First post so here goes. I'm in the early stages of researching a new van as it looks like I will be made redundant next year. We have no kids at home now so it is the perfect time to head out on the highway, looking for adventure. We haven't caravanned since we first got together some 25 years ago. Our last van was a 21' tandem axle pop top(cant even remember the make) that we travelled across the country and lived in for three years before we got married. They say if you can survive living together in a caravan when you're young the relationship will last forever, anyway I digress.
I know lots of folks here have research every van on the market when the were doing their own purchases so I'm trying to cut down on the ones I have to look at by asking for some brand recommendations.
1. Budget $100 000. This is ball park top end but could be stretched, Minster for Finance permitted
2. Offroad, semi offroad or dirt capable. Having travelled over a lot of the country I dont consider a pure blacktop caravan suitable for our needs. The amount of dirt roads around Australia and the general condition of the roads and the places we want to travel to preclude anything else
3. Tow vehicle will be current model Hilux duel cab 4x4 diesel
4. Dont want a timber framed van, Alloy or composite only
5. Full ensuite with washing machine
6. Greywater tank
7. Length something around the 18-20' mark. tandem axle
8. Only want to buy new.
There are heaps of brands out there and I've spent heaps of time reading over at the caravanners forum in dedicated owners groups now I'm just trying to get a bit more of a short list from the pool of experience this forum has to offer.
Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this long winded post and puts in an opinion.
Cheers gnome.
Possum3 said
01:09 PM Dec 23, 2017
Strongly advise checking Caravan Council of Australia www.caravancouncil.com.au/compliance (Not to be confused with Caravan Industry Australia - basically a consortium of Manufacturers banging their own drums).
Ensure any caravan you purchase can pass the compliance check list of the Caravan Council - Have the van completely checked by a reputable engineer Get details from Caravan Council Mr Colin Young. tel;0409 865 399.
Hope you find what you are looking for and you have a pleasant trip around the block - Hope to see you out there.
Regards Possum.
gnome said
01:19 PM Dec 23, 2017
Thanks for the welcome Possum,
I'm trying to join that facebook group. Membership has been sitting in pending for a few days now. I'm keen to have a read in there so we dont end up with a lemon.
Dhutime said
03:36 PM Dec 23, 2017
Hi Gnome , we own a Kedron Topender so Im biased but they do manufacture a top quality caravan and have excellent after sales service. Kedron are now also producing caravans suitable to tow with your vehicle. They are not cheap but you pay for what you get .
Have fun deciding theres many choose from .
Dhutime
rockylizard said
03:37 PM Dec 23, 2017
Gday...
Welcome to the forum, Paul. I do not envy you searching for that 'perfect' van. The range to check out is immeasurable and confusing.
However, at the risk of being a wet blanket, and probably telling you how to suck eggs, I think you need to either re-think the size/weight of the van you really want ... or consider an upgrade from the Hilux if you still want the one you describe in your original post.
Sensibility suggests that the ATM of a van that could be safely be towed by a Hilux should not exceed 2,500Kg. I doubt you would find an off-road/dirt van to meet your specs that would have an ATM at or below 2,500Kg.
I would be happiest if you were to find the van you want within that ATM range and prove me wrong.
Whilst not being a full off roader which is really where I'm aiming this van http://www.caravanscoffscoast.com.au/southern-star-ss196/4573074552 would fit inside the criteria and is what I'm leaning towards but lets leave aside the tug for the moment as I can and will be upgrading next year anyway. It will still be a Toyota as I have a relationship with the company.
What I'm more interested in is what vans, in the criteria set in my first post less the tow vehicle, would people recommend new in the sub $100k range.
meetoo said
06:24 PM Dec 23, 2017
gnome wrote:
Thanks for the replies.
Whilst not being a full off roader which is really where I'm aiming this van http://www.caravanscoffscoast.com.au/southern-star-ss196/4573074552 would fit inside the criteria and is what I'm leaning towards but lets leave aside the tug for the moment as I can and will be upgrading next year anyway. It will still be a Toyota as I have a relationship with the company.
What I'm more interested in is what vans, in the criteria set in my first post less the tow vehicle, would people recommend new in the sub $100k range.
Hi gnome. Looking at the southern Star specs. You would need to check whether all those extras like side battery? boxes, the large front box and the awning etc are actually included in the tare weight or not.
Cheers, John.
montie said
11:14 PM Dec 23, 2017
$100k is a lot of money in todays market for a caravan.
There are a number of established brand "off road" caravans available on the market at the moment in the $70/80k price range, but tow ability by a Toyota Hilux might present a problem.
Do your homework and compare features between models, how long the brand has been around and most importantly current owner feedback.
An RVMAP accredited manufacturer is preferable as is a manufacturer that has a national dealer network.
Your best feedback will come from current owners so a visit to a couple of caravan parks and have a chat. People love talking about their pride and joy!
The CCA and CIA will help with technical issues such as weights, towing capacity, consumer advice etc but will not recommend a particular brand.
I would ignore the Lemon people...nothing positive there!
At the end of the day the decision will come down to yourself....doing your homework will ensure an informed decision not an impulse one or one based on the opinions of others.
Col Rennie said
03:06 AM Dec 24, 2017
Gnome,
I am a Newbie who only picked up our Retreat van in March so still doing short trips to sort things out before we start the big lap in March 2018.
Just My learnings so far :
Know all about weights and how the tow vehicle and van add up .GVM,GCM,ATM ( do not rely on the distributor )
Be careful when you add extras (not always covered in the weight specs you see during the sales pitch.It is amazing how fast your new combination becomes overweight and therefore illegal.
100k will put a great van on the road.
ask about the after sales on road service. (Pulling your new van 3 hours to have a warranty job completed is a little painful.Jayco look to have good coverage around Australia for parts and service).
Keep the length of the van down .(I extended the draw bar .in my case not a good idea. I was told the van would be 27 feet total length (end to end )with the extension and it came in at 31 feet .painful to find and get on and off sites.
Go for a van with not front windows (Pron to leak over time ,or so the more seasoned travels tell me ).
With out doubt Weigh combination (van and Tow vehicle) is vital.
Avoid slid outs as it makes it harder to find good sites (not impossible just harder)
Ask how the van is tested for water leaks during maunfacture.
When I have mine again I would look hard at Jayco for the best parts and after sales service centers ,just my view so far
hope some of this helps (these are just a newbies view and learnings so far)
Dickodownunder said
08:22 AM Dec 24, 2017
Hi Gnome, like your avatar mate :)
I did a fair bit of research over the last 12 months and I found the Zone off road to meet most of the off road requirements.
We really did not need a full time off roader so in the end we opted for the Jayco Silverline Out Back.
This decision was based on a couple of things, the first being the extra space that the slide out offers.
The second being the availability and the price of the van and the fact that I could trade my old van rather than trying to sell it privately.
Zone also wanted a hefty deposit at the time of placing the order which I was not comfortable with although this doesnt seem to have been a problem for anyone so far....
When I was looking at the Zone they had a spreadsheet that started with a base van and then calculated the weight of each accessory that you may add thus giving you a reasonably accurate tare.
When I bought the Jayco I asked for and was given a weigh note indicating the tare of the actual van I was buying.
When I weighed my new van the weigh note was spot on and better still it matched the tare on the compliance plate.
I might add I bought my van off the showroom floor and it came with some extras so the tare was a concern for me.
Most "off road" vans are heavier than their "tourer" counterparts.
As others have said, be entirely sure that your vehicle will be legal and safe to tow your new van.
Dont rely on salesmans pitch, they have been known to be wrong in the past.
Good luck with the purchase
Dickodownunder said
08:27 AM Dec 24, 2017
I should add Gnome that most of the reputable manufacturers have pages on Facebook which can be helpful when trying to make the decision.
Cheers
Daryl620 said
02:00 PM Dec 24, 2017
H Gnome,
Have a look at these couple.....
https://ausrv.com.au/caravan/
http://www.ezytrailcampertrailers.com.au
But check your weights......
Ron-D said
02:57 PM Dec 27, 2017
Dickodownunder wrote:
I should add Gnome that most of the reputable manufacturers have pages on Facebook which can be helpful when trying to make the decision.
Cheers
Yeah but even with lemon caravans you can't go on it as a guide in my opinion there's lots of good vans on it mine is,most people with there new vans I think will have teething problems and be mucked around ,I think the answer is to go on the net and look for a dedicated owners discussion group .
Honey09 said
05:49 PM Dec 27, 2017
We researched for 3 or 4 years before we bought an Option Rv and are so glad we did.
After sales service is second to none. We had a couple of minor warranty issues with things like 12v water pump and the dometic window/shade/flyscreen. We found a repairer close to home and they (the manufacturer) organised it. There's no fobbing you off and problems are handled promptly. They are a 10 year old family company only manufacturing 2 vans per week. They have a few different models on offer. Worth a look at their facebook page plenty of happy owners to ask
gnome said
06:13 PM Dec 27, 2017
Honey09 wrote:
We researched for 3 or 4 years before we bought an Option Rv and are so glad we did. After sales service is second to none. We had a couple of minor warranty issues with things like 12v water pump and the dometic window/shade/flyscreen. We found a repairer close to home and they (the manufacturer) organised it. There's no fobbing you off and problems are handled promptly. They are a 10 year old family company only manufacturing 2 vans per week. They have a few different models on offer. Worth a look at their facebook page plenty of happy owners to ask
Do you know what their construction method is for their walls? I have looked at them and they look well equipped units... I particularly like the look of the Tribute series.
Dickodownunder said
06:38 PM Dec 27, 2017
Ron-D wrote:
Dickodownunder wrote:
I should add Gnome that most of the reputable manufacturers have pages on Facebook which can be helpful when trying to make the decision.
Cheers
Yeah but even with lemon caravans you can't go on it as a guide in my opinion there's lots of good vans on it mine is,most people with there new vans I think will have teething problems and be mucked around ,I think the answer is to go on the net and look for a dedicated owners discussion group .
Hi Ron-D
I made no mention of the Lemon Caravan Site.
A dedicated owners group is good and in my opinion so are the dedicated facebook pages.
The ability to contact other owners is invaluable when assessing the ability of the respective dealers and manufacturers to handle problems that inevitably arise with a caravan.
Unfortunately the Lemon Site is probably overpopulated with people whose agendas do not represent the average consumer and at times may misrepresent the feelings and experiences of the majority of owners of the individual brands. By saying this I do not mean that some have not had problems and for those that have I hope they have a successful result.
Mackayak said
08:07 PM Dec 28, 2017
As mentioned for that money you will put a great van on the road just gone through this and have van ordered for mid Feb. It is confusing with so many brains so we put down the things we wanted in the van and look around at a lot of different vans but final ended up buying from a local caravan dealer as we felt we can trust them and know they have be selling vans for a long time. The van is one thing but after sale service and support and being able to have trust in the dealer is important to us.
Muddy said
10:06 AM Jan 16, 2018
Ron-D wrote:
Dickodownunder wrote:
I should add Gnome that most of the reputable manufacturers have pages on Facebook which can be helpful when trying to make the decision.
Cheers
Yeah but even with lemon caravans you can't go on it as a guide in my opinion there's lots of good vans on it mine is,most people with there new vans I think will have teething problems and be mucked around ,I think the answer is to go on the net and look for a dedicated owners discussion group .
I couldn't agree more Ron. This site is simply an open forum for people who have had problems and didn't get satisfaction from the manufacturer. Most of these people are almost impossible to satisfy. ON another forum, a lady complained that the manufacturer had refused her a warranty repair after taking her semi off road caravan on dirt roads. She therefore berated the manufacturers off road warranty which I know cost the manufacturer business. She had ripped off one corner steady at the rear, bent the opposite side one. Broken one axle and lost mudflaps etc. Sometimes there is no accounting for ignorance and the lemon site allows these people to freely criticise manufacturers with no fear of reprisal. I hear that in South Africa it is now illegal to do this anonymously on line!
If you want aluminium frames then I can point you towards Snowy River, Jayco, Coromal and there will be more which I am unaware of. Be careful with that budget, Some vans are simply blinged to attract your dollars and are not necessarily worth the money asked so focus on build quality, suspension etc.
iana said
08:59 PM Jan 16, 2018
We have a fairly new Jayco Silverline, and at the risk of upsetting Muddy, I would not recommend this van to anyone, built purely for initial "Wow" effect, and am wondering if the persons who designed this bucket of s---t ever went camping themselves. At the moment, I am praying that the chassis and body shell hold together, because it looks like everything inside is one way or another requiring work. However we are living full time in the van, and this probably tests the internals more.
If I was to buy again, new, I would not have a full stove, why take up 25% of your cuboard space with something thats hardly ever used, in fact we do all our cooking outside, so the gas cooktops and the electric element are redundant as well, prefering to use an induction cooker or gas barbecue. The sink bowl is way too big, so too much water is used, a small 1/4 size bowl would be better. You need to look carefully at how you can store items in the van, the cuboards and draws may look good, but work out to be quite impractical to use.
Given the choice I would not have a slide out, apart from making the bed a nightmare to remake, it is another thing that can go wrong. The trouble is being able to fit all you want in the space of the van shell. So we do have a slide out.
Assessability to the various items for service is important, for instance the brakaway controller in our van is mounted up underneath the stove, to check the battery I have to get down on the floor on my back with a torch and perrup into the cavity to see it.
Watch weight and balance between full and empty water tanks. Get quality water and waste level indicators, the ones in this van are so useless. Also pay some attention to the venting and draining of all the tanks, I am sure the ones in our van never completely drain or completly fill up.
I guess that the use you will be putting the van to will have a bearing on the design, if you are using it for two weeks at a time excursions, then issues won't be as great, as we are full time issues such as storage management have become major issues.
Grey water and other story again ---- excuse me I now have to empty the grey water tank.
Ron-D said
04:32 PM Jan 18, 2018
I think the build quality in most vans is very ordinary Iam a jack of all trades have done a lot of work on our van replaceing and fixing things....
The Celt said
11:04 AM Jan 24, 2018
Gnome
We had a Sunland Patriot built to our requirements, just over 3 years ago. We are partly disabled and needed a van that was customisable to our requirements. The beauty of Sunland is that you deal directly with the company. We had the managing director and his son advising us throughout the process and we achieved exactly what we wanted. The sum of the problems so far. 2. The earth pin on the clipsal power inlet was faulty and there was a small leak in the boot from an aftermarket fitment of electric struts (the red and green leveling lights needed a small amount of additional sealer in a difficult spot. Other than that - (touch wood), not a single issue and the van has had a hammering throughout OZ. They even extended the 3 year warranty recently to 5 years and back dated it for us. The chassis comes with a 20 year warranty. AN SE model would meet your requirements and budget. Have a look at the Sunland owners forum on Facebook and see what people say about the product and the service. By the way - Sunland was set up by a group of Kedron employees who went out on their own. And Kedron is a top product - but tare weights are too high for our requirements.
There are many good manufacturers out there - Sunland IMHO is one of the best - but certainly not the cheapest.
We were at Erldunda in the NT getting fuel on one occassion. My wife had gone in to pay for the fuel and I was cleaning the windscreens. A women came running over to me and asked if she could take a picture of our Patriot. I asked why (being a suspicious sort). She replied it was her dream caravan and mine was the first she had seen up close. Now you don't see that everyday.
Colin1947 said
01:34 PM Feb 22, 2018
The CCA web-site - www.caravancouncil.com.au - has, under RV BUYERS, an informative independent 4-Part "Buyer-Assist".
Hi all,
First post so here goes. I'm in the early stages of researching a new van as it looks like I will be made redundant next year. We have no kids at home now so it is the perfect time to head out on the highway, looking for adventure. We haven't caravanned since we first got together some 25 years ago. Our last van was a 21' tandem axle pop top(cant even remember the make) that we travelled across the country and lived in for three years before we got married. They say if you can survive living together in a caravan when you're young the relationship will last forever, anyway I digress.
I know lots of folks here have research every van on the market when the were doing their own purchases so I'm trying to cut down on the ones I have to look at by asking for some brand recommendations.
1. Budget $100 000.
This is ball park top end but could be stretched, Minster for Finance permitted
2. Offroad, semi offroad or dirt capable.
Having travelled over a lot of the country I dont consider a pure blacktop caravan suitable for our needs. The amount of dirt roads around Australia and the general condition of the roads and the places we want to travel to preclude anything else
3. Tow vehicle will be current model Hilux duel cab 4x4 diesel
4. Dont want a timber framed van, Alloy or composite only
5. Full ensuite with washing machine
6. Greywater tank
7. Length something around the 18-20' mark. tandem axle
8. Only want to buy new.
There are heaps of brands out there and I've spent heaps of time reading over at the caravanners forum in dedicated owners groups now I'm just trying to get a bit more of a short list from the pool of experience this forum has to offer.
Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this long winded post and puts in an opinion.
Cheers gnome.
Ensure any caravan you purchase can pass the compliance check list of the Caravan Council - Have the van completely checked by a reputable engineer Get details from Caravan Council Mr Colin Young. tel;0409 865 399.
Read some of the horror stories on Lemon Caravans and RV's www.facebook.com/groups/lemoncaravansinaus/ Check the buyers beware list in their files section.
Hope you find what you are looking for and you have a pleasant trip around the block - Hope to see you out there.
Regards Possum.
I'm trying to join that facebook group. Membership has been sitting in pending for a few days now. I'm keen to have a read in there so we dont end up with a lemon.
Have fun deciding theres many choose from .
Dhutime
Gday...
Welcome to the forum, Paul. I do not envy you searching for that 'perfect' van. The range to check out is immeasurable and confusing.
However, at the risk of being a wet blanket, and probably telling you how to suck eggs, I think you need to either re-think the size/weight of the van you really want ... or consider an upgrade from the Hilux if you still want the one you describe in your original post.
Have a read of this site -
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/toyota-hilux-sr5-dual-cab-4x4-diesel-manual-54191
Scroll down that site to these comments -
Whilst the Hilux is not one of the vehicles included in this informative article, the information is very pertinent and relevant -
https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car-advice/why-a-3500kg-tow-rating-may-not-really-be-a-3500kg-tow-rating/
Click here for some further perspective.
Sensibility suggests that the ATM of a van that could be safely be towed by a Hilux should not exceed 2,500Kg. I doubt you would find an off-road/dirt van to meet your specs that would have an ATM at or below 2,500Kg.
I would be happiest if you were to find the van you want within that ATM range and prove me wrong.
Cheers - John
Gday...
An excellent example provided by Dhutime.
However, consider the specs - here
Excellent vans ... but not for a Hilux
Cheers - John
Thanks for the replies.
Whilst not being a full off roader which is really where I'm aiming this van http://www.caravanscoffscoast.com.au/southern-star-ss196/4573074552 would fit inside the criteria and is what I'm leaning towards but lets leave aside the tug for the moment as I can and will be upgrading next year anyway. It will still be a Toyota as I have a relationship with the company.
What I'm more interested in is what vans, in the criteria set in my first post less the tow vehicle, would people recommend new in the sub $100k range.
Hi gnome. Looking at the southern Star specs. You would need to check whether all those extras like side battery? boxes, the large front box and the awning etc are actually included in the tare weight or not.
Cheers, John.
There are a number of established brand "off road" caravans available on the market at the moment in the $70/80k price range, but tow ability by a Toyota Hilux might present a problem.
Do your homework and compare features between models, how long the brand has been around and most importantly current owner feedback.
An RVMAP accredited manufacturer is preferable as is a manufacturer that has a national dealer network.
Your best feedback will come from current owners so a visit to a couple of caravan parks and have a chat. People love talking about their pride and joy!
The CCA and CIA will help with technical issues such as weights, towing capacity, consumer advice etc but will not recommend a particular brand.
I would ignore the Lemon people...nothing positive there!
At the end of the day the decision will come down to yourself....doing your homework will ensure an informed decision not an impulse one or one based on the opinions of others.
Gnome,
I am a Newbie who only picked up our Retreat van in March so still doing short trips to sort things out before we start the big lap in March 2018.
Just My learnings so far :
Know all about weights and how the tow vehicle and van add up .GVM,GCM,ATM ( do not rely on the distributor )
Be careful when you add extras (not always covered in the weight specs you see during the sales pitch.It is amazing how fast your new combination becomes overweight and therefore illegal.
100k will put a great van on the road.
ask about the after sales on road service. (Pulling your new van 3 hours to have a warranty job completed is a little painful.Jayco look to have good coverage around Australia for parts and service).
Keep the length of the van down .(I extended the draw bar .in my case not a good idea. I was told the van would be 27 feet total length (end to end )with the extension and it came in at 31 feet .painful to find and get on and off sites.
Go for a van with not front windows (Pron to leak over time ,or so the more seasoned travels tell me ).
With out doubt Weigh combination (van and Tow vehicle) is vital.
Avoid slid outs as it makes it harder to find good sites (not impossible just harder)
Ask how the van is tested for water leaks during maunfacture.
When I have mine again I would look hard at Jayco for the best parts and after sales service centers ,just my view so far
hope some of this helps (these are just a newbies view and learnings so far)
I did a fair bit of research over the last 12 months and I found the Zone off road to meet most of the off road requirements.
We really did not need a full time off roader so in the end we opted for the Jayco Silverline Out Back.
This decision was based on a couple of things, the first being the extra space that the slide out offers.
The second being the availability and the price of the van and the fact that I could trade my old van rather than trying to sell it privately.
Zone also wanted a hefty deposit at the time of placing the order which I was not comfortable with although this doesnt seem to have been a problem for anyone so far....
When I was looking at the Zone they had a spreadsheet that started with a base van and then calculated the weight of each accessory that you may add thus giving you a reasonably accurate tare.
When I bought the Jayco I asked for and was given a weigh note indicating the tare of the actual van I was buying.
When I weighed my new van the weigh note was spot on and better still it matched the tare on the compliance plate.
I might add I bought my van off the showroom floor and it came with some extras so the tare was a concern for me.
Most "off road" vans are heavier than their "tourer" counterparts.
As others have said, be entirely sure that your vehicle will be legal and safe to tow your new van.
Dont rely on salesmans pitch, they have been known to be wrong in the past.
Good luck with the purchase
Cheers
H Gnome,
Have a look at these couple.....
https://ausrv.com.au/caravan/
http://www.ezytrailcampertrailers.com.au
But check your weights......
Yeah but even with lemon caravans you can't go on it as a guide in my opinion there's lots of good vans on it mine is,most people with there new vans I think will have teething problems and be mucked around ,I think the answer is to go on the net and look for a dedicated owners discussion group .
After sales service is second to none. We had a couple of minor warranty issues with things like 12v water pump and the dometic window/shade/flyscreen. We found a repairer close to home and they (the manufacturer) organised it. There's no fobbing you off and problems are handled promptly. They are a 10 year old family company only manufacturing 2 vans per week. They have a few different models on offer. Worth a look at their facebook page plenty of happy owners to ask
Do you know what their construction method is for their walls? I have looked at them and they look well equipped units... I particularly like the look of the Tribute series.
Hi Ron-D
I made no mention of the Lemon Caravan Site.
A dedicated owners group is good and in my opinion so are the dedicated facebook pages.
The ability to contact other owners is invaluable when assessing the ability of the respective dealers and manufacturers to handle problems that inevitably arise with a caravan.
Unfortunately the Lemon Site is probably overpopulated with people whose agendas do not represent the average consumer and at times may misrepresent the feelings and experiences of the majority of owners of the individual brands. By saying this I do not mean that some have not had problems and for those that have I hope they have a successful result.
I couldn't agree more Ron. This site is simply an open forum for people who have had problems and didn't get satisfaction from the manufacturer. Most of these people are almost impossible to satisfy. ON another forum, a lady complained that the manufacturer had refused her a warranty repair after taking her semi off road caravan on dirt roads. She therefore berated the manufacturers off road warranty which I know cost the manufacturer business. She had ripped off one corner steady at the rear, bent the opposite side one. Broken one axle and lost mudflaps etc. Sometimes there is no accounting for ignorance and the lemon site allows these people to freely criticise manufacturers with no fear of reprisal. I hear that in South Africa it is now illegal to do this anonymously on line!
If you want aluminium frames then I can point you towards Snowy River, Jayco, Coromal and there will be more which I am unaware of. Be careful with that budget, Some vans are simply blinged to attract your dollars and are not necessarily worth the money asked so focus on build quality, suspension etc.
If I was to buy again, new, I would not have a full stove, why take up 25% of your cuboard space with something thats hardly ever used, in fact we do all our cooking outside, so the gas cooktops and the electric element are redundant as well, prefering to use an induction cooker or gas barbecue. The sink bowl is way too big, so too much water is used, a small 1/4 size bowl would be better. You need to look carefully at how you can store items in the van, the cuboards and draws may look good, but work out to be quite impractical to use.
Given the choice I would not have a slide out, apart from making the bed a nightmare to remake, it is another thing that can go wrong. The trouble is being able to fit all you want in the space of the van shell. So we do have a slide out.
Assessability to the various items for service is important, for instance the brakaway controller in our van is mounted up underneath the stove, to check the battery I have to get down on the floor on my back with a torch and perrup into the cavity to see it.
Watch weight and balance between full and empty water tanks. Get quality water and waste level indicators, the ones in this van are so useless. Also pay some attention to the venting and draining of all the tanks, I am sure the ones in our van never completely drain or completly fill up.
I guess that the use you will be putting the van to will have a bearing on the design, if you are using it for two weeks at a time excursions, then issues won't be as great, as we are full time issues such as storage management have become major issues.
Grey water and other story again ---- excuse me I now have to empty the grey water tank.
I think the build quality in most vans is very ordinary Iam a jack of all trades have done a lot of work on our van replaceing and fixing things....
Gnome
We had a Sunland Patriot built to our requirements, just over 3 years ago. We are partly disabled and needed a van that was customisable to our requirements. The beauty of Sunland is that you deal directly with the company. We had the managing director and his son advising us throughout the process and we achieved exactly what we wanted. The sum of the problems so far. 2. The earth pin on the clipsal power inlet was faulty and there was a small leak in the boot from an aftermarket fitment of electric struts (the red and green leveling lights needed a small amount of additional sealer in a difficult spot. Other than that - (touch wood), not a single issue and the van has had a hammering throughout OZ. They even extended the 3 year warranty recently to 5 years and back dated it for us. The chassis comes with a 20 year warranty. AN SE model would meet your requirements and budget. Have a look at the Sunland owners forum on Facebook and see what people say about the product and the service. By the way - Sunland was set up by a group of Kedron employees who went out on their own. And Kedron is a top product - but tare weights are too high for our requirements.
There are many good manufacturers out there - Sunland IMHO is one of the best - but certainly not the cheapest.
We were at Erldunda in the NT getting fuel on one occassion. My wife had gone in to pay for the fuel and I was cleaning the windscreens. A women came running over to me and asked if she could take a picture of our Patriot. I asked why (being a suspicious sort). She replied it was her dream caravan and mine was the first she had seen up close. Now you don't see that everyday.
The CCA web-site - www.caravancouncil.com.au - has, under RV BUYERS, an informative independent 4-Part "Buyer-Assist".
Evaluation - Comparison - Contract - Inspection
Safe & Happy Travels!
Colin