New here (First post) but I have been lurking for a couple of weeks.
I'm now retired and have been camping for most of my life. But as I get older I'm starting to look for a few more "comforts". The Mrs is a "comfort" girl too, that's for sure. And since she's a good cook need her to be happy too!
So we are thinking of buying a new van, well new to us so open to new or used in good nick. Travels will mainly be on good roads, not 4x4, mix of bush camping and parks. Perhaps 6 to12 weeks at a time. The Mrs wants a shower and loo.
So, just looking for general advice at this stage:
New or used?
Brands to avoid?
Good brands?
Full or pop top?
Do I have to add stuff to the car?
How big a van can we tow? Gee there are some nice ones out there.
Not too much jargon pls I'm new to vans. KISS
We have a 4x4 Triton, been a great car. So, intend to to with that. It has a 3t tow bar.
-- Edited by Red Fox on Wednesday 31st of August 2022 11:27:39 AM
Possum3 said
01:39 PM Aug 31, 2022
Red Fox welcome to GN's,
As Larry advised buying caravans is a minefield - I suggest you aquaint yourself with Caravan Council of Australia and download free technical advice, buying information and check lists. click on link; www.caravancouncil.com.au/
A second recommendation is to; interrogate The Lemon Caravans of Australia Facebook site - you will find a list of the main offenders regarding poor quality, shady practices, and failures to honour Statutory Warranties - Some Dealers lingering on these pages will attempt to dissuade you from doing so with various reasons and false claims. It is your hard earned money that you will be parting with so get all the information regarding potential Manufacturers and Dealers that is available.
You can PM me if you require further information.
Bobdown said
04:57 PM Aug 31, 2022
Mate has had untold problems with New Age (Road Owl) van, their supposedly first class service is missing with him.
Won't answer emails, phone calls passed off to State dealer or parts manufacturer (Swift) when they installed it wrong.
Contacted Consumer Affairs and was ruled in his favour, still waiting for repairs.
Caravan authorised repairer cannot get permission to proceed without New Age approval, they are still waiting as well.
Bloody nightmare for 15 months.
-- Edited by Bobdown on Wednesday 31st of August 2022 04:58:30 PM
yobarr said
05:31 PM Aug 31, 2022
Hi David, and welcome to the forum. Don't know much about different brands of van, but I do know a lot about weights. Triton is a good lightweight car, loved by many, and very reliable, but it is important for you to know that if SAFETy is of ANY importance to you, absolute TOP weight of a caravan it can tow is 2900kg. Weights are a complicated issue, understood by few, so you may get all sorts of fanciful stories about towing with a Triton. If you would like to know more about your weights please ask, but again I will say that 2900kg is TOP WEIGHT for a Triton. Lightweight rear axle is one of the main issues. Good luck with your search, but I would like you to know that the claimed tare weight of a caravan means absolutely NOTHING, and can be very misleading.Beware! Cheers
Red Fox said
09:35 PM Aug 31, 2022
Mmmm, thanks deverall, possum and bobdown. This is exactly the sort of info I'm looking for. I had heard Jayco could be a problem. But sounds like it's worse than just one builder.
Ill have look at the lemons facebook site. Perhaps talk to a few people about their vans and how big they are & fuel consumption, also an idea on layouts.
Perhaps look at the local sales yard. Is there anywhere I can get a good down load about towing and weight?
Bobdown said
10:31 PM Aug 31, 2022
David,
Not many new vans come out problem free, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy one. It all a matter of service and warranty from the builder/dealer.
Second hand means a lot of problems may have been sorted out by the previous owner, but how has it been looked after? and what is the price compared to new?
I've had a experience with Retreat Caravans, having had a second/hand 2011 model for 5 years and then purchased a new one in 2017. It is in the my rig section somewhere.
There where a few problems at first, but they were fixed asap and service was excellent.
Don't be put off either way you choose to go.
Cheers Bob
Greg 1 said
02:14 AM Sep 1, 2022
Unfortunately as caravans are a low volume built product, you can have issues with most builders.
One piece of advice I can offer is try to get a look through their factory with a careful look at how they are built. If it looks strong it probably is.
The Lemons Caravans has become a little bit useless in my opinion as you can now find the name of pretty much every manufacturer on there. With any product, you will always get the odd disgruntled customer for one reason or another. Check out reviews o most things or services on the net and you will get what I mean.
For instance, I own an Evolution caravan from a small manufacturer in Epping Melbourne. Generally speaking I have been very happy with the Evolution and it has served me well. Had a couple of minor issues to start with but easily fixed. There are quite a number of good reviews about this make but a couple of negative ones too, which is typical of most brands.
There are some brands though where the negative reviews outweigh the positive so buyer beware.
Off road vans are not necessarily off road. Just jacked up vans that often are poorly prepared for real off road work. Some friends of ours whom we did the big lap with bought a new off road van to do the trip. First piece of corrugated road half their cupboard doors ended up on the floor. The van leaked like a sieve and their grey water system constantly back flowed into their van.
Our standard van had no such issues.
Gundog said
08:46 AM Sep 1, 2022
We have a Jayco sure we have had a couple of issues that in my opinion were fair wear and tear, that being said would we buy another one? Yes.
Facebook Lemons a total waste of time, most responders IMHO didnt actually do their due dilliagance before buying, theres more to buying a caravan than glossy advertising and slick salesman, because the majority of salesmen are just that salesmen, When dealing with that sales person ask what van do they have and what do they tow it with and ask them about weights even 600kg load allowance becomes tight when you add 200kg of water etc you will quickly pick up from their responses that they are not users just sellers.
Jayco are not the best Caravans but like Holden cars in the past there are dealers around Australia
-- Edited by Gundog on Thursday 1st of September 2022 08:50:32 AM
Mike Harding said
09:16 AM Sep 1, 2022
Hi Red Fox
I can only speak with knowledge of the van I own, a Snowy River SR-19, I have lived in this van full time for almost four years and towed it perhaps 40,000km - to summarise it in a few words it has been a pleasure to own with no significant problems: I have posted regular reviews here and will shortly post an update but it won't be significant:
Take note of Yobarr's comment about weights, it's easy to end up with a dangerous and unsuited combination of car and caravan - don't become obsessive about a few kilograms here or there but do gain an understanding of what all the weight stuff means.
New or used? Doesn't matter as far as I can see.
Full or pop-top? It doesn't seem as though pop-tops actually save much in the towing steaks but they are something else to go wrong or leak and they make the van harder to keep warm. I'd always go for a non PT.
Adding stuff to the car? You'll need a brake controller. Two years past I had a top end one fitted to my vehicle and the total bill was $1200
I note you live in Victoria (as do I) and if you plan to spend time in the southern half of Oz you will need a diesel heater - $175 from Ebay providing you can fit it yourself which is not a hard task. Blessed be The Diesel Heater :)
Given the time you intend to spend in the van (12 weeks) I'd say buy the largest you can and ensure it has an en-suite.
Expect your vehicle's fuel consumption to increase by between 50% and 100% when towing.
Let us know your choices please.
MH - currently in a secret camp spot on the bank of a beautiful lake in NW Victoria watching the fish jumping and the birds doing their thing and not another person within a few kilometers. A little piece of heaven.
----
[PS. Deverall: If you have an ounce of sense you'll edit your posts as quickly as your little fingers can type.]
Stretch60 said
09:34 AM Sep 1, 2022
I would second the snowy river as a good value van, I don't own one, friend does and very happy with after sales service. Be very conscious of the size of van due to limitations of tow unit.
Dougwe said
10:22 AM Sep 1, 2022
Welcome to the gang Red Fox, enjoy here and out in the playground.
Not so much advice but more a comment and what I did/do. Just make sure you research well and not just here. Check your listed weights in the vehicle owners manual and keep all under. Check the vans weights and keep all under. Load evenly, both car and van.
Don't let forum Xspurt/s confuse you by long winded posts. You WILL get confused!
Most of all,
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
86GTS said
11:46 AM Sep 1, 2022
Look for something with a bit of comfort & character. Most new vans are so sterile looking with shiny white laminex & LED lighting making them look like operating rooms. So many new large vans have a small eating area with two parallel shiny hard bench seats. To watch TV you have to swivel around with your legs horizontal & feet sticking out. Or maybe get a crick in your neck. Oh! my aching back! There are not many new vans out there now with deep cushioned material seating & timber paneling.
I'd buy a comfortable second hand van in good condition with all the bugs ironed out. They're out there & I'd bet that their previous owners wished that they still owned them instead of the modern rubbish full of faults that they now own.
-- Edited by 86GTS on Thursday 1st of September 2022 06:36:12 PM
Cuppa said
02:46 PM Sep 1, 2022
1. You only THINK you know what you want. No-one really knows without experience & everyone is different. What suits one will not suit another. So buy second hand. If you get lucky with choice that's great. If you don't you'll lose far less when you have more experience & sell it to get what you KNOW you want. Many folk don't get it right (for themselves) first time around.
2. Get the tare weight of the van you are purchasing IN WRITING if buying from a dealer. If buying privately get it weighed yourself before committing. Better still get it independently weighed regardless of whether buying from a dealer or privately. DO NOT accept what it says on the plate or go by the sellers claim.
3. Contrary to other advice here I suggest buying the smallest van you think you can manage with. It is a mistake to assume that the longer you travel for the larger your van needs to be. Smaller affords better & easier access, & is easier to manage as you age.
4. Towing at or close to the Triton's max legal towing weight is not the same as towing at a safe weight.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 1st of September 2022 02:49:21 PM
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 1st of September 2022 02:50:46 PM
Hi,
New here (First post) but I have been lurking for a couple of weeks.
I'm now retired and have been camping for most of my life. But as I get older I'm starting to look for a few more "comforts". The Mrs is a "comfort" girl too, that's for sure. And since she's a good cook need her to be happy too!
So we are thinking of buying a new van, well new to us so open to new or used in good nick. Travels will mainly be on good roads, not 4x4, mix of bush camping and parks. Perhaps 6 to12 weeks at a time. The Mrs wants a shower and loo.
So, just looking for general advice at this stage:
New or used?
Brands to avoid?
Good brands?
Full or pop top?
Do I have to add stuff to the car?
How big a van can we tow? Gee there are some nice ones out there.
Not too much jargon pls I'm new to vans. KISS
We have a 4x4 Triton, been a great car.
So, intend to to with that. It has a 3t tow bar.
-- Edited by Red Fox on Wednesday 31st of August 2022 11:27:39 AM
As Larry advised buying caravans is a minefield - I suggest you aquaint yourself with Caravan Council of Australia and download free technical advice, buying information and check lists. click on link; www.caravancouncil.com.au/
A second recommendation is to; interrogate The Lemon Caravans of Australia Facebook site - you will find a list of the main offenders regarding poor quality, shady practices, and failures to honour Statutory Warranties - Some Dealers lingering on these pages will attempt to dissuade you from doing so with various reasons and false claims. It is your hard earned money that you will be parting with so get all the information regarding potential Manufacturers and Dealers that is available.
You can PM me if you require further information.
Mate has had untold problems with New Age (Road Owl) van, their supposedly first class service is missing with him.
Won't answer emails, phone calls passed off to State dealer or parts manufacturer (Swift) when they installed it wrong.
Contacted Consumer Affairs and was ruled in his favour, still waiting for repairs.
Caravan authorised repairer cannot get permission to proceed without New Age approval, they are still waiting as well.
Bloody nightmare for 15 months.
-- Edited by Bobdown on Wednesday 31st of August 2022 04:58:30 PM
Hi David, and welcome to the forum. Don't know much about different brands of van, but I do know a lot about weights. Triton is a good lightweight car, loved by many, and very reliable, but it is important for you to know that if SAFETy is of ANY importance to you, absolute TOP weight of a caravan it can tow is 2900kg. Weights are a complicated issue, understood by few, so you may get all sorts of fanciful stories about towing with a Triton. If you would like to know more about your weights please ask, but again I will say that 2900kg is TOP WEIGHT for a Triton. Lightweight rear axle is one of the main issues. Good luck with your search, but I would like you to know that the claimed tare weight of a caravan means absolutely NOTHING, and can be very misleading.Beware! Cheers
Ill have look at the lemons facebook site. Perhaps talk to a few people about their vans and how big they are & fuel consumption, also an idea on layouts.
Perhaps look at the local sales yard. Is there anywhere I can get a good down load about towing and weight?
David,
Not many new vans come out problem free, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy one. It all a matter of service and warranty from the builder/dealer.
Second hand means a lot of problems may have been sorted out by the previous owner, but how has it been looked after? and what is the price compared to new?
I've had a experience with Retreat Caravans, having had a second/hand 2011 model for 5 years and then purchased a new one in 2017. It is in the my rig section somewhere.
There where a few problems at first, but they were fixed asap and service was excellent.
Don't be put off either way you choose to go.
Cheers Bob
One piece of advice I can offer is try to get a look through their factory with a careful look at how they are built. If it looks strong it probably is.
The Lemons Caravans has become a little bit useless in my opinion as you can now find the name of pretty much every manufacturer on there. With any product, you will always get the odd disgruntled customer for one reason or another. Check out reviews o most things or services on the net and you will get what I mean.
For instance, I own an Evolution caravan from a small manufacturer in Epping Melbourne. Generally speaking I have been very happy with the Evolution and it has served me well. Had a couple of minor issues to start with but easily fixed. There are quite a number of good reviews about this make but a couple of negative ones too, which is typical of most brands.
There are some brands though where the negative reviews outweigh the positive so buyer beware.
Off road vans are not necessarily off road. Just jacked up vans that often are poorly prepared for real off road work. Some friends of ours whom we did the big lap with bought a new off road van to do the trip. First piece of corrugated road half their cupboard doors ended up on the floor. The van leaked like a sieve and their grey water system constantly back flowed into their van.
Our standard van had no such issues.
We have a Jayco sure we have had a couple of issues that in my opinion were fair wear and tear, that being said would we buy another one? Yes.
Facebook Lemons a total waste of time, most responders IMHO didnt actually do their due dilliagance before buying, theres more to buying a caravan than glossy advertising and slick salesman, because the majority of salesmen are just that salesmen, When dealing with that sales person ask what van do they have and what do they tow it with and ask them about weights even 600kg load allowance becomes tight when you add 200kg of water etc you will quickly pick up from their responses that they are not users just sellers.
Jayco are not the best Caravans but like Holden cars in the past there are dealers around Australia
-- Edited by Gundog on Thursday 1st of September 2022 08:50:32 AM
Hi Red Fox
I can only speak with knowledge of the van I own, a Snowy River SR-19, I have lived in this van full time for almost four years and towed it perhaps 40,000km - to summarise it in a few words it has been a pleasure to own with no significant problems: I have posted regular reviews here and will shortly post an update but it won't be significant:
SR-19 review
Take note of Yobarr's comment about weights, it's easy to end up with a dangerous and unsuited combination of car and caravan - don't become obsessive about a few kilograms here or there but do gain an understanding of what all the weight stuff means.
New or used? Doesn't matter as far as I can see.
Full or pop-top? It doesn't seem as though pop-tops actually save much in the towing steaks but they are something else to go wrong or leak and they make the van harder to keep warm. I'd always go for a non PT.
Adding stuff to the car? You'll need a brake controller. Two years past I had a top end one fitted to my vehicle and the total bill was $1200
I note you live in Victoria (as do I) and if you plan to spend time in the southern half of Oz you will need a diesel heater - $175 from Ebay providing you can fit it yourself which is not a hard task. Blessed be The Diesel Heater :)
Given the time you intend to spend in the van (12 weeks) I'd say buy the largest you can and ensure it has an en-suite.
Expect your vehicle's fuel consumption to increase by between 50% and 100% when towing.
Let us know your choices please.
MH - currently in a secret camp spot on the bank of a beautiful lake in NW Victoria watching the fish jumping and the birds doing their thing and not another person within a few kilometers. A little piece of heaven.
----
[PS. Deverall: If you have an ounce of sense you'll edit your posts as quickly as your little fingers can type.]
Not so much advice but more a comment and what I did/do. Just make sure you research well and not just here. Check your listed weights in the vehicle owners manual and keep all under. Check the vans weights and keep all under. Load evenly, both car and van.
Don't let forum Xspurt/s confuse you by long winded posts. You WILL get confused!
Most of all,
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Look for something with a bit of comfort & character.
Most new vans are so sterile looking with shiny white laminex & LED lighting making them look like operating rooms.
So many new large vans have a small eating area with two parallel shiny hard bench seats.
To watch TV you have to swivel around with your legs horizontal & feet sticking out. Or maybe get a crick in your neck.
Oh! my aching back!
There are not many new vans out there now with deep cushioned material seating & timber paneling.
I'd buy a comfortable second hand van in good condition with all the bugs ironed out. They're out there & I'd bet that their previous owners wished that they still owned them instead of the modern rubbish full of faults that they now own.
-- Edited by 86GTS on Thursday 1st of September 2022 06:36:12 PM
1. You only THINK you know what you want. No-one really knows without experience & everyone is different. What suits one will not suit another. So buy second hand. If you get lucky with choice that's great. If you don't you'll lose far less when you have more experience & sell it to get what you KNOW you want. Many folk don't get it right (for themselves) first time around.
2. Get the tare weight of the van you are purchasing IN WRITING if buying from a dealer. If buying privately get it weighed yourself before committing. Better still get it independently weighed regardless of whether buying from a dealer or privately. DO NOT accept what it says on the plate or go by the sellers claim.
3. Contrary to other advice here I suggest buying the smallest van you think you can manage with. It is a mistake to assume that the longer you travel for the larger your van needs to be. Smaller affords better & easier access, & is easier to manage as you age.
4. Towing at or close to the Triton's max legal towing weight is not the same as towing at a safe weight.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 1st of September 2022 02:49:21 PM
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 1st of September 2022 02:50:46 PM