looking for general advice

Elle on Wheels · Guru

looking for general advice

Sheba · Guru

I love the Skull in the front Elle. Not my cup of tea however for a couple of reasons. I don't like Cab-overs. For me, they look far too Top-heavy. Another big concern would be the fact that Parts would [I think] be impossible to find if needed.

I'm sure if you take your time, You'll find something more suitable in your Price-range that already has the Solar, and quite likely, most, if not all, of anything else you need.

Cheers,

Sheba.

-- Edited by Sheba on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 12:06:28 AM

milo · Guru

id say do alot of research , ie where you want to go, etc resuch till your head hurts and see what your heart and gut feelings tell you..

Cruising Granny · Guru

Be careful. If it's old and foreign you will have trouble getting parts and repairs, and the cost will be prohibitive, even if you had a mechanic in the family.
You're better off buying something local which has been well-maintained, even if it is 20 years old.
"Pretty" doesn't cut it in these decisions. You're looking for practical, affordable, realistic, economical to run, and manageable for you.
If you work within these parameters you should do ok. Don't rush this life-changing decision.
I took 18 months to find the caravan with the layout of my choice, after a lot of research and experiences, for the price which suited me best.
I chose the tug first because good Landcruisers are hard to come by. I'm lucky I have a good one. I've spent a lot of money on maintenance. It will always happen as vehicles age. Mine is 16 years old but well maintained and trustworthy.
Ask Happy Wanderer about her Myrtle. In fact this scenario is a very good example of what to watch for and what could happen.
Check out all the threads on the subject. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
If you can find a vehicle which meets most of your expectations, within your price range, then have it checked out before you buy.
I bought my van on ebay, then closed my account. I was in Broome, it was in Nowra.

wendyv · Guru

It is a good idea to stick with a vehicle type that is common in Australia, especially as you will be buying something older. Toyota Coaster buses are used all over the country, so one probably doesn't have to go too far to find a mechanic who knows something about the engine.

You need to do quite a bit of research about the solar power. A starting point is to work out what you want to run off it, find out what the power requirements of those things are, and then that will give you an idea of the panel size you need, ditto batteries. To give you an idea, our van lights are 12v, as is our bar-sized fridge/freezer; we use the inverter to run laptops. We have two van batteries and about 260watts of solar panels. Even with this setup, a week of really cloudy weather will see us low on power - but I think there are now panels available that do better in cloudy conditions. Our system is 7 years old and cost, I think, about $5000. Be very careful - our experience was that there were too many people setting themselves up as solar installers, who really didn't have a clue.

A man called Collyn Rivers has written a book (s?) about solar power for motorhomes and vans - if you google his name you should find out title and availablility.

A CB is well worth while. It does allow communication with nearby vehicles similarly equipped. We use ours to listen out for talk between pilot vehicles and oversize loads - knowing that something big is coming up gives good time to find a place to pull off road. It also allows us to talk with truck drivers coming up behind, which lets them know that we are aware of them and will assist their passing.

You may also want to consider a sat phone, for security and peace of mind. The Telstra Next G network is the best of the mobile phone coverages, but there is an awful lot of Australia where it isn't!

-- Edited by wendyv on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 04:56:53 PM

-- Edited by wendyv on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 05:03:23 PM

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Hey thanks everyone for all your advice and I will definitely be sensible and not buy anything exotic. Thanks Wendy for your tips and I have come across Collyn before and my brain is probably too lazy to digest all the great info he gives. In terms of solar I would like something to run the fridge and lights when camping so I don't have to use gas and batteries unnecessarily - it does not have to be elaborate. One of my soapbox items is how pathetic the govt support is for encouraging people to use solar and equivalent and that goes for both sides of our national hot air balloon chamber. There is no reason why solar should be so expensive and a very good argument for full subsidisation for conversion. A silly question - what are the pros and cons for CB vs UHF - is it worth considering both? I hope you are all enjoying this lovely night where ever you are.
Ellen

Cruising Granny · Guru

What about a wind set up? I've seen private properties with little windmills spinning away charging up a bank of batteries similar to the solar set ups.
Maybe there's a way of setting up a portable tower, like the TV antenna with the little propellor doing its thing for you.
There are some very windy places in this country, but it only takes a small puff to keep this spinning and charging.
What about it everyone? What do you reckon?

jack biggles · Senior Member

Elle on Wheels wrote:
Hey thanks everyone for all your advice and I will definitely be sensible and not buy anything exotic. Thanks Wendy for your tips and I have come across Collyn before and my brain is probably too lazy to digest all the great info he gives. In terms of solar I would like something to run the fridge and lights when camping so I don't have to use gas and batteries unnecessarily - it does not have to be elaborate. One of my soapbox items is how pathetic the govt support is for encouraging people to use solar and equivalent and that goes for both sides of our national hot air balloon chamber. There is no reason why solar should be so expensive and a very good argument for full subsidisation for conversion. A silly question - what are the pros and cons for CB vs UHF - is it worth considering both? I hope you are all enjoying this lovely night where ever you are.
Ellen

I'm a long time radio user, always had both cb & UHF. My new rig only has UHF ! I find UHF more widely used and better all round. I also plan to fit hf radio, but that's overkill for most.