I am selling my Franklin

[Deleted]

I am selling the Franklin Arrow and planning to get a LWB high roof van 2000 to 2005 model to converting it to a camper.
It will be more suitable for us and my "crooked chassis". It will have the advantage of get on it and go for a night, couple of days or more and also more free camp sites available. 
We planning to do our (possible) last trip on it at the end of the month and then will be advertised.
The van also have the original top bunks and cushions in case that the future owner like to concert it to the original lay out.

[78466noM]

I hope you get top price for it as it is a very good van.
All the best on your van hunt I have seen a few costa style buses done up as campers and have seen a few for sale on the cheaper side.

[Deleted]

If I may add some advise ? Look around for a camper that is done you most times find it is as cheap or cheaper to buy a 2nd hand one than buy a van and convert it , might not be as much fun but buy'n'fly is a better way to go for those of us on the down hill slope of life like this
www.caravancampingsales.com.au/buy/used/OAG-AD-13785461/2002-Toyota-Hiace?cr=19&category=motorhomes-campers&psq=%28%28%28%28SiloType%3D%5BDealer%20Used%5D%7CSiloType%3D%5BPrivate%20Used%5D%29%26SaleStatus%3D%5BFor%20Sale%5D%29%26Service%3D%5BCaravancampingsales%5D%29%26%28Category%3D%5BMotorhomes%20%26%20Campers%5D%26SubCategory%3D%5BCampervan%5D%29%29&pso=15&pss=Price

[Mustang]

With those colours you have a certain sale.

[Deleted]

Thanks guys, John it will be hard to find a camper for $10.000 but there are few Transit for that money and done it at our taste and standards.

[atefooterz]

Dec 13, 2016 17:40:08 GMT 10 @gitano said:

Thanks guys, John it will be hard to find a camper for $10.000 but there are few Transit for that money and done it at our taste and standards.

If you can afford both it is a bonus. My Transit is great in colder months but the Arrow vastly more liveable in the hot stuff.

[Deleted]

Dec 13, 2016 23:48:42 GMT 10 atefooterz said:

Dec 13, 2016 17:40:08 GMT 10 @gitano said:

Thanks guys, John it will be hard to find a camper for $10.000 but there are few Transit for that money and done it at our taste and standards.

If you can afford both it is a bonus. My Transit is great in colder months but the Arrow vastly more liveable in the hot stuff.

Thank you for your suggestion.
The main reason why I am selling the caravan it is because I have found out that it is not as practical as a van to just "jump" on it and go for one night or two and park in many free camping areas in Tasmania. I would not hook the caravan for one or two nights only.
Weather is quite unpredictable here so many times plans have to be made on the spot.
The van will be heaps cheaper to cross to the main land to visiting our other son and family and relatives in Sydney.
And last but not less my severe arthritis in my hands, shoulders and neck  make the hook and and hook plus other tasks not enjoyable at all.

[Mustang]

Dec 14, 2016 7:10:30 GMT 10 @gitano said:

Dec 13, 2016 23:48:42 GMT 10 atefooterz said:

If you can afford both it is a bonus. My Transit is great in colder months but the Arrow vastly more liveable in the hot stuff.

Thank you for your suggestion.
The main reason why I am selling the caravan it is because I have found out that it is not as practical as a van to just "jump" on it and go for one night or two and park in many free camping areas in Tasmania. I would not hook the caravan for one or two nights only.
Weather is quite unpredictable here so many times plans have to be made on the spot.
The van will be heaps cheaper to cross to the main land to visiting our other son and family and relatives in Sydney.
And last but not less my severe arthritis in my hands, shoulders and neck  make the hook and and hook plus other tasks not enjoyable at all.

Re crossing the straight, my Bro in law has a Fiat Ducato Maxi, he has to park on the caravan deck due to the height $140.00.(one way)
My car & van is only two of his $900.00 (one way) GO FIGURE?? 
In Gitano's case a motorised caravan makes a lot of sense in Tassy.

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2016 7:18:41 GMT 10 Mustang said:

Dec 14, 2016 7:10:30 GMT 10 @gitano said:

Re crossing the straight, my Bro in law has a Fiat Ducato Maxi, he has to park on the caravan deck due to the height $140.00.(one way)
My car & van is only two of his $900.00 (one way) GO FIGURE?? 
In Gitano's case a motorised caravan makes a lot of sense in Tassy.

Having originally been caravanners then going over to the dark side with our motorhome for the past 13 years ( 250,000km and 4 nights in a caravan park in total ) and now also back into a VV and car I Can think of no circumstance  where the motorhome is not better   cheaper to run easier on the body etc etc so can see where Gitano is coming from , when I mentioned to SWMBO that there was a VV do on in Nth Qld next year she said great but then I suggested we make it a 2-3 week trip she immediately asked if we could go in the motorhome please  so for her a weekend is FINE a week is mmmmmaybe acceptable but over that it must be 1s class all the way with on board amenities and all mod cons and no caravan parks                                                                                                                                                                                           Mr 'Stang the CMCA have done a great job with the ferry for all their members with the discounts they have gained hence the prices for the big rally there in 2017 the deals will no doubt be even better for travelling members which are expected to top 1000 units 

[Deleted]

John, we lived 2 1/2 years on our motorhome while touring and building our home in Childers, Qld.
We stopped only 2 times in caravan parks for safety issues.
We estimated that we saved in excess of $6000 a year in accommodation only.
If we add to that the premium sites where we stayed there is no comparison between a large campervan and a caravan.
IMO the caravan with all the luxuries is an excellent choice for those that use it as a second home like the people from the south states when go north for 4 or more months during winter.

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2016 9:11:24 GMT 10 @gitano said:

John, we lived 2 1/2 years on our motorhome while touring and building our home in Childers, Qld.
We stopped only 2 times in caravan parks for safety issues.
We estimated that we saved in excess of $6000 a year in accommodation only.
If we add to that the premium sites where we stayed there is no comparison between a large campervan and a caravan.
IMO the caravan with all the luxuries is an excellent choice for those that use it as a second home like the people from the south states when go north for 4 or more months during winter.

I agree wholeheartedly in fact we are in the midst of deciding what next here we need to go down 1 vehicle SWMBO will not let go the Honda nor me the Zephyr or boat so it either the Viscount or the Sunliner motorhome and if push comes to shove the Viscount will be sold , will not be an easy sale after all the research looking and then finding such a nice unit but hopefully it will sell easily 

[tasmillard]

MANY moons ago I owned a Mazda E2200 camper converted van. Was our first van as such. It was very versatile but I wouldnt be doing a van vs caravan as I think they have different purposes (from experience). My thoughts are:
1) Van is good for on the go, stopping a few nights and then moving on. Not long terms stops, especially if you need to drive again for supplies as this means packing up the van and potentially losing your site when you return. Very PITA IMO
2) Caravan is better for longer term stays, or if you are sitting in one area mainly. This means you set up camp and use the vehicle to travel the local area during that time. Very comfortable as they are larger and effectively is base camp.

This is what we do most, stay and look around the area. If I was to do extensive travels around Oz (for example) then perhaps I would consider a van for the reasons I stated in point 1.

[Deleted]

Dec 15, 2016 13:01:39 GMT 10 tasmillard said:

MANY moons ago I owned a Mazda E2200 camper converted van. Was our first van as such. It was very versatile but I wouldnt be doing a van vs caravan as I think they have different purposes (from experience). My thoughts are:
1) Van is good for on the go, stopping a few nights and then moving on. Not long terms stops, especially if you need to drive again for supplies as this means packing up the van and potentially losing your site when you return. Very PITA IMO
2) Caravan is better for longer term stays, or if you are sitting in one area mainly. This means you set up camp and use the vehicle to travel the local area during that time. Very comfortable as they are larger and effectively is base camp.

This is what we do most, stay and look around the area. If I was to do extensive travels around Oz (for example) then perhaps I would consider a van for the reasons I stated in point 1.

Could not agree more   in fact SWMBO and I have discussed this and decided when we get too old to "tour" maybe a caravan could be on the cards for that winter sojourn north 3 days travel park somewhere for 3 months  then 3 days home   but then again we could just as easily hitch'n'ngo a small car behind the motorhome and park it as a base it is after all 7.5mx2.4m not a campervan   I have found the last 2 runs with the VV although fun and although we have met some great people it is strange being confined in a caravan park   it may change who knows meanwhile for me / us it is more about the tow car not the caravan which may also change in time   I guess we are blessed somewhat having the choice's we have and all are pretty nice at the end of the day   although both of us were a bit overwhelmed at the attention we recieved at Evans Head gathering from the general public maybe next time we will book earlier and get a site hidden away in the middle of all the other VV's , if nothing else it demonstrated the huge interest in vintage car and van combo's . 

[Deleted]

many of the experienced campervan or motorhome owners have a very cheap dome tent and couple of cheap folding chairs to "reserve or keep"the site when they have to go shopping to refill the pantry or water tanks 
If the shops are within 5 km the push bike or electric assisted bike towing one of those ultralight trailers trailers  is another of the solution. Some of the trailers are folding ones have 100KG capacity and the bikes are easy to mounting them on the bike carrier.
If it is a long wheel base van like a Transit, MB or Ducato a scooter carrier will be another option.
IMO the problem is when the van is small like the Toyotas, VW or the mentioned Mazda. There is not much room to carry a lot of provisions to last more than 2 weeks in a remote place.
Having said that, there is always options, just ask the minimalists back packers/bush walkers 

Foldable Cargo Storage Chariot Bike Trailer in Red

[atefooterz]

Regardless of choice i think a criteria is standing head room. I started with EH station waggon > HQ waggon then since 1985 the L300, good for sleeping/ travelling but for anything more than a long weekend a bit meh!
I was pondering doing a poptop on my L300 but got the Arrow for about the same price. Then the what to tow it with connumdrum - the MWB medium high Transit turned out to be good for my application. I still keep the L300 in Sydney so if i just fly or hitch back i have transport. If all the kit is here i can get into easy underground parking less than 1.85m. Back in the day i had a small tent so would arrive put up the tent then empty out the express & lay seats & extra matress accross, tent was for pantry boat bits & wet gear etc.
Good call about the cheap seats and tent to reserve a spot.

[Deleted]

I am aiming to a LWB high roof transit or a Sprinter with the 5 cyl 2.7 engine. I do not know what is the inside high on the medium high roof but have to be an exceptional unit to go for that.
I love the reliability of the old L300, IMO they are heaps better than the old VW TR can make a better camper.
We are getting a bit exigent with the type or size of the vans when we see that out there still heaps of old Komby touring the world specially between Alaska and the tip of South America. Also many people are using the VW LBW T4 and T5 as campers.
The excuse of many is that the VW Transporter and the mid wheel base MB and others are that they are more practical for parking and use them on the cities.

[78466noM]

They make fold-able box and boat and small motorbike trailers now so your possibilities are endless if you can't make a set up that is absolutely perfect for you it would have to be that close it wouldn't matter. I saw one that had the kitchen slide out from under the bed at the back a canvas room over top awning off side door a small space becomes a large living space.

[Deleted]

Looking for ideas to do the interior of the van I found this image 
What do you think? It can be incorporated in a caravan........

Interior ideas

[78466noM]

Ideal if you are fond of a drop or ten. I saw a pic of some one who used a transit cab chassis and put a caravan onto chassis front cut in to door so either bed for small thin child or storage the rest was very neat it must have been about a 14fter originally. The wheel arches were even set up properly over the rear wheels.

[Deleted]

There are so many possibilities, in USA there are many people that converting small pantech trucks to motorhomes because they have the with and a lot of headroom.
When we was touring with our motorhome we come across and solitary 75 years old widow woman that she was touring Australia and living permanently on that truck very well set up. In some ways was better than my Mazda t3500 bus because the with and not so many windows which are not good for insulation.

[Deleted]

Dec 18, 2016 16:29:51 GMT 10 @gitano said:

Looking for ideas to do the interior of the van I found this image 
What do you think? It can be incorporated in a caravan........

Interior ideas

I have seen a similar set up in the USA but it was for weapons real military type assault rifles plus shotguns and such , we were considering the purchase of a motorhome there at the time and several dealers made the comment "You do not want to "Boondock" (their term for freecamping ) unless yo all are "Carrying" hence many units have built in weapon racks some hidden some not   we in the end decided not to make the purchase in the states 

[atefooterz]

Dec 20, 2016 4:53:39 GMT 10 @retiredxjohn said:

Dec 18, 2016 16:29:51 GMT 10 @gitano said:

Looking for ideas to do the interior of the van I found this image 
What do you think? It can be incorporated in a caravan........

Interior ideas

I have seen a similar set up in the USA but it was for weapons real military type assault rifles plus shotguns and such , we were considering the purchase of a motorhome there at the time and several dealers made the comment "You do not want to "Boondock" (their term for freecamping ) unless yo all are "Carrying" hence many units have built in weapon racks some hidden some not   we in the end decided not to make the purchase in the states 

Interesting how a Pinoy (Philippine) Tagalog word became part of US chat

The boondocks is an American expression that stems from the Tagalog word bundok. It originally referred to a remote rural area, but now it is often applied to an out-of-the-way city or town considered backward and unsophisticated.

I noticed "beyond the black stump" or "beyond buggery" (NSFW warning lolz) changed when i was growing up with the R&R USA folks spending big during their stays.

[Deleted]

I placed an ad in Gumtree, asking "good money" for it.
If I cannot get $10000 it will be a keeper, it took to many hours and dollars to get her to this condition and I doubt that here is Tasmania is another one  like this.
For more info I am on 0413 379 693
If someone  call me for an offshore oil rig I will be unable to to the deal because I am in another rig 

[78466noM]

If the right people have the money you will have your sale it is a good van.

[Deleted]

Mar 12, 2017 6:23:14 GMT 10 tasmillard said:

I still see a few around here in Tassie, but I dare say that a lot of them have been converted to on-site vans and are slowly rotting away. Just yesterday I spotted what looked like a pop-top millard, most likely in the late 70s model. Cosmetically the poor thing looked like its been through the wars, the brown paint strip in the side of the van wasnt just faded, but peeling off. The cladding condition was also rough, but at least it was registered and being used for trips. Unfortunately, I think we seem to be a minor breed of van enthusiasts and restorers, not many have the inclination or the skill preferring to borrow huge money to buy a standard shoebox van. Its no different at all to classic cars IMO.

I think you have nailed it there , Whilst many old vans are bought on the cheap and butchered as weekenders because the owners can not afford a new van  there are those that are restored with skill and these are the ones that will be worth better dollars in the future same as the old cars , we all saw or owned modified old '64 Holdens or Fords back in the day those have mostly been crushed and recycled now however the ones owned and maintained as standard are bringing obscene dollars . 
I believe the 1960 to pre '80 caravans are where the growth is in the old caravan scene as these are collectible and usable also highly recognised by the baby boomers as are the cars from the era .
We have had offers that are getting hard to refuse for our complete rig and can well imagine if someone had them who needed money it would be impossible to resist , the latest offer was a swap for a current model (under 10000km) V8 mustang .
When I enquired re his motive his reply was he had the money he had the time and now he wanted to enjoy things he could not do as a youngster whilst making his way and his money , which I fully understand we are the same