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Post by planner on Oct 26, 2016 12:40:45 GMT 10
After 4 years of the Franklin being back on the road (our first trip was Melbourne Cup weekend 2012) we're about to bring up our 100th night away. That's about 1 night in each fortnight.  This Saturday we're off to Barham on the Murray River for 3 nights. Has anyone else kept track of their van usage? and/or km's travelled? |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 15:17:53 GMT 10
Yes we did and it makes interesting reading . First van purchased when we retired was full time from a week after purchase till 3 days prior to sale. Time 5 years from 1998-2003 Nissan Patrol Evernew 20' van KM traveled 135,000 Days away from home 1410 days Days in a caravan park 1205 days  In comparison Motorhome Ford Transit based Sunliner 13 years 2003 -2016 ongoing KM traveled 247,000 Per year days away average 96 per year shortest year 65 days away longest year 157 days away total days in a caravan park 4 days and then it was on an unpowered site  The use of the motorhome will be declining from here as we ease back on travel and spend more time at home according to SWMBO Current '68 Viscount '61 Zephyr 6 months KM traveled 920km Days away 3 Time in caravan park 2 nights Intended use 30+ nights a year  |
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Post by planner on Oct 26, 2016 15:35:19 GMT 10
First van purchased when we retired was full time from a week after purchase till 3 days prior to sale. We both still work full time and have 2 teenage kids (oldest about to finish school) so I anticipate that our usage may will go up. We've covered 12,909km so far, but that's inflated by a 5,500km trip last year to Alice Springs/Uluru. |
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Post by Mustang on Oct 26, 2016 16:57:10 GMT 10
Yep have always kept a van log.
Helps with maintenance, the last Ultimate we sold,(soon to be followed by another) we offered the purchases a copy from night one to when they bought it,
they were tickled pink.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 17:10:54 GMT 10
Yes we did and it makes interesting reading . First van purchased when we retired was full time from a week after purchase till 3 days prior to sale. Time 5 years from 1998-2003 Nissan Patrol Evernew 20' van KM traveled 135,000 Days away from home 1410 days Days in a caravan park 1205 days In comparison Motorhome Ford Transit based Sunliner 13 years 2003 -2016 ongoing KM traveled 247,000 Per year days away average 96 per year shortest year 65 days away longest year 157 days away total days in a caravan park 4 days and then it was on an unpowered site The use of the motorhome will be declining from here as we ease back on travel and spend more time at home according to SWMBO Current '68 Viscount '61 Zephyr 6 months KM traveled 920km Days away 3 Time in caravan park 2 nights Intended use 30+ nights a year John which year model is your Transit and how reliable it is? I am considering getting a van for converting it to a camper with shower and toilet. We miss our old Mazda T3500 bus fully equiped in which we lived 2 1/2 years and only stopped 2 nights in a caravan park for safety reasons. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 17:12:40 GMT 10
So far we used the Franklin 3 times and covered about 2000 km.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 17:14:19 GMT 10
First van purchased when we retired was full time from a week after purchase till 3 days prior to sale. We both still work full time and have 2 teenage kids (oldest about to finish school) so I anticipate that our usage may will go up. We've covered 12,909km so far, but that's inflated by a 5,500km trip last year to Alice Springs/Uluru. Best advise is when you get the chance go slowly our first "lap" which did not include Vic or Tasmania took 4 years This year we did another lap to catch up with friends and relatives and spent 15 weeks on the road and covered 28,000km . But we are now both 65 and slowing down SWMBO is keen to spend more time at home not even keen to travel OS anymore so life looks like vintage car club and van events plus fishing for me and craft and red hatters for her , saying this I do not regret retiring at 48 not for a second we have had a ball , our son is already planning his retirement pre 50 and he is now 35 so he has seen the value we added to our lives |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 17:21:55 GMT 10
John, this 2 quotes are appropriate:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain
Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways. – Stephen Vincent Benét
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 18:22:53 GMT 10
Yes we did and it makes interesting reading . First van purchased when we retired was full time from a week after purchase till 3 days prior to sale. Time 5 years from 1998-2003 Nissan Patrol Evernew 20' van KM traveled 135,000 Days away from home 1410 days Days in a caravan park 1205 days In comparison Motorhome Ford Transit based Sunliner 13 years 2003 -2016 ongoing KM traveled 247,000 Per year days away average 96 per year shortest year 65 days away longest year 157 days away total days in a caravan park 4 days and then it was on an unpowered site The use of the motorhome will be declining from here as we ease back on travel and spend more time at home according to SWMBO Current '68 Viscount '61 Zephyr 6 months KM traveled 920km Days away 3 Time in caravan park 2 nights Intended use 30+ nights a year John which year model is your Transit and how reliable it is? I am considering getting a van for converting it to a camper with shower and toilet. We miss our old Mazda T3500 bus fully equiped in which we lived 2 1/2 years and only stopped 2 nights in a caravan park for safety reasons. Ours is a 2003 125/430 manual so pre common rail and 5 speed I love driving still we have had no major mechanical failures I have serviced it myself from 5000km looking at the log it is on its 3rd set of tyres over 100,000km a set so far I removed the parabolic rear springs early in the piece and replaced them with a set of 11 leaf progressive springs and new shocks also fitted firestone bags for stability not lift did the brakes at 175,000km for the first time as it needed disc pads so re did the rear shoes as well oh a vacuum pump gasket and a fan died and had to be replaced in the air con thats it , I replaced the front wheel bearings at 200,000km also so it is a very reliable unit pre 2000 they were crap from UK 2000-2006 they were built in Belgium with like ours an engine from Peugeot since then Turkey I believe and not so great  For my money if doing a conversion and you are under 6' tall a Toyota coaster is hard to beat or even a Nissan Civilian but a 4.2L not the rubbish 4cyl as they are gutless if you wish for something larger the Hino 160 is a good base also esp the wide body units .We had a lovely old Mazda bus fully self contained inc solar etc sell here in the village just recently for 25K so hardly worth doing the hard work of a conversion |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 18:46:04 GMT 10
Thank you John, I was thinking in the Coaster but it is a bit bigger for our parking facilities and also are a bit hard on fuel. They are heaps better than the T3500.
Perhaps an old Sprinter manual with the 2.9 engine can be another option but have to be inspected very well before put the cash on the table.
Iveco are out because the support it is very bad and all the others are far to expensive.
I like to go cheap so an old model have to be.
If come to the crunch I will go minimalist with a small van like a VW transporter but my other half like the "ensuite" inside.
I pushing 70 so a bit of comfort is not a bad idea.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 19:04:52 GMT 10
Thank you John, I was thinking in the Coaster but it is a bit bigger for our parking facilities and also are a bit hard on fuel. They are heaps better than the T3500. Perhaps an old Sprinter manual with the 2.9 engine can be another option but have to be inspected very well before put the cash on the table. Iveco are out because the support it is very bad and all the others are far to expensive. I like to go cheap so an old model have to be. If come to the crunch I will go minimalist with a small van like a VW transporter but my other half like the "ensuite" inside. I pushing 70 so a bit of comfort is not a bad idea. Hard to go past the toaster though I recently helped an older friend ( female ) purchase one it was a nice late 9o's import with the 4.2L diesel same as a cruiser and an auto also had airbag suspension on the rear shower loo and solar with 6 new michelin tyres and we ended up getting it for 35K fuel wise it was ok at around 14-15L per 100km |
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For my money if doing a conversion and you are under 6' tall a Toyota coaster is hard to beat or even a Nissan Civilian but a 4.2L not the rubbish 4cyl as they are gutless if you wish for something larger the Hino 160 is a good base also esp the wide body units .We had a lovely old Mazda bus fully self contained inc solar etc sell here in the village just recently for 25K so hardly worth doing the hard work of a conversion