Innehållsförteckning för Issue 563 från Caravan World

The Australian Caravan Club (ACC) added three new branches to its nationwide network in March, bringing the total number of branches around Australia to 45. The Drovers branch formed as an offshoot of the Victorian Bushrangers branch for members who enjoy more off-the-grid bush camping, while a second Victorian branch, the Great Ocean Roadsters, was also created. “The idea of bush camping became so popular that the [Bushrangers] branch kept growing and finding suitable bush camp venues capable of taking the increasing number of RVs for branch musters became more and more restrictive with that growth,” ACC chairman Craig Humphrey said. “So it was agreed by the members to split the branch into two and with that, the Drovers was formed.” Mr Humphrey paid special thanks to the members of…

Campers and self-drive holidaymakers can browse hundreds of Victorian commercial-operated camping destinations in a free guide published by the peak accommodation association, VicParks. Available both digitally and in a printed format, the 2017 Victorian Caravan and Camping Holiday Guide organises featured parks and campgrounds by region, and includes contact details of all information centres up front. The visual guide provides a photo of each listing with icons identifying available facilities – including rig suitability, boating facilities, and conveniences such as wi-fi - plus starting prices to budget your trip. A free hard copy version of the 2017 Victorian Caravan and Camping Holiday Guide is available by calling (03) 9372 3420 or emailing admin@vicparks.com. au, alternatively you visit www.vicparks.com.au and download it online.…

We all know the classic images of the Victorian High Country. From Banjo Patterson’s early horseback ruffians to Lee Kernaghan’s swag-wielding, 80 Series LandCruiser-driving mob, the High Country has long been regarded as somewhat of a frontier to be traversed with four hooved feet or a good set of offroad tyres only. Caravans haven’t historically been part of the picture. That is, until now. When we first put our heads together with AL-KO to come up with a location for the Toughest Tow Test, we knew not just any destination would cut it. They wanted it to be a serious offroad challenge, something that would really push the vans and their AL-KO running gear to the limit. But, most of all, we wanted it to elicit incredible photography and video,…

“The LC76 idled up the trickiest of obstacles and sounded bloody spectacular doing it.” We’ve all got a dream rig. You know; the sort of vehicle you would literally give both of your legs, your right arm and any spare change you have to own! Well, Hema’s LC76 Series Cruiser is one such vehicle. And when we looked for the ultimate, go-anywhere vehicle to take us into the High Country for AL-KO’s Toughest Tow Test, there was nothing better. And, after taking over the Captain’s chair (as they call it at Hema) that week, I’m completely convinced. This vehicle is the real deal. It’s a weapon, built tough for a purpose. After all, the country’s best offroad navigational maps don’t just grow on trees. This LC76 is a Hema Map…

There’s something quite fascinating about teardrop campers. They seem to capture the imagination of people from all walks of life – even those of us more accustomed to larger, more traditional rigs. They are still not hugely common on the highways and byways of Australia but their popularity has definitely grown in the past few years. Speaking as someone who thinks that we should be more proactive about downsizing, or at least reducing weight (both personally and in what we are towing!), I have been interested to see what the manufacturers of smaller caravans and campers are up to in this area. Gidget is a Brisbane manufacturer which builds all of its RVs in Australia. The company has been producing onroad teardrop campers for some years. Recently, the team has…

The Isuzu MU-X has always been a bit of a favourite of mine, for its rock-solid towing stability and good towing fuel economy. However, it has also been a bit wanting in the power and torque department, compared to some of its opposition such as the Ford Everest and Holden Trailblazer. Isuzu has gone some way to address this with its latest version of the MU-X, the MY16.5. It’s had a big pull-though in the powertrain with more torque and a new transmission offering an extra ratio. SO WHAT’S NEW? To look at it, you wouldn’t know that this is the ‘new’ MU-X – it looks identical to the MY16 (although there is a MY17 model just around the corner, which will feature a slight cosmetic upgrade). Yet, underneath that…

“Yemmy is once again legal and providing me with a magic carpet to fly to faraway places” Finally the frustration is over and Yemmy is once again legal and providing me with a magic carpet to fly to faraway places known and unknown. After what started as a pleasant journey from Stawell to Officer in Gippsland on a VicRail coach and train, I was given a taste of what Melburnians have to put up with on the suburban network every day – a crowded, standing room-only carriage with a stop at every station for about halfway to my destination and then knees touching once I got a seat and nowhere to stow my bags. I don’t do standing but had to ignore my aching back! It was worth it, though,…

MICHAEL ‘BORGY’ BORG Role: Tow tester Natural habitat: Floating downstream in his undies Drink: Beer at a pub, Jim Beam around a campfire and a home concoction called ‘Sneaky’ when he’s on a mission Driving song: High Country, by Lee Kernaghan Pub meal: Chicken parma Signature move: ‘The Borgy Hack’ (#borgyhack), in which he doles out unsolicited camping and offroad driving advice to whomever happens to be riding shotgun in whatever he happens to be driving. PETER ‘TWINKLE TOES’ QUILTY Role: Tow tester Natural habitat: Any light-up dance floor Drink: Mornington Peninsula chardy Driving song: Uptown Funk, by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars Pub meal: Salt and pepper squid Signature move: ‘The Clark Kent’, in which he lures one into a false sense of demure security by day and transforms…

It’s no secret; you’ve got to be really on the ball when you’re towing a caravan. Even smaller vans can wind up exaggerating dangers on the road, and we’ve all seen what happens when things go terribly wrong. One little sway can build into a much larger problem and, the next thing you know, you’re staring at your own caravan wondering why it’s overtaking you! That’s usually the moment before you flip upside down and into a world of trouble. Obviously, it goes without saying that most of us drive as safely as we can. We keep our speed at a manageable pace, we stay out of other drivers’ blind spots, and we avoid having any blind spots of our own. But, at the end of the day, we can’t…

“Jayco has taken the bull by the horns with the Adventurer and purpose-built it for exploring rugged conditions.” We’re going to Bonnie Doon… We’re going to Bonnie Doon. That iconic, but repetitive, song kept playing through my head after I collected the 5.79m (19ft) prototype Jayco Adventurer tandem-axle offroader from the company’s HQ in Dandenong South, Vic. I rendezvoused with CW photographer Stu Grant at the quaint township of Yea before the 70km leg to picturesque Bonnie Doon – gateway to Mt Buller and Victoria’s High Country – where we set up base camp on the banks of legendary Lake Eildon. “How’s the serenity? So much serenity,” I quipped. No doubt I was driving Stu crazy but the parallels with the iconic 1997 Australian comedy film The Castle were simply…

Think of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and many will think immediately of sunshine, beaches and surfing, not to mention the stunning beauty of the Noosa area. However, there is another side to the Sunshine Coast – the beautiful hinterland area which features towns like Maleny and Montville, without forgetting the Kenilworth area, a little further to the north. I have explored this area a fair bit in recent years and I happen to know about a very nice coffee shop in the town of Kenilworth itself. Along the forestry roads between Montville and Kenilworth there are some interesting views of the surrounding district, not to mention a great drive through the Mapleton National Park (NP). This area is the home of Chevallum-based dealership, Caravan World, from where I had arranged to…

In days gone by, you couldn’t swing a cat in a caravan park without hitting some bulbous 4X4 or American pick-up hitched to the front of a van (not that we condone swinging cats). They were insanely popular among every single crowd that needed to do any sort of towing from horse floats to outback travelling with a caravan in tow. Huge power levels, massive towing capacities, and plenty of room for the whole family – often across the front bench seat, too! These modern plastic wagons sure aren’t made like they used to be, and it’s a darn good thing, too. Wait, what? I’m going to drop a few truth bombs here and it’ll probably rustle a few jimmies along the way. The new breed of fun-sized SUVs starting…

There’s an old dad joke about camping being ‘million-star accommodation’, but nowhere does that ring more true than in the Warrumbungle National Park (NP). Spend a night here and you’ll almost need sunglasses to shield your eyes from the radiant Milky Way above. It’s no accident that this is the site of Australia’s premier astronomy facility, Siding Spring Observatory, home to $100 million worth of research equipment including 52 telescopes. Positioned high in the Warrumbungle National Park some 1160m above sea level, the site was chosen for its crisp, clean air with minimal humidity, its non-turbulent atmosphere, its lack of light pollution and its high percentage of clear nights. And while these conditions clearly excite astronomers both professional and amateur, they’re not too bad for campers, either. And then there’s…

Discovery Bay Coastal Park remains a relatively unknown adventure destination in far south-west Victoria. Yet this spot is jam-packed with spectacular coastal scenery, a magnificent lighthouse, an enchanted forest and even Australia’s only mainland seal colony. All of these attractions are easily accessible and, best of all, they’re free of charge. Bush camping is also readily available in the area, if you’re willing to rough it a bit. Lake Monibeong is a picturesque freshwater lake with 10 flat and grassy sites situated 7km along the unsealed Lake Monibeong Road. Bookings for these sites are mandatory and can be made online. If you prefer a touch of ‘luxury’, Cape Bridgewater Coastal Camp is situated on top of an impressive hill with scenic views of Bridgewater Bay. This camp has seven unpowered…

At the time of writing this column, I was sitting in a US Winnebago Minnie Winnie 25B in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. This little (by US standards) motorhome has an external length of 26ft (none of that metric stuff here, but just between you and I that is 7.9m) and weighs in with a staggering tare of 11,500lbs – or 5216kg. This puts it well and truly out of the car licence class. Its GVM of 18,500lbs (8400kg) would put it into the MR truck licence category in Australia. And then there’s the engine – a 6.8L V10 petrol sucker. Sure, it delivers the power when needed but it lacks the torquey grunt of a similar sized diesel and I haven’t been brave enough yet to check the fuel consumption. Time…

Location Craig’s Hut, High Country, Vic Gear Canon 1Dx, ISO 400, f511, 1/2sec, four frames, 35mm lens Composition Panoramic landscapes are perfect to capture grandeur and the expansive vistas. The path and fence are used to draw the eye into the landscape. Handy hint Use a standard lens 35mm or 50mm rather than a wide angle – this ensures each frame captures the detail within the scene. Pay close attention to the level bubbles on your tripod to keep panning level. When moving around, start at the left of the scene and move right and ensure any moving objects are in one frame fully for ease of merging them multiple images later. Photographic fact Your camera position is essential. The primary advantage of shooting a panoramic with multiple frames is…

What we consider today to be Mexican cuisine is, in a basic sense, the fusion of Spanish and native central American techniques and ingredients followed by some European influences (especially meats, herbs and spices). Tacos and nachos were my first tastes of Mexican food. A taco is commonly a crispy firm corn tortilla with a filling of beef, pork, chicken, vegetables, beans and/or cheese, even seafood. Generally eaten without utensils, a taco is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado pieces or guacamole, plus coriander, tomato pieces, uncooked sliced onions and/or shredded lettuce. Nachos are triangular fried tortilla chips, topped with a filling similar to that used in tacos (and various Mexican wraps) and typically smothered in melted shredded cheese and then served with a salsa. In various Mexican…

QLD BEDOURIE CAMEL AND PIG RACES AND CAMP OVEN COOK-OFF July 8 Watch camel races, pig races, a traditional camp oven cook-off, wood chopping and novelty events. Bedourie, visitors@diamantina.qld.gov.au, www.thediamantina.com.au WINTON CAMEL RACES July 22 Winton embraces the Western Queensland Camel Festival with eight races of elite camels and cameleers. There will also be motorbike events, music, drinks and food available. Winton, www.outbacknow.com.au CHILDERS FESTIVAL July 29-30 The festival transforms the Bruce Highway into a gigantic food, market and entertainment hub, with five stages set among heritage-listed buildings and the tree-lined streets of Childers. Childers, events.admin@bundaberg.qld.gov.au, www.childersfestival.com.au NSW/ACT SAWTELL CHILLI FESTIVAL July 1 Turn up the heat and sample chilli-related foods and products on offer! Street performances, live music, dancing, cooking and the Chilli Eating Competition will entertain young and…

Blaze Aid, which is a volunteer organisation that works with people in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods, is looking for volunteers in the Dunedoo area, to help the district recover from a devastating fire which tore through the region in February. On February 10-11, fire swept through the area bordered by Leadville (near Dunedoo), Coolah and Cassilis, razing 35 homes, as well as farmland, sheds, farm machinery, cattle, sheep and fences. Blaze Aid Dunedoo is looking for more volunteers to help rebuild fences for the farmers, do routine maintenance and help in the kitchen feeding volunteers. The rebuild is expected to take about six months. For more information, or to volunteer, visit www.blazeaid.com or contact Laurie Dawson on 0418 349 317.…

It’s not every day you see a convoy of caravans battling through the guts of the Victorian High Country. In fact, the word ‘crazy’ might come to mind if you spend more than a second thinking about it! Nothing says real world torture-testing like an 18ft caravan conquering everything from harsh ruts and corrugations to rocky river crossings with more than a few steep hill climbs, tight switchbacks and soft creek beds thrown in. But that’s exactly what we did for AL-KO’s Toughest Tow Test. Using vans fitted with the right running gear and an army of technical experts on board, the impossible became possible... Over the course of a week, we safely navigated both on-road and offroad test tracks showcasing the best of the High Country; first with on-road…

The terms ‘on-road caravan’ and ‘AL-KO’s Toughest Tow Test’ might seem like they don’t go together, but this was no incongruity. The New Age Wallaby 18ER, fitted with on-road AL-KO running gear, was hauled from pillar to post through the Victorian High Country during the event. And this was amid stunning alpine scenery, sprawling mountain pastures, and a fantastic array of sealed and unsealed roads... The aim of this expedition was to push the on-road Wallaby to the limits of what AL-KO’s ‘on-road’ components would be expected to do. So let’s set the scene – it was literally a ‘bush landscape’, and a spectacular one at that. I picked up the Wallaby from New Age Caravans HQ in Epping, Vic, before setting off for the old-world township of Dargo, nestled…

“Clearview mirrors are the toughest and strongest on the market.” It can be mentally demanding towing a caravan or camper trailer in any environment. And, at the end of the day, the most important factor is arriving at your holiday destination in one piece – that applies to yourself, your passengers and your rig. So the catch-cry ‘vision is safety’ is paramount while adventuring throughout Australia with an RV in tow. While some RV safety measures are clearly prescribed and legislated, others are a little hazier. And, for many, towing mirrors fits in that category. Some caravanners would not be caught dead (or by the police!) without them, others believe the laws – which differ in every state and don’t clearly state tow mirrors are legally required – have a…

The greatest compliment you can pay any caravan manufacturer is to buy another van from them. Coming hot on the heels of its debutante victory at Caravan World’s signature caravan shootout, Best Aussie Vans in 2016 ($100K-plus category), it’s one that has already been paid to Queensland’s Zone RV. The 6.55m (21ft 6in) Z-21.6 Off-Road that we’re reviewing here replaced an earlier 6.25m (20ft 6in) Z-20.6 model for a Sunshine Coast businessman. Another impatient Zone RV customer, who was facing a wait of up to six months for a new van, made the upgrade a practical and economical proposition for the businessman by buying his pre-loved Z-20.6. “While our owner was very happy with his original 20ft 6in Zone, he and his wife really liked the extra space in the…

A large percentage of motorhomes built in Australia are built for just two people, whereas those built in Britain and Europe will often seat and sleep four. A typical example of this is the Auto-Trail Delaware that I took for a spin after prising the keys out of Sydney RV. Perhaps I should have opted for a boat instead, though! It was a very rainy day for my test drive and the driest location I could find, other than inside the motorhome, was under the M4 freeway overpass at Emu Plains! Further west in the Blue Mountains, where I intended on travelling, it was rain, rain and more rain. There is a lot of debate about the relative pros and cons of motorhomes and caravans for travellers, and vans certainly…

I’ve reviewed a couple of Kokoda caravans recently – Platoon II X-Trail and Force X-Trail GT – and I found the common denominator to be their capability in handling outback roads and offroad tracks. However, Kokoda’s 2016 Best Aussie Vans (BAV) winner in the $50K-$65K category – the Veteran XLi Platinum – is a little more genteel in the offroad department, serving up a balance of luxury and bushability. 2016 marked Kokoda’s first foray into Best Aussie Vans and the Mamo family behind the brand came away with its first win. Following the event, I caught up with the team, including owner George Mamo and his daughters Chloe and Shenoa – who represented the company at BAV - to find out how the winning van was engineered and what the…

If ever there was a town that wholeheartedly embraces the phrase ‘boom and bust’, it could well be Silverton, in outback New South Wales. Back in the 1880s, Silverton was abuzz with more than 3000 excited miners, all eagerly digging to find their future fortune among rich silver, lead and zinc deposits. And, yep, a few did get rich, but by the time those few pockets of minerals were exhausted a mere 20 years later, the town’s population had been reduced to a few hundred hardy souls. And there was not much to keep them there, in that harsh and unforgiving country. It seemed almost certain that Silverton would soon be reclaimed by the desert. Until it was discovered by an imaginative group of movie directors, that is… The rustic,…

A Purple Line Saracen Ultra hitch lock, valued at $149. Saracen Ultra is a highly visible, simple to use, compact, high security lock which works both hitched and unhitched to keep would-be caravan thieves at bay. It fits to most standard 50mm ball hitches on caravans, camper trailers, boat and car trailers, and even work trailers. For more information about this and a host of other vanning accessories, visit www.purpleline.com.au HOW TO WIN The most travel-inspiring submission will win next month’s prize (pictured left). Just email a picture (2-3MB) of yourself, family and friends with your rig, along with a brief description to submissions@adventuresgroup.com.au with ‘Readers’ Rigs’ in the subject line, or send a print to Caravan World Readers’ Rigs, PO Box 4, Oakleigh, Vic 3166. All entries must include…

“Technology has advanced so far now, that if you ain’t got a ‘hair dryer’ hanging off your modern oil burner, it’s because it fell off” Okay, here we go again with the Roothy version of what is a pretty complicated subject. Last month, we had a look into diesel fuel pumps, because that’s what I was having done for the new motor in Milo 2, so this month we’re on to the turbo-charger. As such, I’d recommend that anyone who spends their life twirling tools probably should go and get a double on the rocks right now. I’ve never trained as a mechanic or an engineer or a machinist or any of those wonderful trades that feature measurement and precision. So take this with a pinch of salt from a…

With the touring season fast approaching, it’s time to give some thought to pre-trip servicing. While it’s often a topic left to the fellas, I’d thought I’d share some of my own experiences to reflect on how bad luck or poor maintenance can really put a dampener on your trip. COOL RUNNINGS Of the key maintenance items that make up a pre-trip inspection, your vehicle’s cooling system should be at the top of the tree. I’m not talking about the air-conditioner or those four glass windows that move up and down, but the radiator and its related parts. As you may know, regular servicing doesn’t cover every item at each interval, which is why it’s important to let your mechanic know your travel plans, so he or she can check…

Fishing with lures, particularly soft plastics, has grown steadily in status to become the number one choice for many keen anglers. In fact, to many fishos, bait is now a dirty word. It doesn’t matter what species you favour, nor in what water, there is a soft plastic lure for all occasions. John ‘Didgey’ Didge is a great mate of mine. He’s an experienced angler based in Geelong, Vic, and has been involved in the fishing media for many years. John is also a competition angler specialising in flathead and bream, but regularly targeting many other species including snapper in his home waters of Corio Bay. Didgey has even developed his own range of jig heads to match his style and we recently travelled to one of my favourite south…