Willem replied:

Samh

To begin with the road around the block is bitumined all the way. So here your Winnebago will be fine.

If you intend going to out of the way places or travels some gravel roads then a 4x4 and caravan could be the answer or you could buy a nice camper trailer instead of a caravan.

It really depends what you want to do.

Recently I spoke with a Winnebago Owner and he was upset that his Winnebago could not get to all the places he would have liked to visit because of height and width clearance of his vehicle

Think about whast you want to do carefully and then make a decision. This Forum will give you all types of answers to choose from.


Cheers

samh replied:

Hi Willem,

Thanks for the speedy response. Biggest problem at the moment is we don't really know where/what we want to do, we just want to get on the road and see as much as possible. This being the case, we want the most flexible set-up possible....
Do you know what kind of areas your friends winnebago couldn't access? Would towing a 4wd for day trips solve this?

Sam.

Wayne (NSW) replied:

Samh,

I would have to agree with Willem about the places a Winnebago can go.

You plan a trip for about 9 months and then when you get home you have got a vehicle that is not that practical to go to the shops for a pint of milk. Also the 2yo would still be in a child seat, I don't know how the Winnebago is set up for a child seat?

Most of the people that I see in the Winnebagos are "Grey Nomads" and they have chosen to see Australia on a long term basis following the sun and staying on the main roads.
With the age of your children you will have to drop the kids off to school one day. I don't think that you can come back in 13 years time to pick them up again.LOL.

A good size 4WD, turbo diesel with a off road camper would allow you to see most of Australia and the rest you can do by having a base camp where the camper is unhitched and a bit more exploring can be done with a tent or swag.

Wayne

Member - Josh (VIC) replied:

Hi Samh,
I think the 1st thing you need to do is work out what you want to see and how you want to do it. This will determine what vehicle you need. Ie.. Do you want to go to more remote places such as Gibb river rd and Mitchell falls, Kakadu, Simpson desert or some of aust's remote beaches. If so then a 4wd is a must. We have been on the road 2 yrs now with a 5 +7 yr old and these places are some of the best we have seen. Then decide what accom. We have an offroad campertrailer so we go anywhere we want. So glad we did because we would have missed so much and have camped in some amazing places by ourselves. Even an off road caravan can limit where you go depending on its size. Everything is a compromise. We loose a bit of comfort but have seen stuff others dream off. Others have comfort ie a motor home but have pack up their entire camp to go down the street for a bottle of milk. We have 17 square metres of living area when set up which takes 30mins to set up. Yes sometimes we look at a caravan, bus or motorhome and think yes that would be nice but this suites us. If you plan on sticking to main roads then yes a motor home ect would be great and yes you can tow a small 4wd but this can mean a lot of back tracking. Take your time in deciding, listen to everyones advice but remember the way they live or travel may not suite you. We have seen just about every possible set up on the road from three guys travelling in a station wagon with a tarp as their tent to a guy on his own in a 40 ft motor home worth close to a million dollars. Whatever you decide remember it probably won't be perfect but is is still going to better than sitting at home watching the tv and mowing the lawn. One other tip when on the road. If the lawn needs mowing it's time to move on.
Hope this helps and sorry if it is a bit long

Josh

austastar replied:

We inherited our camper many years ago. Not the same quality as a Winnebago, it is 33 years old now and is a Toyota Dyna with a cab built in on the back, but unlike the Winnebago, it does not have low underneath and rear clearance.
We have traveled extensively with it (and 2 kids), and with care, it amazing where you can get it to go.
A friend recently came back from Leonora to Hobart via the Gunbarrel in his Winnebago - not that I would recommend any one else doing that. He did some damage to the rear underneath as it had so much over hang.
They are a truck after all, albeit well laden.
Space with 2 kids underfoot is a problem as often the divide between inside and outside is so marked in this type of vehicle, and the kids often don't want to be 'outside' while you are trying to get things sorted out.
With a camper trailer, awnings etc tend to blur the inside/outside division and the kids are happy just to be close by, but not underfoot.
At 2 and 4 years, you don't want them out of sight at anytime, so this is some thing you might like to consider.
Have you thought of hiring some vehicles to try them for size and family comfort? You can then get an idea of your own family's need for space and get a feel for the vehicle you will need.
cheers

Member - John and Val W (ACT) replied:

Hi samh,
Lots of good advice already here. You will get much more from your trip if you take the time to do your research and planning before you set out. Also, whatever rig you get, do some short trips - overnighters or weekends - before you set out on the big trip. In this way you will identify some of the inevitable weak links in either your gear or your planning. From your post you are suggesting that you have only 2 or 3 months until departure and you dont have your rig yet - maybe a later departure time might work out better in the long run?
I agree that a reliable 4wd with a suitable sized camper trailer might be the way to go - more flexible in many ways.
Have a great trip.
Val.

Member - Oldbaz. NSW. replied:

I'm with John & Val, I think the restrictions imposed by a motorhome outweigh the convenience. Try getting it into the carpark at Woollies to buy a carton of milk. Many interesting sights,
although 2wd accessible still pose problems for large motorhomes.
Many Caravan Parks wont welcome you & charge extra for large
vehicles. To camp independantly, you need a combination of solar & generated power, which can be expensive. A 4WD & caravan
is the next option....not really suited to the rough stuff either,
unless one of the true "offroad" variety, but setup is quick, &
independant excursions are possible. To go anywhere you put
a good Campertrailer behind the 4WD. Setup takes a little
longer, but all other restrictions are gone. Maybe not as kid
friendly but doable. Finally, your motorhome is a one use
vehicle, not much good when you get back home, expensive
to store & maintain. Your lead up time is very short, to plan,
purchase, pack etc etc. Go rent a van &/or C/t , motorhome, &
try them out first. But whatever happens DO GO...you will never
regret it. Good Luck.......oldbaz.

samh replied:

thanks all for so much fabulous feedback!
a camper trailer definitely seems to offer the freedom that we would love although I'm not sure that we are ready for it in terms of set-up time and general organization required, especially with kids of our age. I know many people do it, but this is our first experience ...we might save it for next time! no-one has really mentioned 5th wheels/travelhomes.....I am now considering this as it seems we could get the comfort of a homebase with the flexibility/freedom of a 4wd vehicle and from what I can see they are suited to more road-types than a motorhome. any comments?
thanks again!
sam