As we would like to see some of the more remote areas of Australia, we decided to buy a custom build, off-road caravan. Australia is a big country and once you've travelled several thousand kilometres to some amazing places we want to be able to take 'the road to the right' and see what's there without having to worry about the Caravan or Car.
The Jeep
The Jeep with the Bull Bar just fitted
After some looking around we decided on a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Diesel over the usually used Toyota Land Cruisers. Most of the design / engine / transmission is done in Europe and the comfort and fuel economy of the Laredo is way above the Cruisers. Time will tell if it was a good decision and we are very satisfied with it so far.
We decided on the basic Laredo Model, but opted for the air suspension (Quadra Lift) and the underbody protection. To get the car fit for our trip we added some additional gear:
- Bridgestone Dueler AT 697 All Terrain tyres. These are the same tyres as on the Caravan, but different size. We couldn't match the car with the Caravan as the break hubs are to big on the caravan to fit the Jeep tyres
- ECB aluminium Bull Bar to protect us from the roos
- Tekonsha P3 brake controller to control the electric breaks of the caravan
- Clearview mirrors
- Wiring to charge the caravan and run the fridge whilst driving (Anderson Plug)
- CB Radio to talk to truck drivers and other travellers
- Window tint, upholstery and paint protection
The Bushtracker Caravan
Once we decided on our travelling we had a look at some of the caravans on offer around Brisbane and we went to some Caravan shows. Most of the caravans looked ok, but on closer inspection didn't satisfy the perfectionist in me. I also heard the word 'Bushtracker' quit often. Most of the time from another salesperson saying: 'this one will be as good as a Bushtracker' or 'this xyz part is the same one that Bushtracker uses'. So if everyone is comparing themselves to Bushtracker, why not check out the real deal?
First look at our caravan at the factory
Off we went to the factory for a tour. And to say the least - we were very impressed! The attention to details was second to none and the cupboard doors were made out of wood, not chip board. Also the layouts looked just right and we got a first feel that everything in this caravan is there for a reason and only available for purchase once it is fully tested and has survived some corrugation travel.
From now on every caravan we looked at we compared to Bushtracker, but none compared. We just couldn't get ourselves to buy any other caravan.
3 weeks until delivery. Still lots to do!
In the end we ordered a custom made 20" (6.1m) Bushtracker Caravan. The highlights are Queen bed, double bunks, separate shower and toilet, fridge/freezer, gas stove, air conditioning, diesel oil heater, 200 Ah Lithium batteries system with 280 W of solar panels, full kitchen with gas stove and oven, 360l of water, gas hot water system, TV/DVD, 3G antenna, electric awning and lots more. And all this in full off-road capable caravan! There even is a second door that shuts over the main door to make the whole unit water tight to about 1m in hight.
The outside - note the off-road features
The inside - very happy with the result