What age did you hit the road

Ger08 · Senior Member

What age did you hit the road

Greg 1 · Guru

I have been caravanning since age 4 with my folks if that is what you mean but owned my first personal van at age 20. I am now 67.

bgt · Guru

At the age of 45 I was put out to pasture by my doctor. Almost 30 years later we are still RVing. We were full time but recently back off to 'whenever we can'.

travelyounger · Guru

Ger08 wrote:
Im interested to hear what age everyone hit the road.

Camping in tent at age 12 I used to go with brother in Pit****er in our 15 foot Quinny and camp at towers bay those were the days then camp trailer at 45 then caravan at age 49 next might be motor home.

The years in between 25 and 45 we were mainly in hotels.

Cheers

Teo · Senior Member

Aged 9 in 1954 with family in a plywood van. Camping in some form ever since.
First full lap 1980 with Landcruiser and Viscount van.
Still love the van life.

Cupie · Guru

I retired at age 57 1/2 and my workmates asked 'what are you going to do'? For some strange reason I told them that I was going to go caravanning round Au for the first year, then sell the rig to help fund overseas travel.

'Ha Ha' was the universal response 'You're a workaholic You'll be back as a consultant in less than a year'

So now committed to finding out about caravans, having never owned one or a 4WD either, off I went. In 1998 there were only a handfull of caravan manufacturers in AU and very few 4WD utes capable of towing a large van. Really only a choice between Patrol & Cruiser, so it was a far easier task & considerably less expensive than today.

Well, I found another way to fund quite a bit of o'seas travel & about 22 years later I still have the same 21'6" Jayco Westport and 4.2L EFI GQ Patrol that have now done around 250,000km of bitumen travel around the place. Oh yes, I never found time to go back to consulting or paid work of any sort except for a few days of Electoral Commission stuff.

All in all, a great decision to go caravanning.

Mike Harding · Guru

Two years past at 64 - no regrets - I, mainly, live in the bush in a posh caravan :)

Ger08 · Senior Member

Thanks for all the responses, theyre quite interesting

Meredith · Senior Member

3 when my parents got a caravan, 9 first time I did a lap when my dad took a year off work and took us off, always wanted to do it again since then. Campervan around Europe in my 20's, shorter tenting holidays after that when we had kids. 52 when we bought our van, 57 when we retired and got to do it longer each year, though never have gone full time. 62 and stuck at home for a year and really have itchy feet!

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

I am the little guy in the shorts.
Camp c.jpg

Sitting in the entrance to the tent, 1948 I think.

Have never stopped since.

The road to Alice Springs and Darwin on our honeymoon, 1967.

DIY Roof top tent on a Mini

Cheers,

Peter

Whenarewethere · Guru

From a few months old. My parents drove to the top of Mt Kosciusko with relatives from England including my Grandmother. You could drive in those days, but I can't remember!

We attempted the walk a few years ago from the carpark west of Thredbo. We got up to the chairlift but with storms starting we didn't want to become lighting conductors & returned.

Nevertheless we really enjoyed the walk even though the uphill direction was hard work.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
From a few months old. My parents drove to the top of Mt Kosciusko with relatives from England including my Grandmother. You could drive in those days, but I can't remember!

Margaret and I (and 2 kids) drove to the top of Kosciusko in an Austin 1800 in about 1973. We discussed spending the night there sleeping in the car, but didn't, something we now regret.

Same car, same kids, near Jindabyne on a different trip in 1973.

1973 1980s Austin 1800 Mk2.jpg

Cheers,

Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Friday 19th of February 2021 07:28:46 PM

Mike Harding · Guru

I think it's important to draw a distinction between those of us who *live* in our caravans or motorhomes and those of us who holiday in them with this type of question. There is a significant gulf.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Whenarewethere wrote:
From a few months old. My parents drove to the top of Mt Kosciusko with relatives from England including my Grandmother. You could drive in those days, but I can't remember!

Margaret and I (and 2 kids) drove to the top of Kosciusko in an Austin 1800 in about 1973. We discussed spending the night there sleeping in the car, but didn't, something we now regret.
Same car, same kids, near Jindabyne on a different trip in 1973.
Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Friday 19th of February 2021 07:28:46 PM

I went to the snow every year from age 7 to ski. In the mid 70s, too young to drive, I went with my neighbour in his Austin 1800, he was a very good skier. We spent part of the week in Smiggins skiing. Then put chains on the car & drove Link Road to Guthega for the remainder of the week.

Who needs a 4WD!

-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Friday 19th of February 2021 07:54:50 PM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Hollidayd up to 62 . Bought a converted 8m Fuso bus , then Explorer 6 years ago. Still have a home to come home to !! Now 67 and just run in !! ( I hope !! ) we go away for a few weeks or big trip away up
north during winter !! The closed boarders limit things !! Doesnt stop
Us though . Plan to do WA again this winter .

Farmhat · Senior Member

Caravaned with my parents as a child. Loved it then and still do.

Have had various caravans for around 23 years now, and always tented before that.

Before that even, I did some motor bike travel/camping, and some backpacking overseas.

So essentially my whole life, one way or another.

Joe

Teo · Senior Member

Mike Harding.

Why?

Mike Harding · Guru

Teo wrote:
Mike Harding.

Why?

Because people who do not *live* on the road are simply on holiday. If things go wrong they may immediately return to a physical and social support structure, those of us *living* on the road have forsaken those and have nowhere to turn in the event of problems, this engenders a very different mindset and approach to life.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Sorry double post.

-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Saturday 20th of February 2021 09:09:52 AM

Whenarewethere · Guru

As much as we both like traveling whether in Australia or overseas. 4 months is about our limit. Actually longer OS than locally.

We just feel we need a base to return to. We are in the fortunate position we could let 3 properties & be on the road permanently, but aware of the fact that a lot of people simply have no choice.

If one is on the road permanently it is a whole different mindset & for a percentage of people it is the only financial option. Property is expensive if you do not own it outright.

We have spoken to a few people on our travels, it is difficult, budgeting & unexpected expenses being their greatest burden, unless they have health issues. I am sure a lot of these people could run treasury far better than the current lot!

Teo · Senior Member

Sorry Ger08. It seems I didnt understand your question.

In the 40 or so years I have owned several caravans, for 2 years I lived in one. The other 38 were just holidays.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

We have not had a "holiday" since we retired.
Now our travel is a "lifestyle".
Cheers,
Peter

Mike Harding · Guru

Let me put this another way Peter and Teo:

If your caravan or motorhome were to catch fire and burn to the ground when you were travelling... what would you do?

tea spoon · Senior Member

started at 24 now 74 had all sorts of rigs camper trailers/tents /caravans ........still go away sometimes but have slowed down in trips away .........being retired i go for longer and stay in one place when i do go ............

Teo · Senior Member

Mike, Im sure you know what Pete or I would do if disaster struck, but what I am trying to work out your comments in response to the posters question.
What age did people hit the road?

Mike Harding · Guru

Teo wrote:
Mike, Im sure you know what Pete or I would do if disaster struck, but what I am trying to work out your comments in response to the posters question.
What age did people hit the road?

I interpreted his question to mean "When did you become a nomad?" Otherwise it would simply mean "When did you take your first holiday?".

Teo · Senior Member

Wow Mike. Way too deep for me.
I answered the question the same way all the other responders did.

Radar · Guru

Ger08 wrote:
Im interested to hear what age everyone hit the road.

Hi, I been sorting paper photos and come across one of me with my older brother standing with our new scooters, I had my left need bandaged up.

Yep, Christmas 1951 going down a hill where we lived, first time I hit the road.

KJB · Guru

Teo wrote:
Wow Mike. Way too deep for me.
I answered the question the same way all the other responders did.

I think the question meant "At what age did you start to live and travel, full time, in a caravan ?"

Otherwise the question would be "At what age did you first go caravanning ? "

"Hit the road...." is a commonly used but not a clear expression.

Cupie · Guru

KJB wrote:
Teo wrote:
Wow Mike. Way too deep for me.
I answered the question the same way all the other responders did.
I think the question meant "At what age did you start to live and travel, full time, in a caravan ?"
Otherwise the question would be "At what age did you first go caravanning? "
"Hit the road...." is a commonly used but not a clear expression.

Now there's some convoluted logic ...

My take using that logic is ...

I think that the question was was "At what age did you first go caravanning"

Otherwise the question would be "At what age did you start to live and travel, full time, in a caravan?"

.....................................................................

Perhaps the OP may wish to make the meaning clear ... if it particularly matters ... LOL