Shopping advice for new rig required :)

Lesley, welcome, you may find the following more useful than a van, allowing you to get into more rugged places......... and designed for those with ducks disease.
For some reason I can't post the links properly, so this will have to do http://www.drifta.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Drifta-Offroad-Tourer13.jpg
http://www.drifta.com.au/offroad-tourer/#
http://www.drifta.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/DRIFTA-OFFROAD-TOURER-Price-Spec-sheet.pdf

Good luck

Toyota troop carrier
Plenty of room in the back
Parts plentifull
Fairly cheap to buy
Reliable...
Economical to run.

Or stretch your budget to a new dualcab triton and buy some tents and gear.
Theyre going dirt cheap.

Lesley,

My advice, keep it simple, the Goldstream campers are great (travelled/lived in one for two years), but having to wind it up every day does get tiresome, I'd get a smallish pop top caravan, you can get them with twin single beds & the dining area converts into another bed, have the wheel bearings/brakes replaced & checked regularly, & make sure that it has decent suspension, not "slipper" springs, it will probably weigh less than an equivalent Goldstream.

As far as a tow vehicle, just get a "known" brand, easier to get repaired if it needs it, most dual cabs are good, but can be a bit tight in the back seat for long periods on the road, a mid sized wagon, i.e. Prado/Pajero etc. will give you almost as much storage, but will be a lot more comfortable. Stick a rooftop tent & an awning on for off road excursions.

That'll do for now, lots more things to add if you need it!

Lesley,

Would you consider a dual cab ute, and a tent? On the positive side of the ledger for a camper or van is that it takes little to set up. On the negative side is the inconvenience of towing, increased fuel consumption and initial cost.

Swags in a tent are very comfortable and warm. After a while you will find you don't bother with the tent. Tents take little effort to put up and down and weigh not much at all.

I'd spend $25k on a ute (dual cab Triton etc) and $5k on camping gear (tent, swags, gas stove, Engel, folding chairs etc)

Bob

Thanks everyone, it is all food for thought. I think that we will probably look along the lines of a small caravan. My reasoning is that I will need somewhere for the kids to do their home schooling and also (and more for my sanity) they both prefer beds of their own rather than sharing. I have previously owned a camper trailer & think the kids would feel more secure in a van. We are looking at travelling for at least 10 months.
I appreciate all input!

Lesley.
Fuel consumption is a major factor now and more so in the future, Towing is not good for fuel and security. The best vehicle for you would be a German van either a VW or a Mercedes Sprinter. Both are available in 4x4. A Japanese vehicle towing a van will end up costing at least twice as much in fuel. Eric

Hi Lesley, When its pouring with rain & blowing a gale would your rather be stuck in a tent or a van? Keep the troops happy and they will be jumping for the NEXT trip

The single most imortant thing is buying a rig that is adequate, fit for purpose and well within its capacity.

All too often we hear of people running right up to the load carrying and towing capacities and finding that they have problems with breaking stuff AND that they are infact past their legal capacities....then they are looking for GVM, towing or load carrying upgrades.....none of which are cheap, easy or good options.

A rig loaded well within its capacity is far far safer and more pleasant to drive.

Consider too that there are all sorts of stereotypes that simpley are not true......

You simply do not need a 4wd to tow a caravan....there are other options, large sedans and waggons are still well and truly viable as are 2wd utes and small trucks.

That is what we all towed with before 4wds became more common and more comfortable.
AND we towed with them on dirt roads.

If you particularly want a 4wd that is a whole other story.

Remember these days, the whole world will try and push you into bigger and bigger vans with more " comforts of home".

If you want to keep the weight and the price down, keep to a smaller more modest rig.

cheers