help needed in my purchase of a caravan

[HAK]

My wife has decided that where buying a caravan :mad: I wanted a camper trailer

she wants those pop top type with the fold out sides, the thing is, I dont know jack crap about them what am I looking for there are so many brands which is the best

here is pics of what she was after however this one out of our price range

[DeeJay]

Thats a Windsor, not cheap, but you get what you pay for. They hold thier value too.We finished a 12 week long service trip last year. Ended up buying a Paramount single axle new- now sold. We looked at the Windsors, they have the patent on the solid lift up roof. Jayco have a similar model called the Expanda, which we also nearly bought. Good thing we did'nt as we met 3 owners who all had problems.
Looking back on the whole experience, my best advice is to buy a good secondhand unit and travel a bit, you will soon come up with a "wish list" and then buy a new one with those features. That way you don't lose too much like you do with all new purchases. We were fairly lucky and only dropped 2 grand after 18 months.
My kids just couldnt get on - I suppose 12 weeks was too big- at least for them:(:(
Good luck and start surfing the web..

[Blknight.aus]

I'lll back Deejay, buy (or hire) the cheapest van you can and take it on a week long (or 2 weekends if you cant take a single week) and you'll come up with a wish list of things you like and dont. then go buy one with all of that.

Some places do hire outs of caravans but IME most long term vanners with decent rigs are happy to let you have a sticky and ask them about their setup if you catch them around beer oclock on a lazy sunday which fortunately up here in queensland is on most sundays starts about 5 minutes before the sun fully crests the horizon.

[George130]

Looks nice. You won't be able to take that one far off road though.
Maybe try talking her into one of the hard floor flip tops?

[Red Baron]

Steer clear of Jayco's. Although very popular, they are built to a price. You have been warned. My father in law has run outback trips for caravanners for many years and has far more trouble with Jayco's than any other brand. Golf's are another one. Poor quality control-think electrical fire in a brand new van....I'm sure some people have good ones that haven't caused them problems, but certainly you should think twice.

Cheers Chris.

[Vern]

My stepdad used to build stuff for Jayco, build quality is ordinary for the price. They just want to pump them out the door (600 a month).

[HAK]

Will towing 1000kg caravan mean that I cant do a 3.5 inch lift or that serious off road suspension mods are no good to tow a caravan

[HAK]

You see I want a camper trailer but because my little one is only 2 and a bit the wife wants a caravan in case of an emergency (its what you get when your hitched to a Oc health and safety manager) :mad:

her argument is that you can tow the caravan to a caravan park and un hitch it and then go off road and that it has a microwave TV etc :(

its not that she is soft and a hotel dwelling creature she traveled from NSW to WA camping all the way how ever our little one wasn’t born as yet she was still a twinkle ;)

So no Jayco, its funny that because it the most common caravan you see Just like blue haven pool like the one in my back yard every one gets a blue haven pool, then complaines for ever more

[Vern]

We have a 2 year old and another on the way, and we have a camper trailer!
If i came home with a caravan, the missus would tell to take it back:)

[Utemad]

and that it has a microwave

My camper has a microwave :cool:

As much as you can go further with a camper than a van, I am always amazed as to where the caravanners in our club will get their vans.

[HAK]

My camper has a microwave :cool:

As much as you can go further with a camper than a van, I am always amazed as to where the caravanners in our club will get their vans.


I also looked at an off road caravan with shocks and independant suspension it was'nt a pop top style and I felt that it was way to tall to take it off road and be stable

[harryw]

We had this same discussion when I got fedup with packing the tent and all the stuff away at the end of trip.

I wanted full off road camper trailer and low towing height wife wanted solid caravan walls and no flappy canvas.

After much reviewing and discussion the result was a compromise called AVan which 7 years later are still happy with.

It has low tow height , solid walls and has a capacity for good dirt roads and has a number of floor plans to suit families not just 2 adults.

We have also got an OZtent for those excursions off road.

[Redback]

As far as i know, Coromal and Goldstream are the best if going for an offroad campertrailer/caravan type camper, they are a genuine offroad trailer, unlike Jayco's Outback model.
http://www.coromal.com.au/products/campers/silhouette/products-detail.asp

http://www.goldstreamrv.com.au/campers.html
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/


Baz.

[hiline]

this is our pride and joy :D

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/08/371.jpg

the kitchen area slides out for more internal room
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/08/372.jpg

back bed is a doublebed
front bed is a queensize

and the table bed is also a double

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/08/373.jpg

full annexe including floor and draft curtain
bed flys

power winch raises the top (no winding):D

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2007/08/374.jpg

stick your Jayco's i say :p

Coromal all the way :D:D

[Quiggers]

Having towed a van into many parts of remote Aussie, I'd look for one that doesn't fall to bits.

Over 25,000 + kms, I suffered the following, in no particular order:
Holed (plastic) water tank.
Gas bottle bracket let go - that was interesting!
Both rear legs failed - one disappeared and the other did a superb job 'panel beating' the rear of the van.
Frame cracked behind the axle.
Footstep fell off.
All (240v type) light fittings shattered.
The canvas around the popup roof leaked.
Water got into the light fittings and dripped onto the rear bed.
Filled with dust.
Fridge dislodged.
One rear window disappeared somewhere between Marree and Oodnadatta.

While I was 'fixing' the holed watertank at Ayers Rock, I discovered the frame cracks and, noticed the (rear) nuts on the spring hangers were a few turns from leaving the van forever.

Curiously tho' I still see the occasional little York van, just like mine, tagging along behind some lucky 'vanner.

Two axles will help with stability, for many reasons, ie: if you lose a tyre at speed, a single axle van will test your driving skills;)

...like the guys have said, rent one for a while and see what you then really need.

And one other thing: weight!

cheers, GQ

[Utemad]

noticed the (rear) nuts on the spring hangers were a few turns from leaving the van forever.

A guy in our club had the u bolt nuts come loose on his Kedron offroad van. The axle crept backwards up the spring and punched the floor writing off the van. Something like that anyway.
Happened in NT I think.
However this could happen with any leaf sprung trailer or vehicle.

[tombraider]

As far as i know, Coromal and Goldstream are the best if going for an offroad campertrailer/caravan type camper, they are a genuine offroad trailer, unlike Jayco's Outback model.
http://www.coromal.com.au/products/campers/silhouette/products-detail.asp

http://www.goldstreamrv.com.au/campers.html
http://www.goldstreamrv.com.au/sovereign3.jpg


Baz.

Funny story....

Some friends of ours purchased above van once and we went camping with them and a few others...

Anyhow, a few reds into the night and the two of them retire to the van for a "cuddle"

We're all still drinking the night away when all of a sudden we hear a "pop pop thud" :o

Spin around to see the pair of them, birthday suits on! Her looking bedazzled, Him in all of "proud glory" laying intermingled on the dirt :eek:

What had happened is they had rolled around a bit and the canvas had popped from its base and out they rolled....

I nearly died laughing!

They were embarrassed but by morning saw the funny side of it!

[hiline]

I'm always worried we might bend the bed bars :angel:
hasn't happened yet ;)

[cartm58]

do some maths

caravan $12000 plus
registration & insurance
additional fuel to pull it along
caravan park site daily fees for any trip

divide by the number of days likely to have use of the caravan over the next 5 years

the resulting figure has to be more than booking in a motel hotel for 90% of any likely trip. Your wife will be lot happier in motel hotel style accomodation than any caravan.

For the remaining less than 10% of time she will swap for a canvas tent arrangement

spend the savings on upgranding the land rover experience

[hiline]

we did our maths well ;)

bought an older style van first around $3500:D
used and abused for 3 years

and sold it for $3000

then as a family decision we bought our new van
cost $30,000:angel:
had it just over 12months now and taking it out over 30 times so far

we have 4 kids so the cost of a motel or hire of a van in a park:eek:aint cheap

[Utemad]

do some maths

caravan $12000 plus
registration & insurance
additional fuel to pull it along
caravan park site daily fees for any trip

divide by the number of days likely to have use of the caravan over the next 5 years

the resulting figure has to be more than booking in a motel hotel for 90% of any likely trip. Your wife will be lot happier in motel hotel style accomodation than any caravan.

For the remaining less than 10% of time she will swap for a canvas tent arrangement

spend the savings on upgranding the land rover experience

Problem with that is you get different experiences when you camp as to when you stay in a hotel. Plus you can't sell a used night in a hotel room (unless you took photos ;))

[scrambler]

My wife has decided that where buying a caravan :mad: I wanted a camper trailer

she wants those pop top type with the fold out sides, the thing is, I dont know jack crap about them what am I looking for there are so many brands which is the best

here is pics of what she was after however this one out of our price range

My parents have had vans and campers from when we were all little tykes. But every one has been a folding type of some sort.

1) Golf Foldaway: These are pretty rare. They look like a wind-up camper when on the road but have solid walls that fold down, so look like a caravan when in use. Ours was a 15 footer - slept 2 adults and 2 kids with comfort, three kids with the table folded. We used an annex (they weren't into moving around so much back then). They sold it when we hit teen years and didn't buy another until it was just the two of them when they got ...

2) Off-road box trailer camper - Double bed and tent plus annex. Dad had the trailer and tent separately made to his own specifications, which was cheaper than buying a ready-made unit. Tough, but they wanted everything under a solid roof so moved on to ...

3) A'van - the actual "A" type. These are too small for a family (unless you have only one kid and don't mind dropping the table, or have two and put the annexe up every stop). They've taken theirs across the Top End and beach camping - they do a lot of National Parks, but no heavy-duty off-road (only places you can get to in a LandCruiser ;))

I went with him and did a once-over of the Caravan and Camping show last year, and the accumulated experiences of these vans and what I've seen, I would say ...

buy an old cheapie!

If you need more serious off-road capabilities, get a new chassis made to go underneath (or make one yourself if you have the skills).

Family-friendly layouts are rare in new vans, good custom genuine off-road vans expensive and anything else is a tent in disguise.

The older styles, while daggy, are more space-efficient and your $5000-$10,000 van with new off-road chassis won't be afraid to go places you would otherwise need something 10 times as expensive to safely tackle.

If you must go new, A-van have an expanding range with solid walls, but my view is the expanding thingies are a bit of a gimick. For kids, a couple of bunk beds are more efficient than an extending double, and can be used as a chair in wet weather. For adults, having the bed all made and ready to go, and not having to worry about packing wet canvas, is worth the extra length, and the weight savings are minimal.

[Quiggers]

Yeah, I went to the Caravan/Camping show at Lismore a month ago and most of the vans were bs...

all that useless space, enormous weight and pointless krap for like... $50,000 +

in your dreams

i just dont see how an 18 foot van can weigh nearly 3 tonnes...why???

GQ

[Defender=1st]

Well....I just watched Jeremy, Richard and James destroy the ideal of caravan holidays. :D

Don't buy one :p:p:p:p:p:p


LOL X2

[spudboy]

i just dont see how an 18 foot van can weigh nearly 3 tonnes...why???

GQ

Well if it's anything like my mum's, it'll be due to the Colour TV, Microwave, DVD player, Shower, Toilet, awnings, gas bottles, etc etc etc. She may have a dishwasher in there for all I know!

[BMKal]

I reckon you can't go past something like HiLine's trailer. Looks great. As my kids have grown up, it's just me and SWMBO these days - we've got a home built version of something like Hi-line's. But the two ends are king size singles only - one end for me and the other for her - works a treat. The table / dining area will fold down into a double if we need it, but never used it. It was originally built by father in law on a mini minor rear suspension with 10" wheels and was towed behind a Torana. I've recently put a new and stronger chassis, solid axle with leafs, extended draw bar and 14" Ford rims with light truck tyres under it. Will now go anywhere we want to go.

Will probably keep this one for another year or so - it gets a lot of use, especially down around Esperance, and across to Tassie about once every two years. Will eventually move into something a bit more comfortable. Possibly something like Hi-Line's or more likely a Windsor Rapid like the first one shown in the post. Have had a look at theses and they're not bad - love the idea of a bed in each end ha ha. There's a few of these in not bad nick coming onto the second hand market these days as well. If it's not solid / high enough to go where I'm likely to want to take it - mods are not difficult and pretty cheap if you can do it yourself.

[twitchy]

Hmmmmmm, did you watch Top Gear tonight???????:angel:

[Redback]

do some maths

caravan $12000 plus
registration & insurance
additional fuel to pull it along
caravan park site daily fees for any trip

divide by the number of days likely to have use of the caravan over the next 5 years

the resulting figure has to be more than booking in a motel hotel for 90% of any likely trip. Your wife will be lot happier in motel hotel style accomodation than any caravan.

For the remaining less than 10% of time she will swap for a canvas tent arrangement

spend the savings on upgranding the land rover experience

All these offroad campers come with 12v as well, so no need to go to a van park if you don't want.

[HAK]

Yeah $12,000 is the max and it must be a pop top with double beds on either side

trading post here I come

these thing way about 750kg- 1 tonne I wonder how it would go being towed with lifted spring

[Merv]

From my experience working in the industry I would stay away from the larger manufacturers, they are all built to a price and with the current labour market are put together by inexperienced labourers rather then tradesman. Personally I would look for a small manufacturer and get them to build what you want if you are going to buy new.

[olbod]

We have a 24 year old Cabana. It's still very sound and strong and has plenty of internal space when opened up. Nice to tow and comfortable to camp in.
Cheers.

[ibest]

Just a few Quick ideas gleaned from 25 years of vanning. Full height vans are stronger, have no canvas etc to wear out and you can jump in in a downpour in an instant. Also no canvas to push inside when wet with obvious results. My vans, even a 20 footer have been places that some people won.t beleive. Mine have all been towed with a 4 inch lifted rig with no dramas. My vans have all been leaf sprung, simple strong and no advantage with independant ,and they have all copped a spring over to match the car, again with no dramas. Independant is much harder to raise. Hopper windows let air in but not rain as opposed to sliding which can't be open in rain and hoppers seal dust much better. Full height vans also have much more cupboard space. The pop top and similar expanding types have more weight due to the strenght needed to compensate for the big holes cut in them. Aluminium frames are lighter, and all the beatings mine have had i have never seen a frame problem, the aluminium seems stronger or perhaps just flexes less than timber. Also it can not rot.
OK so aluminium vans are not very common these days I guess due to cost.
One of the most respected van types in my memory is the old Viscount Grand Tourer. These were all originally al. frames although the last of them kept the name GT and went to other poorer construction including some styrofoam sandwich types. Dont even look at a Aero Lite Viscount. The alum frame GT of the early/mid eighties is a square line van much like the current shape so still looks modern although no front boot .Better with the gas bottle outside for safety and ease of fitting anyhow. These GT.s still bring good money for their age and with good reason,and there are still plenty out there in good nick. The fridges of that era last much better than the newer ones too. The trim will be a little dated and the occassional one had tangerine or kermit green laminex which is pretty hard to take but many were pleasant light modern tones.I guess $6000 or so would get a damn good single axle GT of 16 feet or so. Millard (which ended up a part of the Viscount operation ) Was also al framed and were built in the same factory in the end,and are also agood buy. They look a little more dated with the rolled ends over and under the windows and older style paint layouts and hence are cheaper.
Even if you are after something newer some of these points may help. Ihave tried most and still have a tent, a rooftopper, and a van. the current van is unfortunately a pop top. I certainly agree with the other advice that you have been given about hiring and trying first. Best of luck
Regards Ian

[hiline]

Just a few Quick ideas gleaned from 25 years of vanning. Full height vans are stronger, have no canvas etc to wear out and you can jump in in a downpour in an instant. Also no canvas to push inside when wet with obvious results. My vans, even a 20 footer have been places that some people won.t beleive. Mine have all been towed with a 4 inch lifted rig with no dramas. My vans have all been leaf sprung, simple strong and no advantage with independant ,and they have all copped a spring over to match the car, again with no dramas. Independant is much harder to raise. Hopper windows let air in but not rain as opposed to sliding which can't be open in rain and hoppers seal dust much better. Full height vans also have much more cupboard space. The pop top and similar expanding types have more weight due to the strenght needed to compensate for the big holes cut in them. Aluminium frames are lighter, and all the beatings mine have had i have never seen a frame problem, the aluminium seems stronger or perhaps just flexes less than timber. Also it can not rot.
OK so aluminium vans are not very common these days I guess due to cost.
One of the most respected van types in my memory is the old Viscount Grand Tourer. These were all originally al. frames although the last of them kept the name GT and went to other poorer construction including some styrofoam sandwich types. Dont even look at a Aero Lite Viscount. The alum frame GT of the early/mid eighties is a square line van much like the current shape so still looks modern although no front boot .Better with the gas bottle outside for safety and ease of fitting anyhow. These GT.s still bring good money for their age and with good reason,and there are still plenty out there in good nick. The fridges of that era last much better than the newer ones too. The trim will be a little dated and the occassional one had tangerine or kermit green laminex which is pretty hard to take but many were pleasant light modern tones.I guess $6000 or so would get a damn good single axle GT of 16 feet or so. Millard (which ended up a part of the Viscount operation ) Was also al framed and were built in the same factory in the end,and are also agood buy. They look a little more dated with the rolled ends over and under the windows and older style paint layouts and hence are cheaper.
Even if you are after something newer some of these points may help. Ihave tried most and still have a tent, a rooftopper, and a van. the current van is unfortunately a pop top. I certainly agree with the other advice that you have been given about hiring and trying first. Best of luck
Regards Ian


Just a few Quick ideas gleaned from 25 years of vanning. Full height vans are stronger, have no canvas etc to wear out and you can jump in in a downpour in an instant. Also no canvas to push inside when wet with obvious results. My vans, even a 20 footer have been places that some people won.t beleive. Mine have all been towed with a 4 inch lifted rig with no dramas. My vans have all been leaf sprung, simple strong and no advantage with independant ,and they have all copped a spring over to match the car, again with no dramas. Independant is much harder to raise. Hopper windows let air in but not rain as opposed to sliding which can't be open in rain and hoppers seal dust much better. Full height vans also have much more cupboard space. The pop top and similar expanding types have more weight due to the strenght needed to compensate for the big holes cut in them. Aluminium frames are lighter, and all the beatings mine have had i have never seen a frame problem, the aluminium seems stronger or perhaps just flexes less than timber. Also it can not rot.
OK so aluminium vans are not very common these days I guess due to cost.
One of the most respected van types in my memory is the old Viscount Grand Tourer. These were all originally al. frames although the last of them kept the name GT and went to other poorer construction including some styrofoam sandwich types. Dont even look at a Aero Lite Viscount. The alum frame GT of the early/mid eighties is a square line van much like the current shape so still looks modern although no front boot .Better with the gas bottle outside for safety and ease of fitting anyhow. These GT.s still bring good money for their age and with good reason,and there are still plenty out there in good nick. The fridges of that era last much better than the newer ones too. The trim will be a little dated and the occassional one had tangerine or kermit green laminex which is pretty hard to take but many were pleasant light modern tones.I guess $6000 or so would get a damn good single axle GT of 16 feet or so. Millard (which ended up a part of the Viscount operation ) Was also al framed and were built in the same factory in the end,and are also agood buy. They look a little more dated with the rolled ends over and under the windows and older style paint layouts and hence are cheaper.
Even if you are after something newer some of these points may help. Ihave tried most and still have a tent, a rooftopper, and a van. the current van is unfortunately a pop top. I certainly agree with the other advice that you have been given about hiring and trying first. Best of luck
Regards Ian


its cool mate we got the idea from the first post :D;)

second time around is a tad boring :angel:;)

[Redback]

Yeah $12,000 is the max and it must be a pop top with double beds on either side

trading post here I come

these thing way about 750kg- 1 tonne I wonder how it would go being towed with lifted spring

Good luck trying to find a pop top for $12,000, as for the weight, our camper is 1.3t and i have a 3" lift, you'll have no probs with a lift and towing.

Baz.

[HAK]

Good luck trying to find a pop top for $12,000, as for the weight, our camper is 1.3t and i have a 3" lift, you'll have no probs with a lift and towing.

Baz.

No Baz I found a 95 model Jayco Hawk $12000 yesterday it was the off road model so there out there

it was tidy in the sense no broken bits but a bit dirty not detailed right

[Redback]

No Baz I found a 95 model Jayco Hawk $12000 yesterday it was the off road model so there out there

it was tidy in the sense no broken bits but a bit dirty not detailed right

Jayco don't make offroad campers, the term Outback is very misleading.

But as long as your not doing alot of outback stuff (ie) corrogations and long periods on rough dirt roads they will be OK.

Baz.

[HAK]

Jayco don't make offroad campers, the term Outback is very misleading.

But as long as your not doing alot of outback stuff (ie) corrogations and long periods on rough dirt roads they will be OK.

Baz.


ohhhhhh bloody wifes cant live with, cant live with out

I simply want a camper trailer why do i need a flamming pop top its really no different to a tent seeing that you sleep out the sides

[Redback]

ohhhhhh bloody wifes cant live with, cant live with out

I simply want a camper trailer why do i need a flamming pop top its really no different to a tent seeing that you sleep out the sides

If it gets them out there, it's a small price to pay, alot of wifes won't go out at all no matter what.

Baz.

[scrambler]

Rovernit - by "pop top" do you mean the canvas-ended campers? (As opposed the the caravans with the little bit of canvas around the top)

:o

You want to hire/borrow one of THOSE before you buy!

Your wife might like the idea of a full kitchen all inside, but the height of the benches - well, you'll be hoping the kids are REAL helpful and still rather small!

And I think your budget will rule out the newer type with the 1/2 solid extensions.

[landyfromanuthaland]

I heard that jayco makes a reasonable van for offroad use, what van wouldnt give u trouble though, its too much too ask from something predominately all alloy skin and bit of metal chassis, know all about yorks, the millard capris fared no better.
My own plan is I am getting the back end of a series 3 109, with hard top, then am gonna pop the top myself and fit some other wizardry too it, with a nice heay axle on the original springs and a decent welded box chassis it will go wherever its pulled, bit small but its just me, the wife and dog, I also plan to fit a nice annex that will button to the roof line and run full lenght of body just for some outside shelter etc

[HAK]

Baz your on the money :), she has no worries of roughing it though she is as feral as I and in OH&S field with rail corp (that should say it all) :D I suppose she wants to stick to where its safer when it comes to our little one hence suggesting a caravan, To be placed in caravan parks, where as I want to join this club of ours and go off road trips

Yeah scrambler she after one of those things they are out there for the price I’m looking at spending give or take a grand mid to late 90 models, how ever all I see with them are more thing to wrong like winders and the canvas used in them are so thin

Tonight is the night to set my argument brace your self all Im going in :D;)

[scrambler]

Rovernit - We've got your back!

Hit her with the kitchens, and then follow it up with the storage, and the effort involved in setup (just pass over the annexe thing). Really - the average trailer tent takes all of 5 minutes to be up, has as much storage as the entire interior of the camper she wants, and has unlimited kitchen space (esp if you leave the walls of the kitchen section ... on second thoughts, don't mention that either).

She probably won't be thinking quite along these lines, but my parents tell me they wouldn't every get a camper where the main bed was right at one end. A little too much rock and roll! (A little too much info, too :p)

[numpty]

What she said. We have been camping with the kids since the eldest was 6 weeks old, in tents. Have had a camper trailer for the last 8 yrs, and are now looking at buying a new tent, because there are plenty of places we wish to go where I wouldn't tow anything. Have a swag as well which we use in the tent if tenting. Still have the camper which is good for extended stays and love it. Only a personal opinion of course, but would never caravan due to restrictions in where it will go.

[HAK]

There isn’t a more caring mother on earth as much as my missus, believe you me, the dramas and complications we had to have my daughter makes her even more so a protective mother, another story for another day

I suppose that in her mind being in a caravan park would be closer to a roads, in order to get to a hospital or something in an emergency, and due to working 2 jobs and running a business it has left my missus no time to go off road, so she hasn’t got a clue what its like, other then of coarse watching videos of me rock hopping in our Pootrol over the past 2 years, how ever she will follow me to hell and back

Very shortly one of her jobs will be gone, leaving us week ends again to get out an about and she in under the thought that why cant we go to a caravan park, set up base and go 4WD though out the day and return to base.

The discussion came up over dinner last night where I based my case to why we should have a camper trailer instead so these where my points

1. Its smaller easier to tow and store at home and wont take up my garage I got the green light on this point


2. It cant be taken off road and if this campervan is a long to term investment for fun we wont be able to use it in far remote places in years to come Umber on this point

3. My 2nd last point was that there are less thing to go wrong such as winders and other appliances and the timber kitchen and etc etc etc again a Umber point

4. For my final blow I said and we wont be able to go club trips with a pop campervan and a camper trailer will be more appropriate this point gave me a positive red light she said why don’t you buy a roof top ten for those particular excursions

Now I cant argue with that can I but I’ll find a way to have both

[waynep]

We're looking at buying my parents in-laws caravan. Its an Evernew 16ft about 15 yrs old and has been fastidiously looked after.
It's not a pop-top fold out, push up or anything like that, and its not an offroader. It's just a plain, simple old fashioned caravan.
For us anything wll be luxury after travelling with a touring tent or swag.
This van will cost us maybe $12K so there is low risk. ( well compared to $40 -$80K that some pay )
We intend to use it as a base, from caravan parks etc, and if we need to go anywhere remote we will use the touring tent.

[landyfromanuthaland]

my dear old ma in law is gonna sell her pop top soon, its a york or similar, very nice condition through out and well cared for but itsa fair age, be mid to late 80s I guess

[HAK]

my dear old ma in law is gonna sell her pop top soon, its a york or similar, very nice condition through out and well cared for but itsa fair age, be mid to late 80s I guess

let us know how much she looking at selling for and send us some pics I'll even travell interstate to get a good one at the right price interstate meaning North or South of NSW any excuse to go for a drive

[amshaw]

There isn’t a more caring mother on earth as much as my missus, believe you me, the dramas and complications we had to have my daughter makes her even more so a protective mother, another story for another day

I suppose that in her mind being in a caravan park would be closer to a roads, in order to get to a hospital or something in an emergency, and due to working 2 jobs and running a business it has left my missus no time to go off road, so she hasn’t got a clue what its like, other then of coarse watching videos of me rock hopping in our Pootrol over the past 2 years, how ever she will follow me to hell and back

Very shortly one of her jobs will be gone, leaving us week ends again to get out an about and she in under the thought that why cant we go to a caravan park, set up base and go 4WD though out the day and return to base.

The discussion came up over dinner last night where I based my case to why we should have a camper trailer instead so these where my points

1. Its smaller easier to tow and store at home and wont take up my garage I got the green light on this point


2. It cant be taken off road and if this campervan is a long to term investment for fun we wont be able to use it in far remote places in years to come Umber on this point

3. My 2nd last point was that there are less thing to go wrong such as winders and other appliances and the timber kitchen and etc etc etc again a Umber point

4. For my final blow I said and we wont be able to go club trips with a pop campervan and a camper trailer will be more appropriate this point gave me a positive red light she said why don’t you buy a roof top ten for those particular excursions

Now I cant argue with that can I but I’ll find a way to have both

I take it that the boss is happy to share the towing of said caravan? i would think she would be happier about it if it was a smaller camper......Not that I can get mine to tow our 6x4 Dingo off Roader......:mad: I aways get "I will if I need to" ie if I break a Leg or something.....:eek::p, keep at it mate, or you can just put the foot down and tell her you have made your mind up, "Because I wear the pants around here" :eek:.......Then after you pick yourself off the floor holding your head, ask if we can talk a Little more about it:p, she might see that you are very serious about a camper!:) Sometimes a big fight can help,she may say "Ok do what you want"...........:angel:

[MrsMcRover]

I'm a little at a loss to see how a caravan park is safer for a small child than out in the scrub.

Lets face it, you should be keeping an eye on them wherever you are...

Everywhere is dangerous...unless you live in a padded room :D

And even then I have my doubts :twisted:

I totally Agree. At least i can see my stepkids in the bush... Less likly of weirdo waiting in bushes for kids to come along, than toliet blocks.

[Quiggers]

The pop top York I towed so many years ago was great.

I suspect all the bits that fell off made it lighter:D:D


GQ

[amshaw]

I totally Agree. At least i can see my stepkids in the bush... Less likly of weirdo waiting in bushes for kids to come along, than toliet blocks.

In our club we have a thing where we all keep an eye on all the kids, even if one of them plays up ie boys and sticks or throwing stones etc whoever see's them 1st becomes the bad guy for the day.....seems to work fine as we all get on well.....and we know they are safe :)

[hiline]

In our club we have a thing where we all keep an eye on all the kids, even if one of them plays up ie boys and sticks or throwing stones etc whoever see's them 1st becomes the bad guy for the day.....seems to work fine as we all get on well.....and we know they are safe :)


in our group of campers our rules are the best for bad kids ;)

if your bad you spend 10 min at the designated sin bin tree :angel:

and you then earn the rights to be the drinks monitor for most of the day after wards:D;)

its works a treat ;)

[matbor]

and you then earn the rights to be the drinks monitor for most of the day after wards:D;)

its works a treat ;)

They would be run off there feet !!

[Grumndriva]

I have just read this thread from the start and wondered why it is that everyone knocks Jayco? Sounds just like other sites knocking Landies and Landy owners. Jayco do build to a price, but so does anyone else who wants to stay in business for any length of time. Every manufacturer has to pitch his product at a particular market, and it is often safer to go for high volume rather than niche markets if you want to maximise your chance of staying in business. At the end of the day, every buyer has to decide what quality he is prepared to pay for.

Apart from the Disco (my 4th Landy), I have a Ford. I am totally happy with it. It is not as well engineered as a Merc or a Lexus, but it does the job I want it to and it didn't cost as much. I also have a Jayco Penguin Outback camper trailer (a pop top for those who don't know it). We chose the Penguin because there are only two of us since the kids have gone, and we did not want slide out beds to worry about. After reading on this thread about the amorous couple it seems that that might have been a better decision than we realised at the time! My wife and I are totally happy with it as an excellent compromise between cost and quality. Sure it isn't a true off-road camper, but we don't intend to spend our time towing it on true off road conditions, and it will go virtually any place I want it to go. Jayco are frequently knocked for pretending it is an off road trailer, when the truth is they promote it as an outback touring van, hence the name. Who wants to tow a big trailer seriously off road anyway? You are much better off with a tent.

Someone made a comment about corrugations which was very valid. Extended time on very bad corrugations will pound anything to pieces given long enough, and I don't think there is any doubt that there are other makes that would last longer than, (some even less than), Jaycos under such conditions. So far we have been lucky and the dirt we have travelled on has not been all that bad. Where Jayco is not as good as it could be is in its use of tiny woodscrews to hinge(relatively) heavy craftwood doors, which do indeed suffer on sustained corrugations. But it is not an expensive fix.

Someone commented on the differences between tent type camper trailers and the pop top type camper trailers. It seems to me that it is all personal choice. I like the greater convenience, comfort, and quicker set up and pack up time of the pop top, but to be truthful there is not a huge amount of difference between the well designed flip tops and the pop tops, and no difference for the annexes if you decide to use them.

When we were buying our camper we looked at dozens of tent-type campers from Cavaliers through to Gulflanders ($9,000 to $70,000). Our pick was the Aussie Swag Ultra for $35,000. It had the best combination of features for my wife and I. But I could not justify the price. Sure the Jayco is not as rugged, but it is adequate for what we want and it gives superior comfort, convenience and ease of use at less than two thirds the price of the Ultra. In the end we made our decision based on the compromise between what we needed and wanted, and what we could afford and justify.

For anyone put off Jaycos by the comments in this thread, ask yourself why the company has been in business for so long and why it sells so many vans, and then have a look at one for yourself. If we believed all the comments about Landies from those who don't own one, none of us would ever have bought our Landies and so wouldn't be on this forum. But if you think you could be happy with a "Holden" camper instead of a "Merc" camper, do yourself a favour and have a look at the various brands recommended in this thread and see for yourself the differences in quality and price, work out what you need and what you can afford or justify, and then make the decision. It is your choice after all.

Just my two bob's worth as a happy Jayco owner, but I hope it is useful.

[Redback]

They would be run off there feet !!

Crulety towards minors even:D

[hiline]

They would be run off there feet !!


Crulety towards minors even:D


slave labour i say :wasntme:

[p38arover]

I must admit my mind boggles at the thought of the prices these things are.

I can't see me ever, ever buying one. For a start, my wife wouldn't go camping with me. We've never been camping in 37 years of marriage - I used to go by myself in a Ford Transit camper that I built back in the 70s.

Ok, not strictly true, we hired a 7 metre long Mercedes Sprinter camper last August in the NT. That convinced us that those things are not designed by the people who use them. It had a woeful layout. Fancy buying one and then finding out how bad they are. I will say that the Sprinter was exceptionally easy to drive and gave very good fuel economy.

I'd consider buying an old caravan just for me - say, less than $2000, no more. I don't care what it looks like, I just want the kitchen and lounge readily available and with the bed already made up, not using the lounge.

Ron

[Grumndriva]

Ron,

Your last sentence sums up the real advantage of the pop top over the tent type van. Wind the top up, do a few minor chores to pretty it up, and the lounge, bed, kitchen and tinnies are ready to go.

Terry

[HAK]

heres one for you last night we went to BBQ across the road at my **** pot neighbers place who I share beers with most afternoons (mostly his beers) and I told my neibhber that I was intrested in buying a mobile home caravan pop top camper trailer roof top tent

He said "What"

I replied while kicking the dirt "yeah"

And the very tackfully I pionted to the wife

he confirmed "OK"


Any way it happens that his father biulds them for a hobby and has built them for years and his up to his 9th one apperently he is a body builder by trade (I thought that trade died years ago and ive drank with my neighbor for years and didnt know)

out come the photos

he built his last one 2 years ago a 20ft x 8ft twin axel Hilton on wheels 7 birth trailer it has a fold down queen size bed and when folded up its a launge room, dinning table which is cafe style and becomes a double bed, and three bunks at the front 4 burner stainless steel stove grill and oven and rangehood stainless steel fridge micro wave LCD TV monitor DVD player reversing cameras generator compressor solor pannels the works

It happens that his dad wants to sell it to start his final one 30fter, so my neighbor jumps on the phone and we speak to his Dad here the deal if my wife likes it she can have it for $9500 excluding the kitchen appliances as he wants to use them for the next one (Im not sure why) LCD TV and DVD solor pannels if I want them I buy new ones and he will fit it at no cost to fit I think its because he got those appliances at trade or discounted amount and wouldnt pick them at that price again

he will also convert the tripple bunks up front to a shower and toilet for free at my cost for parts

now the things this thing it wieghs 1400kg and my neighbors comments was the price on fuel would let you sleep at the hilton rather then the hilton on wheels which is probibly right seeing that the Disco is a V8


how would the disco go towing such weight I beleave it has electric brakes what would be the cost to install a unit on the disco

Any feed back would be good again I dont know what im for however I still get my roof top tent

[scrambler]

:eek2: Unless it's fugly, buy it NOW!

There's room in kitty for the tent, and you won't get no 2 year old craftsman van for that again!

[p38arover]

....excluding the kitchen appliances as he wants to use them for the next one (Im not sure why)

If you like what he has fitted and considering the hassle of changing them, maybe you could suggest you just buy him the latest appliances for his new project.

Ron

[HAK]

yeah I might do that Ron, Tell him to keep his LCD Screen and DVD player keep his solor pannels and I'll replace them with new ones but to keep the applliances in there and I'll buy him new ones of those unless I find something that fits with out major mods, then buggering ill keep the new ones seeing that he wants to fit them


Dispite the interior being like brand new in timber pannelling his made the inside real old school brown interior its like a brand new looking early 80 caravan why he chose it like so, maybe because his not into the new but I dont care its a matter changing carpet and cussion colours lets see what the hand break decides this time

[HAK]

Has any one towed something this large whats the fuel consumption like

[olbod]

Our old Cabana weighs in around 1500kg on the road.
I only use fifth gear on good flats or downhill.
Gets around 20lts per hundred but this is with a new engine rebuild.
I only have overide brakes but treat it like a semi on
long downhills.... by that I mean, brake early and leave
stopping distance ahead. Never had a problem tho,
keeping it safe and under control. Never felt uncomfortable towing the thing.
1400kg aint much, try it first before you spend lots on
additional brakes, tho some will not agree !
Cheers.

[HAK]

what are over ride brakes

[BMKal]

Over-ride brakes are hydraulic brakes, activated by the trailer coupling pushing forward on the tow hitch.

Not sure about other states' laws, but in WA these are illegal on the size (weight) of trailer that you're looking at. If the trailer already has electrics fitted, then these are the go. I got a quote to have controller fitted in my Disco for $300 in Perth this week - at Jayco dealer.

Cheers .......... BM

[p38arover]

Over-ride brakes are hydraulic brakes, activated by the trailer coupling pushing forward on the tow hitch.


Or cable-operated brakes

[olbod]

Mine are cable and work ok.
The trick with these sort of systems is to adjust them
so that they apply an even braking pressure without locking up on wet or gravel roads. Not designed for outright braking capacity but for slowing the trailer or van down and keep it under control.
$300 for an electric controller sounds good.
It's an idea to have a manual over ride on the trailer brakes. If it gets a wobble up you can gently apply the van brakes to bring it back under control.
cheers.