Selling Up

Outback Wanderers

Unfortunately the authorities do not believe that there are, or could be, people who are constantly travelling around Australia with no permanent address, so you will have to find someone who can provide you with such an address to be able to maintain registration and drivers licence. This person would most likely be the address that you use for other requirements as well.

Whilst we are not full time on the road and still have a permanent address we do travel for around 6 months at a time, and during these times we have all mail redirected to our daughter, who also has Power of Attorney so is able to take care of anything that needs urgent attention. Anything that we should see is also copied and forwarded via Email for our information or action.

AS far as type of caravan I would suggest that you look very closely at the vans that have a composite construction, preferably with vacuum bonded laminated style of walls, as these are far stronger and do not suffer from wood rot that is so common in timber framed vans, nor from the fatigue that can occur in Alloy framed vans. They are also generally resistant to hail damage. They are far better insulated and generally less prone to water leaks. One such van is the Jayco Silverline range of vans, but there are others.

For a tow vehicle then make sure that you are comfortable in the saddle, and it is adequate for the loadings that you are going to ask of it. The best vehicle as far as loadings and towing capacity that is readily available in Australia would be the Toyota 70 series cab chassis with a light weight alloy body fitted, however these are not the most comfortable vehicle around. Be aware of the Toyota 200 series as, whilst they are certainly powerful enough and comfortable, they can easily be overloaded. There are a number of 4x4 utes that can give very good economy, carry a reasonable load and tow a reasonable sized van, but be wary of the effects that the tow ball weight has on the load capacity as some reduce the payload by a figure that is greater than the tow ball weight. I found the Isuzu Dmax does the job for me but I did have to replace the suspension (if purchasing new then a GVM upgrade would be advised PRIOR to first registration). I would suggest that you do purchase a 4wd vehicle as they often have a greater towing capacity than their 2wd counterpart, but a 2wd will also restrict you in where you can go with ease, you do not have to be interested in extreme 4wd to see a lot of places that a 2wd would struggle or get stuck.

Whilst I have only lived on the road for about 6 months at a time I do know people who have spent 15 years or more without a permenant address, and I currently have friends (old work colleagues) who have been on the road for the past 5 years and loving it.

Enjoy your travels and new found freedom.

Regards
Athol

Hi Outback Wanderers, welcome to the “Grey nomad life”. You say that there is onl yourself & your “crook back”, so I assume you don’t need a large van. So something around the 18” mark sounds about right. You also state that you do not intend going too far “off the beaten track”. With this in mind, I would be looking at a semi off road van. They generally have a more robust suspension than a standard on road van.

As you will be “living” full time in the van, I would also recommend a full ensuite as opposed to a combination shower & toilet. Also an island bed as opposed to an east/west bed, as they are easier to make.

With regard to power supply, if you can afford, I would recommend Lithium batteries, more expensive, but will last longer, and will deliver full 12 volts for longer.

A compressor fridge/freezer is a must, far more efficient, 170 Ltr, should be sufficient.

Goldstream make a good range of semi off road vans, and they are priced very well. I am sure there are other brands that would also suit your needs. One thing I would definitely recommend, is to visit the manufacturer of whatever you are thinking of buying, and ask for a factory tour so you can see how they build.

Macca.

I would also consider a slide on camper or toyota coaster type bus or camper van, a bit easier to fly under the radar if travelling around the coast.

I don't need to go extreme 4WD since there's only me and my crook back and I don't particulary relish getting into situations I can't get out of, ie bending down to dig or crawling under the vehicle. Same goes with putting up an annex, bending down to hammer in tent pegs, not on
I am considering a 18ft Bushtracker, tandem axles, there's another question?
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You may find a van that big could be a bit of a handful at times, particuarly when you are on your own and have a few physical restrictions. I have seen questions on size asked in question and answer sections of van magazines over the years and the reply has always been to buy the smallest one that meets your needs. An 18 ft Bushtracker is no midget and has more than its share of weight.

Before you do anything, have a look through these links. The first is on van quality. There seems to be no end of poorly constructed vans on the market.
CONSTRUCTION QUALITY

The man who posted that also called for a royal commission on van construction.
ROYAL COMMISSION

Do a lot of research before you buy one.

Another point is stability at speed out on the highways. Utube is full of videos of vans swinging around and rolling over and taking the tow car with them. They all have one thing in common l.e a small tow car with a big van behind it. They may be legal regarding van weight and car towing capacity but there is a lot more to getting the right combination than just matching the van weight and car capacity.

Those vans would almost certainly not have crashed had the tow vehicle been the size and weight of an interstate tourist coach but that is going to extremes. The ideal situation is to have the car around 30% heavier than the van with the longest possible wheelbase and the shortest possible distance between the rear axle and tow ball.

Centralised mass in the van is vital. That means all heavy items in the van should be as close to the axle as possible and not down the back or worse still, hanging off the back outside. Nothing should be out there.
TOWING GUIDE

It will take you a while to read through all of this but it is well worth it. Pay a lot of attention to the second section on van/tow vehicle behavior & suspension.
TOWING AND VAN INFO.

Keep in mind the car manufacturers only list a maximum towing capacity. They don't list what it can tow or where you can tow it. All cars will tow their maximum capacity but they can't safely or reliably tow anything that weighs that much anywhere in any conditions. When you get up near the upper end of the scale, a few restrictions start creeping in. That applies to both loading the car and towing

Firstly, congratulations on taking a bold step - and for sure, anything is possible when combined with the desire and will to do it...

And can you do it for the rest of your life - why not, after all, no one knows when that fateful day we meet our maker will arrive, so just get on with it, dying will take care of itself, eventually!

On vehicle and van choice, have you considered some form of RV? Possibly something like a good quality Toyota Coaster with 4WD capability. It might be worth considering as Coasters appear in the most unlikely and out of the way places.

When it comes to mail, others will have more knowledge then me for those permanently on the road. But in this day and age you can receive most bills by email and if you are like me, that is about all I ever get in the ‘snail-mail’.

Anyway good luck with it all, and join EO and write some blogs about your travels and let us know how you are going...

Cheers, Baz - The Landy

Hi OutBack Wanderer, You ask "Is it possible to live one's life on the road for ever?" While there are plenty of mature aged/retired people who are on the road full time, there are also plenty of others who have tried and for one reason or another have had to give up the dream. One big reason for giving up the dream is and probably always will be health. Have you considered what you would do if you suffered a stroke or cardiac event, or had a cancer diagnosis? Believe me, its a good way of knocking your plans and lifestyle for a big 6. If it was me I would find a fallback option somewhere, maybe something as simple as a bush block with a shed where you could park up the 4wd and van if the proverbial hit the fan. And that solves the problem of what address to use too!
Good luck with it all, whatever you do.
Cheers,
Val.

"I don't need to go extreme 4WD since there's only me and my crook back and I don't particulary relish getting into situations I can't get out of, ie bending down to dig or crawling under the vehicle. Same goes with putting up an annex, bending down to hammer in tent pegs, not on"

By the sounds of things you should steer away from rough vehicles. Something like an all wheel drive Ford Territory would do you. They will do most of the roads your back will take. If you want something a little more rugged then go for one of the larger soft roaders or the softer 4WDs.

An ideal van to follow it would be a Jurgens caravan. These vans are rugged enough to cope with most of the gravel roads. Also look at the Bailey range. The manufacturers have tested these on outback roads, watch their video. How bad is your back and is it likely to get worse? With bad backs you certainly should steer clear of the shipping containers on wheels with many steps to climb in and out of them.

When it comes to fridges, an absorption fridge that is installed properly will perform adequately in ambient temperatures up to 43 deg Celsius. A compressor fridge requires a much larger battery and solar system. The difference in cost will go a long way to paying for your gas. Also someone suggested an island bed. Unless you are intending to do some nocturnal gymnastics then single beds will give you more living space in the van.

Regarding registration, do you live in NSW? If so then you get free registration for one vehicle.

Hi Outback Wanders,
I'm currently in the same position as you. Sold up, single, looking for a van to tow behind my 100 series TD to tour for at least 3 months and have had multiple back surgeries including a recent fusion.
I have a few friends that are seasoned travellers, all have travelled in campers, buses, coasters, 5th wheelers, pop tops and full caravans, etc. They have all gone back to a full caravan.
All have some sought of injury and all say the full caravan with ensuite or comb is the only way, its the most convenient and comfortable way to travel.
The last thing you want to do is set up and pack up everyday or so, it "will" take a toll on you. All I want to do at the end of the day is to open the door and grab a tinny and relax. All I want to do at the start of the day is have breakfast, shower, hook up and go. I dont want to waste time or energy in packing and unpacking, use the energy for more appealing things.
You want to enjoy every part of your trip so to have the luxury of just opening the caravan door and thats it is the only way to go if you plan to go for an extended period.
i'm trying to keep the total cost of vehicle and full van to under $100K ready to go.
This is our last chance to live the dream.................do it properly first time and enjoy it more.
PS: there are quality full offroad 14 footer vans out there with everything in them at around the 2.5T ATM with 400kg-500kg pay loads around the $50K mark.
Cheers

As far as what vehicle, you can't go past a 200 Series V8 Landcruiser as a tow vehicle. I have the base model GX as I did not require the extra seats in the back, and wanted barn doors as opposed to a tailgate. These days, even the base model comes with Sat. Nav. electric windows and cruise control.

Another thing to consider if your back is bad, is to replace the existing drivers seat in your vehicle with an adjustable lumbar seat such as a Recaro. I am sure there are other brands out there, so do some "on line surfing" and you should come up with something. Visit a recognised 4WD specialist like ARB, TJM etc. as they can supply these types of seats.

Macca.

Crook back?
Forget caravans (or towing anything), "Go first class, go motorhome" :)

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome