Just ordered 20.64
- Thread starter Lonnie
- Start date
No reason was given. We was one of the requests we made - it came back from Jayco they couldn't/wouldn't. I didn't really have a card to play as it was a request and I am (have) bought the van regardless. They did do some other requests though so it's not like they weren't helpful - just couldn't do this one. Maybe the chassis are already made???
As for WDH - I don't know if I will need/want one or not (hence I was trying to plan ahead and make sure it was in the centre in case I got one). I will be towing with a 2014 Ford Ranger, 40mm lift with 300Kg springs in the back (so it will be interesting to see how much difference the ball weight will make)
not sure if they pre-make the chassis - I think they may do, or the basic outline
but then
the problem would be because their "jigs" for the chassis dont have facilities for the jockey wheel mountings in the centre of the draw bar
and probably confuse them............?
the problem I had with wanting an outside door on a cupboard was because they cut the sides in groups of 6 on a CNC machine
so pulling 1 side out to cut another hole would have been impossible to work out......... and then getting it back in sequence to make sure it fitted my van
thats the excuse I was given.............
depending on the Van - and what he is using to tow it - it may be "ok" advice
he can always fit a holder into the centre if he needs to have a WDH
I was told NO, and when delivered, it was obvious the small bar across the draw bar could not support a jockey wheel. I guess the chassis is made standard and it would require the bar to be cut out and a larger one welded in and then regalvanised and this would not happen. You can see the small bar in the pic.
I wouldn't hesitate, although if they're putting it in the middle inztead of the outside, I don't know why they'd be charging you extra? Unless perhaps its because of the extra support bar/strut they'd have to put in to mount it on. But at least you'd then have no obstacles to a WDH, and for that safety aspect alone, it's well worth it.
yes - just for the shear convenience if you do fit WDH
even then it is also good for balance
there are several reasons why a Nova is $15K dearer than the equivalent Jayco (on average) - and mass production is one of them
You may well be right Bigcol...but it also probably means its not 'equivalent'.
Hi Lonnie,
What a minefield hey!!!
I have the same van and have 4 young kids and have been through this dilemma.
The Toyota or Nissan Patrol are the only vehicles that tick all the boxes but my situation is a little different.
The majority of our trips are to caravan parks within a few hours drive, so we decided that we were quite happy to just take 2 cars away, one stacked with screaming kids and the other, well is just me towing the van enjoying the serenity. More often than not one of us has to leave and do some work at some stage of the trip so 2 vehicles away is handy. They are both company cars and we also do not have to pay for fuel so that helps also. This was a better alternative than forking out $$$ for a car that really is only needed for a few trips a year.
The caravan itself is awesome so do not doubt your choice at all. Just make sure you empty those tanks before you travel, that will save you 270kg right there.
You are not a million miles from Sydney, I have a mate who owns a Toyota dealership and my wife works there also, if I can be of any help let me know.
Congrats and welcome to a great forum with great members.
Thanks Warren,
travelling on your own sounds bliss! We mostly stay in van parks as well and tend not to travel too far from home as we do live in a pretty great part of the world. Hope to do a bit more free camping as the kids get older. We have taken 2 cars away before if we are travelling up to an hour away but always loaded into one for trips further than that. Would really like to be able to all travel in the one car most of the time. We are doing a bit of a trip around Tassie in about a years time so it won't be an option then. We were able to get 600kg payload for the van so I am confident we can keep the weight down there especially not filling the water tanks. Its the car that is the problem! We won't have a choice but to get a GVM upgrade. Sadly a new cruiser is definitely not an option (especially after just getting the van) so we are looking a something second hand. There was one car we enquired about that already had a GVM upgrade of almost 500kg. I am still unsure of all the legal aspects, if the plated ATM of the van and the GVM of the car are over the GCM then will you still be covered by insurance if you didn't utilise all the payload and had your whole rig weighed and knew you were safely under? I guess if you were involved in an accident it would be tough to prove how much everything weighed. If this is the case then if our van ATM is around 3300kg then we should only increase the GVM of the car 200kg even if not fully loading the van? Does any of this make any sense?
Welcome anyone with any information. I could have the whole thing completely wrong.
travelling on your own sounds bliss! We mostly stay in van parks as well and tend not to travel too far from home as we do live in a pretty great part of the world. Hope to do a bit more free camping as the kids get older. We have taken 2 cars away before if we are travelling up to an hour away but always loaded into one for trips further than that. Would really like to be able to all travel in the one car most of the time. We are doing a bit of a trip around Tassie in about a years time so it won't be an option then. We were able to get 600kg payload for the van so I am confident we can keep the weight down there especially not filling the water tanks. Its the car that is the problem! We won't have a choice but to get a GVM upgrade. Sadly a new cruiser is definitely not an option (especially after just getting the van) so we are looking a something second hand. There was one car we enquired about that already had a GVM upgrade of almost 500kg. I am still unsure of all the legal aspects, if the plated ATM of the van and the GVM of the car are over the GCM then will you still be covered by insurance if you didn't utilise all the payload and had your whole rig weighed and knew you were safely under? I guess if you were involved in an accident it would be tough to prove how much everything weighed. If this is the case then if our van ATM is around 3300kg then we should only increase the GVM of the car 200kg even if not fully loading the van? Does any of this make any sense?
Welcome anyone with any information. I could have the whole thing completely wrong.
Have had my 20.64 for a couple of years now and if you are staying in parks let them know you have a wind out side as well as the back coming down, that adds extra site room you are going to need and you don't want to be in a small site. Don't ever let your van touch tree branches or bushes - ants
I know you are worried about weight but think about some clever storage options. I went to Howard's Storage World and put in slide out basket drawers so i can access the back of the cupboards, baskets behind under sink drawers for washing detergent and sponges, towel rails in kitchen and outside bathroom wall, spice racks, and general storage tubs for next to the beds - amazing how much life will be easier for you if everything has a place, especially with all those kids running around.
Also after years of caravanning finally upgraded to a 19mm socket and drill to do,the stabilisers, omg how much easier has life been.
Anyway I am sure you will love your van, happy journeies and good luck with the car.
I know you are worried about weight but think about some clever storage options. I went to Howard's Storage World and put in slide out basket drawers so i can access the back of the cupboards, baskets behind under sink drawers for washing detergent and sponges, towel rails in kitchen and outside bathroom wall, spice racks, and general storage tubs for next to the beds - amazing how much life will be easier for you if everything has a place, especially with all those kids running around.
Also after years of caravanning finally upgraded to a 19mm socket and drill to do,the stabilisers, omg how much easier has life been.
Anyway I am sure you will love your van, happy journeies and good luck with the car.
@NoWorries is spot on, if you are going for say a 2014 model GXL you will get an extra 105kg also.
Work backwards if you want, start with 3350kg, minus the following;
Tare weight approx. 2635kg
Fuel 138kg
2 adults 160kg
4 kids under 7 120kg (they will grow)
This leaves you 297kg approx for items in the car. (less coolant oil etc but neigh)
I don't know your van Tare weight but mine is 2529kg with an ATM of 3095kg, and the other thing of weight I did not add was the 3rd tank so yours would roughly be around an additional 90kg giving you a rough ATM of 3200-3300kg.
So you now have 897kg of items to split 600 in the van and 297kg for the cruiser. Bearing in mind you have limited space once the back seats are up in the cruiser.
The only thing of any real weight I have is the full annex and floor which is in separate bags and loaded over the axles plus the baby Q which goes in the boot of the car.
Think about how many clothes can fit into a holiday suitcase yet this averages only 25-30kg in weight (incl the case) so no issues there.
Food and drink will be the next to think about, we stock up some before we go but we get the cases of water and beer + ice when we get close to where we are going.
Bikes for the kids, you probably need to figure out how to carry these first if you are going in one car, I cant figure out the best way to carry these yet until I do a few more trips, there seems to be negatives with every option but the roof is looking to be the best option for me.
Tables and chairs, 6 of these at an avg of 5kg is fine and a table at 10kg, not an issue.
In a nutshell I don't think you have anything to worry about at all, as @bigcol has mentioned, weigh everything individually the first time you pack and you will be surprised how much is rally going in. You will still be able to have one o f he tanks full for when you go free camping.
However if you start to add bull bars, side steps, tool boxes etc etc then you may start to get border line.
When you find the car you want inbox me and I will check to make sure you are paying the right money if you like, peace of mind is everything when spending as much money as you guys are.
Good point above from @steen rasmussen regarding booking in to sites by the way.
One tip from me on the van, the internal tv has a cigarette style power point and aerial in the side of the washing machine wall which sticks out over the mattress when it is down. So basically remove these before you lift or drop the mattress as it will snap them trust me!!!!
Let us all know how you go. Good luck and great choice of van ( a little biased)
Thanks for the tips @steen rasmussen.
I got similar calculations @warren cook, but out of that 297kg of the cruisers payload comes the ball weight. So with that and potentially a bulbar, sidesteps and towbar I think we will be over without having left the driveway! Thanks for the offer of info on a car, appreciate it.
I got similar calculations @warren cook, but out of that 297kg of the cruisers payload comes the ball weight. So with that and potentially a bulbar, sidesteps and towbar I think we will be over without having left the driveway! Thanks for the offer of info on a car, appreciate it.
Nightmare hey!!!
I just done some more research into your dilemma and you are treading murky waters when you start thinking about nudge bars and steps.
There are so many different opinions online that I just came across that I am now confused all over again lol.
GVM upgrade seems the only option matey or a vehicle with everything you want already done, cheaper than getting it done after.
I just done some more research into your dilemma and you are treading murky waters when you start thinking about nudge bars and steps.
There are so many different opinions online that I just came across that I am now confused all over again lol.
GVM upgrade seems the only option matey or a vehicle with everything you want already done, cheaper than getting it done after.