We’re just starting to look at caravans for the family. I’m hoping to find the caravan equivalent of the Toyota Camry - practical, value for money, reliable, durable, well equipped but not too fancy.
Would like it to sleep 5
Doesn’t need to be able to go off-road
Bathroom desirable but not essential
I know there are countless caravan forums but I thought I would start here
Thanks in advance!
Kokoda looks great. New ones over budget but can look second hand. Other concern would be towing weight for the 5 sleepers but we will need to upgrade our vehicle regardless of which we choose
Jayco is the most common. Doesn’t make them the best though they just make a gazillion different models. You probably won’t find ‘the’ Camry/corolla equivalent.
Need more info like at least the tow capacity of the tug, budget etc.
Really, you are best hunting via a caravan forum but not with such an open question. Narrow it down some more by doing some more research into what you want first.
We have a Windsor Rapid which is an expander type. Sleeps up to 6, fits 5 around the table (which is 2 of the beds). Light weight, fast to setup. Unfortunately no en-suite so it might be getting upgraded.
Wind up campers are OK, cheap and cheerful, but still erequire a fair bit of worn to set up. We go vanning with a couple of friends with them. We are setup in 10mins while they take an hour. Pack up is the same.
How do you find the expander sides in hot/cold/wet weather?
Like being in a tent! Ours are like a super heavy duty tent though. Hot weather we open all the windows and use a fan if required. Have AC but don’t really use it as we are ‘outside’ campers. Haven really used in very cold weather, but it’s out of the wind and rain.
Interested also, more specifically whats the best bang for buck one second hand.
One that fits your needs: bunks, features, weight, size etc. There is no simple answer. However, on a recent caravan trip we got the kids to do a survey of the park for something to do. Came back almost half were Jayco.
Going to a caravan camping show might help (if they were on). You can see lots of different vans side by side and pick what you like.
In looking for a upgrade van I looked for features, layout etc and have picked out one that suits me. Now I can search by specific model.
volgswagon golf it's practical and so much better than any of those other trash hatches and SUVs on the market i hate SUVs they suck so much. volgswagon golf is so good.
Probably a bit cramped to sleep 5 in though.
A yes The Ozbargainers' Caravan of Choice.
But Ozbargainers' Caravan of Choice wont fit just 5, how can you party with only 5 beds.
You need a bigger Caravan otherwise its wont be the Ozbargainers' Caravan of Choice.
Coromal made in Australia. Not too fancy.
Before doing anything I suggest you jump on to Facebook and join the "lemon caravans & rvs in aus" group. If you check out the files section you'll find a list of companies that have multiple complaints made about them.
Of course, take the advice there with a grain of salt and do your own research.
Have you made a decision?
We ended up getting a jayco camper trailer. I would have preferred a caravan but this seemed like a good starting option due to cheaper cost, the ability to store at home and relatively easy towing. They also hold their value quite well so if we choose to upgrade down the track hopefully won’t lose too much
Which model did you get/age/price etc? Happy with it so far?
We bought a 2017 jayco dove with air conditioner, $24k. I am mostly happy with it.
Good:
I am very grateful to have something - we use it often and it has opened up a new world to us. It is very convenient to store at home and go, and it is easy to tow. The air conditioner is great. It is well thought out and has a few little features that are quite convenient, such as an outdoor tap and an outdoor gas hose connector.
Not so good:
Putting it up and taking it down is quite time consuming. The build quality is acceptable, but only just. It is weather-tight but you definitely notice the wind. The second bed is smaller than I had realised and is tight for two to fit in. The bench over the fridge got really hot and we needed to install a fan to fix it (common problem, the fan has helped a lot). There is not much storage space.
Ideally one day I would like something a bit bigger, with a toilet and solid walls and beds that don’t need to be pulled out - maybe a hybrid camper or family caravan - but I am happy with what we’ve got for now and certainly don’t regret buying it. If you’re thinking of getting something similar and have any questions let me know.
Before purchasing our camper trailer we found it helpful to rent a few different types from Camplify, it gave us a much better idea of the must have features and manufacturers that we liked.
where can i rent one?
What sort of van? Do you want to tow it yourself or have someone set it up for you? Do you need to set up your vehicle to tow a van or are the electronic brakes already there?
Try google. There will be a local one to you. There’s also a site where people rent out their own vans, kinda like Airbnb for houses with wheels.
sweet, thank you for the info. i'm new to this realm, thank you for aiming me in the right direction.
Kokoda platinum