Living On The Road

[MC97GQ]

Good luck with it Kallen,

And if you head to the East Coast be sure to drop into Nimmitabel, for a beverage or two.

Mark

[macca86]

Hi mate I would go with option 2. I wouldn't be able to live with the inlaws or my parents for that matter! Pay off the debts then reinvest the amount you would be paying into them into a high interest account while you wait for the house to sell. Keep looking at vans new or 2nd hand to save cash and give more of a safety net. Put a 15 to 30 day condition on the sale of your house so you can buy a van in that time and you can work the budget from the agreed sale price. Just my 2c worth it's what i'd do

[Cuppa]

Hi Kallen,

A few thoughts.

Firstly the link to your choice of van doesn't work.

Regarding a full size annexe. Not trying to tell you what you need, but I would advise you that many many folk think they will need a full enclosed annexe & once on the road find that rarely or never use it. If you have room to sit inside when the weather is bad, or the mossies are biting you probably don't need one either. An awning is essential for shade & shelter though. Annexe walls are mainly only used by folk who stay put in one location for long periods (which may be your plan), but are a considerable weight & a PIA to put up. If you decide that a full annexe IS a necessity you should be able to pick one up that has had no, or little use for way less than new cost. A length of shade cloth across the front of the awning is a compromise that many use if extra privacy is needed, is much lighter, & cheaper & quicker & easier to put up.

Regarding whether to get the van first, or clear the debts first. Always good to get rid of debt....BUT ...... IF you are certain about what you are planning, getting the van first helps to cement things in place & gives you a sense of progression & commitment. IMHO it makes the dreams coming true seem a bit closer. It also gives you the opportunity to get the van how you want it based on a few 'shakedown' weekends etc away, as I can guarantee what you will think is important in the van will change once you have used it.

I would also advise that you take your time choosing a particular van. Join this forum & ask heaps of questions. You will be better informed, plus will probably save yourself some money - it's a buyers market.

The smaller the van, the less it will restrict where you can go. Many national parks don't have drive through sites, making bigger vans a pain. There are also very few genuinely off road vans. Plenty say they are, but are really only suitable for reasonable gravel roads. Ground clearance, departure angles as well as general sturdiness conspire to make many so called 'off road' vans unsuitable for off road. IMHO the two choices are to either spend big bikkies on a genuine off road van, or to buy an older van whose owner has modified it over the years to survive the thousands of corrugated kilometres. The latter may not always be pretty, but will likely be dust proof & sturdy.



Good to hear that things are progressing.

Cuppa

[BigRAWesty]

Good luck with it Kallen,

And if you head to the East Coast be sure to drop into Nimmitabel, for a beverage or two.

Mark

Funny you say that mark, will be heading east coast first we think, but it will depend on were we land work..

Hi mate I would go with option 2. I wouldn't be able to live with the inlaws or my parents for that matter! Pay off the debts then reinvest the amount you would be paying into them into a high interest account while you wait for the house to sell. Keep looking at vans new or 2nd hand to save cash and give more of a safety net. Put a 15 to 30 day condition on the sale of your house so you can buy a van in that time and you can work the budget from the agreed sale price. Just my 2c worth it's what i'd do

We were thinking extending the hand over, to give us a bit of room..
But it still means at hand over it'll be a quick buy as the cash is transfered on handover.

Ill also quickly add were still setting the patrol up and getting a good tent so we can hit the tracks on weekends and leave the caravan as a base..

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

[the evil twin]

FWIW I reckon Cuppa has a few gems of info in there.

Debt versus investment - it would need to be a cracking investment (read high risk) to return more than the $ you need to service the debt so 9 times out of 10 you would be better off clearing the debt... BUT... if it is more important logistically to get the van then, as Cuppa says, I would do so.

Van layout and inclusions - do your research and narrow down what you want as much as you can. Be prepared to travel interstate to get it. That way the purchase isn't as rushed as there are more available and you can delay closer to the house sale.

On road V off road - if the van is "the family home" and not just a "camping trip" and as you have the Patrol set up for tenting the gnarlier places I would lean towards a dual axle jobbie and upgrade springs and shocks specifically for operation over corrugations and outback formed gravel shire roads and tracks. Get into places that are really gnarly and you risk getting stranded or having the rig in the workshop getting fixed and needing expensive accomodation.
Once you can happily travel the Great Central, Gibb or Tanami Roads for example you can get to a LOT of Oz or at least home base the van with very easy range of the Patrol and a tent

Annex - difficult choice. I pretty much agree with Cuppa again... have a good think about that issue. Heaps of Vans come with "Annex hardly used" or Annex as new" etc. because most people find they can be a total PIA... BUT... if you are staying in spots longer term and/or exploring in the Patrol they give the snotties a bit more room and/or also a bit more area to stow stuff out of the weather.

I reckon you are correct to in making certain you have the money side of things sorted. Do whatever it takes to get you and your partner comfy with the cabbage. Everything else can be adjusted fairly easily but pressures on the fiscal front can make the green grass decidedly brown.

Finally... I say 'Go For It' as it will be awesome. Sure there will be hiccups along the way but that is all part of the experience

[BigRAWesty]

Hi Kallen,

A few thoughts.

Firstly the link to your choice of van doesn't work.

Regarding a full size annexe. Not trying to tell you what you need, but I would advise you that many many folk think they will need a full enclosed annexe & once on the road find that rarely or never use it. If you have room to sit inside when the weather is bad, or the mossies are biting you probably don't need one either. An awning is essential for shade & shelter though. Annexe walls are mainly only used by folk who stay put in one location for long periods (which may be your plan), but are a considerable weight & a PIA to put up. If you decide that a full annexe IS a necessity you should be able to pick one up that has had no, or little use for way less than new cost. A length of shade cloth across the front of the awning is a compromise that many use if extra privacy is needed, is much lighter, & cheaper & quicker & easier to put up.

Regarding whether to get the van first, or clear the debts first. Always good to get rid of debt....BUT ...... IF you are certain about what you are planning, getting the van first helps to cement things in place & gives you a sense of progression & commitment. IMHO it makes the dreams coming true seem a bit closer. It also gives you the opportunity to get the van how you want it based on a few 'shakedown' weekends etc away, as I can guarantee what you will think is important in the van will change once you have used it.

I would also advise that you take your time choosing a particular van. Join this forum & ask heaps of questions. You will be better informed, plus will probably save yourself some money - it's a buyers market.

The smaller the van, the less it will restrict where you can go. Many national parks don't have drive through sites, making bigger vans a pain. There are also very few genuinely off road vans. Plenty say they are, but are really only suitable for reasonable gravel roads. Ground clearance, departure angles as well as general sturdiness conspire to make many so called 'off road' vans unsuitable for off road. IMHO the two choices are to either spend big bikkies on a genuine off road van, or to buy an older van whose owner has modified it over the years to survive the thousands of corrugated kilometres. The latter may not always be pretty, but will likely be dust proof & sturdy.



Good to hear that things are progressing.

Cuppa

FWIW I reckon Cuppa has a few gems of info in there.

Debt versus investment - it would need to be a cracking investment (read high risk) to return more than the $ you need to service the debt so 9 times out of 10 you would be better off clearing the debt... BUT... if it is more important logistically to get the van then, as Cuppa says, I would do so.

Van layout and inclusions - do your research and narrow down what you want as much as you can. Be prepared to travel interstate to get it. That way the purchase isn't as rushed as there are more available and you can delay closer to the house sale.

On road V off road - if the van is "the family home" and not just a "camping trip" and as you have the Patrol set up for tenting the gnarlier places I would lean towards a dual axle jobbie and upgrade springs and shocks specifically for operation over corrugations and outback formed gravel shire roads and tracks. Get into places that are really gnarly and you risk getting stranded or having the rig in the workshop getting fixed and needing expensive accomodation.
Once you can happily travel the Great Central, Gibb or Tanami Roads for example you can get to a LOT of Oz or at least home base the van with very easy range of the Patrol and a tent

Annex - difficult choice. I pretty much agree with Cuppa again... have a good think about that issue. Heaps of Vans come with "Annex hardly used" or Annex as new" etc. because most people find they can be a total PIA... BUT... if you are staying in spots longer term and/or exploring in the Patrol they give the snotties a bit more room and/or also a bit more area to stow stuff out of the weather.

I reckon you are correct to in making certain you have the money side of things sorted. Do whatever it takes to get you and your partner comfy with the cabbage. Everything else can be adjusted fairly easily but pressures on the fiscal front can make the green grass decidedly brown.

Finally... I say 'Go For It' as it will be awesome. Sure there will be hiccups along the way but that is all part of the experience

Cheers guys, and will check out that site once home on the computer.


I really stuffed those links up.. ill fix once home.. both vans are dual axle setups, around the 20" mark. you'll see..

To clear a few things up, our plan is to travel but stay in a location for a period of time, maybe a few months. Depending on the next leg and money needed will determine time spent in a spot to save.
I will be working threw this trip. So we will have an income.
The $35000 I'm talking about is an emergency only, and if all comes together a deposit on a house at the end. It won't be a source of income, and interest from it will be put strait back in. So after the few years planned we have a nice little nest egg.

So as were intending on setting up for decent stints I'd prefer a full annex, it provides extra space, and the wife suggested pop down the $2 shop and grab a cheap lounge and stick in there. When its time to go sell it off...
We'll keep the roll out awning for travelling lunch stops and short stop overs.

As mentioned above the van will be base and the patrol will be the exploring vehicle. We still plan to deck it out and have a smaller tent to take.

Now the van, I totally understand the "off road" is still limited. Its not really off road, its just a lifted van.. but I think it will give us a little more freedom if the van can handle a few of the black top tracks..
I will be fitting the van with similar tyres to the patrol, so it makes tyre selection not an issue..

Anyway, keep talking. I'm all ears.

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories

[BigRAWesty]

Ok, lets try again..
My fav so far..
And the wifes fav so far

[emm]

Hmm, following with interest but link didn't work...
Air conditioner a must if you will be in the Top end for the build up/wet season like we were. It was 42 degrees in Katherine without a breath of wind and as soon as we got to Darwin we bought a portable air con. Also, don't expect the caravan fridge to work once the outside temp is over 32 degrees. The caravan parks were full of people getting fridges checked out but it was just the Top end weather versus the east coast they had come from. Get an Engel or waeco if you really want cold stuff.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk 2

[BigRAWesty]

Hi mate. Thanks for the input. Yea both vans have probably sold as I posted them in April, and there were both good buys..
Totally agree with the aircon, but thanks for the heads on the fridges..
Was it one particular style of fridge, gas, 240 or 12v???
But we do have our 50ltr weaco I'm the Patrol so if it does go bad we have a back up..

[threedogs]

If you want the very best fridge get yourself a National Luna/ Trailblazer.
Nothing comes close but they come at a premium price, but resale value will remain.
Check as some fridges don't like humidity same as some stoves don't like altitude.
Don't know if I'd like erecting an annexe on a regular basis, but don't know of alternatives
that are easy.