robertsonsgreataussieadventures: OUR RIG

2005 JAYCO Heritage 30th Anniversary 24 ft Family Van includes Queen Size Bed plus two bunk beds ensuite including Toilet and Shower split system reverse cycle air con annex awning includes full sides with windows and doors

Need a bigger driveway

Our First Problem

When we first started to plan our trip, we thought a lot bigger than this particular van. We thought that 6 months inside of a caravan with 2 small children would be hard to handle without the creature comforts of a home.
After chatting with a few people that had traveled before us, they all had the same idea that a huge van would be hard to tow and difficult to maneuver in and out of the caravan parks, not to mention heavy fuel costs. So we started to think smaller. The problem was that no small van had what we needed. Which was the following:
* Bunks for the kids (space saving which allows for more other fittings)
* Obviously a double bed for us (storage underneath would be a bonus)
* Kitchen for meals (fridge and cook-top necessary everyday items)
* Toilet and shower (the most difficult feature to find in any small van)

We had almost given up hope that our budget of 25-30k would never buy us the van we needed. Many phone calls to old travelers selling 1975 model 28ft milliards etc that we thought we could refurbish to our liking. But when would we find the time? One day I clicked an ad somewhere for this one. Located in a place called Sunny Hill, near Bathurst.
I decided it was worth a look because people may not want to travel there to look at it. The price tag was $40k.
I jumped on the bike at 6 am and rode the 3 hours to the location early on a freezing winter's morning.

As soon as I arrived I knew I would buy it. A middle-aged couple that owned horses and never got the chance to use the van in the 18 months that they had owned it. They were the second owners.
the price was negotiated and I stole it for $37K and that included delivery. ( we never owned a tow vehicle at this stage.

It has everything that we need and is in all the right places. The kids are at the other end of the van to us, and with the privacy doors between each room, we can still be active in the other rooms without disturbing them. Toilet and shower are separate which mean no wet seat in the middle of the night. Woo Hoo! A toilet and shower with 3 women on a 6-month trip were one of the most important features we needed to find.