| Choosing Your Rig |
Introduction:We can't really advise you on what to buy, because every one has different requirements and expectations. What we can do is advise you on the process of how we selected and chose our rig and gear and how it worked out for us. Nothing has been given to us or is sponsored in any way, we chose and paid for everything based on our own research and on the merits of each item. First and foremost, you must set a total budget for your rig. Remember that this is going to be your home for the next 12 to 18 months and everyone has to be happy with the decision coz you're going to be living on top of each other, so you can't go and hide in the office and sulk if things aren't going well, this has to work for both of you, so you can have an enjoyable holiday and the trip of a lifetime. Most important thing in choosing your set-up is to choose the right mode of home first, ie bus, 5th wheeler, caravan, trailer. Motor-Home, 5th Wheeler, Caravan, Trailer ????:The choices are numerous including a converted bus, motor home, caravan, pop top, expandas, 5th wheeler, camper trailer and so the list goes on. Within those choices, there are numerous variations, including both on-road and off-road options plus all the other with this and that options. My advice is to visit every dealer in town and look at every option. This may take quite a few weeks or even months, depending on how much time you devote to it. Once you have done this, you should have a good idea as to what your preferences are ie caravan, motor-home, camper trailer etc. Then sit down and make a list of all the features you want in your new home and prioritise them. As we had done lots of camping and roughing it in our younger days, Marlene doesn't want to rough it anymore and was getting a clear picture of what she wanted. Her own private facilities, shower, toilet, double bed etc. Now is the time sit down and discuss the wish list with each other and fine tune it. This is when the hard work really starts. Marlene had decided on a caravan, so we went and revisited all the caravan dealers again and marked each and every caravan out of ten against every item on our wish list. During this revisit, she walked into one particular caravan and said "I like the feel of this one" and of course she gave it the highest marks. The fact that she liked the look and feel of it was good and was going to make the decision easier. Over the next week, we discussed the pros and cons of the wish list and evaluated all the caravans we had seen and she kept coming back to this Jayco Stirling with the front kitchen layout. Anyway, trying to be objective, we managed to cut the list down to just 6 caravans and the following Saturday, went and only saw those 6. You really need to do this culling exercise as when you see too many options, the brain gets frazzled and you don't know whether you're Arther or Martha, believe me, you get too confused. You need to stick to the highest scores on your checklist. Once again, the minute we stepped into this particular layout of the 21ft Jayco Stirling, she said "I really like the feel of this one, this is the one". That's it, the boss has made a decision she's happy with and I like it as well. Even better, although she doesn't realise it, it's one of the least expensive of all the caravans on our shortlist, so I'm a happy chappy and we start negotiating with the salesman. Now she says she'd prefer a different colour on the seats and curtains. "Sorry mam, delivery on custom choices is around 8 months. If you want to leave when you say you do, all we can offer is what you see here on site". I also wanted a slide out with the full size queen bed, but beggars can't be choosers. As we're planning on leaving in 4 months time and Marlene agrees with me that this is our best option, we negotiate and sign the deal there and then. Tow Vehicle:Due to the weight and towing requirements of the caravan, we really only have two options, Toyota Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol, so we take both for test drives. Without going through all the technical issues, we both decide the Nissan Patrol is a lot more suitable for our needs and is definitely more comfortable and as we're going to be spending most of the day in the car driving and towing, that's the choice. Funny thing is, I've never liked 4WD's as when you're behind one or next to one at an intersection, they obstruct your vision. Now that we drive one, we love it as the views up here are better than any car, but we are very mind full of what other road users think and always try to position ourselves accordingly so as not to obstruct other vehicles line of sight. Anyway, after looking at numerous Patrols, we eventually buy a second hand police vehicle that's done 60,000kms, 11 months old and appears to be in excellent condition and we were pleased with our purchase. We also pay the extra $'s for an extended manufacturers warranty After a lot of research, there are a few essentials I decide on as a start: Stage two - as we will be going to places where we can't take the caravan, the Patrol has to be totally self sufficient: |