Best caravan??

[sam.cath]

Hi everyone,

Now I know that this is a very personal opinion, but that's just what I'm asking for from the forum as most of you have had a lot of experience with caravans & we've had NONE!

My wife & I (& our newborn daughter) are planning on taking a year out in the next 12 months & cruising around Australia & as such we will need a caravan that will get us comfortably & safely around the county.

We are happy to be sticking to the black-top & the occasional dirt road & doing anything more extreme with just the Pajero & tent & the van left somewhere safe.

We are keen to keep a reasonable budget on the caravan (hopefully $30-40K'ish), but can go further if there is a need to be into a better class of van.

Would really appreciate anyones recommendations to give us a starting point to look further with.
Obviously Jayco seem to be the most commonly seen & probably cheapest, but I'm nervous about quality control. Hopefully there are other brands available for not too much more money that are far better built.

Another consideration is that we'd like to travel as lightly as possible both in terms of overall weight & overall height (fuel consumption considerations), & safe as possible (tandem trailer- so more wheels in case a tyre blows) ,but still want to be comfortable for long-term living (shower/toilet etc.)

Let the opinions begin!!

Thank in advance,
Sam

[pusspuss]

Hi Sam
We are on our 4th caravan, Started with the Jayco camper 6 berth, then 16ft pop top with front bunks 6 berth, then the 19ft full van 4 berth and finaly the 20'6 2 berth penthouse. They all had there quality issues. We were fortunate to tow the pop top around oz when our son was 5, 18 years ago and we still talk about the trip regulary. My advise is as you are buying second hand, the bugs should be sorted on the caravan and buy based on condition. I suggest avoiding anything that has seen lots of red dust as most vans are only aluminium and ply, you will soon get the idea as some i wouldn't let my dog sleep in. You can get good and bad examples in any brand of caravan.

[Guest]

Hey Sam. We looked around for 3 months for a 21ft 6in full height caravan, full ensuite. There are a lot around that have done mileage and in poor condition. But good ones are available. We found a Jayco, perfect condition with full annexe,pull out awning. Hardly done any miles, even had perfect original tyres, Yes we changed those straight away. Anyway my point is good secondhand vans are available you just need to watch what comes up. Needless to say we got a bargain at just $31,000 and $500 for new tyres. Good luck

[Dicko1]

Look for something all decked out and very clean. Water damage is a big killer of vans. Ensure that it has never had a water leak. I,d also go for a poptop type van. Easier to tow with lower centre of gravity and uses less fuel.You also have to ask yourself what you really need in a van. Is a toilet absolutely necessary. Does it have to have a shower. Bed layout and ease of setting up beds/sofas/tables. Do we need extra space.Do we need a big stove? etc etc.

Have a plan before you look at vans and then stick to it. I always go for the smallest that will do me. Lets face it...you really only need the van to sleep in. Your on an adventure and the van is only a mobile swag! Get a small generator that will power the van as well. . Many grey nomads spend heaps on their rigs and then decide the road isnt for them and sell their vans at good prices for a buyer. Good luck with your purchase....just dont rush it. It could either make or brake a great trip if you dont get exactly what you want.

[Bill13]

Caravan

In 2004 we bought a 19'6" Roadstar semi off road Trackvan.
It was our first van and we expected to go on to other caravans as time went on.
2016 and we still have that van. It cannot be faulted and has stood up to many klms of dirt road klms. Gibb River Rd, Donahue/ Plenty, Tannami, to the tip of CapeYork, Savannah Way etc. The NP Pajero and van done it in style.
I have rebuilt the suspension 3 times due to the corrugated roads but that is to be expected and I always do pm work before a trip.
You can buy this type of van for around 30-35k which I think is a great off road van for the dollars.
Remember you can only go off-road as far as your tow vehicle is capable of pulling it.
Something you can consider looking at.

[sam.cath]

Thank you all for your input.
It is really appreciated!
Sounds like the Trackvan has done really well- I thought that these would be out of our price range.

Think that my wife is certain that a toilet & shower are required.

Seems like you can get lucky or unlucky with Jayco- makes me a bit nervous to dive into one. As suggested as secondhand well-cared for one should have the creases ironed out by the time we buy it!

Please keep any suggestions coming!

[spot01]

I wonder if the new trailer stability control system would be worthwhile?

Has anyone used these & how well do they perform?

Can they be retro-fitted to older vans?

What sort of cost?

[Nxssph]

Two systems are available in Australia, the AL-KO and Dexter(Tusan in the states) Both can be fitted to any trailer or van cost is about $1450.00 on the Sunshine Coast. The AK-KO system is set up specifically to suit the trailer or van. The Dexter unit can be fitted by someone at home but you can't purchase the Dexter unit from Melbourne trailers, you have to get a dealer to fit the unit. You can purchase the Tusan unit from the states for about $550.00 us. This is what I plan to do once my new van is completed in March 2017, just watching the dollar hoping it goes up!

[sam.cath]

Hi Bill13,

I've just looked at the Roadstar caravans & they look very good.
Will certainly have a look in the flesh.

Appreciate your feedback & suggestion.

Would be keen for any other suggestions from other forum members.

Regards,
Sam

[swampy 6863]

We have looked at the Billabong range in the 17-18 ft. drover series. Impressed with the build quality and level of fitout. If we go down that path we'd up spec the suspension to off-road which I'm sure the factory would do as they are all 100% Aussie built.

[sam.cath]

Thanks swampy.
Will check them out.

Cheers,
Sam

[Faereag]

I wonder if the new trailer stability control system would be worthwhile?

Has anyone used these & how well do they perform?

Can they be retro-fitted to older vans?

What sort of cost?

Spot

We had the Alko system to a new Sunland Patriot 2 years back (around 2 grand at time), but on one occasion we were on a dirt road nearing a corner and had to take rapid evasive action because part of the road had been washed away by heavy rain. The van started to slide but the Alko kicked in and straightened the van up behind us. It only has to save you once to be the best insurance policy for your van.

[Quietguy]

[QUOTE=sam.cath;526953]Hi Bill13,

I've just looked at the Roadstar caravans & they look very good.
Will certainly have a look in the flesh.

Appreciate your feedback & suggestion.

Would be keen for any other suggestions from other forum members.


You might care to have a look at any of the vans made by Concept. I bought a Newlands Zodiac in 2011 and apart from a couple of issues it has been problem free. Speaking to other Concept van owners, I get the same story - no major problems

The problems I had were that on delivery 2 cupboards needed their latches adjusted so they wouldd lock properly, and one burner on the stove didn't light easily - these were promptly fixed by the dealer. Since then, problem free until last year when my water pump packed up, though I think this was caused byme forgetting to turn it off when my tanks ran dry - theother problem was the skylight cover over the toilet blew off, and was lost. Cost me about $80 to have replaced.

Thats it. Today its in for its first service - just to get the wheel bearing done as I'll be off on a longish trip soon (East Coast to Lakes entrance, Melb, Adelaide, WA, then Darwin, Cairns and then home = maybe. So got the wheel bearings done just in case

So, I reckon Concept make a damn good van

David

Oh and one of the LPG pig tails got a leak. But whatever you are thinking to buy do make a point of checking out the Lemon Caravans and RVs group on Facebook - lots of essential info there re problem vans and problem mfgs - real horror stories re some well known brands there

[sam.cath]

Thanks David.
Great advice!!

[Peterng]

I'm a camper trailer camper, but I have been to a few caravan shows, so I will stick my beak into this conversion.
Strange as it my seem, I was just talking about this issue last weekend with a couple who are starting out.
Ok, from the forum it seems you have narrowed down a few makes of vans. It is now that there are a few big caravan shows are starting up. Go to these shows, leave the credit card home, drag a friend impartial friend along and kick some tyres.
See you are a towing virgin, it's best to start off light, so have a good look at the pop top type vans. They have some great ideas made mods, suspension is basic(simple repairs and plenty of parts) weight will be from 1000kg to 1800kg. This will help you travel wise, vision and the classic..manuvering the van.
Plus, there will be a bit of canvas as well, you can get solar panels on the roof and hence get them self sustaining for a bit of free camping.
The is also the Avan, simple set up, nice and light, good towing, manuverable.
Now the best part finance.
Just as an example, when I went to the jayco stand at the qld caravan show, they had a good deal going for their pop top.
The model I bullshited the salesman with, was a moderate spec off-road pop top. Jayco had for $1500 deposit, rego thrown & insurance thrown in and $250 a f/nite payments for 24 months.
So, as a small family, brand new pop top going around Australia, 12 months warranty, for $500 a month, which was very attractive. Go on the big lap, cheap accommodation and then flog it when you got back and pay out the loan with the sale money.
I found the deal quite attractive...it got me thinking. So, there are deals out there.
Good luck


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