Our travel gear
Choosing our caravan & tow rig
MAKE: Blue Sky MODEL: Splendour STYLE: Semi-offroad SLEEPS: 2 LENGTH: 21 feet
Like all caravan buyers or travellers, this was a really important decision for us. Throw in the fact that we planned to live full time in our caravan, and it became a “home on wheels” decision for us.
This brought a few additional factors into the process, so without doing a full-blown comparison around part time vs full time travel, here were our requirements.
Firstly, Annie had a set of non-negotiables, which turned out being a good approach. Means she will be a lot happier in the long run. And who hasn’t heard of “happy wife – happy life!”
Annie's list
- Separate toilet and shower. Making sure the toilet was located on the offside (opposite side to awning) This means you are not changing the toilet cassette whilst someone could be sitting under the awning.
- Island bed, allowing access from either side of the bed ( see below pic)
- Air conditioning
- Heater – via reverse cycle air conditioning initially. Diesel heater in the future.
- Plenty of light and ventilation
- Modern and simple colour scheme
My list looks a bit different, go figure, knowing how a male mind works 😊
Paul's list
- under 3000 kg ATM ( see our article explaining these different weight acronyms)
- semi off-road on a 6-inch chassis
- solar panels x 2 and batteries x 2
- tunnel boot with access from either side of the caravan
- generator cupboard to use as a wet storage area
- full height shower and highest ceiling possible ( 2000mm)
- a bed that my 183cm height would fit
- Not a lot about comfort factors for me, all about being able to tow our new van safely and effectively.
That left us with a "nice to have" and a "research" list
Nice to have:
- decent sized fridge & freezer
- efficient stove/grill with combo of electric & gas
- plenty of accessible storage space
- small microwave for reheating or defrosting that Annie could reach
Research list: (more details after list)
- dinette seating versus L shaped or club lounge
- ability to make customisations – for example removing the oven for more saucepan space, & installing a linen cupboard
- a mid-located door next to the bedroom versus a rear entry door
- angled bench in the kitchen
- fans x 2
- grey water tank for off-grid & National Park camping requirements
Research is King!
We can’t stress enough how important it is to fully research & test what you think you need in a caravan.
Don’t allow yourself to just accept the model shown to you by the dealer. If it doesn’t suit YOUR requirements, there is always potential to negotiate some modifications.
Our dealer, Sunrise Caravans at Burpengary QLD, was very invested in making sure we had the opportunity to discuss any changes.
Dinette – we initially did not like or want dinette style seating, as we found it quite restrictive and a bit dated looking. However, after trying L shaped and club lounge seating, we changed our minds a lot, and don’t regret our decision. The van we chose, also had extended leg supports for the dinette – a nice touch when watching TV.
Angled bench – this design resonated with us, as it provided extra space around the sink and directed traffic around the fridge area really well.
Grey water tank – given we had decided to try free camping, showground stays and even farm stays, it made a lot of sense to have this installed. Some National Park areas now mandate you are fully self-contained, including grey water. We have a 110litre version. Many free camps, Hip Camps & rest areas also require you to be fully self-contained. Meaning what you use, you must contain and take away with you.
Mid door – funny how your needs change from the first time you start looking for a caravan. I was convinced that a mid-door next to the bedroom was a bad fit for us. BUT we ended up with just that, resulting in more usable space in the kitchen / bathroom area.
It also gave us the option to have additional bench space, a must for long-term travelling and cooking.
Fans – this was a good value decision, based around keeping air moving around the van. We ended up with 2 x Sirocco 12v fans – these can be rotated to face the kitchen, dining or bedroom. They also have 3 speed settings and auto timer options.
Add to the mix, our van came with a 3kg washing machine, not unusual these days, but we are very glad it did. We have realized by experience, that there is not always access to a laundromat in rural areas. Especially if you are not staying in a caravan park, something we are doing less of now.