Caravan Show & A New Caravan

Last Friday we attended the Caravan Show on the Gold Coast, then visited our grandaughter Saturday, today I am feeling exhausted. What fun though looking at so many caravans to see what everyone had but the weather was really hot, and despite wearing a hat my face got burnt. 

The entrance area

You had to book with  Ticketek to get in, and they sent you an online ticket, in messages, so that was interesting wrestling with my phone to show the ladies our tickets, plus again on our way out to say we had left. Luckily I didn't delete them in the process as I hadn't thought of us leaving via tickets. Covid safety I think. Everything was available, masks and hand sanitizer everywhere. Most in the hot sun, which according to John, all the alcohol had probably evaporated, so not very useful by the end of the day. I did grab a mask on entry and used it when the crowd got very thick, only saw one other person with one as well.

Finding map directions of where we were interested. 

We had a list of those caravan makers we had checked online. Hinterland was our first stop as it was the top of the list. They are a Gold Coast Company at Burleigh Heads, and stock several brands which are made to order. Most caravan places now have made to order, some take 4 months to build others with a long waiting list like Jayco up to a year.
 

We walked from place to place via the shade.

As you can imagine everything from a pin to an anchor so to speak was here. I was surprised at the crowd, it took us half and hour to just get into the car park, and was very full. This as far as I know is the first caravan and camping show in a year. Even the Sydney one has been cancelled. 

We went from one group to the next looking at 18 foot size to 19 foot 11 lol let's say 20 foot, I found that weird. Some are measured just the van size and others include the tow bar, getting your head around the maths was interesting. In the end we could spot anything 20 foot and under. We were looking for single beds, of which there was I think about 3. Double and Queen beds in my mind cut the van in half and make it look smaller. Most would do an order in single though even throwing the change in for free as a show special. 

Imagine a walk space to the end usually a small wardrobe.

Our old van bed space..

We narrowed them down to three brands, Avan, Viscount, and Domain part of the Hinterland group. Domain won. They had building regulations that outweighed the other two, with much stronger and longer length parts, plus extra solar, and more double power points, plus extra bits and pieces like a pull out pantry drawer system, cupboard under the table,and all drawers, where as others had a drop down front. Leather like seats as well included. Priced pretty much the same as the others

My first requirement was a cafe seat, sitting opposite is so much better, than next to each other that a lot had.

I also like the pull out pantry, many didn't have a pantry and others just a set of  skinny shelving where a row of tins would fit, a nightmare trying to pull everything out to find something. 

I didn't want an oven, and probably won't use the grill, I prefer a toaster and my new air fryer which has shelves, to cook almost anything and can sit outside where there is a  small fold down picnic table and outdoor plug. Bench space was still good if I happen to use the hotplate with its lift up bench.

The table pulls out three sections, and fits two normal dinner plates across from each other comfortably.

We went with a caravan and not a pop top this time. It was taking two of us to push the pop top up, as John's shoulders are now painful and I haven't a lot of strength. The downside is more wind resistance and greater use of petrol. Not enough though to keep a pop top.

 

Most new vans, even  pop tops come with a 3 kg. washing machine. I heard, via several conversations, they use a lot of water, probably good for national parks where facilities are limited to drop toilets only.

I don't mind paying a few dollars to use caravan park machines. We shall investigate both weight of these and practicality of using one.

Most vans also now have a bathroom across the back or front. Toilet is to the left and shower to the right. They work on a waste water canister that you have to empty at  a special outlet, not always at every park but usually popular places have them in town as Coffs Harbour has. You just have to know where they are. Again using public facilities is best to save having to emptying the canisters. Showers can be hooked up separately to caravan park water and drains, but public ones have more room. We shall see on that one, it is quite a largish shower cubicle. Lots of storage cupboards in here.

Our last shower/ toilet was combined to a corner square. therefore most kitchens have lost some space.

Huge fridge

Storage space

All the mod cons, airconditioning in roof, TV, wireless, Euro windows which have blinds and screens you pull up from bottom.

Cupboard at entrance also unusual as far as vans go.

Of course being a caravan, gained more space right around the van, BUT only allowed 400 kgs I think.
 There is more space also on the outside with cubby holes that go under the inside parts, plus the beds lift up as well.

This one goes right through to the other side.

Two very tired new owners.

Not the most flattering photo but the end of a most tiring day. I cannot guess at how many kilometers we walked, including up and down stairs. There is still a lot of work to do, we paid a deposit and won't be ready till at least July. The secretary will organize a date soon, for us to go back this time to Burleigh Heads to choose colours, even to the logo, benchtops, seating which is leather like, not sure about bedding but usually some sort of cover to match everything, plus any extras and we are looking at camera reversing, and what ever else they want to show us. It is a 3 1/2 hr. trip but we may visit our grandaughter again if she needs it. We also get two nights at Burleigh Heads caravan park to check it out after a 2 hour going over with one of the experts, when we pick it up.

This visit though we took our grandaughter to the huge Westfield to do a weekly shop, saves her the bus trip, and we shouted her that plus lunch. It was the walking though, by the time we found Aldi's, a chemist and lunch another few kilometers I am sure. Felt like hours but was only 2 1/2 so we didn't have to pay for car park fees, another new thing for us, none of our supermarkets, of shopping centres have them. Our grandaughter's Pop's funeral was Friday and  we were concerned for her, being on her own, plus she had burnt her hand so took some aloe vera to help, and a choc chip slice and banana cake to save her some cooking, both egg free as well for her allergy.

I think I will be having a nanna nap today.

Till Next Time.