Well...home now and taking stock of highs and lows ....and drying out all sorts of things.
Highs....free camps and national parks...brilliant, quiet and memorable
Lows...rain, storms, wind and more rain, storms and wind. We had the benefit of the east coast low, flooding, rain deluges around the Coffs area, then the rain and wind from the cyclone so it was memorable.
The van generally did well. We hadn't made our privacy screens or storm covers before we left so did have a bit of dampness inside. The first was caused by a blown pipe causing a flood inside the van, the second caused by horizontal rain causing water to enter via the fridge vents and the third was a bit of seepage via the unprotected bed ends.
So...screen making is now high on the list, as well as the sail track on the offside over the fridge vents. We were going to do both anyway but it's now sooner rather than later.
A few minor repairs as well, but nothing major.
On the comparison of the Golf with the Expanda....I think the finish and general build quality of the Golf wins but not by much. The design, however, is a really big plus for our style of camping.
- External kitchen is brilliant and can be pushed in, out of the way, when not needed so annex, awning area is all usable space
- Bed end setup is so easy...no hockey stick tensioning and it works well
- Separate shower and toilet is also brilliant...we found we used them far more than with the Jayco
- Storage was also good...the lack of a barrel awning allows for a full tunnel boot at the rear so things are easier to get to
- The trifold table is very effective and the dinette setup makes it very easy to watch tv so we found we did more of that...couches are longer and wider and comfortable
- Weights are about the same and it tows just as well as the expanda
- The extra Weber slide out and tool box is great...stores a multitude of lightweight stuff
- Jockey wheel is far more effective
- Hitch is better but I know Jayco fit different hitches do that's not an issue
- Plenty of space for two pole carriers...
- Tank set up needs fixing.....Topargee to be fitted
- Battery and solar setup is also brilliant...no need for extra solar at all...so far
- Fridge electronics are a pain. Thetford worked very effectively but did need defrosting in the humidity. I don't remember ever having to defrost the Dometic but the conditions were different. The change from AC to DC to gas is not as user friendly.
- The Waeco drawer fridge is great. Very little effect on battery, keeps drinks etc at right temperature and it's just so easy to grab a drink at the end of the day without having to go inside. Also very useful for lunches and drinks while travelling.
- The Fiamma AFKs are very easy to use...love them
The downside is mainly the price tag....half as much again as the Jayco....and we're yet to test out the service support so I'd guess the Jayco wins on that front.
Warranty on the Golf is two years but again, I couldn't fault the Jayco warranty so I hope Golf are as good.
The drying out today includes the 12v Aldi fans we got before we left....they were in a 'waterproof' roof bag that we found wasn't waterproof so the fans have been saturated for three weeks. I've left them out to dry and turned them on and both are working, surprisingly. They'll be dried out completely before we use them!
The very wet side awnings and mats are also on the line drying out....they needed a good clean with sand and mud all over them.
Overall, we're happy and planning on going north in about seven weeks so that'll give us the incentive to get the bed end protection sorted out....currently talking with Paskal re sail track.
Just reporting back on this as some people were interested in how the two compared.
..............but then he may have mentioned ot in another thread....:brick:
