Van or Camper for FNQ and around Oz??

Perhaps be a bit more specific on where you intend or want to go would get better answers.

Only thought I have is that we resolved not to go back to FNQ without a van - and a van tht has midge screens too - had a great trip about 3 years back in the HD offroad camper, but the insects along the coast were criminal in many places - we had to give up living with them at times and clear off. Next trip we will have somewhere to hide at night. We did see less camper trailers up around that way than we usually see elsewhere, causing us to think that many others already knew what we were rapidly learning.

If you are taking a tent & camping gear why don't you leave the van & trailer behind & mix the tent up with some cabins & motels or even 5 star hotels. The 5 star hotels are cheaper than vanpark cabins at times up this way.
Save a heap & make travelling a lot easier.
No need to spend all your hard earned cash on the rolling stock then.
Without towing you could do it in a suzuki.

We took off from Vic.on a trip around Oz some years ago with a camper trailer...in 4.5 months we put it up and down 37 times...by the time we got to Perth we over it and traded it in on a used poptop van...pure bliss...the camper was very good to tow and great for a stay of a week or more but moving every day or so was a PITA...the van was a bit heavier but to have all of our food ,clothes , eating gear and bedding in the one room was much better . Putting up a wet camper in the rain to sleep in is not really much fun either , the same as packing it up in the rain to move on. Your idea of taking a tent with you to get to the "harder to get to"spots and using a caravan is in my opinion a much better way to go. We got very good fuel economy with the camper but the little bit extra that it cost for the van in fuel was far outweighed by the comfort...cheers

Thanks for all your replies so quickly!

6 months will unfortunately be the longest we can manage/afford to take off from the rat race, so there will be a lot of staying in a place for possibly only a few nights then moving onto the next spot - where we may stay for 4 days or 4 weeks etc etc. This may be a lot of setting up and pulling down, which I don't mind, but if I can find a small 2nd hand O/R van for a good price then I'd rather pay a little more for the comforts.

Fuel economy won't be a prob, we've budgeted a little extra for that. The only thing I'm worried about is missing locations I don't even know exist yet because we can't tow a van in there. We're still in the very early stages of planning where to visit exactly, reading about other travellers trips on this site has been a big help. As long as there's a fish or two to be caught, I'll be smiling....

I would also suggest that you consider what type of traveling/camping you will be doing after you return.

If you are looking at camping trips off the beaten track over the next few years you may do better getting a camper trailer. Some of the negatives of owning a camper for a 6 month trip may out weigh its usefullness in the future.

On the other hand, if in the future you intend to have weekends and holidays staying in caravan parks then the van may be the better option.

In my opinion, yes you will miss a lot of 'unmissable' spots towing a van, but that depends on what type of traveling you like to do.

Chris

Hi LS

Depending on how early in the year you leave, you may get the end of the wet season. If it is likely to be dry most of the time, and you don't mind the erecting and dismantling, a camper trailer may be the best for you. We have watched some people do theirs very quickly - there are some very easy to use types out there. Canvas would be a bother if you struck much wet weather.

On the trips we have done over the past two years (total of nine months on the road), the only place we couldn't take our rig was Purnululu in the Kimberley (due to their regulations). We left the caravan behind and camped on the ute for a couple of nights. This year we were well equipped to camp out again, but didn't need to.

Having camped before with either a tent, ute tray or wind up camper in our younger years, we now prefer the easy life, and have a good caravan set up for independent camping, and just stop where ever we want to. No work - home is ready and waiting. We also have room for storing all our needs including clothes for all seasons, and a good supply of food and water should be become stranded (weather or breakdown). We can live for weeks without the need to go shopping if need be. If there are biting insects around, we can just stay inside.

Which ever way you decide, enjoy the lifestyle, and don't plan too big a trip. Better to enjoy less places than race around just to do the lap.

Motherhen

Buy a second hand pop top Troopy (ex hire?) and sell it when you get home.
Plenty about, good value.
Go anywhere.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

One other thing to remember is the heat. FNQ can be oppressive and a van with aircon is something to consider.

Jim.

Hi LS

You did not mention budget.

Perhaps something halfwaybetween a camper trailerand a caravan. Kimberley Kampers have one and there are a couple of others High Top I think is another.

They are expensive (45 to 60) but go anywhere, easy to tow, super strong and on those rainy days easy to put up.

Carl

Consider looking at a tray top camper and then you can take a boat and you wont miss any of the great spots as long as the boat trailer will stand up to it. Have a look at the advert in Trader section. Quick and easy to put up and pull down, particularly if you are only staying a couple of days you can leave it on the trays. Insect screens worked well on our recent trip to Cape Trib, Cooktown. Make sure you fit in 80mile beach in WA just north of Pt Hedland for the fishing.