G'day

Sammy D

Active Member
Feb 14, 2016
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Hello All

I've been a lurker here for a month or two and have finally decided to take the leap and sign up. Actually I have enjoyed the info I've found here but missed having no search function so a sign up was the only option:redface-50:.

I have never had a van or even an interest in vans until a few months ago when she who must be obeyed started dropping hints about how much happier she would be with one:hug:. Actually her hints were pointed and she had, unbeknownst to me, been conniving with her mother and was about to buy one on the sly when I found out:confused-87:. Well it was an interesting day or two to say the least but I finally managed to convince them that buying a van on a spur of the moment feeling wasn't overly wise and they seemed happy once I agreed that I would consider it seriously.

So since then (must have been November last year) we have been looking and thinking it over and I have gradually come around to the idea. My wife and I have two kiddies one is nearly 5 (girl) and the other is 3 (boy) so I started out looking at standard vans but never did find one I was totally happy with, it was a juggle between what we need now and what we will need in say ten years time. For us a van would only be a benefit if we can free camp and as such a toilet and shower would be nice, of course there are out of van options for that but we I mean I am lazy and for a quick weekend away I don't want to have to be setting too much stuff up before I can put my feet up. So that limited us to looking at bunk vans with a toilet and shower, now while I found a lot of lovely examples I was still having reservations and didn't feel 100% comfortable with any of them.

Then I happened across a toyhauler, and that was the moment I lost all reservations and new that one of those would be perfect. I am a farmer and my wife comes from a family of graziers and we often visit them (700ish Ks away) to help out with mustering and other stock work so we are allways carting bikes too and fro and on top of that I'm also a keen fisherman so even though I can't tow our boat with the van a toyhauler gives us the option of canoes surfboards etc (not to mention a JetSki :bounce:)

So it was only a matter of time before I started to look at the basestations and I was totally sold, wifey was very happy with the way I was thinking and even started getting excited about all the extra things we could do with a basestation compared to a "normal" bunk van. We looked at adds for secondhand basestations but wifey wanted an oven and finding secondhand ones with an oven was hard. So after a month or so we happened to be driving past jayco Newcastle so called in to see if they had one there we could look at. Well that was a bit of a mistake, up till then we had been looking at 21footers but as they had a 21 and a 23 there wifey put her foot down (again:) and said she loved the slide out and didn't think she would be happy climbing over a table to get to the bed:doh:.

So we got a couple of quotes to bring home and think over and after a couple of weeks we finally put down our order for a 23.73-6 OB:clap2: which is due sometime in April.


It is a big jump from not being interested in vans to jumping straight into a basestation but we are fairly excited and hope to get a lot of years out of it (actually according to my calculations it will pay itself off after the first 125 years!).




Anyway this has turned out to be a relatively long post from a shy lurker so I should stop rambling and get back to work, actually I mean get back to lunch, it is hard eating and typing at the same time.

Looking forward to learning a lot more from all of you!

Cheers Sam
 

Bellbirdweb

Well-Known Member
Jan 24, 2014
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GDay @Sammy D and welcome to the forum.

I was up at Newcastle on the weekend looking at our next van, and I was looking at the toy haulers.

I was only commenting to SWMBO that it would have been great if we could have had one when our kids were the same age as yours, it would have been perfect.

You'll learn lots here, and we are all more than happy to help you spend your money, even if subliminally.

Enjoy your new van, you and the family will have years of enjoyment from it.
 

chartrock

Forum Patriarch
Staff member
Sep 26, 2010
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Welcome to the forum @Sammy D, it sounds like your family have got you all sorted. :D You will get many years of enjoyment from the van &, with the help of members, spend lots of money but get some great modifications on the van.
 
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Stan53

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May 27, 2012
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G'day Sam and welcome. I am the old bag of wind with Swifty. Swifty is a Jayco Swift built on a Wednesday that hasn't given us an ounce of trouble since we took delivery over three years ago.
So you are decidely upmarket from me. Enjoy.
 

dagree

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Mar 3, 2012
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Welcome to the forum @Sammy D and a great intro..... Looking forward to seeing the "Beast" when you pick it up! (OH and trip reports & pics)
As you are probably aware there is a lot of info on here and if it's not.... Just ask and someone will help out!
 

Sammy D

Active Member
Feb 14, 2016
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Thanks for all the welcomes folks. Yes it certainly is exciting (except the wait 17triton!) and we certainly anticipate some good trips once we get the van. Having quality time with the kiddies is definitely important and while without the van we still get away having a van will certainly add to our options.

I spent nearly a week reading through the trip reports and got way too many ideas of where to goo_O now it will be just a matter of making the time.

And for Stan, I certainly wouldn't like to think of myself as upmarket compared to anyone personally camping is camping whether you are in a van or a swag or anything in between.
 
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bigcol

Well-Known Member
Nov 22, 2012
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welcome @Sammy D
lots of great people on here with heaps of knowledge and a passion for their Vans

(actually according to my calculations it will pay itself off after the first 125 years!).
yes, it can be like that
or
you can enjoy the more flexible options you now have with a Van

You'll learn lots here, and we are all more than happy to help you spend your money, even if subliminally.
subliminally or overtly - either either,
lots of smart cookie monsters on here with great ideas, none are "must have's"
but all are great ideas none the less

Looking forward to seeing the "Beast" when you pick it up! (OH and trip reports & pics)

oh yeah baby
we LOVE piccies
stories about your trips
the Good & the Bad

its not that we are starved for companionship or conversation, but because we all see and do the same things - but differently
 
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Sammy D

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Feb 14, 2016
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Pace we have a 2009 200 series cruiser which is basically standard except for a bullbar and I did get a Tunit chip put in it a year or two ago which made a huge difference to the fuel consumption and a good difference to the power.

It knocked off 2litres per 100ks straight up so I was very happy!


Actually the reason I wanted to be able to search the forums was to look up things like mirrors and brake controllers as seeing it is only a couple of months away I wanted to research the good the bad and the ugly. There certainly is lots of good info here.
 

Pace

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Sep 16, 2011
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www.expandasdownunder.com
@Sammy D speaking from experience re brake controllers, had Tekonsha in the Pathy and was good. Though now in the C7 got the Redarc TowPro and wow it is great. As for the mirrors, we use the strap over the car mirror type and they do the job. But of course then there is the Clearview branded is the bees knees.

Pace.
 
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bigcol

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Nov 22, 2012
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yes, same as @Pace , I have the Tekonsha, in both tow cars
but would rather the Tow Pro

I have heard the Tow Pro has a memory (? or something) and once set, with a specific trailer / van, everytime you hook up, it is already set.............

I would Vote the Clearviews, so much easier within 5 minutes
 
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dagree

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Mar 3, 2012
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Happy with the tekonsha P3 here but from what I have heard would probably go for the Tow-Pro next time also.

I have heard the Tow Pro has a memory (? or something) and once set, with a specific trailer / van, everytime you hook up, it is already set.............
Tekonsha P3 has the option to save settings for 3 trailers from memory (Too lazy to go looking for the "destructions")

I would Vote the Clearviews, so much easier within 5 minutes
Beware at @Sammy D ...... @bigcol likes helping others spend their hard earned $'s ;) or does he have shares in Clearview? :behindsofa:
On a serious note.... I have a set of Clearview look-a-likes and am more than happy with them... Hook the van up and pull out the mirrors and all set to go :)
 

Sammy D

Active Member
Feb 14, 2016
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I have read good reviews on both the tow pro as well as the clearviews and they both seem like good choices. We have used tekonsha brake controllers in the past and I still have an old one sitting in the shed that got taken out of our old Pajero but I think I will look at getting the towpro, as for the clearviews seeing as they are a bit more expensive they will take a little more thinking about:noidea:. In the long run they look like a good option but I don't want to rush in and spend that amount of dough without thinking it over a little.
 

dagree

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Mar 3, 2012
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@Sammy D I was a bit skeptical spending $800 on a set of clearviews and got a "knock-off lookalike" set from fleabay for just over half the price of the originals!

Have a look at his shop as he currently has these for sale 200 Series Clearview lookalikes. Looks like he now does them for Patrols now as well.
 
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