Michael Browning•22 Jan 2016

NEWS

Caravan overkill!

Big oven, washing machine, rearview camera… Just how much caravan do you really need to go glamping?

Kicking back amidst the froth and bubbles of the spa bath in the elegant rear bathroom of Van Cruiser’s one-off ‘Grange’ show van, sipping a chilled soda and lime from its Zip mixer tap over the New Year, I wondered where the simple pleasures of caravanning had gone?

Ensuite, air conditioning, double-glazed windows, central heating, microwave, fan-forced oven, bed base heating, washing machine, flick mixer taps, coffee pod machine, outside television and iPod compatible sound systems, solar power, outside hot and cold shower, hot and cold A-frame taps, a water filter, roll-out awning, security door, power steps, rear camera, caravan mover and lithium power systems with inverters than can run toasters, dishwashers, waffle irons and hair dryers ‘off the grid’ in remote areas, inside and outside kitchens…

But could we caravan without them? Perhaps, but it requires a mindset re-boot.

Back a few decades ago, life was certainly simpler. The average caravan was 16ft long and because it contained little more than a couple of single beds, a cooktop, a kitchen bench and lounge and table, your Kingswood or Falcon could haul it to the beach and back.

Because most people had only three weeks holiday that was mostly squandered over Christmas and Easter and there were few self-funded retirees, there was little time for most people to travel much further. If they did, few went far off the beaten track, as if they did, their vans fell apart.

Even 20 years ago, while caravans had stretched to 18ft and perhaps more, internal showers and toilets were a novelty. Now you would be struggling to sell one without them.

Today if you visit the upcoming caravan shows in Adelaide (February 17-21), Melbourne (February 24-29), Perth (March 16-20), Sydney (April 9-17) or Brisbane (June 9-14), your mind will boggle with all the things that you can’t possibly live without.

So, let’s look at what you don’t you need...

1. An off-road caravan

Unless you’re an experienced 4WD traveller, or are planning long and successive trips on badly corrugated surfaces, a good on-road caravan with reasonable ground clearance is all you need as long as you remember the mantra ‘drive according to the conditions’.

So if the one unsealed road on your around Australia trip takes you a few hours longer, drive slower and save the extra money that a big ‘off-roader’ will cost.

Having said this, choose a well-made good quality caravan from a well-regarded maker to start with and ensure that its chassis and suspension have plenty of strength in reserve for the sort of load you are planning to carry.

2. Stone protection

The slower you travel the less you need it. Something for the front of your caravan is a good idea – ideally a padded ‘bra’ or a truckmesh shield, but most of that macho down the sides and rear of caravans is there for show. Very few stones hit here.

3. Off-road tyres

Six-ply or LT (Light Truck) tyres are ideal, but those big, butch off-road lug tyres are a waste of money.

For a start, as the caravan is simply riding on them, they have no ‘driving’ value; secondly, they have less directional stability than a tyre with simple radial grooves, so are less directionally stable.

Third, they can actually overheat on bitumen on a hot day, particularly if under-inflated.

4. An off-road hitch

Again, unless you’re experienced off-road and are planning to cross rivers and washaways, a regular 50mm ball hitch should be plenty.

5. Coil-spring suspension

Modern trailing arm coil spring independent suspension (or even better, airbag suspension) will undoubtedly give your caravan a smoother ride, but for most touring, traditional leaf springs assisted by telescopic shock absorbers (one good one per wheel is enough) will do the job perfectly well. Save your money.

6. Composite walls

Since the days of Bondwood, the bodies of most Australian caravans have been formed by attaching lightweight ribbed aluminium to a Meranti timber wall frame.

Fibreglass and aluminium walls, with the insulation sandwiched in between the outer fibreglass or aluminium and the inner lining, is now taking over and for good reasons. It’s quicker to build, stronger, resistant to hail damage and has better insulating properties. But you’ll pay extra for it.

A well-built ‘stick & tin’ caravan is lighter, cheaper to repair and will cost you less to start with. Pick one with the wall uprights closest together.

7. Solar power

Unless you’re planning to be away from a 240-volt power supply for more than three or four days and your fridge runs off gas, then you don’t really need it. A single 100-130Ah deep cycle battery in good condition should be enough to run your water pump and lights.

8. Lithium power

If you’re a bitumen tourer staying regularly in caravan parks and don’t plan to run a hair dryer or toaster off the grid, a normal lead acid battery set-up will do you fine.

9. A separate shower and toilet bathroom

Adds more real estate and weight to your caravan than you really need. If wet feet from the shower bother you, fit a lattice rubber mat to the floor.

10. A washing machine

A baby’s bucket with a screw-on lid does a great agitator wash job when you are travelling. If you have too much washing for that, you either have too many clothes or too many kids!

11. Awning

Most vans have them, but what’s wrong with a beach umbrella, a broad-brimmed hat or a PVC sheet and two guy ropes?

12. Caravan heater

Thermal underwear is a lot cheaper, as is a camp fire.

13. Two 9kg gas bottles

At Christmas/New Year we spent two weeks at Port Elliot in Van Cruiser’s 21ft Grange caravan. We only used gas for cooking, including our Weber Baby Q running off the van’s external gas bayonet, had up to two showers daily each using its instantaneous (gas) hot water service and didn’t exhaust one 9kg cylinder.

If you’re going to be somewhere each week where you can swap or recharge cylinders, one bottle is usually enough.

14. Double-glazed windows

Nice for extra insulation, but not essential.

15. Microwave

We rarely use one. A pot on a gas stove usually heats pre-prepared meals on a road trip.

16. Coffee pod machine

Better to rediscover real brewed coffee!

17. Caravan rear camera

What’s wrong with abusing your partner? At least you’re talking after a long trip!

18. Caravan mover

If your caravan is that big, or you can’t park it, maybe you should leave it at home!

19. Fan forced oven

Why would you use an oven in a caravan?

20. Spa bath

First-world problem!

Caravan overkill!

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