Those Who Have Done Long Trips Around Australia

[Whipitgood]

We have had a long time dream to go around Australia as a family, travelling for about a year. We like the idea of a camper but they seem to be quite small unless you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. A caravan seems a great idea but would be heavy to tow and less fuel efficient? We would also want to tow a very small "run around" vehicle which ive seen people do with a camper, as it makes life easier driving in cities rather than negotiating a large camper around small streets (but this is not possible with a caravan).

Can anyone give me the pros and cons of both, with long term travel.

It would be the 2 of us adults and 2 small children, plus a dog!

[Whipitgood]

Woops, just realised i meant to put this in OT and have no idea how to change it over!

[Staff'n'Toller]

PM troy or report yourself ( ) and ask him to move it.

[Greytmate]

I will answer you anyway, even though you posted in the wrong place.

Are you talking about a motorhome or a campervan? I wouldn't go away in a campervan with a family, bit too small.

Motorhomes are a lot more expensive than caravans. They tend to keep their value (not appreciate or depreciate) and can be easily traded. I am not sure how well caravans hold their value.

It would be cheaper on fuel to tow a medium sized caravan behind a normal sized car than to use a motorhome to tow a small car. If you want the space of a really big caravan, you will need a larger tow vehicle.

You can reduce a lot of the weight in a caravan by being very careful about the type of things you pack. A small caravan packed very efficiently can even be towed behind a four cylinder car.

You should go and look at both and get some figures from the sales people and see what best fits your budget.

[PossumCorner]

There is no way to do it without compromise in one direction or another. You could look at good camper-trailers, the downside is they have to be quickly set up for sleep every night, and packed down come morning, but better visibility to tow than a van, and lighter. Then compromise between a fuel-guzzling 4WD and a 4cyl, and tow with something like a 6cyl Mitsu. Magna station wagon (a good 2nd hand one: they are out of production). Fuel efficient, reliable, enough power. Take the money you've just saved and splash out on a night in a motel occasionally to have a bath and breakfast made for you. Great revitaliser when everyone is getting edgey.

We found 3-4 adults in a VW campervan a bit close living at times. Had small tents we could put up in less than two minutes. (And two dogs). Our two years was working holiday so for longer stopovers like Port Hedland when working, we'd hire a caravan on a caravan park. I don't suppose you can be expected to rough-it with young children to the same extent though.

I don't think towing a small vehicle would be much fun after a while, for little benefit and probable damage. If you are travelling round Australia you won't be in cities that much to need a runabout. Maybe bikes (even a tandem) on a rooftop carrier would be a better compromise. Or park the motorhome at the airport and hire a car for a day or two for the city-tourist-shopping thing: that could be cheaper than fuel for towing thousands of miles and not even taking it off the tow-bar.

Nice decisions to have to make, I envy you the trip.

.

[GoldenGirl85]

Keep in mind that if you tow a run around you will have more regos to pay for, either by the means of a trailer with the car on, or hooking the car to the motorhome, if you use a trailer you will save wear and tear on the back tyres of the car, but you will be using the tyres of the trailer and you will also have the extra rego (motorhome/car/trailer) verses car and motorhome

My parents were trying to decide the same thing a while back and they have decided to go the car/caravan route

[Dog_Horse_Girl]

I would opt for a decent off-roader (4WD) if you plan to go anywhere off the bitumen. And tow a camper trailer.

Caravans are a bitch to tow in some places, particularly anywhere with mountains. They increase fuel consumption dramatically. They can make driving anything but a pleasure. And they're not that much bigger than a good sized camper trailer. About 1/3 of the weight and the camper trailer folds down into a small enough trailer for towing with ease.

As others have said, you can always spend a night here and there in a motel for a bit of "luxury". Camper trailers are pretty easy to set up and take down. By adding an annexe you effectively double the useable space they provide.

Camper vans are a waste of money - the living space is limited and inflexible IMO.

[Tilly]

Friends went to the cape with a couple of kids and a 4X4 camper-trailer. No real issues. Probably could get to more out of the way places with the trailer. They also took a couple of tents for the kids for when they got sick of each other - bit more space.

Personally I would prefer a camper-trailer over a caravan...

[Sydoo]

If your campervan/motorhome needs repair, you may find yourself with nowhere to sleep if it is with a mechanic overnight.

If your car needs repair, you can still keep a caravan or trailer somewhere suitable for as long as necessary.

[Little Gifts]

My ex partner and I spent 2 years travelling around Australia back in the 1980's. We travelled in an old torana to every nook and cranny imaginable, catching our own food (fish) a lot, sometimes camping wild and every couple of days staying in a proper camping ground to do washing (body and clothes!). We had a small tent for overnight stays and a larger one for week long stays.

Obviously this kind of roughing it is not for everyone but hey I can start a fire without matches and still erect a tent when the ground is too hard to get pegs into it!

Seriously though - it depends on where you want to take your vehicle. On some roads with gullies the 4wd's with trailers/caravans really struggled and we often saw trailers/caravans left on the side of the road to be picked up on the return trip. Chemical toilets were always a shock to see. Even back in those days sorting out toileting wasn't that big a problem and today it would be even easier so why not leave that at home? Likewise, anyone we met who brought a tv with them wished they hadn't wasted the space. You are doing the trip to live, not to watch tv. Other pieces of advice are that in hot climates it can get very hot inside your camper or caravan for sleeping so don't assume you will always have somewhere to plug yourself in and turn the air on. And mozzies and sand flies will drive you crazy if you leave doors and windows open. If you break down in a camper I know a family who were able to stay inside their camper inside the RACQ repair yard. But try not to plan for everything that might happen on your trip - you can buy things on your trip as you determine what works or doesn't work for you. If you have to stay in a cabin while your vehicle is repaired then that is also part of the experience. Oh and if you plan to go to remote areas then remember that a more well known vehicle make might be easier to get parts for. And things in those communities cost more because they have to be transported in - food, equipment, petrol, etc, so try to accept that and not compare to home prices.

And be flexible about where you go as some of my best memories are of the detours we took. We had a map and an RACQ caravan and camping guide and at the start of every day would check out towns that were x number of miles away then look up the guide to see what fishing or camping options were in the area and what was there to see and base our travels for the day around that. And even after all these years I still have a very precious sea shell collection from that trip. It was the start of many for me. I hope it is the same for you!

[Little Gifts]

Had to add that travelling with dogs will limit your entry to national parks so you will also need to factor in where you leave the dogs in the summer heat if you all go to an event together that wont allow entry for the dogs. I desperately wanted to take my dog with us and threw many tanties before and on the first quarter of the trip about it but for the places we went it wouldn't have been suitable for any of us.

And the idea of carrying some tents for the kids to sleep out some nights is a great idea (suggested above) as everyone needs some space from each other at times.

[Whipitgood]

Hi guys, thanks everyone for your replies i appreciate, its good to get opinions from those who know.

When i was travelling around Europe, i was in a coach built 1973 Bedford campervan and it was awesome, but i dont think i could do that with kids! There doesnt sem to be the space and caravans seem to have more space for the cost, according to some replies ive had.

There is no way in hell i would travel with a camper trailer for over a year and especially with kids! ;) I have travelled in camper trailers for short trips but definately would not do it for a long one, just setting it up does my head in!

So it seems towing a small vehicle is not practicle either, maybe a decent size 4WD for off road trips and a caravan to unhitch might be the way to go.

Nice decisions to have to make, I envy you the trip.

.

Its actually a decision we have been forced to make after our other dream may have fallen through! We had plans of a long trip around Oz but that came to a halt when we built a block to build our dream home, we have got to construction stage with the building, after 7 months of hard work and frustrations with the builder - and it looks like it all may go pear shaped. So this is plan B!!

[pawsaroundoz]

Hi Whipitgood

Have only just read your post. As you may remember I am travelling long term with spells in Darwin on a regular basis to look out for an old friend!

I travel with my dogs, although my dear old labbie Carlin has become so much my friends shadow and what with both of them having health issues Carlin will now stay with my friend when I go away.

For me as a solo traveller I find the campervan (now updated to a small motorhome) and a small lite trailer fine, suits me. I also have a bike and k9 carrier now.

For 2 adults and children and dogs I think you would have to go for a very big bus/motor home to be comfy and really feel you would probably be better off with a good tow vehicle and a caravan, with an awning or annex for longer stays in any one place. You could also take bicycles for children and at least 1 adult as an extra form of transport.

It is a fantastic lifestyle choice and be warned highly addctive! I plan to live this way until I can no longer drive! I'll just have to find a caravan park to stay in then as I have no other home! As 1 friend tells people 'I'm not on a holiday, I'm on a lifestyle'!!

Oh and the Whippets love it, especially the coffee shops and bakeries!

Annie