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