It makes me wonder a bit about this style/size of van. Do people really take a van this size/weight seriously off-road where all the heavy duty bells and whistles are needed? The idea seems good at the time and some of the vans I've seen around in this style are awesome bits of kit with plenty of wow factor, but how "off-road" do people actually take these massive vans? I'd be worried enough about taking our little 14.44 on anything but a well used dirt/sand road due to its weight,size etc. Maybe i have a different idea of off-road to others. Def see plenty of them around though in van parks....
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- Thread starter WHHEMI
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Yeah it's good point @spiderpig and one I've often contemplated really most including self just need a "dirtroader" Because to get this baby or any 3t trailer bogged and your in world of pain hey?
But the last trip changed that a bit for me, we went to a remote outstation east of the flinders and the track in could have used all that! The brush bars would have been handy just for the salt bush. But it was such a great place I want to be able to go to it and other again. Later on the way to mutawhingi NP we turned off the barrier hwy and followed the clearly sign marked and well graded road. About half way the signs went to poo and we ended up at a station and rather than backtrack had to tow over a Levi wall ! Mchitch paid for it's self here. (Btw esc doesn't like Levi walls and applies the brakes at that angle!) then 6km from the park the road was a 30m quagmire that bogged us. Fortunately we just backed out with low range but had the van jackknifed whilst backing or we couldn't have moved, rear recovery points on the van would have been the only option to winching forward through 30plus meters of mud!
So my thoughts now are I'd rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it.
I'll have an 'arf...in the words of Alf Garnet (I think)
We saw lots of those big vans but mainly fifth wheelers in North America and they take up a huge amount of space in parks and on the roads. Many were adding the extra vehicle (motorhomes) and they had huge payloads with huge utes to tow them.
But fuel is cheaper and it seems that every second house boasts a huge RV so they seem to use them.
I'm not sure how much "off road" they do but the hire camper industry seems to cater for the tray top, top heavy market of waddlers with the big blighters chugging between caravan parks so it's much like here.
The other thing I noticed is the lack of solar on their RVs. We only saw a few with panels and they do have lots of sun!
We saw lots of those big vans but mainly fifth wheelers in North America and they take up a huge amount of space in parks and on the roads. Many were adding the extra vehicle (motorhomes) and they had huge payloads with huge utes to tow them.
But fuel is cheaper and it seems that every second house boasts a huge RV so they seem to use them.
I'm not sure how much "off road" they do but the hire camper industry seems to cater for the tray top, top heavy market of waddlers with the big blighters chugging between caravan parks so it's much like here.
The other thing I noticed is the lack of solar on their RVs. We only saw a few with panels and they do have lots of sun!
Considering my In Laws went all over Australia from the 60's till the 80's with on road vans towed by the EH wagon and other 2WD Holdens and Fords, travelled the same dirt tracks that people fear to tread on unless they have a big FWD with a van that is emblazoned with OffRoad labels and big Knobby tyres...................I think they are mostly over rated but since most people can't drive anyway then they need all the help they can get I suppose.
They even drove up the beach to Double Island point in the Holden Station Wagon to take pics of the Cherry Venture when it went aground way back in the 70's..............................
You'll have to go back @achjimmy and do it again but get it on Video so we can watch the Master of Mud.
They even drove up the beach to Double Island point in the Holden Station Wagon to take pics of the Cherry Venture when it went aground way back in the 70's..............................
You'll have to go back @achjimmy and do it again but get it on Video so we can watch the Master of Mud.
Sort of what i was thinking @Drover and i doubt very many would take anything remotely that big into something that its "designed" for like Jimmy has or be keen on doing it again 
Would be a sticky situation to get out of if you were alone and somewhere remote. I was thinking my 14.44 would just about be too big/heavy for anything reasonable offroad and like you mentioned something more basic ie standard OB is more than capable of a bit of dirt or sand where 99% of people would most likely take it.
Anyway, be interesting to check it out and see the bells and whistles. There is obviously a market for them.
Would be a sticky situation to get out of if you were alone and somewhere remote. I was thinking my 14.44 would just about be too big/heavy for anything reasonable offroad and like you mentioned something more basic ie standard OB is more than capable of a bit of dirt or sand where 99% of people would most likely take it.Anyway, be interesting to check it out and see the bells and whistles. There is obviously a market for them.
Is it me or the iPad?
I can't get the video to load at all....but I'm looking forward to seeing it!
On the subject of heavy off road vans, we have rellies with Bushtrackers....they love it...and others with the new Complete Campsite poptop. The Complete Campsite is every bit as well fitted out ...leather seats, really HD suspension and all the basic goodies...but much much lighter than the Bushtracker and they've had in places the Bushtracker won't go.
It's all in the identification of what you need, I think, as it's set up to track exactly behind a cruiser and all the suspension, tyres etc etc match. A lot of planning went into it and it's comfortable, functional and sufficient for an extended stay or overnighters....and it's under two tonne.
Is the tare, ATM, ball wt on the jayco rouge listed somewhere or have I missed it?
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Chuck the iPad and get a decent toy @Dobbie...................................
Seen some of these behmoths in some amazing places, usually with a Big Chev/Ford/Dodge in front though............not a Dinky 3lt truck or Tojo.
Seen some of these behmoths in some amazing places, usually with a Big Chev/Ford/Dodge in front though............not a Dinky 3lt truck or Tojo.
Yeah I didn't go through it I backed up!
those Falcons and Holden's @Drover were built tougher than your Colorado and half the other lightweight things built today. Even the humble beetle with its tyres deflated will beat most fourbies over sand at say Fraser! Different era. The other advantage of that era was that there was plentry of roadside spares avialable from those same heroes that didn't get through in there EHs HQ etc but we all gloss the ol days up a bit when we recall.
Iam no expert at 4wd as those on here I have travelled with will attest to. And I have also been quoted as saying the cruiser makes the biggest git an expert and it's far more capable than me and just about most id imagine.
But how an eh on 165/13 cross plys got through 30metres of shin high mud with a van in tow is beyond me.
I've travelled as a passenger all over NSW/SA//VIC in international pickups , G60 patrols, HQs towing a Millard and I'll happily keep to my chosen chariot and if the budget fits a van like above.
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Hey I wasn't having a go at you @achjimmy , it was admiration, it takes skill to reverse a trailer out of the mud.
I have always prefered to have a double differ and as for "165/13 cross plys got through 30metres of shin high mud with a van in tow " they never went in in the first place.......................I'm a great advocate of progress I assure you.
I have always prefered to have a double differ and as for "165/13 cross plys got through 30metres of shin high mud with a van in tow " they never went in in the first place.......................I'm a great advocate of progress I assure you.
I meet the owner of midcoast 4wd centre while camping on the gibb. He was towing a 20' jayco that had a range of offroad modifications that he said was being tested for jayco. I think he has a blog site recording the trip. Mostly the basic changes that we all make to stop things falling off but also a full underbody rubberised spray coat. I didn't take too much notice because I had a ton of maintenance and cleaning to do!
I've thought about painting bitchmen paint under ours, I started doing it on our first van and gave up after 3 beers. I think @chartrock did it as well.
We had a look at it today with @davemc the rear bumper red colour is right in the way of the dropdown leg adjuster its ok but wont be trading the silverline in
had a look at the new one sorry no pics. catches seemed good although one screw already pulled out.
