Recommend me a family van to get around Australia

[zalimama]

Apologies, I know this topic has probably been done to death but thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. We are a young family who have decided to take the plunge and set out for a 6 month trip around Australia in 2017. We cannot wait!

Since making the decision we have poured ourselves headlong into caravan research to try and find the right caravan for us. We have spent hours upon hours researching every which way we know how. It is the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, I dream about it all night, then it is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning. I need help!

To aid our decision making I have purchased and am awaiting delivery of the Caravan Buyers Handbook, and we are off to the Batemans Bay show next weekend. We have also spent a few hours checking out a couple of caravan retailers local to us to try to start to understand what is what when it comes to buying a van.

I have been very focussed on making the ‘right’ decision re our new van, but recently I came to the realisation that there are lots and lots of ‘right’ decisions. So now I am more trying to avoid making the wrong decision and ending up with a dud caravan that won't be our faithful companion on our trip (and subsequent trips in the years to come.)

Naturally, I have a healthy skepticism with regard to what the sales people tell us, and we don’t know anyone who has done the trip we are wanting to do to pick their brains. So we are hoping all you good folk can help.

As you would all know there are just so many manufacturers and options out there. It is all a bit confusing and overwhelming, especially when you are not comparing apples and apples (standard inclusions vs optional inclusions vary so much), indicative pricing is hard to obtain and at the end of the day we don’t know just how ‘rough’ or off road we need to make the van to achieve the trip we are hoping for. I am also wary of being sucked in to choosing style over substance but that is no easy task.

In short, we will be travelling from NSW to QLD and then across the NT to WA and around. We won’t be tackling the Cape, but would ideally like to have the option to do the Savannah Way and Gibb River Road with at least a bit of confidence that the van, if handled correctly, will be able to do the job.

We also plan to free camp a fair bit, but most likely no more than 3/4 days at a time. In terms of this, what is the minimum set up we should be looking at in terms of water tank capacities, solar capacity etc (we would also be travelling with a generator).

Our budget isn’t strictly limited, but naturally we don’t want to spend any more than we have to to get the van to do the job. At this stage we’d like to think it would come in somewhere around 60-80K.

Our tow vehicle is a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee (diesel) so 3.5t towing capacity.

From our van yard visits and extensive Googling some of the manufacturers we have zeroed in on are: New Age, Option RV, Living Edge, Lotus, Goldstream, Elite, Nova, Crusader, Royal Flair… the list literally goes on and on.

So, any advice on manufacturers either way would be much appreciated. And even more so, any advice on what sort of set up we will truly need to conquer the Big Lap would be great. Is it enough to add some off-road elements (suspension, risers etc) to a non-off road van given we don’t want to tackle major 4x4 elements???

Thanks again for your time in reading/responding. I look forward to being able to contribute to the online community as the weeks and months go on, and look forward to meeting as many of you out and about when we hit the road in 2017.

[glanyard]

My first bit of advise is; keep researching!
Then before you put hard earned cash on the barrel head hire a van for a weekend, or longer if possible, to see if things like layout, size, accessories etc suit you. The other main thing to consider is the tug you will use to pull a suited van, so your Jeep will probably do the job. Like a lot of bush roads in Australia, the condition of the Gibb depends on the time of the year and when the road grader last went over it.
I'm sure some others on the forum will be on line soon to add their bit, so don't get discouraged if you don't get an answer straight away.
Oh, and welcome!
glanyard

[rredbeak]

exactly as Glanyard said,but make sure its an ensuite model.you'll be soon tired of putting up shower tents etc etc..ensuite then your preferred layout AFTER you've hired one n tried the outdoor life. Rod

[dieseltojo]

Hi zalimama,
Friends took their three small kids on a 3 month trip and went for a fold out Jayco with full en-suite etc, around 22 -24 foot.
It was new and they did a pretty long trip to Darwin and back to Vic across the Nullabor. Happy to say, no problems at all.
Mostly through parks and a few days free camping. No rough riding.

[zalimama]

Well after as much researching as we could manage, and a trip to soggy Batemans Bay for the caravan show we have ended up back at the first van we gravitated towards; the deposit is down on a 21' New Age Big Red.

We ultimately decided that we didn't need anything near full offroad capability for our planned trip (definitely won't be attempting the Gibb as we figured it wouldn't be fun with the two little ones). In the end we were just going around in circles with our thinking and research and so we bit the bullet and we are feeling very content with our decision.

Delivery is in June (fingers crossed maybe a bit earlier)... We can't wait.

[hank]

Good luck with your choice, they are certainly a good looking van. Long time to wait though, we bought our van out of a yard, I could'nt wait that long.




Hank

[TeddyGQ]

IMHO, and it is my opinion. A van that is capable of Full Off Road is going to be either heavy or small. Basically the chassis and suspension are going to determine where it can go. Most of the names you mentioned build a really good box that fits on top and should be attached to the chassis but ultimately it is still a wooden box that will tend to flex and move and therefore could leak or crack or completely break up and fly off as you are moving. You have control of the accelerator and therefore the potential damage. Amazing what you see when you travel slowly.
A van that is comfortable to live in is going to be longer and therefore may not handle "Whoopees" and really rough corrugations and therefore that will restrict your "Off Road". Taking a full caravan to The Tip may not be suitable but some have tried.
Realistically you need to ask yourself. Can I travel, park the van and then go into the real "Off Road" stuff with tents or a swag and then return.
My van is long, 23'6' inside and has the wrong suspension for "Off Road", Rock/Roller, but travelling slow, as low as 20km/h at times, I get to some of the most beautiful places. Read for this anywhere along the south coast of Western Australia.
A separate en suite, even for a solo, is a non negotiable. A toilet is another. I have a washing machine but it is 240 volt and uses a bit of precious water so I either need a van park every 7-10 days or a stop at a Laundrette somewhere. How many people for how long and how well do you get along.
If parking up, is an annexe needed, if so, where do I store it. What type of tug, GCM, GVM, what fuel, LPG can be hard to get in some outback towns but every truck passing you has diesel.
Personally, either rent or buy a low cost second hand (try and avoid cheap as that can end up biting you on the &%#*) which nearly suits your needs. Trial the van on short weekends away until you take the training wheels off and then go for your design.

Bob