CT or CV

Angie
We got a van in the end because we got fed up with the constant up and down of the trailer. It took about 40mins to set up the annex etc. When we were doing short hops, it was too much. We kept the camper for about 4 months.
In the end we have tents and I'll also consider a roof top for the cruiser should the need arise, but we calculated that the places we'd go to where we couldn't take a van as a percentage were small. When we come to these situations we'll just camp using the tents and leave the van somewhere for a few days. The other benefit of the van was it was not affected by rain. We camp all year round and sometimes rain was an issue with the camper when having to pack up etc and things getting wet.
The van we bought though is suitable for off road and fully self sufficient. I think your question will be determined by budget. You could pick up a nice trailer with more extras on it, than you are likely to get a similar kitted van.
Best of luck with whatever you choose.

We spent three years in a camper trailer. We choose a camper trailer cause we wanted to go where we wanted without being limited by a van. We had an Obrien's offroad camper. It is the quickest to set up.
We had heaps of storage room (2 adults and 2 kids). We could go where ever and not have to worry would the van make it.
My advice is decide what sort of places do you want to see. If it is mainly just on the black top then a van is fine. But if you want to get into some the really amazing places in the remoter areas where there are less people then a C/T would be better.
Have a look here to see some of the places we went and how we did it all in a camper
http://www.kidsandall.webs.com/
What ever you choose you will have fun, remember nothing is perfect so you will have to compromise somewhere. Remeber there will be days you will think "what are we doing??". Just remember those days make the other days even better.

Josh

We had 6 months in a CT and would do it again in a flash. I would probably get a smaller CT to the one we currently have.
$7k budget, what sort of CV would you get for that amount? You might be buying something that will cost too much in maintenance and repairs (I might be wrong, often are). We paid about $9k for our CT (brand new at time), and had no problems at all.
Hope this helps
Wato

Angie : I think it would depend on what you are doing & where you are going ,how often you will be moving . We did a trip 6 week in a c/ trail -on average moved every other day and didn't mind it a bit .....but others may be different , plus it would depend on the camper & how complex it was & what sort of camper you are thinking of ?
Some people take only a few minutes to set & others with very complex c/trail a long time ...
$ 7000 would buy a good s/hand camper trailer but i don't know how far that would go towards a c/van ? .....Not much of a cv i would think !!!

I would rather be in a newish c/t than an old cv that wasn't reliable ....+ ct
cheaper & easier to tow . I would agree with Josh comments as well ...

cheers nick

Hi Angie,

We got a caravan, back in 1973 as we were stepping up as we had done our time in tents.
After that first caravan we were sold on caravans and have had one ever since.
I always say, if I cant open the door and put the kettle on then I don't want it.

If you are going around Oz, you, being of the fairer sex, will appreciate the full caravan more so probably than your partner. More organisation with less setting up.

It is especially good when it rains and you have to set up or pack up. Nothing worse that sleeping with wet canvas. Or packing it up for that matter.

There are some very good older vans in your price range available though they are becoming more popular as time goes on, especially for those on a tight budget.

Things to look out for are roof leaks and chassis rust. If you get a good old one I would replace the axle and springs in prep for your round the block trip, just for peace of mind. I have broken a spring while touring and they are not always available, even in Tamworth where you would think everything would be readily available. So speaking from experience here.

All the older vans need is coat of paint on the inside and the outside if required and you can hold your head up in any company. You will be surprised at the amount of attention you will attract when you get an older van and hit the road.

Good luck looking and have fun doing it.
Cheers, Bruce.

Angie, if I may add a post script.
One of my best mates bought a CT. Its large as he and his partner often take away 3-4 kids as well. They love it. I think the main difference is that they have more hands to help put it up. I think if we had had two little helpers, things may have been slightly different. As SDG said, we found that after a long drive, it really was a chore to set up. Equally putting away on a warm day was exactly the same. We'd pack up hit the road and be all hot and bothered and not feel too comfortable at the start of our drive.
The sleeping section of our CT was up and ready in under 2mins, however to put the awning up and cover the kitchen was a major hassle. I am very fly intolerant and can't handle them buzzing around when eating or cooking. I therefore always had to have the annex up. This was the draw back.
It really is a personal choice. I love the concept. But after having and using the van, it wins by miles for us. It has exceeded my expectations and even my main concern about not being able to drive fast enough has been washed away. Convenience, comfort, ease, and speed of set up, have far out weighed the greater freedom offered by the CT. This `freedom' is the only plus I can see a CT offers over a CV.

Hi Angie,

I have been looking through your threads as you make the big decisions about getting kitted up for a big trip. I haven't been able to work out how much camping or travelling experience you have, and I think that might be a key factor in making your decision.

May I suggest that if you are new to all this you find a big caravan park that is used by both caravnnners and camper trailer users, and try to spend a weekend there, maybe in a cabin. Spend as much time walking around the site and talking to owners of various rigs about what works and WHY. You will find that most folk are only too happy to show off and explain their rig.

Then when you have narrowed the options down a bit see if you can hire something that is close to what you think will suit you, and take it for a run for a few days to see how you like it. Try to travel on the type of roads and camp in the kind of places that you think you might go to when you are actually doing the trip.

It is perfectly possible to set up a vehicle to travel on a budget, and you can do so with a degree of comfort even without even a camper trailer, (Have a look here to see what I mean) However I guess the longer you plan to be on the road the more home comforts you may need. Your age and health may also have a bearing on what you will need.

One thing is certain though - great travelling rigs usually evolve and develop over time. While its good to get the big ticket items right, its the little things that really make a difference. And we have found that putting it all together is a lot of ongoing fun.

Another thing - make sure that when you have things organised go for a few short "shake-down" trips before you actually set out on the big trip. That will help to iron out any little issues that might otherwise become big issues.

Anyway, good luck with it all and have a great trip when you do eventually set off.

Cheers,

Val

Hi Angie,
In your original post you ask us to tell you what would WE choose, so on that basis I'll reply, however I think you've got some wonderfully helpful information here already and you've got plenty of time to think it all through. My viewpoint is just a little different (and I hope I don't offend you by giving you MY thoughts, I respect that we are all different and each to their own)... so here's a different viewpoint to what's been given so far....

We have already done a trip around Australia (2 year trip, no kids, we had just turned 30). We drove a Troopy & towed a small offroad trailer and dragged it everywhere, but not a CT, just "stuff". We are active and adventurous when we travel so our trips are about "exploring" in every sense of the word. We originally planned to "circumnavigate" the country as we were water lovers and has our windsurfers and scuba diving gear with us and did that for the first 9mths but we quickly found the excitement was when we headed offroad and got into the remote/4WD only areas. We extended our trip to 2 yrs by heading into the deserts and exploring the more remote areas avoiding bitumen roads, enjoying the thrill of unplanned adventures. It was so much mroe rewarding. For us, the vehicle is just the means to get us where we want to go, comfort is not part of the equation, nor is convenience or time to setup camp. We don't mind effort and hard work - we're young (well, we were back then).

Now we have 2 kids (8 & 11) and we are in our mid 40s and things have changed a bit for sure in regards to the need for more comfort and less effort. We still don't own a CT or CV, as hubby can't bear to tow again. We just use swags and the roofrack but it would be no good for a year's trip. We would need a CT for a long trip such as yours and I would choose something like a Camprite (2nd hand) but that would be above your budget - they feature a hard floor and a quick basic setup to get everyone out of the car and under shelter very quickly with minimal fuss in bad conditions. You can all sit and eat a meal and go to bed without getting out annexe or chairs etc. But it has canvas and is better put away dry in mornings, and is a bit fiddly to put down but our friends do theirs in the same time as we roll up our swags and stick 'em on the roof racks. The Camprite bed are awesomely large too and heaps of storage space. I am always impressed (ok, jealous). BUT the reason we don't have one is hubby doens't really want to tow, and the $ of course. A bit more hardship for us and no mega big trips and there's no urgency to change the current setup.

The only caravan that we have considered would be on the wishlist is one of those $$$ Bushtrackers - my friends took their two kids around Australia for a year in one and we met up with them for a month - they were doing it perfect! But we definately cannot afford one of those, HOWEVER, they bought it new (custom made) and sold it for $5K more 12 mths later - supply and demand for one of the best CVs on the market. OK for those with the equity to do it in the first place.

But back to the reality of your situation - with that budget, I'd go CT.

Michelle

Angie:

Ever seen a camper trailer with a door lock, for when you go off for a drive?

:) Hook

One very important point to consider Angie and it has hardly been touched on is if you intend to store your CT or CV when not in use in your garage if you have one is will it fit in your garage or carport , whatever ? In other words is your CV or CT lower than the height of the garage door . Most likely your CV will not !!
I have an older van (Opal ) which is quite high and when i was building my garage i stood up two profiles as used for bricklaying and strung a line across where the height of the lintel would be then backed my van under it , i ended up having about 50mm to spare above the a/c which was the highest point of the van . Strange to say a friend with a much more modern van tried to back his van in to my garage and the van was too high , think the wheels were quite a bit higher than mine .
Having said all that i prefer a van , you will use a touch more fuel but dont think you would ever go back to a CT after owning a van . Have fun
Brian