Innehållsförteckning för Issue 583 från Caravan World

If you’re new to the idea of four-wheel driving or prefer not to travel alone, then a fourby club could be your ideal companion, mixing with like-minded people who share a love for adventure. Once upon a time, many clubs mandated ownership of a specific vehicle such as the Nissan Patrol club, but it’s more relaxed these days with clubs welcoming all makes. The benefits of club membership are varied. Clubs will run a variety of trips approved by the committee. Some will be for training, while others will be weekenders, social or even extended remote trips. There’s also access to low-cost accredited driver training. Much of the training is practical, done in your vehicle and over a variety of terrain. Initial programs cover the safe operation of your vehicle,…

ELECTRIC DRUM BRAKES Q We have now had a second hand van for two years and done quite a bit of caravanning. Twice we have had trouble with the brakes (we had everything rewired by an auto electrician after the first incident). Most brake repairers won't touch them and a lot don't understand them. We had two disparate incidents where, after some heavy use down a mountainside, and at least 20 minutes later on the flat, the brakes locked when stopping in traffic. This happened a few times, so we tried to get them looked at. There did not seem to be anything wrong, but a bit of resetting was suggested and off we went. In my mind the electric drum brakes are a travesty of design, relying on…

Before we could begin to tackle the daunting task of deciding on Australia's best vans, we needed to establish some ground rules. Comparing vans, even those with a similar price point, can be like comparing bananas with kiwi fruit. Our 10-point score sheet aims to ensure a level playing field right across the board. If the BAV score sheet looks familiar, that's because it's the same format used in each and every review conducted by the CW team in every issue. The 10 criteria cover everything about a van we can realistically appraise. While we have sometimes been asked to include ratings for Customer Service and Long-term Reliability on our score sheet, it's simply not possible for us to realistically assess those criteria. SO HERE'S WHAT WE DO ASSESS: 1.…

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Overall length 7.39m External body length 5.54m External body width 2.43m Travel height 3.15m Internal height 2m Tare 2200kg ATM 2700kg Payload 500kg Ball weight 140kg EXTERNAL Frame Meranti Cladding Insulated aluminium composite with one-piece fibreglass roof Chassis Box section duragal and fully welded 100x50x3mm Australian BHP steel with a 100mm riser Suspension AL-KO Enduro Outback independent swing arm suspension with twin shock absorbers and a coil spring either side Coupling Vehicle Components DO35 Brakes 12” electric brakes and off-road magnets Wheels Alloy, with 265/75R16” All-terrain tyres Water 2x95 litre Battery 2x100amp deep cycle Solar 300W Air-conditioner Houghton Belaire Reverse Cycle Gas 2x9kg Sway control Optional INTERNAL Cooking Swift full size oven with grill and 3 gas and one electric hotplate, stainless steel 12 volt range hood…

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Overall length 8.25m (27ft 1in) External body length 6.3m (20ft 8in) External body width 2.47m (8ft 1in) Travel height 3.05m (10ft) Internal height 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tare 2235kg ATM 2885kg Payload 650kg Ball weight 204kg EXTERNAL Frame Aluminium extrusions (frameless) Cladding Full GRP composite panelling Chassis High-tensile automotive steel hot-dipped C section Suspension Ezy Tow RTV independent suspension Coupling AL-KO 'Offroad Pin' Brakes 12in AL-KO electric drum Wheels 15in steel Water 2x82L (fresh); 1x90L (grey) Battery 100Ah lithium ion Solar 1x150W Air-conditioner Dometic 3200 Gas 2x9kg Sway control AL-KO ESC INTERNAL Cooking Gas cooktop with grill Fridge Dometic AES three-way 190L Microwave Camec 25L Bathroom Fibreglass shower cubicle and Dometic 4110 toilet Washing machine Camec 2.5kg Hot water Camec (instantaneous) OPTIONS FITTED None PRICE AS SHOWN $73,795…

“Let the buyer beware” is a translation for the Latin term, caveat emptor. It’s the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made — and that the onus is on them to conduct due diligence before handing over their money. The principle also suggests that buyers typically have less information than sellers about the goods or services they are purchasing. This ‘information asymmetry’ is alive and well in the caravan industry! Thus there are many questions buyers, especially first-timers, should ask when talking to caravan dealers and manufacturers, prior to embarking on a caravanning adventure. In this first instalment of a two-part series we offer our own words of wisdom for first-time buyers and also get some sage…

GETTING THERE Innamincka is situated on the Cooper Creek, 475km from Lyndhurst via the Strzelecki Track, or 424km from Birdsville via the Cordillo Downs Road (4WD recommended). MORE INFO The Innamincka Town Common has plenty of places to camp close to the Hotel, which offers a character-filled front bar, a large air-conditioned restaurant (The Outamincka) and a range of accommodation options. Ph: (08) 8675 9901 or visit www.innaminckahotel.com.au Innamincka Trading Post also offers accommodation as well as a wide range of essentials including fuel, food, fishing gear, some spare parts and more. Ph: (08) 8675 9900 or wisit www.innaminckatp.com.au For info on the Innamincka RR and Coongie Lake NP visit www.parks.sa.gov.au/find-a-park For more info on Dig Tree visit www.visitbulloo.com.au/dig-tree…

Nearly 82km south of Yallingup lies Augusta – the third oldest settlement in WA. This beautiful town is rich in history, drawing people far and wide in the past for its prolific abalone and timber (jarrah) industry. Jewel Cave in Augusta is the biggest cave of all in Western Australia and, after your visit, you can take a self-guided walk through the giant karri forest surrounding it – this will transport you back to the world of Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree. This is also where we spent a summer, plonked on the beach with our caravan. Everyone talks about the beaches in Yallingup, but Hamelin Bay is something special to behold. Its resident gentle giant stingrays, spanning up to a metre long, sweep across your feet in the shallows…

Some people balk at the prospect of buying second-hand, while others swear that buying used avoids most of the wallet-smashing depreciation that can affect new motorhomes. But there are other options, such as ex-rental RVs like the KEA Discovery — one of the most popular rental motorhomes around. These RVs are built tough, simple and with ease of use in mind, and it is this value that is often overlooked. VALUE FOR MONEY A used Discovery with around 120,000km on the clock, like the one we drove north from Perth to Karijini NP, will set you back around $80,000. That is a third less than a comparable new model and, for a motorhome only a few years old and of this size, it’s exceptional value. The new KEA Discovery retails…

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Overall length 8.9m (29ft 2in) External body length 6.71m (22ft) External body width 2.5m (8ft 2in) Travel height 3.1m (10ft 2in) Internal height 2m (6ft 7in) Tare 3000kg ATM 4400kg Payload 1400kg Ball weight 290kg EXTERNAL Frame Meranti Cladding Aluminium (plus composite) Chassis FP SupaGal offroad chassis Suspension Cruisemaster ATX trailing arm airbag Coupling Hitch-Ezy (5t rated) Brakes Ventilated disc Wheels 16in alloys, with 265/75/R16 mud-terrain tyres Water 5x82L Battery 4x110Ah lead crystal Solar 5x150W Air-conditioner Dometic Harrier Gas 2x9kg Sway control No Kitchen Slide-out Weber Q and two-burner stove INTERNAL Cooking Dometic three-burner stove/ sink combo Fridge Dometic AES three-way 224L Microwave Electrolux convection Bathroom Ensuite with separate shower/toilet/vanity Washing machine Camec front-loader 4kg Hot water Suburban gas/electric 22.6L OPTIONS FITTED Cruisemaster ATX trailing arm airbag…

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED Just launched in December, the second edition Hema 4WD Adventures Guide has been revamped with 100 new and revised tracks across 19 regions of Australia. Its detailed inset maps created by Hema cartographers feature the nearest supply points and camping areas, and colour-coded tracks by vehicle types. Hema Chief Exploration Officer Rob Boegheim said: “With all 420 pages of this bucket-list adventure guide recreated with awesome new maps, track profiles, simpler track grading, and all the usual great pics, it provides all the info you need to inspire and empower your next 4WD adventure.” As well as the addition of new content, the guide has had a design makeover; its updated easy-to-read format makes it a great reference point for those on the road, and those…

An annual survey has revealed a decline in demand for self-driving cars in Victoria. EastLink’s 2018 Victorian Self-Driving Car Survey showed that compared to last year, fewer motorists want a fully self-driving car. Of the 18,010 motorists who completed the survey, 29 per cent of males said they wanted their next car to be fully self-driving on all roads, compared to 17 per cent of females. EastLink corporate affairs and marketing manager Doug Spencer-Roy said: “This reduction in desirability for fully self-driving vehicles indicates that expectations had become over-inflated by hype, and people are now becoming more realistic.” According to the survey, a significant proportion of motorists – 37 per cent of females and 28 per cent of males – expect that fully self-driving vehicles should be absolutely 100 per…

We're thinking of heading to Birdsville this year for the Big Red Bash (July 16-18) – billed as the world's most remote music festival. What's the best way to get there from the southern states and do we need to make any special preparations to our vehicle? The Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks are no doubt two of the best desert roads in the heart of the outback, especially for a first-time offroad touring experience. They both give you that awesome sense of freedom with endless big sky vistas and a billion stars overhead – a humbling reminder that our time on earth is short-lived, and we should take each day as a gift, leaving the busy noise of the city far behind. Distance wise the tracks are are similar: the…

Those who picked up a copy of Caravan World's bumper December issue will recall we revealed the winners and finalists in the $100K-plus and $80K-$100K categories of AL-KO Best Aussie Vans 2018, held on the banks of the mighty Murray River. For those who missed that edition, you can check out all the judges' comments and ratings, as well as glorious images and videos of all nine finalists competing at the event, at caravanworld.com.au. Meanwhile, here's a brief recap… If there was a consistent theme running through the 2018 lineup, across four price categories, it was innovation. The four judges, Malcolm Street, Laura Grey, John 'Bear' Willis and yours truly agreed the 2018 lineup was easily the most innovative to date. For true standout innovation, we had to look no…

A sincere thanks must be extended to our event partners, in particular naming rights sponsor AL-KO — a market leader in the manufacture of chassis and running gear for the caravan and motorhome markets. Emprise Group has developed a close rapport with AL-KO, and it’s a vibrant industry liaison. We could not have achieved such outstanding video and photography coverage without such valued support. During the 2018 event, AL-KO also hosted a convivial dinner and drinks for the manufacturers, judges and the entire BAV crew at the American Hotel in Echuca. We are also delighted to express gratitude to leading caravan and RV finance provider Credit One for its generosity in hosting a two-hour scenic cruise on the Murray River, enjoying drinks and canapes, aboard the M.V. Mary Ann. Emprise…

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Overall length 9.5m (31ft 2in) Internal body length 7.14m (23ft 5in) External body width 2.43m (8ft) Travel height 3.08m (10ft 1in) Internal height 2.03m (6ft 8in) Tare 2721kg ATM 3500kg Payload 779kg Ball weight 288kg EXTERNAL Frame Meranti (and one-piece fully insulated composite roof and floor with underbody protection) Cladding - Smooth Alupanel composite Chassis Duratech 6in box steel chassis and drawbar Suspension Ultra Duty independent with shock absorbers and coil spring Coupling AL-KO 50mm ball Brakes 12in drum Wheels 15in alloys and 235x75 R15 all-terrain tyres Water 2x95L (valved separately) Battery 1x120Ah deep cycle Solar 1x160W with regulator Air-conditioner Air-command Ibis 3 reverse cycle Gas 2x9kg with protected regulator Sway control No INTERNAL Cooking Gas electric cooktop, grill and fan-forced oven Fridge Dometic AES 190L Microwave…

Before you sign on the dotted line to buy your new RV, make sure you get all the information you need to make an informed decision. Here are 10 questions you should ask yourself before you buy. We’d also suggest you do your homework by visiting dealers and shows before committing. Let’s face it, RVs are a significant investment and many are luxury items. So it’s important to obtain an understanding on what stacks up best, dollar for dollar, in the market. It’s also essential to know van and vehicle weights — what you can legally tow — before taking the financial plunge. You should also take into serious account the type of travelling you’ll be undertaking — bitumen, dirt tracks, caravan parks, free camping — plus your external/internal storage…

Heading inland and south from Augusta for another 250km you will reach Walpole, known as 'Nornalup' or the place of the Norne (black snake). Walpole has some of my greatest Huckleberry Finn moments of all time – canoeing across the still, clear river or swinging off a rope into it on a stinking hot day, getting dirty in the mud, and playing cards on the balcony of our chalet surrounded by the red tingle and karri forest. Absolute bliss. As an adult, it has fine memories, too. You can expect to sip on some of the best tipple in Australia in the region between Walpole and Denmark – the cool climate synonymous with producing exquisite shiraz and chardonnay. THINGS TO DO: Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk: Visit the…

SPECIFICATIONS External length 6.4m (20ft 11in) External width 2.2m (7ft 2in) Internal height 2.06m (6ft 8in) Travel height 3.0m (9ft 10in) Tare 2954kg Payload 596kg GVM 3550kg ENGINE Base vehicle Mercedes Sprinter Engine 2.2L turbodiesel Gearbox Five-speed automatic Max power 110kW@3500rpm Max torque 330Nm@1500rpm EXTERNAL Fresh water 100L Grey water 100L Batteries 1x100Ah Solar 140W Air-conditioner Yes Gas 1x9kg bottle INTERNAL Cooking Dometic four-burner with grill Fridge 130L Microwave Yes Bathroom Cubicle with Thetford cassette toilet and full-height shower Lighting 12V LED Hot water Yes Space heater Diesel OPTIONS FITTED None PRICE AS SHOWN $154,700 MORE INFORMATION RV Sales Centre Ph: (03) 8398 8848 Web: www.rvsalescentre.com.au…

Dreaming of that perfect RV? Here's how a little help from leading industry financier Credit One can go a long way. The journey to RV ownership can often be a long one. From the initial spark of seeing friends and family enjoy their camper trailer or caravan to your first caravan show and browsing dealer websites and online forums about the best make and model and, of course reading Caravan World and Camper Trailer Australia product reviews! It’s not uncommon, though, to find the perfect RV slightly before you are ready finacially, and so the unavoidable question of how to stretch the budget to pay for that dream van arises. With interest rates at a near historic low, more and more caravan and RV buyers are choosing finance when considering…

The Caravan Council of Australia has written a poem entitled Towing Caravans for Rec-reation… Not Wreck-creation! to remind caravanners of the important issues to be aware of when towing. It reads: It’s a good life for the ’vanners, who live out on the road, Seeing our great country, without a fixed abode, But there’s danger ever lurking, on our highways when you drive, So be careful when you travel, so you get back home alive. Towing sure can be a problem, if something isn't right, It may be out of mind, but it’s never out of sight, So check that all’s OK, both the tow-rig and the ’van, And enjoy the pleasures of your trips, as safely as you can. Is the ’van in sound condition, are mechanicals still good,…

When Holden Kingwoods, Ford Falcon and Valiant Regals roamed the earth, those vehicles were frequently seen towing caravans with manufacturer names like Viscount, Millard, York, Franklin and Chesney, at least in Australia. The aforementioned tow vehicles often had six cylinder engines but there were quite a few V8’s as well. They all had a chassis which meant there was plenty of steel to bolt the tow bar onto. Caravanning life was pretty simple. The vans generally had a steel RHS chassis, often with something like 3inx2in rail (no metrics in those days), which was not galvanised. Aluminium framing was quite common, at least at Viscount, and the cladding was aluminium, originally bare but later white. The interiors were quite basic. The kitchen might have had a two-burner cooker and the…

Hi Dave, I was wondering if there is any device or product on the market that can alert you to whether your indicators, brake lights, etc are functioning correctly on the caravan while you are in the tow vehicle? I always check indicators, lights, etc before venturing out onto the road ahead. After a couple of hours of driving I pull over at a rest stop for a break. On rechecking the lights, I find that the right indicator light on the van is not working. On repositioning the plug it all works again. Obviously the plug has loosened while driving. This obviously creates uncertainty in my mind as to whether the light is functioning properly when I am on the road again. If there was some warning light in…

CHILD FIRE SAFETY I have just received issue 581 of Caravan World and was wondering could you give me an answer to the following: In the Summer Survival feature by Scott Heiman on page 44, there is a picture of a lady and child talking on two-way radios. No problems there, but looking closely in front of them was a baby's playpen made of wood and also what looks like a fire blazing away inside. If so, I would imagine that the play pen would not last long having a fire so close to it. A very inventive system, but I would have thought a properly made fire protector made of wire mesh, for example, would have been safer? Andy Smith, via email Hi Andy, It’s all in the name…

LAURA GRAY Former CW Editor Laura Gray's introduction to life in the great outdoors came at age two when she was packed into a Toyota LiteAce van by day and a brown canvas tent by night, in north WA. But WA is a pretty hot place and tents don’t come with air-conditioning, so many years and countless camping trips later, she moved onto caravans. After eight years working as a news journalist, she now spends her days immersed in RV life, reading, writing and dreaming about travelling Australia. MALCOLM STREET Field editor Malcolm Street began caravanning in the 1970s, first in a Viscount, and later in a York, the former towed by a Holden Kingswood. He's RV’d extensively ever since, across Australia, New Zealand and Britain. He became an RV…

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Overall length 8.3m (27ft 2in) External body length 6.29m (20ft 8in) External body width 2.48m (8ft 2in) Travel height 3m (9ft 10in) Internal height 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tare 2400kg-2450kg (estimated weight range) ATM 2824kg Payload 400kg approx. Ball weight 170kg-190kg EXTERNAL Frame Fibreglass sandwich panel with some meranti timber Cladding Fibreglass sandwich Chassis Australian tube steel: 4in main frame, 6in A-frame Suspension AL-KO Enduro Independent Arm Touring Coupling Ball Brakes Electric Wheels 15in rims Water 2x95L Battery 120Ah AGM Solar Provision for solar Air-conditioner Reverse-cycle Gas 2x9kg Sway control AL-KO ESC INTERNAL Cooking Thetford minigrill Fridge Three-way tropical fridge Microwave NCE Bathroom Full-height shower and ceramic bowl toilet Washing machine Dometic front-loader 3kg Hot water Swift 28L OPTIONS FITTED None PRICE AS SHOWN $59,990 MORE INFORMATION To…

The role of women within the caravan and motorhome industries is changing rapidly. The days when men made all the business decisions and designed and built the RVs are fading as women step up to take leading roles. As a manufacturing industry, it’s not surprising that men have traditionally dominated: the Australian Bureau of Statistics found only 18 per cent of full-time jobs in manufacturing were held by women in 2016. It’s clear there is still a long way to go for women leaders, too. Figures released for International Women’s Day in 2017 revealed that, of Australia’s top 200 ASX-listed companies, more are run by men named John than by women. Or Peter for that matter. Or David. The individual journeys of women in the RV industry are varied. The…

Sometimes called ‘A large hole in the ground', as well as the ‘Place of Love’, Yallingup lies 34km west of Busselton. It’s known for its incredible beaches, surf and the Ngilgi Cave (named after a good spirit who triumphed in battle against an evil spirit called Wolgine, in Wardandi language). This is Noongar boodja country and the caves are of great cultural significance. The caves brought tourists from near and far in the late 1800s and, subsequently, a hotel was built next to it (Caves House), to accommodate those who wished to stay for a meal and a drink at the bar. It was here that ‘P.S. Bignell’s Cave Coaches’ began to pick tourists up from around the south-west and drop them off at Caves House — the ‘Sunday session’…

Halen Vans' proprietor Jason Francis is not only a devotee of American hard rock band Van Halen, but a touring car fanatic. So it makes sense that he monikers his bespoke offroad models on motor racing tracks. And in that respect, one of his biggest sellers is the Bathurst range — a ‘King of the Mountain’ fleet, if you’ll pardon the analogy. Ironically, even high-profile V8 Supercar driver Rick Kelly has purchased a Bathurst. Caravan World recently took a Bathurst 21 ‘for a spin’ within the picturesque confines of Silvan Reservoir, around 40km east of Melbourne in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Alright, it wasn’t the ultimate proving ground. Methinks it will relish a few laps of far more testing topography! But the luxurious Bathurst 21 we tested, already…

Caravan electrics issues can be hard to pinpoint, but checking and replacing fuses, and ensuring that the battery has sufficient charge is not a difficult procedure. Your daily power usage will influence battery charge. The voltage of a caravan battery starts dipping with usage, and the lower the voltage, the less the amperage it can offer. Additionally, battery age, discharge current and temperature all influence the battery capacity. An on-board battery plays an even more essential role when your caravan is not plugged into mains power. It provides reliable 12V power for your appliances while camping off-grid, making it a ‘vital spark’ while on vacation. However, the recommended discharge of a deep cycle battery before recharging is 50 per cent. Taking the battery below this recommendation will severely affect its…