Melbourne, Vic, Apr 2023

We had often said that we would give up caravanning if one of 3 things happened. If our health, that of the caravan, or car failed. Bearing in mind that Priscilla is our 2nd van and the Jeep Cherokee is our 3rd tow car.

The Jeep was causing more worry and stress than actual breakdowns and with problems that couldn’t be replicated in a mechanic’s workshop. It only gave trouble when towing, sometimes a few 100kms from home but usually more than 1000kms, and we weren’t going to take the mechanic to the back of Bourke in NSW just to say “That’s it, there it goes again!”.

Thus we had to ask ourselves if we wanted to keep on caravanning, and the answer was a resounding “Yes”. We no longer have the stamina to do long drives or travel huge distances but there are still places that we’d like to explore and travelling slower has shown us some fascinating small towns. Also, there are our quarterly musters with our Caravan Club mates, each muster is vastly different and there are more laughs than you can shake a stick at. They truly are a great bunch.

Decision made there was a dash about town for a secondhand car. New, was out of the question as Post Covid prices have risen as ridiculously as housing prices. To my reckoning, one could now buy a Toyota Landcruiser for the price a house in the bush was Pre Covid. Test drives revealed several 4 x 4’s that sounded even worse than the Jeep on a bad day.

We settled on a pre-loved VW Touareg with low kilometres and a few years newer than the Jeep, though it wasn’t set up for towing. At Easter, we were invited to Elle’s youngest son’s farm down Geelong way, along with VeeWee and Toothless and his Missus. Because we couldn’t tow Elle gave up her comfy bed on her caravan to us, while she moved into the house with the family. The farm was looking a bit like a caravan park with us in the Waratah in the shed beside a van that Elle’s son is restoring. Another son and his daughter were in their van out front and the others camped in the backyard. After a weekend of far too much talk, laughter, and food and sorting out who was going where and when over winter it was time to leave the cosy woodfire and head back home. Thanks, R & H and Co for your hospitality and to the sheep who donated two of its’ legs.

Since then the towbar has been fitted, the Anderson plug (to keep the fridge running when we’re driving), a 7 pin plug (for the lights,) and an electric braking system for the caravan (to slow it up as we brake). Not forgetting a pre-trip service. When Woody informed the RACV of our change of vehicle I’m quite sure that there would have been a cheer from them as they’re probably sick of picking it up from the side of the road.

What are we doing now? Well, we’re wading through the near 700 page manual trying to work out what does which and which does what. At least the indicators are on the same side as the Jeep!