Adventures Magazine 2 | Page 33

how you’d cope if you had to pack up much of your campsite because you ran out of milk and needed to drive into town, as you would if your RV was a motorhome. Compared to camper trailers, caravans (generally speaking) are simpler and quicker to set up, offer more ‘home-like’ comforts, such as an inside lounge, bed, large fridge, built-in cooking facilities, a washing machine, and even heating. Many vans even have offroad capabilities, though their inherent size might preclude touring tight bush tracks and the like. So if comforts and living space are important to you, not to mention the freedom to drive your tow car whenever needed, a caravan makes good sense. MOTORHOMES When it comes to motorhomes, the sky is the limit. If money is no object, then why not splash out a few hundred thousand dollars on a converted coach that has every comfort of the most expensive caravan and twice the living space? Well, for starters, you’ll need to upgrade your driver’s licence. You see, any vehicle weighing over 4500kg Gross Vehicle Mass will require a Light Rigid or Heavy Rigid licence, depending on the weight of the vehicle. But the good news is, there’s a heck of a lot of BELOW: A 'slideout' increases the width of the interior of this cab-chassis motorhome. BOTTOM: The need for a specialised licence depends on the weight of the rig. Not all do, though, including this Talvor Hayman C-class motorhome. CARAVANS LOWDOWN PROS Home-like comforts Internal living space Ability to use tow vehicle as required CONS A new tow vehicle may be required, or a smaller caravan to match existing vehicle Size and weight will add to fuel and vehicle servicing expenses Additional items, such as a weight distribution hitch, friction coupling, etc., may be required “IF PACK-UP-AND-GO TOURING APPEALS, AND THE IDEA OF TOWING MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, A MOTORHOME MAY BE THE ANSWER” ADVENTURES 33