harding · Guru

Hi Graham and welcome

My advice to you is that you peruse this forum in detail including its history over, say, the past five years. Spend a few weeks doing that and then come back with more specific questions.

I have been a single nomad for two years but don't have a simple answer to your rather broad question - I suggest a caravan and tow vehicle rather than a motorhome if one wishes to *live* in it as opposed to holiday.

There is no one right answer for all unfortunately :)

bgt · Guru

The amount of money you want to spend is important. The other key is what you want to do once on the road. You can carry a lot of gear in a lot of RVs but not all are suitable for fulltime or dry camping. Carrying bikes will limit some choices. Will the bike be used for exploring or shopping or both? A bus conversion with a box trailer will work. But how do you carry your tools to your work? Big buses and trailers are a PITA to park and camp sites become limited. A bus conversion with a garage only changes the fact you don't tow anything. Plus you have to fit the bike in somehow. There have been a zillion discussions about tow vehicles and caravan weights on this and many other forums. A van may seem ok but will it tow a caravan and carry a bike legally and safely? Plenty of folk on this site will have plenty of advice. Listen to it all but keep an open mind. Good luck.

llochris · Member

WE have a twin cab Iveco with a custom made 5th wheeler built by a builder tail drops down & he would load his Gold Wing in the back We don't have a Bike though have been Prospecting in WA but now live near Narrabri Lloyd & Chis

llochris · Member

WE have a twin cab Iveco with a custom made 5th wheeler built by a builder tail drops down & he would load his Gold Wing in the back We don't have a Bike though have been Prospecting in WA but now live near Narrabri Lloyd & Chis

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

A light tow vehicle and a heavy trailer is a bad combination and is extremely limited in where it can go.
A 4WD motorhome and light trailer for the toys (if required) is a safer combination and will go anywhere.

0804 (15)c.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

gdayjr · Senior Member

Member

Status: Online

Posts: 6

Date: 09:53 AM Feb 24, 2021

Permalink Reply Quote

Edit Post

I think i have found the caravan i am looking for. I do want a decent level of comfort, so i am looking at a Jayco Silverline 24.75.2 Outback

It has everything i need to live a comfortable life for the forseable future.

I am now looking at prime movers, with the early leader being an Iveco medium wheel base van.

It has the towing capacity, and a decent level of safe secure storage for the toys that are coming with me.

The van is pretty much waht i want. The prime mover may change by the time i am ready to go, which is looking at around mid 2022

Mike Harding · Guru

Hi Graham

A quick Google provides just one review but it's not a good one:

Jayco

I advise caution in regard to a slide-out caravan. I looked long and hard at the Snowy River SR-19S (similar to this SRC21S) but decided that as I intended to keep the van permanently there was too much risk associated with the slide-out giving problems a few years later which is a shame as it would suit my style of camping/living well.

Incidentally, your posts have a strange frame around them which I haven't seen on this site before?

gdayjr · Senior Member

Thanks for the imput. I have found many many more reviews from people that have the same vans, and they are all very complimentry.

I like the fact that it is made in Melbourne, and they have a huge dealer network.

18 months untill i am hitting the road, so, maybe six months to lock something in.

The caravan, and the towing vehicle represent an investment of around $175k, so i need to get it right.