Welcome to the friendly forum. I'm sure you'll get lots of knowledgable advice from a range of perspectives.
It was only 15 yrs ago we were just like you, starting off from scratch as we had never owned a van. Seems just like yesterday. To date we have travelled over most of the bitumen roads in Oz with our one & only 4WD & Jayco 21'6" van but no dog.
Those who have the European vans swear by them & when in Europe we saw lots of them racing down the Auto Bahns etc. often towed by 'luxury' sedans. They are often well fitted out. Saw a lot of leaky ones in the UK, but I expect that that is not a unique problem with that category of vans.
We chose the most popular Aussie van from Jayco and have been more than happy with it. The same goes for the 4.2L EFI Patrol, if you are not too concerned about fuel.
The first step is to start gathering information ...
You need to start by visiting all the caravan yards in your area, reading the caravanning mags, lots of them around these days. The local Library will probably have lots of back issues to study. Don't forget the Caravan & camping shows to see the range of the latest offerings. Bookshops will have a range of caravanning books aimed at those starting up. I think the moderator of this web site has written one that is well regarded. Don't be shy in approaching caravanners in your local area, go for a walk thru the suburbs & approach those with a van in the yard, and at local van parks. Take day trips to caravan parks & talk to people there.
You may at first be overwhelmed by the range of different views & rigs. Thank goodness that we are all different with different wants & resources.
You will soon be able to make up a prioritised list of what you want for your adventure.
Then it will be a case of matching your list to your budget.
For us it was a van & vehicle with good resale potential. WE thought that we would sell up after a year or so .. but 15 yrs & 180,000K later we still have it.
We wanted a shower & toilet with ability to be self sufficient for a few days only ... in fact rarely used. If you intend travelling for a few years, them you will certainly need to look at solar systems.
Your Vehicle will need to be well capable of pulling your selected van. Towing & ball capacity. Choose the newest & most capable you can afford. Fuel consumption may be worth considering too.
I could ramble on & on but rather than presenting an unstructured mix of random thoughts, I would suggest that you begin by going to a good bookstore or checking the home page of this website for books written for newbies - "The GreyNomads Guide Book" is the one on the homepage.
I have no knowledge of travelling with dogs, but lots do.
Cheers .. Good luck, wish I was just starting out....
-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 3rd of September 2012 02:27:15 PM
Dear all, in around 12 months we will set off hopefully for around 3 years , at this stage no specific destination for the first port of call but probably north from Brisbane . I have seen so many vans I do not know where to start but currently something around 20', Island bed with a lounge at the opposite end that can become another bed. Now the real question, the new range of lightweight vans are impressively detailed but being designed for European roads can they cope with the more rugged terrain we have like corrugated roads , we do not intend to go totally bush but would like to think our van will not shake to pieces.
Now the big problem I can see loomimg is our much loved dog. A Samoyed 5 years old around 21kgs, generally excellent with other dogs in a free to roam situation on a lead maybe a little prone to bark at others . I notice that while some parks say dog friendly they put a weight restriction that they will not deviate from such as Bargara Beach @ 15kgs . Does anyone travelling with a medium dog have any problems like this when travelling .
We travel with 2 Golden Retrievers and have had no problem with CPs who allow dogs. Only problem is you cannot camp in National Parks. They sleep outside and are on a chain each with enough room to go from one side of the van to the other for shade etc.
Thanks to Scotty and Cupie for your feedback, guess was just a bit unlucky when I tested the waters at Bargara with the dog issue. As far as van selection goes yes rather overwhelming when you see the entire range available and simply so many makes available. I guess what I really want is something thats around 5 years old been used once and spent the rest of its life in a shed and the owner now wants a quick sale.
Anyway good to have made some contact with you, and yes solar is something I want to get my head around.
I actually know of a van for sale in Victoria - 2010 Jayco Destiny Pop Toop - 17.6" - shower, toilet, full annex - only used few times - a friend has to sell as her husband is unable to travel any more, and she will be his carer. Only used a few times - I know this for a fact - they haven't been anywhere for over a year, while he was undergoing loads of tests before diagnosis. PM me if you have any interest - do you know how to Private Message on this site? They travelled with two dogs as well.
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Cupie has just about got it all there, great reply Cupie, one thing I would add is take your time selection your van, it took us 2 years to make the decision, looking in books, going to shows, getting advice from other nomads, go to your local caravan park around happy hour and talk to the nomads there to find out how happy they are with their vans.
Dear all, in around 12 months we will set off hopefully for around 3 years , at this stage no specific destination for the first port of call but probably north from Brisbane . I have seen so many vans I do not know where to start but currently something around 20', Island bed with a lounge at the opposite end that can become another bed. Now the real question, the new range of lightweight vans are impressively detailed but being designed for European roads can they cope with the more rugged terrain we have like corrugated roads , we do not intend to go totally bush but would like to think our van will not shake to pieces.
PSAC
