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Thread: Caravans sheesh.

  1. #1
    Patrol Freak
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    Caravans sheesh.

    Started looking at small basic vans about 6 months ago. I had no idea they were so overpriced and so full of unnecessary bits & pieces.

    I can't believe how often they are advertised as having USB power outlets and LED lighting. So! As if they are magnificient things that no one could put in themselves.

    I'm thinking of getting an old Van and giving it a body lift so I can fit Patrol size wheels & tyres on it.

    Can you get a caravan without a fridge, stove, USB ports, water tank, and evrything else I carry in my Patrol already?

    Does anyone else reckon caravans are way overpriced and full of crap you don't need or am I just dumb?
    ..

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    Legendary GQtdauto's Avatar
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    Your probably right but as you get older you appreciate the extra comforts ,this is the van on our Wishlist .

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f2VvmqADlrY

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    Smart like tractor Ben-e-boy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 10G View Post
    Started looking at small basic vans about 6 months ago. I had no idea they were so overpriced and so full of unnecessary bits & pieces.

    I can't believe how often they are advertised as having USB power outlets and LED lighting. So! As if they are magnificient things that no one could put in themselves.

    I'm thinking of getting an old Van and giving it a body lift so I can fit Patrol size wheels & tyres on it.

    Can you get a caravan without a fridge, stove, USB ports, water tank, and evrything else I carry in my Patrol already?

    Does anyone else reckon caravans are way overpriced and full of crap you don't need or am I just dumb?
    Yep. Also the vast majority a very poorly built. You'd be hard pressed to find one that an actual tradesman has laid hand upon. Just do your best and silicon the rest. This also goes for camp trailers too.
    Last edited by Ben-e-boy; 20th May 2018 at 02:48 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by GQtdauto View Post
    Your probably right but as you get older you appreciate the extra comforts ,this is the van on our Wishlist .

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=f2VvmqADlrY
    Geez I'd hate to know how much those things cost, great looking unto though.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ben-e-boy View Post
    Yep. Also the vast majority a very poorly built. You'd be hard pressed to find one that an actual tradesman has laid hand upon. Just do your best and silicon the rest. This also goes for camp trailers too.
    Yep I agree with that Ben-e-boy. We almost bought a 1980 something Millard pop up for $3500. Neither of us cared that it was 20000000 years old and had lace curtains, we were just going to rip this n that out, fix up the suspension and apply silicon & expanding foam as needed.

    We're just looking for something to get out of the wind & rain in, like a solid tent on wheels if you like. Don't need a shower or toilet or led lights or an oven or 100 litres of water or flat screen TV or AC.
    ..

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    Hardcore jack's Avatar
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    Have to agree with you 10G but as you get older these unnecessary bits & pieces become necessities.

    I started with a small tent, did the centre with the kids then upgraded to a larger one. About thirty years ago bought a cheap second hand caravan which served us well for about 10 years, the kids grew up and moved out so we sold the van and started staying in motels etc.
    Six years ago we bought a Jayco Offroad Eagle. The Patrol wheels bolted straight on and we also did quite a few modifications, like adding USB power outlets and LED lighting. We were pretty much self sufficient with solar and gas cooking etc. This went where-ever we pointed it and was trouble free but became more tedious to setup and pack up as I got older.
    Since I retired it was just to big for the two of us as the grandkids went with their parents during school holidays and we avoided these times for travelling like the plague. A couple of years ago started looking for something with all the bits and pieces for just the two of us and last year we sold the van .

    We looked at heaps of different vans, campers etc. and visited heaps of shows and dealers and spoke with owners. Amazing what you find out when speaking with the actual owners. We looked at the Echo Kavango, Coromol Offroad and heaps of other 'so called' off road models.

    A few months ago we took delivery of a new Jayco Adventurer, it's got all the bells and whistles and more. In my opinion (and others) it's well built and robust and I'd have no hesitation in taking it well off the beaten track. It certainly gets a lot of looks and comments at a camp ground and so far everyone who's checked it out has been impressed.

    How it performs/holds up in the future we can only wait and see. It keeps my wife comfortable and happy and gives me the opportunity to get off the beaten track.

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    Patrol God mudnut's Avatar
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    @bigguwesty built up an old Jayco Dove to what he wanted. http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...yco-Dove-Build.

    I have been looking at all sorts of vans to get an idea of what we need. Sir Roofy's Penguin is the basic van design I am looking at getting, although his is a lot later model than our budget will stretch too.

    I also liked the basic model Avan, as it has a solid roof which will withstand a lot worse weather.
    Last edited by mudnut; 20th May 2018 at 03:45 PM.
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    Bruder caravans are cheap as chips just $80k for the base model up to over $120k for the worksburger .
    Might have to wait for a lotto win .
    As for camper trailers we too did a bit of searching at various shows and expos and discounted everyone we seen for one reason or another then settled on Opus but we have been disappointed with a few flaws in the design and construction on our model but some waterproofing and a bit cosmetic fixes have helped .

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    There's a lot of churn and burn manufacturers coming out of the woodwork with unskilled workers putting out crap in recent years.

    Nothing wrong with an older van and keep looking until you find your gem. It took me a year to find mine and it was a huge winner!

    Agreed about prices but look at that as a positive thing being they hold their prices ridiculously, find a bargain, put a bit of love in it and you'll get your money back if not more in years to come.

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    We recently sold our camper and are looking for a Jayco. Not sure on what size, Swan? Eagle? Dunno. Im over the camper trailer thing. Way too much bloody work. So we are looking for something a little older and then I will give it some love and make it ours.

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    Smart like tractor Ben-e-boy's Avatar
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    I'm actually looking at camper at the moment. Once the ute is running again and the falcon is sold I'll take some leave and f#ck off somewhere
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