Newbie

[timmyh80]

G'day everyone.

My wife (Anne) and I (Tim) along with our 3 kids (5, 3, and 3 weeks) are planning our new lifestlye of camper trailer living. We have sold the house, currently researching the trailer to purchase, and upgrade the 4wd with the plan to get on the road in April next year with no end in sight.

We have both always enjoyed the outdoors, mostly from tent base camping or hiking, so this will be a whole new adventure for us.

We currently living in West Gippsland, Vic.

Having read through lots of differernt options forum posts, show rooms and websites; we are going around in circles. We are looking for a Aussie made/ Aussie canvas step through soft floor trailer that will be setup for fully self sufficent off grid living. As it will be home for 12-24 months plus, We are looking for a good quality and reliable camper. and I know that it is a very broad questioon, but, Recommendations?

Look forward to meeting as many of you on the road as we can, and we are enjoying the wealth of knowledge found on the forum.

Tim

[KingBilly]

G'day Tim and Anne, welcome to my swag.

With three little uns, they will all need to sleep in with you guys.  Older kids and teenagers can be relocated to their own tents or swags.  A rear fold hard floor will be easier to set up and pack away but the floor space for the kids will be limited.  A forward fold may give you enough internal room for a few years and is about the same setup/packup time as a rear fold. A side fold soft floor will take a bit longer to set up but will definitely give you enough room for the kids, particularly if you get a 12 foot tent.  The addition of annexes is what takes time and effort no matter which option you choose.

Have you considered a Jayco type of trailer.  Easy enough to set up and gives you some internal cooking and eating space in bad weather.

Happy camping
KB

[scarpsD40]

Hey Tim and Anne and kids, welcome to myswag. Enjoy the journeys. Given your location, have a think about joining this event.  http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=44835

You'll get to see a range of CT's live and in action, meet a few of us mexican myswagg'rs, get first hand tips on trips and touring as well as have a fun weekend. Steam train rides for the kids.

[Green rv]

Hi Tim & Anne

as with KB i would have another look at you options for accommodation

are you planning on sitting in one spot for weeks or days?
major off road or light off road ?

i would even look at a small caravan 16-19' maybe a pop top
oh heck it's just too hard to decide. what would the best set up be.
arrrr it's doing my head in.

well plenty people out there doing it with only a tent or less
(fnq tarzan did it with just a sugar bag)(thread from yesterday)

sorry to only give more options
will be interesting to see what you get
but am sure you will have fun regardless
now ping off and start living my dream

 
Adam

 

 

[Trailer Bloke]

Wow looks like you have some big adventures ahead enjoy the forum and happy and safe travels.

[timmyh80]

Hey Tim and Anne and kids, welcome to myswag. Enjoy the journeys. Given your location, have a think about joining this event.  http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=44835

You'll get to see a range of CT's live and in action, meet a few of us mexican myswagg'rs, get first hand tips on trips and touring as well as have a fun weekend. Steam train rides for the kids.

Thanks for the offer, we won't be able to make it that weekend though. Sounds like a great short trip away though.

[timmyh80]

oh heck it's just too hard to decide. what would the best set up be.
arrrr it's doing my head in.

Thanks KB and Adam. It is doing our head in too! We have gone from a bus -> full size caravan -> camper trailer -> using the trailer we have, adding a tradie top and tenting it -> back to camper trailer -> ?

It will be great no matter what we travel in it will be great. The rough plan is to stay in an area for a week at a time, then move to a new place.

[D4D]

The rough plan is to stay in an area for a week at a time, then move to a new place.

Based on that I'd suggest a soft floor.

[Green rv]

what ever you get you will be experts at it by the end of your trip

worst case scenario you can always upgrade downgrade along the way
lots of things happen over two years

the kids will have a blast and hope you both do to

 
Adam

[timmyh80]

After more back and forward of ideas, pro/con lists, budgets, "what do  we want to do" questions, we went to Leisurefest in Melbourne on Friday with the plan to buy a caravan.

After looking at too many, and the cost for what we wanted included, we deciede over luch that we would go back to the CT.

And we have decieded on... A Trackabout Safari SV Extenda with a few extras to make it practical and comfortable. Big thanks to Dave and the team, it is a greak looking piece of gear, well thought out and lots of little 1%'s thank you don't notice till you talk to them that show how well they put these together.

February won't come soon eough!