Caravan world edition 566 by Adventures Group

www.caravanworld.com.au

ISSUE 566 | ON SALE AUG 3, 2017 $9.95 (inc GST)

30+

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS

t e g d u B TOURING

8 VANS

UNDER $60K Nova Metrolink Jayco Starcraft Olympic Marathon

and more!

$10 TUCKER FUEL EFFICIENCY BUYING SECOND-HAND

www.pacificcaravans.com.au 37 Capital Link drive Campbellfield 3061 Ph (03) 9357 6971 - Email: Info@pacificcaravans.com.au

www.atlanticcaravans.com.au Email: sales@atlanticcaravans.com.au Phone (03) 93576971

contents BUDGET TOURING Drag race

TRAVEL 106

Northern Rivers, NSW

172

A bohemian place of plenty

Does caravan shape affects fuel efficiency?

Savvy second-hand

116

Our handy guide to buying on a budget

Thrifty tips

124

Your hot tips on how to save a buck

Penny saver

130

Easy ways to cut costs on the road

Earn your keep

138

Boost your cash by working on holiday

Tight-arse tucker

146

Delicious camp meals for under $10

Bold moves

News

RV news from around the country

Postbag

Have your say

Tech Talk

DIY caravan door replacement

154

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2 CRDi Series II

Nova Metrolink 19-1R

A dependable and classy all-rounder

Readers’ Rigs

190

Real people, real rigs

MDC XT12 Hybrid

Solid offroad grunt at a budget price

Events

212

What’s happening around Oz?

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270

Plenty of room for the whole family

Getaway Gear

214

New products and accessories

Olympic Marathon

COLUMNS

Street Talk

Roothy’s Shed

On the Wallaby

Picture Perfect

All the essentials in a compact van

Jayco Starcraft 15 Light and easy, you’ll be on the road fast

Windsor Hybrid 390 Tourer Unique design that thinks outside the box

Avida Wave PT5542 Hit the rough roads easily in this pop-top

Jayco Freedom The perfect weekend getaway campervan

198

Gas or diesel heating?

200

The joys of camping

130

BUDGET TOURING

Incredible sights, tiny cost

204

Life by the water

206

Shadowy figures

On the Trails

SPECIAL FEATURES

208

Let it breathe

Is social media changing the caravan industry?

Caravan components

Editorial

Tow Test

RV TESTS

Factory floor

REGULARS

Switch Bait

210

Escape from Mexico

162

The latest accessories for your RV

Future of industry Is the RV industry’s growth sustainable?

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182

172

WIN! 124

The caravan you want is now easier to find

A BM PRO BATTERYCHECK FROM SETEC

SEE PAGE 196

98 tradervs.com.au

First Words With Laura Gray

EDITORIAL

SENIOR EDITOR Laura Gray laura@adventuresgroup.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Natalie Cavallaro natalie@adventuresgroup.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Rachael Doherty rachael@adventuresgroup.com.au STAFF JOURNALIST Peter Quilty peter@adventuresgroup.com.au FIELD EDITOR Malcolm Street DESIGNERS Krisztina Strzebonski, Nicholas Ramsamy, Danielle Beadman COLUMNISTS John Rooth, Lionel Mussell, Anita Pavey, John Willis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Philip Lord, Michael Borg, Ali Millar, David Gilchrist, Kirstie Bedford EDITORIAL AND NEWS 125 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North, VIC 3161 submissions@adventuresgroup.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY

SENIOR VIDEO DIRECTOR Anna Pastukhova anna@adventuresgroup.com.au PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTORS Nathan Duff, Ellen Dewar, Tony Rabitte, Glenn Wardle, Matt Fehlberg, Stuart Grant

DIGITAL

PRODUCT OWNER Will Dolman will@adventuresgroup.com.au DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGERS Katrina Minchenko katrina@adventuresgroup.com.au Leah Glynn leah@adventuresgroup.com.au

MARKETING

marketing@adventuresgroup.com.au PARTNER MARKETING MANAGER Lauren Grigg 0436 407 493 lauren@adventuresgroup.com.au

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

sales@adventuresgroup.com.au HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS Christopher Jefferson 0477 775 020 chris@adventuresgroup.com.au VICTORIA/SOUTH-EAST Rowena Lyrigis 0428 950 936 rowena@adventuresgroup.com.au Renee Bordieri 0429 018 098 renee@adventuresgroup.com.au NSW/QLD/WA Serena Prasad 0429 489 615 serena@adventuresgroup.com.au Danielle Gowan 0435 065 325 danielle@adventuresgroup.com.au NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS Andrew Wilson 0437 034 003 andrew@adventuresgroup.com.au PARTNER MANAGER Eleanor Rattray 0402 135 296 eleanor@adventuresgroup.com.au PRIVATE ADVERTISING www.tradervs.com.au/sell CUSTOMER SUPPORT 1300 MY ADVENTURE (1300 692 383) support@adventuresgroup.com.au

EXECUTIVE GROUP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Robert Gallagher rob@adventuresgroup.com.au CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Matthew O’Meara matt@adventuresgroup.com.au CONTENT DIRECTOR Travis Godfredson travis@adventuresgroup.com.au

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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ADVERTISING TERMS & CONDITIONS

www.adventuresgroup.com.au Caravan World is printed in Australia. We are proudly Australian-owned and members of a number of industry bodies which are working to grow the caravan and RV market in Australia Total printed copies: 19,000

Caravan World is published by Adventures Group Holdings. ACN: 155 672 192 ABN: 29 155 672 192 All material in Caravan World is protected by the Commonwealth Copyright Act, 1968. No material may be reproduced without written consent. *Recommended maximum retail price. Distributed by Gordon & Gotch. Printed by Bluestar Web, 83 Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW. ISSN 2205-0620

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Bold moves Packing up your stable, secure, comfortable life in order to travel full-time is no easy task. You may need to sell or rent out your house, quit your job, get rid of your furniture, say goodbye to loved ones – it’s a pretty major life decision. And giving up stable, secure work and diving into the unknown may be the scariest part of all. I did it once, at 22, when I did all of that and more and moved from my hometown of Perth to a tiny little village in Ireland. The ﬁrst few months were so difﬁcult that I vowed never, ever to do it again. Until I did, four years later... But you know what? It was the time of my life. And it’s that excitement and the thrill of the unknown that prompts thousands of Aussies to pack up their gear into their caravan, set up their mail re-direction and hit the road for extended periods of time. That’s exactly what CW’s former Deputy Editor Ali Millar and her partner Glenn did a couple of months ago – packed up their fourbie, threw a tent in the back and hit the road with no real destination in mind and no end date in sight. They were headed north, vaguely through the middle but willing to go wherever the road took them.

Along the way, and wherever they could get a good enough internet connection, Ali and Glenn have kept in touch with us here at CW and we’re delighted to bring you the first of their travel tales in what will be a new, ongoing feature in CW, all about touring on a shoestring. Throughout their travels, Ali and Glenn have encountered lots of other travellers living their lives full-time on the road. Whether its stopping for weeks or months at a time to work full- or part-time, volunteering in exchange for food or accommodation, or setting up a mobile business in the caravan park, these Aussie travellers are finding all kinds of novel ways to fund their lifestyles and stay on the road full-time. There are so many ways to earn or save money on the road, enabling you to extend or sustain your travelling lifestyle and that’s what this issue is all about. From finding or buying the right rig for your budget – whether new or second-hand – and how to find work in all corners of Australia to how to feed your family for under 10 bucks, we’ve got you covered.

Note to readers Caravan World does not solicit, nor would it accept, payment for editorial commentary within its pages. All reviews are completely independent and reflect the opinion of the individual tester.

A DAM FINE RALLY IN TOWNSVILLE

ometimes, one of the best parts of a journey is meeting people along the way. The camaraderie associated with the RV community is certainly one of the many factors that attract people to the lifestyle. Many social clubs exist giving members the opportunity to meet like-minded people, sharing similar interests. For Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) members, the National Rally and chapter events are held to give members the opportunity to do this. The Tropical Coast Wanderers, a CMCA chapter, work hard every year to bring CMCA members the Dam Fine Rally. As people start to head north, escaping

the southern winter, many attend the ﬁve day event held at Ross Park (formerly Ross Dam Park), near Townsville in July. The Tropical Coast Wanderers produced another outstanding event this year, with over 290 vehicles on-site. With nightly entertainment and a full programme of activities, the event is enjoyed by all in attendance. Mayor of Townsville Jenny Hill, attended Market Day on Saturday 1 July, where she conducted the rally’s opening ceremony. Other highlights from the event included evening entertainment from talented local musicians, happy hours, and disc bowls. Many took the opportunity to explore the

surrounding region during their time at the rally, with a number of organised tours also available. North Queensland offers easy access to some of Australia’s renowned natural attractions, including the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage Listed Magnetic Island. For those who returned to the rally for another year, the rally site provides a beautiful area to sit back, relax, and mingle with temporary neighbours. Five days of entertainment and activities, endless laughs, and creating long-lasting friendships and memories, this rally was one not to be missed. – CMCA

If you own a 1960s-era Globetrotter van or similar, get involved to help young children in need.

CALL FOR CARAVAN OWNERS Owners of caravans similar to the style of the 1960s-era Globetrotter (above), are urged to get involved with a program to help disadvantaged children.

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United Way SA provides free books every month into the homes of children aged ﬁve years and under in some of Adelaide’s most at-risk suburbs as part of the ‘United We Read program’. The organisation will hold a Book Week event on Saturday, August 26 at the Playford Civic Centre called “Are We There Yet?” based on the children’s book

by Alison Lester. In the book, Alison and her family travel around Australia in a caravan and United Way SA would like a group of caravans similar in style to the rounded Globetrotter van to be present at the event. If you are interested, please call (08) 7002 0140 or visit www.unitedwaysa.com. au.

News

CHASSIS RECALL

There’s now a special interest group for ACC members who own Lotus Caravans.

NEW GROUP FOR LOTUS OWNERS Australian Caravan Club (ACC) members who own Lotus Caravans can now join their own special interest group. The ACC recently announced the formation of the new group which will operate separately from the club’s branch structure. Similar to other special interest groups (SIG), owners can be both a member of a branch and a member of the Lotus Caravan group. ACC Chairman Craig Humphrey said the group came about after a recent Lotus Caravan Owners’ Group muster. “We all got together and decided that we had so much fun as a group, that we would start a SIG for Lotus caravan owners within our own club,” he said. The formation of the ACC Owners of Lotus Vans brings the total number of special interest groups in the ACC to six. Like other groups within the ACC, the ACC Owners of Lotus Vans will hold its own musters. Mr Humphrey said while they weren’t able to join the Lotus Vans group, all other members of the ACC will be welcome to attend the musters. “Catering to the interests of all RVers is something that our club feels strongly about,” he said. “We have the Lone Trekkers for our members who travel solo, our Full Time Travellers for our members who are travelling on the road full time, and our Armed Forces for members who are ex or current service men and women.” “All owners of Lotus Caravans are welcome to come and join our club and the ACC Owners of Lotus Vans special interest group. Anyone interested in joining the ACC Owners of Lotus Vans should email their interest to me at chair@ australiancaravanclub.com.au”

Caravan owners have been put on alert after the ACCC recalled a Turisi Enterprises G&S chassis that has a Control Rider TS Suspension system. The ACCC says anyone who has a caravan built with a chassis manufactured between May 2015 and June 2016, or who has a chassis that has been manufactured by G&S Chassis that has a Control Rider TS Suspension System, should immediately stop using their caravan. There is a risk of insufficient weld penetration and/or overgrinding of the weld on the suspension trailing arm elbow, which has resulted in reduced material thickness. The suspension arm may break causing the chassis to become unstable, potentially becoming a hazard to other road users. Caravan owners can find the chassis number and manufacture date in the G&S Chassis Warranty and Service Handbook, or by going to www.gnschassis.com.au for instructions on how to check the chassis. If in doubt, owners should contact G&S Chassis on 03 9357 0227 or email recall@gnschassis.com.au, and quote G&S Technical Service Inspection No 17-01. G&S Chassis will put affected consumers in touch with an approved repair agent to undertake an inspection and any repairs.

The recalled Control Rider TS Suspension system.

The ACC Capital Country Nomads are off to a great start.

CAPITAL CARAVANNERS

Canberra RVers have joined the Australian Caravan Club (ACC) family, with the ACC’s first branch now formed in the capital. The ACC Capital Country Nomads branch was formed following a meeting, Happy Hour, and barbecue for interested RVers at Exhibition Park in Mitchell. The branch already has 24 members with hopes it’ll continue to grow. Steve Onus has been appointed president along with Leigh Baddeley as secretary.

The caravan you want is now easier to find

The ACC is one of the largest RV clubs in Australia with a membership of 4500 and growing. Anyone with a caravan, pop-top, motorhome, campervan, slide-on camper, camper-trailer or fifth wheeler is encouraged to join and benefit from free Farm Stays, social activities, musters and events. Anyone interested in joining the Capital Country Nomads, should contact membershipsupportnsw@ australiancaravanclub.com.au tradervs.com.au

News

TOP NOD FOR INDUSTRY PIONEERS

WIN A BRAND NEW MOTORHOME! Australian Motor Homes & Caravans (AMHC) is generously giving away an Avida Birdsville motorhome to raise funds for a young man tragically injured in a rugby accident. AMHC founder Ron Warden said Damian Jobson, a friend and teammate of his own son Callan, was injured during a local rugby league game, leaving Damian, a father of two, a quadriplegic. “Knowing how easily Damian’s accident could have been my son’s accident has motivated me and to do something to raise funds for a family that needs ongoing help and assistance,” Ron said. The Birdsville, valued at $152,000, will be first prize in a raffle that also includes a second prize of a $15,000 package from Harvey Norman Bennetts Green, and third prize of a $4000 voucher from HelloWorld & Cruise Travel Centre. To be in with a chance to win the Avida Birdsville, visit www. risefordamian.com.au or Australian Motor Homes & Caravans, 31 Pacific Highway, Bennetts Green, NSW. Tickets cost $50 and the prize will be drawn during The Footy Show on the Nine Network on September 21, 2017.

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Nova Caravans has been recognised for its manufacturing at the Caravan Trade and Industries Association of Victoria Hall of Fame Industry Awards. Held in Melbourne in July, the awards recognise pioneers who have contributed to the caravan industry. Nova Caravans was awarded with the 2017 CTIAV Business Award for Caravan and RV Manufacturer of the Year. Other award winners included AL-KO’s Craig Greenaway (George Pantazopoulos Young Achiever Award), Ian Grant’s Caravans’ Ian Grant (Charlie Tebb Service to Industry Award), Carac Caravan Accessories (Excellence in Dealer/Retailer of the Year Award) and Advantage Caravan Repairs (Excellence in Service & Repair). John Davis, Ian Ritchie, Richard Thickens and Ken Tibbits were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

AL-KO managing director Peter Mannfolk with Nova Caravans directors Louise and Robert Cataldo.

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ISSUE 566

www.c aravan world. com.a

ISSUE 566 | ON SALE AUG 3, 2017 $9.95 (inc GST)

30+

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS

www. .com.au

8 VANS

Budget TOURING

UNDER $60K www.TradeRVs.com.au

Nova Metrolink Jayco Starcraft Olympic Marathon

and more!

www.caravanworld.com.au

Jurgens Jindabyne

CVW_566_000-000_Cover Final.indd

21/07/2017 10:21:53 AM

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$10 TUCKER FUEL EFFICIENCY BUYING SECOND-HAND

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GRAND SALUTE BUCKINGHAM “Loaded wwithhole features tnheenjoy!” family ca

EXCLUSIVE DEALER

MELBOURNE CITY CARAVANS 3/800 Cooper Street, Somerton VIC 3062 Ph: 03 9303 7200 www.melbournecitycaravans.com.au D facebook.com/melbournecitycaravans

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DVD Players for the kids – one in each bunk! Safety features including ESC & Reversing Camera Luxury finishes & premium quality appliances Plenty of storage options & spacious interiors Equipped for free camping & journeying off the beaten track

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the f o r e t t Le

MON T H

Write to: Caravan World Postbag, 125 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North, Victoria 3161; or email: submissions@adventuresgroup.com.au Please include your full address (not for publication). Letters chosen will be edited for publication, may be shortened, and may appear online.

OLD FAMILIAR WHEELS

We are avid subscribers to your magazine and especially enjoy Postbag, Readers’ Rigs and all the new gadgets and gizmos that come on the market within an ever growing caravan industry. Back in 2014 we upgraded our much-loved 2002 17.6 Jayco Westport to a 19.6 Retreat Fraser which is, quite simply, luxury on wheels. We sold our Westport, which we had from new and were sad to see it leaving our driveway for the last time. Since then, we often wondered what had become of our then pride and joy. So you could imagine my surprise when I thumbed through to the Readers’ Rigs section of CW563 (May ‘17) and there was our Westport being towed by Paul and Robyn Maynard! It was great to see that she was still out and about and being well looked after. Many happy travels, Paul and Robyn! Brett and Tess Botting Gidgegannup, WA

CLOSE CALL

Luckily the Western Australian travellers were safe in the case of this accident (pictured below), although the van was worse for wear. The caravan was travelling towards Swan Hill in Victoria, in tandem with a friend in their caravan. A B-double safely overtook the second van but the U-bolt gave way on the rear wheel and the axle dropped on to the road. The car and van pulled over safely to the left, with the B-double going right again safely. The van was picked up and delivered to Hilltop Resort and transported the next day to Mildura for repair. Tom McDonnell via email

Congratulations to Brett and Tess Botting whose submission has been selected as this month’s CW Postbag ‘Letter of the Month’. They win an RV Inline Water Filter from B.E.S.T. Water Filters, valued at $110. With a B.E.S.T. (Bacteria Elimination Silver Treatment) water filter, you can ensure you have clean, safe water – wherever the road may take you. The filter means you can safely draw water from town, tank, creek or bore water sources to fill your caravan’s tanks, and the chemicals

caravanworld.com.au

A TEENAGER’S TAKE...

My family lived in a caravan travelling around Australia for two years. Here’s an insight into a morning in the life of a teenager on the road: So I wake up, and decide I need to go to the bathroom. Well, I have two options, either I can close a folding plastic door, and use a porta-potty thing, or I could go to the public toilet block which every other person who has been to this caravan park has used. If I take the second option, I have to first change out of my pyjamas, which takes a few minutes, by which time I am so busting I have to run the long walk to the amenities block. I arrive to find that some stranger who I have never met has weed all over the seat. I return to the caravan dodging the dead beetles all over the path. Then I try to make myself some breakfast. This should be easy, but the other six family members are already up and are clogging the walkway through the van. As I shuffle around, turning side on to pass, but in process running into someone else, I can barely move to get a cup. After jobs, it’s school time, for this I can’t go outside or I will just about melt in the heat, and if I sit inside I have to try and sit with four other people trying to kill each other, with the added bonus of learning something. So I pick the ‘easy’ option, sitting in my bed: well, it would be easy if I could get in. I try to sit before I remember that physically I can’t. If I try I know from experience that I will hit my head on the pointy light switch above my head, so I slump down, laptop on my lap and start my work. Matilda Walker, age 16 Byford, WA

KEEP LOOKING, LYLE

In regards to Lyle McDougall’s letter (CW564, June ‘17) in which he was interested in buying a Jeep to replace his LandCruiser, h should take the time to do some more research if possible. I have recently done some as I too consider the Jeep to be a good option as a tow vehicle. I was looking for something that had a 6500kg combination mass and was told by a few salesman that it does have a 6500kg combination mass. However, all the research I did indicated that it only has a combination mass of 6099kg, making it near impossible to tow a 3500kg van. The Jeep, from memory, tared at about 2300kg. This means that by the time you add a towbar a full tank of fuel and you jump in the thing with the missus you’re over on your combination mass! I wouldn’t like to be the one telling her she can’t go! Mick Sevil Quirindi, NSW

and sediment will be removed and the bacteria destroyed. The filter is multi-directional, can be used after long periods of non-use and

involves a simple, DIY installation. For more information, visit www. bestwaterfilters.com.au or call 1800 240 822.

Postbag DANGEROUS SETUP

TOUAREG AND KOKODA COMBO A WINNER

My wife Wendy and I have travelled far and wide throughout our wonderful country and have enjoyed every moment of our travels. We have also enjoyed several overseas holidays and now agree that we will be staying in our own country. This year, we purchased our seventh caravan and our ninth 4WD/all-wheel drive, company cars included. We decided to break away from tradition of makes and look outside the square. First, the car. Our decision was to purchase a vehicle capable of towing the 3.5t legal limit. We decided on a new Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI, Wolfsberg edition with 20in wheels and 550Nm of torque. Thanks to the team at Townsville Volkswagen for their professionalism and product knowledge. Fitted with a VW towbar we are legally able to tow 3.5t. With air suspension as standard, we do not require any other weight distribution hardware. The Touareg is a delight to drive bobtail, however, we did wonder just what it would be like when we connected a load on its tail. So, to our new van. Again, breaking tradition of brand and after several discussions with Chris at Townsville RV, we ordered a new Kokoda Veteran XLi (above). Delivery was delayed due to the road and weather conditions which Cyclone Debbie cast upon us. Thanks to the team at Townsville RV, the delivery was thorough. Our first little shakedown trip was to Charters Towers where we stayed for a few days. The Touareg pulled the van without any sign of stress, not only in the power department, the air suspension worked a treat and the handling was second to none. The Kokoda towed perfectly, making the journey to Charters Towers a pleasant experience. It travelled up hills and around corners at legal highway speeds without difficulty whatsoever. Our few days in Charters Towers allowed us time to become familiar with the many gadgets included in the Kokoda, including our own on board Wi-Fi. We recently rearranged our load and took the combination on a second shake down trip to Rollingstone Beach, about 50km from Townsville. When we connected the mains water to the van, we noticed a leak at the rear. This was not apparent during the first trip. Being late on Friday afternoon, I called Townsville RV and reported the fault. We were taken by surprise when, on Sunday morning, their service manager arrived on site and repaired the fault within a half hour. This was totally unexpected but very much appreciated. Thanks, Pat! The Touareg comes standard with a space saver spare wheel. No way would I ever consider towing our van with a space saver on the vehicle. We purchased an aftermarket 20in full rim and tyre which we carry while towing the van. So we are about to commence our journeys with the new combo. Where to first? No idea. The coin will be tossed. Safe travelling to all. Ray and Wendy Schinkel Townsville, Qld

The caravan you want is now easier to find

Recently, I was driving on Indian Ocean Drive in country WA when I caught up with a caravan doing 65-70km/h in a 110 zone; there was a long line up vehicles built up behind. I waited for an overtaking lane then passed the rig, a LandCruiser 79 Series truck with a canopy towing a caravan. As I drew level, I noticed that even though a WDH was being used, the van was travelling ‘downhill’ and the LandCruiser ‘uphill’, which may explain why he was driving at such a slow speed on an excellent stretch of road. A while later I pulled into a servo and filled up with fuel. As I was finishing up, the rig in question pulled in so I asked the driver if he was aware of the potentially dangerous manner his rig was set up. He went on to tell me that the tow hitch was at its highest setting and he was using a WDH and that there was nothing further he could do to rectify the situation. He then explained he had some larger tyres (very aggressive mud tyres) which had caused the situation. With the rear of the truck sitting down so much, it may have been he was carrying significant weight inside the canopy. I felt quite uncomfortable, when I noticed his interstate registration, that this rig had travelled in this manner most likely across the top and has a long way to go to get home. Hopefully the owner isn’t involved in a crash travelling in such an unsafe manner, and hopefully readers towing a rig monitor their mirrors and pull over when safety permits to allow other road users to pass and be on their way. Ferg le Juge de Segrais via email

B.E.S.T FOR BEER

Just sharing that I now need to remember to retrieve my B.E.S.T. inline water filter from my son-in-law when I go camping. This is because he has taken to using it to filter water used in his specialty home brewing! Happy camping! Sue Hancock via email

CARAVAN CAKE

We all like to think we love our vans, but how many think that it is important enough to form the centrepiece of our wedding? When we tied the knot, we figured our wedding cake should be in the form of our much-loved Jayco Penguin. Readers may recognise our van from Readers’ Rigs in CW532 in 2014. We had a chocolate mudcake made and iced from supplied photographs by an acquaintance in Muswellbrook, in NSW’s Hunter Valley. We figured a mudcake was appropriate to our travels. It was complete right down to the Drifta Kitchens rear wheel cover and number plate, and was a great hit with other camper and caravan enthusiasts at the small wedding. We sent photos to Drifta, and put them up on a camper trailer Facebook page. Everyone thought it was fantastic; it was well worth the effort. Hopefully it starts a trend. Colin Tidy and Sharon Small via email tradervs.com.au

DOOR DE TA IL

Replacing a caravan door might seem easy, but there’s a few traps you need to watch out for along the way.

Need help with a technical or towing problem? Ask Philip Lord

1. Some owners find the standard door’s concertina screen isn’t secure enough so the only option is to replace the whole door unit. 2. The old door is unscrewed at the hinges and removed. 3. Interior finishing strips are removed then the internal door frame cover is unscrewed and removed.

his job, to replace a caravan door, was commissioned because the owner wanted a more secure and durable flyscreen door than the one fitted as standard to his van’s access door. Because the screen was integral to the door assembly, the only way to fit a new flyscreen was to replace the whole door assembly. This is an interesting job because, on the surface, it seems very simple, but it is quite involved. While, in theory, anyone could do this – you don’t need qualifications to work on the door as you do with gas or 240V electricity – there are many opportunities to make mistakes. In particular, cutting out the caravan wall to accommodate the longer and wider new door is a bit tricky.

OUT WITH THE OLD The ﬁrst component of this job is disassembly of the original door, starting with removing the door from the frame at its hinges. Then the internal door frame cover can be removed, ﬁrstly its decorative covering strips then the frame cover itself can be unscrewed from the wall and removed.

Then the frame – which is bonded into position – needs to be cut out of the door aperture with a boxcutting knife. Most of the glue can be cut through on the inside, but then needs to be carefully prised out of the aperture from outside the van.

SLOWLY DOES IT With the old frame removed, work can start on preparing the aperture for the new door. Firstly, you have to check for wiring, to make sure it is recessed enough to not be damaged when cutting out the side wall to accommodate the new door (or by being pinched by the new door frame or the screws that secure it). In this case, there was only wiring in the forward side of the door aperture only (often, if a coach light is ﬁtted, there will also be wiring plumbed down the rear side of the door aperture). The insulation between the inner and outer wall skins was trimmed back, allowing for not only the bigger aperture we were about to cut but also for the timber that would be glued in later to secure the new door. Now to the most difﬁcult part of this job – measuring exactly how much of the side wall that will need to be cut out. Clearly you don’t want to get this part of the job wrong, because if you cut out too much or don’t get the cut straight, you’ll have unsightly sealant showing between the frame and the side wall at best, and have to make up a gasket of sorts to cover the gap around the frame in a worst-case scenario. The new door was 21mm wider and 15mm taller, and was not completely square. This meant that measurements had to be checked and rechecked. In addition, a cardboard template was made of the top and bottom of the new door to ensure the radiuses we were about to cut for the new door were correct. Then it was time to apply a couple of layers of tape around the door aperture, so when the new opening was cut with the jigsaw it would not damage the outer wall skin. Then the cut lines were marked from measurements we’d already taken.

CHECK AND CHECK AGAIN This is the point of no return, so careful checking of all measurements is vital. We took plenty of time on this step, slowly going over the measurements we’d calculated several times.

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Tech Talk

4. Cut through the bonding agent so that the door frame can be removed. 5. Cut through the glue on the outer frame area and carefully prising the frame away from the body. 6. The old frame can now be removed. 7. Insulation has to be removed around the door aperture and wiring has to be routed so that it is not damaged. 8. To cut the body side to fit the longer and wider door requires careful measuring and using a template to ensure corners are cut to suit the new door.

The cut lines we’d marked on the masking tape we checked against our calculations. Using an electric jigsaw, the new door opening was then cut. Even though using a jigsaw is quicker and easier than a handheld saw, you can still get the cut wrong if you’re not careful. A slow, steady cut – to make sure you don’t wander off the marked cut line – will make sure that your cut is straight (or a neat curve, as the case might be). Don’t rush it, or you’ll ﬁnd that your new door opening is slightly wavy.

TRY IT ON FOR SIZE With the new opening cut, it’s time for a quick trial-ﬁt with the new door. Using a tool such as Dremel, you can grind out any areas that have been cut out too narrow – hopefully, though, like ours, the cut will be spot-on. Because the new door is both glued in and secured with screws on forward and

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Tech Talk

rear sides, it needs pieces of timber glued in between the inner and outer skins so that the retaining screws have something to bite into. The insulation is cut out a bit more to make room for the timber, which is then glued in place.

CLEAN UP

The tape used to mark out the cut is now removed and the opening cleaned up, removing any debris, and the cut-out is given a quick wipe with wax and grease remover around the outer periphery to ensure a good seal.

THE FINAL FIT 9. Using a jigsaw to cut out the side of the van. 10. Timber is inserted and glued into place so that the door can be screwed in later. 11. Polyurethane is applied to the door frame.

Q&A WEIGHTS CONFUSION In CW559 (Jan ‘17) Dan Everett talks about towing dynamics. I have a question as I’m confused – for example, if the tow vehicle GVM is 2000kg, the trailer GTM is 2000kg, and the tow vehicle can tow 3000kg does that mean I’m 1000kg overweight? Paul Via email To start with, a vehicle’s kerb mass includes all fluids topped up (coolant, brake fluid, oils and fuel). Some vehicles use Tare weight as the base weight instead: under Australian Design Rules, this is the vehicle weight with all fluids topped up, except for the fuel tank, which has exactly 10L in it. Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is the total permitted mass of the vehicle and its payload, which includes all occupants and cargo. Payload is GVM minus Kerb Weight. You don’t mention what vehicle you are referring to in your example, but the weights are not quite right for any tow vehicle that I know of , so I’ll assume you’re just using theoretical figures. Let’s say that the vehicle’s GVM is 2500kg, and kerb mass is 2000kg. That gives you a payload of 500kg, which includes all occupants and cargo. Then

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you have towing capacity. Let’s say, in this ﬁctional example, that there’s a 2000kg towing capacity. How much you can legally tow and can carry in your vehicle at the same time (payload) depends on the vehicle’s Gross Combined Mass, as proscribed by the vehicle manufacturer. Often, this mass is the vehicle’s GVM and maximum towing capacity combined – so in our example, this would be 4500kg. There are many exceptions to the example given here, worthy of a whole article in itself!

TOWBALL WEIGHT DILEMMA I have a query regarding towball weight for my vehicle. My van is an Olympic Javelin, which is approximately 7m long and the weight ﬁgures from the plate are as follows: ATM 1900kg; GTM 1770kg; Tare mass 1500kg; Axle group load capacity 2750kg. I have read about weights in

Caravan World but it still confuses me as to my towball allowance. Everybody has a different towball weight for me. I am towing with a 2016 Toyota HiLux SR5. Peter Graveson Via email Firstly, let’s look at what you can legally tow with your HiLux: it’s 3500kg (manual) or 3200kg (auto). The towball maximum (TMB) for the HiLux is 350kg (manual) or 320kg (auto), which would easily accommodate your Javelin’s maximum towball mass. The Gross Combined Weight (GCM, the total permitted weight of the vehicle and van with everything and everybody loaded) of the HiLux is 5850kg (manual) or 5650kg (auto) so if your Hilux weighed no more than 3000kg and your van 1900kg, at 4900kg total, your rig would be legal fully laden.

The 2016 HiLux has a towball maximum of 350kg (manual) or 320kg (auto).

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Tech Talk

Now polyurethane glue is applied to the new door’s outer frame, then the door is ﬁtted to the opening in the caravan wall. To help keep the door securely in place while the glue sets, holes are drilled around the new door frame and screws are then ﬁtted. The excess glue is removed from around the frame, and the door left overnight so that the glue can cure.

FINISHING TOUCHES

With the glue set, the door can be finished off. Glue is applied to the inner door opening as an additional barrier between the inside and the wall cavity, then a T-mould finishing strip fitted to the inner door frame to hide the join. Heat is applied with a heat gun to stop the T-mould from curling on the corners of the door frame. Now matching white rivets are fitted in place of the retaining screws we used earlier on the outer door frame. These go some way to help secure the door in place but their key purpose is to provide a neater finish to the exposed door frame. Finally, a pencil is used to mark the sides of the outer door frame so that when the screws are fitted to the front and rear of the frame that they pull the frame evenly. The screws are fitted and the pencil markings wiped off. Then there’s a final check to see that the door doesn’t catch on the frame and that it latches and locks properly. With thanks to Complete RV Services, 85-87 Batt St, Jamisontown, NSW 2750, www. rvservices.com.au or 0423 384 873. 12. The door is now fitted in place. 13. T-mould is fitted to the inside join and heated on the corners so it sits flush. 14. Rivets fitted in place of screws used to hold door in place while glue was curing. 15. Screws fitted around aperture to pull frame in against aperture.

Win

T HI S ! HITCHMASTER® DO35 All-Terrain Drop-On Coupling The HITCHMASTER® DO35 is designed, tested and manufactured in Australia by Vehicle Components and valued at $405. This coupling provides an easy drop-on connection no matter the road surface. Featuring a smooth, spring loaded lock mechanism, a bumper and safety cap, an ultra low profile housing, and weight distribution hitch (WDH) compatibility for most vehicles. The winner will receive a HITCHMASTER® DO35 V2-R which includes a spanner, tow pin and tow pin cover.

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How to win

If you’re stumped by a technical or towing problem, send your question to submissions@adventuresgroup.com.au with ‘Tech Talk’ in the subject line or send a letter to Caravan World Tech Talk, 125 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North, Vic 3161. All entries must include your full address (not for publication).

Rate of

CHANGE

Social media, technology and buyers are changing the way the Australian caravan industry is evolving, says AL-KO’s Peter Mannfolk.

I WORDS PETER QUILTY

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n this issue, CW launches a new, monthly article – Factory Floor – where we sit down with RV industry heavyweights and get their thoughts on the latest caravanning innovations, issues and trends. We kick-off the series with AL-KO Australia/ New Zealand head honcho Peter Mannfolk, a former commercial lawyer who has a long family history with AL-KO. Peter’s father, Sven, was the managing director of the company before him, and Peter spent time working in marketing, mail-outs and on the factory ﬂoor for AL-KO while he was studying.

Caravan World: I can imagine you having a hectic work schedule; but what are your hobbies and passions? Peter Mannfolk: My hobbies and passions are around spending time with my family. I’m a very proud father, I have two young children (two and six months) and I just like getting out into the outdoors with them, and making the most of time with family. CW: The caravan manufacturing industry is constantly evolving. What do you see as the seismic shifts since you’ve been involved?

Factory Floor

PM: The big shift is the pace of innovation. I think consumers, more than ever, are well informed and researched about what they want and what they want to see in caravans, and the manufacturers are in close contact with them, feeding that back to the suppliers. So we are really focused on local research and development of products to meet the demand in the market [from buyers]. CW: So, in a way, you’ve adapted to those changes? PM: Absolutely, and as a market leading

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THE VID

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Peter Mannfolk, AL-KO Australia

supplier we see our role to be interacting with the market; understanding what the market is telling us and responding quickly to bring products into the market to meet those needs. CW: Can you give us an example of how you’ve met those adaptations? PM: Looking back a couple of years, we saw the trend towards the trailing arm suspension system and we knew that we needed to be in that market. So, in late 2015, we launched our first trailing arm suspension, which was the Enduro Outback – a form of offroad rugged

Above: Peter Mannfolk walks CW’s Peter Quilty through the AL-KO factory in Dandenong South, Vic. tradervs.com.au

Below: AL-KO’s offroad rugged suspension, Enduro Outback, which was developed from market feedback.

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suspension for outback conditions – and, as we received feedback from the market, there was a demand for a lighter version, a sort of rough-road version of the suspension. So we then launched our Enduro Cross Country and more recently the final instalment in that series of suspensions – the Enduro Touring – which now brings the comfort and the ride of the independent suspension to the on-road caravan market.

PM: Definitely the conversation between the end user and the manufacturers, particularly with social media; now there’s a dialogue. So the rate of change and innovation is speeding up and I think that’s good for the industry and the consumer because it means we, as a supplier, and the manufacturers are looking more and more for how to meet the needs of the end user, which helps grow the industry and which is, ultimately, good for everyone involved.

CW: What do you see as the biggest influence on the caravan manufacturing industry?

CW: How have buyers changed over the years? PM: Buyers have become better informed

Factory Floor

Peter Mannfolk, AL-KO Australia

“Buyers more and more see themselves as consumer advocates and are prepared to be on social media or be involved in providing feedback of their experiences” than ever. They do their research, they come to caravan shows or they go to caravan dealers. They understand the market and the options that are available and are very prepared to talk to the manufacturers and seek out those options for themselves. And I also think buyers more and more see themselves as consumer advocates and are prepared to be on social media or be involved in providing feedback of their experiences and, ultimately, that’s a big shift, not just in the caravan industry but in all industries and sectors. CW: How are buyers influencing the caravan

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manufacturing sector? Are they more influential than ever? PM: One market segment that we see growing strongly is younger buyers entering the caravan industry, in particular, young families, and their needs are quite different than maybe the more traditional market. They tend to look for the lighter caravans because they have constraints around tow vehicles and tow vehicle capacities. And they’re also more engaged with technology, so they’re looking for connectivity and the ability to remain connected wherever they are, even while offroad adventuring throughout Australia.

Above: Mannfolk says the key to success is innovation. tradervs.com.au

CW: Do you see a lot of positivity in the industry? Is it still as buoyant as ever? PM: The industry is changing and I think the key to success is innovation and being able to read market trends and meet consumer demands, which are changing and evolving quickly, and we and everyone in the industry need to be in front of that wave. CW: What do you see as the industry trends at the moment? What’s in vogue? PM: With the rise of social media we’re seeing people caravanning and motorhoming, and enjoying the great outdoors, wanting to be connected. And that means being connected on social media, blogging and publishing their journey, posting it on Facebook and Twitter and having the ability to stay in touch while they’re away. There’s also a demand for consumers to be able to use a mobile device to control their caravan so that if they’re coming back from the beach on a hot day they can already have the air-conditioner switched on, or if they’re returning at night they can have the caravan’s external lights turned on

Above: Sven Mannfolk with former Victorian Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade, Richard Dalla-Riva. Above right: AL-KO predicts a bigger focus on safety products for the RV industry.

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in advance. And I think that’s a trend we’ll see more and more of as the technology develops. CW: If you could gaze into the proverbial crystal ball, what do you see ahead for the industry? Will the future largely be technology driven? PM: The future of the industry is technology driven and it’s driven by innovation, research and by development of new products to meet changing consumer demands. I think more and more we’ll see a focus on safety in caravanning and we’re working on safety products and safety innovations to continue to lead that field. I also believe the future for our product range is lighter and stronger. So in other words offering manufacturers flexibility by reducing the weight of the axle system or chassis system that they’re using to build their caravan. And giving them more payload, and also the ability to build lighter products that are attractive to young families who tend to have smaller tow vehicles and for whom the ability to tow a lighter vehicle is very important.

Factory Floor

Peter Mannfolk, AL-KO Australia

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g n i n i Sh

STAR

A standout in the budget market, the Nova Metrolink 19-1R is a smooth, dependable and spacious van. PICS STUART GRANT

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Tested

Nova Metrolink 19-1R

In brief... Tandem-axle, 8.04m(26ft 3in) overall length 1962kg Tare weight Full width rear bathroom, front island bed layout On-road van

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don’t know about you, but the first time I try something new, I’m a mix of apprehension and excitement. I love new adventures, but a slight fear of the unknown buzzes under the surface. There’s nothing like adrenaline to keep life interesting! Needless to say, as the newest CW recruit, heading out on my first review for the magazine along with my experienced editor Laura, was a tad nerve-shaking. Wanting to impress the boss in the office is one thing, but not making yourself look like a fool out in the field is another. Nevertheless, I put on my big girl boots (and my lucky red beret) and headed out to meet Laura and photographer Stu at the Melbourne 4x4 Training and Proving Ground at Mount Cottrell, Vic. It was time to meet the Nova Metrolink 19-1R from May West Caravans in Hoppers Crossing, to see if it was up to the task, and to prove that I most certainly was. In typical fashion, Melbourne had really turned on the weather – that is to say, it was grey, rain threatened, and the wind had a chilly sting in its tail. Despite the elements conspiring to work against us, the setting of the Proving Ground was surprisingly picturesque. It consists of more than 80 acres located on Werribee Gorge, with plenty of hilly tracks to explore, creeks to splash through, and gum trees to relax by with a steaming hot cuppa from the thermos. If you’re lucky, the ground’s local residents will pay you a visit, too. A number of majestic wedge-tailed eagles circled overhead for most of the day we were there. I had suspicions they were curious about how my first official CW assignment would go. If they planned to mock me later as they feasted on their prey, they were going to be disappointed.

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WORDS NATALIE CAVALLARO Clockwise from main: The Cobbledicks Reserve creek crossing proved easy work for the Metrolink; the on-road van has a little extra grunt; the full-width tunnel boot offers plenty of storage; the rear spare wheel is placed at an easily accessible height.

Measuring up Pros Well-designed layout creates good space Plenty of storage through with sturdy cupboards Simple yet stylish internal design

Cons Bed length is a little short for taller folks Microwave is located a bit high

Tested

Nova Metrolink 19-1R

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SMOOTH RIDE With no time to waste, it was time for Laura and I to take this baby out for a spin. Our trusty tow tug for the day was a LandCruiser 76 Series wagon with a tow capacity of 3500kg, more than enough required grunt for the Metrolink’s Tare weight of 1962kg and maximum loaded ATM of 2362kg. This is, by its nature, an on-road van, yes, however, its performance on the gravelly roads of the Proving Ground gave us a solid indication this was a high-achiever, with no qualms about taking on slightly rougher surfaces. Having spent some time seeing what it could do within the grounds, we then headed for the open road. With the Metrolink designed for on-road touring, there were no surprises here, as it proved itself to be a sturdy and smooth van to tow, and with its manageable length of 6.3m, it definitely made some of the sharper bends in the roads we encountered easy work. I couldn’t have asked for a better van to impress the boss in! Speaking of Laura, she spent some time behind the wheel as well, and it seems I wasn’t the only one charmed by the Metrolink. “While I’d never claim to ‘forget’ I had a caravan on the back of the vehicle, it was an easy tow that caused no worries at all,” she said. “With its dual axle, the Metrolink tracked straight and true with virtually no detectable sway - though the AL-KO ESC would have corrected that if it needed to.” Of course, driving on the bitumen is all well and good, but we wanted to push the Metrolink a little further. Also, Stu was keen for some slightly more show-stopping photos. A show-off at heart, I was more than happy to oblige and get the Metrolink’s tyres wet at the nearby Cobbledicks Streamside Reserve. I loved splashing through puddles as a kid and, let’s face it, this is basically the grown-up version of that. It was a bumpy ride over the shallow cobblestone crossing, but the Metrolink took it all in its stride and had us over the other side with ease. Pretty impressive for an unassuming budget on-road tourer.

THE OUTER LAYER Clockwise from above: The welldesigned layout of the Metrolink creates a feeling of space; there’s nothing like a campfire! Warming up by the Metrolink; the cafe-style dinette with tri-fold table is soft, comfortable and has storage.

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It would be a bit of a stretch to call the Nova Metrolink a ‘head-turner’, but it’s definitely attractive, highlighted by orange and black stripes, and Nova’s signature orange sun logo. It’s a solid van with a traditional build and ribbed aluminium cladding along with black aluminium checkerplate. A full-width tunnel boot offers the required storage for your bits and pieces; in our case, camp chairs and an extra fold up table for that evening’s ‘wine time’. The tandem-axle Metrolink has a solid Preston chassis, with leaf spring suspension and is fitted with 15in wheels.

Tested

Nova Metrolink 19-1R

Nova Metrolink 19-1R Weights and measures Overall length 8.04m (26ft 3in) External body length 6.3m (20ft 6in) External body width 2.40m (7ft 8in) Travel height 2.86m (9ft 3in) Internal height 1.95m (6ft 3in) Tare 1962kg ATM 2362kg Payload 400kg Ball weight 152kg

External AL-KO’s electronic stability control features, and you’ll find two water tanks located forward of the axle. A peek underneath the Metrolink revealed good clearance, with no low-hanging objects to cause any concern. I did notice a piece of metal about six inches long welded on to the chassis rail on the right side, above the mud flap. It wasn’t immediately obvious what it was for, but thought it could present a potential catch hazard as it extruded from the side of the chassis, sticking further out than anything else on the van. A walk around to the back of the van revealed the spare was fixed at an easily accessible height, which is important when you’re vertically challenged like me. There’s also a

Dometic awning for shelter and shade if you need it. When it comes to build quality, Nova Caravans definitely knows its stuff and was last month given an official stamp of approval at the Caravan Trade & Industries Association of Victoria Hall of Fame Industry Awards, winning the 2017 CTIAV Business Award for Caravan and RV Manufacturer of the Year.

SIMPLY STYLISH Despite my penchant for accessories, I’m a firm believer that a minimalist aesthetic can work well for interior design, giving you more scope to add your personal flair. With its black and white colour scheme, the Metrolink is uncomplicated and ready for whatever pop of colour you fancy.

ROBE FRIDGE

TOILET

Frame SupaGal steel Cladding Nova Grey aluminium Chassis SupaGal Preston Suspension AL-KO leaf spring Coupling AL-KO 3500 Brakes 10in electric Wheels 15in low profile Water 2x80L Battery 1x105A Solar Optional, but 1x120W solar panel is included free until August 31, 2017 Air-conditioner Belaire Gas 2x9kg Sway control AL-KO ESC

Internal Cooking Thetford Mini Grill Mk III, combination four-burner Fridge Thetford 184L Microwave NCE Bathroom Thetford cassette toilet, separate fibreglass shower cubicle Washing machine Optional top loader Hot water Swift gas/electric

Options fitted

Gas bayonet, reversing camera QUEEN BED

Price as shown $59,990 SEAT

ROBE

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TABLE

More information

SEAT SHOWER

To enquire about this caravan visit www.novacaravans.com.au or phone (03) 9930 0900 tradervs.com.au

Tested

Nova Metrolink 19-1R

Below right: The Ranger RV skylight lets in extra sun. Bottom right: There’s plenty of space and storage around the island bed.

Ratings Value for money “Solid and well-constructed with a clean design, this is an excellent van for its price”

Towability “A smooth ride in general and, for an on-road van, it handled well on rougher tracks”

Liveability “All the necessary features are here, but a longer bed would be welcome”

Suitability for intended touring “Excellent for on-road touring, it certainly does what it says on the box”

Layout “Great functional layout, with plenty of storage and bench space”

Quality of finish “While it doesn’t have the flourishes of a pricier van, it looks the goods inside and out”

Build quality “There’s no doubting the quality of a Nova build. Well-made and sturdy throughout”

Creature comforts “Everything you need is here, although the washing machine is optional”

Innovation “Nothing groundbreaking, but if you can do something well, why reinvent the wheel?”

X-Factor “An impressive budget van with everything you need for on-road touring, plus a little extra grunt”

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In addition, it’s as lovely to live in as it looks! It’s well-designed, and offers more than enough room for two people to live comfortably. The cafe-style dinette with tri-fold table was a comfortable spot for a coffee and chat, with a drawer under one of the seats and a little storage cupboard under the table. There’s plenty of cupboard storage overhead too, and more than enough natural light thanks to goodsized windows with nifty magnetic flyscreens by Finch. Overall, the layout is really open and gives off a spacious feel.

COOK UP A STORM – JUST NOT A ROAST Over in the kitchen, there’s a Thetford Mk III mini grill and combo four-burner cooktop, although you might have to give the roast a miss as there’s no oven – not unusual in a budget van. As my culinary skills aren’t amazing, this didn’t concern me (I prefer to let my prowess on the dancefloor win me my friends), but I was glad to see an NCE microwave. I would have preferred it to be a little lower, though. I’m prone to clumsiness and, as mentioned, on the short side, so I had visions of me scalding my face on hot soup. However, food prep is easy in the Metrolink with plenty of bench space, and there was more than enough room for our cheese, chocolate, and Laura’s pickle supply in the Thetford 184L fridge.

THE ALL-IMPORTANT SNOOZE The design of the Metrolink means access to the sleeping quarters up front is easy, and there’s plenty of space around the bed, too. The caravan-queen-size bed is flanked by the necessary wardrobes on either side, along with bedside drawers, and ledges with a powerpoint,

essential for charging your phone overnight and keeping it handy. I also liked the three overhead cupboards, and the nifty little nook below them where you could store small items. The overhead reading lights are here too, and they were at a good height. But, of course, the true test of a caravan’s livability is to spend a night in one. Laura and her husband Ash camped out in the Metrolink and I was keen to hear what their verdict was. For the most part, they were “seriously impressed.” “My only minor quip would be the length of the bed,” Laura said. “With a husband who is 6ft 3in, I may be more sensitive to bed lengths than others but, while I was supremely comfortable all night long, my tall husband was again left with his feet hanging off the end of the bed. “The bed frame appeared to be extendable, which would have solved this problem, however, no mattress bolster was supplied. “The only other minor thing I came across which I didn’t love was that the majority of the internal lights were individually switched on the lights themselves, rather than ‘zones’ controlled

Tested

Nova Metrolink 19-1R

by a few wall-mounted light switches which I find more user-friendly.”

FRESHENING UP

Above: The simple, monochromatic bathroom is full-width with plenty of cupboards.

The design is simple but effective in the fullwidth bathroom, with the monochromatic black and white finishes throughout making it feel clean and fresh. Across from the Thetford cassette toilet is the standard fibreglass shower unit which was a comfortable size, and a good-sized horizontal mirror above the modern basin. Again, the Metrolink offers excellent storage, with sturdy cupboards with latches below the vanity and above. There is space for a top-loading washing machine but this isn’t standard in the 19-1R model. All up, this felt like a great-sized bathroom, and with some budget vans not even including a bathroom, this was a big plus. With all of the work done, it was time to relax

and enjoy the perks of the job. Relaxing by an open fire with a glass of red and the necessary accompaniment of cheese and bikkies, I thought to myself, “this isn’t a bad way to finish off a day at the office”. It looks like CW is stuck with me!

THE BOTTOM LINE For it’s low price tag, the Nova Metrolink is an impressive caravan and a serious all-rounder. It handles like a champ, is solidly built, and it has all of the features you need for a comfortable holiday, with a simple yet stylish finish. It may not take the prize for the biggest, most spacious van around, but that’s not its bag. The well-designed interior has enough living room and plenty of storage, making this an easy van to spend a substantial amount of travel time in. There’s no surprises with the Nova Metrolink, but really, it doesn’t matter – reliability and function beat bells and whistles in this case.

The Optitec Remote Control Jockey Wheel makes it EASY!

ESCAPE e n i h c a m

If it’s a hybrid you’re after, the MDC XT12 is your budget gateway into the market, packed with features and value. PICS TONY RABITTE

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Tested

MDC XT12 Hybrid

In brief... 5.5m (18ft) hybrid caravan/ camper Independent trailing arm suspension Budget offering, loaded with value The caravan you want is now easier to find

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W WORDS MICHAEL BORG

hen you think about it, a caravan is a bit like the ultimate escape plan. It lets us hitch up and nick off at a moment’s notice and, if you’ve got something like the XT12 hybrid from MDC, you can do it relatively cheaply and in a fair bit of comfort. Most of us work our butts off for the majority of the year, so when you finally get a bit of wellearned freedom, I reckon a caravan that makes camping easy is worth its weight in gold. We’ve all seen that bloke at the campsite struggling to open his awning up and having a fight with the wife because they forgot to pack the blankets. So for this test, I wanted to see how easy it was to use, and how much work was required from knocking off work to hitting the tracks in full swing. So, the XT12 spent a good week or so parked in my garage stocked up like it was my own until it was all systems go – how’s that for real world testing, eh?

HITCH UP AND HEAD OFF

Measuring up Pros Internal shower is very handy Heaps of ground clearance Jam-packed with features Internal lighting is great Functional layout

Cons

Clockwise from main: The MDC XT12 has everything you need to go bush; there’s storage above the generator tray; the independent trailing arm suspension has dual shocks; cooking up a feast; the external shower comes in handy.

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Tare weight is quite heavy Does require more setup time than other hybrids Pop rivets for hinges could be improved Wiring and hoses underneath are exposed Locks all require a different key

I hitched up the XT12 solo and it was pretty easy, thanks to the McHitch offroad coupling, which guides you into the right position, unlike the traditional offroad couplings. That’s one tick right there! After that, myself and photographer Tony busted out of Sydney like a bad smell on a lukewarm day. The destination of choice – stuffed if I know! I figured we’d have a random adventure this time around but, for some reason, we decided to head west through the Blue Mountains in the middle of winter. On the towing front, I thought the XT12 was a bit on the heavy side for a hybrid or a camper trailer but, for a caravan, it’s basically a featherweight at 2000kg Tare!

HITTING THE ROUGH STUFF The XT12 has a tough, go-anywhere look and feel to it. There’s mountains of ground clearance,

Tested

MDC XT12 Hybrid

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plus a sturdy set of rock sliders just in case you tow it behind a bloody monster truck! While we didn’t skull drag it through the depths of hell, we did use it like the majority of other campers would, and I’d happily say it’s a capable bit of gear. However, I was surprised at the amount of hoses and wiring scattered around the undercarriage, just waiting to get tangled on tree branches or covered in mud. Sure, most of it is wrapped in conduit and there are a few rubber grommets to help reduce wear and tear, but this is one area that could be improved in my opinion. I can’t say I’m thrilled about the dozen or so self tappers being drilled straight into the drawbar, either. Suspension wise, it looks about as heavyduty as a Mack truck on steroids. It sports an independent trailing arm design with coil springs and twin shock absorbers, which handled everything we threw at it with ease. The welds are nice and tidy with plenty of penetration, too. There are 12in electric offroad brakes, mud-terrain tyres, a handbrake and break-away system fitted as well. Let’s make something quite clear here – this hybrid will go anywhere your tow tug can pull it!

SETTING UP CAMP Setting up the XT12 is a fairly easy process – not the simplest of all time, but quite manageable and worth the effort. The process starts by removing the lynch pins and flipping the overcentre latches on all four corners of the poptop, which could be an issue for the vertically challenged camper but nothing a portable step can’t fix. Popping the roof up requires a little oomph at first, too. Then you’ll have to fold out the back bed section, which means you’ve got to drop two separate spare wheels down (there’s

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Tested

MDC XT12 Hybrid Clockwise from far left: There’s handy storage externally; all the necessary electronics; the MDC XT12 has a functional layout; the internal shower is great for overnight stops; the internal cupboards and latches have a modern look.

MDC XT12 Hybrid Weights and measures

six latches to release) then unfold the panels to form the main extension before climbing back inside and unfolding the two-piece innerspring mattress into position. It’s quite an easy process that took me about 10-15 minutes to work out, but it does serve to remind you that this is more a camper trailer than a caravan at its heart. A nice touch is the electric awning, which is quite easy to set up solo thanks to the main switch located close by in the kitchen. Like most kitchens these days, it slides out in about two seconds flat, but you’ll need to plug the gas line in before you can fire up the stove,

which just adds to the setup time. Oh, and talk about wasting time – sorting out what key you need to unlock each different lock can be a right pain in the backside, but something you would get to master over time, I guess. One thing I really loved about this hybrid was the internal shower – there’s literally no extra setup required, which is great for those quick overnight stops.

LIVING IN THE XT12 Once you’re all set up, this thing is super comfortable to camp out of – it’s got the whole kit and caboodle with a flair for being fancy! On the inside, the first thing you notice is how

SHOWER AWNING SLIDEOUT BBQ

TOILET

SHOWER

ROBE

STORAGE

Overall length 5.5m (18ft) External body length 3.65m (11ft 9in) External body width 2m (6ft 7in) Travel height 2.25m (7ft 5in) Internal height 2m (6ft 7in) Tare 2000kg ATM 3000kg Payload 1000kg Ball weight 200kg

External Frame Aluminium Cladding Aluminium composite Chassis 150x50x3mm (galvanised) Suspension Independent trailing arm, coil springs, dual shock Coupling McHitch offroad Brakes 12in electric offroad drum Wheels 4x16in rims, steel radial mud terrain 265/75 R16 Water 1x110L (fresh); 1x80L (grey) Battery 3x100Ah AGM, charged with (240V) Projecta 35A 7 stage and Projecta 25A 3 stage DC-DC charger Solar 3x100W Gas 2x9kg Slide-out kitchen Thetford MK3 Argent four-burner gas stove and sink Shower Yes

Internal QUEEN BED TABLE SEAT BENCH

SLIDEOUT FRIDGE

Fridge No Microwave No Bathroom Combo cubicle with Thetford cassette toilet and shower Washing Machine No Hot water Truma Boiler 14L

Options fitted All standard AWNING

Price as shown $40,491

More information To enquire about this caravan, visit www.marketdirect.com.au or phone 1300 494 494

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Tested

MDC XT12 Hybrid

Ratings Value for money “This is a budget entry into the hybrid market that is absolutely loaded with value”

Towability “This hybrid will go anywhere your tow tug can pull it!”

Liveability “It’s the kind where you can roll out of bed in the morning, grab a quick shower, brush your teeth at the internal basin, sit on the lounge to whack your shoes on then hit the day”

Suitability for intended purpose “The XT12 has a tough, goanywhere look and feel to it”

Layout “The layout is functional”

Quality of finish “There are little things here and there that remind you it’s not an $80,000 unit”

Build quality “I reckon you would struggle to find a setup as comfortable, and as packed full of features for the money. Especially when you compare the overall build quality to anything in its price range!”

Creature comforts “Once you’re all set up, this thing is super comfortable to camp out of – it’s got the whole kit and caboodle with a flair for being fancy”

Innovation “One thing the team at MDC does very well is add plenty of value in terms of quality accessories to their campers, and this one is no exception”

X-factor “It looks just as shmick as any of the more expensive players in the game, but without the hefty price tag”

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Above: Although the XT12 requires a little more setup time than other hybrids, it’s a fairly easy process.

well it lights up at night thanks to a reflective white interior. The layout is functional, too. It’s the kind where you can roll out of bed in the morning, grab a quick shower, brush your teeth at the internal basin, sit on the lounge to whack your shoes on then hit the day head on. Ventilation is plentiful; not only does the poptop canvas have zip-up windows, but the walls have solid windows, too. Tony, our photographer won the toss of the coin, which earned him first dibs on sleeping in the XT12 for the night. He had a few good points to raise: “I really liked the massive back window,” he said. “It’s easy to open and is good from a safety aspect in case of a fire, not to mention the uninterrupted views of the early morning fog over the lake. The mattress also seemed to be decent quality, but I fitted a latex overlay to soften it up a bit.” All the cupboard doors and latches are nice and modern, too, except for the shower locking latch which seemed to let the team down with its constant rattling around – it was enough to get Tony on a rant!

CHEF’S DOMAIN The cooking quarters are an important part of

any caravan or camper, and the XT12 falls back on a fairly proven setup; the stainless steel slideout kitchen with a Thetford four-burner gas stove and sink. We cooked up a big feed of chilli con carne to test out how everything worked, and I can honestly say it’s a top little setup, although the lighting is realistically in the wrong spot thanks to the side windows’ location. The stove boiled up about a litre of water in just less than 10 minutes, which isn’t a bad effort when the temperature was a fingernumbing 4°C degrees at 8am. Hot water is plumbed to the sink, and the water pump seemed to have really good pressure compared to others I’ve tested. There’s only one drop-down bench available though, so if it lacked anything it would have to be bench space. But hey, who doesn’t carry a fold-down table these days?

GADGETS AND ACCESSORIES One thing the team at MDC does very well is add plenty of value in terms of quality accessories to its campers, and this one is no exception. The solar system and 300Ah worth of batteries were the big winners for me; I didn’t even have to plug the Anderson Plug into my vehicle – it was already totally self-sufficient. It runs quality

t e S d Dea TRACKLINE

NMEIW NIUM

ALU FRAME

BUILT TOUGH WITH ALL THE LUXURY YOU EXPECT FROM A TRUE LEGEND

www.legendcaravans.com.au 166 Bellarine HWY Moolap East Geelong VIC 3219 Ph: 5248 1733 info@southernrv.com.au

25 Ross River Rd, Mysterton Townsville QLD 4812 Ph: 1300 788 222

33 Curacao Lane Hillarys WA 6025 Australia Ph: 0432 380 732 murrayandjudy@legendcaravans.com.au

Rockhampton & Mackay 873 Yaamba Rd, Parkhurst QLD 4702 Ph: 4936 3074 Ph: 1300 788 222

Tested

MDC XT12 Hybrid

Projecta gear for the AC and DC chargers plus a 240V inverter, a 14L Truma Boiler hot water system, and even a Kenwood entertainment system, which is located nice and low near the entry door so you can access it easily from the outside. All the master switches are located in the front compartment, which is nice and easy to reach and clearly labelled too. I could ramble on all day about the accessories, but trust me, it’s got what you need to head bush comfortably!

THE BOTTOM LINE Make no mistake; this is a budget entry in the

Above: The XT12 is equipped with heaps of battery and solar power, making it really self-sufficient. Above left: The tunnel boot is big enough for all your essentials.

hybrid that is absolutely loaded with value. It looks just as shmick as any of the more expensive players in the game, but without the hefty price tag, and I’ve got no doubts it’ll do exactly what it was designed to do – get you out there in comfort! There are little things here and there that remind you it’s not an $80,000 unit but, overall, it’s a bloody solid hybrid that’s built tough and I reckon you would struggle to find a setup as comfortable, and as packed full of features for the money. Especially when you compare the overall build quality to anything in its price range!

www.roadstar.com.au Phone: 03 9301 8700

FAMILY s r e t t a m

The new Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270 bunk bed model will keep the family playing and staying together. PICS STUART GRANT

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Tested

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270

a n w o r ld.c o

w w w. c

rav

THE VI

DEO

In brief... 5.53m (18ft 2in) bunk family van No bathroom Light towing weight

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I WORDS PETER QUILTY

Measuring up Pros Structural integrity Internal living space Easy to tow Dirt-road capability Price tag

Cons No bathroom Could do with ‘in-house entertainment’ No hot water Predominantly restricted to caravan parks

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t’s a well-worn cliche that “the family that plays together, stays together”. I’m a stickler for this hackneyed phrase and even more so after a recent family bonding session. I took a quick break (mixing business and pleasure) with the family at the Kilcunda Oceanview Holiday Retreat which is nestled between the popular seaside destinations of Phillip Island and Inverloch on the Bass Coast in Victoria. After collecting a new pop-top Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270 bunk van from the Amazing RVs dealership in Seaford, I made tracks along the South Gippsland Highway before turning off at Lang Lang and on to the Bass Highway enroute to Kilcunda. A big part of the popularity of the Jindabyne PT2270 is its light towing weight (Tare 1407kg), allowing it to sit comfortably behind many regular family cars. And the PT2270 proved an agile 18-footer, tugged effortlessly by our Toyota Fortuner Crusade tow vehicle. The ride was smooth and steady, which was assisted by the van’s AL-KO independent rubber suspension.

Finally, after the 85km trip, I arrived at the neat-as-a-pin Kilcunda Retreat where photographer/videographer Stu and myself were greeted by the friendly holiday park managers Annette and Frank. We were joined later in the morning by my daughter Alle and my two grandchildren – Millicent, 2, and Leo, 13 weeks – and my son Patrick, 17. My wife Meredyth, who was caught up with work duties, arrived at dusk, so it was a real family affair! That night, we enjoyed a sumptuous meal at the historic Killy pub (Kilcunda Ocean View Hotel). It was time to catch 40 winks by the time we returned to the Kilcunda Retreat which is just across the road from the hotel. Meredyth and I were as snug as a bug in the Jindabyne, along with Millie and Patrick in the bunk beds, while Alle and baby Leo were contentedly bunkered down in an ocean villa and Stu was happily tucked away in a spacious deluxe cabin. We braved the chilly air the next morning setting up brekkie outside the Jindabyne, and then Meredyth, Patrick and I took a leisurely

Tested

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270

Ratings Value for money “With a price tag just under $40,000, it will certainly appeal to the budget-conscious buyer”

Towability “A lightweight Tare (1407kg) – in addition to the chassis and supersmooth AL-KO IRS – makes the PT2270 a dream to tow”

Liveability “Okay, there’s no bathroom or hot water but it’s not intended for lengthy stays off the beaten track”

Suitability for intended touring “This Jindabyne is ideal for the growing family intent on largely staying in the comfort of caravan parks”

Layout “The absence of a shower and toilet provides amazing internal space for a van of this size”

Quality of finish “To my eyes, the composite cladding is not only tough but also visually appealing, while the interior decor is more elegant than luxurious”

Build quality “This is a ‘no-brainer’ – there’s so much structural integrity which is a Jurgens hallmark”

Creature comforts “Obviously, it’s not adorned with a host of mod-cons, but the double bed and bunks are comfortable, and the kitchen facilities are adequate for short trips”

Innovation “The PT2270 doesn’t set the world on fire in the leading edge stakes, but it’s a nice package all the same”

X-Factor “This Jindabyne has a ‘hidden’ wow factor in the sense of being reinvented as a clever budget-priced bunk van with room to take the kids”

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Clockwise from top: The two gas burners are recessed in the front boot; the AL-KO suspension made for a smooth ride; you’ll be king and queen of the caravan park in the Jindabyne; the tunnel boot increases the storage; there’s an external tap for water supply; the van’s weight is kept to a minimum with the hardware including AL-KO coupling. tradervs.com.au

Clockwise from below: There’s plenty of room for the essentials in the 128L fridge/freezer; the kitchen is functional, but lacks a few of the comforts of home; the bottom bunk converts to a cute dinette for the kids.

stroll along the water’s edge. I felt like a castaway a million miles from civilisation and enjoyed the complete relaxation. During breakfast, I asked Meredyth what she thought of the Jindabyne after her night spent in it. She agreed with me on the level of comfort, and wasn’t perturbed that it was sans an ensuite (no shower or toilet). With that, I washed down my toast with a cup of orange juice and it was down to business. I’ve previously tested a couple of Jurgens vans and the Jindabyne PT2270 is typical of the breed – a well-engineered product with built-in strength while keeping weight to a minimum. This philosophy starts with the C-section Optima chassis and one-piece Integra floor that are bolted and bonded together to add structural integrity. The tough composite Duratherm walls are thermal and impact resistant, and also help keep the weight down along with the one-piece Uniskin fibreglass roof. Internally, you can see Jurgens has put a lot

of thought into how to accommodate a family of four in a snug little van. The double bed (6ft 3in x 4ft 8in) is comfy for parents (Meredyth and I can attest to that) and there is a plush dinette to accommodate two adults. But where this van shines is the space dedicated for littlies. There is a dedicated bunk (6ft 3in x 2ft 6in) at the top and, below, is a cute dinette for two kids which converts to a lower bunk (6ft 1in x 2ft 6in). I thought the kids’ sleeping quarters could do with a couple of DVD players, though. Children can still get a bit fractious on tour, and completely bored and irritable if confined indoors due to inclement weather, resulting in a parental nightmare! This is mainly an issue because the Jindabyne also doesn’t have a television. Some people are hell-bent on becoming hermits when travelling but not me; I still like to get my current affairs and sports fix, be it electronic or print, along the journey. The Jindabyne also has a functional kitchen

“But what the PT2270 does have in spades is the ability to provide special times that build cherished, lifelong family memories!” 58

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Tested

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270

Clockwise from below: The main dinette accommodates two adults; the kids sleeping area features two bunk beds, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a good nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleep for parents in the comfortable double bed.

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270 Weights and measures Overall length 6.57m (21ft 7in) External body length 5.53m (18ft 2in) External body width 2.35m (7ft 9in) Travel height 2.33m (7ft 8in) Internal height 2m (6ft 8in) Tare 1407kg ATM 1730kg Payload 323kg Ball weight 162kg

External Frame/cladding Composite Duratherm Chassis Galvanised bolt-together Optima Chassis Suspension AL-KO IRS with shock absorbers Coupling AL-KO marine Brakes 10in offroad electric Wheels 14in alloy rims Water 1x80L with hand pump to sink Battery 1x80Ah Solar No Air-conditioner Reverse-cycle (internal mount) Gas 2x4.5kg Sway control Optional ESC

Internal

ROBE

Cooking Thetford MiniGrill combo fourburner with grill Fridge Thetford three-way AES 128L Microwave NCE 20L Bathroom No Hot water Optional

MWAVE BUNK BED

BOOT

FRIDGE

Options fitted Reversing camera; picnic table; 12V/TV port; solar provision; gas bayonet

Price as shown

QUEEN BED

$39,540

More information TABLE ROBE

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SEAT

To enquire about this caravan, please visit jurgens.com.au or phone (03) 5943 7700 On CaravanWorld.com.au Video test tradervs.com.au

to feed the growing family. There’s a four-burner cooktop and grill, 128L fridge/freezer and 20L microwave, but no hot water provided by the hand pump to the sink. Now, that makes washing up even more of a chore! The kitchen facilities are adequate for a short trip but you’ll do without some of the comforts of home. I did notice the PT2270 is fitted with an optional gas bayonet, though, so take a long a barbecue and enjoy meals out under the stars! And unlike Meredyth, I’m not totally sold on the lack of an ensuite in a caravan. Yes, it means incredible living space for a van of this size, but having no bathroom means the inconvenience of compulsory trips to the amenities block when nature calls or to shower. But what the PT2270 does have in spades is the ability to provide special times that build cherished, lifelong family memories! If we had a few more days up our sleeves, I would dearly have loved to have taken Millie on a waddle to the wild side to see the penguin parade on Phillip Island, and also the daily pelican feeding at nearby San Remo pier. I know Patrick, being a teenage revhead, was more than keen to visit the Grand Prix track – home of the Australian MotoGP – where you can also go-kart. Meanwhile, Meredyth had

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her eyes firmly set on a few of the Bass Coast’s finest vineyards along the Southern Gippsland Wine Trail. I would have been happy taking the Cowes ferry across to French Island or a cruise out to Seal Rocks to watch Australia’s largest fur seal colony at play. Maybe even a bike ride along the Bass Coast Rail Trail, or tackling the George Bass Coastal Walk. As for Alle, she had her work cut out keeping baby Leo content. But she did manage to fine dine with Meredyth once again at the Killy pub. This time, the girls enjoyed a long lunch accompanied by an incident-free Millie and little Leo the Lion. Stu and I, accompanied by Patrick, had to settle for humble but tasty take-away from the Kilcunda General Store (adjacent to the hotel) due to a hectic itinerary. During our trip, we took the Jindabyne for a spin around some dirt tracks near the mouth of the Powlett River, and gained the attention of some inquisitive locals. One ‘Kilcundan’ even came over for a sticky beak at the PT2270 and returned to his property suitably impressed.

THE BOTTOM LINE The Jurgens Jindabyne has been a successful

Right: Taking in the coastal scenery. Below: The Ocean Villa features comfortable and spacious living and sleeping areas.

Tested

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270

A view to a thrill “Stunning Views - Naturally Relaxing”. That’s the promotional motto of Kilcunda Oceanview Holiday Retreat located on Victoria’s picturesque Bass Coast. And I thought it was pretty apt. Managers Annette and Frank went beyond the call of duty during our stay to ensure our short visit was most enjoyable. The Retreat has eight accommodation choices to satisfy all budgets – Cottage; Ocean Villa Luxury; Ocean Villa; Deluxe Cabin; Studio Cabin; Oceanview Site; Powered Site; Unpowered Site. My wife Meredyth and I, along with teenage son Patrick and toddler granddaughter Millicent, ‘glamped’ in the Jindabyne, with a spectacular cliff top vista overlooking Bass Strait. The holiday park even has its own steps (and a beach shower) leading down to the beach. Meanwhile, our daughter Alle and young baby Leo enjoyed the luxury of a plush self-contained ocean front villa with a sensational panorama of Bass Strait

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and the coastline, with Cape Woolamai to the west and Cape Paterson to the east. The Jindabyne is minus a bathroom, so it was pleasing to note the holiday park’s amenities block was ultra-clean and contemporary. Situated between coastal playgrounds Phillip Island and Inverloch, the Retreat is only a one-anda-half hour drive from Melbourne. It’s a great holiday spot by the sea or to explore a region renowned for attractions such as the penguins parade at Phillip Island, The Nobbies blowhole, a Grand Prix track, and the Bass Coast Rail Trail - just to mention a few! I was really impressed with the Retreat’s facilities, and the fact it caters perfectly for families and groups. It has a recreation centre with games area, basketball ring, cricket pitch, Koala Kids Club activity program, direct access to the rail trail, fascinating rock pools and more - including table tennis and a tennis court (with equipment available from reception). There’s

also a camp kitchen, barbecues, laundry, baby bath, and even a book library (an honesty exchange system is located in the recreation room). But the biggest hit, as far as Millie was concerned, is the kids’ playground. She gravitated to the swings and slide. Epicureans will delight that the Killy pub and Killy General Store are within walking distance across the highway, while boating and fishing enthusiasts will rejoice that boat ramps are available at nearby San Remo and Coronet Bay. Pets are allowed at the Retreat at management discretion, but the policy is that pets are their owners’ responsibility. All dogs must remain on a leash and be under control of an adult at all times. Pets are not allowed in cabins, amenities buildings, reception, playground, barbecue areas or the recreation room. The next time I’m conducting a caravan review on the Bass Coast, I wouldn’t hesitate on shacking up with the family at Kilcunda Oceanview Holiday Retreat. tradervs.com.au

Tested

Jurgens Jindabyne PT2270 little couples’ pop-top for a number of years. But now they have reinvented it as a clever bunk family van pitched at the budget end of the market. The new release PT2270 bunk bed model cuts the mustard in terms of not needing a big tow vehicle, smart build quality, making the most of space for families and, above all, price! As Jurgens justifiably spruiks, “it even has room to take the kids”. Okay, there’s no shower and toilet or solar, so you’re predominantly confined to caravan parks. But the Jindabyne’s strength and its light weight give it bona fide dirt-road capability. And I reckon it represents excellent value for money, coming in at under $40,000 with a handful of options fitted. (It is good to know the following items, while not supplied standard, are also optional - DVD player, TV and hot water service (for hot water to sink).

The Jindabyne’s light towing weight allows it to be pulled comfortably by most family cars.

CARAVAN CITY SALES 42 Bruxner Highway South Lismore NSW 2480 (02) 6621 6670

CARLON CARAVANS 105 -107 Princes Highway Unanderra NSW 2526 (02) 4272 6000

SPRINGVALE CARAVANS 723-731 Springvale Road Keysborough VIC 3173 (03) 9798 3858

GATEWAY CARAVANS 112 Bellarine Highway Newcomb VIC 3219 (03) 5248 7006

CARAVAN SALES CENTRE 3/37-41 Cooper Street Campbellfield VIC 3061 0433 622 512

DARIO CARAVANS & REPAIRS 1 Pinn Street St Marys SA 5042 (08) 8277 4388

HERVEY BAY CARAVANS 41 Main Street Pialba QLD 4655 (07) 4128 1777

IPSWICH LIFESTYLE CENTRE 20 Brisbane Road Bundanba QLD 4304 (07) 3282 0411

Design by Cameron Damon Media_OLYMPIC

www.olympiccaravans.com.au

WHO IS AURA?

Aura Caravans, will at all times strive to manufacture a range of products to suit the diversity of the ever evolving market place. We will do this in accordance with all regulatory bodies and achieve a result that will be well accepted and respected amongst our peers, our dealers and our customers.

www.auracaravans.com.au OUR DEALERS Cameron Caravans www.cameroncaravans.com.au Kratzmann Caravans www.kratzmann.com.au RC Cravans www.roncartercaravans.com.au

Going the

DISTANCE The compact and light Olympic Marathon has the goods to make it a frontrunner in the small van market.

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Tested

Olympic Marathon

In brief... Single axle, 5.53m (18ft 2in) 1905kg Tare weight Full width rear bathroom, front island bed On-road van

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A WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET

couple of hours south of Sydney, you’ll find the little coastal town of Shoalhaven Heads. Right on the mouth of the Shoalhaven River, it doubles as a holiday town and retirement area. It also happens to have good fishing spots, surfing beaches and some great wineries. Not to mention the nearby historic town of Berry and the somewhat busier regional town of Nowra. So I thought it quite reasonable to collect an Olympic Marathon caravan from Carlon Caravans at Unanderra (south of Wollongong) and take it for a spin down the freeway and then take the Gerringong/ Gerroa road to Shoalhaven Heads.

THE CARAVAN

Clockwise from main: Despite a compromise in layout, the Olympic Marathon is an attractive, contemporary van; double glazed acrylic awning windows feature; store the essentials in the full width tunnel boot; though not an offroad van, the hardware underneath is solid; it’s an easy step up into the Marathon.

Measuring up Pros Lightweight van, suitable for a good range of tow vehicles Large bathroom, including washing machine Window space Kitted out for alfresco living

Cons No 12V fuse labelling Space around bed Small dinette Kitchen not really for travelling chefs

There’s been a bit of a upswing towards single-axle caravans recently, especially since manufacturers have figured out how to get a front island bed and rear bathroom into vans of smaller lengths. This Olympic Marathon has an external length of 5.53m (18ft 2in), with a rear entry door. At first, and subsequent glances, the Marathon is a smart looking van. The upper body is finished in white composite panelling and, although it’s not an offroad caravan, Olympic has not been able to resist a lower waistband of black alloy checkerplate. Alloy checkerplate is also used for the front wall and that matches the black storage box mounted on the front drawbar. It’s large enough for tools, hoses, power leads and complements the front tunnel storage nicely, because there isn’t a conventional front boot. In keeping with most contemporary caravans, double glazed acrylic awning style windows from Ranger RV have been fitted throughout. However, you’ll notice the front bedroom windows are different sizes and that’s because the one on the left has to be smaller to accommodate the awning arm. Under the awning, alfresco living is quite well catered for. In addition to the picnic table, there are external radio speakers, a TV antenna connection and both 240V and 12V outlets.

A LOOK UNDERNEATH Under the van is a very solid looking box section chassis that rides on leaf spring suspension and 15in alloy wheels. Although this is not an offroad van, the drawbar rails are a hefty 150x50mm (6x2in). That decreases to a 100x50mm (4x2in) section back to the suspension mounts which is laminated to the similarly sized main rails. 50x50mm (2x2in) RHS is used for the cross members. As I said, it’s certainly solidly built! Two 60L water tanks are fitted between the rails forward of the wheels and the spare is mounted on the bumper bar at the rear.

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Tested

Olympic Marathon

â&#x20AC;&#x153;At first and subsequent glances, the Marathon certainly gives the impression of being a smart looking vanâ&#x20AC;? The caravan you want is now easier to find

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Clockwise from right: The van’s light colour scheme is pleasant; the fridge is a generous size; the bathroom is a great size and boasts a spacious vanity; the shower cubicle is also a good size; floor level storage gives you more options; there’s a powerpoint for charging at the dinette – just mind the cord!

A winery or two

ROBE

The wine industry has grown hugely over the past 30 years. Once the domain of places like the Hunter Valley (NSW), Barossa Valley (SA) and the Swan Valley (WA), today it’s much more spread out and the south coast area around Berry and Nowra is certainly evidence of that. Although it’s still mostly a milk producing area, some former dairy farms are now wineries. Not only is wine on offer, but restaurants and cafes have something for every taste.

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DINETTE FRIDGE

TOILET

TABLE QUEEN BED

ROBE

SHOWER

Tested

Olympic Marathon

Olympic Marathon Weights and measures Overall length 7.74m (25ft 3in) External body length 5.53m (18ft 2in) External body width 2.41m (7ft 11in) Travel height 2.93m (9ft 7in) Internal height 1.96m (6ft 5in) Tare 1905kg ATM 2300kg Payload 395kg Ball weight 130kg

External side) and solar panel regulator and 12V fuses (right-hand side). I thought a common panel for all of them might be more handy.

KEEPING CLEAN I thought the Marathonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bathroom was very large, relative to the rest of the van. It has a good-sized shower in the rear left-hand corner and the obligatory cassette toilet on the opposite side. There is also plenty of space for a good vanity that includes a cabinet for the top-loading washing machine beside the toilet. Shelves are included within the cupboard under the sink and beside the washing machine. It really is quite spacious.

CATERING The kitchen is just large enough to accommodate a Swift four-burner cooker, grill and oven alongside a stainless steel sink and drainer. One cupboard, three similarly sized drawers and two floor lockers make up the under bench storage. Two overhead lockers fill the air space above. That other cooking essential, the microwave, sits above the large 186L three-way fridge.

DINING STEPPING INSIDE A light internal colour scheme creates a pleasing impression when you first see the Marathon inside. All the central area is taken up by a nearside kitchen bench and offside dinette but the fridge is tucked in between the dinette and the bathroom. This leaves the front area for the island bed, as is standard. Overhead lockers are fitted into all the available air space but the front ones on either side are devoted to the radio/CD player, water tank gauges and hot water switch (left-hand

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This is probably one of the smallest L-shaped diners that I have seen lately. But it had to be that shape, instead of a cafe-style, in order to fit in the available space. A powerpoint is fitted under the wall seat but, as usual, any power lead will be in a prime position to trip over.

Frame Timber Cladding Aluminium composite Chassis SupaGal Suspension Leaf spring Coupling Ball Brakes 10in electric Wheels 15in alloy Water 2x120L Battery 2x100Ah Solar 120W Air-conditioner Dometic roof Gas 2x9kg Sway control No

Internal Cooking Swift four-burner and grill Fridge Dometic RM4606 186L Microwave NCE Bathroom Thetford cassette Washing Machine No Hot water Suburban 23L

Options fitted None

Price as shown $56,990

More information To enquire about this caravan, please visit www.olympiccaravans.com.au or phone (03) 9357 6668

SLEEPING When extended, the bed measures 1.85x1.52m (6ft 1in x 5ft). It comes with the full kit for the bedhead â&#x20AC;&#x201C; overhead lockers, side wardrobes and bedside cabinets. Lifting the metal framed posture slatted bed base gives access to the much needed storage underneath the bed. tradervs.com.au

Tested

Olympic Marathon

Ratings Value for money “It has all the essentials along with quite a few extras”

Towability “With an ATM of 2300kg this is an easy-towing van”

Liveability “Okay, except for space around the foot of the bed”

Suitability for intended touring “With a single-axle, this is a smaller on-road van”

Layout “The interior living areas feel a bit disproportionate”

Quality of finish “Quite good, overall”

Build quality “There’s the odd rough edge”

Creature comforts “Most of the expected ones are there”

Innovation “Not much to comment on here”

X-Factor “It scores well in the smaller van category”

There’s good light and airflow in the bedroom area. Below: Space to access the bed is minimal. Light and air flow around the bedroom area isn’t a problem with different sized windows on all three walls. What is a problem, though, is the space around the bed. Both the kitchen bench on one side and the diner seat back on the other have minimal room with the bed extended. There’s not much you can do about the kitchen bench, but I do wonder if the L-shaped lounge would be better the other way around (with the seat back against the fridge), or just as a sideways facing lounge. I think that two people would be just as comfortable (no leg conflict), and the flatscreen TV, located on the opposite wall, would be much more easily seen by both.

THE BOTTOM LINE The Olympic Marathon is relatively small, quite light (well under the ‘Prado’ limit) and comes

What determines a single or tandem-axle caravan? Sometimes I think it is just customer preference, but engineering factors include the axle rating, ie., the maximum weight an axle is designed for, and the tyre rating. Tyres will have a load index on the sidewall and it’s a numerical value. However, it’s not directly in kilograms and you will need to refer to a Load Index chart. Caravan handling is another factor. Single-axle caravans are easier to

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manoeuvre because of less tyre drag but, the longer they are, the less stable they will be when towing. Because there is more rubber on the road with tandem axles, they are a more stable towing prospect. That might sound like tandem-axles are a no-brainer but they also add more weight. An extra set of tyres, wheels and suspension all adds up on the scales.

@WonderlandRV www.WonderlandRV.com.au

“Quality Redefined” Choose Your Composite Colour

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2, 3, 4 OR 5 BERTH OPTIONS

IMPECCABLE FINISHES INSIDE & OUTSIDE

SMART & PRACTICAL DESIGN

PLUSH UPHOLSTERY

NSW DEALER Five Star Caravans: (02) 4947 9999 www.FiveStarCaravans.com.au

After Sales Care 80% Screws 20% Staples

WA DEALER Rockingham RV: (08) 9528 1151 www.RRV.com.au

Tested

Olympic Marathon

Above: Towing is easy with the small and lightweight Olympic Marathon.

with a variation on the favoured front island bed, rear bathroom layout. So far all good. But how you feel about the next bit depends very much on how you travel. The van does have a good-sized bathroom but, on the other hand, the kitchen is small and dinette is a bit of a squeeze.

Personally, I’m always happy when manufacturers build lighter weight and smaller caravans without too much compromise. In this case, if the layout suits, this van could very well be a (pardon the pun) marathon runner for you!

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STELLAR g n i t f cr a Light and compact with no unnecessary extras, the Jayco Starcraft 15 gets you on the road faster and for less. WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET

In brief... Single-axle 4.9m (16ft 1in) pop-top Available in double bed or single bed layout Tare weight under 1300kg

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Tested

Jayco Starcraft 15

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WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET

ne of the benefits of buying a caravan from a manufacturer like Jayco – Australia’s largest – is that there’s something available for every wish and budget. When Caravan World is looking for caravans to review, manufacturers will often offer their top-line models, which can be quite large and heavy. However, I like to make an effort to look at all aspects of the market, particularly the smaller, lighter and cheaper models – hence, the subject of this review; a Jayco Starcraft 15 pop-top, kindly supplied by Jayco Sydney, which rings up the register at a measly $34,789 (NSW)!

SIZE ISN’T EVERYTHING One of the most noticeable things about the Starcraft 15 is its size – or lack thereof. It’s just 4.9m (16ft 1in) long and has a travelling height of just 2.23m (7ft 4in). That’s mighty attractive to anyone who fancies the caravan lifestyle but is daunted by hauling a large towing combination. Having done a quick spin down the freeway and into the hills of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, I can definitively say the little Jayco is a very easy tow indeed. One other distinct advantage is that it’s not too difficult to push the van around by hand – which is definitely an asset when you’re hitching up.

THE BUILD Jayco’s caravan construction technique is fairly

Above: xxxxxxxx

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standard throughout its enormous range. The Jayco Endurance chassis is designed in-house and, in this case, has 100x50mm (4ix2in) main rails and drawbar. Where it differs from a typical industry chassis is in the cross members. Instead of being 50x50mm (2ix2in) RHS, Jayco uses pressed steel C section – the C section still gives good strength but the punched holes reduce the overall weight of the members. Jayco has long used an aluminium frame for the bodies of its caravans, believing that the lightweight to strength ratio is superior to that of timber and that aluminium doesn’t have a problem with damp conditions. For the walls, a vacuum bonded structure of aluminium

Measuring up Pros Can be towed by small vehicle Easy to manoeuvre and store Reasonably spacious layout Easy to set up Dinette ideal for two

Cons Single 9kg gas cylinder rather than two 4.5kg Lack of space around bed and kitchen bench TV viewing is a bit awkward

Tested

Jayco Starcraft 15

Lightweight towing The Jayco Starcraft 15 is something of a winner when it comes to towing. With its low profile and ATM of 1630kg, it is ideally suited to a huge number of tow vehicles, including those that are used as around-town vehicles. There’s one other benefit of pop-tops – the low travelling height – which also makes it great for low-level undercover storage in your garage or carport.

Ratings Clockwise from above: The Jayco Starcraft is an easy tow with most around-town vehicles; the Jayco Endurance chassis is designed in-house; it’s an easy step up in to the compact van; the Starcraft is an attractive options for those who want the caravan lifestyle with less pressure on towing.

Value for money “Bargain caravan travel, I reckon”

Towability “A very relaxing tow package”

Liveability cladding/plywood/aluminium/polystyrene/ plywood is used. And, up top, the one-piece roof is designed to be hail resistant.

“Given the lack of a bathroom, there is plenty of space”

EXTERNAL FEATURES

Suitability for intended touring

Storage is limited to a fairly small front tunnel boot but it’s large enough for all the camping basics, like hoses, camp chairs and wheel ramps. There is also an awning, something most require as essential these days. This one has an LED light strip along the Carefree awning roller, giving a nice light balance when used in conjunction with the wall light. On the drawbar, there’s one 9kg gas cylinder which is going to last almost forever if you just use it for cooking. However, for easier handling and monitoring, I thought two smaller 4.5kg cylinders would be better.

INSIDE DETAILS When a caravan doesn’t have a bathroom of any sort – like this Starcraft – you can achieve a surprisingly spacious layout, even in a van of this length. Even without the space it takes up, the bulk of a bathroom makes a visual difference. In this case, with nothing except air above shoulder height, the spacious feeling is of the Starcraft is enhanced. What we end up with is a layout with a front island bed and an L-shaped dinette in the rear offside corner, leaving room for a kitchen in the middle. There is an alternative layout available with single beds up front. And, for the less agile, that

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“If it’s lightweight travel you want, this is a great option”

Layout “User-friendly with a great lounge/ diner”

Quality of finish “Basic but good”

Build quality “Typical of the Jayco genre”

Creature comforts “Okay, so it doesn’t have a bathroom...”

Innovation Standard, entry-level van without much high-tech design”

X-Factor “Not having a bathroom does introduce some interesting layout dynamics” tradervs.com.au

At the caravan park To some, this little Starcraft’s lack of a toilet and shower might be a negative. However, the van’s layout almost harks back to the days when most people stayed in caravan parks and a porta-potty was unusual, let alone a full shower and toilet! Is it a disadvantage? Well, it depends on how you like to travel but, if you spend most of your time in caravan parks with amenities blocks, then it’s probably not a big deal. And the major asset is, of course, that you are towing a whole lot less weight around! may well be the preferred layout. Lifting the roof is simply a matter of undoing the external corner clips, setting the awning to ‘open’ and using the lifting mechanism at either end inside to lift the roof. And that’s where the single beds have an advantage because you need to clamber on to the double bed to do that here.

SLEEPING The bedroom is fairly conventional, except that the overhead lockers above the bed are lower than usual, due to the pop-top. But, otherwise, there is the normal amount of cupboard and drawer space. Lifting the posture slat bed base reveals a generous storage space that doesn’t even house the house battery – which is an option. With the bed base extended to full length, the walkway is a bit tight against the kitchen bench.

MEAL TIMES Jayco has opted for an L-shaped kitchen bench with the four-burner cooktop/grill against the wall and the stainless steel sink/drainer in the right-angled section. Some of the under-bench area is taken up by the microwave oven but otherwise, there’s a good selection of drawers

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From top: This Starcraft 15 is perfectly suited to life in caravan parks; a conventional bed layout can be found in the Starcraft – or you can option single beds instead; you’ll find the expected wardrobe and cupboard space near the bed.

Tested

Jayco Starcraft 15 Left: The L-shaped kitchen is an effective use of space. Below left: For a small van, there’s ample seating space at the dinette.

Jayco Starcraft 15 Weights and measures Overall length 6.28m (20ft 7in) External body length 4.86m (15ft 9in) External body width 2.47m (8ft 1in) Travel height 2.23m (7ft 4in) Internal height 2.05m (6ft 9in) Tare 1299kg ATM 1630kg Payload 331kg Ball weight 130kg

External

“Having done a quick spin down the freeway and into the hills of the Blue Mountains, I can definitively say the little Jayco is a very easy tow indeed” ROBE LOUNGE FRIDGE TABLE QUEEN BED

Frame Aluminium Cladding Aluminium Chassis Hot-dipped galvanised Suspension Leaf spring Coupling Ball Brakes 10in electric Wheels 14in alloy Water 1x82L Battery 1x100Ah Solar No (pre-wired) Air-conditioner Truma Aventa Gas 1x9kg Sway control No

Internal Cooking Dometic four-burner and grill Fridge Thetford N504 164L three-way Microwave Sphere Toilet No Shower No Lighting 12V LED Hot water Optional

Options fitted Wind-up antenna; N504 164L fridge upgrade; Truma roof air-conditioner; Fusion stereo; TV/DVD and bracket; Coast to Coast control panel

Price as shown $34,789 (NSW)

More information ROBE

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To enquire about this caravan, please visit www.jayco.com.au or phone 1300 JAYCO RV tradervs.com.au

Tested

Jayco Starcraft 15

and cupboards. On the opposite side of the van, the optional 164L three-way fridge should provide enough capacity for most users.

SITTING AROUND In a van layout like this, the corner lounge arrangement works well. It’s designed so that two people can get in and out quite easily. Underneath the seats there are a couple of drawers and also a double powerpoint. However, the latter might be better wall-mounted – less leads to trip over. Above the rear corner cupboard, the wall space is used for a flatscreen TV mounting but it’s a bit awkward viewing for the person in the rear wall seat, unless they turn sideways and put their feet up!

THE BOTTOM LINE This Jayco Starcraft pop-top might not have a shower or toilet but for anyone who is content with the caravan park lifestyle, then it’s a winner on several fronts: relatively lightweight towing, minimal storage space requirements (both ground space and height) and still with a good internal living area space. And, on top of all that, it’s a supremely affordable van!

Above: Hitch up and drive off easily with the lightweight and compact Starcraft

Pop the top or not? There was a time in the caravan industry when pop-tops did not exist. Back then, it was full solid wall caravans or nothing. In part, it was the fuel crisis of the early 80s that lead manufacturers to seek caravan models that were better suited to smaller tow vehicles and/or offered a better fuel economy for existing tow vehicles. Hence, the development of the lower profile pop-tops. In the decades since, the popularity of the pop-tops has waxed and waned but there has always been a continual development, from the basic models like this Jayco Starcraft to more sophisticated layouts complete with a shower and toilet.

CVW-FP-5032156-CS-555

Cr oss

BREED

The Windsor Hybrid 390 Tourer blends the best of caravan and camper trailer to create a van thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outside the square. 82

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Tested

Windsor Hybrid 390

In brief... Hybrid pop-top Lightweight tourer Internal bed and lounge area External kitchen only The caravan you want is now easier to find

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WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET

Measuring up Pros Lightweight Easy to set up External kitchen Storage capacity

Cons Awning and door extension annexe aren’t standard No obvious location for a fridge Barbecue rather than a conventional cooker Location of lights, front and rear

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oromal Windsor Caravans has been around a long time, and is largely associated with conventional caravan manufacturing. So when the company produced it’s Hybrid 390 Tourer and the XC offroad version at the Sydney caravan show earlier this year, it was a pleasant surprise. The Tourer and the XC models have similar body designs but the XC has an uprated suspension system and a few heavy-duty storage boxes on the front drawbar. My review 390 Tourer came from Coromal Windsor’s Sydney dealer, which is based at Penrith in the outer western suburbs of Sydney and very handy for a trip to the Blue Mountains, or as American tourists call them, the ‘Blue Hills’. The good thing about the area is that a lot of it is away from the main highway and is actually national park. There are quite a few great little spots to discover, including one or two in the back blocks of Blackheath. But back to the 390 Tourer. It is an interesting concept, because it’s neither caravan nor a hybrid camper trailer, but something in between. From the front, it looks like a conventional pop-top van with a rear wall entry door. But there are a few things that set it apart. For a start, the roof does lift up but it is hinged at the front and, secondly, the entire rear wall that lifts up for interior access! The body and roof are made of fibreglass composite panels. The windows are an interesting departure from the norm. Instead of the current industry standard of double glazed acrylic awning windows, Windsor has opted for two sliding windows on either side, all made from toughened automotive glass. All are fitted with internal blinds and screens. There are advantages and disadvantages here. The glass makes sense for the offroad XC, in particular – there’s less risk of tree branch scratching on bush tracks but the windows really can’t be left open during rain. Underneath the body, the chassis is based on one-piece 150x50mm (6x2in) main rails and drawbar. I thought it was a bit over-engineered,

Tested

Windsor Hybrid 390

Left: With its unique design, the Windsor Hybrid 390 is relatively easy to set up. Below left: You’ll be on the road quickly – and for less – in this lightweight and compact hybrid.

Ratings Value for money “This is quite good value for a camper with solid walls”

Towability “Minimal weight and small size means easy towing”

Liveability “It’s all relative, but setup is pretty easy for a hybrid”

Suitability for intended touring “It’s lightweight, so ideal for minimalist travel”

Layout “A camper trailer with solid walls, which works well”

Quality of finish “It’s model number one, so it’s not unexpected that some areas could be better finished”

Build quality “This was an early model and there were areas for improvement”

“It is an interesting concept because it’s neither a caravan nor a hybrid camper trailer, but something in between”

Creature comforts “It has most of the basics except for a fridge”

Innovation “The design is slightly different, but nothing particularly innovative overall”

X-Factor “The Windsor Hybrid offers something different from a standard caravan or camper”

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Downsizing I’m all for downsizing our travel rigs where it’s reasonable. However, the 390 Tourer might be a bridge too far for some caravanners, in terms of the comfort levels they have become used to. But, with the exception of the fridge, it has all the basics. Although its built along camper trailer lines, the 390 Hybrid does have solid walls and that can make a difference for many, along with the stress-free towing of a small rig.

Mirror, mirror on the tow vehicle With an external width of 2.2m (7ft 7in), the 390 Tourer is a relatively narrow van and very easily towed by the Land Rover I used. The external mirrors on the Land Rover didn’t need extending to accommodate the Tourer up the back, but I’d suggest that, on any vehicle narrower than the Landie, towing mirrors would be required.

The entire rear wall opens up as the main entry door.

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Tested

Windsor Hybrid 390 given the van’s Tare weight of just 1161kg. Coromal leaf spring suspension is fitted for the 15in alloy wheels which have 12in electric brakes fitted. Both the 60L water tank and spare wheel are fitted between the chassis rails forward of the wheels.

UP SHE GOES Raising the roof of the 390 Tourer is simply a matter of undoing the external rear clip and lifting. Opening the rear door is similarly simple and the final major item is the external slide-out kitchen up front. It’s here you realise that the emphasis with the 390 is on alfresco living. Inside is a double bed up front and two sideways-facing lounges in the rear. So it is possible to sleep and relax inside, but not to cook or bathe. With the tourer, a batwing awning on the side is an option, as is an annexe to fit around the rear door. I’d think most keen campers would be ticking both those option boxes. If nothing else, an insect screen for the rear entry is almost mandatory. Given the size of the van, external storage isn’t too bad. There’s a full-width front tunnel boot but much of that is taken up by the slideout kitchen. Towards the rear on the nearside, there’s another narrow storage bin which creates a large serving table when open but also a very neat rack for plates, cups, glasses and all kinds of cooking utensils. It is also the location for flatscreen TV and a radio/CD player. A similar

Above: There’s space inside for a front double bed and lounges. Left: The lounges are equipped with handy storage drawers underneath.

Windsor Hybrid 390 Weights and measures Overall length 5.32m (17ft 5in) External body length 3.9m (12ft 8in) External body width 2.2m (7ft 2in) Travel height 2.3m (7ft 7in) Internal height 1.82m-2.1m (6ft-6ft 11in) Tare 1160kg ATM 1560kg Payload 400kg Ball weight 124kg

SEAT

QUEEN BED SEAT

SLIDE OUT KITCHEN

FOLD OUT TABLE

External Cladding Fibreglass sandwich panel Chassis Galvanised 100mmx50mm (4inx2in) rails Suspension Leaf spring Coupling Ball Brakes 10in electric Wheels 15in alloys Water 60L Battery 1x100Ah Solar Optional Air-conditioner No Gas 1x9kg Sway control No Kitchen Stainless steel slide-out

Options fitted None

Price as shown $34,500 (NSW)

More information To enquire about this caravan, please visit www.windsorcaravans.com.au or phone (02) 4729 3225

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Tested

Windsor Hybrid 390 sized bin door is fitted on the opposite side but it doesn’t offer much in the way of storage, as it contains the 240V mains circuit breaker, 12V fuses, water tank gauge and battery monitor. Up front, the stainless steel kitchen comes with a sink, cooker/barbecue, three drawers and a storage compartment under the sink, also a benchtop extension that is easily attached. I think I would have preferred a conventional cooker, given the limited facilities that are otherwise available, but that’s personal preference. The 390 Tourer also lacks a fridge. There’s no space inside for one, and nothing outside, unless you added a storage box to the drawbar. But you’d have to be mindful of the additional ball weight it would add. The only other option is to carry a portable fridge in the tow vehicle or in the rear of the 390. Inside the 390 Tourer, things are fairly simple. Up front, the double bed measures 1.91x1.53m (6ft 3inx5ft) and the bed base can be lifted up to get to the storage area underneath. Small compartments have been built in on either side and each occupant gets a reading light. Although they are located right about where they might shine into the eyes, rather than to the side. Both 240V and 12V/5V USB outlets are fitted around the interior. Both the rear seats are quite comfortable for stretching out on and the nearside one comes with a handy drawer. A feature of interest are the sliding extensions that are fitted to each seat. I guess you get a choice of a footrest or, sans cushions, a table for drinks and nibblies.

THE BOTTOM LINE There’s a lot to like about the Windsor Hybrid 390 Tourer. It’s an out-of-the-box design and quite different to the usual products on the market, which I appreciate. It’s been designed for a lightweight tow vehicle and a quick weekend getaway tourer, so it requiring minimal packing. No, it’s probably not suitable for long-term touring but will certainly suit those who might want a simpler, cheaper style of travel but still prefer solid walls to canvas.

From top: The stainless steel kitchen comes with a sink and barbecue; there’s plenty of storage space for cooking utensils in the slide out kitchen; the 390 Tourer’s unique design sets it apart in the market.

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e h t RIDE WAVE Small but packed with all of the essentials, the Avida Wave PT5542 handles a variety of terrains with ease.

In brief... Single axle 5.57m (18ft 3in) van Electrically driven pop-top roof Designed for rough-road travel Front island bed, rear bathroom layout

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Tested

Avida Wave PT5542

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vida, well-known for being Australia’s largest motorhome manufacturer, stepped back into the caravan market in 2013. Avida is based in Sydney, rather than Melbourne – the capital of caravan manufacture in Australia – so its caravans don’t always follow conventional lines. Earlier this year, Avida produced a surprise by unveiling its Wave range of electric pop-top caravans. When most people think about poptop vans, they also think about the hassle of the process which usually involves lifting the pop-top roof by undoing the corner clips and exerting a bit of muscle on the lift mechanism, sometimes by clambering on the bed! But not so with the Wave. Lifting the roof involves nothing more than the press of an electric button. There are several models in the Wave range but, for this review, we chose the smallest, the PT5542, which comes with both an island bed and a full-width rear bathroom.

WEIGHTY MATTERS The Wave clocks in with a Tare of 1838kg and an ATM of 2300kg, giving it a very respectable payload (for a single-axle van) of 462kg – often tandem-axle vans are less than that. At nearly 2.5m/8ft 2in (including the awning), the Wave is quite a wide van but its relatively short length makes it good for the rough roads it has been built for. Avida call it the ‘Multi Terrain’ model, which I think is quite a good definition – better than the optimistic ‘offroad’ that some manufacturers use. For towing, I used a heavyweight Toyota LandCruiser and, although it made my road travels very easy, it wasn’t at all necessary and I could have easily used something mid-range such as a Prado or anything of the utes – Ford Ranger or Holden Colorado for example – that are currently available.

WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET

Clockwise from main: There’s more time for leisure with the Avida Wave’s quick set up; all the essentials are tucked away; there’s plenty of shiny gear underneath with hot-dipped galvanised steel for the chassis components.

Measuring up Pros Lightweight, manoeuvrable van 0.5m (1ft 8in) lift for the pop-top roof Solid internal upper bathroom walls External storage area Lighting Chassis design

Cons Location of powerpoints under the seat Compact kitchen Small dinette

One of the benefits of having a shorter van on bush tracks is that they are much easier to manoeuvre. In one instance, I found it necessary to turn my rig around in a fairly small area, something I accomplished without too much stress thanks to the Wave’s small stature.

A LOOK UNDERNEATH The Avida Wave reveals lots of shiny gear underneath – hot-dipped galvanised steel for the chassis components and aluminium sheeting for the under-floor protection. Avida doesn’t use a traditional box section design for the chassis, although 150x50mm (6ix2in) RHS is used for the main rails and 130x50mm (5x2in) section for the drawbar. Punched-hole C section is used for the cross members and both bolts and welding are used to keep the chassis together. The all-important Vehicle Components Cruisemaster CRS independent suspension is attached to the cross members, complete with trailing arms, coil springs and two shock absorbers per wheel. Another noticeable feature under the van is the considerable amount of ground clearance. Even the 120L water tanks, protected by yet more shiny stuff – galvanised sheeting in this case – are bolted up well out of the way.

ABOVE THE SURFACE Avida uses a frameless sandwich panel construction for the walls and roof. The emphasis here is on both strength and light weight. Double glazed acrylic awning windows

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Tested

Avida Wave PT5542

Ratings Value for money “It’s quite a small van but is packed with features”

Towability “Easy-towing caravan”

Liveability “Has a common layout but is slightly compressed due to size”

“One of the benefits of having a shorter van on bush tracks is that they are much easier to manoeuvre around”

Suitability for intended touring “Well-designed for the purpose”

Layout “Van length means small kitchen and dinette”

are used all round and, in a welcome departure from its motorhome range, a security screen door is a standard item. Both a front boot and a decent sized tunnel storage should contain all your essential camping items, even though part of the front boot area is taken up by the two 4kg gas cylinders. An option for the tunnel storage is a slide-out barbecue, which is something that will be appreciated by those who love to dine and cook outside. And, while you can’t really see them in daylight, the LED lighting is integrated into the roof surround – it looks quite effective at night.

ON THE INSIDE Despite being 5.57m (18ft 3in) long and a poptop, with a lift of 0.5m (1ft 8in), the Wave does manage to include all the features found in a large van, including a full-sized bathroom. I

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mention that feature in particular because it has solid walls above the partition between the bathroom and the rest of the van. Normally in a pop-top, some sort of gusset is ﬁtted in which rises with the roof but in this case, light weight walls are ﬁtted to the ceiling. There’s nothing quite so sophisticated for the doorway though – a simple curtain is used. However, it is all very effective and much more effective than some vinyl screens I have seen. In the bathroom itself are a nearside shower cubicle, offside Thetford cassette toilet and a vanity cabinet in the middle complete with a cupboard, large wall mirror and a set of shelves. It’s all surprisingly spacious and, just so there’s no misunderstanding, the external upper walls are all vinyl, just like the rest of the van.

DINING It’s not really surprising that the café-style

Quality of finish Evidence of the good-quality materials Avida normally uses”

Build quality “Had a few odd, rough corners”

Creature comforts “Has most of what you need but a small living area”

Innovation “Chassis design and electric poptop roof are features of note”

X-Factor “Single axle, rough road van that doesn’t require a large tow vehicle” tradervs.com.au

Clockwise from above: The island bed is equipped with overhead lockers and wardrobes; the Avida Wave has a respectable payload of 462kg; relaxing at the dinette; there’s decent sized tunnel storage for your essentials.

dinette is quite small. It will seat two people without too much difficulty but there isn’t much room for stretching out, given the wheel arch. I did like the large adjoining window but it can’t be opened much if the entry door is also open. The table can be moved backwards and forwards and removed altogether if not needed. A mains powerpoint is located under the rear seat but is awkward to get at, given the close proximity of the seats. Floor lockers give access to both under seat areas.

KITCHEN FACILITIES A relatively small van equals a relatively small kitchen. However, it’s large enough to have all the essentials, like the four-burner cooker and grill, stainless steel sink and drainer, 150L fridge

Mountain-side roads and cafes My review Wave came from Avida’s headquarters at Emu Plains west of Sydney. It’s about as far as you can go west out of Sydney before running into the base of the Blue Mountains, making it the destination of choice for a caravan review. There have been some considerable improvements in recent years to the Great Western Highway that crosses the mountain range which makes for a quick trip, but there are also some interesting side roads, like the

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Tableland Road out of Wentworth Falls that are worth exploring. Which is what I did on this little sojourn. Culinary types might also like to note that the local council has resisted the efforts of ‘Macca’s’ and similar businesses to install their culinary institutions along the way and, so, apart from Blaxland on the eastern side, you have to make do with the numerous delightful little cafes and coffee shops for sustenance. It’s a tough life!

Tested

Avida Wave PT5542

Avida Wave Weights and measures Overall length 7.2m (23ft 7in) External body length 5.57m (18ft 3in) External body width 2.5m (8ft 2in) Travel height 2.59m (8ft 6in) Internal height 2.13m (6ft 7in) Tare 1838kg ATM 2300kg Payload 462kg Ball weight 144kg

External and Camec microwave oven. An advantage of the pop-top is that the fridge is at a lower height and so is the microwave oven. Three drawers and one cupboard fit into the under-bench area. The cutlery drawer has been designed to fit around the sink drainage pipe. Like the dinette opposite, there are a couple of low height overhead lockers above the kitchen bench.

SLEEPING QUARTERS Well, the reward paid for a small kitchen and dinette is up front – an island bed that measures 1.86mx1.53m (6ft 1inx5ft). And although the pop-top walls are lower, it still comes with overhead lockers and side wardrobes plus small bedside compartments on either side. The bed

base, which isn’t a posture slat model but does have ventilation holes cut into the ply sheeting, can be lifted to access the valuable storage space underneath. But the front area is occupied by the battery, battery charger and associated electricals.

POWER MATTERS Speaking of electrics, the 100Ah battery is charged from either a mains charger or two 80W solar panels. An integrated display panel is located on the overhead locker by the entry door, near the radio and main light switches, so it’s all fairly conveniently located. LED lights are fitted in all the appropriate locations and an option fitted in this case was mood lighting – discrete LED strip lights.

ROBE FRIDGE

TOILET

Options fitted Multi Terrain Pack, integrated display and control unit for water tanks and battery management, internal mood lighting

$63,289 (tow-away; Tourer base model tow-away from $55,990 in NSW)

SEAT

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Internal Cooking Thetford four-burner and grill Fridge Dometic RM2555 150L Microwave Camec Bathroom Thetford cassette toilet and separate shower cubicle Washing Machine Optional Hot water Truma 14L LPG/240V

Price as shown

QUEEN BED

ROBE

Cladding Sandwich panel Chassis Hot-dipped galvanised Suspension Vehicle Components Cruisemaster CRS Coupling Vehicle Components Hitchmaster DO35 Brakes 10in electric Wheels 15in alloy Water 2x120L Battery 1x100Ah Solar 2x80W (160W) Air-conditioner Truma Aventa Gas 2x4kg Sway control Optional AL-KO ESC

TABLE

More information

SEAT SHOWER

To enquire about this caravan, please visit www.avidarv.com.au or phone 1300 4 AVIDA (24832) tradervs.com.au

Tested Tested

Avida AvidaWave Wave PT5542

THE BOTTOM LINE

Alternative Waves for the family Above: The surprisingly spacious bathroom is equipped with a vanity unit with shelves. Above right: Though small, the kitchen has everything you need.

There are two larger Wave models available. Both are designed for family use – one accommodating three adults and three children and, the other, four adults and three children. Island-bed lovers will miss out though. In order to fit everyone in, both layouts have front east-west beds.

In my opinion, Avida has a little something to surf along on here with the Wave. It’s a relatively small van but is excellent value, fitted with all those little essentials we have come to like in our modern vans. And is comes with the added Avida bonus of a five-year structural warranty, three-year factory-backed warranty, and two years roadside assistance! Having a low towing profile, reasonable weight and designed for rough road travel, it has plenty to offer touring couples. And, best of all, it doesn’t require a large tow vehicle to pull it!

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Tested

Jayco Freedom

m o d e e Fr

FIGHTER

Easy to manouvre and with all of the basics, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to hit the open road in no time in the Jayco Freedom entry-level campervan.

In brief... Toyota Hiace pop-top conversion Diesel powered with four speed auto gearbox Fully equipped kitchen Dining/bed area in the rear The caravan you want is now easier to find

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Measuring up Pros User-friendly for city/town driving and parking 2L turbodiesel with auto gearbox All kitchen essentials are fitted Bed is relatively easy to set up Decent sized table Roof hatch

Cons Fixed front seats reduce usable space Door openings really need insect screens Rust on gas bin door hinge Under-dash umbrella handbrake Limited external storage space

WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET

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bout 25-30 years ago, campervans were the little kings of the motorhome world. By that, I mean they were everywhere in Australia and were not overshadowed by the bigger brothers and sisters we see on the roads today. No doubt, many readers will remember the ubiquitous VW Kombi, which more or less had a monopoly on the market until the Toyota Hiace arrived on the scene. Over the years, the campervan has waned in popularity, and a variety of base vehicles have come and gone, but both the VW and Hiace are still around today. Similarly, van converters have declined in number to the point where there are just a few specialists left, so it was interesting when Australian giant Jayco entered the market with its Hiace-based Freedom campervan. Another large manufacturer has also dabbled in van conversions at the lower end of its range but has never quite achieved the same level of design

competency as those manufacturers who only do van conversions. So I was really interested to see Jayco’s Freedom, which came to me for review from Jayco Sydney, in St Mary’s located in the west of the big city. I haven’t been there for many years, so I decided to head for Cattai National Park which is located to the north east of historical Windsor. I was well rewarded because the beautiful autumn colours were in full swing.

BASE VEHICLE In what I imagine was a price-related decision, Jayco opted for the Toyota Hiace as the base vehicle of choice for this model. You get a couple of options here from Jayco – petrol and manual gearbox as standard, or the optional diesel with four-speed automatic gearbox, although the Hiace is actually available in any combination. That was a slight dilemma for me, being a

Tested

Jayco Freedom

Clockwise from left: Setting up amid the autumn foliage; for budget camping, the Jayco Freedom is a great option; the Hiace is available in a couple of gearbox options.

Ratings Value for money “If budget campervanning is what you’re after, it’s a good choice”

Driveability “More delivery van than car comfort, but easily manoeuvrable”

Liveability “Bed has to be made up every night but there are ways to ease the procedure”

Suitability for intended touring “Lightweight, back-to-basics motorhome travel”

Layout “Not many variations available but this one works well” diesel person but with a preference for manual gearboxes – and it poses the reverse problem for those who would like a petrol engine and the ease of an automatic. In any case, my review Freedom campervan came with the optional diesel and auto combination. Converting the van itself is basically a matter of cutting a large hole in the Hiace roof for the pop-top, and smaller holes in the side for items like the gas cylinder bin and water fillers. There isn’t any external storage, but the under-bed area at the rear does offer space for camping basics like hoses, power leads and camp chairs. Anything water-related is best kept stored in a dedicated plastic box. Both the rear windows can be opened and both have insect screens. But on a warm night, there would be a temptation to leave the rear door open, so that would need either an insect screen or something larger that goes around the tailgate.

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A water heater isn’t a standard fitting here but, given the space constraints and the lack of a bathroom, it’s probably better just to boil the kettle for washing up. Space might be a bit limiting but the load capacity sure isn’t – with a Tare weight of 2206kg and a GVM of 2800kg, the payload of 594kg is something that many caravan manufacturers only dream about.

SPACE SAVER The interior space of the Hiace does limit the number of alternative layouts that are available (compared to a VW van) – even more so because the passenger cab seats cannot be used for anything other than driving. Jayco’s Freedom has two layouts – one with a bed seat in the rear (to carry a third passenger) and this model, which has a sort of U-shaped lounge in the rear with a table in the middle. With seating capacity for four people, Jayco feels this is perfect for families to enter the campervan market, with

Quality of finish “It has a typical Jayco finish”

Build quality “The rust on the gas cylinder bin door hinge wasn’t a good look”

Creature comforts “Has all the basics you need to get away from it all”

Innovation “Not a stand-out but fully functional”

X-Factor “You could get creative in utilising the front cab area” tradervs.com.au

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Aboriginal rock carvings Cattai National Park is renowned for its Aboriginal rock carvings. They are not always immediately obvious but it’s a bit of fun trying to see them and, at the right time of day (early morning/later afternoon), the rocks make for some interesting photographic composures.

Parking A major benefit of the Hiace is that it will fit into a normal parking space quite easily – and that’s exactly what it’s designed for! Many cities in Asia are highly populated with narrow streets. Consequently, a small, highly-manoeuvrable delivery van is well-regarded. Unfortunately for campervan owners who might want a larger van with a better living area, they are very much in the minority of users.

“Let’s not be under any illusions here, Jayco’s Freedom campervan is designed for basic, lightweight and budget camping” the vehicle working as a both a family car and a getaway campervan. Being swivel mounted, the table can be removed and used to form a double bed in the rear of the van. The front area (common to both layouts) has an L-shaped kitchen bench behind the cab seats and partly down the side of the van. A rare addition in poptop campervans is the marine-style roof hatch. It’s great with the roof raised but it’s also equally good if you’re stopped for a quick meal break – okay, you have to duck your head but the roof does not have to be raised. Setting up the campervan is quite simple – the pop-top roof is held down by internal straps and, once they are released, it’s a matter of lifting the roof and opening the upper windows. That is

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about it for the basics. With this layout the table is already in position, so there’s no problem with immediately sitting down for a meal.

BACK-T0-BASICS CAMPING Camping at this level really gets down to basics and that is what the kitchen is all about. There is a two-burner cooktop and a stainless sink with drainer. The cooker sits to the right of the sink, so there’s room to stack the dirty dishes before washing up. But if you don’t option the hot water heater, you would have to boil water first on the cooker, unless you have mains power hooked up. That would also mean that the microwave oven that sits above the 85L fridge could also be used. There are three cupboards, two larger

ones and a smaller one that looked like it contained a wire basket slide-out but had three shelves instead. Shelves are always a good way to use all available space effectively in a small space like this.

DINING FOR THREE The table is a bit of an odd shape but that is because it’s a bed base component as well. However, it is large enough for two people to eat without feeling like they are on top of each other. In fact, given the almost club-like seating, you could seat three at a pinch. Having a single leg means the table can be swivelled around easily and, being relatively small, it is quite stable. It also means it can be lifted out of the way, either for lounging around or making up the bed.

Tested

Jayco Freedom Left: Up the front of the Toyota Hiace base vehicle. Below: The U-shaped lounge features the dining table in the middle

Jayco Freedom SEAT SEATING AREA CONVERTS TO BED SEAT

Weights and measures Length 4.7m (15ft 5in) Width 1.7m (5ft 7in) Travel height 2m (6ft 7in) Internal height 1.95m (6ft 5in) Tare 2206kg GVM 2800kg Payload 594kg

Engine Base vehicle Toyota Hiace Engine 2L turbodiesel Gearbox Four-speed auto Max power 100kW@3400rpm Max torque 300Nm@1200rpm Brakes ABS disc

External Water 1x45L Battery 1x100Ah Solar 1x120W Air-conditioner Cab only Gas 1x4kg

Internal Cooking Smev two-burner cooktop Fridge Vitrifrigo 85L Microwave Sphere Bathroom No Washing Machine No Hot water Optional

Options fitted 2L turbodiesel engine and four-speed auto gearbox

Price as shown $59,990 (on road, NSW)

More information To enquire about this caravan, please visit www.jayco.com.au or phone 1300 JAYCORV

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Tested

Jayco Freedom

LOUNGE BY DAY, BED BY NIGHT There’s no avoiding making up the bed every night here, unless it’s left made up all the time. But it’s quite simple to put the table down and fit the relevant cushions in. The resultant bed has an odd shape but will accommodate sleepers of different heights (1.87m – 1.7m/6ft 2in – 5ft 6in).

ON THE ROAD What is, in essence, a delivery van, isn’t going to be the most comfortable vehicle but the Hiace is still good for travelling on the open road. I have to say the diesel, while not quite up to its European competitors, performed willingly enough and the four speed automatic, didn’t hesitate through the gears when I pushed it along.

THE BOTTOM LINE The Jayco Freedom is designed for basic, lightweight and budget camping. On those fronts, it scores well. The Hiace doesn’t quite come up to VW powered campervans on many levels, but it wins in the budget department. It’s a great little around-town traveller but will do equally well on the lightweight touring circuit. It makes a great weekend escape machine.

Clockwise from top: Handy underseat storage; the angled dining table is large enough for two, or even three, people; the kitchen is basic but functional.

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What role does caravan shape play in fuel efficiency, or are there more important factors? We find out. PICS NATHAN DUFF

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Budget Touring Fuel efficiency test

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W WORDS DAVID GILCHRIST

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e are on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The weather’s fine; it’s not too warm. We’re only an hour or so in, and we’re turning around to go back to where we started our journey. Ahead of us is a Toyota LandCruiser, towing a caravan. It also has turned to go back to where we started from. “Who’s idea was this anyway?” CW photographer Nathan Duff asked, a little bemused, as we swung our crew car around in a pretty little roadside stop near Kenilworth. It was a good question. After all, when Nathan asked it, we’d already travelled 150km to do a 50km trip from our starting point at Chevallum on the Bruce Highway, just north of Brisbane. What’s more, that day, we had another 50km drive before our 100km lap was finished and to complete 200km. It’s no wonder he was confused. We’d do another 200km the next day to complete the same 100km round trip. All in all, three blokes would do a 50km drive eight times in two days, making 400km in total, with one tow vehicle, three caravans, one camper trailer,

and a nifty Toyota Camry. “Mine,” I had to admit. This was my idea, my plan. I wanted to test the fuel efficiency of caravans of different shapes to find out, once and for all, if the shape of a caravan made any difference to fuel economy when towing.

THE PLAN We’d find a starting point, tow a caravan from there to an end point 50km away, take some photos, turn around and return to our starting point. We’d then collect another caravan, one of a different shape, drive the same 50km route, stop, take some photos, and return to where we started. Then, the next day, in similar conditions, we’d grab two more vans of different shapes, tow each of them on the same route for 50km, take photos and turn around and return from where we started. Easy. The key was to fill up the fuel tank on the tow vehicle in between changing caravans. Then we’d measure the fuel consumption of each journey and compare it to the changing shape of the caravan.

Budget Touring Fuel efficiency test

Joining me on this mad trek was photographer Nathan and our tow vehicle driver Stephen Polck from caravan dealership Caravan World (no relation!). Nathan and I would document the experiment while Steve did the towing.

CITIZEN SCIENTIST In the scheme of problems around the world, the fuel efficiency of a caravan is, undoubtedly, a ‘first-world problem’. So there’s not much official research going on in that area. But it’s a perplexing question that affects the tens of thousands of RVers on Australian roads and, if you can save a little on fuel by picking the right shaped caravan, then you’ve got all the more in the kitty to buy a little extra sparkling pinot and cheddar for happy hour! Sure, different manufacturers have their opinions but, in the modern world, sometimes, if you want an answer to a question, you have to become a citizen scientist to find out what you need on your own!

THE VEHICLE Our tow vehicle was a Toyota 200 Series LandCruiser, a familiar beast to many caravanners. Known as ‘the king’ of the tow vehicles, its V8 turbodiesel engine knocks out 650Nm of torque at 1600rpm, meaning it’ll grab the ground like Usain Bolt’s track shoes. Better still, it’ll run you from Sydney to Melbourne and burn only about 9L of diesel every 100km of open road motoring. Moreover, it’ll do it without too much of a tailwind. Even better still, it belonged to Caravan World dealership boss Brad Pendelton

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and the thought of driving his boss’s car for two days had our mate Steve excited by the project!

THE CONTESTANTS

SLOPING FRONT: KOKODA VETERAN XLi PLATINUM The ﬁrst caravan out of the yard was a Kokoda Veteran XLi Platinum - the winner of Caravan World magazine’s Best Aussie Vans 2016 ($50K-$65K category). Billed as a ‘semi-offroad’ van, the Kokoda’s sloping front made us think it might offer the best aerodynamics, produce the least wind resistance and churn through the least fuel. With a Tare weight a smidge under 2400kg, a total length of 8.3m and an exterior height of nearly 3m, this beaut van had similar specs to our next contender, the Limited Edition Option RV Traction. BLUNT: OPTION RV TRACTION LE With a much blunter front proﬁle, the Option RV’s vital stats meant it would make an easy comparison as it had an almost an identical weight to the Kokoda rig, while being marginally shorter and a similar height at 2.9m.

Clockwise from top left: The Kokoda’s sloping front shape was expected to be the most fuel efficient; we thought the Option RV’s blunt profile wouldn’t fare as well; the tow tug was refuelled before every trip to ensure accurate measurements.

POP-TOP: CORONET FS3-5950 We also had Coronet FS3-5950 pop-top caravan which, length-wise, was similar to the Kokoda and Option RV vans but tipped the scales around 300kg lighter while boasting a travel height around 70cm lower than the Kokoda. CAMPER TRAILER: BLACK SERIES DOMINATOR tradervs.com.au

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Above: Surprisingly, the Black Series camper sipped more fuel than most of the caravans. Right: Getting ready to hit the road in the Option RV.

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Budget Touring Fuel efficiency test

Left: Hitching up and ready to hit the road for two continuous days of driving! Below left: Ground clearance is also a factor in fuel efficiency.

Then, for a total contract, we had a Black Series camper trailer, which was about a tonne lighter than both full-sized vans and approaching 500kg lighter than the pop-top. What’s more, it came in around half the height of the full-sized vans. So between them all, we had a good crosssection of rigs typical of the ones you’d commonly ﬁnd on the road today.

THE NUMBER-CRUNCHING The idea was to compare the fuel efficiency each van produced to the shape of the van or camper. That meant bringing each measurement down to a figure of fuel consumption/100km/tonne. That meant that if fuel consumption from a caravan that weighed in at 2000kg was 10L/100km, then when you take into account its weight, you get a fuel consumption figure of 5L/100km/tonne. That way, the variance in weight between the test vans becomes irrelevant, as all our figures would be on per tonne basis.

THE TEST TRACK With a gentle tailwind and, perhaps, a little too much enthusiasm for the task, driver Steve took to the highway with gusto with the Kokoda in tow. The ﬁrst leg was a relatively easygoing 27km of highway driving with gentle slopes and bends on a multi-lane carriageway. That left a second leg of a 23km country roads around and over rolling hinterland foothills on a good bitumen track called the Eumundi-Kenilworth Road. The gazetted top speed on the ﬁrst leg was 110km/h and Steve took advantage of every bit of it, until the tailwind caused the Kokoda to wag its tail like a burlesque dancer on a Saturday night. Then Steve drew in the reins and settled the show down. By the time we hit the highway exit on the

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Above: The lower profile of the Coronet means it creates less drag under tow. Right: Anything that can help you save a few bucks at the bowser is worth looking into.

Eumundi-Kenilworth road, it was smooth sailing. From then on, every run was at a comfortable average of around 95 km/h all the way until we reached our turn-around point at a roadside stop called Pioneer Park at a little locality named Gheerulla. It’s a beautiful location in the Mary River Valley and it offers up quite a journey that might start on the highway, take in the Eumundi craft markets, a picnic at Pioneer Park or a coffee in the hinterland village of Kenilworth before taking in the mountain villages of Maleny and Montville or heading further north to quaint townships like Kandanga or the historic gold mining town of Gympie a little further north. So, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood and want to replicate our test, feel free - there’s plenty of places to explore after you hang up your lab coat!

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THE RESULTS After two days of testing, it was time to tally the results (see panel on next page). The Kokoda sucked up the most fuel at 11.62L/100km/tonne and the Option RV and Coronet were remarkably similar on 8.91L/100km/tonne and 8.94L/100km/tonne, respectively. But the Black Series Camper came in with an unexpected 10.54L/100km/tonne. It looked like our over-exuberant run with the Kokoda had made a huge difference to the fuel efficiency, given that, in fuel consumption terms, you could throw a rug over the results from the other two caravans, although the lower travel height of the Coronet helped a little there. However, the camper trailer result had us scratching our heads. I now had to try and understand why, when you account for the difference in weight, the camper came off worse

Budget Touring Fuel efficiency test than the pop-top or the Option RV. So I hollered for help from an actual scientist.

EXPERT ANALYSIS I approached Joel Thakker from aerodynamics specialists Leap Australia. With a degree in aerodynamics and Masters of Science, Joel, the engineering solutions manager for Leap, really knows his stuff. To try and explain how tow vehicles and caravans interact on the road, Thakker came up with a generic shape of a caravan and a tow vehicle then placed them in a virtual wind tunnel. Thakker then looked at ﬁve aspects that included: • the front angle/shape of the caravan • the curvature of the roof • the relative height of the caravan to the tow vehicle • the drawbar length, and • the travel speed “From an aerodynamics perspective, the performance of a caravan depends a great deal on what is in front of it,” Thakker said. So it was now possible to understand how the tow vehicle, the height of the van, and the interaction between the two vehicles impacted

on fuel consumption. Which meant we could now, once and for all, discover what factor affects fuel consumption the most – whether it is the design of the caravan, or whether it is more dependent on the speed at which you travel. And when the virtual wind tunnel generated the data and the numbers were crunched, the news wasn’t so good for those with a lead foot!

VIRTUAL TESTING Thakker’s analysis found that, above everything else including the shape of the van, the single thing that contributes most to fuel consumption and causes your caravan to tangle with air resistance the most is the speed at which it is driven. “The drag you experience at 30km/h is a quarter of the drag that hits you at 60km/h. So, unfortunately, speed will eat into your fuel economy and holiday budget more than anything else,” he said. As our test drive and the virtual wind tunnel results showed, the next most important factor is the van’s height. In third place is the length of the drawbar. Thakker ran wind tunnel experiments and more than 100 simulations that told the story.

Caravan Fuel Testing VAN/CAMPER

PROFILE

FUEL EFFICIENCY

Kokoda

Sloping

11.62L/100km/tonne

Option RV

Blunt

8.91L/100km/tonne

Coronet

Pop-top

8.94L/100km/tonne

Black Series

Camper trailer

10.54L/100km/tonne

Virtual Drag Testing

Low towing combo

Tall towing combo

Low towing combo

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Clockwise from above: The Coronet’s lower profile pop-top helped it fare marginally better in fuel testing; our too-fast test drive with the Kokoda under tow affected the fuel efficiency more than the shape of the van; the height of the caravan, including how far off the ground it sits, has a big impact on efficiency.

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The experiments used virtual rigs travelling at 95km/h and involved changing the relative height of the caravan and tow vehicle and changing the drawbar length. Thakker says the changes to air movement in the virtual wind tunnel was obvious.

A WIN FOR SHORTER VANS The virtual testing showed that, with a van pulled closer to the tow vehicle by a shorter drawbar, the air tends to hug both vehicles more tightly and, at the back of the caravan, the air just drops down to the ground, without creating a large, turbulent wake behind it. “By looking at the airﬂow between the two

vehicles, we could see that the red (high speed) region was more prevalent in the more compact design. The blue/green (low speed) region, which occupies a slightly larger space in the taller conﬁguration, is typically where air recirculates, creating turbulence and increasing drag,” Thakker said. “One way to think of it is, the faster the air exits the region between and past the two vehicles, the less likely you have to carry it along for the ride. “There is some hope for those who seem to be in a perpetual rush, though. Slight tweaks to your towing conﬁguration could drop off some of the drag that your lead foot puts on.” The data showed a shorter drawbar and

Budget Touring Fuel efficiency test

shorter caravan reduced the drag by 48 per cent. Needless to say, that is a massive saving and a lot more beer money at camp. But knowing how short a caravan needs to be, or how short the drawbar should be to get the best fuel economy is hard to work out. That’s because you could have a long drawbar but a low driving speed – which means your net drag would be down. Our road test vans all had tow vehicles of reasonably similar lengths so we didn’t experience fuel consumption results that mirrored the virtual data.

TANGLED CAMPER TRAILER Before we put the science away, we needed to look at why the camper results were not so good for the Black Series camper trailer on a per tonne of Tare weight basis. While there are many things that might explain the higher fuel consumption per tonne with the camper, including the angle of inclination to the road, ground interaction with different chassis height or even size of the wheel arch, Joel said it could be more simply explained by the fact that camper got caught in a tangled air-flow more easily than the full-sized vans. And for camper trailer enthusiasts, that’s going to be a drag!

THE FINAL WORD It turns out, everything matters when you’re talking about fuel efficiency – speed, shape, road interaction, drawbar length and more. It’s like squeezing jelly – you squeeze on one side and something else side pops out. The aim here is to contain all of it into one package of ‘acceptable’ fuel economy.

Above: Our driving route was kept consistent for each tow-test.

Savvy

SECOND-HAND COMPILED BY LAURA GRAY

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Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that second-hand RVs are a great way to enter the market; just be prepared before you buy.

Budget Touring Buying second-hand

an’t afford a brand new caravan but still want to get out and enjoy the caravanning lifestyle? Never fear – there is another way! If you do your research, know what to look for and what to avoid, you could save yourself thousands by buying pre-loved or second-hand. While caravans, historically, hold their value exceptionally well, there’s always bargains to be had if you’re prepared to dig for the buried treasure. And there are far more places to find second-hand bargains these days than ever before, as well. But buying second-hand is not without its risks and there are several pitfalls and traps unwary buyers could fall into. You wouldn’t head off to cross the Simpson Desert completely unprepared with just the hope that it turns out alright, so why would you make one of the biggest investments of your life without knowing exactly what you’re getting yourself into?

ASK QUESTIONS While nothing beats a good, old-fashioned sticky-beak, asking the right questions of the seller will give you even more valuable information about the van you’re looking at. You’re sure to have priorities of your own, and there’s always the obvious things to ask (price, age, materials, etc.) but consider adding these to your list: • How has the van been stored? • Have you made any additions or modifications to the van? • Has it had any damage repaired? • Is the van legal? • Has it been weighed? • Is it under warranty? • Have any parts or features been removed? • Can you help me set it up? • Has the van been in any accidents? • Has it been taken offroad? • Can I tow it/have my mechanic look it over it?

“You could save yourself thousands by buying preloved or second-hand”

LOOK BELOW THE SURFACE Until recently, the vast majority of caravans were built in a ‘traditional’ way, with a steel chassis, timber framing and aluminium cladding. While strong and proven, this method leaves an older, or unmaintained, caravan susceptible to things like rust and rotting. Always have a good look under the van for any signs of rust on the chassis, suspension or any components. Water damage or rot can be harder to see as it may be hidden between the frame and the cladding, however, signs to look for include hairline cracks in the cladding, spongy ply,

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Clockwise from main: Check that any caravan or camper trailer you wish to buy will fit in your parking space; check all RVs carefully to make sure nothing is missing; make sure you enquire about how it has been stored throughout its life; it’s important to check locks and keys fit; ask if it’s still under warranty.

internal water damage and leaks (particularly around joins) and any excess silicone or sealant, which may indicate a botched fix. If the van has fibreglass panels, keep a nose out for a musty smell which may indicate water leaks, and look for differences in colour which could point to a dodgy damage repair. The wheels and tyres are another dead giveaway of a dodgy RV. If you can’t take it for a test tow, at least take note of whether the wheels are centred in the wheel arches; and the amount of tread on the tyres and whether it’s evenly tradervs.com.au

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worn. Any of these can be symptoms of bent or damaged suspension components or excessively worn wheel bearings. But before you hand over your hard-earned cash, hitch the RV up to the owner’s vehicle (or your own, if allowed) and run through the electrical system. Check all the lights and indicators function as necessary, the electrical outlets have power running to them, and that trailer-mounted batteries are receiving a charge.

MAKE SURE IT’S LEGAL

From top: Get a trusted mechanic to take a look at the RV if you can or at least crawl under it yourself; before parting with your money, make sure everything fitted is legal; check the tyre tread, depth and age as these could signal other faults with the RV; there’s nothing wrong with a little dirt but beware of rust.

Registration requirements are different in each state, so make sure you check on these before you buy a pre-loved RV, whether within your state or from interstate. This includes checking things like brake controllers, tyres, gas fittings, fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. You’ll also want to check out the van’s weights, as the compliance plate will only give you the information that was correct as it came out of the factory. If the previous owners have made any additions or modifications, this will likely affect the Tare and ATM. The best way to do this is to ask the seller for a current weighbridge certificate.

DOES IT FIT?

Safest ways to pay Cheque Recommended if agreeable to the seller. You give or send the seller a personal or bank cheque to pay for the item. Most banks will allow you to cancel a cheque before it is cashed if a problem arises.

Internet bank payment Deposit the payment directly into the seller's bank account through internet banking. You've got the seller's bank account number, which is traceable. Do not put any money into foreign bank accounts.

Credit card You can benefit from your credit card's protection clauses. However, we suggest you find out the detail of the protection from your credit card issuer before you commit.

PayPal PayPal is a secure online payment system that supports online money transfers and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper methods like cheques and money orders.

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Will the RV you’re inspecting fit in your driveway or carport? This is an issue that affects all buyers, not just second-hand. If you plan to store the RV in a carport or garage, make sure it will fit under the roof! Does the RV fit under your tow vehicle’s towing capacity? Again, this issue is not unique to second-hand buyers but it’s an important consideration nonetheless. Make sure you’re aware of the towing capacity, towbar rating, and GCM of your vehicle, and ensure the van you buy will suit it.

DON’T FALL IN LOVE There’s a good chance this purchase will be one of the largest you ever make in your life. So approach it like you would any other major purchase: don’t fall in love with a van at first sight. Get acquainted, by all means. But be prepared to walk away from any deal that doesn’t live up to your expectations. It’s noble to overlook faults and foibles, but it’s sometimes better to play the field. It’s all too easy to become swept up in the excitement of the occasion and listen to the sales pitch over your better judgement. But when you finally pay your deposit, you want it to be a confident decision backed by research.

IS IT ALL THERE? This is something that’s easy to overlook when you’re faced with a huge, shiny caravan offering

Budget Touring Buying second-hand

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Don’t get scammed! It is an unfortunate fact of life that scams and fraud are a common occurrence these days, especially in the second-hand buying and selling markets. The best way to avoid getting scammed is to recognise and report it in the first place. So here are our top tips to help you do that: • Only deal with sellers that you consider trustworthy. • Only buy something if you’re confident it’s genuine. • Never part with any money – even a small deposit – until you feel the previous two points have been met. • Don’t give your personal details out over email. Be wary of emails asking you to confirm or supply website login or credit card details. • Always try to confirm the identity of a seller. Scammers will typically hide behind

generic email accounts and conduct ‘negotiations’ anonymously via email or text message. They will often use an answer phone message to get an enquirers email account and then continue ‘discussions’ via email, so always try to establish telephone contact with the seller first and confirm their identity. • Be wary of items advertised at unusually low prices. If an offer seems too good to be true, it often is. A common scam involves potential buyers

The caravan you want is now easier to find

being sent an email containing detailed information on a vehicle supposedly located abroad. Once contact is established, the scammer pressures the buyer into making a smaller payment to view the vehicle. • Do not put any money into foreign bank accounts. Another common scam involves bogus overseas sellers contacting you directly or pretending to be from a reputable organisation. • Hoax, counterfeit, bogus and stolen items can occasionally

slip through online sales sites and appear to be real listings. It is important to read the advertisement description carefully and ask questions. It is common for fraudsters to ask for contact via another email address and then ask for payment for goods by non-traceable means. If a seller does not offer a warranty or receipt, find out why. • Always report fraud and doubtful items or suspicious traders to police, the ACCC or CrimeStoppers. tradervs.com.au

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Motorhome and Caravan Trader (MCT) is a classifieds sales magazine and Caravan Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister magazine. A monthly print publication, MCT has a huge selection of new and used caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers, campervans, 4X4s and accessories available for sale through dealers and private advertisers right around Australia. Launched in 2001, MCT opens up the second-hand marketplace to prospective buyers all around the country. While printed classifieds products have struggled in recent years, due to the advent of online sellers, nearly 9000 copies of MCT are distributed every month, reaching tens of thousands of prospective buyers and sellers.

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Budget Touring Buying second-hand

to make all your travel dreams come true. Sure, it’s got a roof, a floor, four walls and four wheels – but does it have everything else it should? The exterior of a van or camper is where things are most likely to go missing from. Look around for any empty bolt holes or marks where something might have been fitted in the past. An enterprising seller may have removed the spare wheel, the jerry can holders, gas bottle holders, or even the water tank to fit in a new build or to sell separately. If they’re important to you, make sure they’re there when the RV changes hands.

GET HELP SETTING IT UP If there’s one thing that’s certain about caravans and camper trailers, it’s that they’re all different! One awning will roll out differently to the next; the pole configuration in a camper can be confusing; and God knows where all the light switches are! If you’re interested in the van or camper, it’s worth getting the owner to set it up with you. This will give you the chance to ensure all the components are there, and you know how to use them.

Clockwise from top left: Get the current owner to help you set it up so you can ask questions and see how it works; make sure you check for rust, dents and wood rot along with other kinds of damage, as they can be costly to fix; if the owner is amenable, getta current weighbridge certificate for the RV before you make a purchase decision.

Where to buy: Online With nearly 6000 classifieds ads and nearly 200 individual dealer sites, specialist RV selling website TradeRVs. com.au is the definitive guide to new and used RVs in Australia, including caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers, fifth wheelers and more. TradeRVs, owned by Adventures Group Holdings, publisher of Caravan World, reaches more than 104,000 unique prospective buyers each month. It’s the perfect place to find your next caravan or camper trailer.

The caravan you want is now easier to find

Buyers can search and sort the private sales and dealer ads by RV type, brand, model, features, location, year, and price, etc, to make your buying journey as easy as possible. Other online mediums such as Gumtree or Facebook ‘Buy/Sell/Swap’ pages have surged in prominence recently. However, as with any private sale, it’s ‘buyer beware’ as there is rarely any recourse for compensation if something goes wrong.

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Budget Touring

Buying second-hand

Above: The weights of the RV may no longer match the compliance plate if additions or modifications have been made, so don’t rely on this for accuracy.

IS THE PRICE RIGHT? Price is a difficult area. One man’s treasure can be another’s junk so try to be objective. Caravans and camper trailers have traditionally held their value very well, especially those with a better brand name and reputation. The steady growth of selling features such as suspensions, kitchen fittings, heaters (space and water), fridges, solar, and electrical systems has resulted in older and slightly less well-endowed models often reselling second-hand for prices as

high as brand new models. Take a look at online at TradeRVs.com.au (see page 121) to see what similar caravans or campers are selling for and try to make an objective assessment of what you can expect to pay for what you want. If it has added features or is in impeccable condition, then you might have to expect the price to increase accordingly; if it’s a basic model and has been badly used, the price should be a lot lower.

Where to buy: Second-hand dealership

River City RVs owner Matt Blackburn has been involved in the second-hand RV industry since the early noughties. So he’s well qualified to talk about buying ‘pre-loved’. Based in Burpengary East, Qld, River City RVs predominantly sells new and

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used caravans and used motorhomes. Its sales yard range includes Golf (wind-up campers, pop-tops and caravans) and Oz Cruiser (offroad setups) models. “Golf has a unique lightweight product that is built to Australian

standards and can withstand our harsh climate, and as for Oz Cruiser we wanted something with an aluminium frame, which is our point of difference. Also, their luxurious interiors are mindblowing,” Blackburn said. River City’s typical customers for pre-loved RVs are usually families and retirees. “Our clientele covers a diverse demographic, which definitely includes working people who just want to go away for weekends,” he said. Blackburn believes there’s similar experiences associated with buying a second-hand or brand-new RV. “In this day and age, due to the stringent Australian Consumer Law (ACL), there’s complete peace of mind in buying a second-hand caravan, camper trailer or motorhome. And there are bargains and savings to be had. I reckon in some instances you can save between $20,000 and $30,000, and usually any teething issues have been sorted out with a ‘shakedown’ by the previous owner.” He said buyers of pre-loved RVs can expect the security of a dealer-backed warranty and a product that’s going to

provide them with years of memorable holidays. He also doesn’t see any pitfalls or risks. “Quite simply, the used RV industry is so heavily guarded by the ACL.” And as for the ‘why, how and where’ to buy pre-loved RVs, Blackburn offers the following advice: “If you’re budget conscious, you’ll have a huge range to select from. Basically, all you have to do is jump online. “Also, conduct a thorough visual inspection - open all of the cupboards, look under the bed, check the internal ply for water stains, inspect around the windows, and even jump on a ladder to check the roof. “The main thing that you want to ensure is that your ‘pride and joy’ doesn’t leak, and check for any timber rot.” Generally speaking, Blackburn says any reputable online sales or print medium, and any respected secondhand dealer, are where best to buy a pre-loved RV. “Most are not fly-bynighters and want to protect their reputation.” – Peter Quilty

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THRIFTY tips

We asked and you delivered! Here are the best budget travel tips provided by the experts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you!

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Budget Touring Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tips

Even in town you can often find low cost alternatives like the Gap View Hotel budget campground Alice Springs, NT.

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tips y t f i r Th

W IN NE R

WINNER, WINNER Food planning and preparation is important, and it’s a good idea to buy meat when it is on special. I use a wok for most of the cooking, as stir fry meals are quick and easy. I prep the chicken, beef, or pork with different Asian sauces. I vacuum pack them and then freeze them. I have a supply of rice vermicelli, hokkein noodles, and either fresh or frozen Asian vegetables. This also ensures you get your daily serving of vegetables and it’s easy to clean up as well. Naturally, I pre-cook other meals to add variety. Jan and Ian Goddard, via email

Left: Jan and Ian’s tip has won them a Hema HX-1 Navigator valued at $699.

Prepared to explore. www.hemamaps.com

Experiment in the kitchen Our budget isn’t that tight because the reason for our travel is to see as much as possible of our magnificent country. However, we rarely eat out. We love cooking and much prefer to experiment with the Weber. Jenny Foster, via Facebook

Work it out before you go

Water saver www.hemamaps.com

Prepared to explore.

My top tip for budget touring is installing a water tank at the back of the vehicle to access the source conveniently for showering, drinking filtered water, and bringing a bucket that can be measured and filled with the water necessary to wash dishes instead of the inefficient use of running water instead. Dee Susan, via Facebook Left: Like Borgy, you could install a water tank at the back of your vehicle for convenient access.

During the weeks before you go, plan your budget and prepare frozen meals to take with you. After a long day travelling, your evening meal is thawed and takes no time to warm in a microwave, which saves you money buying expensive takeaway. Richard Morse, via Facebook

Keep the tank full Always make sure your fuel tank is filled to capacity to allow you more scope to find cheaper fuel ahead. Ian and Annette Petersen, via email

The rule of Triple P Use the three Ps. Plan your trip, pre-prepare your meals and play in nature. Michael Ryan, via Facebook

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Cook up a storm In the weeks leading up to going away, I cook a bit extra for dinner each night. I vacuum pack and then freeze it. When we travel, we then have ready made meals we just have to heat up which is especially good for the long days of travel. We find it stops us from buying takeaway because we can’t be bothered cooking after we’ve set up. Alison Edwards, via Facebook Left: Avoid takeaway and use your Weber or your caravan kitchen.

Budget Touring Readers’ tips

Stockpile essentials

Caravan coffee

Buy dry food and non-perishable food at large cheaper shopping areas. Neil Brown, via Facebook

For coffee, Delonghi make a small device that’s great for a caravan. The coffee only works out to cost 50c a coffee. That is a big saving compared to buying coffee in cafes. Heath Atkinson, via Facebook

Free camps and new mates I like to find free or cheap camps to keep the cost of travelling down. If we do this half the time, it cuts costs down considerably. Also, a lot of these camps are in awesome or remote spots. I’ve found you can find some interesting and friendly people with great ideas and stories in these camps. It makes for memorable and affordable travel. Mandy Collins, via Facebook

Get real about entry fees To save money, you need to realise you can’t go to all the tourist sites that have entry fees. Make your selection carefully and you can still see the best. Jenny Tuttle, via Facebook

Left: Make sure you have a good coffee machine or pot in your caravan, to save cash on the road.

Weigh up the costs Save the money and have a realistic budget plus 20 per cent. Alcohol and outings do cost and takeaway is a killer. Always ask yourself, is this a need or want? Buy quality stuff with a low running cost, compared to items that are cheap to buy and expensive to run. Free camping is good, but remember, safety comes first. Alexander Jim, via Facebook Left: Drinking at pubs is fun, but be aware it can eat into your budget.

Research first Do your homework before leaving and find out the most reasonably priced camps to stay overnight. Also, always fully charge anything you will need to save in battery power and fuel. Margie McCorriston, via Facebook

Pack a lunch We boil the thermos and cut our lunches most days we are on the road. Kaye Bock, via Facebook

Plan ahead Research is the key to finding free and cheap camps. WikiCamps is a great app and has a trip planner. Use Fuel Buddy or a similar app for cheap fuel. Stop in a roadside stop for morning and afternoon teas, and just take the snacks with you. Two drinks and a snack and you will have little change out of $20. Brian Trengove, via Facebook Left: Make the visitor information centre your first stop, to enquire about special deals.

Paper, not plastic Paper plates and cups (biodegradable of course) and disinfectant wipes are great! There’s no need to wash dishes (I could usually go with just a little cup of water to wash the cutlery) and wipe down benches and it saves lots of water when your trying to not waste it. Please don’t use plastic though! Leanne Horn, via Facebook

Splurge where it counts

Free camps save cash Free camp as many nights as possible and save between $20-$40 a night. We drove from north of Perth to Adelaide and had one night in a park out of nine. We found water at service stations and visitor centres. Pamela Collette, via Facebook Left: Free or cheap camps save cash and are a great way to make friends.

We are not rich, so when we do travel our main luxury is coffee. We cook all our other meals as takeaway is very expensive. Kerry Smith via Facebook

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Budget Touring

Readers’ tips

Boil the kettle

Head out on foot

We always prepare a thermos of boiling water at the start of the day as purchasing coffee and tea quickly eats into your funds. $4.50 here and there doesn’t take long to add up. Kacey Sunshine, via Facebook

For a very cheap and fun time, pack a lunch and go for a healthy and enjoyable walk to explore the area you’re in, rather than drive and eat takeaway. Mick Gillies, Salisbury Downs, SA Left: Explore the area you are in on foot.

Charge up Don’t stop at large truck stops, they’re full of impulse buys you think you can’t live without. Also, keep all electronic devices charged. Once they run out of battery, everyone suddenly remembers they are hungry, thirsty, and in need of a restroom. Antoinette Lalonde, via Facebook

Hunt out the bargains Your first stop in a town should always be the visitor information centre. Ask for any specials offered, like two for one coffee or meal deals. Local farmers markets are good to seek out, along with cheap days for entry to attractions. Janet West, via Facebook

Forward thinking Be prepared for car trips! Make lunches and have enough snacks in the car to keep the sharks (or, as some people call them, kids) at bay. Buying takeaway can add up and be expensive. Leigh Davey, via Facebook

Left: Local farmers markets are good to seek out for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Travel light

Look for something different

My top tip for budget travelling is to spread the load. Try to travel as light as possible. If you’re sharing vehicles, try not to double up on your camping equipment. If you are travelling in a group, make a plan about who brings what to spread the load across several vehicles. The trick around this is to keep some flexibility just in case the groups separate for whatever reason. Antoinette Ciancio, via Facebook

Check out some of the beautiful places that aren’t big tourist attractions. There are so many places to see in this beautiful country, that are not necessarily the expensive tourist locations everyone flocks to. Lynn Shepherd, via Facebook

Use apps for info When touring, the best place to save is on accommodation. Regardless of whether you’re in a tent or somewhere five star, research the many mobile apps that allow you to narrow down the best value for money. They make specials much easier to find. Steve Cassano, via Facebook

Have fun with your planning The most important part of touring on a budget is to do your research well before taking off on a trip. Planning is also half the fun of travelling. Leonard Oates, via Facebook

Trial your budget Depending on how many in your family, make an estimate of what you spend as your budget in a set week, before you set off. Use this budget experiment as a guide to your travel budget. Anne Edwards, via Facebook

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Left: If you’re travelling in a group, lighten your load and spread supplies out through your group.

Good times wait Free camping saves a large amount of money and you get to meet the nicest people and have the greatest time with them. Harry O’Keefe, via email

Think before you fuel If you use unleaded petrol, go for the more expensive one as you go a lot further and save money, and it is better for your car too. Ken Barnes, via Facebook

Plan your time Stay longer at your destination and travel shorter distances when you are on the road. John O’Malley, via Facebook

Speak up

Never be shy to ask a caravan park if there are any ‘special deals’ going, more so if there is more than one park in town and they don’t look busy. David West, via Facebook

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PENNY Saver

Keep costs down on the road with these easy budgeting tips. PICS GLENN WARDLE

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Budget Touring Budgeting basics

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hen it comes to planning any trip – big or small – money plays a key role. Like it or not, your available funds dictate where you go, how long you travel and your mode of transport, as well as the places you stay and the things you do while you’re on the road. Regardless of your overall budget, keeping costs down with a few clever strategies and a bit of forward planning will help stretch your funds. We’ve recently packed up our house, left our nine-to-five jobs behind and hit the road in our 4WD, with no particular end date – basically, until the bank balance bottoms out. For us, budgeting started with our setup, which is mostly DIY. We decided to keep it simple on this trip, so we set up the car to

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WORDS ALI MILLAR

sleep in the back and threw the tent in as well. On the road, we’re keeping track of our money with a weekly direct debit from our savings to our access account – kind of like paying ourselves a touring ‘wage’ – and trying to keep costs down wherever we can, mostly by choosing free or low cost accommodation and being smart with our food shopping. Of course, no one wants to be a total tight arse – after all, you’re on holidays to have a good time! So while we want to keep costs down, we don’t want to miss out on the unique experiences this lifestyle has to offer. With this in mind, we spoke to some other savvy, money-saving campers to find out how they make their money last. And now you get to reap the rewards, with some budget-

Budget Touring Budgeting basics friendly essentials to get you out on the highway for the long haul.

KEEP IT SIMPLE: SAVVY SET UPS For the budget conscious, budgeting starts back when you choose your rig and in keeping costs down as you set up and plan for a trip – all before you actually hit the road. David and Hany Smith from Geelong, Vic, see budgeting as ‘big picture’ and, rather than setting a strict budget while travelling, they did most of their cost-cutting before they left. When it came to setting up their rig, a Tommy Camper mounted to the tray of their Toyota LandCruiser ute, David and Hany adhered closely to the KISS method (for those not familiar with this method, that’s: keep it simple, stupid!). As experienced tourers, David and Hany knew what they wanted in the camper and their priorities for the build centred around maximising space efficiency and maintaining a low centre of gravity, as well as keeping the weight down in order to maximise on fuel efficiency – the number one priority for anyone on a tight budget! David reckons the Tommy Camper was a good budget build – a basic shell with a canvas pop-top bed. The rig is David’s ongoing

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project and he’s done most of the internal fit-out himself. He’s kept costs down by repurposing materials he had lying around in the shed, such as wood, poly pipe, scraps of wire and metal, and the various vessels he uses for storing camping gear. He shopped around for second-hand timber and steel and, when buying materials, he says it’s always worth asking for discounts, especially if you can pay cash. For any new purchases, David’s savings tip is to plan ahead and work out what gear you need and then wait for the items to come on sale, as they invariably do. But he suggests choosing items that have multiple purposes and repurposing items you already have, whenever you can, rather than going out and buying brand new gear. Not only is this good for your hip pocket, David emphasises the environmental benefits of reducing consumption in this way. David and Hany’s rig is all about basic functionality and a focus on essential needs – something David stresses throughout our chat. He reckons when it comes to setting up, one way many people end up blowing unnecessary cash is by getting carried away with optional extras, many of which, he says, you don’t really need or use. Not only do they

Clockwise from main: Thanks to WikiCamps you can find free camps with a priceless view; time spent relaxing at camp keeps costs down; Ali and Glenn’s simple budget set-up.

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add to your initial set up cost, the weight of these options adds up, impacting your payload and therefore fuel consumption, which increases costs substantially as you travel. To get a feel for what you actually need, David’s advice is to hire something first and see how you use it in practice, and what you like and don’t like, before you hand over your hard-earned cash. He suggests doing research at caravan and camping shows and talking to dealers, but advises going to several shows before making a purchase. In line with his KISS ethos, he reckons one of the best ways to save money on your rig is to buy the base model and then slowly add any extras later – and only, he stresses, if you find you actually need them. Fuel is, of course, one of the biggest costs you face as you tour and David says it’s worth considering the aerodynamics of your rig from the outset. He’s currently working on a prototype for wind spoilers to fit to his camper in a similar approach to that of large trucks. He hopes to achieve considerable fuel savings this way. He also affirms the age-old adage of travelling at your optimal speed rather than Clockwise from above: Curtin Springs Roadhouse offers free outback camping and a range of facilities; Latiesha Killin and Guy Weston look for work opportunities as they travel; David and Hany Smith do most of their budgeting before they set off on holiday; Latiesha and Guy’s camper set-up.

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Budget Touring Budgeting basics

your maximum speed to cut down on fuel consumption.

PLANNING AHEAD: SCRIMP TO SPLURGE When it comes to the cost of living on the road, we’ve heard plenty of figures thrown around – anything from $500 per week to $5000 per month, and all sorts in between. Some people set strict budgets and stick to them at all costs, while many people we’ve met tend to be a little looser, while remaining cautious with their spending. Sue and Trevor Lowe are one such couple. We met Sue and Trevor at a great free camp at Curtin Springs Roadhouse on the Lasseter Highway, NT. They were sitting outside their van, enjoying happy hour and cooking damper with rosemary Trevor had collected from a herb garden at a previous camp (there’s a money saving tip for you!). Since leaving their Ballina, NSW, home they’d clocked up 10,000km, touring in their 17ft Franklin Arrow caravan, towed by an Isuzu D-MAX. While they don’t have a strict budget when they travel, they say they’re generally pretty careful with their spending. They do what it takes to travel around and tend to work it out when they get home, although Sue keeps tabs along the way. To keep costs at a reasonable level, Trevor advises thinking about what you’ll do in advance and planning for those larger expenses. On this trip, they’d splurged on a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles and were off to check out the Field of Light at Uluru the day after we met them, but the rest of the time they balance these costs by picking and choosing what they’ll see and do,

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and try to avoid constantly reaching into their pockets for entry fees to museums and sights. On tour, they spend about two-thirds of their time staying in caravan parks and the last third making the most of free camps, such as Curtin Springs, which helps the money stretch. But they like to pay their way by ensuring they spend money on other things if they’re staying for free, and were planning to have dinner at the roadhouse’s bistro that evening. With that in mind, Sue advises not overbuy groceries but to pick them up as needed, as they’ve found in the past that fruit and veggies, in particular, would go to waste if they decided to eat out. This allows you to be more spontaneous while avoiding wastage. Sue also recommends cooking larger meals and freezing the leftovers for another night – an easy money-saving tip.

FINDING A BALANCE: EXPENSES VERSUS EXPERIENCES While sticking to a budget can help you stay away longer, you don’t want to spend the entire time in a gravel pit on the side of a highway eating baked beans cold from the can! Such is the case for Latiesha Killin and Guy Weston, who were just two weeks into an open-ended tour in their Nissan Patrol GU single cab ute pulling a flatbed offroad tandem trailer with a fully enclosed alloy jackoff canopy, when we met them at Finke Gorge National Park, NT. In that time they’d travelled a fair distance from their Ipswich, Qld, home so the cost of fuel had factored quite heavily on their

Budgeting on the road Quick list

Get in control of your cash: set a weekly budget (and try to stick to it!) or at least have a loose idea of what you can afford to spend. Set up a direct debit to pay yourself a touring ‘wage’ from your savings account into your access account to keep track of your spending. Make the most of free (or low cost) accommodation options whenever possible. Slow down: set up in a free/ low cost camp for a while and use it as a base for exploring nearby sights. Get savvy with your books, apps and websites to find cheap camps, fuel and gas refills – try WikiCamps for campgrounds, MotorMouth for cheap fuel and gasbottlerefills.com for gas. Save on food by only buying what you need, cutting out some of the luxuries, and hunting for specials and items about to reach their use-by date. Save on laundry by doing small loads more regularly by hand, rather than paying for washing machines. Collect firewood when you can rather than purchasing bags of wood. Create your own fun and look for low cost or free activities rather than expensive tours. Learn from others: talk to other campers you meet to tap into their experience. Do your research: look for little ways to cut costs – every cent counts, as they say! tradervs.com.au

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Budgeting basics

Clockwise from below: Free activities, like those offered in national parks, mean you can cut costs on expensive tours; cooking on the fire saves on fuel; fuel is one of the biggest daily expenses; Sue and Trevor Lowe pick and choose what attractions they spend their money on.

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budget. They’d done their research into what other travellers budgeted for before they left, mostly on Facebook, and were aiming to average somewhere between $500 and $1000 per week. They’d also splurged on a couple of experiences, like the Stockman’s Show and Dinner at Longreach, but say this was also a highlight, and while they want to keep costs down they don’t want to cut out these kinds of experiences completely. Latiesha says that while you can easily cut costs by avoiding tours and doing things on your own, you can also miss out on a wealth of knowledge this way. This is an area savvy campers can certainly save a buck or two, though, by making the most of the free guided walks and talks that are on offer in some national parks. Similarly, after blowing cash on eating out a couple of times, they’ve realised they can’t afford to make this a habit. But they don’t want to cut themselves off from the experience of going out and meeting people, either. As a

compromise, they advise going out for a drink to soak up the atmosphere, then heading back to camp for your meal. Their biggest learning so far is to make the most of the many free camping opportunities around the country. They’re totally selfsufficient but were initially a little nervous about staying at rest stops, preferring places where there were more people around. But they’ve found their money isn’t lasting as long as they’d like staying in caravan parks, so they’re now using WikiCamps to make the most of freebies. They’re also keeping an eye out for opportunities to work, as a way of making the money stretch even further and also to meet people and have a different experience of life on the road. Guy says more than anything they’re realising it’s the little things that add up, which is a sentiment shared by all the campers we’ve met; small savings here and there can make a really big difference in the long run.

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Budget Touring Working on the road

Ear n

YOUR KEEP

Working and volunteering on the road is a great way to make your funds last. PICS GLENN WARDLE

Restoring the Farina ruins in South Australia is popular with caravanning volunteers.

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W WORDS ALI MILLAR

hile it’s nice to be on holidays, working or volunteering while on the road can be a great way to experience a place and get to know it in a different light, as well as being good for the bank balance. It allows you to meet different people, to become part of a community, develop a real sense of a place, learn new skills, make your cash last longer and, if you’re lucky, make some extra spending money to continue your travels! There are plenty of ways to put your knowledge, expertise and experience to work on the road, so let’s look at some of the options...

MOBILE OFFICE

Clockwise from above: The Marree Hotel in South Australia is popular with those looking for hospitality work; the community noticeboard in Oodnadatta often advertises work opportunities; sampling the goods from Farina bakery’s original scotch oven; checking out volunteering opportunities in Farina.

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Many jobs these days lend themselves to working remotely – often all you need is your computer, an internet connection and a comfy place to set up shop! For those people lucky enough to have understanding employers or who are self-employed, taking your work out on the road with you can be a relatively easy way to see the countryside while still earning a buck. Of course, you’ll just need to allow for those times and places where internet and phone reception is scarce – as is the case with much of remote Australia – and plan ahead to ensure you don’t miss important deadlines.

TAKE YOUR SKILLS TO THE ROAD For those with a practical profession, opportunities often exist to either trade your skills with others for things you need done, or to do a little business as you travel around.

We’ve heard of hairdressers, carpenters and mechanics working out of their vans as they travel, and even of mobile accountants sorting out tax returns in the campgrounds and communities they stop in! These skills are often in demand by others and it’s a great way to make the most of your existing skill set.

WORK YOUR WAY AROUND While some people take their work wherever they go, others seek it out and let work opportunities dictate where they travel. While you can use your existing skills as a basis, if you’re open to opportunities, there are plenty of different types of work available – some you might never have considered. Country pubs and hotels often have shortterm work available, as do caravan parks and other seasonal tourist operators. Jobs are often advertised online and a quick Google search brings up a range of opportunities for nomads – from truck driving to caretaking, food service and cleaning. While fruit picking may be a bit energetic for some, we’ve met people on the road who’ve done everything from picking apples to packing broccoli, and they say it’s a great way to meet new people, and allows you to make somewhere your base for a while so you can explore on your days off. For those who are fit and healthy, seasonal work such as this allows you to make the most of Australia’s varied climate, with different fruits and veggies coming into season at different times of year.

Budget Touring Working on the road

GIVE YOUR TIME For nomads who are happy to give their time in exchange for accommodation, meals, or tickets to an event or festival, or just out of the goodness of their own hearts, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities around the country. While you may not be getting cash in your hand, the beneﬁts of staying put, often with accommodation costs covered, can certainly help stretch your funds, plus you get the feelgood beneﬁt of contributing in some way. Volunteer gigs can range from manning stalls or ticket booths at regional events and festivals, to doing charity work or helping out in community-run organisations. The list is endless and there are often opportunities in the

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places you least expect. In outback South Australia, we came across the tiny historical town of Farina, where the Farina Restoration Group, with the help of volunteers, has been busily restoring some of the old buildings to ensure the town’s history isn’t lost. Chimneys and ruins pop up out of the red dust and the ruins were busy with wandering tourists and volunteers. Central to this project is the old bakery, established in 1888, where the traditional scotch oven is now churning out tasty pasties, pies, bread and sweet scrolls for hungry tourists on this isolated stretch of road. Volunteers man the bakery and shop, taking donations and selling souvenirs from the marquee, set up for

Where to look for work Community noticeboards Local papers and magazines Job-hunting websites Town or regional Facebook pages Tourism websites National parks websites wwoof.com.au Chat with fellow campers Hit the local pub!

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Above: Farina’s volunteer-run bakery is a popular stop for caravanners.

eight weeks each year while restoration work continues onsite. Volunteers are often travellers, we were told, who mostly do two-week rotations and are set up in a nearby campsite.

WWOOFING Another popular way to give your time in exchange for accommodation and meals is through WWOOFING (Willing Workers On Organic Farms). In exchange for four to six

hours of work a day – often doing varied tasks, such as helping out in the garden, or doing general maintenance around the property – WWOOFers get meals and accommodation provided by their host farm. It’s a great way to experience a different kind of lifestyle and no prior experience is required. Membership is $70 and joining up gives you access to over 1800 host farms around the country, which you can peruse to find likeminded hosts.

Creating opportunities Left and below: Lyn Matheson sells her craft and ‘notions’ as she travels.

We met a particularly enterprising vanner at the Alice Springs Tourist Park, NT, who was garnering a fair bit of interest with her craft and notions stall, ‘Nannas Notions’. Lyn Matheson is an artist and talented quilt and basket maker from Pinjarra, WA, who we bumped into one afternoon, out the front of her Jayco Journey Outback, where she’d just set up her stall. Her colourful quilt work caught my eye and we stopped for a chat. Lyn was selling an array of items she’d made, including some caravan-friendly quilted napkin holders (soft and light and the perfect way to stop napkins blowing away in the breeze), place mats, a picnic set,

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and a carry bag perfect for storing an iPad out of the dust and dirt. Her baskets are an eclectic mix, made from grasses, palm fronds, leaves and pieces of old rope she’s collected on her travels. One particularly beautiful bowl was made entirely from materials she collected while travelling across the Great Central Road. While Lyn is now retired, she still holds the occasional market stall back home, selling old notions – thimbles, spools of thread, buttons and more – which she’s collected over a number of years. She has a lot of items so figured she may as well give it a go on the road as well.

Lyn had only just set up an hour-and-a-half before we met and this was the first time she’d done a stall like this, but was interested to see how it went. She and husband Bill (along with their pup Molly) were just 10 days into a two-month trip and, if successful, she planned to set up her stall occasionally throughout the trip. It seemed to be going pretty well so far given the amount of interest she was getting! Her motivation was to make a bit of extra spending money while on the road, mainly to buy fabrics for quilting, which she says is quite an expensive hobby. She also had an array of great beanies for sale and, it turned out, was actually in town for the Alice Springs Beanie Festival, where she was volunteering, working in the coffee shop and cake stall. And while she hadn’t contributed any beanies to the some 6800 on sale at the festival this year, she says it’s something she might consider in the future.

Budget Touring Working on the road

Left: National park positions can include fauna surveys like collecting tadpoles. Above: Volunteers do much of the work at events like the Alice Springs Beanie Festival.

Live your own dream

Jane and Mick Canellis have been on the road for 12 months so far. Jane Canellis checked us in to our site at the Alice Springs Tourist Park, NT, and, while we were chatting, I discovered she and her partner Mick had packed up their Huskisson, NSW, home, bought themselves a 20ft 6in JB Scorpion offroader and hit the road indefinitely. This adventurous pair has now been on the road for 12 months and say that travelling was something they both really wanted to do. They didn’t want to wait until they retired – as you never know what tomorrow might bring – and say that although it was a risk to leave their home, family and friends behind, it’s the best thing they ever did. You’ve got to live your own dream, they say, and this is theirs! But leaving before retirement age meant they’d need to work. When they first started travelling they did a few

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odd jobs here and there, including a brief stint at the Australian Hotel in Young, NSW. In the beginning, they were looking for work wherever they could find it, but quickly realised it was better to decide where they wanted to base themselves and then look for work in that area. Their priority now is finding places they’d like to spend time, which means they can enjoy exploring the area on their days off. They’ve committed to a five-month stint in Alice Springs and, while Jane is based at the tourist park, it was Mick who found the job that brought them to Alice in the first place. A jack-of-all-trades, Mick came across the job ad for detailing at Thrifty car rentals on Facebook. They now have their van based onsite, where they also have access to water and power – all perks of

the job. Of course, while they’re working, they’re saving money on these essentials, as well as making some cash. Mick ran a handyman business back home and has a ‘handyman’ sign and his contact details on the side of their LandCruiser. He says they’ve picked up a bit of business along the way, mostly when their car has been parked at shopping centres. They say there’s heaps of work available for travellers, particularly up north in the peak season. Nomads’ reputation as reliable workers helps and because Jane and Mick are flexible with time, they’re open to opportunities and can spend longer in one place, which they say works to their advantage. Jane has a background in admin and public service and particularly enjoys people-facing roles; however, she’s prepared to do anything and, in fact, their advice to other nomads looking for work is to keep an open mind about the kind of jobs they’re looking for. They use websites such as Workabout Australia, the Grey Nomads, Jora and Seek, as well as outback tourism sites and the Facebook pages of towns they’re interested in visiting to hunt for potential opportunities, and say it’s well worth doing your research online. They’ve also got some great tips chatting with people they’ve met at campsites along the way. The hardest thing they’ve found is getting into the swing of working again, particularly after a couple of months of travelling and relaxing. Despite this, they really enjoy the work and admit it’s also nice to have some space, and enjoy hearing each other’s stories over a knock-off drink at the end of the day. tradervs.com.au

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Clockwise from top: Working on the road means making the most of any reception, like the mobile hot spot at Northern Territory’s Finke Gorge; national parks like Wyperfeld often have volunteer opportunities; farm and station work is another popular option for travellers.

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VOLUNTEER IN NATIONAL PARKS

STATION AND FARM WORK

National parks around the country offer opportunities for nature lovers to get out and enjoy the environment while helping to conserve these special places. Work is mostly done in exchange for park entry and accommodation, although varies from state to state and depending on the park facilities. Campground hosting is particularly popular with vanners, often involving assisting rangers during peak periods with tasks such as greeting guests and answering questions. While many positions are short term, there are also longer caretaker host positions in some places, with a bit more responsibility thrown in. Other positions can involve helping out with general park maintenance, weed control, fencing, painting, walking track patrols, and ﬂora and fauna surveys.

Another popular option for travellers is working on stations or farms around the country. Work opportunities are diverse and can range from caretaking to maintenance and repairs, mustering cattle, fencing, cooking, cleaning and yard work. While prior experience often helps and there are plenty of opportunities for those with relevant skills, there are also opportunities for people without experience, provided you’re willing to have a go and are not adverse to a bit of hard work! Some larger cattle stations recruit using major recruiters, but you can also ﬁnd positions on sites like Gumtree or, if you’re after volunteer work, by signing up to become a WWOOFer.

TIGHT-ARSE r e k c tu Our crew battle it out in a quest to be crowned the King or Queen of authentic campfire tucker for under 10 bucks!

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Special Touring Budget Feature RV Cooking Cheap eats

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I WITH MICHAEL BORG Clockwise from main: Borgy whips up a batch of his staple spaghetti bolognaise; throw whatever you have in the pan for jambalaya; Mars Bars and white bread, the perfect sweet sanga; load up the spuds for a feast.

reckon camp cooking is one of the best parts about the whole camping experience. Sitting around the fire, freezing your butt off while everyone tucks into a nice warm feed is all part of the fun. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s often the most memorable part of a trip away, especially for the young whippersnappers. The funny thing is, even if your bank balance is looking a bit sad, you can still cook up a feed fit for royalty. To prove the point, we’ve put our money where our mouth is (all 10 bucks of it, that is), and challenged our team to come up with the tastiest camp feed imaginable for under 10 bucks. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, as always, there’s a catch – it’s got to feed a family of four! That’s right, the prestigious ‘Tight-Arse Tucker’ crown is up for grabs, and the crew are literally chomping at the bit to prove whose boss! Let’s see what they’ve come up with, shall we?

STRETCH YOUR DOLLARS FURTHER

You’d be amazed at how much money you can save by shopping smart. What do I mean by that? Well, have a think about how you can make the most out of the ingredients you buy. Can you make several different dishes out of the stuff you just bought? Or can the meal you plan on making form the base of other meals? For example, I’ll generally buy a good lump of beef mince to make a real crowd favourite – spaghetti! But I will typically cook two or three times more than we need for the one night, and use it later on. Sometimes it winds up on toast, other times it goes into a tasty camp pie. It makes a great topping for those loaded potatoes (with melted cheese, of course!) or even stuffed capsicums. Stretch it out a little further by adding in some extra veggies like mushrooms, carrots and peas, then pour in a tin or two of spicy sauce for a little extra kick, along with a few kidney beans if you want a great chili to keep you warm!

Loaded Spuds Loaded spuds are always a guaranteed hit, and they’re super easy to make when you’re camping too. Simply prick your new potatoes lightly with

a fork a few times, rub with oil or butter and sprinkle with salt. Then wrap them in foil and pop them in your camp oven, or even straight in the coals. Cooking time will vary, but make sure you turn them regularly to avoid burning them. Once they’re cooked, cut twice across the middle of the spud. You can scoop out a chunk of the flesh or just open the potatoes out and fill them up with your choice of toppings. Baked beans work well, so does spaghetti sauce, bacon, chopped tomato and avocado. Sprinkle plenty of shredded cheese over the top and place them in a camp oven with coals on the top just long enough to melt the cheese. Talk about yum, rich, tasty and cheap! – David ‘Cookie’ Cook INGREDIENTS • Potatoes x 4 ($0.68 each) – $2.72 • Diced bacon - $3.00 • Cheese – $2.99 • Baked beans - $0.90 GRAND TOTAL - $9.61

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Special Touring Budget Feature RV Cooking Cheap eats

Tuckerbox Jambalaya and Mars Bar Jaffles We’ve all got a few old tins or packet mixes lying around the traps, so it’s time to raid the tucker box! If you find the following items you’ve hit the jackpot big time. Two packs of pre-cooked rice, a can of sardines, tin of something the label’s come off (it’s probably tinned tomato) and a spoon full or two of curry. Forage around the fridge for leftover snags and dodgy looking veggies (they’re free), then grab your missus’ glass of chardy when her back’s turned (that’s free, too!). Chuck all the ingredients in a pan and cook it all up to become one big tasty pot of grub. MARS BAR JAFFLES If anyone’s still hungry, this will put a smile on your dial. Grab eight slices of white bread and pop them in the jaffle iron. Cut two king-size Mars Bars up and strategically place them evenly on the bread and toast them on the coals. Wait until it’s lightly toasted and the caramel chocolate is melted just right! - Michael ‘Borgy’ Borg INGREDIENTS • Pre-cooked rice – $2.00 • Can of sardines – $0.72 • Tinned tomatoes – $0.80 • Curry powder • Snags – $3.00 • Odd leftover veggies • Bread – $0.85 • Mars Bars x 2 ($0.80 ea) – $1.60 GRAND TOTAL - $8.97

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Nutella Banana How’s this for a sweet treat? Grab a couple of bananas, load them with some nutella, wrap in tin foil and bung them in the fire for a couple of minutes. Delish!

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Coriander, Lemon & Chili Pork Balls Like most journos, I am a true tight-arse, so I thought I had this licked, but it took a few stabs to get it right, what with the cost of spices and sauces. Thankfully, my local market hooked me up with fresh coriander (a bargain at 79c a bunch) and unpackaged veg for a genuine tasty $10 meal. Now, you’ll notice I priced the lemon, but a true tight-arse will have access to a lovinglytended supply, making room in the budget for the broccoli that you may or may not shove down the throats of your precious crew.

soak the noodles in warm water per the instructions and serve with more chili sauce, diced carrot and garnish with said broccoli. If I’m honest, my girls (aged three and five) preferred the Mars Bar jaffles better – probably due to the green bits in this – so I’m going to use dried spices next time. My husband loved them, though, stealing my next day’s lunch when I wasn’t looking (ahh.. bless). – Rachael Doherty

PREPARATION To start with, fry the onion on low heat until soft then add the garlic and chili (with or without the seeds, up to you) then cool. Place the mince in a bowl, grate the dinner roll and hold it together with a splash of sweet chili sauce. Add in the rind, a fistful of finely chopped coriander and the onion, garlic and chili. Roll into balls and flatten. Fry the outside, then place in an alloy-lined camp oven and bake for 15 minutes, or just char the living bejesus until they’re cooked through. Next,

INGREDIENTS • Three cloves fresh garlic, minced – $0.44 • Onion, finely chopped – $0.31 • 2 fresh chilies – $0.26 • 500g pork mince – $3.75 (you’ll need to shop around) • Dinner roll – $0.35 • Sweet chili sauce – $1.89 • The rind from a lemon – $0.62 • Coriander bunch – $0.79 (market) • Vermicelli rice noodles - $1.29 • 1 carrot – $0.26 GRAND TOTAL - $9.61

Special Touring Budget Feature RV Cooking Cheap eats

Campfire Nachos Okay, so I’ve come in a little over budget here, but what can I say? I live life on the edge! In my defence, you can dull it down a bit to save some cash, but where’s the fun in that? After all, this is the kind of recipe that will trick even the most suspicious of campers into thinking you can actually cook – trust me, it works! Now I don’t need to run you through a step-by-step, you should be able to figure out how to cook mince yourself, but the great thing about this meal is it can be cooked in a variety of different ways. Fry up the mince and beans in a pan then put them in a camp oven with the chips and cheese on-top for baked goodness, or serve it up onto a plate with the chips underneath if you’re in a hurry. If you’re adventurous, a few sliced jalapeños and some guacamole make it a sure-fire hit; just bring plenty of liquid refreshments along. – Dan Everett INGREDIENTS • 500g mince – $4.00 • Cheese – $2.99 • Corn chips – $1.00 • Red kidney beans – $0.75 • Crushed tomatoes – $0.80 • Chili con carne mix – $0.80 (on special) • Sour cream – $1.20 • Avocado - $2.00 GRAND TOTAL - $13.54

Borgy’s Drumsticks Here’s one meal that’ll have you dribbling every time you get a whiff. Kick things off by pre-heating the camp oven while you combine roughly three parts tomato sauce to one part Worcestershire sauce in a separate bowl. You can add some thinly sliced onion and garlic, too, if you want. Then add everything, including the drumsticks into the camp oven ensuring the sauce covers the drumsticks. You’ll want a thin bed of coals underneath and a good shovel or two of coals on the lid to get the heat nice and even. Then whack your feet up and have a few coldies while they simmer for an hour or two. When they’re cooked, the meat will fall of the bone, and it will taste like you’ve just won the Lotto! Serve them up with a bit of rice and mashed potato, and let the sauce dribble through. – Michael ‘Borgy’ Borg INGREDIENTS • Tomato sauce - $3.00 (1L) • Worcestershire - $2.00 • Chicken drumsticks - $5.00 GRAND TOTAL - $10.00

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Budget Touring Cheap eats

Mussel Madness When Borgy threw down the $10 tight-arse challenge, I headed straight to my favourite East Gippsland hideaway. There’s a spot there near the entrance, hidden just below the surface where barnacle encrusted mussels grow wild on the ancient rocks. They live in a cocktail of water running down from the Great Dividing Range, splashing in to the Tasman Sea. They are the magical ingredient in my $10 challenge. What’s more, they’re 100 per cent free (not allowing for the $30,000 boat I skippered to get there!). Anyway, this recipe was passed on by a salty old Italian fisherman, so it’s guaranteed to be simple yet flavoursome.

PREPARATION Start with a large pot for the mussels and a smaller pot for the pasta. Add some water to the smaller pot and bring to boil, but don’t add the pasta yet. Sample the wine. Brown the garlic and onion in the large pot with the oil, and then add the crushed tomatoes. Once mixed, add a glass of white wine, pop the lid on and simmer on low. Drink glass of wine. Time to add the pasta to the pot of now-boiling water. Sprinkle some salt and olive oil into the pot so it looks like you know what you’re doing. Now chop the chili fine and throw in the red broth with all the mussels as well. You’ll wish you had a bigger pot at this point. Give it the pepper treatment and stir the mussels through. Have another glass of wine. Simmer until the mussels open – and then just enough for the meat to firm up a little bit (about five mins). Serve on top of the now cooked pasta with some parsley on top for effect. Eat the closed ones. Mop up with some crusty bread if the budget allows! Finish with a glass of wine if there’s any left. – Trav Godfredson INGREDIENTS • Three cloves fresh garlic – $0.45 • A handful of East Gippsland mussels – barnacles and all – free • Olive oil • 2 x cloves of chopped garlic - $0.45 • 2 x diced brown onions - $1.10 • 2 x tins crushed tomatoes - $3.00 • 1 x glass of dry white wine (semillon) – just a splash so you don’t go over the budget • 1 x finely chopped mild chili - $0.50 • 1 x packet of flat pasta – $1.64 • Handful of parsley – $1.49 (market) GRAND TOTAL - $8.63

Lettuce Cups with Hoisin Chicken Remove all the meat and skin from the bones and chop coarsely. Add to a preheated and oiled hot pan and brown the meat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Pour over four tablespoons of hoisin sauce and combine well with the meat and onion. Spoon mixture into lettuce cups and serve. Garnish with corn and serve it up! – Anthony ‘Macca’ McDonald INGREDIENTS • 1.5kg chicken wings or drumsticks @ $3.00 per kg – $4.50 • 1 bottle hoisin sauce – $2.85 • 1 iceberg lettuce (or baby cos), cut in half and remove cups – $1.29 • 1 red onion, finely chopped – $0.57 GRAND TOTAL - $9.21

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Tow Test

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2 CRDi Series II

A TRUSTY ow

With its new features, the Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander proves itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a solid and competitive medium-sized tow tug. PICS MATT FEHLBERG

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WORDS PHILIP LORD

airly modern SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe ride better, handle better and sip less fuel than dual-range, offroad-capable SUVs like the Ford Everest. Yes, vehicles such as the Everest have higher towing capacity and are better offroad, but what if you don’t tow a big van or go offroad? With its 2000kg/150kg towing maximums, the Santa Fe can tow many new single-axle vans, some new European tandem vans and plenty of older tandem vans (usually those without a shower toilet). So is the Santa Fe a realistic medium-sized tow tug? That’s what we aim to find out.

SERIES II REVISIONS This generation Santa Fe was renewed in 2013 and then given a refresh late in 2015. That refresh saw new front and rear treatments (with LED daytime running lights now included),

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Siri Eyes-Free (iOS) and Google Now (Android) voice activation, improved audio system, and a big improvement in passive safety systems (for the Highlander), with autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, active cruise control, blind-spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert all standard. The Highlander 2.2 CRDi we’ve got here is the premium model of the range, with standard features including a rear-view camera and rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, cooled/heated leather seats, keyless locking and ignition, electric tailgate, power front seats, eight-inch touchscreen, sat-nav, sunroof and 19in alloy wheels. The Santa Fe Highlander 2.2L CRDi AWD is $57,090 (plus on-road costs) but as tested was $60,283.45 (plus on-road costs), with metallic paint, towbar kit and electric brake controller (see specs for details).

Tow Test

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2 CRDi Series II

BIG ON SPACE The Santa Fe’s cabin is comfortable and spacious and is a testament to how far the brand has come – material quality and fit and finish are very good. It’s interesting to compare it with the similarly-priced Discovery Sport we tested last month (CW565, July ‘17) – the Land Rover has a more luxurious presentation, but its standard equipment is relatively sparse. Once you option the Disco Sport up to the same level as the Hyundai, it is much more expensive. Only the Santa Fe’s third row seating is tight on room, and the small side windows back there don’t

give occupants much of a view out. The cargo area space has a 560L capacity with thirdrow seats folded (1616L with both second- and third-row seats down). It has enough room to pile in holiday gear and is easy to access with a relatively low loading lip.

STRONG PERFORMER The Santa Fe’s 2.2L turbodiesel has been around since 2010 and while, it delivers ample power and torque, it isn’t as smooth and quiet as more recent diesels. Yet it revs willingly to its redline and turbo lag at low rpm is

Below: For a mid-range tow tug, the Santa Fe is quite impressive – but an extra 500kg tow capacity wouldn’t go astray! Left: The Santa Fe wasn’t troubled at all by the 1168kg Tare Jayco on the back.

“The Santa Fe’s cabin is comfortable and spacious and is a testament to how far the brand has come”

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minimal. Its mid-range response is excellent. Where the 2.2L diesel also excels is in its fuelsipping ways. With mostly highway cruising and a bit of urban running around thrown in, the Santa Fe averaged 7.2L/100km. With a 1168kg caravan hitched up, and including a mix of freeway and stop-start driving for photography, diesel consumption rose to 13L/100km. The Santa Fe has standard, economy and sport modes, but for most driving (including towing) it works well in standard mode. The sixspeed auto has a well-matched spread of ratios, and is smooth with its gear changes too. You’re not getting the most agile or dynamic SUV there is with the Santa Fe, but the local suspension tuning (which Hyundai does with all its vehicles sold here) has paid off. Ride is firm but supple enough and it remains well-controlled over some of the typical rough roads we have in Oz. The new electronic driver assistance bundle

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works seamlessly. The active cruise control, for example, doesn’t leave braking until the last second (as some other ACC-equipped vehicles do) if traffic slows – it’s nice and progressive.

GETTING HITCHED There are a few towing recommendations when you delve into the Santa Fe’s owner’s manual: Hyundai recommends that you don’t tow for the first 2000km of the vehicle’s life to allow everything to bed in and that you shouldn’t go faster than 100km/h (or 70km/h up steep hills). Hyundai also advises against using a weight distribution hitch (WDH). Provided that your van is well balanced, and with a relatively low ball load, a WDH should be unnecessary anyway. The standard towball download is restricted to 100kg unless the Hyundai Genuine Load Assist Kit is fitted, which then increases the TBM maximum to 150kg. Still not ideal if you want to

Tow Test

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2 CRDi Series II

Clockwise from lrgt: the Santa Fe is smooth with its gear changes; the 2.2L diesel excels in fuel consumption; thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of room for all your holiday gear in the rear.

Hyundai Santa Fe Elite 2.2 CRDi Series II Weights and measures Length 4690mm Width 1880mm Height 1680mm Wheelbase 2700mm Ground clearance 185mm Kerb mass 1831kg Gross Vehicle mass 2600kg Gross Combined mass 4600kg Towing capacity unbraked/braked 750kg/2000kg Towball (max) 150kg

Drivetrain Engine 2.2L turbodiesel Transmission Six-speed automatic Max power 147kW at 3800rpm Max torque 440Nm at 1800-2500rpm Gear ratios 1st 4.651; 2nd, 2.831; 3rd 1.842; 4th, 1.386; 5th, 1.000; 6th, 0.772 Reverse 3.3.93. Final drive 3.195

Options fitted Metallic paint, $695; towbar, towball and trailer wiring harness (fitted), $1335; Load Assist Kit (Springs) $315.75 (fitted); electric brake controller kit (fitted) $847.50 (or reduced to $678.75 when bundled with a tow kit).

General Fuel capacity 64L Suspension Independent, coil springs (front and rear) Brakes Ventilated discs (front); solid discs (rear) Wheels 19in alloy Warranty Five years/unlimited km Roof load 100kg More information www.hyundai.com.au

Price as tested

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Tow Test

Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2 CRDi Series II

run 10 per cent at the maximum allowed towing weight, but much better than the five per cent without the kit. The van we towed weighed 1168kg and had 102kg on the towball, so it was pretty light. The only other choice available was close to 2000kg Tare, but that would not have allowed for theoretical payload and, thus, would not be representative of what the Santa Fe can tow. The Jayco was a full-size van, though, and its Tare weight wasn’t exactly that of a box trailer. Backing up to the caravan coupling was easy with the Santa Fe’s rear-view camera, which gave a good, wide-angle vision, including the towball. Our towing mirrors (which attach to the Santa Fe’s mirrors) clipped on to the Hyundai’s mirror shells easily, and were secure for the duration of the test. The rear of the Santa Fe barely dipped with the weight of the van dropped on its towball, no great surprise given the light ball load. On the move, the Santa Fe towed the van well, with quite strong hill climbing and overtaking ability. The Santa Fe was also very stable, with no swaying and very little pitching. Engine braking is quite poor, the Santa Fe’s relatively low-compression (for a diesel) and free-revving nature working against it for when you need engine braking.

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THE BOTTOM LINE The Santa Fe Series II is still a competitive player in the medium-capacity SUV towvehicle market, with its new features and driver-assist technology keeping it fresh. Its towing performance is very good, with good fuel economy and touring range with it. The only thing that could really improve the Santa Fe is how much it can tow: another 500kg in towing capacity would broaden the options considerably. Thanks to Jayco Sydney 63-67 Glossop Street, St Marys NSW 2760 (ph 02 9623 1971) for the loan of the caravan for this test.

Ratings 1. Value for money 2. Towing performance 3. Hitching up 4. Creature comforts 5. Accessibility of spare parts 6. Fuel economy 7. Solo performance 8. Engine power 9. Innovation 10. X-Factor

Above: The Santa Fe boasts a spacious and comfortable cabin.

T he SUM OF US The sum of the parts can be greater than the whole when it comes to caravan components.

T WORDS PETER QUILTY

he caravan components sector in Australia employs thousands of skilled workers. In essence, it is a multi-million dollar industry. Recreational vehicle components, aftermarket accessories and technical accessories are an incredible growth segment. Many components are essential, while others can be considered a luxury. CW has compiled a directory of the most popular or best-selling products from some of Australia’s major components manufacturers and suppliers in ﬁve key areas – entry doors; windows; skylights; 12V hatches; and doorsteps.

RANGER RV SUPPLIES Ranger RV Supplies specialise in caravan and RV accessories. With more than 15 years of industry experience, its main demographic is manufacturers whom Ranger works closely with to ensure its products are developed for the right application. From aluminium sheeting, windows and skylights to water pumps and steps, Ranger RV Supplies has a range of products to suit all

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caravans and RVs.

AUSSIE TRAVELLER Aussie Traveller is a 100 per cent Australian owned and operated company, manufacturing and supplying products to the caravan and RV industry in Australia. Operating from its factory and warehouse in Brisbane, Queensland, plus its warehouse and ofﬁce in Melbourne, Victoria, Aussie Traveller services all states of Australia through a network of agents and stockists. It specialises in the manufacture of quality awnings and annexes, as well as supplying a large range of accessories. Aussie Traveller is also the Australian distributor for Omnistor/Thule RV products.

COAST TO COAST RV SERVICES Coast to Coast RV Services celebrated its 40th anniversary in the RV industry in 2015. Coast to Coast has a large and dynamic product range, but is continually reviewed to provide durable and environmentally friendly alternatives.

Special Feature Caravan components

FIAMMA Fiamma is known worldwide as a pioneer and leading company in manufacturing technical accessories for the recreational vehicle market.

CAMEC Camec expanded its operations during the late 1980s through the purchase of an aluminium roll forming plant, the purchase of tooling for caravan water tank production and the introduction of innovative and alternative products from overseas suppliers for the local market. Combined with its local production of windows, doors and aluminium, Camec is one of the largest suppliers of RV and caravan components and accessories to all segments of the RV and caravan industries throughout Australia and New Zealand.

FAN-TASTIC VENT Over 30 years ago Fan-Tastic Vent saw there was a need for better ventilation in recreation vehicles. Today, Fan-Tastic Vent continues to be one of the most recognised brand names

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in the industry and has sold over three million fans.

DOMETIC RV Dometic’s range of caravan parts and accessories are available across Australia. They are designed with mobile living in mind and to provide you with comfort in your caravan or motorhome when you’re on holiday. All of its products are designed to be used in a caravan or mobile home. Living in such an environment doesn’t allow for much room, which is why Dometic’s range has been designed with limited space in mind. Dometic products are sold to over 100 countries worldwide. It has a complete range of innovative designs in all areas, such as air-conditioners, cookers, sanitation systems, lighting, mobile power equipment, comfort, along with safety solutions, windows, doors and other equipment. Below and left: Both luxury and essential caravan components are a large part of the RV industry.

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ENTRY DOORS Aussie Traveller Caravan Entry Door

Dometic RV CaraD 600 The Dometic CaraD door is an entrance door for RVs with an aluminium frame and an integrated high security safety mesh screen, including blind and four-point locking system. It is available in aluminium or glass, and comes vented or non-vented. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a modern caravan door designed with safety in mind. A key feature of the door is its highly resistant safety mesh. Tested by an independent test laboratory in Germany, the door can withstand 180J of impact. The mesh will let air into your caravan without having to sacrifice your security. Another safety feature is the four-point locking system and an easy-to-operate chrome door lever, which ensures extra protection and comfort when travelling. It also includes a stylish integrated blind that blocks light from entering the caravan and provides additional privacy.

ATRV has a range of caravan doors to suit every application. Ranging in size from 1420-1908mm in height and in widths from 575-815mm, with custom sizes available to order, all ATRV caravan doors come with an approved gas vent in the bottom, tinted acrylic panel or upper powdercoated panel, security screen with midge mesh and a triple lock. Powdercoated frames and panels in white or black are standard and silver is available on request. Custom colour requests can also be catered for. RRP: $939.75 (1750x622mm) Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 1420x622-1908x762mm Weight: 21kg (1750x622mm) Colours: White, black and white or all black; silver available on request Materials: Powdercoated aluminium and tinted acrylic Locking mechanism: ATRVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s triple lock

RRP: $1549-$1699 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 1750x621mm Weight: 24kg Colours: Black, white, black and white Materials: Aluminium or glass Locking mechanism: Four-point locking system

Features Curved or flat tinted acrylic panel for optimum light Separate security flyscreen with triple lock Black or white powdercoated frame Black or white powdercoated panel Hinged on the left or right Radius corner or square corner frame Approved gas vent at bottom

Features

Camec Odyssey Premium Door This is an RV-safe security door with one-piece door panel. A PVC infill provides greater strength, and it comprises a slim-style main frame extrusion. It also features an Odysseystyle ADR-approved double-glazed acrylic panel, lower venturi vent (white or black), and a left or right-hand hinge setup. RRP: From $1460 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: A range of sizes available Weight: Not supplied Colours: White, crystal silver, jet black, onyx white, in stucco or smooth finishes Materials: PVC, acrylic Locking mechanism: Camec threepoint locking system

Features One-piece door panel PVC infill Main frame extrusion Left-hand or right-hand hinge

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Highly resistant safety mesh Four-point locking system Chrome door lever Integrated blind

Special Feature Caravan components

WINDOWS Dometic RV S4 Hinged Window

Camec Odyssey Window

This model boasts superb workmanship, materials, and operating convenience. A tried and tested success, the Dometic S4 tophung hinged window boasts a built-in aluminumcoated darkening blind and a flyscreen. A secure locking system prevents it from being opened from the outside. The flyscreen and darkening blind can be clipped together allowing them to be conveniently adjusted with one hand. Double acrylic glazing of the window pane and a robust polyurethane frame ensure excellent insulation.

This window has two and four-radius options plus a wind-out window operation, and a doubleglazed option is available. The easily installed Odyssey window is made of high UV-stabilised tinted moulded acrylic. It has a fixed flyscreen and a replacement is available.

RRP: $381-$783 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 22 sizes available Weight: Various Colours: Silver or black Materials: Polyurethane Locking mechanism: Secure locking system

Features Built-in darkening blind Secure locking system Excellent insulation

Ranger RV Supplies Window These double-glazed acrylic windows also comprise an ASA plastic frame. The windows have a 0 to 90° opening, and are easy and quick to install. They also come with a pleated folding block-out blind and midge-proof flyscreen. RRP: Various pricing depending on size of window Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 13 sizes available Weight: From 3-8kg, depending on size Colours: Black external frame/white internal frame Materials: Double-glazed acrylic, flyscreen and block-out blind Locking mechanism: Latch

RRP: From $250 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: A range of sizes available Weight: Not supplied Colours: Black or white frame Materials: Acrylic Locking mechanism: Thumb/slide lock

Features Wind-out operation Easy installation Single and double hopper UV-stabilised Fixed flyscreen

Features Easy and quick installation 0 to 90° opening Midge-proof flyscreen Pleated folding block-out blind

Aussie Traveller Eurovision Window ATRV’s range of EuroVision windows offers the option of a top quality European-styled window for caravan and RV buyers in Australia. EuroVision windows are ADR-approved and suitable for fitting to either caravans or motorhomes and the screwless clamp-style design provides a simple and secure fixing method. Combined with the easy-fit internal blind ensemble and optional curtain tracking, a quality finish to your RV is assured. Available in a range of sizes, the double-glazed acrylic panel is UV-resistant and the block-out blind is heat reflective, keeping you cooler when it counts. RRP: $336.60 (450x900mm) Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 300x500mm to 800x1200mm (most popular is 450x900mm)

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Weight: 11kg (450x900mm) Colours: Black frame, white blind assembly and blind. Limited numbers also available in white or silver frame with a white blind assembly and blind Materials: Powdercoated aluminium, ADR-approved double-glazed acrylic, and block-out blind Locking mechanism: 4-5 locking handles (depending on size)

Features Powdercoated high quality aluminium alloy internal and external frame Grey, double-glazed acrylic panel, UV-resistant, certified to European ECE standards 24 per cent increase in opening size/ventilation access compared to leading competitors Radius corners Internal blind assembly with white powdercoated frame and multipositional, heat reflective blind and midge-proof screen Screwless clamp design provides simple and secure fixing method Suits 24-33mm panel as standard, optional rings available for thicker panels Optional curtain assembly kit also available tradervs.com.au

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SKYLIGHTS Dometic RV Midi Heki Roof Light (Crank Version) Open up your vehicle to fresh air and light! This well-insulated roof light boasts convenient features including a flyscreen and hassle-free cleaning. This Dometic Midi Heki roof light features a dome with double acrylic glazing for insulation and a frame made of durable, weather-resistnt ASA plastic. It can be conveniently opened to three different positions. An inner frame with separately adjustable darkening blind and flyscreen is included to keep sunlight and insects out. The Midi Heki is available as a crank or handle version, each with forced ventilation. RRP: $699 (other Midi Heki models available from $330-$868) Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 500x700mm (cut-out size) Weight: 11kg Colours: White Materials: Weather-resistant ASA plastic frame Locking mechanism: Not supplied

Features Well-insulated Opens in three different positions Forced ventilation Weather-resistant ASA plastic frame

Camec Fiamma Hatch

Ranger RV Supplies Skylights These double-glazed acrylic dome skylights are easy to open via a gas lift spring. The skylights have a maximum 80-degree opening, with two opening positions, and provide up to 150 cubic centimetres of permanent ventilation. And the internal hatch is fitted with LED lights and a switch. They also come with a pleated flyscreen and blockout pleated blind. RRP: $449.99 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 700x500mm and 450x400mm (both cut-out sizes) Weight: 8kg (700x500mm); 5kg (450x400mm) Colours: White Materials: Double-glazed acrylic, flyscreen and block-out blind Locking mechanism: Latch

Features Easy to open Maximum 80-degree opening 150 cubic centimetres of permanent ventilation Flyscreen Pleated block-out blind

Aussie Traveller Manual Thule Vent ATRVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stylish manual Thule vents are available in white, translucent or transparent to perfectly suit your caravan or RV requirements. All Thule vents come with a mosquito screen and a block-out blind, both of which retract completely. The aerodynamic shape of the Thule vent means that a spoiler is not required and the clever clamp design provides a simple and secure fixing method for a wide range of roof thicknesses. RRP: $160.38 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 400x400mm (inside); 472x459mm (outside) Weight: 3kg Colours: White, transparent or translucent dome and cream inner-frame

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Materials: White polypropylene or transparent polycarbonate and ABS, flyscreen and block-out blind Locking mechanism: Locking handle

Features Easy installation without drilling The roof light is mounted with special clamps so that it is not necessary to drill through the roof, except to create the opening itself Roof thickness 25-60mm Aerodynamic shape All materials are made of impact and weatherresistant plastics Aerodynamic design Mosquito screen Block-out blind

This Fiamma hatch 40x40cm roof light - made with superior quality impact and UV-resistant materials - is supplied with a permanent airflow ventilation system and mosquito screen. The external aerodynamic cover guarantees a watertight system. And for installation on roofs with depths of maximum 8.5cm, an optional extension kit is available. During high-speed testing noise and vibrations were greatly reduced, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aerodynamic thanks to an elegant external profile top. A centre support adjusting arm also provides maximum stability. RRP: $129 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 400x400mm Weight: Not supplied Colours: White Materials: Acrylic Locking mechanism: Not supplied

Features Impact-resistant and UV-resistant Ventilation system Aerodynamic cover Centre support adjusting arm

Special Feature Caravan components

12V HATCHES Coast To Coast RV Services Maxxfan Plus

Aussie Traveller 12V Thule Vent

RV ventilation has never been easier than with a MaxxFan. They’ve been used in the US RV market since 1988, and they are now exclusively available from Coast to Coast RV Services. The MaxxFan Plus and the MaxxFan Deluxe both have a manual and electric opening option, and they also have a ceiling-mounted control panel that is easy to use and read.

ATRV’s stylish manual Thule vents are available in white, translucent or transparent to perfectly suit your caravan or RV requirements. All Thule vents come with a mosquito screen and a block-out blind, both of which retract completely. The aerodynamic shape of the Thule vent means that a spoiler is not required and the clever clamp design provides a simple and secure fixing method for a wide range of roof thicknesses. Ventilation occurs even when the lid is closed to ensure that your caravan or RV is never stuffy and the low voltage protector means that it will never flatten your battery if it’s accidentally left on. With six ventilation speeds, the 12V Thule vent is perfectly suited to all climates.

RRP: $480 Warranty: 12 months Limited Dimensions: 461x420x97mm (closed); 461x420x311mm (open) Weight: 4.4kg Colours: White Materials: Polyethylene Locking mechanism: n/a

Features Manual/electric opening option Ceiling-mounted control panel

Camec Fan-Tastic Vent 3350 Power The Fan-Tastic Vent 3350 Power’s lid automatically closes in rain. Its reversible fan is thermostatically controlled and has a manual knob to close the dome in an emergency. This three-speed fan also comprises a reverse switch for either intake or exhaust, and it draws only 3A maximum and has a built-in 6A fuse which is easily accessible on the face. RRP: $599 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 355x355mm Weight: 5.12kg Colours: White lid or smoke lid Materials: Polyethylene Locking mechanism: Not supplied

Features Rain sensor Reversible fan Easy installation Reverse switch

Camec Jensen Roof Vent 12V The Jensen roof vent has a self-centring device which eliminates installation guesswork and assures perfect alignment in the roof opening. Its radius corners are standard, and the screen allows air through while keeping insects out. The roof vent also comprises an acrylic UV-resistant translucent lid and a 12V fan. RRP: $149 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 360x360mm Weight: Not supplied Colours: White Materials: Acrylic with metal base Locking mechanism: Not supplied

Features Self-centreing device UV-resistant lid 12V fan

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Coast To Coast RV Services Fiamma Vent Turbo 28 White The Turbo 28 provides fresh air for your RV’s bathroom or kitchen. It comes with a fan (18cm in diameter), permanent airflow system and mosquito screen. Suitable for installation on roofs with a maximum thickness of 8.5cm. RRP: $249.95 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 280x280mm Weight: 2.4kg Colours: White Materials: Polyethylene Locking mechanism: Not supplied

Features

RRP: $295.52 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 400x400mm (inside); 472x459mm (outside) Weight: 4.5kg Colours: White, transparent or translucent dome and cream inner-frame. Materials: White polypropylene or transparent polycarbonate and ABS, flyscreen and block-out blind Locking mechanism: Locking handle

Features Easy installation without drilling It is not necessary to drill through the roof, except to create the opening itself Roof thickness 25-60mm Aerodynamic shape All materials are made of impact and weather-resistant plastics Adjustable ventilator speed The Thule vent has an energy-saving function, a boost function and a safety mechanism to guard against excess voltage, incorrect connection and blockage Touch control panel with LED indication Mosquito screen Block-out blind

Airflow system Mosquito screen 18cm diameter fan Suitable for roof installation tradervs.com.au

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Special Feature Caravan components

DOORSTEPS Tecno Electric Doorstep This electric step is operated by a switch and has a maximum load weight of 150kg. The clearance required is 170mm deep when closed. And the closed step is 50mm proud of the mounted flange while the open step is 300mm proud of the mounted flange. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available in single or double step.

Colours: Silver Materials: Aluminium/steel

Features Operated by a switch Maximum load weight â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 150kg

RRP: $550 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 560x210mm Weight: 5.5kg

Ranger RV Supplies Doorsteps Ranger has single/double aluminium manual steps and single/ double aluminium electric steps. RRP: $140.25 (single manual step); $328.35 (double manual step); $245.85 (single electric step); $575.85 (double electric step) Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: Single: 540mm (width), 210mm (drop height); Double: 540mm (width), 300mm (drop height) Weight: 5.9kg (single manual step); 6.9kg (single electric step); 7.7kg (double manual step); 8.7kg (double electric step)

Colours: Silver Materials: Aluminium

Features Light and sturdy Easy installation

Dometic RV Milenco MGI Double Doorstep The Milenco MGI double step ensures a safe entry and exit from recreational vehicles every time. The Milenco MGI will provide you with peace of mind, knowing that your family and friends will have a safe way to enter and exit your recreational vehicle. Built from durable plastics, the Milenco MGI is built for long-lasting and reliable performance.

RRP: $84 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 620x530x370mm Weight: 2.9kg Colours: Black Materials: 100 per cent recycled plastic

Features Safe entry and exit 100 per cent recycled plastic, environmentally friendly Safely carries a load of 200kg Long-lasting and reliable performance

Camec Portable Doorstep This easily stored aluminium portable step is extremely strong, with foldable legs.

RRP: $79.95 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 450x350x185mm Weight: Approx. 2kg Colours: Grey Materials: Aluminium

Coast To Coast Fiamma Large Plastic Doorstep Platinum Magnum The Platinum Magnum is made from UV-resistant HD polyethylene for great stability and strength. The base of the legs can also be pegged into the ground for extra stability. This large plastic doorstep is grey in colour and can hold up to 200kg. RRP: $249.95 Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 400x580x40mm

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Weight: 1.3kg Colours: Grey Materials: Polyethylene

Features UV-resistant Stable and strong 200kg weight capacity

Features Strength Easy storage Foldable legs

METROLINK

BRAVO

FAMILY ESCAPE

TERRA SPORTZ

VITA

PRIDE PLATINUM

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER or VISIT OUR WEBSITE NOVACARAVANS.COM.AU

Special Feature Caravan components

DOORSTEPS continued... Aussie Traveller Thule Doorsteps ATRV’s range of Thule steps are available in two manual and three motorised designs, with the slide-out step available in three widths. The manual steps are unfolded and folded by hand. The motorised versions are operated using a switch and conform to the EMV and CE standards. Simple and easy to use, Thule’s range of steps are attached to your caravan or RV so that they are always there when you need them. The formulated quality standards exceed European standard EN1646. A switch for the connection of a warning lamp in the vehicle is supplied as standard to let you know when the step is still extended so that you don’t drive off before it’s retracted. The corners of the step are rounded and the treads are non-slip for your safety. For optimal visibility, your motorised Thule step can be fitted with a set of LED lights (one set per step).

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A relay with motorised steps ensures that the steps are folded up when the motor starts. The step control box can be installed as an option. This ensures that the steps are automatically folded and unfolded when the door is opened and closed. RRP: $213.86 (single manual drop-down) Warranty: 12 months Dimensions: 550x180mm (folded); 219mm (extended) Weight: 6kg (single manual drop-down) Colours: Silver Materials: Corrugated anodised aluminium, fastening frame from aluminium

Features Bolts quickly and easily to your chassis Extremely solid yet very light Heavy-duty springs keep the step retracted when travelling, even on rough outback roads A 12V motor can be purchased and installed at a later date Maximum static load of 200kg

ANTERBURY CARAVANS

WWW.CANTERBURYCARAVANS.COM.AU

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Travel

Northern Rivers, NSW

f o PLACE PLENTY Combining beautiful beaches, a rainforest-clad hinterland, a balmy sub-tropical climate and a laidback lifestyle, the Northern Rivers region is definitely one to add to your list. PICS MATT FEHLBERG

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behind coffee machines and the warmth of the locals who offered us advice on where to eat and what to see during our stay.

FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA

he weekend I was originally scheduled to visit NSW’s Northern Rivers region, tropical cyclone Debbie hit the Queensland coast, causing widespread flooding and significant storm damage in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. Parts of the Northern Rivers were deemed disaster zones and some towns were evacuated to escape the rising floodwaters. So when I arrived at Ballina Airport a month later to clear, sunny skies and a gentle, subtropical breeze, it was hard to imagine the chaos that must have been. What was apparent, though, was how much the local communities had banded together in the clean up to help those who had lost everything in the floods. This strong sense of community is something that really strikes you as you travel through this area – from neighbours leaning over fences for a chat, to the friendly faces who greet you from

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WORDS ALI MILLAR Clockwise from above: Exploring the region’s rainforests, waterfalls and lookout points; taking in the local sights.

The Northern Rivers region stretches up the northern NSW coast towards Tweed Heads and the Queensland border and down to the Clarence River in the south, taking in numerous towns like Ballina, Byron Bay, Lismore, Nimbin, Brunswick Heads, Lennox Head and Bangalow along the way. This area is probably best known for its alternative lifestyle and 60s counter culture, along with a laidback Aussie surf culture inextricably tied to Byron Bay. And it is all that. But it’s also so much more. The region’s sub-tropical climate makes exploring the lengthy coastline, excellent surf beaches and quaint coastal towns a real treat, while the lush, rainforest-covered hillsides of the hinterland offer a different experience, with narrow roads winding through the countryside and laneways disappearing off into the trees. Waterfalls cascade off the edges of cliffs, and rivers meander around misty mountains, through green pastureland and tiny towns toward the sea. This area is dotted with the skinny spires and peaks of the mountains, including the iconic pinnacle of WollumbinMount Warning – sacred to the Bundjalung people and the ﬁrst place on the Australian

Travel

Northern Rivers, NSW

Journey planner The Northern Rivers Region of NSW stretches from Tweed Heads and the Queensland border in the north to the Clarence River in the south, encompassing the coast and hinterland of far northern NSW. Ballina is around 200km south of Brisbane and around 35km south of Byron Bay. It’s 745km north of Sydney. Information on Nightcap National Park and the Rummery Park campground in the Whian Whian State Conservation Area can be found at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au General information on the region can be found at www.visitnsw.com Visitor information centres are located in Byron Bay, Ballina, Brunswick Heads and Alstonville.

mainland lit by the morning sun. You could occupy yourself for weeks here, wandering the streets of colourful villages, climbing up mountains and down narrow goat tracks to the base of waterfalls, lazing on the beaches watching surfers ride effortlessly, or casting a line into the waves as the sun sets behind you. We were in the area to test out Horizon’s Melaleuca motorhome, and although we didn’t have the lu xury of time, we decided it was imperative to spend at least a couple of days exploring the area.

HEAD OF THE QUEUE After picking up the motorhome in Ballina, we hightailed it 15 minutes up the road to the sleepy beachside village of Lennox Head. From Lennox Point, just south of town, the Pat Morton Lookout offers views up Seven Mile Beach, and is a great place to watch the surfers on the break below. In season, whales can be seen all up this coast, and the lookout is a great spot for gazing out to sea. A walking track takes you over the grassy headland and south towards Boulder Beach, providing excellent views from the top of the headland before winding behind the pandanus that dot the beach below. At the other end of town, Lake Ainsworth is a peaceful backdrop for a barbecue or picnic, and is a popular freshwater swimming spot. Located just behind the beach, the lake is surrounded

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by trees and is perfect for kayaking or standup paddle boarding. We even saw a few fish being reeled in from the tannin-stained water while we sat on the lake’s edge enjoying the sunshine. Before continuing our journey, we stopped at the Lennox Gelato and Coffee Co where I couldn’t resist trying the bright yellow turmeric gelato – delicious! Eating an ice cream while taking in the beachfront views from the grassy foreshore is highly recommended.

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Northern Rivers, NSW

Northern Rivers, NSW Prepared to explore. www.hemamaps.com

Prepared to explore. www.hemamaps.com

Above right: The stunning coastal scenery of the Northern Rivers region.

HINTERLAND HIGHLIGHTS Although the distances are short, once you hit the winding hinterland roads it’s slowgoing, and you should allow yourself time to explore properly. Locals recommended lunch at Doma Café in Federal, which specialises in Japanese fare, including fresh sushi rolls and miso soup, alongside homemade burgers and great coffee. It’s popular and can be busy on weekends, but it’s worth checking out and there’s plenty of seating outside. A couple of chickens wandered past while we chowed down on our sushi, encapsulating the rustic feel of the grounds and

entertaining the kids at the next table. We got our coffees to take away and continued up the narrow, winding road towards Minyon Falls – another local recommendation. The falls are in Nightcap National Park and there are two lookouts you can check out. Turn left as you drive in for excellent views across the valley to the waterfall. Then, once you’ve had your ﬁll, backtrack down the bumpy dirt road in the opposite direction and you’ll reach the second lookout, right next to the top of the falls and looking back out across the rainforest towards the coast. From here, you’re up close and

Where to stay We stayed at North Coast Holiday Parks Massey Greene on the banks of the Brunswick River in Brunswick Heads and just a short walk from the centre of town. This peaceful park has an array of powered and unpowered sites, including waterfront sites set just back off the edge of the river. Cabin accommodation is also available. Facilities include a camp kitchen, barbecues, laundry, free wi-fi and a children’s playground. Brunswick Heads is located just under 20 minutes north of Byron Bay and is a great base for exploring the Northern Rivers region.

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Continuing Trakmasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long tradition of building true offroad caravans comes the Trakmaster Pilbara Extreme, with the ultimate in offroad ability. It is a complete package ready to take on your next outback adventure. Built with a reinforced chassis designed to withstand the extreme rigours of the offroad, the Pilbara Extreme also features Trakair suspension which makes towing a dream. With two layouts available and loaded with standard features, the Pilbara Extreme caters for any lifestyle, no matter where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going. Join us on Facebook!

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Northern Rivers, NSW

Above: Ali enjoys views of the Brunswick River. Right: A few local residents crossing the road; some of the ancient tree roots found along the river.

personal with the cascading water, gazing down onto the dense canopy and the base of the falls, where you can take a dip in the natural pool to cool off after the walk down. Camping is available in the neighbouring Whian Whian State Conservation Area at the Rummery Park campground, which is a good place to base yourself if you’re interested in exploring the rainforest walking tracks around the falls. The campground is accessible to 2WD vehicles. However, the dirt road into Minyon Falls was fairly rough after the recent rains, so I’d recommend calling ahead for advice on road

Where to eat and drink The Farm, Byron Bay Sip your coffee from the produce store as you wander the paddocks or grab a light salad or some barbecued ribs and a beer at Three Blue Ducks. Either way, this is an excellent place to soak up the laidback Byron lifestyle in a unique environment.

Hotel Brunswick, Brunswick Heads This huge hotel in the heart of

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Brunswick Heads houses a bistro and multiple bars as well as a massive beer garden that regularly plays host to live music. Serving classic pub food with a good array of beers on tap.

Doma Cafe, Federal Excellent Japanese fare served up in rustic surrounds. Tuck into sushi and miso soup or grab a coffee and breakfast at this popular local haunt. Takeaway lunch boxes of sushi are also available.

conditions and keeping an eye on the weather as it can become boggy after rain. On the other side of Nightcap National Park, and around an hour’s drive away, a 1.4km return walking track through the rainforest leads to the equally spectacular Protestor Falls, so named after the 1970s Terania Creek Protests that saved this untouched patch of rainforest from logging. Other hinterland highlights include quirky Nimbin – home base for the counter-culture this area is so well known for; Mullumbimby – with its excellent community farmers’ market each Friday morning and some great little cafes and

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Northern Rivers, NSW

shops; The Channon – which has a popular craft market held on the second Sunday of each month; and Bangalow – characterised by its colourful main street, lined with historical buildings and interesting shops to browse.

BEACH LIFE

R AT I B E

CEL

Top: Stroll up to Cape Byron Lighthouse. Above: Relaxing on the windswept beach.

The rain set in during the afternoon so we headed down out of the misty mountains to the coast and our base at North Coast Holiday Parks Massey Greene in Brunswick Heads (see p176). From our site at the van park, we wandered along the banks of the Brunswick River, around the edge of town and out the heads to the long, windswept beach. Brunswick Heads is another lovely beachside town to visit, and a much quieter option than Byron Bay.

Of course, no trip to the Northern Rivers would be complete without a visit to Byron itself. Ever-popular with tourists and backpackers, busy Byron is pretty built up these days and has changed plenty since I ﬁrst visited 15 years ago, and plenty more for those who spent time here back in the 60s and 70s, although it still holds its charm. Stop for a walk and a swim at The Pass before heading up to the iconic Cape Byron Lighthouse, perched on the easternmost point of the Australian mainland and providing unimpeded views up and down the coast. Then grab your lunch at Three Blue Ducks at The Farm, on Byron’s outskirts, and tuck into tasty local fare, or grab a coffee and a pastry (baked onsite) from the produce store and explore the grounds. This working farm is just as popular with kids as it is adults, and you can meet some of The Farm’s residents as you wander around, including black pigs, Scottish Highland cattle and chickens. There’s something about this area that makes you want to stop and smell the roses (or the frangipanis, perhaps?), and I wholeheartedly encourage any visitor to do just that. Make sure you take your time, enjoy the views, tuck into some tasty food, then sit back, relax and make the most of the laidback lifestyle, and just let it all unfold around you.

YEARS

www.caravanworld.biz tel (07) 5445 2215 7071 Bruce Highway, Chevallum, Qld 4555

Making tracks for others to follow. Projecta’s tried and tested DC/Solar Dual Battery Charger revolutionised the world of Dual Battery Chargers, leaving others to play catch up. Utilising state-of-the-art componentry, it has always handled both smart and conventional alternators with simultaneous solar and DC charging. Trust the innovators, not the followers.

You won’t believe what’s ahead.

Engineered in Australia for 1000s of Aussie adventurers

Projecta Intelli-Charge DC/Solar Dual Battery Charger • Easy installation & setup in vehicle or under the bonnet • Class leading operation up to 80˚C • IP67 rating – dust & water resistant • Shock & vibration proof • A host of safeguard features • Supports Gel, AGM, Wet and Calcium batteries • 3-stage charging for a safe, comprehensive charge

For more info visit www.projecta.com.au

e h t l l i W

BUBBLE BURST? CW talks to industry leaders about the boom in RV manufacturing and asks the big question: is it sustainable? WORDS KIRSTIE BEDFORD

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Special Feature Caravan industry outlook

here’s no denying it; the RV industry is booming. Latest research by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) shows unprecedented growth, with 7.1 million Australians going caravanning or camping in the past two years. Tourism Research Australia statistics for the year ending 2016 show the highest recorded annual growth in domestic caravanning and camping overnight trips and visitor nights since data was first recorded in 1998. In 2016, some 615,000 RVs were registered, securing it as the fastest growing category of motor vehicle and there are now more than 100 RV manufacturers in Australia. But with that

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phenomenal growth comes certain challenges and industry leaders are warning the sector could be headed down the same road as car manufacturing.

The RV industry is booming, but expert opinions on the future of manufacturing are mixed.

CONSOLIDATION TO CUT COST Richard Barwick, chief executive of Australia’s largest RV club, the Campervan & Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) which has some 70,000 members, says the reality is, the market will have to consolidate. “Even larger companies are going to have to move to consolidation and look at their business models to address the future. There is a saturation in the market of RVs and something will have to give as there won’t be enough tradervs.com.au

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demand for all that stock.” Caravan Industry Association of Australia chief executive Stuart Lamont agrees. “While making the industry very competitive and responsive to consumer trends there are simply too many individual manufacturers for the volume being produced. “While in international markets we have seen some aggregation and absorption of individual manufacturers which has resulted in even more locally manufactured units being produced .. this has not yet occurred in Australia.”

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Clockwise from top: Avida has been manufacturing RVs in Australia since 1965; Gabby Montagnese from New Age Caravans says her company is looking at new markets like motorhomes; Avida’s Ben Binns says Australia needs to keep an eye on the European market.

Ben Binns, chief executive of Avida, which has been manufacturing RVs in Australia since 1965, says we should have our eye on the international model. “If you look at the European market, 95 per cent is owned by seven companies and they are doing hundreds of thousands of vehicles. I think the consolidation model will be the future. By doing that, you create a more competitive marketplace which allows higher volume for people and drives the price down.” New Age Caravans director Gabby Montagnese

Special Feature Caravan industry outlook

says her company is already looking at tapping into new markets like motorhomes. “It’s something you can’t ignore. I think it’ll bring more consistency in the product they [the consumer] are getting, and it’ll bring costs down, streamline process and give best practice in manufacturing.” National manager of Mars Campers, Celso Prado, says those who ignore the warnings won’t survive. “One of the arts of surviving in business is to see the writing on the wall before anyone else does, unfortunately many manufacturers may not see it until it’s too late and we feel for them, however the consumer will be the biggest winner in the end as only the fittest and better ran teams will survive.” But Carl Bizon, chief executive of Jayco Australia, which holds half the market, producing 11,000 units a year in a market of 21,500, says there’s no point of consolidation for consolidation sake. “You have to understand what drives it and at the moment there’s no pressure for it. The growth of new companies and rebirth says you can comfortably exist as a small player so consolidation happens when there’s a threat they are trying to ward off and I’m not sure that exists.”

The caravan you want is now easier to find

Clockwise from above: Jayco produces 11,000 units a year; Jayco’s Carl Bizon says he’s unsure about the reality of any threat to the industry; New Age Caravans plans to move with the times.

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Above: Justin and Sarah Montesalvo and the Patriot crew are committed to Australian manufacturing.

“There is a saturation in the market of RVs and something will have to give, as there won’t be enough demand for all that stock” AUSSIE-MADE OUT THE DOOR? With the car manufacturing industry in this country all but moving offshore from next year, it does pose the question of whether it’s not a more sustainable model. Mars’ Celso Prado, which designs in Australia and imports from China, says there’s always a feeling that imports are bad and that they take away employment from Australia, when it’s simply not the case. “We also employ here so when political discussion is about jobs, its bigotry .. because the money we put back in the [Australian] economy is significant. “In my opinion the ‘imports are bad’ mentality prevails among those specific businesses experiencing a bad economy no matter how good the current economic climate

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is. Businesses who may be failing to innovate or are simply hanging on their brand heritage may still have associations or groups where they still have great influence and manage to propagate the doom and gloom message of ‘lets fight the imports’ .. instead of helping members sharp their business skills to take advantage of the changing landscape.” Prado predicts more manufacturers will have no choice but to move offshore. “There will be people who say they won’t ever move out of Australia, but they’ll end up going the same way as Toyota because of very high costs. Why not expand and conquer new countries instead of being squeezed out of yours?” Don’t, however, question the future of Australian manufacturing to third generation

Special Feature Caravan industry outlook

Australian manufacturer Justin Montesalvo who runs Patriot Campers. He’s as true-blue as they come and says there’s absolutely no question in his mind about the future of Australian manufacturing. “Australian manufacturing has always been the main priority for my company, I hold it pretty close to my heart and can see my kids going the same way. “So if we go down that path or building to price point with imported product, the quality isn’t here and that’s not an audience we’re targeting. “The market has been educated and is more savvy now .. because of the flooding of imported product .. and I don’t understand product selling and manufacturing just to make a dollar. I want to leave a legacy and for my two boys and

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daughter this is what I want to leave for them and we’ll always be advocates for Australianmade.” Peter Mannfolk, managing director of leading manufacturer of RV running gear, AL-KO Australia, agrees there will always be a strong place for an Australian-made product. “They are unique because of the offroad focus which you don’t see in European manufactured caravans and there will always be demand by the consumer to buy Australian-made because of customisation, while the offshore manufactured option is more suited to standard product.” Barwick says he would love to see as much Australian manufacturing as possible but says the manufacturing sector has to listen to the customer.

Above: While the Mars Campers Ares 1 hybrid was designed and built in Australia, much of Mars’ range is imported, although national manager Celso Prado said the company is still responsible for employing Aussies.

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Special Feature Caravan industry outlook

Above: Old and new – Jayco is still the major market leader and chief executive Carl Bizon believes there’ll be no major consolidation of the market in the near future.

“This industry has had a chequered past because of compliance, and manufacturers have to ensure product is fully compliant because imports do cause problems with compliance.”

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE Lamont says while imported product may, in some cases, have different features or look, or come at a different price, “they also, in most

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cases, are not constructed specifically with Australian regulations or product use in mind”. “Consumers should do their homework and purchase a product from a manufacturer, retailer, importer in which they have trust that in the event they do have a problem, they can receive the necessary positive support to continue their caravanning and camping adventures into the future.”

Automatic Satellite System

Just Turn On, Press “OK” And the Signal locks Within 80 Seconds! The SatKing ProMax Fully Automatic Motorised Satellite TV system is the most advanced satellite TV system on the market. The unit has a dual output LNB and suits both Foxtel and VAST satellite TV, just plug in your existing satellite receiver or purchase one of our new SatKing VAST receivers to be watching TV across Australia. Utilising the latest in flat panel design, the unit is compact using a very small amount of area on the roof of the van but yet very powerful. Adding to this the Pro Max has recently been upgraded to now provide Australia wide coverage (excluding the tip of Cape York) for all VAST and Foxtel channels. Also the unit is already MPEG4 HD unlike many other units on the market that are only MPEG2 that will stop working in the future.

Main Features: • Fully automatic with built in 24 Channel GPS for fast signal locating • Supports VAST and Foxtel Satellite TV across Australia • Automatic retraction once you are travelling above 10KPH • Suits Caravan, Motorhome and Motor Vehicle use • Easy to install and simple to Use, just turn it on and press “Ok” • 1300 Number Help Line to assist you along the way

www.pacificcaravans.com To find your closest SatKing Dealer go to: www.satkingpromax.com.au or phone 1300 139 255

LONGtimeCOMING

Patience was a virtue for Craig Quinn and Susie England who now believe they’ve hit the jackpot with a new Golf Savannah pop-top.

WORDS AND PICS DAVID COOK

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ome come to caravanning with little more than a desire to travel and see the country. Others arrive with a long history of camping and outdoor activities, full of enthusiasm and a shed full of gear and only need to satisfy a yearning for a few more creature comforts. Craig Quinn, from Forestville, in suburban northern Sydney, is a part of that latter group. He had been camping under canvas most of his life. Starting as a youth in Scouts, he progressed to a rich life of camping experience with his family in tents ranging from “everything from sensible setups to Taj Mahals”. After a 10-year break to concentrate on boating when his children graduated to their own families, Craig decided he should get back

to some serious camping. So he took himself to a camping show with the intention to purchase a small dome tent. He went home the owner of a basic Marlin brand softfloor camper. It was nothing to boast about, but he figured that since he already had an extensive collection of the camping basics at home, he needed only the outer shell to keep off the weather. He then spent some time working out what he did need, and discovered that he was short on a lot of things. That’s when he stumbled upon the online group, CamperTrailers.org, and began attending their events, uncovering the range of camper trailers that were then available and soon came to the conclusion that he didn’t want to be dealing with canvas anymore. In 2013, he rediscovered the Avan Cruiseliner.

Readers’ Rigs

He’d already seen them at camping shows and dismissed them but, seeing one in the field and in use, he fell in love with the little double popup camper-cum-caravan. “I just loved the space and the openness,” he recalled. “The quick set up and minimal canvas was all in line with my desires. The ground clearance wasn’t great, but it had never been an issue for me.” At the time, he’d been looking at a Jayco Penguin but had been stymied by the Jayco’s weight of nearly 1200kg Tare and 1500kg ATM. This put it over his Subaru Forester’s towing capacity, but the Cruiseliner, with a Tare of 895kg, came in under the Subaru’s tow limit and that sealed the deal. The Avan opened new perspectives on

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travelling for Craig. It became a part of his profile around campgrounds and caravan parks. He began to attend meetings of the popular and active Central Coast Avan Group and shortly after was elected the group’s president. During this time, Craig met a new partner, Susie England, who had a background in tent camping and four-wheel driving. She fitted straight in with Craig’s lifestyle, and loved the travelling and camping. Craig’s retirement from a career in IT marketing – he is a qualified electronics engineer – had just hit him, and with Susie about to take her leave of the workforce, it seemed this was a time to make some big decisions about the future. In the middle of all this, that old bugbear of

From top left: Craig Quinn with his Avan Cruiseliner; the flag pole mounted to the drawbar is popular at Avan gatherings; an awning extension shelters the external kitchen. tradervs.com.au

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so many caravans (including the Cruiseliner) – ground clearance – began to raise its head. “Once I’d settled into the Avan, I began to venture further afield, sometimes on minor tracks, and the Avan found them a challenge,” Craig said. “Ground clearance was the biggest problem, but I also found that my version of the Cruiseliner was not intended for dirt tracks, and the hinges for the roof began to suffer. It started me looking elsewhere. “I thought that I’d find the answer in small pop-tops with better ground clearance, heavier suspension and chassis setups, and that’s where I began looking. I decided what I needed was a pop-top caravan with some measure of offroad credentials.” Having moved on with his tow vehicle, from the Subaru to a Prado diesel 4WD, the weight issue was largely dispensed with. “The choice of going with or without an ensuite was a decision point,” Craig continued, “but we figured that as long as we could carry a porta-potty, we were prepared to go without. Though we’d found a lot of satisfaction and fun with camper trailers and had learned to enjoy outside cooking, we were preparing to go without it because we were not willing to pay the high prices being asked for many offroad-capable vans with outside cooking. “Susie and I did not want something to go down 4WD-only tracks but we did want the capability to go into national parks and to get to a good

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Above: The Golf Savannah met all of Craig and Susie’s caravan wants. Right: Craig fitted a water pump in plastic box to pump water from the jerry can (or a creek) for the shower.

Readers’ Rigs

camp down on a river or something like that. “While browsing online through lists of second-hand offroad pop-tops in mid-September last year I came across a Golf Savannah. It was a brand and model that I wasn’t aware of at the time, but I should have been, as it is made by Avan.” This was right up Craig’s alley, as it would enable him to continue his association with the Avan Group, which caters for all products from that manufacturer. And it met all Craig’s and Susie’s wants with a caravan. It had outside cooking, an internal ensuite and an offroad capability that would suit them right down to the ground. It wasn’t hardcore but it had the ability to tackle most dirt tracks and had plenty of ground clearance. Craig went straight online to see what he could find, but there was nothing second-hand. However, he found a new 499 model on the lot at Avan Penrith. He and Susie went out and crawled all over it and loved everything they saw. They thought it out overnight and went back the next day and bought it. The only misgivings Craig had were with the storage. In the Cruiseliner, there was a big open space under the bed where all manner of items could be carried, but this wasn’t available in the Golf and Craig began to think he’d have to be leaving things like his Baby Q barbecue at home but, as it’s turned out, that isn’t the case. “In fact, the storage issue has begun to fall

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Clockwise from above: Craig and Susie take a break and enjoy the comfort of the Golf Savannah; the J-section moulding Craig added above the front boot hatch to keep water out; a portable double-step has replaced the standard metal fold-out step which was bent twice in the first four months of travel.

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Above: Craig and Susie plan to tour extensively in the coming years in their Golf Savannah.

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into place and we have found we can carry the Baby Q, and everything else we originally carried and still have space to spare,” Craig admitted. Craig and Susie have rapidly begun to settle into their new van. They have spotted a few minor shortcomings and have moved to fix them, as most owners of new vans do. Craig found that rain falling on the front of the van would collect in the groove on top of the rubber pinchweld for the front boot’s access hatch. He solved that with a strip of a J-shaped aluminium moulding pop riveted to the body above the hatch, which diverts most of any run-off away and leaves the gap clear so that water doesn’t fall into the boot when the hatch is opened. He fitted an awning de-flapper from Aussie Traveller, and a front extension for the rollout awning from Caravan Bug, which shelters the external kitchen, though in really bad weather they still have to retreat inside. Craig fitted a water pump into a portable plastic box, with a hose at the inlet which draws water from a jerry can at the rear and an outlet hose on the other side to provide water to the shower to avoid having to draw water from the van’s tanks. A water filter ensures that the water is clean, so that it can also be used to draw from a creek or pond. An Anderson plug for a simple power provision for this feature is planned. Luckily, Craig also found that the jerry can holder on the back of the van is a perfect fit for

transporting a metal firebox which he had made some time before, and this meant they can still enjoy an outside fire without concerns for finding a fireplace or burning a patch in the grass. A mirror has also been added to the interior, something which didn’t come standard with the Golf. Craig also came to the rescue when Susie began to ask about hanging space, so he fashioned a simple crossbar from Cubelock aluminium which allows the ensuite to be used to hang a couple of dresses and can be lifted out and the dresses hung from the nearby pop-up handle when the space is needed for a shower. Craig had to go this route as he’d added shelving into the internal hanging space – an idea he had trialled with the Cruiseliner – as they initially figured that it provided a much more practical use of the available space. The Golf came standard with an 80W solar panel on the roof and a single 95Ah AGM battery but Craig had a second 80W panel and second 95Ah battery installed before picking it up. He was also looking to have an Anderson plug installed to permit him to plug in an external solar panel but has now decided that the current capacity of the system is adequate, as it meets the needs of the 30L external fridge drawer and the lighting and the three-way fridge internally doesn’t impose any load on it. Craig was disappointed with the fitted side step, which he felt projected too far down and limited his new-found ground clearance. The

Readers’ Rigs

Above left: A removable hanging bar for the ensuite enables it to be used as a wardrobe. Above right: The ensuite being used to hang clothes with the removable bar.

WAN-HH-5208656-CS-170

side step has been removed after being bent twice and a portable plastic two step unit replaced it. This has proven to work well and is stored just inside the door when underway, using a simple ply barrier which drops in behind the door’s lip. Probably the most unique fitting is a flag pole, which Craig wheels out at Avan gatherings, and which attaches to a mount on the drawbar. It’s a simple piece-together item that is travelling in its supplied cardboard box for the moment but he is pondering having an aluminium box made for it so the pieces can travel on the drawbar. “One of the most common comments from caravanners is of their desire for more clearance,” Craig added. “Now that I had found it I don’t want it compromised. All up, I’m thrilled to bits with the Golf and what it offers us.” Now that the Golf is pretty much where they want it, providing a functional and comfortable base, Craig and Susie are planning to tour extensively in the coming years. It’s been an evolutionary long but rapid trip from a small dome tent to the Golf Savannah, but Craig and the new lady in his life think it’s been well worth it and have named their van ‘Long Time Coming’.

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T R AV E L H A P P Y We shine the spotlight on caravanners, their rigs and their travel tales.

The Wolfes have a hot tip for anyone travelling to Carnarvon, WA – pay a visit to the Carnarvon Space and Technology Museum. “We were caretakers at the museum, a wonderful place to visit,” writes Brian Wolfe. “It shows how Carnarvon played a role in the manned space program of Apollo and Skylab missions to the moon. Also, it explains the communication program along with the tracking stations.”

“This is a picture of our rig at Irvinebank (near Herberton) in north Qld,” write Lindsay and Polly Neven. “Irvinebank is the site of Qld’s largest tin mine. Many buildings are heritage listed, including the National Bank building shown directly behind our rig. “Irvinebank has a free camp with toilets and hot showers, and plenty of friendly people!”

Greg Amor sent in this pic of his recent camping trip. “This is all set up on the shores of Copeton Dam in our 2009 Windsor Genesis for a relaxing weekend of free camping and fishing. “It was our dog Diesel’s first camping trip and he loved it, too.”

“This pic of our Sunland Longreach and Mazda BT50 was taken at Kurrajong camp at Cape Range National Park near Exmouth in WA,” write Sheryl and Tony Ryan. “The sun had not quite gone down and the full moon was slowly rising in the clear sky. It’s a beautiful part of Australia.”

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This month’s winner has won a BM PRO BatteryCheck from Setec, valued at $299 (RRP). A first in the RV market, the BatteryCheck simply connects to deep-cycle batteries and communicates wirelessly with Apple and Android smartphones via a mobile app. RV owners can view real time data including volts and amps, time remaining, temperature, battery status, state of charge and battery health – all with the touch of a button. For more information, visit www.teambmpro.com

Readers’ Rigs

“Here’s a picture from our recent trip to the centre,” write Heck and Di McGregor. “This was taken at Poddy Creek rest area between Middleton and Winton. “We were heading home after three months out in the centre in our BT50 and Crusader Cross Country van. “The sunsets and sunrises are second to none out this way, and are different everyday.”

Sally and Albert Jones are big advocates for the beauty of Somerset Dam in Queensland, and reckon it’s a top fishing spot. “G’day CW,” they write. “Pictured is our Jeep GC and Lotus Freelander at Somerset Dam. The fishing, birdlife, peace and serenity are our favourite reasons that keep us returning! “It’s a lovely spot, not too far from Brisbane, out at Kilkoy. Fishing here is good with Yellowbelly, Bass, and Catfish plentiful. “The Redclaw is so prolific, they literally jump into your net! Folk were catching heaps on Sunlight soap and tinned catfood. “Happy travels!”

“This was our first trip to Lightning Ridge,” write Graham and Jenny Whitten. “We loved it, what a quirky town it was.”

HOW TO WIN

Just email your most travel-inspiring picture (2-3MB) of yourself, family and friends with your rig, along with a brief description to submissions@ adventuresgroup.com.au with ‘Readers’ Rigs’ in the subject line, or send a print to Caravan World Readers’ Rigs,125 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield North, Vic 3161. All entries must include your full postal address (not for publication). Photo submissions may also appear on www.caravanworld.com.au

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Street Talk

Gas or diesel heating? Malcolm takes a look at the best way to ward off the chill in your motorhome this winter.

WITH MALCOLM STREET

ell, here in the southern states, winter has made its presence felt and it’s that time when many RVers either head north or park up their rigs for the season. There are many, though, who keep on travelling. That includes myself (and CW Editor Laura) who can often be found heading for our alpine areas. And winter is also the times when motorhomers have an advantage over caravanners – especially those with walk-through layouts. No need to get outside for hitching/unhitching or setting up! Something that has made winter travel much more pleasant over the past decade is the advent of air-heaters, usually diesel or gas-fired. Reversecycle air-conditioners do work up to a point – that is, they work as it gets towards 0°C but, after that, not so much. Familiar air-heater manufacturers include Webasto, Eberspacher and Truma. Several manufacturers offer combined water and air heaters, which do have a space advantage. But a question I’m often asked is whether fuel, gas, or diesel-fired heaters are better? I haven’t done any scientific tests on this matter but I have used LPG and diesel-fired heaters here in Australia and in the snow country of New Zealand. Both worked quite well, and kept me warm at night. However, the actual fuel source is a different matter and I think that diesel heaters do have the edge for a number of reasons. One of the principal ones is that, last year, when snowbound at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand, I ran out of LPG in the evening. Consequently, neither my air or water heater was working and it was a very cold night in my motorhome. I had only one gas cylinder and the snow was creating driving difficulties, as I didn’t have snow chains. I’d actually received a warning sign earlier because the gas heater had started to play up. I have since learned that when the gas cylinder

Above: A thinner and taller style of fridge. Below: Air-heaters have made winter travel more pleasant.

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starts to get empty, the propane/butane mix changes and butane does not burn as well as propane. Diesel heaters tend to produce a drier heat, thus reducing condensation and humidity. For motorhome owners, they have another interesting advantage – they can be used while driving along. A couple of years ago, I was making a late evening drive into the NSW Snowy Mountains region. About 20 minutes before I finally stopped for the night, I fired up the diesel heater and, consequently, had a warmed up living area before I settled in. Also in favour of diesel heaters, there are less installation regulations to deal with, particularly if doing a retro-installation. That might sound like a solid case for diesel heaters, but LPG heaters do have some advantages, too. For a start, they are generally cheaper. In diesel powered motorhomes, a diesel heater is a no brainer – all that is required is a tap into the main fuel tank. However, caravans and fifth wheelers are a different matter. Because they don’t have a builtin diesel tank, using LPG makes a lot of sense, especially if you already have two 9kg cylinders mounted on the front drawbar! Having a diesel heater means fitting a separate diesel tank. After my NZ experience, I would certainly recommend having two gas cylinders, if you also have an air heater fitted, though.

FRIDGE SIZES AND KEYS

It’s not always a subject of great conversation, but RV fridge dimensions here in Australia have remained fairly consistent over the years, particularly the width. A variety of fridge capacities are available, generally speaking either single door under-bench models or two-door fridge/ freezer units. Across the Tasman, in many of the motorhomes imported from Europe, a new style of fridge has appeared over the last year or so that is thinner and taller (for the same capacity) than what we are used to. When I first saw them, I wondered about the practicalities, but having looked at a couple of smaller RV layouts in recent times, it’s not hard to see the advantages where space is tight. And the time-honoured position of the microwave oven might have to change! I often wonder, though, why there is such an extended time lag before new products out of Europe arrive in Australia. It’s a bit like keys for RV external bins and doors – I keep wondering why the Europeans seem to be able to produce caravan and motorhomes with one or two keys for everything but manufacturers here don’t seem to able to. I guess that’s a problem with both living on the other side of the world and having a relatively small population and a big country.

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The joys of camping

Roothy reflects on the satisfaction of getting away from it all.

PICS ROD PILBEAM

WITH JOHN ‘ROOTHY’ ROOTH

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’m sitting in my office looking through the window at the gum trees in the paddock next door. That’s not much of an opening line for a column but it’s true. And, if I think about it, I’ve probably spent a good part of my office life staring at the bush or the mountains or the sky on the other side of the glass. It could be a ‘search for inspiration’ or it could just be daydreaming. If the memory of whacks across the hand serves right, a few teachers back in my school years definitely put it down to dreaming. In fact, my biggest memory from the last year of school, stressed out by the need to do well to get that engineering scholarship I thought I couldn’t live without, is still staring at the hills in the distance. Looking for places to explore, tracks to try, breaks in the trees that might make for a good place to camp. Damn, and that was in the 1970s! And, let’s face it, modern life is even more hectic. For all the labour saving devices and

conveniences, the digital era seems to have us busier than ever. Too many things to think about? But as always, the respite, the relief, comes from spending time in the natural world again. Packing up and heading bush for a camp. Hey, I’m not telling you anything here. You wouldn’t have bought this magazine if you weren’t keen on getting out, camping under the stars and exploring this wonderful country we share. There’s nothing better than dumping the routines of daily life and heading bush. But you have to ask why is it so therapeutic? That was the topic of conversation during the nights we spent camped at the Clem Walton Park near Cloncurry in outback Queensland. The name suggests a whole lot more infrastructure than the old long drop toilet block which is actually there, but this is one of those absolute gems of camping life – a spacious free camp where the local council encourages people to stay. No charge other

Roothy’s Shed than the usual respect for keeping things clean, and an understanding you’ll probably spend some money fuelling up and buying groceries in their district. Shopping in a country town is always one of the joys of our camping trips. I’m not much use in a big shopping mall crowded with people, escalating their way through floors of shops selling the same stuff in different colours. It doesn’t matter how many little farm animals or car raffles they bung in the remaining free space, the places seem to scream plastic consumer lifestyle. Most of our Aussie country towns tend to offer a completely different experience, with the old buildings that are testament to some founding father’s faith in the future, to the people who always have time for a chat. I love it. Things slow down in the country, people have more time for each other and the desire to help each other takes precedence over

the need to make a buck. For us people who love practical clothing, it’s just a case of finding the right shop, and most of the decisions will be made for you. Country shopkeepers can’t afford to sell rubbish products because the town will talk and pretty soon they’ll run out of customers. Country people value qualities like strength and durability above fashion and they don’t want to pay more than have to either. Doesn’t matter whether it’s clothes or groceries, I’ll spend my money in the bush any day. This camp came after a hectic month in the city preparing for another filming trip where the usual stresses had been magnified no end. Then we’d had a couple of big days driving the long outback roads with nothing other than meal and sleep stops to break things up. It was all about ‘making a mile’ until we took time out for a big shop in Cloncurry - where I scored a couple of strong blue flanno shirts, the ultimate in winter camping gear! Half an hour later we ducked

”But, as always, the respite, the relief, comes from spending time in the natural world again”

Top left: Now I know why I painted Milo green. You almost lose her in the long grass next to a waterhole! Left: Fires can bring out the caveman in a bloke can’t they? Not much better than mucking around at the end of a day of, er, mucking around...

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Above: Oops, that definitely looks like the Handbrake taking Milo for a spin! Just how relaxed can a bloke get? Karen loves the old truck as much as me these days, it’s become part of our family.

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through a gate and took that little dirt track past the Corella Dam. I’d been here before but not to camp and had promised myself then we’d be back. Why? Because there are corners of this great dry land that call out to your soul. Special places, usually associated with water or shade or a view, that are the nooks and crannies left from unfolding the great brown carpet of Australia. When you find a great place to camp in Australia you can pretty much bet you’re not the first. There’s at least 40 thousand years where people have thought much the same thing. In that great long timeline of our country, Clem Walton himself came pretty late. Clem and his mate Norm McConachy were out prospecting in 1955 when they discovered uranium rich rock not far from our camp. They named the site Mary Kathleen after Norm’s wife and, a year later, the Rio Tinto group moved in to develop the mine and a township to serve it. Water for the town was supplied from Lake Corella which

formed after the construction of the, wait for it, Clem Walton Dam in 1959. Yep, discover one of the world’s richest veins of uranium and you’ll get your name plastered all over the place for posterity. Clem Walton was undoubtedly one of Mount Isa’s greatest pioneers and it’s one more measure of how recent Australia’s history is that he passed away aged only 67 in 1971. Strangely, that’s the same year I was caned for daydreaming... When you camp for a living, you get pretty quick at it and, in no time at all, we had our bunks out, the swags unrolled and the kitchen set up on the lower reaches of the Corella River. Closer to the dam wall there’s those long drop toilets, and the sites near them were taken up by vanners who looked like they were staying more than a night or two. A camper trailer with a family from Victoria was set up around the bend from us but our camp came with that wonderful privacy that some of us really relish. There was

Roothy’s Shed plenty of wood for a fire, too. There’s a fair bit of accessible camping ground around here but it’s far enough away from the main routes to allow for a bit of freedom. Perfect! A day stretched into two as we relaxed to the rhythm of the bush. That’s the joy of camping, watching the bush come to life with the rising sun that floods the sky with pastel shades that warm to glorious colours. You get up with the sun, head into the day and then start

to feel sleepy as the sky changes to tell you night is closing in again. The routine of real life uninterrupted by electric lights and digital entertainment, a place where suddenly you have time to stare into the fire and dream. For me, camping out is about resetting the body clock and finding the time to dream again. Aren’t we lucky to live in a country with so many wonderful places to explore? Go on, get out there!

”That’s the joy of camping, watching the bush come to life with the rising sun...”

Top: Someone out there is bound to correct me, but I think this is a young brolga taking off from that rocky outcrop. Watching birds in their natural environment is one of the joys of camping. Middle: The great thing about camping is having the time to allow the bush to come to you. Left: This is our chosen clobber for work trips where you rarely know where you’ll be sleeping one night to the next. Bunks can be set up anywhere and getting the swag off the ground gives a whole new measure of comfort.

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On the Wallaby

Life by the water

Lionel heads for Lawn Hill National Park and eventually makes it – no thanks to his GPS!

WITH LIONEL MUSSELL

don’t know why but I love to camp in sight of water – I don’t care if it’s the rolling waves of the ocean or the placid still water of a lake or inland river. One that always attracts me is Cooper Creek - which is, in fact, a river – and I spent some lovely restful time camped on its bank this year.

WHERE WAS THE TURN?

Below: The landmark Purple Pub in Normanton is a highlight. Bottom: A casual kayak trip along Lawn Hill Gorge.

I was headed for Lawn Hill after I’d confirmed the road was okay with a couple of ACC friends who had just returned from there. It was a wonderful coincidence meeting them at the Burke and Wills Roadhouse. The last time I’d seen them was at a recent ACC Muster at Dargo in the Victorian high country and Cheryl made a lovely golden syrup damper for dessert. When I got to Gregory Downs, my TomTom told me to take the Camooweal Road and turn right after 52km. It was rough, dusty, and stony and soon I heard a loud, high-pitched beeping. I quickly stopped and turned everything off, and it still beeped! It was the smoke alarm, and dust had started it going. The dust had come in because Murphy had seen to it that I hadn’t properly closed a back door. Everything was covered in thick red dust. I carried on and, when I’d covered the 52km, found there was no right turn. I went on a few kilometres, but Tom wanted me to go back and make a left turn down the non-existent road. There was nothing to do but to retrace my tracks and return to Gregory Downs. The 100km of unsealed road the next day wasn’t half as bad as the previous afternoon’s jaunt!

NO LAWN BUT WHAT A GORGE!

I camped at the national park and didn’t use Adel Grove Caravan Park, although it looked quite nice. The walks were too long for me so I hired a kayak and went for a paddle on the lovely placid water in the gorge. The kayak had no back-rest and my back began to ache quite badly. However, by laying back for comfort, I could still paddle okay and then drift a bit. The cliffs and scenery were fabulous but the leak in the floor soon had the bottom half of me soaking wet so I turned and paddled back to where I came from – the only trouble was that now bright sun was in my eyes and, although I tried to keep

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in the shade of trees growing on the bank, it was still very dazzling. I didn’t know that you could travel the gorge in an electric powered boat and I wondered what was coming along behind me until the boat passed me and I saw the people relaxing in comfort on deck! After Lawn Hill, I headed for more water – the peace and quiet of Leichhart Lagoon not far from Normanton. The lagoon is home for a lot of water birds and there are fabulous sunsets each night. There’s no power but there are toilets and hot showers. It costs just $8.50 per person per night and, on Saturdays, there’s a three course meal and entertainment at the Homestead for just $6! Yemmy’s light bar had taken quite a hammering on the gravel roads so I drove up to Karumba and bought a new bar from a marine business. There were no shops selling stick-on letters so I taped on part of the wrecked bar until I got to Atherton.

MURPHY’S LAUGHING NOW

My hot water system had been working perfectly after my gas-fitting friend Derek took it all apart and fixed it. A few days back, he emailed me and asked how it was going. First time every time, I replied. That did it. Now it only stays alight for a few minutes and on comes the red light showing it has gone out. I’m bush camped at Mareeba Bush Stays and need the shower. By persevering with the switch, I can get hot water. I refilled a gas cylinder hoping that was the problem but it’s no different!

ADIEU FROM ME

They had it right in The Sound of Music when they sang, “So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu” because that’s what I’m saying to all my faithful readers right now. Sadly, after 20 unbroken years, this will be the last instalment of On the Wallaby. I’ve enjoyed my long association with Caravan World and it always brings a smile to my face when someone says they always read my column. Although On the Wallaby will no longer appear in CW, you can still keep up with my travels at lionelmussell1. blogspot.com.au or on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lionel.mussell. See you down the track!

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CVW-NH-5203228-TS-550-XCC

WITH ELLEN DEWAR Location

Outback station, Western Queensland

Gear

Canon 5D Mk II, ISO 3200, f8, 1/10 sec, 24mm lens

Composition

To keep the silhouettes distinct, get low to the ground and choose an uncluttered background if possible. Place the subject in front of the brightest part of the sky, preferably when the sun is setting or rising to get the beautiful colours.

Handy hint

Many objects make great silhouettes, however some are better than others. Choose something with a recognisable shape that will be interesting or that the viewers might relate to. Distinct shapes make the image rather than the usual colours, textures and tones of the subject.

Photographic fact

Modern digital cameras are very intuitive, however, in this case, some technical aspects need attention. Turn off Flash mode. Use spot or centre metering rather an auto metre. This means you can accurately select an area of the background so the camera knows you want to expose for the bright part of the frame.

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Picture Perfect

y w o d a h S

FIGURES

Create an interesting photograph by playing with the light and creating silhouettes.

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Let it breathe Towing imparts additional load on your vehicle’s cooling system. Are you helping or hindering the process?

ou’ve got to feel sorry for the average towing vehicle. If it’s a 4WD, chances are it’s encumbered by a whole lot of heavy accessories like a bull bar, winch, roof rack, long range tank, or storage system. All these items add weight affecting how your vehicle handles, goes, stops and, importantly, its ability to keep cool.

UNOBSTRUCTED AIR FLOW WITH ANITA PAVEY

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Air flow is a key consideration for any vehicle. Spotlights can interrupt the air flow to your radiator as can a bull bar, although most reputable big-name companies will have spent considerable dollars testing their equipment to ensure it doesn’t. So it’s more about those small modifications we do as owners that may have unforeseen consequences. Insect blinds are a perfect example. Many

vehicles, particularly around country towns, have fly mesh or shade cloth over their radiators, to protect them from grasshoppers and other insects. Under normal driving conditions without an RV in tow, this interruption is unlikely to raise a sweat, but bundle on an extra two to three tonne of RV on the back and the impact is considerable. If you ever wanted to quantify the impact, try this simple test. Stand in front of a fan with a piece of shade cloth or insect mesh in front of your face. And then without. It’s a massive difference! A modification like this will only hinder your vehicle, making it work harder than it needs to, increasing wear and tear.

COOLING SYSTEM FIRST AID

Monitoring your vehicle’s vital signs is your

On the trails

first challenge. To avoid panic in the average driver, original equipment temperature gauges generally require a big temperature change to cause any movement in the needle. The second challenge, is noticing the change when it happens, as when it hits the red zone of the temperature gauge, the damage may already be done! Picture this. You’re out on the highway, a couple of hours into your trip. You have Pavarotti’s Favourite Hits pumping through the stereo, only interrupted by your own bursts into the chorus. The scenery is engaging. Your vehicle’s cooling system is the furthest thing from your mind.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Simply, be sympathetic to the plight of your

vehicle’s cooling system. Heading up a mountain range? Make sure you’re not in overdrive as this generates a lot of heat. Many newer cars have sensors in the transmission to sense the incline, speed, and position of the throttle, and other variables to minimise heat and change gears as required. Monitor the temperature gauge. Most of the time it will sit in the middle of the range. If you see it climb higher, back off, as in most cases it will be on the way up. You can also fit an aftermarket accessory such as the EngineSafe temperature alarm, which can help monitor coolant temperature. Do you have any good strategies for helping your vehicle’s coolant system breathe? We’d love to share them, so go ahead and pop them on the Caravan World Facebook page.

Clockwise from main: Vehicle accessories can interrupt the flow of air to your vehicle’s cooling system; an EngineSafe coolant temperature alarm; insect mesh can impact your vehicle’s cooling capability.

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Escape from Mexico Bear and his mates head north to escape the southern chill. WITH JOHN ‘BEAR’ WILLIS

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here’s a lot to appreciate about living in Australia’s southern states, but Victorian winters bite hard. The older I get, the colder the winters become. I’m not alone, either. As autumn fades into the depths of our cold months, our nation experiences a massive migration of us Mexicans, (from the southern states) to warmer northern climates. I recognise that some like the cold, and there is something to be said for rugging up around a warm camp fire or pot belly stove. But snow? Who needs the cold, wet slop? Not me! Give me the glow of warm sunshine any day. Even if you battle the cold, your chances of angling success are mostly reduced. Fish can get lazy in cold water, conserving their strength until the oxygenated water of the snow melt brings refreshed life.

Hardy fishos still brave our frigid inland lakes in search of trout and cod. In the saltwater, our mainstay snapper and whiting have mostly left the building. There’s bream in the estuaries and coastal rivers; salmon if you dare brave a surf beach, a few gummies, the occasional resident snapper, as well as the annual southern bluefin tuna run offshore. However, that’s mostly big seafaring boat stuff and not the bread and butter targets of the majority of camping nomads. Winter is when our interests lay northward. In the far north, keen barra devotees load up the rigs to capitalise on the run off after ‘the wet’. Some take caravans with roof-top tinnies and others selfcontained slide-ons, towing rugged 4.3-5m tinnies capable of long range exploration. Further south, away from the crocs, many

Switch Bait

nomads use small roof toppers with loaders and portable trailers. Some have kayaks and folding porta boats, and many are simply bank and surf fishos keen to be invigorated by the sun filled fountain of youth. As winter began, I took the opportunity to travel north to join some friends for a jaunt around the northern rivers of New South Wales. I figure that you can sit home and get depressed in your winter hibernation, or you can get out there and enjoy your life. I’m reminded of an article about one of history’s most successful businessmen, Apple’s Steve Jobs, who declared in his dying days, that even with all his money and success it hadn’t brought him inner satisfaction. He said, “My favourite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” It seems the penny has dropped. Caravan and holiday parks on the north coast of NSW and right across the top end are full of southern nomads warming their bones. For many, it’s golf, maybe bowls, for some it’s bird watching, fossicking, bush walking or simply enjoying the exploration and relaxation. For me, fishing takes me to beautiful places with nature on show, and opens doors to friendships old and new. My companion flew in and picked up a lovely Cruisecraft Outsider 595 Hard Top fibreglass boat with a Nissan Navara as a towing vehicle. They were simply magnificent. We stayed in a few holiday parks with the highlight being the tremendous level of facilities and hospitality we enjoyed at the Ballina Discovery Holiday Park. It was a terrific central location to explore the northern rivers. The sheer immensity of the Tweed, Clarence and Richmond Rivers begs exploration, and they are but a sample of many on the north NSW coast. We had a beautiful sea-going rig at our command, yet a small rooftopper and a hat is really all you need. You really never see a place until you experience it by water. We did catch some fish, but nothing startling as we really didn’t try that hard, engrossed by the beauty of the large waterways. Offshore from the Gold Coast, my friends were dipping into a good run

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of striped marlin, but we couldn’t find them and instead were quite content being up close and personal with the herds of migrating whales that seemingly wanted to play. It was the river systems that really enticed us. I kept on breaking out into Old Man River in my deepest baritone, but I’m still bearing the bruises from my unappreciative audience. Slowly navigating these immense rivers had me imagining Huck Finn on a lazy raft, escaping the troubles of the outside world. We stopped from time to time, throwing a lure or bait to the intense arches that filled our sonar. We got a few little ones but let them all swim home to. We cruised upstream through bordering cane fields where my repertoire changed to classics from Jimmy Barnes (Cane Fields) and Gang Gajang (Sounds of Then – This is Australia), but the bruising intensified. Tumbulgum on the Tweed had a terrific old pub with a mooring, as did Wardell on the Richmond with its famous great pie shop. The pub featured a red kelpie and mammoth Bundy Bear as drinking companions. We really didn’t get that far up the Clarence as we were waylaid by a couple of old mates. One was intent on trying for mulloway on the break walls in the Cruise Craft, whilst I abandoned ship to my friend’s cruiser with less serious angling attitude, and with many years to catch up on. We all met for a late lunch mooring at the Yamba Shore Tavern before retiring to a genteel inlet, fishing through another glorious sunset. We had some live herring smashed by some unseen piscatorial hoodlums that never hooked up, possibly tailor or soapy mulloway, but we weren’t disappointed. There’s a million tales of tomfoolery and bad sportsmanship that go hand in hand with any fishing trip, but the real stand out was the mateship, the wildlife, the riverside beauty and the immensity of cruising these iconic Australian river systems all in the name of a fishing trip. We are living testament to the fact that you don’t have to be catchin’ to be fishin’. One of the greatest wisdoms ever imparted on me was the saying “life is no dress rehearsal, so get out and live it!”

”Further south, away from the crocs, many nomads use small roof toppers with loaders and portable trailers”

Clockwise from top left: Bear with a colourful Mahi Mahi offshore Tweed Heads; fishing through the generations at Brunswick Heads; a beautiful haven at Brunswick Heads; riverside art at Ballina; Ballina’s famous Big Prawn. tradervs.com.au

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Events around Oz

What’s happening around the country in the coming months? QLD

NSW/ACT

REEF FEAST

STARFEST

Oct 9-11 Enjoy exclusive wine and produce dinners, cooking demonstrations, live music, food seminars and a family market day with an array of tasty grown-locally and prepared food. Palm Cove, www.reeffeast.com.au

Sep 29-Oct 1 Siding Spring Observatory opens its doors to the public, with access to telescopes, instruments, astronomers and engineers. Enjoy lectures, science demonstrations, displays and a market. Coonabarabran, peter.verwayen@anu.edu.au www.starfest.org.au

BLACKALL HEARTLAND FESTIVAL

WITH RACHAEL DOHERTY

Oct 20-22 Blackall showcases its sheep and wool heritage and produce with a billy cart derby, barbecue cook off, art and photography exhibitions, music, racing, fashions on the field and a bull ride! Blackall, blackallheartlandfestival@gmail.com www.blackallheartlandfestival.com.au

CONSCIOUS LIFE FESTIVAL Oct 28-29 Discover the latest in alternative therapies, fitness, self-development, and eco-friendly, sustainable and organic products, with workshops, seminars, live music and healthy refreshments on offer. Sunshine Coast, www.consciouslifefestival.com.au

BUSKERS BY THE CREEK Oct 14-15 More than 200 performers will showcase various talents through the old-fashioned art of busking riverside at the pretty Winders Park. Currumbin, www.buskersbythecreek.com.au

GYMPIE DISTRICT GOLD RUSH FESTIVAL Above: There’ll be delicious goodies on offer at the Main Street Mornington Festival, Vic.

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Oct 17 Celebrating the discovery of gold in Gympie in 1867, the area’s heritage is on display over the week with an array of activities and entertainment including market stalls and food. Gympie, www.goldrush.org.au

LEURA GARDENS FESTIVAL Sep 30-Oct 8 Wander among carefully cultivated cool climate exotics popular to the region like azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwoods and camellias plus annuals and bulbs with 13 gardens open for viewing. Leura, leuragardensfestival@fastmail.com.au www.leuragardensfestival.com.au

SPIRIT OF THE LAND LOCKHART FESTIVAL Oct 7-8 A showcase of ‘farm sculptures’, created from recycled metal and farm materials. The festival includes boutique markets, open garden tours and an array of artistic and performing talent. Lockhart, info@spiritofthelandlockhart.com.au, www.spiritofthelandlockhart.com.au

VIC GRAMPIANS WILDFLOWER WALKABOUT Oct 7-8 The native flower spectacular will this year celebrate our unique foliage from massive Gymea leaves to soft woolly bush. Visit gardens and peruse hundreds of flowers with plants and artworks for sale. Halls Gap, 0407 700 843, dlhandscombe@bigpond.com

Events MAIN STREET MORNINGTON FESTIVAL Oct 15 A showcase of the peninsula’s culture and lifestyle with a selection of boutique wines, gourmet food, music, art, dancing, circus entertainment and shopping. Mornington, www.mainstreetfestival.com.au

SHEEP SHEARING COMPETITION Oct 15 The region’s fastest battle the world’s best in the seniors’ shearer, open and female classes in this event catered by the Mount Moriac Hotel, with the gold coin entry fee collected for Good Friday Appeal. Moriac, (03) 5266 1372 www.mountmoriachotel.com

HORSHAM SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL Oct 14-15 Get the good soil from professional horticulturists on optimising the changing seasons, enjoy floral arrangements and learn about emerging plant species, with bouncing castles for the kids. Horsham Botanical Gardens, www.grampianspoint.com.au/events/horshamspring-garden-festival

TAS

SA STRATHALBYN SHOW Oct 2 Plenty of country show action with agricultural displays, horses in action plus crafts, fresh local foods and activities for the kids. Strathalbyn, www.strathalbynshow.com.au

MINLATON SHOW Oct 4 Enjoy true country festivities with rides, shearing, horses in action, cooking and art meets, livestock, trade exhibits, gardening seminars and the Freestyle Motorcross Championships. Minlaton, (08) 8853 2825, anitat@internode.on.net

RENMARK ROSE FESTIVAL Oct 20-29 Slow down, enjoy a cuppa and smell the roses in full bloom with activities, displays and demonstrations including a car meet at the cultivated 27-acre Ruston’s Rose Garden. Renmark, (08) 8595 1228, www.renmarkroses.com

FLEURIEU FOLK FESTIVAL

BURNIE SHINES Oct 1-31 This month-long event is made up of many small events, worked together into a multi-faceted program of exhibitions, performances and parties. Burnie, www.burnie.net/Community/Council-Annual-Events

HOBART TWILIGHT MARKET Oct 6 Enjoy gourmet fare and local artisan produce while evening descends including fashion, art, homewares, craft and health with family friendly activities as the weather starts to warm up. Macquarie Point, www.facebook.com/HobartTwilightMarket

BLOOMIN’ TULIPS FESTIVAL Oct 14 A day of live music, entertainment, food, drinks, and a local art and craft market, culminating with fireworks over the Inglis River, all with a spectacular backdrop of the tulip fields on Table Cape. Wynyard, www.bloomintulips.com.au

FLINDERS ISLAND AGRICULTURAL SHOW Oct 20 A traditional agricultural and pastoral event for the whole family with sheep, cattle and wool displays, equestrian and wood chopping competitions, and plenty of produce and food. Whitemark, 0439 673 401, dilgermail@bigpond.com.au

Oct 27-29 Enjoy folk performances encompassing traditional, acoustic, Celtic, blues, roots and bluegrass styles plus workshops, sessions, dancers, and kids’ entertainment, plus local food, wine and market stalls. Willunga, (08) 8327 2797, www.fleurieufolkfestival.com.au

WA LIVELIGHTER DARDANUP BULL AND BARREL FESTIVAL Oct 7 Enjoy a local talent quest, stage acts and music, free children’s craft and activity marquee, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting and more than 140 stalls, with ‘Burning of the Bull’ at day’s end. Dardanup, info@bullandbarrel.net.au, www.bullandbarrel.net.au

BINDOON AG SHOW AND RODEO Oct 14 Cattle, poultry, floriculture, cookery, art, crafts, brewing, home produce, photography, winemaking plus pets on parade and horses in action make this AgShow and Rodeo one for the whole family. Bindoon, www.bindoonshow.com

FREMANTLE FESTIVAL Oct 27-31 Enjoy vibrant arts with the locals, with free and ticketed shows and community events including the Wardarnji Festival, Norfolk Lanes Youth Festival, Children’s Fiesta and the Fremantle Street Parade. Fremantle, www.fremantlestory.com.au

ROTTNEST ISLAND CARNIVALE Oct 28 Enjoy free entertainment island-wide with an outdoor cinema, performances and a Halloween-themed food village with trials of island activities and tours, and special offers on local cuisine. Rottnest Island, www.rottnestisland.com/whats-on/event-calendar/2017-rottnest-carnivale

NT BARKLY MUSTER GOLD RUSH CAMPDRAFT Sep 29-Oct 2 Muster the troops for a real outback bush experience with horsemen, rough riders and cowboys test their might in a weekend of country fun, with daredevil events, live music and onsite camping. Tennant Creek, (08) 8964 4503, www.campdraftcentral.com.au

ARNHEMLAND BIRD WEEK Sep 26-Oct 11 Get you twitter fix at Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge on a tour where bird leaders provide visitors the chance to view endemic, rare and endangered bird species and visit a range of habitats. Maningrida, (08) 8983 1544, www.arnhemlandbirds.com.au

ARTBACK NT’S MALANDARI FESTIVAL Fun for all at the Main Street Festival (pic Deanne Bulstrode Photography)

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Sep 22-Oct 21 Celebrate the history and culture of the Top End and Gulf with performances from Yanyuwa, Mara, Garrwa, Gurdanji and Wandangula peoples. Borroloola, (08) 8975 8677, www.artbacknt.com.au tradervs.com.au

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Getaway Gear

A SEAT AT THE TABLE I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with camping chairs. They’re often heavy, clunky and prone to shaping your spine into a curled up ball if you spend any amount of time in them. But this is certainly not so with Helinox’s chairs. We recently hit the road with two of the Helinox range – a Sunset Chair and a Camp Chair – and I can report that both exceeded my lounging expectations. Let’s start with the weight. Helinox specialises in lightweight adventure gear and these chairs certainly tick the box on that front. Built on alloy frames, the smaller of the two, the Camp Chair, weighs just 1335g (packed) and the slightly larger Sunset Chair comes in at 1475g (packed). This is substantially less than most I’ve come across and a bonus for your payload. And then there’s the size when packed: the Camp Chair rolls up to a compact 50x11.5x14cm and the Sunset Chair a space-saving 47x12x14cm. Pretty small for what are two very sturdy camping chairs, both of which have a 145kg capacity. Their smaller size has made a massive difference to our cargo, as our previous chairs took up more than double the space! Setup is easy, with the alloy poles held together with elastic in a similar fashion to tent poles and slotting into the sockets to create the frame. Then it’s just a matter of stretching the lightweight seat fabric across and slotting the poles into the pockets stitched around the fabric. Packing up is a simple reversal of the process.

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So that covers off heavy and clunky, but how about that back curving? Well, I’m pleased to say that both chairs allow you to relax and recline in comfort, posture intact. The design is streamlined and simple so there are no pockets or cup holders for your happy hour special; however, you can loop the carry bags over the bottom of the frame to create a handy zippered pocket below you, if desired. Both chairs can be fitted with optional ground sheets, which stops the seat legs from sinking into soft sand. These aren’t essential but if you’re planning on taking your chairs to the beach or spending a lot of time in sandy campsites, it’s a worthwhile addition. While both chairs are similar in design, the main difference is in the height of the seat backs. The Sunset Chair has a higher back, allowing you rest your head and soak up the starry night sky views. You can also purchase an optional air and foam headrest, which ups the comfort

stakes further. If I had to pick between the two chairs, I’d have to go with the Sunset Chair for the added luxury. So are there any cons? The lightweight build of these chairs mean they can easily get picked up by a gust of wind, so you need to be extra careful, particularly around the campfire. The only other thing to consider is the price. They certainly aren’t the cheapest chairs on the market, but they’re definitely the smallest, lightest and most comfortable I’ve come across, so I’d say they’re worthy of a place at any discerning camper’s table! – Ali Millar

Helinox Chairs RRP: Sunset Chair $174; Camp Chair $158; optional groundsheet $34; optional headrest $34 Where: www.helinox.com.au Rating:

Getaway Gear

SNAKES BE GONE

e:sales@cararest.com.au

Solar Snake Repeller RRP: $49.50 Where: www.birdgard.com.au Rating:

resistant. Some stop working after the ﬁrst bit of rain while others last longer but then rust quickly and ultimately break down. This snake repeller has a USB that connects the snake repeller shaft to the solar head, unlike similar products. The Bird Gard solar snake repeller comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, as long as the product is not damaged. The beauty of this product is that it can be used in any location so there’s nothing stopping you from trying it at home. Depending on the size of your property, it is essential to use two repellers. Installation is exactly the same – just keep in mind that the two repellers should not be more than 25m apart. The Bird Gard repeller comes in a sturdy cardboard box and can easily be packed in a caravan. Peace of mind at a reasonable price – I reckon you can’t hit the road without one, or two, of these nifty gadgets. And they pretty up your campsite. – Claudia Bouma

www.cararest.com.au

CARA REST

CARAVAN SUPPLIES & REPAIRS Ph 08 8162 5013 | Gate 2, 64 Grand Junction Rd, Kilburn

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• Repairs & alterations to all makes & models • Holiday servicing & preparation • Insurance work • Warranty work • Accessories & spare parts specialists • Air conditioning specialists • Country clients welcome • SA ‘S LARGEST CARAVAN RETAIL STORE

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Australia is known across the globe as the country with the highest number of venomous creatures, and for good reason. From the deadly eastern brown snake to the nasty coastal taipan, many terrifying reptiles call this nation home. Tripping around Australia is guaranteed to bring you face to face with snakes of all colours and sizes − this was certainly our experience during our two years on the road. Many we spotted from a distance but a couple of snakes came very close to our campsite which can be alarming when you have little kids. But snakes at campsites can now be a thing of the past, thanks to a nifty new product designed by Queensland-based bird deterrent and pest control company, Bird Gard. The solar snake repeller looks like a common garden light with a solar panel to charge the battery. Before storming outside to install the repeller, it is important to place it in the sun for two days to fully charge the battery. If sunlight is in short supply, rest assured, because the snake repeller comes with a replaceable battery unlike the cheaper versions on the market – and there are many. Installation is straightforward. Bury the shaft as deep as you can and compact the ground, as this will signiﬁcantly reduce the sounds you can hear emitted by the snake repeller. Ideally, placing two repellers around your campsite is the most effective. The Bird Gard solar snake repeller emits two distinct sounds or vibrations which are emitted in a random and non-sequential manner, as opposed to cheaper versions which emit only one sound or vibration at regular intervals. Research has shown that creatures have the ability to recognise a set pattern thus making the gadget ineffective. It is easy to be tempted to trial a cheaper snake repeller but amazingly, many are not water

Discover your favourite corner of New England High Country Find your favourite corner in one of the most motorcycle-friendly regions in New South Wales, if not Australia. To see tour videos, view itineraries, maps and book accommodation head to travelin.com.au

Getaway Gear

FARMER FOR A NIGHT Are you looking for accommodation during your Big Lap or just your next weekend away? Something a bit different to the usual caravan park setup but with better safety than a roadside camp? Caravan Overnight Farmstay (COF) is a national scheme that allows caravanners to park up overnight at accredited farms for just a small donation. COF was founded by WA couple Rod and Deb Symes. Rod said they founded the scheme when he realised how hard it was to find suitable, quiet, affordable, safe accommodation. He said the opportunity to park up on otherwise unused land benefited both caravanners and farmers by providing farmers with incremental income, while keeping caravanners and campers out of truck bays, roadside rest areas and unsafe free camps. “Our business focus is the safety and peace of mind of self contained caravanners, camping in areas other than designated caravan parks,” he said. “Unfortunately, free camping sometimes exposes travellers to unwelcome associates. Parking overnight on a privately owned farm gives as good a peace of mind as possible.” There are dozens of registered farms across Australia (plus one in New Zealand), with the largest concentrations in south-west WA and Queensland. Caravanners must be self-contained and registered members to use Caravan Overnight Farmstay. Membership is just $20 per

TOUGH AS HIDE Make life easier for yourself on your next journey, with the new aluminium folder ladder from Rhino-Rack. The ladder simply connects to the edge of your Rhino-Rack Pioneer System on either side, making access to the roof a breeze. It doesn’t matter what kind of terrain you find yourself in, the folding ladder performs in all environments. The extra wide and adjustable feet are crafted for stability, and allows the ladder to extend up to 2.3m. Install the ladder on any side of your vehicle for convenience. It folds down a compact metre for easy storage, and it’s also lightweight so packing it up and removing it is easy. Made from aluminium with a black powder coat finish, it’s strong and durable, weather resistant and finished with case steel hinges. It’s compatible with the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Tray/Platform/Tradie. Additional brackets are sold separately.

Rhino-Rack Ladder 3 RRP: $329 Where: www.rhinorack.com.au

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year. Overnight stays cost a minimum donation of $5 per night. “As a sideline benefit, the traveller gains a new perspective on touring and where their food comes from,” Rod said. “They will meet a different type of person than a fellow traveller, in one of our fantastic and interesting farmers. They are generally afforded much greater freedom on the farms, with no need to book, allowance of pets and even campfires during season.” Farmers wanting to open their properties to caravanners must also be registered and membership is $66 for two years. Caravan Overnight Farmstay is looking for new caravanners and farm members in all states of Australia.

Caravan Overnight Farmstay Cost: Membership is $20 per year with a minimum donation of $5 per night. Where: www.caravanovernightfarmstay.com

PRO UD LY

TR A LI

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7/513 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood Vic 3134 P: (03) 9870 6102 | F: (03) 9876 0290 | E: info@alpinecanvas.com.au

www.alpinecanvas.com.au

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Getaway Gear Australia’s B.E.S.T. RV Inline Water Filter

LOCK OUT THIEVES Nothing can destroy the joy and relaxation of a holiday faster than theft, particularly if it’s your car that’s stolen. According to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, 57,173 vehicles were stolen in Australia in the 12 months to March 2017. And with more cheap electronic devices becoming available everyday to make thieves’ jobs easier, it’s never been more important to be vigilant with car security. While thieves may be getting smarter, one device designed to defy them is an Australian designed and developed locking device called CopLock. This simple mechanical locking device attaches to the brake or clutch pedal. CopLock was designed and developed over more than two years by a retired Australian Police Officer and Police Prosecutor with a vast experience in dealing with car thefts. Its size, weight and ease of use make it user friendly for any driver and tests have proven that it is almost indestructible, unless attacked by an oxyacetylene torch. Attached to the brake or clutch pedal in the vehicle with a hardened steel ratchet system and locking mechanism, there is simply no easy way of bypassing it. It may also help prevent an attempted vehicle theft, where a thief is disturbed or unsuccessful, often leaving behind an expensive damage bill for the owner. The CopLock provides peace of mind and an added level of security that your vehicle is secure.

We have 35 YE ARS of installing water filters in caravans

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RRP: $79.95 Where: www.coplock.com.au

• 12 Volt specialist • We come to you • Battery packs & DC Boosters • Solar panels, fixed or portable • Anderson plugs • Brake controllers • Led lighting, inside & out • Dexter Sway Control • Wiring repairs & much more • Qualified Auto Electrician

LEVEL UP Savvy Level

CALL COLIN 0417 595 505

RRP: $220 for SavvyLevel hardware device, the SavvyLevel app is free to download Where: www.savvylevel.com Levelling your caravan is an all-important job that can often be frustrating and time-consuming, particularly when you are new to caravanning. SavvyLevel is a new product created by passionate caravanners who understand the need to level your van with ease. Using SavvyLevel, you can level your caravan on your own, and trust that it’ll

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CARAVAN ELECTRICS

www.caravanelectrics.com.au

PO Box 542 Beaconsfield Vic

be done precisely. With a hardware device mounted in your van and the use of the SavvyLevel smart phone or tablet app for Apple and Android devices, you can level your van single-handedly, thanks to the user-friendly visual and numerical display with a compass bearing, day and night mode and zoom feature. To begin levelling, all you do is select the

CVW-NV-5147647-TS-518-XCC

Cop-Lock

SavvyLevel icon on your phone, then as you move your vehicle, the app will report the tilt and compass information. The SavvyLevel app is free to download from Google Play or iTunes, and SavvyLevel can be fitted during production of your caravan/RV, or as an after market option. It can easily be fitted discreetly within the caravan or RV.

Selected caravan manufacturers will also be supplying one of our memberships in each of their caravans sales.

CARAVAN OVERNIGHT FARMSTAY SAYS IT ALL That’s the name of a website helping travellers find quiet, safe low cost stopovers on our Australian farms. The site offers a link between farmers happy to have self-contained vehicles park on their land, and travellers moving between towns.

Farmer Traveller

www.caravanovernightfarmstay.com If you are a traveller sick of noisy unsafe roadside parking, there is no need to book, just search for your area on the website and follow the directions and signs. ”Leave no trace” but a donation on your way in the morning. If you are a farmer looking for a chat or extra income, or just aiming to help the environment or your local area for tourism, this is the way to go. Register online or contact us.

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PLUS

MOUNTAIN TRAIL’S NEW LXV LUXURY OFFROADER

The only choice for the great Aussie outdoors

INTRODUCING THE NEW TOURA RANGE FROM MILLARD Millard has been synonymous with tough, superior Australian caravans for over 70 years. It’s never been easier or more affordable to take the great Australian adventure. The Toura range has 9 models to choose from, starting with our compact 16’ up to our larger 23’ van, and with queen or bunk bed layouts, centre, rear and front door options as well as a variety of interior layouts, there is a model to suit everyone, no matter what your needs.

All Millard caravans are designed and built in Australia to suit our harsh conditions and come with solid steel, hot dipped galvanised chassis and aluminium frame, seated on CRS Cruisemaster independent suspension. If you are serious about the great Aussie outdoors, then Millard is the only choice.

Some of the standard features you will find in the new Toura range: • Single piece fibreglass roof • Microwave oven plus mini grill • Gas/electric hot water system • Washing machine (model dependent) • Roof air conditioning • 2 door 184L fridge (model dependant) • Full insulation to wall & ceilings • Double glazed windows with blinds & fly screens • Radio & TV/CD • TV antenna • External power point & annexe light

• Roll out awning • Trail-A-Mate jack • Battery pack • Drawers on metal runners • Bed spread with pillows • A-frame tap & protector • Quick release drop down legs & heavy duty jockey wheel • 2 x 9kg gas bottles & change over regulator • Fire extinguisher • 2 x 95L water tanks with galvanised water tank protector

• 15” all terrain wheels & tyres • Checkerplate front & sides • Map holder • Picnic table

www.millardrv.com.au

Millard is a member of the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Accreditation Program (RVMAP) and all their caravans come with a 12 month Australia - Wide Warranty.

AUSTRALIAN MADE • AUSTRALIAN TOUGH • FOR OVER 70 YEARS