Caravan recommendation

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the reply. I am assuming your van has the cutaway & you are referring to the centre mount trailing arm. Unfortunately the Coromals don't seem to have load sharing in the tandem axle.

How do you find the 15ft vs an 18ft. Enough room? I guess it is a comprise of weight, size & space.

I previously had a hard floor camper trailer. Main reason for the change is for ease in bad weather & setup.

Yes, it has the centre mount suspension and cutaway. Any reason for wanting the load sharing suspension? Just curious, not sure the advantages or disadvantages as I've only had single axle setups.

Enough room is definitely subjective. If anyone in your family often needs personal space then maybe go bigger haha!!! It's pretty cosy with a 10/12/14year old but they all love it, enough room to sit on the couch/beds and all relax while reading, playing UNO etc. Probably not the best for long term travel or if you like to spend time inside but a couple months is fine with an outside toilet, shower and kitchen. Cooking outside when mozzies/flies are rampart can get old pretty quick though! We live outside when camping which feels a little more friendly and approachable when camped near others. In saying that out setup allows us to venture to less populated camp spots which we prefer.

Super quick setup/packup compared to our last couple of campers. For example our last trip we had a bit of travel to do so we set the alarm for 5:00am. After actually waking up we were out of bed at 5:05am. Brushed teeth, contact lenses installed, clothes changed and packed, beds made, roof put down, doors/windows shut, pre trip inspection and on the road at 5:28am. If you don't need the awning, setup is done in minutes.

It's much warmer/cooler than out old Jayco Dove, even in below 5°C temps we are nice and cosy with maybe an extra blanket.

There would only be a small difference in fuel economy compared to a full height van, I wouldn't factor it in my purchase decision.

Some poptop/single axle advantages that suit us are the van fits under our carport with 100mm to spare, being a single axle I can manhandle it in the driveway if needed to maneuver it and we travel some bush tracks so lower clearance is beneficial.

FYI a well built semi-offroad or even on-road van with enough clearance will get into 99% of national park campgrounds and fire trails, no need for "offroad" van unless corrugations are your intended tracks.

Hi Nick,

Main reason for load sharing it seems the consensus from researching is this is preferred with balancing (as the name applies) the van weight during rougher terrain.

I appreciate the sharing of info & helps to compare my current thoughts or things I may not have thought of. Will need to decide on the space / comfort requirement.

We had a very fun time with flies at Tully (QLD) once. Agree, we tend to like to live outside & cook outside & prefer the quieter spots.

Plan to use another diesel heater as like before.

The pop vs full is interesting. More storage space means can bring more things (more weight). That was one of the reasons I liked the camper because it forced us to live minimal.

Agree with single axle manoeuvrability.

Agree with the 99%. We analysed all the places we went previously. The 1% ironically was the favourite spots that it would be a push with a non offroad van.

Cheers

I have also since found out that it seems for non load sharing suspension as long as the axle load rating is rated 1.2x the ATM value it meets the rules.

Hi Peter,

Thanks for sharing. Regarding your mentioned points

1. Haha. I was discussing this with the boss the other day. Where is the value in a van when a vehicle costs the same and has an engine, transmission, computers, abs, esc, etc.
2. Do you know of vans that are likely to have the longer leaves? The main thing I was aiming for was clearance / stability. Besides centre of gravity are there issues with overslung leaves?
3. Agree
4. Agree. More insulation. Less parts to fail. More storage space. Any other benefits? My understanding is that the pop is to assist with fuel economy (yet to be tested i guess) & for storage purposes. Also moving through overhanging trees or low height bridge (rare).
5. I am assuming larger rims for the extra ground clearance. I guess i will also need to fine tune requirements regarding needs with payload. I noticed most van payoads single axle have 300kg vs 400kg for tandem.

2. No experience with what is available. No problem with underslung axle.
4. When the wind blows, pop tops can be very noisy. The fuel economy is quite a minimal difference. Trees are why narrower & shorter is better.
5. Larger tyre diameter is less rolling resistance, better rough road capability and higher load rating. Also go for higher profile for better ride and better soft conditions performance. The traditional 300kg/400kg is a nonsense. Check the axle group capacity, it will generally be higher than the ATM and getting the ATM increased to match is a non event.
Payload eventually boils down to how much water you can carry. Water determines how long you can stay away from town.

Son recently bought a 17ft single axle Jayco Expanda (pop top #%#) for an extended trip with a family of 4. The empty weight was almost equal to the ATM when purchased. He switched the springs to OME '79 series Toyota rear aftermarket springs, 3T axle and 17" tyres identical to his Paj. Increased the ATM by about 700kg (from memory).
Transformed it.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the tips & explanation.

Agree with the water 110%. That's the main reason I like camping in lake river locations.

Regarding the Jayco are you saying the plate was incorrectly stamped or other additions in previous purchase?

Plate would/might have been correct on the day it was built, but additions and modifications keep adding up.
2 gas bottles (instead of 1), roof top air con, solar, battery, larger water capacity, grey tank, awning...... none of which were ex factory, but also none of which are on the list for removal.
Buyer beware.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Yep agree & thanks for the reminder. Out of curiosity I previously made up my own spreadsheet just for vehicle GVM, GCM, TBM, payload etc. It was interesting to see how quickly it adds up & where the weights are distributed.

Most people would say
- what do you need to do that for
- I have never done that
- You're over thinking it

I'd rather to some degree minimise issues occurring on the road.

Cheers.

Hi Peter,

Referring to your previous comments "getting the ATM increased to match is a non event"

1. What are the main restrictions for an ATM upgrade if the axle capacity is greater than the ATM?
(I suspect components such as chassis, tow hitch/chains, brakes, tyres)

2. Does the axle load capacity value refer to only the complete axle / suspension setup?

I have seen some vans (single axle) with axle load capacity lower than ATM & others with 500kg above ATM.

Thanks.

1. Your list is about it. Add rims. Tyres and rims need close attention, the others are generally adequate unless the change is more extreme.
2. Probably. Springs may need a look.
(3). Axle load capacity lower than ATM can only be the ball weight difference which is weight NOT supported by the axle.

It is not unusual to be able to increase the ATM up to the axle load capacity (or a tad more) with a quick inspection and the "stroke of a pen" and a new compliance plate and a trailer manufacturer might do that for you for a token payment.

ps I am not qualified to make any recommendations or statements. :)

EDIT: there is NO requirement for a trailer GTM to be below the maximum tow capacity of the tug, provided the ACTUAL weight of the trailer does not exceed the tow capacity of the tug.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Hi RMD,

Thanks for the reply. Cant complain with the 11.8. Once I decide on what I will get I might do my own experiments.

Wowsers, the standard original HJ61 turbo would be doing well to get 11.8 without towing. You must have had a very relaxed cruising speed haha!!

Speed is the key to fuel economy, especially with something as "aerodynamic" as a caravan (or an OKA :))
We typically cruise our 6.5T at 85kph and expect 18L/100km, maybe a little better, depending on the wind. That is a couple of litres more than a standard bodied OKA.
At 75kph we can get 14L/100km.
Who is in a hurry?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome