Thread: help needed in my purchase of a caravan

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

Originally Posted by 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

Originally Posted by 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

its cool mate we got the idea from the first post

second time around is a tad boring

Originally Posted by ROVERNIT

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.

Originally Posted by Redback

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

Originally Posted by ROVERNIT

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.

Originally Posted by Redback

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

Originally Posted by ROVERNIT

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.

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)



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.