Thoughts camper trailer vs caravan?

Just goin,

You say you are thousands over budget, just curious what was your weekly allowance when you left.

$1000 per week we budgeted. Broken down this includes allowign $50 a night for accomm which we have paid many times. Groceries, fuel, souvenirs, tours, misc car and van services etc to included....

We are closer to $1500-$1600 PER WEEK....

As at DAY 92 of our travels - our total fuel bill to date is smack on $3000 and we have travelled 15,700km thus far - so it hasnt been too bad considering we are towing a caravan....our accomm costs to date = $3400....to give you an idea....

More free camps would definitely be making a huge diff to our costs outlayed but with two kids under 5 that can be difficult sometimes as well.....

Hope this gives you some informative info

just goin: we have budgeted $1,000 per week too. Interesting that you have spent much more than that. Its so hard to budget for all the little things. Hubby is really keen to free camp but Im not because Im the one thinking on a practical level! What are the free camps like? Are they populated? (think the movie Wolf Creek makes me a little scared!!)

How long are you travelling for?

Hi Lucky Mum,

Best thing to buy is the latest Camps 5 Australia Book - it has all the free camps in it that you could possibly want. Please bear in mind though - even though it is a free camps book NOT all the camp sites are FREE....you will see many have $$$ signs and then when you see the actual camps and what you may need to pay (it may well not be a huge fee) and then weigh up what you can get at a van park escpecially when you are travelling with three kids - often you will do as we have and leant toward van parks....

A free camp every other night is fine - but many are just a basic toilet if you are lucky and a dirt patch and maybe a tree....you will know which ones are GOOD and FREE as their will be tons of grey nomads there for nights and nights..... I would recommend any free camps that have a river near (not near croc country of course) or NP's that gives the kids something to go off and do. What we found with our 2 kids was there wasnt much point sitting at a free camp all day in the heat and dust and no power and therefore bored, hot and whingeing the whole day or days....theres no fun in that for anyone. Also you have to realise that if you are planning on 5 months (same as our trip) then there is a lot to see and you want to be able to have showers and toilets and power avail to get things done easier and then you can get out the door and sight see as thats what you are travelling for...it is different to a 2 week school holiday trip to just one destination....you have to get out and see all the things at each destination and thats also why we have gone over budget as their is so much to see and worth doing (tours etc) that you have come so far and dont know if and when you will back so you make the MOST of the trip and do these things which cost money (families even more so)....you cant budget for that BUT like I said just make sure you have another stash of money to access if you find you need it....better to have the option then have to go home or worse still go to all these wonderful places around oz but you cant experience certain aspects properly as you have cant afford to....

We dont smoke or drink much so we havent spent any money on those things either.

We have been on the road for three and half months and plan to be on the road for 5 months total. OUR trip has seen us travel the entire coastline of Australia starting in Newcastle NSW heading north to Cooktown QLD, Across to Karumba in the Gulf, down to Mt Isa and then to Three Ways, North to Darwin (We did Kakadu and Litchfield NPs as well), then back down to Katherine (did all the gorges there), then across to Kununurra WA, across to Derby then Broome and we have come down the WA coastline and are currently in Perth as I write to you....

The weather is crappy here so we wont be going any further south of Perth, but will head to Kalrgoorlie instead next and explore the fossickers way and then cross the Nullabor etc....and slowly end up at home....

We arent doing the centre this trip but will again seperately....

So by the time we get home we will be close to 22000km roughly and prob have spent double what we thought we would have based on our current figures which I keep track of in a spreadsheet so we can always look at how things are going $$$ wise....it is amazing to see how quickly money goes out the door too.....

I hope this helps you a bit more....let me know if you need any further info as I am glad to assist if I can....also up the top end you prob wont want to free camp too much either depending on the weather as it can be very uncomfortable at times and being without a decent pool or shower for the kids will get very very tedious - TRUST ME!!!

Thanks for your detailed response. I really appreciate it, I need to learn everything I can.

We plan to leave Aug next year and do exactly the trip you are doing except we are only going as far north as Rockhampton and then inland. We figure we may do the far north qld trip another time.

I have a few more q's if thats ok. Besided petrol what do you think your biggest cost would be? Food, nightly fees, tourist attractions?

We are vegetarians and eat pretty simply so Im not expecting a huge food bill although I have no idea what prices are like in the outback. We do drink but dont smoke.

We will have $1,000 per week. I have thought of asking our bank if they will do a 'home loan holiday'. If they can stop our repayments for 5 months we will have triple the money. Also access to a credit card for emergencies so Im sure the money side of things will be ok.

What type of van are you using? Did you buy it and plan on keeping it or selling on it return? Is it big enough for you all? My biggest concern with the van is that it wont be comfortable for us all. I like the swan but I think it looks a little small. I love the expanda but its out of our pricerange and a must for us is a fully enclosed annexe.

Lastly how are your kids travelling? Are they having a ball? Our kids will be 3,6,8 years. Anything you can suggest re kids?

Many thanks....

HI Lucky Mum,

Helping is no problem at all - I used this site and also Expedition Aust website to gain as much useful info that I could too for a year prior to us leaving or maybe even longer....

Our main costs are - Food (we often sample the local fare and that has added up quite a lot for us....so you prob wont have as big as bill as us for that....) - approx 30% of our current spending is on food (made up of groceries, snacks, lunches and dinners out and alcohol), Accomm so far is exactly 15%, Fuel is 13%, Tours & Souvenirs is 15%, Washing machines and dryers(when needed) we have spent $303 thus far, car services x 2 (one major and one minor) plus one van service plus anything else we have needed for car and van = $1400 thus far, plus you have misc things that come up for the kids such as new clothes if needed and shoes maybe......

So we are at Day 93 as you know.....

The financial arrangements you are thinking of doing would prob be a good idea just in case....my hubby was planning to work along the way here and there and has heaps of good job offers but it just wasnt practical to stop and work and not travel when the cost of staying less earnings doesnt really get you THAT far in front.....

We bought a 2009 Concept Belmont 16' Bunk Van (pop top)....it isnt too big to tow but we are vrey comfortable and much easier having everything in cupboards and under bed base we have 8 snap lock boxes without lids that we can use for extra storage.....not much in there when we left but now our souvenirs and extra food are kept under there so the kids dont get into it....rotate clothing easily once you need winter woolies and not summer clothes...also you say you are leaving in August so bear in mind that it will be bloody hot and humid....Darwin was putrid for us in Mid Aug so I dont know how people cope up there in the wet season so be aware of that as well as the kids will notice the heat....

Our van was basically bought brand new and we were just lucky that they had 2 new ones of the same van and were trying to clear ONE at least at the time we bought. We didnt wait to get Air Cond installed or annexe etc just has a top of the range dometic roll out blind which has been fantastic for instant shade and easy setup and pack up.....we put a bike rack on the back of the van to take 3 bikes with us and they are out of the way if we dont want to get them off....

To be honest our kids have riden scooters more and we have bought them 2 new ones since we left as they have flogged them out so much.....

Back on the van we plan to sell it when we get home and we have looked after it very well for that reason....it has been quite common for others to do the same as we have learnt on our travels....vans hold their value though so it isnt a bad idea to think about investing in a van and then reselling it later....bunk vans are very HARD to come by as you may already know and thats why the Swans etc are popular to with families....

We were very close to buying a Swan at one stage for the trip but then we decided against it as they are still very exposed to the heat and rain and with kids we have found the van easy as tio setup (5 mins) and you can lock the door and walk away straightaway without having to organise bedding and bits that I imagine you would have to store on the floor etc to fold the camper up....this is just my opinion and we have been campers in tents most of our lives with our kids so we are feeling like royalty having a van in our early 30's.....

We dont have an ensuite etc and that again is a personal choice but your $$$ to buy will go up if you want this type of feature - more cleaning for you too.....we got a great DEAL on ourvan so it was worth it....the expandas are popular too I see lots on the road but not many families at the moment.....mainly nomads....

Keep the kids well fed and they wont whinge in the car and the best thing we bought before leaving was 2 x portable dvd players. They both watch what they want and no fights and we also barred the TV on this trip and we havent missed it at all...so maybe bikes and or scooters for the kids, they will swim heaps which will keep them amused and wear them out.....

We try and travel early in the day too on long stints (910km in one day was our biggest) and that gets you out and started before the hot hot starts....and trust me it gets hot quick and one more thing - we have been buying bottled water in the case as the water is yuk everywhere from qld across to here....so that adds up too but you must drink loads of water.....

Anything else you would like to know let me know
Cheers

We been going since January with 2 kids, 13 and 10. Our average weekly spend is $960.

justgoin- sorry just one more question!!

Do you think you would free camp if you had a toilet and shower in your van? Im just wondering because I see on the Jayco website there is a Jayco Flamingo with shower and toilet. The van itself is quite small, I would prefer something larger but I figure if it has a fully enclosed annexe that adds another room so maybe we would go for that? The thing that puts me off free camping is the lack of toilet and showers, pretty essential with 3 kids I imagine.

no prob - happy to help if I can.

Being a jayco flamingo it would have to be a portable shower and a port-a-potti toilet - or maybe even a outdoor shower that they are advertising....there isnt a proper bathroom toilet/shower in these campers as I understand - therefore it would still be more stuff to carry in the small camper as you say that would need to be managed and organised to be able to operate = more work for you buys.

If we had a shower and ensuite we prob would BUT having said that OUR trip this time round has been purely to travel the COASTLINE of Australia and therefore this also equals getting right onto the touristy spots in all of the states which = $$$ more expensive trip rather than say seeing the desert mainly or the inland routes whereby you dont (in my opinion) come across as much stuff to do and therefore less money for attractions and tours etc..the attraction is simply the outback itself and NP's etc.....without a doubt the coastline offers more touristy highlights and every town has something major to boast about and showcase....there arent as many free camps in close to the major towns either so you would have to camp out of town and this therefore means you will have to leave your van unattended in a possible non secure area while you drive into towns to do the touristy things.....

It all depends on the route of your trip - I reckon....If you are doing similar trip to ours as you say then I wouldnt spend the extra on an ensuite site to gain a few extra free camps here and there....I would just spend the extra going into decent van parks in the spots you want within towns and enjoy the trip and give yourselfs a break too by the kids having things to do within the van park safely (swimming, bikes, scooters, games rooms, other kids....therefore making new friendships - this can be very hard at the free camps as most of them are nomads (no offence to anyone) and the kids wont get a break from each other).

We have met lots of families during our travels and that has all been thanks to the van parks we have stayed in....one family has just had us in their home in Perth and spent 4 days showing us around....we met them at the Gold Coast and we spent about 5 weeks in total here and there travelling together and it really made the trip great in many different ways...we did things together that we wouldnt do alone (some remote free camps for example)....and we helped them in time of need when there car couldnt tow there van anymore due to mechanical problems in the middle of nowhere.....so yes we think van parks are the go for THIS trip.....they had an expanda too by the way and that got sick of setting it up all the time with the poptop roof and both ends needing expanding before they could function properly in their van....becomes a real pain in the butt....they have theirs on the market now as a matter of fact. Whereas our is simply pop the roof and all is ready to use as the bunks for our kids are in place all the time....fantastic and easy......

Free camping sounds great and it is but it depends on how much time you have to see the things you want and cover the ground you need to. Many free camps arent convenient to many things at all (except for the NP's maybe) but mainly just useful to break a long trip if you are doing a lot of kms at once and dont need to be anywhere in a hurry.....thats why they are so popular for the nomads as they have all the time in the world and often dont like paying for van parks.....many are self sufficient too (lucky buggers) with solar power, huge water tanks, ensuites, generators etc etc so they have more reason not to need electricity and toilet blocks....

Make sure that you do allow $50 per night for accomm though in your budget as with kids the nightly price does add up. Some parks charge say $35 for 2 adults and then $10 per child over 4 years old....that becomes expensive!!

Food for thought.

Oh one more thing - just FYI. We are planning our next big trip already and it will be in a camper trailer - flip out canvas style and we are planning on doing the red centre, gibb river rd, tunnel ck and the bungle bungles over a few weeks....no caravan and luxuries but it is a different trip and different length of time and our kids will be a few years older again and things change. So a camper will suit us for that type of adventure.....

If I can help any further please just ask - its no prob!
Cheers

Hi just goin

We have one of the jayco flamingos with the shower and toilet.
Toilet is fully moulded with its own water tank and separate cassette with 12v water flush. Shower is just like home with mixer tap, hot water comes from a 25lt hot water system both gas and electric. Because the camper is a wind-up the shower curtain is made from heavy duty PVC that zips on to a roof skirt and clips on down inside in the shower cubicle. Is also fitted with its own water proof light and exhaust fan all running of the house battery.
I am 5' 10" and 105kg and can shower quite comfortably in it.
The better half loves it. this whole space can be used for storage whilst travelling too.

Regards Rossco

Thanks for the reply Rossco. Can I ask if you think its big enough for a family of 5? I really think this could be an option for us. Not so worried about having a shower but a toilet would be really handy for the kids in the middle of the night!! Where did you buy it? I have not seen any for sale? Can I ask how much you bought it for also? Does it have an annexe?

Many thanks....

Hi Luckymum
Yes a famliy of five will fit in fine. The beds are big enough to sleep all 3 but the table makes another bed to stop fights.
Toilet works great and is handy for midnight pit stops.
We got it from Brisbane camperland (jayco dealer here).
They have only been released for about four months so dont think you will see a second hand one yet.
Ours has bag ends over the bed ends to help keep canvas dry,only a bag awning and no sides ( you can buy sides for it) and an awning off the kitchen which is a big plus.
We paid 30k on road with above fitted then added simplicity suspention drop jacks and offroad coupling and heavier wiring.
rossco

Hi Luckymum,

Just goin again.....

Looking at your last few replies regarding the flamingo with toilet option etc given it was only released 4 months ago explains why we hadnt seen one before as we did all our extensive searching over 18 months prior to June this year....so it would have been released very close to our departure....

Looking at the price though - that is what we paid for our brand new pop top and I see far better value and less work than a jayco style camper trailer of any sort for that matter....everyone always seems to have their gear sprawled out outiside on the ground and under the campers....there just doesnt seem to be enough storage....plus you will get sick of putting the ends out and the annexe roof up - which arent that great either unless you get a better qual one like dometic and often they cant be put on them as the camper cant carry the weight and the arms cant be attached etc from memory and the enquiries we made.....

Looking at the cost though they are expensive now for what you get....

Have a good look around before you decide to buy thats for sure!!!

p.s our purchase was hugely reduced as well so you may be lucky to get a similar buy when the time comes....

justgoin- I think they were released in Easter this year. I do think putting up the top and extending the bed ends would be a real pain but we arent planning on spending just one night anywhere so I think it would be ok. Im worried about not enought storage but I really like the idea of the toilet (my 3 all go to the toilet in the night) and also the annexe. What do you do for a toilet in the night? Do you have a porta-potti? I searched the van you have and it looks awesome, Im surprised its in the same price range as the Jayco. Where are you going to advertise it when you get back, we may just be interested!!!

Roscco- thanks for the info

PS - a Jayco Swan would not be heavier than a properly set up camper trailer - suggest you do some more homework on this....

Hi Stumbly 1,
I am keen to hear how the Windsor Rapid performed when you traveled as I am about to take off in late Jan for about 9 months in our 14.6 Rapid with my wife and 10/6 yr old boys and if there is anything I should know I'm all ears,and yes I agree when the sales man says 3 min to set up a camper trailer he don't mean all the little incidentals!

Hi Johny boy,
The windsor rapid (14.6 - same as yours) did every thing I expected of it, don't push it too far but - they are not a true offroad van! tidy up underneath before you go (rocks flying up WILL damage water taps,wiring etc) make sure you fit a good stone guard/rock tamer or rocks WILL damage the front of your van. Internal fittings will suffer from the corrugations if you go too hard but are reasonably robust (remember to reduce tyre pressures on gravel roads) but all up I was reasonably impressed with the way it handled the pilbara. Easy set up/pack up - quick over nighters,much easier than the camper trailer.
Sorry we hijacked your post,lucky mum.
Cheers, Keith

Hi again Stumbly 1,
Thanks mate its nice to compare apples with well apples LOL! and its funny you should say to tidy up the underside of the van as I was under it yesterday relocating the water pump from under the sink (which stops us from using allot of the cupboard) to fitting the pump outside under the van as well as moving all the pipes against the wall so they don't foul on anything we want to store and I did notice heaps of wires and gas lines that seem exposed ,so how did you protect them and also have you got a stone guard as I'm thinking about making one myself?
and I too apologize to you lucky mum for hijacking your post ,but just think of it as us all being at a BBQ sharing a few coldies with about 100 conversations going on at once LOL! Cheers.

Hi Lucky mum
we hired a camper trailer for quite a few years, before we brought our jayco outback.
maybe u should consider the same. for $4k u can hire a very good camper trailer for a considerable length of time. or a few weeks at a time spread over many years.
no they do not have a lot of room for bikes, bags, buckets, clothes, food, saucepans, surf boards, fishing gear etc. but u do learn to make do.
yes we did stay a caravan parks to use the showers etc, they also had amenities for the kids.
good luck Tom

Hi Lucky mum,
I'm not sure if anyone has suggested it but I bought the latest camps 5 book because we intend to free camp as much as possible to save some money, they sell them here on E/O and the price is fair as I am led to believe the money goes back into the running of this great site so its a win win and you can buy 3 versions the standard bindings (which I'm told can be damaged easy when traveling when folding the pages back)or the ring bound which is what I bought and there is a larger scale book which includes pics of the camps but when I checked it out it seemed too big to handle in the car,upon reading this book it seems most have pit toilets and a water tank,some have picnic benches but I have not seen any with showers even though I was speaking to a couple at the Penrith show last week and they said that some do have basic shower enclosures but only cold water,hence the reason to consider a portable shower system and maybe solar/generator you really must do the math as to how long you intend to travel and how much you will use it to justify the outlays,well good luck and I hope this helps a little :)

Good points thanks.....

Hadnt thought of number 6 but yes thats exactly right.

Without wanting to start a fight here luckymum I have read over AusTraveller's comments a few times and just can't leave you thinking they are justifiable.

1. Beware that weight is you enemy. Having travelled with vanners I can tell you if you have a space you WILL fill it with some crap you don't need. I truly believe having lots of "storage" space is far worse than not having enough. If the worst thing you have to do is jettison a few items then it's all good.

2. That's simply not true

3. This is a personal thing. We haven't missed AC but some people can't do without it. What I will say is that the little AC they put in Expanders is nowhere near big enough in capacity to cool the van. If you want AC then you need a bigger unit in a van without canvas ends.

4. Again, simply not true. I have a 13yo daughter, she won't sneeze without privacy. The camper offers the same privacy a van will (unless its closed up that is lol)

5. There is no more usable room in an expander than a 17' soft floor camper. In fact, because all the kitchen stuff and tables etc is inside you feel as though there is less space.

6. That is true UNLESS, like most, you plan to leave the van at some stage to tackle an area that the van won't go. If you then need to camp for even a few days away then you need to double up on everything. Stove, burner, tent/s, mattresses, table and chairs (by the way, you will end up buying an outdoor table and fold up chairs anyway coz you won't want to be couped up inside all the time) etc. You need bags to carry your stuff that is normally in cupboards, you need another fridge.. All of a sudden you are carrying a bunch of extra stuff you only use 3 or 4 times all year. And,

Please don't think I'm pushing the camper barrow or bagging the Expander coz I'm not. We chose that route as we figured it was right for us (and in hindsight we were 100% correct). My friends are more than happy with their Expander (in fact they love it) and they have no issue with how long it takes to set up or carrying the extra stuff needed to go bush (don’t think they are too keen on the AC unit however). They, with their 2 under 8’s are having the time of their lives just as we are. What you do will be based what is best for you and your family and the sort of experience you want. My only agenda is to debunk some misnomers and offer you both sides of the argument.

joff1 your post made me laugh. As a 13 year old girl I wouldnt have sneezed without privacy either!! Too funny.

Have you told our little friend you're bagging his set up, Joff?

Not bagging it at all, in fact I reckon it's a lovely home on wheels. Just isn't as quick and easy as the brochure might make it out to be.