It was a hot one again today, especially seeing as though I had again decided to spend the most part of it outside. A mate and I were off to the Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow at Caulfield. Billed as Victoria’s biggest caravan and camping show, my attendance is always a dangerous proposition. I generally come away with a swag of ideas on how to make our touring even more comfortable than it already is. There is always a lot of “oohing” and “aahing” as we check out the latest and greatest vans and accessories, not to mention the must have gadgets that see me stretching my short arms to the bottom of my deep pockets to pull out some cash. I had promised Bec to call for her approval before any major purchases were made, so I’m sure it was just a simple case of forgetfulness on her part that saw her leave her phone at home today!
Our day started well, with preferential VIP parking for ‘The Beast’ in a fenced off paddock, separate from the smaller vehicles, right by the entry gate. I could get used to this sort of deal.
Our plan once through the turnstiles was to beat the heat, checking the outdoor displays out first. To be honest, we didn’t actually inspect a whole lot of the vans, as they weren’t paticuarly on our shopping list. I did salivate over a number of the fancy, big and horrendously expensive 5th wheelers though. I could honestly see Bec and I living full time on the road in one of these monsters. Up to 10 metres long, with the hitch sitting in the tray of a ute, weighing up to 7tons fully loaded, it would be a nice match for ‘The Beast’. The one I liked specifically had an open plan kitchen, dining and living area that would rival a fancy apartment in size and quality. There was even a ceiling fan. In the bathroom was a marble (well, at least marble look) topped vanity and a hip bath. Just the thing for washing Alvin and Bethany. It was like an omen, that this was the van for us, but for the tidy sum of about $110,000 not including extras, I think I’ll have to relegate the 5th wheel option to my dream files (at least for now).
When it came to the more reasonable priced homes on wheels, one of the more interesting innovations I saw was the underfloor heating to the en-suite of one of them. It’s hard to report on how well it works considering it was in the high 30s today, but I’m sure it would keep the tootsies nice and toasty on a cold winters morn.
We did enjoy the diverse array of 4X4 stalls, although there was little on offer that would suit ‘The Beast’ apart from a terribly over priced bonnet guard. $500.00 for a piece of plastic had me baulking, much to the dismay (or was that a face of disgust?) of the bloke trying to rip me off, when I told him as much. The varied range of LED lighting available had me excited, but thoroughly confused however. I was hoping to kit out the back of ‘The Beast’ with some LED strip lights, as well as adding a similar thing to the van to light up the annex. A couple of high powered LED spots wouldn’t go astray on the chin of ‘The Beast’ either, to augment the HID spotties already there. It seemed like every second stall had some form of low powered, low wattage LED lighting, but it’s difficult to know exactly what product will do the trick. More research is required in this area before I part with any of my hard earned. I’m putting this one in the do it once, do it properly file and if it doesn’t get done for the big trip, it can just wait for another spell, when time isn’t of the essence.
As we continued on our way, we found the usual array of goodies and gadgets, all being spruiked with varying degrees of success, but nothing that stood out as a must have. Of course I did pick up a raft of leaflets about a range of products that may or may not yet get a guernsey to accompany us on our big trip, but as for the lights, more investigation is required. One idea which I didfind interesting and might be a handy investment was a personal sized evaporative cooler which runs off of a cigarette lighter socket. Considering the climes through which we will be travelling, I could see us getting some use from that when we don’t have access to mains power to run the air conditioner in the caravan. Or maybe for keeping the babies cool in the back of the truck when we have to leave them for any period of time.
Of course, I couldn’t spend an entire day at the show and come away empty handed. Where would the fun be in that? And with a 5th wheeler unceremoniously scratched from my list, I had to make do with a couple of somewhat smaller purchases. I manage to pick up a (spare) water pressure regulator for a steal and a nifty folding ladder. Weighing in at only a smidge over 5Kg and raising me to the lofty height of about 1.5m, I figure that it may well come in handy while we’re away, possibly for getting in to and out of ‘The Beast’.
It was at about this point in proceedings that a white flash caught my eye from my T-shirt, and I embarrassingly realised that I had been coolly wearing my T-shirt inside out all day. Thankfully I managed to change it before getting my picture taken atop my new ladder, to save me from any lasting embarrasement.
I can see everything from up here.
Our day concluded with a browse through the myriad of stalls chock-a-block full of travel brochures and information. I managed to collect a bag full of leaflets, featuring many of the places we’re planning on visiting during our trip. Good reading for the next few weeks to make sure that we don’t miss anything while we’re away.
Before we knew it, our time was up, and it was time to head for home. A busy, but fun filled day, with only a moderate amount of money changing hands. Funtastic.
Until next time, stay safe, have fun and don’t forget to write.
Our Aussie Adventures 