Table of contents for Issue 625 in Caravan World

After nine weeks on the road in the van, we are back in the real world of caravan events and reviews. I've been to Brisbane for the Let's Go Queensland Caravanning and Camping Supershow, followed by catching up with some northern builders. It was a rude shock to the system. During our time on the road, we took in many southern coastlines between Robe in South Australia and Albany in the west. We found gobsmacking vistas at nearly every corner. It would be hard to pick a winner from dozens of scenes worthy of mural-size wall hangings, but the sight of Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks near Denmark would be hard to beat. There were numerous vans on the road, and we met an equal mix of young families and…

A recent ABC News article has urged caravan owners to carefully consider their loads before heading off on their travels. The Queensland Transport and Main Roads Compliance Manager, Jarrod Wilson, reported that of 17 drivers pulled over in Gympie, 12 had rigs with either uneven or excessive weights. Non-compliance is a road safety issue as well as an insurance concern. Drivers have been warned that overweight rigs may be deemed unroadworthy, meaning that insurance policies can be declared void. Ken Wilson of road safety program Truck Friendly said, “The onus to understand the road rules and ensure compliance with weight limits is on the driver. Rules can vary across different states, so it is important to do your research before travelling.”…

LITTLE GEM WEEKENDER TESTED IN BRIEF Italian built 3.75m (12ft 4in) external body length 1300kg ATM Fibreglass moulded body AL-KOTM chassis “The bodywork is all one piece, a fibreglass monococque structure which has no joints” There are any number of large (say over 7m/23ft) and heavy caravans travelling on the roads around Australia at the moment. There's no doubt that these spacious and well-specced caravans offer a very stylish lifestyle, but they do come at a cost. Everything adds up, from the initial purchase price, the cost of a tow vehicle and ongoing running costs; he latter being particularly of interest, given the current price of fuel. In Europe, relative size works the other way around; smaller caravans, think 5m/16ft 4in or less, are very common and can be towed…

THE KIMBERLEY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA The 647km Gibb River Road in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia is one of the country's iconic road trips. With sections gradually being upgraded, it's no longer the challenge it once was and Grey Nomads now ply this remote road. There is spectacular scenery wherever you look, whether it's one of the many gorges along the Gibb, the impressive Mitchell Falls, Montgomery Reef off the coast, or the Boab trees which dot the landscape. The Kimberley has its mysteries. Where did the Boab tree come from? Its closest relative is the African Baobab and while there are other theories, the most plausible is that it was introduced by human migration predating even that of Australia's Indigenous people. Experts also cannot agree whether the abundant rock…

CARAVAN SHOW RECAP FEATURE Held in Brisbane's Showground, which traverses the northern railway line, there was lots to see and lots of walking to be done along with adroit investigation involved in tracking down all the displays. The main grassy showground was given over to tightly packed camper trailers and a selection of vans. More vans and motorhomes found spots in the various pavilions and under grandstands. Sunny but cold weather didn't deter buyers, and all dealers reported solid sales. New brands told us that they had sold over 50 vans even with build times approaching two years. It seems buyers have become used to long waits, but we saw some examples of vans that were immediately available early in the show. Most of the big players attended, and there…

It's been four months since we left home in the Blue Mountains to travel around Australia in our Toyota Landcruiser and 21ft offroad caravan. However, we didn't expect a global pandemic which meant increased travellers on the road, and we didn't budget for the higher cost of fuel and groceries, thanks to current world affairs. Obstacles aside, we're enjoying our travels, visiting all the beautiful locations that Australia has to offer. We've loved being on the road so much and wish we'd allowed more time to travel. With so many job vacancies advertised at various stunning locations, continuing to travel full time, or even home relocation, can easily be visualised for us as a family. After discussing our plans with friends during a camping trip two years ago, word spread…

Tired of throwing out rotten fruit and vegetables on your trips? More than just an inconvenience, when food rots in landfill, it gives off methane, a greenhouse gas which is 25 times more potent than the carbon pollution from car exhausts. Plus, when you throw away uneaten food, even into the compost, you are wasting the water, fuel and other resources it took to get that product from the farm to your home. Meet The Swag, a non-toxic, washable and reusable bag that keeps produce crisp, healthy and happy for weeks (not days), helping you reduce food waste and make fewer stops for supermarket visits. You'll also have the confidence that your fruit and vegetables will last the distance. The Swag has a unique patented three-layer design to help keep…

The five-day Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS) is set to return to the International Convention Centre and Sydney's Darling Harbour from 28 July until 1 August 2022. The seafaring event, which is in its 53rd year, will feature live attractions and interactive lifestyle offerings, including family-friendly entertainment, marine education and roving entertainers. VIP visitors will enjoy the hospitality of The Harbour Lounge, a VIP precinct aboard the 60m superyacht, The Jackson, which will be moored in the picturesque Darling Harbour. Owner-operators of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, Mulpha Events and the Boating Industry Association (BIA), have joined forces once more to deliver SIBS. BIA President Andrew Fielding is confident that showgoers will be impressed with the rejuvenated offerings of SIBS 2022. “The Sydney International Boat Show is back with…

Destination NSW and the Caravan & Camping Industry Association NSW (CCIA NSW) have joined forces to create the ‘Feel More, Live More’ campaign. The multi-week television, social and digital media advertising campaign will help NSW travellers plan and book their upcoming trips. Aimed at caravanners and campers, the campaign began on 12 June and profiles some of the great escapes across the State. CCIA NSW's CEO Lyndel Gray estimated that 3.5 million caravan and camping trips are taken in NSW each year. The majority of these travellers are NSW residents, making the campaign integral to boosting the State's tourism income. Stuart Ayres, the NSW Minister for Tourism and Sport has encouraged residents of the State to branch out and explore their own backyard. “Camping and caravanning are a great way…

ROMA MINILINE TESTED IN BRIEF 14ft black top tourer Couples van with corner bed and combo shower toilet ATM 1560kg “Small vans, such as the Miniline, priced at under $60k, keep the door open for many” Roma has quite a backstory - it has been manufacturing in Australia for over 90 years with a strong family tradition. On hand to tell the story was third-generation family member Mark Palmarini and colleague Olivia Asprea. Roma covers a lot of bases in its RV range, manufacturing classic Australian-style caravans geared for long-range touring complete with a heavy-duty chassis and checkerplate as well as offroad specs. Roma has also recently entered the motorhome category, with a smart little unit built on a Fiat Ducato platform. Roma is also the Australian importer of Alto…

HOW MUCH CAPACITY? Batteries are slightly deceptive devices. The Amp-Hour (Ah) rating is mostly used to compare batteries, rather than as an indication of effective capacity. Take a 100Ah battery, which is the standard rating in many caravans as an example. Theoretically, the battery could supply 5A for 20 hours, 10A for 10 hours or any mathematical combination which equals 100, but in reality, it doesn't quite work like that. What happens is that as the battery's level of charge drops, so the does the voltage - and once the battery capacity drops below 30 per cent, some devices like water pumps and fridge compressors may not work well. In addition, many battery manufacturers recommend that for maximum life, a lead-acid AGM battery should not be used regularly below 50…

In this issue, we review some pure onroad tourers, a couple of hybrid vans and a more conventional offroad van. One thing they all have in common – they are all compact in size for their given style. Let's explore why you could consider a smaller van, depending on the style of travel you envisage. HOW WILL I REALLY USE THE VAN? Do you just like the idea of heading off into the outback, or are you really going to do it? If the truth is that you're going to stick to sealed roads, a pure on-road tourer might do the job for you. If you are not venturing out into the sticks, you are more likely to be using caravan parks, which means you really don't need to bring…

These major caravan park chains and holiday parks with loyalty clubs offer benefits and discounts to keep your costs down - and keep you coming back. Caravan Industry Association of Australia CEO Stuart Lamont says these types of memberships followed on from the introduction of park chains, when like-minded caravan parks joined together to collectively market their properties under a larger consumer brand. “As these networks grew, loyalty cards appeared providing an incentive (starting with caravan park discounts) to book your next caravan park stay at another member of the same caravan park group,” he says. “Over time these loyalty cards have morphed, increasing in their access to discounted or value added products and services, including fuel, attractions, repairs, food on top of the accommodation discount.” Lamont says that while…

“Surrounded on three sides by water, Metung is the showpiece town of the lakes, a coastal town of million-dollar houses and boat jetties clustered with pleasure craft” METUNG TO MARLO In the 1970s, Metung became the home of Victoria's first hot springs bathing experience, which locals called the Hot Pools. The public pools, which closed in 1996, were fed by a 500m deep bore originally drilled for oil in the 1920s, which produced geothermal mineral water at a balmy 45°C. The warm waters will be flowing again soon in this upmarket village, 313km east of Melbourne, with the development of Metung Hot Springs, due to open to the public in spring. The team behind the Peninsula Hot Springs has joined forces with locals Rachel and Adrian Bromage to develop the…

DIY EASY FURNITURE FIXES TECHNICAL Often going unnoticed, furniture hardware must be among the most humble components that go into making a caravan. These components have a much tougher life than the equivalent parts in a regular, stationary, home as constant vibration and bumps from being on the road take their toll. On the flipside, these are some of the simplest DIY maintenance tasks and all of them can be completed by anyone, and with little more than a screwdriver. This time, we look at latches, hinges and struts but for once, we didn't have examples of broken hardware when we put the story together with the guys at The RV Repair Centre. Instead, functioning parts were removed and put back on again to show how it's done. FURNITURE LATCHES…

We all want to spend more time outdoors. What if getting there was an easy, split-second decision? Dometic has grown its outdoor gear solution offerings with a collection that enables more effortless outdoor adventures for the passenger car. The Dometic GO collection of ‘pack, stack and go’ gear features versatile camping products designed for car-based camping. The Dometic GO vehicle-based camp kit is elevated by design, innovation, and durability. Made with lightweight materials and smart design for easy packing, the new collection equips the car for long days on the trail and nights around the campfire. Dometic GO reduces your packing time and removes the obstacles involved with preparing to hit the road and take on outdoor adventure. The collection is created for ‘vehicle-based adventure’ where people use their daily…

LETTER OF THE MONTH Hi John Thanks for your magazine which I look forward to each month. We purchased our Coromal caravan 12 months ago, looking for a bit more comfort which our camper trailer couldn't provide, although it did take us to some places that our caravan won't go. We are planning a big trip next year and I wonder whether you might consider publishing some analysis/comparison of the various caravan park chains and what they offer. Probably makes sense to join one of them, but I'm not sure which one. On another matter, I would be very interested to hear what other travellers are doing to fill the many hours when they are not driving or sightseeing. I can only do so many sudokus and I enjoy reading,…

SEND PICS TO WIN This month's winners, Bevan and Cathy Glover, completed a big lap of Australia in 2021 travelling in their Landrover Discovery towing a 21ft 2012 Olympic Kingfisher. After travelling across Queensland to the Kimberleys, they explored the Western Australian coast down to Geraldton before turning east to Mullewa. They saw the magnificent wildflowers as they journeyed across to Leinsterand before turning south again to Kalgoorlie and then headed over the Nullarbor. The spectacular Bunda Cliffs was one of the many viewpoints ventured into across the Great Australian Bight. “We covered over 26,000km on our Big Lap. We thoroughly enjoyed it and like to relive the trip through the many thousands of photos that we took along the way.”…

“A string of geological attractions that feature significantly in the culture of the Arrernte Aboriginal people” ANCIENT RANGES The MacDonnell Ranges stretch more than 600km in a series of parallel ridges east and west of Alice Springs. They cover an area of 39,300sq.km and include the five tallest mountains in the Northern Territory. Explorer John McDouall Stuart named them during his 1860 expedition in honour of Sir Richard MacDonnell, the Governor of South Australia at the time. The spectacular red quartzite formations were created about 350 million years ago, then folded and fractured by tectonic forces. Time allowed ancient rivers to carve their way through gaps and gorges on their relentless journey to floodplains in the south. In 1870, the ranges were crossed at Heavitree Gap by a party of…

Western Australia's Avon Valley could be the State's most underrated weekend road tripping destination. When it comes to filling up the itinerary, it ticks the boxes. A string of quaint towns? Check. Unique outdoor adventures and quirky happenings? Check. Naturally picturesque? A stunning patchwork, in fact. The Avon Valley's scenery boasts green hills, thirsty fields of edible gold (wheat), towering wandoo trees, and all with the mighty Avon River snaking through it. Oh, and its character-ridden towns - Toodyay, York, Northam, Beverley, to name a few - are just as colourful with heritage buildings, street art murals and cultural riches of the region's traditional custodians, the Nyoongar Ballardong. There's no doubt that this section of WA's Wheatbelt region is an exciting place. You can even soak it all up on…

TITANIUM SS16.6 HARDCORE TESTED IN BRIEF Compact single-axle van Couple's offroader Off-grid ready “The track can be rough and corrugated, and the sandy sections are typical of the places that owners might want to explore” At Caravan World we often wonder at the increasingly large vans coming onto the road. Builders will say their customers demand more: more living space, more comfort, more battery power and more everything. But many knowledgeable travellers, those who've dragged a big van down a goat track or bogged their supposedly off-road-capable monster to the axles, might suggest that frequently, less is more. Andy Altschwager from Caravans Coffs Coast has seen a trend to smaller caravans in the past year or so but emphasised that owners still expect high levels of comfort and plenty of…

MOUNTAIN TRAIL LXV 4.7 TESTED IN BRIEF Couples van with north south bed External kitchen Full offroad capability When you consider that Mountain Trail started out as an offroad camper builder, the evolution process which has led to the hybrid van we see here is no surprise. This review will reinforce what a wide range of recreational vehicles are embraced by the caravan concept. Even among the Mountain Trail offerings, we see a range of RVs from the award-winning camper trailer through to full-size family vans, all suiting various modes of travel. The common theme of the company's products is genuine offroad ability. The LXV 4.7 fits into a niche market for couples who like to take their camping lifestyle to extremes. It's an edgy option for getting way off…

GREEN PEA PASTA TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS ½ cup olive oil 3 garlic cloves, diced 2 cups frozen green peas ¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves ½ cup water 2 tbsp lemon juice Salt and freshly ground cracked pepper, to taste 400g pappardelle pasta ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated METHOD Pea puree can be made 3 days in advance without lemon juice. Cook oil and garlic over medium-low heat in a saucepan, for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside. Boil a large pot of water and add the frozen peas, cooking for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer peas to a blender. Add the oil and garlic, mint, water, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Add extra salt and lemon juice to…

Following the discontinuation of the 3KVA Honda EU30 Handy, a new 3.2KVA Honda EU32i generator has been confirmed for release in Australia. The generator weighs in at just 26.5kg, but with an impressive 3,200 watts of power, there is nothing lightweight about its capabilities! The new model comes equipped with a dedicated GX130 engine and features 3KVAclass high output in a lightweight, compact and highly portable package. Featuring Honda's original sine wave inverter technology, the EU32i can provide a stable supply of high-quality electrical output with smooth waveform. This makes the EU32i compatible with precision instruments that require reliable power. Black-base colouring has been used for the exterior design, as well as rounded corners to minimise possible damage and the risk of bumping into people or other objects while it's…