Geday all , my better half and I are going to become grey nomads next year when we retire. I have my tug ( 06 100 series TD L/C) and Im not selling her. Still looking for the van. To all out there do we really require an off road van if we are going off the beaten track? Maybe a silly question but I have had a few nomads tell me just drive to the conditions sonny! Any advice /experience appreciated. Cheers
Full off road vans are very heavy and expensive, needed if you are doing serious gravel tracks (Gibb River etc), they are not required for general bitumen/good gravel mix.
I would suggest to look at maybe semi off road as they have a bit more clearance than on road only vans.
Like everything it depends on your budget.
I picked up a 2nd hand sunland 20'6" for $53 k.
The previous owners had been to the major off road tracks including gibb r rd, cape york etc
I have added several things to make it suit my needs for full time travel.
They are Full off road unit
Not that heavy and a huge payload.
Check out their website. Every now and then they come up for sale as 2nd hand
Thanks mate yes they are heavy and expensive however its our first van and I dont mind hunting down and paying for something suitable. Just have to be patient. Thanks again for your input.
You need to define what you mean by an "off road" caravan.
In my opinion this term should be banned from advertising use as it's meaningless; I have spent many years doing serious off-road driving and no caravan would be able to go to most of the places I did.
Nowadays I'm a full time nomad and currently sitting about 5km into a forest in Victoria, I drove in, in low range, on bush tracks just wider than the van and took it very slowly,I do this sort of thing often in different locations but, at best, I would class my van as half off-road.
Where do you want to go? Most of us, with half a brain, don't wish to spend hours/days trying to untangle our caravans from bogged situations, so what do you *really* want to do?
Don't be taken in by sales talk.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Its a personal choice, if you can afford one, tow it safely and want luxury other vans dont have then get an off road van. If moneys not a hinderance then choose the top end brands Bushtracker or Kedron to name a few. Make a list of what you want e.g. separate shower/ toilet, solar, water tanks, space heater, pull out or electric awning, SAT tv and the list goes on. What are you prepared to give up and what are the must haves.
Good luck
I tend to agree mike
The vast majority of people never leave the black top.
Jayco were taken to task naming one model 'outback'.
So many buyers had major defects when they drove them on rough tracks. They now have a disclaimer in the blurb
Ive seen vans on the tele track but i would have hated to see the inside at the end of the trip
An off road van isnt a normal road van with high clearance but a purpose built unit that will allow travellers to go down rough tracks without ending up with a pile of broken bits when they reach their destination.
Bushtrackers etc are extremely heavy.
Sunland and new age have gone down the path of aluminium chassis. Time will tell if that was a good idea.
Sunland have a 20 year warranty on the chassis
Hello Mike . You are dead right the term off road is used loosely and I shall try to clarify. Without trespassing on private property we are inclined to do what you have described for your current stop over. And you are right in most if not all cases a well built standard van or semi off roadwill be suffice. I think driving to the conditions is a must , which we do anyway. Hence my original question. I would be surprised if there was a need for anything other than a well built durable van. However as I stated earlier, when the opportunity arises I would prefer a RV that will follow me to a site bearing in mind I would research and use common sense prior to the decision. I have about 4 months to get it right
A few years ago i was camped on the Birdsville track when i heard a very loud drumming noise.
Shortly after, a newish imported fibreglass van (European) came racing past in a cloud of dust.
I fully expected to see i pile of broken parts on the track the following day but not to be
Im sure the owners would have been bragging that their van 'did the track'
Thanks Cassie63 ,
We are both very ordinary country people. We are in our 60s and have used an old but well built camper trailer on much of our travels. It cost me $5000 and I modified it to suit our needs .We are not used to luxuries. I would like to purchase the right van and keep it hopefully ( healthy permitting) for , lets say a good few years maybe 10.
I have a budget up to 100k but prefer not to go over 70k if I can. Just putting my feelers out to the multitudes that have much more experience than We do . Early days yet and I will thank you again for your input . Happy and safe travels.
Geday all , my better half and I are going to become grey nomads next year when we retire. I have my tug ( 06 100 series TD L/C) and Im not selling her. Still looking for the van. To all out there do we really require an off road van if we are going off the beaten track? Maybe a silly question but I have had a few nomads tell me just drive to the conditions sonny! Any advice /experience appreciated. Cheers
Great car,the LC100,and I'm sure that it will serve you well.The only bit of advice I'd offer is NOT to try to tow much more than about 3100kg ATM. As far as the need for off-road,that depends entirely on where you plan to go. Several good brands have been mentioned,to which you could add 'Spinifex", but as long as you don't plan to drive like an idiot over poor roads,any well-built van would be OK,as long as it has good ground clearance and not too much rear overhang.Watch your weights though,as the LC100 has the same wheelbase and lightweight rear axle capacity as the LC200, which is why 3100kg is about top weight for your car to tow.Good luck with your search.Cheers.
Imo larger dia wheels is enough to give you better ground clearance. With higher profile tyres . After that ? It starts getting expensive!!! Experience is everything !! Take your time !!
Geday all , my better half and I are going to become grey nomads next year when we retire. I have my tug ( 06 100 series TD L/C) and Im not selling her. Still looking for the van. To all out there do we really require an off road van if we are going off the beaten track? Maybe a silly question but I have had a few nomads tell me just drive to the conditions sonny! Any advice /experience appreciated. Cheers
Hi my first van was a fulcher galaxy approx 2005 model duel axle road van which has been to the tip of the cape and
many off road places that is good advice from sonny drive to the conditions and we changed to an off road van and it chalk and cheese.
Here are a few things to consider
clearance
off road vans usually have a larger payload for all you put in van ie water in tanks food linen clothes hairdryer etc etc
quality of the build especially chassis suspension and internal joinery
seperate toilet and shower
off road vans generally have a softer ride on and off road
off road vans are usually better set up for off grid use ie more water tanks solar and battery storage lithium or agm inverters and storage such as places to put bbq generator and all the items you will Aquire along the way
You have a good tug there so half the job is done yobarr is the forums expert on weights and rear axle loading and tow ball weights and maybe he can give some advice on the tare and gvm of the van you can safely tow as well the overall weight which is the gcm gross combined mass which is everything from the cat to the last of fuel or beer
lots to learn about caravanning and hopefully all turns out good for you enjoy
Cheers John
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John
2017 dmax lovells upgrade full CSM trade aluminium canopy,3.5 m quintrex tinny and rear boat loader mangrove jack aluminium trailer
There is some truth in the saying that many people go thru at least three vans before they find the one that suits them. We looked at many vans going back years and with the first two we thought they were exactly what we wanted but they weren't. Got lucky with the third one and have had it for seven years.
Why not hire a caravan similar to what you think you want and see how that suits. you might be surprised to find out what you wanted just won't work for you. Much cheaper to hire for a week than to buy one and later sell it because it just doesn't work for you.
