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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