Choosing The Right Caravan For You

A lot of things go into deciding which caravan, camper or motorhome is right for you. Here we discuss some of the top things to consider.

For most of us, buying a caravan is a big deal. It can be the most expensive commitment we make outside of signing up for a house, and many buyers spend months or even years before making their final decision.

With so many brands, styles and sizes of vans to mull over, there’s an almost endless list of possibilities. So, let’s break it down and see if we can help.

SIZE MATTERS

Across the many brands available — there could be as many as 100 local and imported caravan companies — sizes generally range from 4.6–7m (15–23ft). I’m not sure why, but most dealers and builders still talk in imperial measurements, so younger folk might have to resort to their device for a translation. There are custom vans that are longer, and hybrids can be smaller, but we’ll come to that.

If things were simple, we would probably all choose the longest model possible, with a sumptuous club lounge and every conceivable extra to make our holidays as comfortable as we can — but things aren’t that simple.

Towing a big van is a daunting prospect, even for some experienced campaigners. They are harder to park, take up much more room when stored and inevitably cost more.

As well as that, a large van will be heavier, so it needs a capable and robust tow vehicle to move it safely. This may mean you also have to shell out for a new car on top of the van purchase. 

On the other hand, a small teardrop camper should be a dream to tow but might not have the comforts of home that everyone might expect. 

All owners will have different requirements for travel based on past experiences and research. For some families, packing everyone into a 4.8m (16ft) bunk van will be part of the fun, and plenty of us grey nomads will fondly remember great memories of those early days of adventure. 

For those planning a lap of the coast or extended adventures crisscrossing the country, the general agreement might be a van in the 5.9m to 6.4m (19ft 6in to 21ft) range is a suitable compromise of comfort and practicality. Bunks can be included in this size range, especially so in the larger ones.

There are exceptions, of course, because smaller vans with extendable ends add internal space and, if this style appeals, they make a lot of sense for families. There are also those who like to keep things compact and don't mind roughing it with most of the cooking and downtime spent outside.

OFFROAD VS BLACKTOP CRUISER

If your plans for caravanning holidays are limited to staying in a caravan park somewhere on the coast or alongside a river, then a high riding offroader bristling with solar panels and monster toolboxes is probably overkill, as an offroader will inevitably be heavier to tow and will have higher initial outlay.

For those new to caravanning and towing, it might be wise to reconsider plans for extreme adventure until they have experience dragging a big van through deep sand and mud. That said, there’s no reason why an experienced driver won’t be able to hook up their new blacktop van and complete a lap of the county.

A solidly constructed van with suitable suspension from a reputable builder will have no trouble on most of our main roads. Still, some lightweight European vans might struggle with local conditions. Appropriate suspension includes a trailing arm system, but I wouldn't count out roller rocker leaf springs with shock absorbers for longer stretches of corrugated roads.

CARRY THAT WEIGHT

One of the least understood caravan topics is weight, but it's also amongst the most important. The specifications of the manufacturer limit the weight any vehicle can tow. Towing anything above that limit is not only dangerous, but against the law. 

Without getting too complicated, we need to point out that the tow vehicle will also have a gross combined mass — the total weight allowable for the car and van — and you should be aware of these limits. 

So let’s go through some basics. An empty van with all its accessories fitted will have a tare weight embossed on its compliance plate. It will also have an ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) depending on various engineering details, especially the suspension's capability. This ATM is the total the caravan can weigh when it is loaded. 

Before you sign up for that brand new van, you need to know your vehicle's towing capacity, too. Some may remember early holidays where the family hooked a van without much concern to the Falcon or Holden and headed off up the coast. They were different times, and most of the vans were a lot lighter than what we see today.

Recent sales figures show the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, both of which have decent towing capacity, are in the top three best-selling vehicles, but number three was the Toyota Corolla which isn’t a prospect for towing vans. Also high on the popular list was the Mazda CX5 which can handle 1800–2000kg, depending on the model.

Larger 4WDs like LandCruisers, Discoveries and Patrols can tow up to 3500kg, but there are more exotic choices, including BMW X5, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, that can tow as well. (While some vehicles can pull weights higher than 3500kg, it's beyond the scope of this introduction to buying a van.)

The van's total weight can’t exceed the ATM if you plan to tow it on a public road, so you need to be aware of what you can load on board, and that's where the van's payload is essential. 

The ATM less the tare will tell you what the van should be able to carry. Unfortunately, not all builders and retailers get the tare correct and often accessories fitted after manufacture will add to the base weight but not be included on the compliance plate. 

The only way to check this is to demand a current weighbridge certificate before you complete your purchase.

One aspect often overlooked when considering payload is the water capacity. Having three 70L tanks might sound ideal, but that's 210kg that has to be considered in your load.

We could devote a whole issue to caravan weight, but the important takeaway here is to understand ATM, tare and payload, and how it affects van and tow vehicle choice.

CONSTRUCTION

Australian caravans have traditionally been built with rolled aluminium sheets laid horizontally over a timber frame. Single-piece fibreglass or aluminium roofs go over the top of a timber frame with a single-piece timber or composite floor. 

As a general rule, the body then bolts to a rigid steel chassis. Colloquially known as ‘stick and tin’, it's a quick and relatively cheap build process and the majority of Melbourne builders use this method. 

Once the aluminium is fixed to the frame, roof and floor, the resultant body is relatively rigid, but with enough flex to move over rough ground. In recent years some timber vans are fitted with composite aluminium sheet typical in the building industry. These flat sheets have a more modern look and are more robust, but they are also heavier, and weight is the enemy in a caravan.

The advantage of a timber frame construction is its light weight and durability. The downside is, if not sealed correctly during the build or if the aluminium skin is punctured by accident or fitting an accessory without due care, the van can leak. Once water is inside, it can attack the timber and cause rot, which can be challenging to detect and expensive to remedy. 

There are countless thousands of timber frame vans on the roads across the country, and many have given years of faithful service. A well-built and adequately sealed timber construction van is still a viable choice with brands including Evernew, Goldstream, New Age and even the offroad Marvel flying the timber flag. 

Also in the timber category are vans with interlocking plywood construction built from waterproof sheets to form a sturdy body with enough flex to handle bad road conditions. The outside cladding is usually composite aluminium. Examples include upmarket brands such as Wonderland and Royal Flair. 

More recent technology is a composite construction, where walls and roof are formed from fibreglass or aluminium panels over extruded polystyrene. The structure is robust, attractive and relatively light, as well as having superior thermal and sound insulation. Built correctly, the panels should be weatherproof. The downside is a higher build cost, but builders like Jayco and Avan have high outputs where costs are ameliorated.

Several recent high-end offroad vans have gone down the composite path in brands like Spinifex, Titanium and Bushtracker. Roof, floor and walls are bonded together to form a monocoque entity. 

But the method isn’t limited to adventure vans — Snowy River follows a similar if less rugged approach. These builders pride themselves on their new age technology, and it would be surprising if more builders don't join the party. 

Less common is an aluminium frame. Generally seen in high-end offroad vans, this method is extremely robust for a life of abuse. Cost and weight are elevated compared to timber, but there's no chance of the frame deteriorating. 

Is there a right choice? All the construction methods have their place, and it will depend mainly on your budget as well as how you want to use the van. 

Consider the LAYOUT

In simple terms, a caravan is a box on wheels, so there are limitations on what a designer can do. Wheel arches protruding into the floor space, and the entry door's location also dictate interior design in ways that frustrate the flexibility of movement and space. Notwithstanding numerous exceptions, the most common layout will either have a rear or front entry with the bed at the front and ensuite at the back. 

Of these, the most popular is the rear entry version as it creates more privacy in the bedroom. On the other hand, a front entry uses the dead space at the foot of the bed for the entrance, allowing extra bench space or a larger dinette. Everything is a compromise within the confines of the four walls, but innovations such as fold-out beds at the ends and slide-out bedroom, lounges or both will enhance interior living space. 

And, of course, there are smart innovations to add space. Jayco has recently released a design where the bed lifts electronically to reveal a club lounge at the end. 

Some bigger vans have a walkway through a central ensuite with the shower to one side and the toilet opposite, adding privacy to the bedroom and often including a generously sized club lounge at the ends.

Many family vans also change the design around with an ensuite along the rear side and a set of bunks opposite. It's a good way with sliding or concertina door to create some privacy for the parents and kids.

You can, of course, create some interior room by doing away with an ensuite. Those who are committed to caravan park holidays might be tempted, and while the initial outlay would be less, a van without an ensuite will be harder to sell and have relatively less resale value.

Layout and length of the van predicate the amount of kitchen bench space available. A fridge on the same side as the kitchen usually limits the preparation area to the sink drainer and the stovetop, so if you plan exceptional meals, you may need to consider your options. 

Alternatives include a slide-out kitchen that could turn you into a top-class BBQ chef, and I've seen plenty of secondhand vans where the stove looks like it has never been fired up, as pub meals are the go, apparently.

BED COMPASS

What’s a north-south bed? Is an east-west bed better feng shui? Caravanning asks so many questions and introduces a new language at every turn.

Beds can be arranged across the van — east-west — or along the van's length — north-south. Because an east-west bed takes up less of the van length by being sideways, it allows more room for other uses. But — and isn't there always ‘a but’ — one of the partners may have to climb over the other for night-time excursions. 

POP TOPPING

Several builders include pop-tops in their range, and they offer advantages for storage and travel in tighter situations. Rather than being fixed, the roof is lower in the travelling position and lifts up for camping. Some will claim they are more streamlined and fuel-efficient, but I'm yet to be convinced of that. I do think they can have a lower weight balance though, simply because the inside cupboards don't go all the way to the ceiling and so the van can’t be overloaded up high.

POWER HUNGRY

I don't think I have seen a van without some sort of onboard 12V power. The simplest versions will have a single battery charged by the tow vehicle’s alternator as you drive or from a 240V supply. This will probably be sufficient for the lights and a radio for an off-grid overnight stop, and certainly enough if you spend your time on powered sites.

For camping in the bush, you need a better system and depending on how long you plan to escape, the more independent power, the better. Most folk will get by with a couple of 110Ah AGM batteries and 200W of solar, so splashing out on a super system of lithium batteries may not be necessary. 

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

You could conceivably drive down to the local RV dealer and choose the first van that grabs your attention without too much thought. But most people like to mull over their decision before committing to such a significant purchase, and I don't blame them. 

The path to choosing a van can be long and winding with lots of dead ends. Nevertheless, if you stick to the search, the goal is worthwhile for the lifestyle and memories. There’s a van out there with your name on it, and I hope you meet up soon.