We could not resist the temptation of taking to the roads again! Yes we have bought a caravan, a simple one this time, lightweight and easy to tow. Namely a pop top, which has a roof which lifts up, giving even the tallest of people plenty of space to stand upright.
Now you may wonder why we have made this decision, and there are times when we think we are a trifle mad too. But we have taken the plunge, into the caravanning life, not the swimming pool, which has turned slightly green and very cold.
We have been here for more than a year, and there are places in Australia that we really would like to see, and having been used to our own little house on our travels in Europe, we thought this would be the way to go here. No off road stuff though, we are not that keen on the outback. Also the big mean looking rigs required for that sort of travel look terrifying to the novice traveller.
We have pretty well done everything to the house and garden, that needs doing. We have replaced the oven and dishwasher, and had the heating and air conditioning units checked and serviced, so other than the swimming pool developing a leak, we are pretty right. We have submitted our tax returns and ensured the tax people are satisfied. So that bit of money we put aside before leaving the UK, which we envisaged would be necessary for independence, namely a solar system with battery backup, was no longer desired or needed really. The house came with nearly new solar panels and batteries are still pretty iffy things to have installed outside the house.
So in our eyes. buying a small caravan was the perfect way to spend that little bit of money in the pot. And, of course, we had to change the vehicle, in order to tow the thing. One thing leads to another, as we all know.
We should have known when we bought the new Kia Optima thirteen months ago that we might buy a caravan. But we ignored these thoughts and opted for a new car that we thought we could drive for years. Typically we were wrong.
So we traded in the nearly new Kia Optima, for an older Kia Sorento, which has a 2.2 litre diesel engine, and an all wheel drive with differential lock. It also has air conditioned seats, namely little holes in the seats to allow cool air to flow out, but that is neither here nor there, in the scheme of towing caravans. Just a little luxury.
Walter looking happy with the new vehicle. The old Honda behind him is still going strong, and could tow a caravan, but the risk of breaking down out in the country somewhere is just too scary.
Now our little pot of money was not large enough to buy a brand new caravan, with lots of bells and whistles. And we were rather sick of buying complicated, as servicing and looking after it took time and money.
So we have gone simple. A 2002 Island Star pop top, which we bought at a sale in a large caravan and motor home showroom. They were getting rid of all the old trade ins. A clear out before summer. We bought it as is, other than safety checks.
We collected it last Thursday afternoon, and yes it was a dream to tow. It was easy to reverse into the front drive way, and Walter and I had no problems unhitching it and pushing it into place. The only problem is that the caravan now sits in front of the garage, with the new motorised roller door, so the car can no longer be put in the garage. Oh well, good place for the bikes.
So the specifications are simple. The pop top lifts up, the sun shade rolls out, and there are side walls that fit onto it, in order to close it off. So much easier than trying to fit an awning to our caravan in the south of France.
On top of the roof there are solar panels, with the battery in the front boot. It all works, and looks fairly new. There are two gas bottles, which we must padlock on, otherwise they may walk! The Alko hitch is very simple, just fits over the tow bar and locks in. No more making sure that the green band is showing on the hitch. There are heavy chains to fit onto the tow bar, to make sure that the caravan does not part ways with the car.
Inside there is a fridge, two burner stove, grill and microwave, plus cold water taps, with a water filter underneath. One of the taps is the old manuel pump type, but the other two work via something, which we have not been able to find yet. We have ordered a new filter, which may be the problem. At the moment no water appears out of the taps when turned in. And yes we have filled the water tank.
There are no manuels for anything. so we have had to rely on our own knowledge. Other than the taps, everything else works brilliantly. So far so good, but we are going to get a mobile service person to come and give everything a check over, just to make sure, plus change the front boot lock, which has no key!
I am a bit obsessed at the moment, as everything we buy looks like it has eyes and a mouth. At least the caravan looks happy, unlike the coffee machine, which has a gaping mouth and winks at me!
I am having a good clean out inside, not that the caravan was dirty. Plus we have bought a few items, as well as emptied our kitchen cupboards a bit.
The mattresses are in good condition, but we bought a queen sized topper and cut it in half, just to make sure of comfort. We also bought bamboo type mattress and pillow protectors. So important to have a good nights sleep.
And some of you may have noticed that this caravan does not have the luxuries that we used to think were crucial to travelling. There is no hot water service, no heater or central heating system, no bathroom so no toilet or shower or hand basin. No barrel to fill with cold water, in which to immerse the water pump (so English), and no waste water container, just a bucket.
Of course we have no electric caravan mover, but then this caravan is light enough to push into place However Walter has found a battery operated jockey wheel mover. At $240 it is very tempting.
I forgot to mention that the 64 litre water tank is situated behind the caravan wheels, and is the width of the caravan so can keep it filled when travelling. No worries about an unbalanced caravan. Although water sloshing around is a bit of a worry. Will think about this one.
And I know that many of you are wondering how we will manage without a bathroom. Well we have thought of that. We will use camping ground facilities most of the time, but for the night time visits, we have a pop up toilet tent, and in there will be a portapotty. And the camping portapotty is meant to be leak free, and it comes with a bag so that it can be transported when we move campsites. As you can imagine this will be the most interesting aspect to our simpler caravanning life.
Our lovely dog, Piper, will travel with us, so we will need a list of campsites that welcome pets.
She has lost most of the puppy silliness thank goodness. She is generally very calm and loving, and is especially adorable when asleep on the outdoor lounge.
Piper waiting at the front window for Walter to return from shopping. She has flattened the back cushion of the lounge, unfortunately. We are very indulgent pet owners!
So here we go again on new adventures.
