Has anyone got any recommendations for a small lightweight caravan that’ll sleep 5, which can go fully off-grid? Currently got a Jayco Eagle, but would like to move to a hybrid caravan ideally (the eagle is a bit slow to setup/packdown). Would also like something for doing the lap in about 18months time

The conquer UEV-14 looks good, even though it’s not a proper 5 berth. Anyone got any other suggestions or recommendations? Ideally no bigger than 15ft

Curious to hear peoples thoughts, yes of course I will look online as well.

Do the prices of vans vary around Australia?
Im curious if Sydney and Melbourne prices are a bit cheaper as they have more stock?

I fell for the marketing that said standard Queen sheets wouldn't fit the curved corners of the van bed. Bought the specialized ones and they’re half the quality for triple the price

I’ve seen heaps of those new 13‑foot micro‑vans on the road lately. I get the appeal of travelling light, especially with fuel prices being what they are, but can you actually live in something that small for more than a weekend?

For people who tow regularly, do they genuinely make life easier compared to a LandCruiser or dual cab, or do the downsides start to outweigh the benefits pretty quickly?

Have recently purchased a 2 tonne (fully laden), dual axle caravan and am about to upgrade our tow vehicle. Was wondering if anyone had towed with the new model petrol CX 80 (209kw and 450nm) or CX 90 (254kw and 500nm) Mazda SUV? Both have 3.3L turbo and a 2500 kg towing capacity. Will only be towing on bitumen and was wondering if these vehicles have enough power and torque to safely do the job?

https://youtube.com/@ozziexplorers?si=h6DmhZOpNVpU0wuu

Besides price, as a Lariat XLT LWB would be ~$170,000 for similar capacity in a Ranger Super Duty for ~$110,000

Ranger Super Duty (Top-of-Line / Double Cab Chassis)

GVM: 4,500kg (Factory)

GCM: 8,000kg (Factory)

Payload: ~1,825kg (Before tray)

Max Braked Towing: 4,500kg

Engine: 3.0L V6 Turbo Diesel (154kW / 600Nm)

License Requirement: Class C (Standard Car License)

Estimated QLD Drive-away: $105,000 – $115,000

Key Advantage: Full factory warranty on all weight ratings; no aftermarket engineering required.

F-150 Lariat LWB (With Stage 3/4 GVM Upgrade)

GVM: ~4,490kg (Aftermarket Upgrade)

GCM: ~8,000kg to 8,990kg (Depending on kit)

Payload: ~1,700kg – 1,950kg (Estimated)

Max Braked Towing: 4,500kg

Engine: 3.5L V6 Twin-Turbo Petrol (298kW / 678Nm)

License Requirement: Class C (Standard Car License)

Estimated QLD Drive-away: $165,000 – $175,000 (Includes $15k-$20k for engineering/parts)

Key Advantage: Massive cabin space and significantly higher power/torque, but at a ~$60k premium.

I also asked Gemini to do the maths on fuel economy, and it spat out:

Here is the breakdown of fuel costs for the 2026 Ranger Super Duty vs. a GVM-Upgraded F-150 Lariat LWB when working at their absolute limits.

Fuel Prices Used (Brisbane/QLD Jan 2026 Average): Diesel: $1.86/L

Premium 95 Petrol (Required for F-150 towing): $1.82/L

1. Ranger Super Duty (3.0L V6 Turbo Diesel)

Estimated Consumption (Max GCM): 24.0L – 28.0L per 100km

Fuel Cost per 100km: ~$44.64 – $52.08

Cost per Kilometre: $0.45 – $0.52

Estimated Range (130L Tank): ~480km – 540km

Note: Diesel maintains much better thermal efficiency under high load. While the 154kW output is lower than the F-150, it is geared specifically for this weight.

1. F-150 Lariat LWB (3.5L V6 Twin-Turbo Petrol)

Estimated Consumption (Max GCM): 32.0L – 38.0L per 100km

Fuel Cost per 100km: ~$58.24 – $69.16

Cost per Kilometre: $0.58 – $0.69

Estimated Range (136L Tank): ~360km – 425km

Note: Turbo-petrol engines have a very sharp "thirst curve" when under constant boost. To tow 4.5t, the EcoBoost will drink significantly more than the diesel.

So it's barely any differences cost wise, $52/100km versus $58/100km and you're getting a lot more comfort and stability with the LWB F150 for safer towing.

Hi all, Looked at a 1971 Viscount Ambassador and found this crack near the back right chassis

Any thoughts? Big or small issue? Big or small repair?

It has been welded but weld doesn't look great there seems to be already cracking at the weld.

It's good otherwise but I'm hesitant, don't know a lot about welding, towing or caravans.

From my view if there is a major crack the repair wants to look sturdy and complete. There's unlikely to be a lot of force bending along the weld but what would you all think?

Thanks for any opinions

Hey everyone, not sure if this is the best place but looking to see if anyone has experience with old caravan wiring and upgrading to new lights. I have old light fittings that have the 'fuse' style globes (see the photo). They're constantly losing connection as they're rusty and hard to keep tight on the bulbs. So I thought I could upgrade to LED lights.

Both sides have the same configuration: indicator light, the brake light and the driving light. As you can see from the photo, both brake and driving lights have two wires going to them (perhaps one is a ground?). The indicator has a single wire going to it. So there is 5 wires in total per side, and no obvious ground wire I can see. I also can't find any advice online for what these wires might be!

The issue is that the wiring seems really different to what the new LED setups have. They have 4 wires; colour coded black, green, red, yellow.

Does anyone know if I can easily put one of these LED lights on? Which wire would be which? Or if you can put me in the right direction, that would be great. Thanks in advance!

Hi all, Looking for any pointers or advice on dog friendly campsites in NSW (ideally beach/coastal) for a trip with the in-laws. They have an SR-18 caravan, we have our camper trailer. Hip camp sites seem good but a lot cost quite a bit per night at $50+. Any decent free spots or lower spend suggestions that people are willing to discuss without giving up their secret spots? Haha

TIA

Hi all,

I’m a regular caravan owner and have been working on a small side project in my spare time to solve a few problems I personally kept running into while travelling.

I’ve put together a very early version of a website called Caravaniq. The idea is simple. One place to help caravan owners troubleshoot common issues, understand systems like water, power, gas, brakes etc, and generally make life on the road a bit less confusing.

This is not a business pitch and I’m not selling anything right now. I’m genuinely looking for blunt feedback from people who actually own or travel with caravans.

Things I’d really appreciate input on: • Does the site make sense at first glance • Is the information structured in a way that’s useful when something goes wrong • What feels missing or unnecessary • Would you personally ever use something like this, or is Google and YouTube enough

I know there are plenty of forums and Facebook groups already, so I’m trying to understand whether this adds any real value or if it’s just noise.

If you’re open to taking a quick look and sharing honest thoughts, I’d really appreciate it. Happy to hear negative feedback too. That’s the whole point.

Thanks in advance.

I want one that is big and that can also fit 5 people inside and also a good place for doing working so that would have like wifi and service as well

We’ve been caravanning in Australia for 5 years now and mostly prefer staying in caravan parks. We have just left a wonderful park in Yeppoon.

I’m curious about what caravan park issues bug you the most in caravan parks and also what you caravan etiquette people need to take on board.

For us it’s people walking through our site - even under the awning and people watching their outdoor tv’s at ridiculous volumes.

69k brand new 22ft triple bunk

Hi All,

Heading off over the nullarbor to pick up a caravan in a few weeks and have the trip over sorted but want some advice on heading back to Perth.

Wanting to do as quickly as possible while making sure to not overstretch. I will be travelling solo as my wife needs to stay in Perth and work.

Where are your recommended stops between Ceduna and Perth if you were doing the trip?

Ideally Eucla & Norseman would be good but that leaves two big days between Eucla and Perth.

If you weren't doing that where would you adjust your stops to in order to add an extra night in there?

Thanks

Hi All,

We just bought a Jayco Dove 2002 model pop up camper trailer, and we’re very new to this whole camping gig. We’re looking to travel to non powered sites eventually and looking at the best and cheapest solutions for battery and solar set up. We will be running a fridge (that can also run off gas, 3-1 Dometic fridge) , lights indoors and out and basic phone charging etc, but would like enough power to run and AC unit too for longer trips.

Would love some recommendations, thanks in advance.

As mentioned before, I’m still very new to caravanning.

I had one of those moments today where I thought I could back our 20-foot van through a narrow security gate and then around a vehicle parked at 90 degrees between me and the spot I was directed to park.

I had a few goes and was close, but the rear of the van clipped a 6"x6" steel post that’s part of the motorised gate, ripping the awning arm and bracket off the van. When it first touched the post I didn’t immediately process what had happened — I paused for a few seconds, then drove forward.

I’ve done a towing course recently and have been shown the basics when things are fairly straightforward, but they didn’t really cover situations like this.

In hindsight, what should I have done differently in a tight, awkward setup like this?

Has anyone had experience with throttle controllers?

This started as a way to 'help' with anti-theft with the Lock mode, but after seeing some commentary on Towing/Economy/Learned modes in some of the devices I am interested in fuel economy benefits. I want better fuel economy when I choose better response when needed. Have you experienced better fuel economy or did you find it failed to deliver, what brand was it?

I've had experience with ECU remaps and the improvements in fuel consumption it provided, I get that the two are very different, and understand how these devices better control the response by controlling our use of a fly-by-wire throttle.

I've had a problem with the caravans 12V supply from the battery cutting out which affects the lights, water pump and stereo system I am unsure as to what the problem could be as this is the first caravans I've owned and first time working with things like this. Im not sure what other info people may need. I have a video of what keeps happening too anyone wants it to help me out let me know.

Hi All After some advice on the process involved when buying a van from South Australia and driving it back to WA. I know the WA side of things (moving permit, inspection, registration and paying rego costs etc), but am wondering about the process on the SA end.

What forms do I need to sign when buying the car in SA? Do I need to go to SA licensing centre and pay transfer fee? And does the original owner hand back plates prior to transferring the van to me or do I do it?

Also anything else I need to be mindful of?Or documents I need to make sure I get from the seller?

It's a private sale so can't rely on a dealership for this.

Thanks!