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Post Info TOPIC: Are you happy with your caravan?
footloose n free


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Are you happy with your caravan?
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Hi there,
We are in the process of choosing a caravan. We know we want an ensuite and a van around 20ft and have been looking at Golden Eagle Eureka, Jayco, Millard and we really don't know whether one brand is better than the other.
Can anyone recommend or give warnings against a certain brand?
We are new to the caravan world and are going to head off soon,  for years to come.
Cheers
Grace

smile


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Can't wait to join the ranks of the Grey Nomads,  footloose and fancy free, life in the slow lane!
brickies


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brand new or preloved

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milo


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from looking around and at the moment even though with a motorhome , I prefer jayco, but if i were doing it again, id go caravan, it does give you a bit more options ,rather than just staying at the park when you get there..
im not sure what Winnebago are like in the way of caravans though. good luck

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Peter_n_Margaret


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We are happy that we don't have a caravan.
I suggest that people new to the lifestyle try a pew things first, before spending all their $$$$s.
"Different strokes for different folks"
One piece of advise though..... Bigger is NOT better....

Cheers,
Peter

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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
brickies


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You can hire a motorhome and give it a go, we did this in NZ for 28 days we loved it because we were touring . But we made the choice to buy a caravan for our new lifestyle in retirement has we travel to somewhere and then use our car to explore , but we all like difference things if we were all the same we would be all driving Holdens

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Disco Duck


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Fords mate...........!!

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Daisy and Disco Duck

Adelaide South Australia


Gotta Think Outside the Square!

Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

If at First You Don't Succeed.......Redefine Success !!
brickies


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There we go cant agree on cars

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PeterInSa


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We have a 21'6" Traveller and quite happy with it, its not an off road van, but goes off road. If your going off road I think you need to seriously look at the construction of the vans you are considering. Ditto the suspension types and the Tow ball load and weight of the van. Some new owners have had to upgrade their vehicle because to tow their loaded van was illegal.

If your free camping I would have a diesel heater installed and for hot days an air conditioner, preferably a split system (LG) along with 2 80watt sola panels and 2 x 120ah deep cycle batteries.

Would also talk to your local Van repairer who hopefully does not sell vans and ask his opinion.

Peter

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Palebushman


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milo wrote:

from looking around and at the moment even though with a motorhome , I prefer jayco, but if i were doing it again, id go caravan, it does give you a bit more options ,rather than just staying at the park when you get there..
im not sure what Winnebago are like in the way of caravans though. good luck


Not too sure that Winnebago actually 'Outfit' caravans Milo, but give me the 'Drive Away' security of a motor-home any day. But as Peter and Margaret quite rightly say, to each his own, especially with regard to afford-ability.

Although we have recently upgraded to a little Vitara/Hitch-n-go runabout, our previous trailer/bicycle set up never caused us any problems, when we were forced to stop over in CP's.

If ever the lotto falls in our favour, an OKA will be our vehicle of choice. Meanwhile our much loved and treasured 1HZ Coaster LWD, does us really proud, and never fails to amaze us with her performance and reliability. 

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Cruising Granny


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I don't think they build Oka's any more, and the people who have them aren't getting rid of them.


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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment.
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Terro


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The selection of a caravan or motorhome is a very personal thing. The questions you have ask yourself is, what do we need. Is there children to cater for? Do we need an ensuite? Where do we want to go etc. The list goes on. The only advice I can give is hire a van and motorhome, go away for a period, use this to compare and then work out what is good for you. We all have preferences and it is a good job we don't all like the same things that gives us a much greater choice in the market. Good luck with your research. It is like planning a trip, nearly as much fun as actually doing it.

Terro

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jimricho


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If planning to venture off the black-top don't underestimate the importance of good suspension. It will give your van and its contents a much better ride on the corrugations and subject them to less stresses.

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brickies


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good to see good open advice and not pushing our own wheel barrow

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Peter_n_Margaret


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Cruising Granny wrote:

I don't think they build Oka's any more, and the people who have them aren't getting rid of them.


Yes, they are building them again, but not at a price that many can afford.....
Many older ones are still being converted from tour busses to private campers.

Cheers,
Peter

 



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
dave06


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theres a few oka's on the market as well, I've started dreaming again, may build another one and just take off!........ I wish!

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Basil Faulty


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I'm very happy with my Coromal E615S. Yes it is a compromise, we had a bigger heavier van but fuel costs are only on the way up. The Coromal suspension is fantastic, you can leave something on the bed all day and it's still there when you pull up...

One thing I would point out though after spending hours washing and waxing is that the vans made from the smooth sided material would be a damned site easier to wax, the CForomal has a psudeo weatherboard siding which is ok, but you have to wash, wax etc along the sides....

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Disco Duck


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I wouldn't have thought the 615S was much of a compromise Basil. It is the real deal. It's about 20 ft isn't it?

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Daisy and Disco Duck

Adelaide South Australia


Gotta Think Outside the Square!

Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

If at First You Don't Succeed.......Redefine Success !!
Terro


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There has been an OKA for sale on the Burwood Highway Ferntree Gully Vic. for quite a few months. It is camouflage painted and is parked outside a carpet outlet. Never stopped to look at it but looks good from the road.

Terro.

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footloose n free


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Wow , so many replies. Thanks so much. So much to think about. No decision needs to be made just yet. I'll be giving Jim a call as he lives near us and picking his brain, alsoI love the idea of hiring first. Dave and I will get clear on what we want first.
We shall keep on researching.
Thanks all!

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Rolly


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The original question: "Are you Happy With Your Caravan?"

Very. smile

I just wish that I could get around to using it!!

Plurry useless body of mine furious

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jimricho


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footloose n free wrote:

Wow , so many replies. Thanks so much. So much to think about. No decision needs to be made just yet. I'll be giving Jim a call as he lives near us and picking his brain, alsoI love the idea of hiring first. Dave and I will get clear on what we want first.
We shall keep on researching.
Thanks all!


You'll need to be a micro surgeon to pick my brain!wink

 



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Basil Faulty


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Disco Duck wrote:

I wouldn't have thought the 615S was much of a compromise Basil. It is the real deal. It's about 20 ft isn't it?


Yes it is.... but it's a bit of a comedown from the 25'er we had before.

 



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Don't take life too seriously.... No one gets out alive

KIA Sorento CRDi EX  ( Ebony black) with 5 hex chrome plated tire air valve covers, Coramal Sunsheild, Elcheapo GPS, First Aid Kit, full KIA toolkit & Yellow lenses on the Foglights......
Cruising Granny


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Rolly wrote:

The original question: "Are you Happy With Your Caravan?"

Very. smile

I just wish that I could get around to using it!!

Plurry useless body of mine furious





I can relate to your plight Rolly.
I am getting so grumpy, fidgety and fed up being stuck here waiting for surgery. It's so frustrating when I want to do so many more miles.
GRRRRRR!
I just want to hitch up and head out. Patience, as they say.......... cry.gif

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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment.
Transport has no borders.

Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Terro


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I'm wondering if there is any difference in being at work and being retired! At work we are always waiting to get away for long weekends and annual holidays and it seems that the retirees are waiting to get fit enough to travel. No disrespect to anyone the thought just hit me and I saw a parallel.

Terro

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Rosemary and Terry08 Patrol, Galaxy Odyssey Pop top                       He who laughs last is late getting the joke!!
Rolly


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Terro wrote:

I'm wondering if there is any difference in being at work and being retired! At work we are always waiting to get away for long weekends and annual holidays and it seems that the retirees are waiting to get fit enough to travel. No disrespect to anyone the thought just hit me and I saw a parallel.

Terro



But.... there's more chance of a worker getting away on leave than there is of my plurry corpus ever being much good.

It's been a long time now since I could ever convince it to do what I want it to do.

 



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Old age and treachery will overcome youth and enthusiasm any day.......
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