Innehållsförteckning för Issue 564 från Caravan World

In a major boon to the Australian Caravan Club’s (ACC) 4400 members, the club has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Caravan Council of Australia (CCA), giving members unprecedented help to resolve compliance and engineering issues with dealers and manufactures The MOU allows ACC members seeking in-depth advice on the construction and maintenance of their RVs have direct access to a qualified engineer through the CCA. It also allows the ACC to use CCA technical and other articles. The not-for-profit ACC focuses on giving members general advice on the construction and maintenance of their RVs, while the CCA focuses on RV compliance, safety, quality and manufacturing issues. In a joint statement released today, ACC chairman Craig Humphrey and Honorary General Manager of the CCA Colin Young said: “We…

Need help with a technical or towing problem? Some tow vehicle components cop a hard time of it, and need to be upgraded to make towing optimal – and sometimes to avoid the risk of damage that towing can do to a vehicle. 1. TRANSMISSION COOLER Many tow vehicles are automatics these days, and the automatic transmission comes in for additional strain when towing. This strain causes it to run hotter and, while many modern autos run a transmission cooler, it’s often not enough. Many times, the factory cooler is incorporated into the radiator assembly, and was never designed to keep transmission temperatures down when towing in our hot climate. The most important upgrade for a tow vehicle is a separate oil-to-air transmission cooler. It’s hard to give generic advice…

Welcome to Part 2 of AL-KO’s Toughest Tow Test – the offroad odyssey! Last month, we took you along on the onroad journey from Dargo to Mansfield, in Victoria’s spectacular High Country with two onroad caravans, sporting onroad AL-KO suspension and couplings, in tow. We pushed these caravans to the limits of what onroad caravans are commonly expected to do, and took them places most caravanners would never venture to - and the results were impressive. The first leg of this trip was epic, but not in a white-knuckle, chew-holes-in-your-seat kind of way. And there’s only so much you can see by sticking to the blacktop and the light corrugations. So when we got to Mansfield, we exchanged the onroaders for a tougher breed of offroad and adventure-ready caravans -…

The great pleasure of an offroad van is not so much the rough and tumble towing (although that can be fun) but the incredible destinations to which it can take you. We have no shortage of remarkably beautiful, hard-to-reach locations in this country, and the Victorian High Country is right up there with the best of them. So when we looked for suitable offroad caravans to come along for AL-KO’s Toughest Tow Test, the well-equipped Coromal Pioneer XC 632 quickly sprung to mind. Because, once you’ve gone to the trouble of getting to that elusive, serene riverside campground hidden deep in the alpine scrub, the last thing you want to do is leave it behind after two short days because your rig lacks the longevity to keep you there any…

When you’re tackling the roads less travelled with a caravan in tow, you definitely don’t want to be held back. The caravans we lug right around the country are luxury homes on wheels and, let’s be honest, they can be a little restrictive at times. The added weight and length are the main concerns, and having a turning circle like a semi-trailer doesn’t help either. But you’d be surprised at just how much more capable a caravan becomes with a good quality, well-engineered, offroad coupling. We had the enviable task of putting the brand new AL-KO Off-Road Ball Coupling through its paces for the first time at the Toughest Tow Test. The team at AL-KO has brought more than its fair share of innovative products to the market in the…

“We’d taken a Karcher K5 Premium Full Control Car & Home high pressure washer along for just this reason and, somehow, the job of car detailing fell to me!” During AL-KO’S Toughest Tow Test, the tow tugs copped just as much dirt and grime as the caravans. Our Hema tow vehicle – the Map Patrol Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series wagon – which travelled all the way from Brisbane and back again – copped it worse than most. As our designated recovery vehicle, and part-time tow vehicle, it spent a week down and dirty in the Victorian High Country, and needed a good spruce up before we sent it back to Hema – if we had any chance of getting our hands on it again! We’d taken a Karcher K5 Premium…

Since discovering the vast beauty of Murray-Sunset National Park (NP) – Victoria’s very own patch of mallee-dotted outback – on a trip last year, I’ve been itching to get back there. So when we were planning the itinerary for our Cross-country Epic from Melbourne to Perth, I strongly advocated for this delightfully isolated and unique national park to be our first stopover. Located in Victoria’s far north-west corner, the 677,000ha national park is Victoria’s largest, stretching from the Pink Lakes near Underbool at its southern-most point to Lindsay Island, bordered by the Murray River in the north. Much of the park is accessed via long sandy tracks suitable only for high-clearance 4WDs, but you can reach the Pink Lakes in the south by 2WD, via the gravelled Pink Lakes Road,…

The morning sun skipped on Pumicestone Passage when I arrived at the southern gateway to the Sunshine Coast – Caloundra. I was joining countless other sunseekers on a balmy autumn morning. Pumicestone Passage is a narrow, shallow, yet beautiful, waterway that arches north from Deception Bay near Brisbane and empties into the ocean at Bulcock Beach, Caloundra, hugging Bribie Island for most of its 35km length. On this day, I was looking forward to checking out two of Sunseeker Caravans’ latest models, the curiously named Wild Child and the never-before-seen Golden Child, while soaking up a little Sunshine Coast sun. In fact, this was an exclusive; a first-hand, no-holds-barred look at Golden Child. A SPLASH OF COLOUR On the Sunshine Coast, autumn means blue-sky days, good bream fishing and family…

”The ‘Pearl White’ aluminium cladding contrasts nicely with the black composite panels” Forty years in business is certainly cause for excitement and festivity, which explains the celebratory mood of NSW central coast dealer Alan Graham’s Caravans and RVs. It is also why Concept Caravans was asked to build a special 40th anniversary model for Alan Graham’s, aptly dubbed the AG40. The AG40 is a 6.4m (21ft) caravan that weighs in with a Tare of 2159kg and an ATM of 2574kg. Inside, the rear door entry opens into a spacious front island bed, full-width rear bathroom layout. Realistically, the Tare weight/ATM of the van puts the AG40 over the popular Prado limit, so a tow vehicle with at least a 3000kg towing capacity should be considered. But, certainly for me, it…

The Mooloolaba canals meander towards the sea on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and, near the mouth, a luxury catamaran sits sleek and still at its moorings. The midday sun cleaves dark shadows across its form. An encouraging breeze blows across its bow. On board, the breeze taunts two men to cast away the mooring lines and set sail. But this time they resist. Instead, they stay to tell their story. For David Biggar and Matt Johns, theirs is a story of two men who, in life and in business, always set their own course and sail fast against the wind, striving to never miss a rising tide, especially one that leads to a new adventure. Adventure is certainly part of their make-up, given that you’re likely to find them pumping their…

The late afternoon ‘Happy Hour’ is an institution around caravan parks, club rallies/musters and free-camping sites. It’s a time to sit back, relax after a hard day on the road and catch up with our fellow travellers. Across the Tasman in New Zealand, there’s a similar tradition, with a slight variation in the caravan parks. Unlike Australia, a large majority of NZ parks have a camp kitchen of some sort – a communal place which comes with stoves, tables and chairs, and washing up facilities where it’s quite easy to prepare the evening meal and clean up afterwards. I’m a bit of a fan of these, even when staying in a fully-equipped motorhome, and obviously other travellers think so too, because they are often quite busy places. Although not exactly…

Location Outback station, western Queensland Gear Canon 5D Mark II, ISO 250, f4.5, 1/100 sec, 24mm lens Composition This composition uses the rule of thirds but focuses on texture and detailed objects. The image hints at where it might be, and the shoes and random array of hats seem to suggest something, however, where does the door lead and who is behind it? It’s often what’s on the edge of the frame that helps lead the narrative. Handy hint Get up close, both physically and emotionally, when capturing scenes that tell your story or that of the environment. Try coming in and shooting with a wide lens. “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough” – Robert Capa. Photographic fact There are many technical aspects that can help…

Fishing has taken me to amazing places. It’s a trigger to travel and explore new destinations with hopes of achieving that elusive dream. Fishing opens new boundaries, new goals, new surprises and, quite often, new friendships as it takes us to wonderful destinations. It can lift you up and then put you down humbly, but all the while you broaden your horizons and face new challenges while you learn about your environment. I’ve been game fishing since the late 1980s. It was always a childhood ambition. The memories and images of terrific tussles linger in my mind much longer than any dust-encased trophy. However, one species always carried a personal mystique – the broadbill swordfish. There was little known of this deep sea species in Australian waters until recently, making…

KEEP IN STEP Shoes have a habit of ‘walking’ while caravanning, and not only when you have your feet in them! I’ve encountered so many trips where my flip-flops and the like have gone AWOL. And when it comes to camping, storing shoes is akin to organised chaos – in fact, a dog’s breakfast! But the Step ‘n’ Store allows you to travel in an orderly fashion. No more disarray in the shoe department! The innovative, lightweight aluminium caravan step has a waterproof shelf underneath that provides a rain-protected home for footwear, along with three handy storage holes for brooms, mops or umbrellas. And a surface spray can be applied to the shelf as an insect deterrent. Invented and designed in Australia, the Step ‘n’ Store also has a convenient…

At least 77 Queensland caravan owners have been contacted by police and government officials after falling victim to an illegal caravan rebirthing scam It is understood that the caravans have allegedly been illegally registered and owners have been advised to take them off the road. Other caravans and their purchasers are still being sought. As the vans are confirmed to be statutory write-offs, their registrations are being cancelled. The caravans were all purchased through online sales site Gumtree and were allegedly sold as home-built when it is believed they had been written off as unrepairable by insurers or had suffered serious flood damage. Most states in Australia will not permit caravans or motor vehicles which have been written off to be re-registered. For many years, the compliance plates and identifying…

AUTO-SUGGESTION In relation to your Top 10 Towing Vehicles asssessment – I enjoyed this fairly general article about these vehicles and why they were chosen, however, one thing I don’t understand and can’t seem to find information on is the automatic transmissions in these tow vehicles. These vehicles all have multiple speed auto transmissions, generally starting with five speeds and going up to eight speeds. In any/every article I read about tow vehicles, there is no mention made about what the transmission can take or if it should be driven a certain way when towing. It wasn’t so long ago that auto transmissions and heavy tow loads didn’t go that well together. I understand modern vehicles and modern technology have changed all that, however, I am surprised that I no…

Buying a caravan is all about making a list of priorities based on what you intend to do with it. For me, that looks a little something like this: lightweight and easy to tow; offroad capable so I can indulge my love for remote travel; capacity for outdoor living so I can count native birds while making spag bol, and a straightforward, user-friendly interior with everything I need and nothing I don’t. As an adventurous, 30-something traveller, I like to keep things simple and I don’t like to be held back. Oh, and I haven’t got a spare $100K to spend because investors have priced me out of the property market (not pointing any fingers, of course). For me, the Golf Savannah 499 is ideal. Priced at a shade under…

If you’re reading this magazine, there’s a good chance you’ve dreamt of tackling some of those tougher, more adventurous touring destinations, right? Maybe you’ve been itching to give the blacktop the flick in favour of some dusty, dirt-road adventures? Obviously, you’ll need a caravan capable enough to handle the rigours of the rough stuff, similar to what we lugged through the High Country for the last week. But once you’ve got the right van with the right gear for the job, it all comes down to you! Even with a capable offroader, you’ll still need a few basic skills to get the most from your rig and navigate your way safely through any hair-raising obstacles. And, trust me when I say, you don’t want to learn the hard way. Our…

As we rolled over, first, the Bolte Bridge then took the West Gate Bridge out of town, Melbourne felt almost like a different city in the soft light of dawn with its bare, quiet streets. But give it an hour or two and the mighty West Gate would be bumper to bumper again, with commuters streaming rank and file into the city centre. By the time that happened, however, we would be at least a hundred kays away, on a near empty stretch of highway with another 3700km ahead of us. The Great Australian Road Trip is a rite of passage that most Aussies undertake at least once, at some point in their life. For many lucky readers, it might even be a way of life! I’ve taken more than…

After bidding goodbye to Murray-Sunset NP, following a sunrise stroll on the lake to see it in a different light, we keyed ‘Melrose, SA’ into the Hema HX-1 and set forth for South Australia. We reached the border about 85km later, just before Pinaroo and, in our hurry to get on the road, realised we had forgotten about all the fresh fruit and veg we’d picked up in Melbourne the previous day. Unwilling to throw away perfectly good avocado and beautifully ripe pears, but cognisant of the risks of transferring fruit fly across state borders, we pulled over at the unmanned Quarantine Station on the eastern side of the border and had a little picnic – at about 8am. THE RIPE RIVERLAND Full of avocado and Vegemite, or pear and…

I always appreciate a visit to caravan dealer Parravans Caravan World at Windsor, NSW. One of the reasons is that Windsor is a pleasant area located on the magnificent Hawkesbury River. And it also holds significant status in early Australian history (see page 154). Parravans is also a Goldstream RV dealer and I collected one of the manufacturer’s 1800 EWST bunk vans for this review. Based in Pakenham, Vic, Goldstream offers a wide range of towed product, both on and offroad and everything from rising roof camper trailers to full caravans. The 1800 test van is a single-axle pop-top with an external body length of 5.49m (18ft), which is a number to keep in mind because it’s a bunk van complete with a small ensuite. For the family who wants…

A BM PRO BatteryCheck from Setec, valued at $299 (RRP). A first in the RV market, the BatteryCheck simply connects to deep-cycle batteries and communicates wirelessly with Apple and Android smartphones via a mobile app. RV owners can view real time data including volts and amps, time remaining, temperature, battery status, state of charge and battery health – all with the touch of a button. For more information, visit www.teambmpro.com 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…

“Hi John, you want to do lunch?” Talk about timing. Luke Hawkins’ call came right after I’d polished off the bowl of cardboard the Handbrake served up for breakfast as part of this new ‘lose weight’ regime. I would have said yes to a pie cart meet, but lunch with Luke is always a pleasure. A second generation car dealer and dealer principal of the Westpoint group, Luke’s the sort of bloke an old journo can learn plenty from. Anyway, he chooses upmarket pubs a few cuts above the tiled walls I’m usually seen in. After a beer and a laugh, Luke said: “Johno, have you seen any of the guff on social media about Jeeps lately?” “You mean complaints? Yes, I’ve seen ’em,” I replied. “But it’s sort of…

There’s nothing better than sharing the camaraderie of close friends while exploring this great country of ours. Seeing the sights and soaking up the essence of an area is definitely better in good company. But sharing the experience mandates certain compromises in what you do, where you go and where you stay. It’s all part of making it work for everyone! HOW MANY? If travelling with close friends, you’ll be aware of what they’re like to travel with – especially if you’ve done it all before. I reckon two to three RVs is an ideal touring party. It’s easier to manage – from finding a campsite to communications on the road over the UHF radio. Then there’s the management of personalities. A larger group, such as a 4WD or road…

QLD TARA FESTIVAL OF CULTURE AND CAMEL RACES Aug 4-6 Experience a multicultural mix of entertainment, cuisine and arts as well as the all-important camel races. A variety of free camping is available. Tara, secretary.tarafuturesgroup@gmail.com, www.tarafestivalncamels.org.au GEMFEST – FESTIVAL OF GEMS Aug 10-13 Trade in the earth’s treasures with gems, jewellery, crystals, minerals and fossils up for grabs or try your hand at panning for your own, plus private collection viewings and street entertainment. Anakie, (07) 4985 4375, www.gemfest.com.au GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER Aug 24-27 Celebrate mateship, making a difference and country music in this community-run charity event attracting more than 120 artists, including Jessica Mauboy, Amber Lawrence and Graeme Connors. Gympie, www.muster.com.au DROVERS CAMP FESTIVAL Aug 25-27 Meet the men and women of Australia’s cattle droving industry with a street…

Let’s get one thing straight; you just can’t compromise on the quality of your caravan’s suspension, especially if you’re planning on tackling the rough stuff. In human terms, suspension is right up there with the heart and liver, which makes it one of the most crucial parts of your setup. So when AL-KO decided to take some big, beefy caravans into the heart of the Victorian High Country as part of the Toughest Tow Test, we had to ensure they had the right suspension for the job. And that’s where the Enduro range came into play. Now, truth be told, we tested a whole range of gear on our Toughest Tow Test mission, but the Enduro range of suspension is what we were really all there to see. It was…

There’s something exciting about hitching up the caravan and tackling the unknown. Each to their own, but I’d say the very thought of a magical outback sunset or a bird’s-eye view of some of the best vistas in the country are enough to get most travellers in a fluster. To get to these incredible spots, though, you need a tough and reliable setup, and not many of us want to settle for second best in terms of comfort either. That’s where the Scorpion from JB Caravans really comes into its own. In fact, it was one of the select few caravans we hand-picked to join us on AL-KO’s Toughest Tow Test. Why? Well, let’s just say I didn’t want to be fixing things on the side of the tracks at…

Capable of finding and navigating to the closest caravan park, free camp or rest area - as well as hundreds of other things you might need out bush - the Hema HX-1 was a constant and reassuring presence on the dash right from day one on Toughest Tow Test. In fact, the association started long before that, as the HX-1 was an invaluable resource during our first High Country recce for the mission. The ability to find campsites, offroad tracks and other specific locations, then ‘tag’ them and other points of interest, saving them into the HX-1’s memory for future reference, meant we could use it to find, plan and re-create our route when it came time for action. ‘Aussie Lee’ - our GPS voice of choice - became like…

I experienced mixed emotions as we pulled into the Discovery Parks Woodman Point Caravan Park, just south of Fremantle, WA. It was the end of an epic cross-country adventure and, while I was a little relieved we weren’t facing another 600km drive the next day, I was also sad to be handing back the keys to the Avida Birdsville that had been our home-away-from-home throughout the journey. After travelling 3900km and spending seven days in the long-standing manufacturer’s latest Birdsville C7436, we had our touring routine down pat. The four of us – Caravan World editor Laura Gray, videographer Steve Dwight, photographer Matt Fehlberg and myself – had set out from Melbourne one sunny morning, ready to put the Birdsville to the test on our Cross-Country Epic, all the way…

The sight of the ‘Halfway Across Australia’ sign on the highway at Kimba, SA, is enough to get even the weariest of travellers a little bit excited. It’s a milestone of sorts, providing a sense of achievement after many long hours on the road. We’d travelled around 1240km since we left Melbourne and, according to the Hema MX-1, there was still another 2300km to go, so it might not have been the halfway point of our journey, but it didn’t matter; we stopped for the obligatory photo regardless. These kinds of novelty signs and icons are something Australia has in spades, providing great entertainment for road-trippers in need of a coffee break, and Kimba, a tiny town in the middle of SA’s Eyre Peninsula, and geographically halfway across Australia, has…

“It prompted me to reflect that the Vacationer is capable of breaking the shackles of everyday life!” Recently, I swapped the confines of the office for the great outdoors when I was handed the keys to Roadstar Caravans’ 6.59m (21ft 7in) Vacationer. And it didn’t take long for me to realise that Ken Nizam and his team at Roadstar in Somerton, Vic, have fulfilled their modus operandi with the Vacationer semi-offroader. I checked out its capabilities on the undulating dirt tracks bordering the Yan Yean Reservoir, Vic. I was amazed to discover that the reservoir, a picturesque natural haven, is only just over an hour and about 65km from the Melbourne CBD. At the time of its completion in 1857, it was the largest artificial reservoir in the world. The…

We have always said that the LandCruiser 200 Series is the king of tow vehicles – but is it? Here, we have the Range Rover Sport, a luxury SUV that has the same towing capacity as a 200 Series and costs pretty much the same as a LandCruiser VX. So could the Rangie be the new towing king? WHAT YOU GET – AND WHAT YOU DON’T The Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE is one above the entry-level Sport SD4S ($90,900) and opens at $103,900 - with options, that figure can balloon significantly (see specifications panel for optional inclusions). Some of the basic luxury features are covered off – and some are not. For example, you get keyless start in SE spec, but not keyless entry. A feature that is becoming…

The hills are alive with the sound of chainsaws… With winter upon us, those who have to stay in the southern states are busy replenishing their stocks of firewood to keep their homes cosy during the cold evenings. As I write this, I can hear the chainsaw ‘music’ quite clearly and it reminds me that I’ll be heading off shortly for warmer climes. I got a shock when I looked at my calendar and saw that I was due to leave for the Australian Caravan Club Chairman’s Muster at Peak Hill. I will be staying at the Peak Hill Showgrounds, but I’ll be sure to have a few days in the Peak Hill Caravan Park where my old friends Leighton and Pauline are the friendly hosts. When they took over…

The following recipes are quick versions of two old favourites: macaroni cheese and lasagne, cooked completely on the stovetop instead of in the oven. My family love both lasagne and mac and cheese, so being able to prepare these dishes in a fraction of the time that it would take in the oven is wonderful when cooking away from home Stovetop Lasagne This lasagne will cook in less than half the time of the oven version. I use fusilli pasta in the lasagne; however, you could use farfalle or even lasagne noodles broken up into 1cm pieces. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20-25 minutes The following quantities will serve six. Handy Hint 1: You will need a griller on your stove to melt and brown the cheeses on top…