Sue and I recently had our first trip in our Concept 21' caravan (yay!) to the Fishermans Beach Holiday Park in Emu Park, Queensland.
While there, we had lots of suggestions from other grey nomads about things we should purchase.
Can I get some advice on these? Yes, No, Depends, and if Yes, maybe a brand or store to buy it from.
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down.
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above).
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why.
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing).
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many.
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
Thanks in advance for any sage advice you can offer!
Cheers
Rex
Peter_n_Margaret said
05:45 PM Jun 27, 2020
rexboggs5 wrote:
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
What type of fridge do you have and is it on the same side as the awning?
It is now illegal to enclose the fridge vent with an annex. At least 2 sides must remain open.
This is a safety issue to reduce the number of people who suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning produced by gas fridges.
Cheers,
Peter
blaze said
05:49 PM Jun 27, 2020
rexboggs5 wrote:
Sue and I recently had our first trip in our Concept 21' caravan (yay!) to the Fishermans Beach Holiday Park in Emu Park, Queensland.
While there, we had lots of suggestions from other grey nomads about things we should purchase.
Can I get some advice on these? Yes, No, Depends, and if Yes, maybe a brand or store to buy it from.
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down.
yes
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
I would not
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
buy the correct shade cloth
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarpsmentioned above).
yes
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why.
get a set of level ramps and chock
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't movewhile towing).
yes
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather thanmany.
I would not, but handy
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
I suggest they mean rayed shackles
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
handy
Thanks in advance for any sage advice you can offer!
Cheers
Rex
cheers
blaze
iana said
06:00 PM Jun 27, 2020
rexboggs5 wrote:
Sue and I recently had our first trip in our Concept 21' caravan (yay!) to the Fishermans Beach Holiday Park in Emu Park, Queensland.
While there, we had lots of suggestions from other grey nomads about things we should purchase.
Can I get some advice on these? Yes, No, Depends, and if Yes, maybe a brand or store to buy it from.
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down. Yes, standard steel pegs.
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain. MMMMMMMM, better things to do.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind. Privacy screen, maybe, I say no, she says yes, she wins. extra weight.
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above). 2 step and a fold out one to get to the roof and clean the solar panels.
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why. maybe, I am planning on filling the spaces between the webs with foam to strengthen them up.
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing). Yes have those.
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many. Dreaming.
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why. I can't either, or is it a set of rated "D" shackels
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser. Yes very handy, plus a puncture repair it.
Thanks in advance for any sage advice you can offer!
Cheers
Rex
Whenarewethere said
06:13 PM Jun 27, 2020
Go over a weighbridge so you have a starting point.
The more you travel, the more you find you really do not need & chuck it out.
I don't tow but some extra blocks of wood are very handy even for leveling our car.
Double sided Velcro is always handy & a bit of adhesive Velcro (use the original. Velcro. It sticks better) & some cable ties.
Definitely an air compressor & tyre repair kit (ARB for example), & TPMS if you haven't got it. If you are remote & you can save a tyre it is an awful lot of peace of mind! Long nose pliers to pull screws out. Also if going off road let your tyres down accordingly & pump them up when back on bitumen. You can't have too much compressor power to get the job done quickly.
A set of Stahlwille spanners & sockets, German made & lighter weight than Chinese rubbish.
DC clamp meter or at the very least a multimeter. Spare fuses!
We can clear our car with compressed air & bottled water at 0.5L per minute!
Sue and I recently had our first trip in our Concept 21' caravan (yay!) to the Fishermans Beach Holiday Park in Emu Park, Queensland.
While there, we had lots of suggestions from other grey nomads about things we should purchase.
Can I get some advice on these? Yes, No, Depends, and if Yes, maybe a brand or store to buy it from.
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down.
I have Cgear mat and use 100mm landscape screws
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
I removed mine and a lot of weight gone.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
I use Coast to Coast privacy screens and help with wind.
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above).
I have a lightweight 5 step and telescopic ladder
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why.
Possibly for duel axle van
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing).
I use on awning arms, rolled up hose etc.
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many.
Not worth the cost
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
Rated D shackles for sure
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
Very handy to have
Thanks in advance for any sage advice you can offer!
Cheers
Rex
Keep Safe out there.
Nevd said
06:37 PM Jun 27, 2020
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
Not much weight saving here. Modern van doors are lightwieght so allowing for fabric weight & curtain rails & hooks I can't see too much difference.
Peter_n_Margaret said
07:20 PM Jun 27, 2020
Nevd wrote:
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
Not much weight saving here. Modern van doors are lightwieght so allowing for fabric weight & curtain rails & hooks I can't see too much difference.
We travelled with a new "off road" recently and the bathroom door was glass.
Less than 1,000km into our journey it fell off!.
Cheers,
Peter
Warren-Pat_01 said
09:16 PM Jun 27, 2020
Hi Rex,
Take Whenarewethere's advice with the weigh bridge!
After that stuff you'd like, stuff others tell you about, stuff that looks nice to have in magazines only adds weight.
Take what you need for a safe enjoyable trip - the advice given above is spot on. I carry a folding 6' ladder in my front boot - a bit fiddly to get in & out but it's light & takes my weight ok.
All the best.
dogbox said
09:18 PM Jun 27, 2020
buy nothing till you need it . it still won't take long till you have more stuff than you need that you never use.
the rocket said
09:31 PM Jun 27, 2020
large Orange garbage Bags and wide tape. If it rains n window leaks it works well until u can get it repaired. Happy travels.
-- Edited by the rocket on Saturday 27th of June 2020 09:35:36 PM
Radar said
09:38 PM Jun 27, 2020
rexboggs5 wrote:
Hi Rex, here is my take on gear that is handy
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down.
Yes a ground mat is great bit of gear that we use a lot, if it good quality it will not need pegs.
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
Yes after ours gave us issues, it is replaced with a material curtain, which is great. It is lighter.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
No to tarps. We use purpose made shade cloth ends, one is good and a shade cloth privacy screen along the awning at times is good. Shade cloth is very light. They real good in windy weather and hany in the rain. If the wind get a bit rough we put it all away.
A 3-step step ladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above).
Put the anti flappers on before you raise the awning.
Yes, we carry one, ours get used a lot, as a extra table, putting the kayak on the car, cleaning, it just get used.
A 2nd set of wheel chocks.
I have 3 (picked one up along the way), I carry a bit of fire wood if needed.
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing).
I am convinced that is a old wives tale.
We use velcro to tire up our power leads, water hoses. When I take it off the hose or power lead I wrap it around the silly handle on the corner of the caravan, so I know where to find the velcro when I am putting the gear away.
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many.
I have one answer for this "I do not lock anything" except the entry door. And secondly they can not match all the locks to one key.
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
U bolts with yellow pins are generally rated, you need u bolts on the ends of your chains.
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
Not a real must have but we do carry a air compressor to adjust our tyre pressures for highway running to unsealed road running and 4wdrive adventures.
Hope this is of some help, as for trade names I can not help, our caravan was second hand and come with gear.
Meredith said
09:38 PM Jun 27, 2020
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down.
Yes, we have had a CGear mat for 9 years and would recommend them.
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
For us no, personally I like to shut a real door when we go to the toilet and sometimes we definitely want it firmly shut afterwards! Would not be happy with a curtain.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
We have shadecloth type sidewalls we can use, they do actually stop the wind and give some privacy while not completely blocking the view and they are lighter and easier to put on than tarps with sail tracking on them so they slide on.
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above).
We have a small 2 step stepladder which is high enough for us to attach the anti flap clips
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why.
Do you really need a 2nd set?
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing).
Double sided velcro is handy to have, we have it on the awning arms, keeping the shower head in place when travelling, and to keep our hoses looped.
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many.
Might be nice but could be expensive. We only carry the door and boot key, the others are stored away in the van.
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
Ummmmm.....
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
We have a compressor and use it because we do quite a bit of off road and sand driving, whether it is worth it depends on where you go.
Warren-Pat_01 said
09:35 AM Jun 28, 2020
Hi again Rex,
This is not something you should buy but when you hook up your chains to your rated shackles, remember to cross the chains. I thought this was standard but in in last year, I've seen more vans connected with the chains parallel than I can poke a stick at. Even a couple of friends hooked theirs up like that & they broke a towball!
Tarps are heavy, shadecloth is much lighter, if it's cold & windy, stay inside. We use shadecloth for a ground mat, also to shade the area where the fridge is on a hot day, bought an Aldi shade for the end of the awning but it's still home in the garage!
We've never worried about the keys - I have a set that both of us use, wife has a set to clutter up the bottom of her handbag. Since buying the dual cab, I remember the back hatch key is turned opposite to the van door key - the side windows - the same!
Colin Penrose said
10:03 AM Jun 28, 2020
Replace the flaps with awning bars. I think Traveller. You wont be sorry. Takes about 5 minutes to install and will keep your awning steady in fairly strong winds. Col
Gundog said
11:16 AM Jun 28, 2020
I have found ground mats heavy and trap dirt, we ditched ours a brought the 3 packs of the 600x600 interlocking foam mats (sure they take up a little more room but its easy to find a space for them in the van)
As for for tarps or shadecloth sides and end a waste of money, its best to buy a full annex with as many flywire screen windows as possible, if the weather turns crappy you are not cooped up in the van, it adds an extra room. Some stops we only have the long wall up or we might only put the end on depending the location.
Get yourself an Aussie Traveller Anti Flap Kit and a set of roof rafters they are worth their weight in gold.
Shackels good quality yes
Air Compressor No
You maybe able to get a fabric concertina door to replace to replace the glass one, we have one the divides the sleeping area from the living area.
rexboggs5 said
01:00 PM Jun 28, 2020
Thanks everyone for your sage advice! We will go through the comments carefully and decide what to more we would benefit from purchasing. Hope to meet you lovely folks in person some day!
Gaylehere said
02:34 PM Jun 28, 2020
Hi there, Sometimes what you may need depends on the sort of holidaying you are planning to do or are you planning to live in your van permanently. Are you driving to a particular spot, say caravan park, and staying put for an extended period of time or are you going to be on the move and only having a night here or two there then moving on again. Besides the air compressor and a couple blocks of wood that don't get used much and some tools for minor fix up jobs we don't carry much else. (We're in the motorhome pictured in my avatar). But we're people who rarely stay in one place more than a couple days, so we don't use a ground mat, or have a step ladder, privacy screens, extras to add to the awning. If it's windy we don't put out the awning, or if out we usually pull it in before we go to bed, we dont let anything outside overnight besides a mat. So what's great for some may not be what you need. On your stay at Emu Park did you ever say " we could have done with a ........". Cheers.
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 28th of June 2020 09:14:20 PM
Mamil said
06:13 PM Jun 28, 2020
I would advise going the other way - finding things to chuck out! I was given a very good piece of advice by someone on here a couple of years ago when I started out - put a little yellow sticker on everything in your van, and take the stickers off when you use that item in your travels. At the end of a year throw out everything that still has a sticker on it!
Just one other comment, I did go the way of standardising everything in the van to one key. I did it myself, and it wasn't expensive or difficult. I bought a set of ten identical lock barrels, four keys, and a 'master key' that removes the barrels from locks. All this came courtesy of Ebay. However, you do need all the locks to be from the same manufacturer in the first place - mine were all Zadi locks. European van manufacturers do this as a matter of course, but not Ozzie ones.
iana said
07:20 PM Jun 28, 2020
You will need some leveling ramps, I use blocks of wood, as I do my own service, and use them when jacking. Tie down ropes for the awning, steel pegs, and a hammer. An assortment of hose fittings, water hose, grey water hose, 15a extension cord.
mischief said
10:49 PM Jul 4, 2020
I second the stickers..i used the red dots from office works
Sue and I recently had our first trip in our Concept 21' caravan (yay!) to the Fishermans Beach Holiday Park in Emu Park, Queensland.
While there, we had lots of suggestions from other grey nomads about things we should purchase.
Can I get some advice on these? Yes, No, Depends, and if Yes, maybe a brand or store to buy it from.
A ground mat (in our case about 6m x 2.5m) and maybe some pegs to hold it down.
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above).
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why.
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing).
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many.
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
Thanks in advance for any sage advice you can offer!
Cheers
Rex
What type of fridge do you have and is it on the same side as the awning?
It is now illegal to enclose the fridge vent with an annex. At least 2 sides must remain open.
This is a safety issue to reduce the number of people who suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning produced by gas fridges.
Cheers,
Peter
Go over a weighbridge so you have a starting point.
The more you travel, the more you find you really do not need & chuck it out.
I don't tow but some extra blocks of wood are very handy even for leveling our car.
Double sided Velcro is always handy & a bit of adhesive Velcro (use the original. Velcro. It sticks better) & some cable ties.
Definitely an air compressor & tyre repair kit (ARB for example), & TPMS if you haven't got it. If you are remote & you can save a tyre it is an awful lot of peace of mind! Long nose pliers to pull screws out. Also if going off road let your tyres down accordingly & pump them up when back on bitumen. You can't have too much compressor power to get the job done quickly.
A set of Stahlwille spanners & sockets, German made & lighter weight than Chinese rubbish.
DC clamp meter or at the very least a multimeter. Spare fuses!
We can clear our car with compressed air & bottled water at 0.5L per minute!
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
Not much weight saving here. Modern van doors are lightwieght so allowing for fabric weight & curtain rails & hooks I can't see too much difference.
We travelled with a new "off road" recently and the bathroom door was glass.
Less than 1,000km into our journey it fell off!.
Cheers,
Peter
Take Whenarewethere's advice with the weigh bridge!
After that stuff you'd like, stuff others tell you about, stuff that looks nice to have in magazines only adds weight.
Take what you need for a safe enjoyable trip - the advice given above is spot on. I carry a folding 6' ladder in my front boot - a bit fiddly to get in & out but it's light & takes my weight ok.
All the best.
large Orange garbage Bags and wide tape. If it rains n window leaks it works well until u can get it repaired. Happy travels.
-- Edited by the rocket on Saturday 27th of June 2020 09:35:36 PM
Yes, we have had a CGear mat for 9 years and would recommend them.
Remove the bathroom sliding door to save weight and replace it with a curtain.
For us no, personally I like to shut a real door when we go to the toilet and sometimes we definitely want it firmly shut afterwards! Would not be happy with a curtain.
Extra tarps to attach to the awning to block the wind.
We have shadecloth type sidewalls we can use, they do actually stop the wind and give some privacy while not completely blocking the view and they are lighter and easier to put on than tarps with sail tracking on them so they slide on.
A 3-step stepladder so we can attach the anti-flap clips to the awning (and the extra tarps mentioned above).
We have a small 2 step stepladder which is high enough for us to attach the anti flap clips
A 2nd set of wheel chocks. Not sure why.
Do you really need a 2nd set?
Strips of double-sided Velcro (I think to wrap around the awning arms so they don't move while towing).
Double sided velcro is handy to have, we have it on the awning arms, keeping the shower head in place when travelling, and to keep our hoses looped.
Have a locksmith replace the locks in the caravan so we only need 1 key rather than many.
Might be nice but could be expensive. We only carry the door and boot key, the others are stored away in the van.
A set of yellow U-bolts. I can't remember why.
Ummmmm.....
An air compressor to keep the correct air pressure in the tyres and the airbags in the back of the Land Cruiser.
We have a compressor and use it because we do quite a bit of off road and sand driving, whether it is worth it depends on where you go.
This is not something you should buy but when you hook up your chains to your rated shackles, remember to cross the chains. I thought this was standard but in in last year, I've seen more vans connected with the chains parallel than I can poke a stick at. Even a couple of friends hooked theirs up like that & they broke a towball!
Tarps are heavy, shadecloth is much lighter, if it's cold & windy, stay inside. We use shadecloth for a ground mat, also to shade the area where the fridge is on a hot day, bought an Aldi shade for the end of the awning but it's still home in the garage!
We've never worried about the keys - I have a set that both of us use, wife has a set to clutter up the bottom of her handbag. Since buying the dual cab, I remember the back hatch key is turned opposite to the van door key - the side windows - the same!
Replace the flaps with awning bars. I think Traveller. You wont be sorry. Takes about 5 minutes to install and will keep your awning steady in fairly strong winds. Col
I have found ground mats heavy and trap dirt, we ditched ours a brought the 3 packs of the 600x600 interlocking foam mats (sure they take up a little more room but its easy to find a space for them in the van)
As for for tarps or shadecloth sides and end a waste of money, its best to buy a full annex with as many flywire screen windows as possible, if the weather turns crappy you are not cooped up in the van, it adds an extra room. Some stops we only have the long wall up or we might only put the end on depending the location.
Get yourself an Aussie Traveller Anti Flap Kit and a set of roof rafters they are worth their weight in gold.
Shackels good quality yes
Air Compressor No
You maybe able to get a fabric concertina door to replace to replace the glass one, we have one the divides the sleeping area from the living area.
Hi there, Sometimes what you may need depends on the sort of holidaying you are planning to do or are you planning to live in your van permanently. Are you driving to a particular spot, say caravan park, and staying put for an extended period of time or are you going to be on the move and only having a night here or two there then moving on again. Besides the air compressor and a couple blocks of wood that don't get used much and some tools for minor fix up jobs we don't carry much else. (We're in the motorhome pictured in my avatar). But we're people who rarely stay in one place more than a couple days, so we don't use a ground mat, or have a step ladder, privacy screens, extras to add to the awning. If it's windy we don't put out the awning, or if out we usually pull it in before we go to bed, we dont let anything outside overnight besides a mat. So what's great for some may not be what you need. On your stay at Emu Park did you ever say " we could have done with a ........". Cheers.
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Sunday 28th of June 2020 09:14:20 PM
Just one other comment, I did go the way of standardising everything in the van to one key. I did it myself, and it wasn't expensive or difficult. I bought a set of ten identical lock barrels, four keys, and a 'master key' that removes the barrels from locks. All this came courtesy of Ebay. However, you do need all the locks to be from the same manufacturer in the first place - mine were all Zadi locks. European van manufacturers do this as a matter of course, but not Ozzie ones.