Introduction

For some reason you just bought yourself a campervan… or a motorhome.
It’s same thing really just a matter of size (ok and well maybe design) but the
principle of your home also being your daily drive is still the same.

You may have thought about it for a while, you might have thought “This
sleeping on the ground sucks”, or that “I’m getting too old to climb the ladder
to the roof top tent” or “I don’t want to be towing a caravan … (for whatever
reason that may be)”, but you decided that having a campervan was a great idea.
So, you have done what we did, you walked into a yard and walked out with a
significant change to your financial status (what we called a ‘financial
accident’) and possibly the second biggest investment in your life. So,
follow us here and share this journey as travel and find out just what the hell
this campervan life is.

If you haven’t actually bought one yet, then here are some things to
consider.

Put some thought into what you want, what size, what make, fully
self-contained or a basic bed on wheels, can you afford brand new or
secondhand, will you need a custom job, factory spec or will a home built one
do, will you be doing short trips or the big lap. It’s worth making a list of
your requirements because after all you are about to embark on your new touring
lifestyle…. Because in our mind that is what a campervan/motorhome gives you….
The ability to tour and live comfortably away from your residential home, it’s
not just that…….. it’s a lifestyle.

Advice

The best piece of advice we could give before buying your van is “where do
you want to go in it and for how long”  as this really does dictate some
of the above thoughts… if you desire to be in the outback going down rutted
dusty tracks for weeks on end then you will probably need a custom built,
adventure bus AWD if not 4WD with large battery bank and solar grids, lots of
water capacity for toilet and shower and drinking, and the ability to keep it
cool or warm.  If, however you want to tour only on the blacktop, see the
tourist highlights, stay in caravan parks then a simple 2WD and a fridge to
keep the beer cold is possibly all you need….

Second piece of advice is “who is going to go” and off course size is one of
the considerations here….. Bigger is not always better, If it’s just two of
you, smaller means generally cheaper, more economical on fuel, better access
into parking and potentially easier to drive whereas a family of five or more
means at least a proper full on motorhome (unless you are going to kick the
kids out at night to sleep on the ground under the stars (or
rain/snow/sleet/mosquito’s & other nightly critters… just be prepared for
the whinging the next day!) The bigger the motorhome the harder it is to drive
, affected by wind, harder to park and more expensive to buy, but has more
room, can store more, and is potentially more comfortable and may even require
less setup at the end of the day. Larger Motorhomes may need an extra
qualification/class on your licence.

Third piece of advice, are you going to base camping/touring or are you
mobile, going to a different place every day or every second day. The idea of
setting up a caravan once a fortnight or once a month is different to setting
it up every day, a motorhome while quicker and easier to set up than a caravan
still needs to have this considered when you might be needing to do this every
day, the ability to leave your bed made is a big one. Despite how much set up
is required you will develop a routine. I remember when in our late twenties,
we had gone down to the south coast of Western Australia and trundled into the
Fitzgerald River National Park, we thought we were pretty good back then
tenting it with a 4wd, our set up time was only 20 minutes, tent up, bed made,
fire going kitchen organised and sitting back with a wine in hand, but when a
motorhome pulled up and 2 minutes later he stepped out the door with a hot
cuppa in his hand we kind of thought …. “you bastard” and that’s when we
started appreciating other people’s set ups. The great discussion of what
we wanted started and has been going on for 30 years, but quickly we realised
that no single set up will ever meet all your needs, there will always be
compromises.