When you start to plan your next trip the type of accommodation is the first thing you try and sort out once you know the route. When it comes to caravanning your decisions are no different, it’s just that the type of accommodation, becomes the type of caravan that will suit. There’s a huge variety of caravans in NSW, both new vans and used caravans are aplenty so let’s try and narrow down your search.
New Caravans are a personal choice with the amount of people you’re taking, the terrain, duration of trip and sleeping requirements all coming into play. In Australia there are 5 main types of Caravans including: Regular vans, Pop top, Pop out, Expanders and Motorhomes.
Regular Caravans
These Caravans are usually the first Van people look at. They are full aluminium bodied with a full height ceiling. There are no expansion capabilities, or any need to pop the roof as you can easily stand and walk around in these vans. They can be configured with single, double or queen beds and come in a variety of lengths with a huge range of inclusions.
These vans are usually the quickest to set up and have plenty of storage, although due to their full height and rigid bodies they are a little harder to tow and maneuver, especially in windy weather.
Pop Top Vans
The name says it all with these vans, they have a rigid lower body with a canvass “pop-top” meaning that you can tow a much smaller van and create a larger one when you stop. These are ideal for first time caravan owners as they are much easier to tow and give greater visibility to the driver due to their shorter height.
If your trip involves a lot of motorways and plenty of 110km zones you’ll find the pop top vans much more user friendly than a regular van. Storage wise you have the same storage set up as a regular van, except on the roof or overhead cupboards. These vans can also get a little hot as the top half metre is made of canvass so does not have the same kind of insulating factor as a regular van.
Pop Out Vans
While the pop up gives you extra head room, the pop out gives you some extra living space by accommodating your beds at either end of the van. Most pop out vans will have a canvass section either end that accommodates a queen bed leaving the whole inner section of the van as living space. These vans are extremely popular with families that want the extra table room for kids without the hassle of having an overly large van for towing.
Both ends fold in for towing making the van much smaller in length than a regular caravan. The canvass sides can get hot and when packing up in the wet, you’ll need to remember that you’ll want to open it back out at home and dry it out to avoid and mould or mildew.
If you’re looking for small caravans for sale, a pop out may be what you need.
Expanders
Expanders are great for those who want to take longer trips and want a van that feels a little more like home. Where the pop outs extend on the ends to accommodate bedding, expanders have a section the middle that can add considerable width giving you a much more spacious and comfortable “lounge room” space.
Great for longer trips, or trips with families, these vans are usually not for first van buyers as they are sometimes a little more pricey that a standard van. These types of vans expand from a rigid, smaller towing package to a spacious and luxurious home away from home.
Motorhomes
If convenience and quick set up and pack up is what you’re looking for then the motorhome varieties could be for you. A motorhome is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a home on wheels so there is no unhitching and hitching back-up, simply close the door, jump in the driver’s seat and move on to your next picture perfect location.
The only challenge you’ll find with a motorhome is that your van and your car are interlinked meaning that if you pull up to camp and then realise you forgot the milk, you need to drive your home to the shops. This can be avoided though by simply carrying a bike, scooter or even towing a car behind your motorhome to give you ease of set up and convenience of mobility.
Choosing a Caravan that suits your travel style and size of your family will be important decisions so don’t forget to visit our showroom and put our vans to the test before hitting the open road.
