Thanks for posting actually helpful information, warts and all. Recently I’ve ceased watching people on RUclips doing their lap. The click bait is out of control. Sensationalising minor breakages…I’m over it. So thank you for being real.
Yes, unfortunately the Australian caravanning niche suffers so much from this sensationalism and click bait thumbnail. Believe me, we know about it, and hate it. Sadly though it works, and the creators abusing it are growing the fastest. And the new and aspiring creators try to emulate them. It's a bit of a race to the bottom. Hopefully we don't ever find ourselves in that race.
@@SvedosTrippin 2 years ago I thought about posting our lap on RUclips after two weeks on the road I thought “I don’t want miss anything on this trip and I’m not going to spend hours video editing interrupt me”. So I stuck to instagram as a personal blog of our journey. So, I appreciate the hard work you’re putting in.
Take it from an old fossil, wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from living, keep living and enjoying every experience good and bad, life is too short and i hope your veiwers appreciate the content, there is good advise within it, keep up the good work.
Great topic. Here's another one: Failing to do a walk around before departing. I've driven off with chocks under the wheels; left things behind; forgotten to plug in/unplug things; etc. A final walk around before engaging Drive is worth the 1 minute that it takes.
The pole into sidewall of van is a beauty...The wrong fuel scenario haunts me everytime I fill up. Thanks for sharing your learning experiences.Thinking the checklist is a good idea.Happy vanning.
G'day, Mike here. I'm 65, been caravanning and bus motorhoming a long time. Made my own mistakes, like rolling a van due to incorrect load distribution in the 80s. Really like your honesty and the way you get on. Enjoy life thanks. Mike 😊
Love your style and ability to flow the conversation between yourselves and be bouncy without being over the top. Too many dry and boring trip videos that are very tiring to watch So well done , with some good info and the right approach as lifestyle traveler’s , who simply take their time and enjoy their travels
You’re a great couple and appreciate showing as it is and not glamorising van life, like way too many do. Honesty is refreshing and you provided some really important insight into getting to know your vehicle and can. Thanks & stay safe
Brave and honest video guys. You obviously learn from your mistakes, and better still share them so others can learn and not make the same ones. A huge 👍 from me.
Got to admit, i haven't watched a video in a while, but this was brilliant. you guys look super comfortable in fromnt of the camera and good together. Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing the not so glamorous side of the life. we are all human and all make mistakes. it is great to learn from others rather than having to make ALLL the mistkaes myself! lol
The initial segment on weights rings home so true. We purchased a vehicle with 3.5t tow capacity but absolutely cannot go anywhere near this and now we are spec'ing up a new 4wd with GVM/GCM, so 120k later we will have a set up that will last us out to retirement. Thanks guys it is so hard to expose yourselves like this to help others
You reminded me of the time I put 80 litres of fuel in the rod holder (the fuel tank filler is right next to it). 25 years ago. I still haven't lived that one down!
Thanks for being honest. We think most travellers would certainly relate & would've experienced similar horror stories themselves. Great information for those starting out! Safe travels!👍
Thanks heaps. It was really good to know all the stuff you talked about. And yes, we made our very first mistake ourselves with our brand new caravan late last year on our first trip out. We turned into a tight corner, and we didn't look in the mirror and side of the van hit the water fountain and put a big rip in the side. Luckily, there was a guy there, and he came to our rescue, and he pulled the caravan out sideways. We couldn't go forward or back because the water tray was stuck on the inside of the van. Very very thankful to this person. We don't know who he was.
A tip/trick with the reversing of the van ... change roles. Let Mel do the driving and Brett do the directing. Try it. It's a sure way of avoiding the arguments and angst. An old friend told us that many years ago.
I travelled Australia with a dear mate who is ex farmer truck driver parking in parks were a breeze people used to stare at how good he was, come other times he did hand signals not always in sink.we had 4 months and I loved his surprise at how wonderful our country is was one of many short trips we are unable to travel now but great memories. Thanks for your episode do you travel with children? And these days do you both work as it is not cheap travelling and am sure there are some interesting jobs to do in rural areas best wishes safe travel😊
Hey guys, fantastic topic to delve into and share with both novice and seasoned caravan enthusiasts! The vlog is packed with valuable insights, and I believe others, including myself will find your hard-earned advice quite helpful. I’ve made some of the mistakes you mentioned Brett, and I truly resonate with your feelings on owning up to them with fellow travelers. Thanks for addressing a challenging topic! Stay safe and see you guys on the next adventure 👍 kind regards Corrie
Excellent video. We’re into our eighth year on the road and gee we’ve made our fair share of mistakes. Love your honesty. I’m sure you’ll save plenty of people some costly mistakes.
Hey guys i dont think your mistakes were that bad considering you have been on the road for 3 years, my partner has put petrol in my diesel ute twice so far, i no longer let her fill up anymore lol Thanks for the honesty and wish you all the best for the future.
We feel very lucky. We have seen alot since starting this and relatively our mistakes aren't that bad. Some people we've met have had catastrophic issues that could have maybe been avoided. Thanks for the kind comment and thanks for watching and commenting.
Well done for sharing. You virtually touched on this but a great habit ive learnt from heavy vehicles in & around minesites. Complete a 360 walk around the entire vehicle setup each time you stop prior to restarting. Its amazing what you will pick up on. Congrats again happy travels
Very good video, my tip to add is that I have a checklist that I have laminated, for the inside and then the outside, I religiously stick to it, it came about after I lost a sway bar after my neighbour distracted me while hooking the caravan up, prior to the checklist, I had left the aerial up, had draws fly open not locked, had the fridge door open not latched, left the top hatch open, not turned the fridge to 12 volt when travelling, so my tip is use a checklist, keep up the good work, regards Tony
Great video and some timely advice. Only takes a few minutes to do a walk around your van at each fuel stop and check things out. Check wheel nuts etc. liking your channel keep up the good stuff and enjoy.
Thank you for making this video. Your right about not many people own up to making mistakes, but when your new to this, like my husband and I, we are still tenting it ATM. Yeah it's a learning curve. I like the idea of the checklist 👍 strap the fridge👍 . We plan on hiring a few different caravans first to see which might suit us and our 4x4. Looking forward to more videos guys....
What a wonderfully comprehensive video . On topic of tyres , we do a walk around and check heat and state of tyres every time we stop , about every 2 hours on average , for whatever the reason . But well done admitting your mistakes and passing on your advice to others .
Hey Brett & Mel. What an awesome video, honest and everything explained. Yes, it's hard owning up to our mistakes, so well done to both of you! Anyone watching you guys for the 1st time will think that you're on your own....your kids are so well-behaved and know when not to interrupt 😂 Hope you guys and Kaylee & Owen have an good weekend. Safe travels and see you next week ❤
Thank you guys for posting this video. I am a complete "Novice" but am looking at buying a new car & a van of about 16 ft.. You are completely open about your trials & tribulations. Hopefully, we can all learn from ever one else's mistakes. Many thanks, Pete
I like your video, I also have a small hit that we used when traveling to Cape York with a camper trailer, i used a permanent Marker and drew an line on the face of our wheel nuts ,car and camper and by just looking at them you would know if the nuts are coming loose. We checked them each time we got out of the car especially when traveling on corrugated road.
great tips … When reversing instead of left and right we use driver and passenger… Doesn’t matter which way your looking at things . Everyone is on the same page then
Thank you. This was a GREAT video. I have made a few of these mistakes and I felt like an idiot. It was great for you guys to talk about this as it might save others a lot of money. Remember, if you haven't made mistakes, you haven't lived. Keep up the good work.
Cheers Shane, a few comments saying they have made the same mistakes, certainly makes us feel better. Hopefully this will help a handful of people avoid these ones. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hey great communication that's why you've bin on tĥe road with kids for 4yrs.Well done.Suggest a tiny cheap centrifugal pump, n some clear hose,$30-50 and some spair fuel containers.Attach a cordless drill to pump n you can remove wrong fuel from tank in minutes and fill to the top with correct fuel b4 started.i made same mistake putting unleaded in my deisal n was on my way in 15-20mins.
We are going with prevention rather than a cure, haha. We know double and triple check before filling up. Will only make that mistake once. Also we are about to upgrade to a long range tank and it will come with a bung if we ever have to dump bad fuel we can undo that.
Thanks again for a helpful video. Now we'll hopefully reduce our mistakes for a big lap from Aug. I liked the mention of the marriage saver offer (I'll definitely not say no now!).
Your human, mistakes are made by the best experts in caravanning. You're aware now and will always be able to recognise things as they occur ,thank you for bring this subject up , and making newbies aware of these things ,good on you I have taken note of this thank you 😊
Thank you so much for your wisdom and honesty. As someone about to get into vans, every bit of info really helps. I have been off grid camping for decades but really know nothing about van life. This info is bloody awesome. Keep up the great work 👍
We’ve just started watching your videos. We are in planning mode and finding your experiences invaluable so thank you! Please add a THANK YOU $$ button as we’d like to send a little something. Great channel guys!
So kind of you, glad the channel is helping you out, that's great to hear. Will have to look into a thank you option. Appreciate the kind comment, thanks for watching.
Thank you, we think we are good people. My dress is from Boho Leni, a designer in Cairns, has an online shop also. They are pretty, quick dry and don't crease so perfect for travel life.
Love your honesty and tips. I to had a tyres wearing unevenly on the inside edges. With some suspension work previously the beam axle had been re installed upside down. We found out axles have sag in one direction. The re install created some negative camber for the wheels creating excessive inside edge wear.
On caravan weights I don't think you made a mistake personally. There is a problem a big one but a fair bit of the responsibility IMO rests with caravan manufacturers. They deliberately and knowingly understate Tare weights. My 21 foot Jayco Basestation has a tare of around 2350 kg but that weight does not include the weight of full gas bottles or water tanks. So add over 200kg before you put in a tooth brush. But the next issue is the Max weight of the caravan. So if you want to put in a motorcycle and stuff and keep under the Max rated weight you had better pack very very light. The irony is my Outback suspension is massively strong and ratings could be much higher. Accept where you put the weight is critical and just where your using it is critical. Great video all great points. Re marriage saver. Yep some caravan park sites are extremely challenging. And congestion can make it really difficult. We have a good rear view camera on the caravan. If I cannot see my wife I stop and get out and have a look with her. Caravan parks can attract male helpers who think they know better than my wife!. I always rely on her as no. 1 And take my own time. Often when backing you must watch out for the front LHS corner of the truck! Yep stuffed up fuel once too. Not thinking
Thanks mate, great thoughtful comments. Yes, the stress of onlookers certainly doesn't help, even though I'm pretty seasoned it still adds a layer of anxiety for me... I agree there should be some responsibility on the manufactures about van weights, I think the fact that it's believed that about 70% of vans out there are over weight should really prompt some action shouldn't it.
@@SvedosTrippin I think it would be interesting to see you can legally tow any of Jaycos new top of the line vans behind a selection of 3500kg rated tow vehicles if you actually loaded them with full tanks gas bottles and say 200kg of stuff.
@rosewood1 that would be a great experiment, not sure I have the resources to complete this haha, not to mention dealing with the fall out if the results ended the way you and I suspect.
Great vid guys & some awesome tips & advice! Agree with the fridge strap! We have had 2 latches break on our fridge in 12 months and now use 3 x Dreambaby Twist & Lock Multi Purpose Latches & they are awesome 😎
Your video was amazing and resourceful. We shy away from discussing mistakes in a lot of areas in our life. You video has taught so many people valuable lessons. Thank you!
Good job guy’s, a lot of good tips here, basic maintenance checks is something you should be doing at every stop really if you dont have all the excessively flash gear for checking tyre pressures & axel temps, etc. thankfully you didn’t have any real catastrophic failures overall and this is a good reminder to all travellers to keep an eye on ur gear. Safe travel guy’s.
Another really great video. So brave if you to share it. Well done. (Our latest: I had to go away from the van for 5 days at the beginning of the week, leaving hubby to 'batch'. On my return on Wed, he told me the flap on the toilet cassette came off when he was about to empty it!! So glad I wasn't there and he had to deal with it by himself.) Yeo. Things DO happen to all of us.
Want a funny toilet story from us. The button on our flush played up and stayed on flushing the toilet. About 15 mins later I was like what's that noise. The toilet was flooding into the van. Ahh well, these things happen. Thanks for watching and the kind comment.
Nothing wrong about manning up and admitting mistakes...now you hopefully have helped people who have never been out on the road camping...like me..won't be towing a van but its all good info..Thanks heaps for the vid..
Great video and very good advice. I love that it is a warts and all chat about your adventures and mishaps. Keep up the great work and stay safe and well.
Great honest video guys. Having once places a few litres of petrol into our diesel fuel tank, we know how easy it can be done. It is a horrible feeling when you are a short distance away from the servo and you start to question yourself "did I put diesel in" so for that reason we now always get a receipt as a reassurance of what fuel was purchased.
great content... I am a 'bush camper' with a Troopy and rooftent as well as a good size ground tent. We are considering our next move up to a caravan or trailer... all the helpful info we can gather before making our major purchase is helpful. Knowing the issues that could lie ahead is key to an enjoyable trip. Thanks for your insights. Safe travels !!
Thank you so much for sharing! We have just started travelling in our new van and have made some good mistakes! Hit a tree on our first trip because we didn’t take the height of the van into account! We will definitely take your wisdom on board to avoid future mistakes.
Great honest and open video to bare all! Yes don’t see a lot of this going around. I knew a few of these to look out for, but learned a few good tips too!!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I hope you have happy and safe travels in the future. The caravan community are amazing, lots of experience and great people to learn from.
This is the the first of your videos that I have watched, I am impressed! I have been caravanning for 25 years and have a reasonable amount of experience but I am going to subscribe to the channel to follow your travels. Keep it up, it is a great life.
Awesome video! Great tips to share and loved the first one. Hubby and I are new to this and don’t know where to start, so any tips are good tips, even though these were errors for you both. Thanks for taking the time to do this video, xx
Hey guys thanks for being so open about some of the things that can go wrong. We’ve only just begun our caravan journey with a weekend away here and there. Last weekend we were packing up in the rain, and had another person waiting for our site. In the mad rush we packed everything up and took off. About 30km down the road I decided to stop and empty the toot, and found the caravan keys still in the front boot of the van. I did do a quick pre-departure check but missed this one. Keep the videos coming I enjoy learning from your adventures.
Only recently started to follow (currently off sick) love the honesty of your videos. Information is valuable as I'm in the process of buying my 1st camper... (Jayco Swift) It's been a long-term dream and finally about to happen. No intentions to do full-time on the road, but definitely school holidays.
Great and honest video . When we back up into a site these days we tend to use our phone, if we have phone reception, so that the driver can have both hands on the wheel.
Great tips guys we ended up strapping every overhead cupboard as well as the fridge we use little clear rubber straps and stick on clips from Bunnings! We like your fridge idea better though! Thanks!
Thanks for posting actually helpful information, warts and all.
Recently I’ve ceased watching people on RUclips doing their lap.
The click bait is out of control. Sensationalising minor breakages…I’m over it.
So thank you for being real.
Yes, unfortunately the Australian caravanning niche suffers so much from this sensationalism and click bait thumbnail. Believe me, we know about it, and hate it. Sadly though it works, and the creators abusing it are growing the fastest. And the new and aspiring creators try to emulate them. It's a bit of a race to the bottom.
Hopefully we don't ever find ourselves in that race.
@@SvedosTrippin 2 years ago I thought about posting our lap on RUclips after two weeks on the road I thought “I don’t want miss anything on this trip and I’m not going to spend hours video editing interrupt me”. So I stuck to instagram as a personal blog of our journey. So, I appreciate the hard work you’re putting in.
Tried to find you on insta but couldn't. whats the actual name, would love to follow and see where you have been.@@biglap.australia
@@SvedosTrippin you do already mate. @Biglap.aus!
@@biglap.australia ahh yup, now I know who you are 😁
Take it from an old fossil, wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from living, keep living and enjoying every experience good and bad, life is too short and i hope your veiwers appreciate the content, there is good advise within it, keep up the good work.
Well said! Thanks for the kind words.
Learning from mistakes is so very valuable; thank you for being so generous with sharing your experiences.
Great topic. Here's another one: Failing to do a walk around before departing. I've driven off with chocks under the wheels; left things behind; forgotten to plug in/unplug things; etc. A final walk around before engaging Drive is worth the 1 minute that it takes.
Great tip! thankfully we've not made this mistake. I always do a walk around of everything after hitching up. But its certainly a good bit of advice.
We have gone a step further and have a written checklist which is A4 in size and it's laminated. This has eliminated our past mistakes and accidents.
As someone who has written off two jockey wheels and a caravan stabiliser jack I endorse this🤬
The pole into sidewall of van is a beauty...The wrong fuel scenario haunts me everytime I fill up.
Thanks for sharing your learning experiences.Thinking the checklist is a good idea.Happy vanning.
G'day, Mike here.
I'm 65, been caravanning and bus motorhoming a long time. Made my own mistakes, like rolling a van due to incorrect load distribution in the 80s.
Really like your honesty and the way you get on.
Enjoy life thanks.
Mike 😊
Love your style and ability to flow the conversation between yourselves and be bouncy without being over the top. Too many dry and boring trip videos that are very tiring to watch
So well done , with some good info and the right approach as lifestyle traveler’s , who simply take their time and enjoy their travels
I appreciate that! thanks for the kind comment and thanks for watching.
You’re a great couple and appreciate showing as it is and not glamorising van life, like way too many do. Honesty is refreshing and you provided some really important insight into getting to know your vehicle and can. Thanks & stay safe
Thanks for the kind comment. Glad to have you watching and commenting.
Thank you. 🙏🏼 Your mistakes help others avoid the same mistakes.
You're so welcome! That's what we're hoping for with this vid.
Brave and honest video guys. You obviously learn from your mistakes, and better still share them so others can learn and not make the same ones. A huge 👍 from me.
Thanks for the kind comment, it's much appreciated.
Proud of you guys swallowing pride. We all make mistakes or learn from lack of knowledge. Excellent video thankyou.
Thanks for watching!
Got to admit, i haven't watched a video in a while, but this was brilliant. you guys look super comfortable in fromnt of the camera and good together. Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing the not so glamorous side of the life. we are all human and all make mistakes. it is great to learn from others rather than having to make ALLL the mistkaes myself! lol
been a while Josh. thanks for the compliments, back to Queensland soon.
The initial segment on weights rings home so true. We purchased a vehicle with 3.5t tow capacity but absolutely cannot go anywhere near this and now we are spec'ing up a new 4wd with GVM/GCM, so 120k later we will have a set up that will last us out to retirement. Thanks guys it is so hard to expose yourselves like this to help others
Mistakes, the knowledge you need, just after you needed it !
Wow how open, how honest and incredibly helpful. You can't make mistakes unless you put yourself out there. Thanks very much
You reminded me of the time I put 80 litres of fuel in the rod holder (the fuel tank filler is right next to it). 25 years ago. I still haven't lived that one down!
Haha we all do it at some point don't we.
Thanks for being honest.
We think most travellers would certainly relate & would've experienced similar horror stories themselves.
Great information for those starting out!
Safe travels!👍
Thanks very much. Was a hard vid to make but we hope it helps others. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Great Advice for first timers. We nearly fell into the weight trap. Cheers
Thank you, no doubt humbling but extremely helpful to other travelers 👍
Thank you and we hope so.
Great episode. Thank you for reminding us all to be alert and vigilant while travelling.
Our pleasure! Thanks for.watching and commenting.
Thanks heaps. It was really good to know all the stuff you talked about. And yes, we made our very first mistake ourselves with our brand new caravan late last year on our first trip out. We turned into a tight corner, and we didn't look in the mirror and side of the van hit the water fountain and put a big rip in the side. Luckily, there was a guy there, and he came to our rescue, and he pulled the caravan out sideways. We couldn't go forward or back because the water tray was stuck on the inside of the van. Very very thankful to this person. We don't know who he was.
Well said, enjoyed thoroughly.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching and commenting.
A tip/trick with the reversing of the van ... change roles. Let Mel do the driving and Brett do the directing. Try it. It's a sure way of avoiding the arguments and angst. An old friend told us that many years ago.
really?
We've tried this before, diddnt work for us. Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
I travelled Australia with a dear mate who is ex farmer truck driver parking in parks were a breeze people used to stare at how good he was, come other times he did hand signals not always in sink.we had 4 months and I loved his surprise at how wonderful our country is was one of many short trips we are unable to travel now but great memories. Thanks for your episode do you travel with children? And these days do you both work as it is not cheap travelling and am sure there are some interesting jobs to do in rural areas best wishes safe travel😊
The hand held radio is the go!! The communication issue is a major. Great video!!
Thanks for tips more people should do this to help others , may even save lives
So nice of you, we do hope this helps people.
Hey guys, fantastic topic to delve into and share with both novice and seasoned caravan enthusiasts! The vlog is packed with valuable insights, and I believe others, including myself will find your hard-earned advice quite helpful. I’ve made some of the mistakes you mentioned Brett, and I truly resonate with your feelings on owning up to them with fellow travelers. Thanks for addressing a challenging topic! Stay safe and see you guys on the next adventure 👍 kind regards Corrie
Our pleasure! Thanks as always for the kind and thoughtful comment. Next week it's a fun vlog exploring another outback town.
Thanks guys, great info from two honest people actually living the dream, hope you can keep enjoying your travels.
Love your honesty. Thanks for this very relevant clip presented so well with humour and your down to earth manner.
Your welcome, thanks for your kind comment.
Excellent video. We’re into our eighth year on the road and gee we’ve made our fair share of mistakes. Love your honesty. I’m sure you’ll save plenty of people some costly mistakes.
Awesome, so cool.to have someone with your experience being interested in this one. Thanks for watching and commenting.
We are all human and not perfect! Thanks guys you are true people ❤
Your welcome, thanks for watching and commenting 😀
Hey guys i dont think your mistakes were that bad considering you have been on the road for 3 years, my partner has put petrol in my diesel ute twice so far, i no longer let her fill up anymore lol Thanks for the honesty and wish you all the best for the future.
We feel very lucky. We have seen alot since starting this and relatively our mistakes aren't that bad. Some people we've met have had catastrophic issues that could have maybe been avoided.
Thanks for the kind comment and thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks guys for sharing and keeping us all safe doing the best journey travelling this gorgeous country 😊
Thank you for your invaluable input on being aware of car and caravan maintenance. ☀️🇦🇺
Well done for sharing. You virtually touched on this but a great habit ive learnt from heavy vehicles in & around minesites. Complete a 360 walk around the entire vehicle setup each time you stop prior to restarting. Its amazing what you will pick up on.
Congrats again happy travels
Very good video, my tip to add is that I have a checklist that I have laminated, for the inside and then the outside, I religiously stick to it, it came about after I lost a sway bar after my neighbour distracted me while hooking the caravan up, prior to the checklist, I had left the aerial up, had draws fly open not locked, had the fridge door open not latched, left the top hatch open, not turned the fridge to 12 volt when travelling, so my tip is use a checklist, keep up the good work, regards Tony
Thank you… I’m a new caravan owner… pick it up Thursday
Great video and some timely advice. Only takes a few minutes to do a walk around your van at each fuel stop and check things out.
Check wheel nuts etc. liking your channel keep up the good stuff and enjoy.
Thanks Tony. It's all a learning curve, hopefully we can help sharpen that curve for others with this vid. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you for making this video. Your right about not many people own up to making mistakes, but when your new to this, like my husband and I, we are still tenting it ATM. Yeah it's a learning curve. I like the idea of the checklist 👍 strap the fridge👍 . We plan on hiring a few different caravans first to see which might suit us and our 4x4. Looking forward to more videos guys....
What a wonderfully comprehensive video . On topic of tyres , we do a walk around and check heat and state of tyres every time we stop , about every 2 hours on average , for whatever the reason . But well done admitting your mistakes and passing on your advice to others .
We aren't as vigilant as you, though we probably should be. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hey Brett & Mel. What an awesome video, honest and everything explained.
Yes, it's hard owning up to our mistakes, so well done to both of you!
Anyone watching you guys for the 1st time will think that you're on your own....your kids are so well-behaved and know when not to interrupt 😂
Hope you guys and Kaylee & Owen have an good weekend.
Safe travels and see you next week ❤
Thanks so much! Many years of training with the kiddies. They were inside playing quietly.
Yes quiet activity time is key
@melissasvedinek850 Mel, good plan! You're a lovely little family 😊
This A great Vid👍People Who Don,t Do Anyhing Never Make Mistakes
Great vlog, everyone makes mistakes, thanks for sharing your experiences
We made the mistake putting unleaded in the tank "WE". LOL love your channel guy's.
we are a team, my mistakes are our mistakes hahaha. Thanks for watching.
My fav was the marriage saver. I'll have to remember that one 🙂
Thank you guys for posting this video. I am a complete "Novice" but am looking at buying a new car & a van of about 16 ft.. You are completely open about your trials & tribulations. Hopefully, we can all learn from ever one else's mistakes. Many thanks, Pete
Thanks for sharing! Appreciate your candour and humility. Well done.
I like your video, I also have a small hit that we used when traveling to Cape York with a camper trailer, i used a permanent Marker and drew an line on the face of our wheel nuts ,car and camper and by just looking at them you would know if the nuts are coming loose. We checked them each time we got out of the car especially when traveling on corrugated road.
Great tip! Thanks for watching and commenting.
great tips … When reversing instead of left and right we use driver and passenger… Doesn’t matter which way your looking at things . Everyone is on the same page then
Very true! only took me 3 years to teach Mel to operate that way hahaha. thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you. This was a GREAT video. I have made a few of these mistakes and I felt like an idiot. It was great for you guys to talk about this as it might save others a lot of money. Remember, if you haven't made mistakes, you haven't lived. Keep up the good work.
Cheers Shane, a few comments saying they have made the same mistakes, certainly makes us feel better. Hopefully this will help a handful of people avoid these ones. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hey great communication that's why you've bin on tĥe road with kids for 4yrs.Well done.Suggest a tiny cheap centrifugal pump, n some clear hose,$30-50 and some spair fuel containers.Attach a cordless drill to pump n you can remove wrong fuel from tank in minutes and fill to the top with correct fuel b4 started.i made same mistake putting unleaded in my deisal n was on my way in 15-20mins.
We are going with prevention rather than a cure, haha. We know double and triple check before filling up. Will only make that mistake once.
Also we are about to upgrade to a long range tank and it will come with a bung if we ever have to dump bad fuel we can undo that.
I’m a super noob solo. I’m so thankful you guys gave me so much to think abt. 😊
Glad to hear we helped.
Its extremely humbling when holding yourself accountable, good video guys.
Cheers mate.
Thanks again for a helpful video. Now we'll hopefully reduce our mistakes for a big lap from Aug. I liked the mention of the marriage saver offer (I'll definitely not say no now!).
Your human, mistakes are made by the best experts in caravanning. You're aware now and will always be able to recognise things as they occur ,thank you for bring this subject up , and making newbies aware of these things ,good on you I have taken note of this thank you 😊
Thanks for that! Hopefully we will help others alot with this one.
Thank you for making this video. It has certainly helped educate me and made me aware of a few issues that I had not thought about.
You guys are really easy to listen to. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. It was helpful for me
A number of very useful tips - thanks so much for your honesty.
great video more should make them we all make mistakes but not many share them to help others not do the same good on yous stay happy and safe travels
Good on you guys for owning it and sharing. That takes courage and humility. Something that is lacking in this day and age.
We agree! Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
Thank you so much for your wisdom and honesty. As someone about to get into vans, every bit of info really helps. I have been off grid camping for decades but really know nothing about van life. This info is bloody awesome. Keep up the great work 👍
Thanks you, glad to hear it's helped you, and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
We’ve just started watching your videos. We are in planning mode and finding your experiences invaluable so thank you! Please add a THANK YOU $$ button as we’d like to send a little something. Great channel guys!
So kind of you, glad the channel is helping you out, that's great to hear. Will have to look into a thank you option. Appreciate the kind comment, thanks for watching.
Mistakes are how we learn. Admitting them comes from being a good person. Where did you get that dress from…love it.
Thank you, we think we are good people. My dress is from Boho Leni, a designer in Cairns, has an online shop also. They are pretty, quick dry and don't crease so perfect for travel life.
Where those good people tasty honey 🤣. Thanks for watching and the kind comment.
Love the Honesty, Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Love your honesty and tips. I to had a tyres wearing unevenly on the inside edges. With some suspension work previously the beam axle had been re installed upside down. We found out axles have sag in one direction. The re install created some negative camber for the wheels creating excessive inside edge wear.
Thanks for sharing! And by paying attention you hopefully saved yourself some heartache down the line.
Thanks for watching and the kind comment.
Great video and advice!😯Thanks🙏 We've just started looking for a caravan and vehicle.
Thank you for your helpful and honest comments.
On caravan weights I don't think you made a mistake personally. There is a problem a big one but a fair bit of the responsibility IMO rests with caravan manufacturers. They deliberately and knowingly understate Tare weights. My 21 foot Jayco Basestation has a tare of around 2350 kg but that weight does not include the weight of full gas bottles or water tanks. So add over 200kg before you put in a tooth brush. But the next issue is the Max weight of the caravan. So if you want to put in a motorcycle and stuff and keep under the Max rated weight you had better pack very very light. The irony is my Outback suspension is massively strong and ratings could be much higher. Accept where you put the weight is critical and just where your using it is critical.
Great video all great points.
Re marriage saver. Yep some caravan park sites are extremely challenging. And congestion can make it really difficult. We have a good rear view camera on the caravan. If I cannot see my wife I stop and get out and have a look with her. Caravan parks can attract male helpers who think they know better than my wife!. I always rely on her as no. 1 And take my own time. Often when backing you must watch out for the front LHS corner of the truck!
Yep stuffed up fuel once too. Not thinking
Thanks mate, great thoughtful comments. Yes, the stress of onlookers certainly doesn't help, even though I'm pretty seasoned it still adds a layer of anxiety for me...
I agree there should be some responsibility on the manufactures about van weights, I think the fact that it's believed that about 70% of vans out there are over weight should really prompt some action shouldn't it.
@@SvedosTrippin I think it would be interesting to see you can legally tow any of Jaycos new top of the line vans behind a selection of 3500kg rated tow vehicles if you actually loaded them with full tanks gas bottles and say 200kg of stuff.
@rosewood1 that would be a great experiment, not sure I have the resources to complete this haha, not to mention dealing with the fall out if the results ended the way you and I suspect.
Excellent episode, keeping it real as always. Thanks for being brave enough to share your hard-earned learnings.
I appreciate that! thanks for watching and commenting.
Great vid guys & some awesome tips & advice!
Agree with the fridge strap! We have had 2 latches break on our fridge in 12 months and now use 3 x Dreambaby Twist & Lock Multi Purpose Latches & they are awesome 😎
Yeah, it's a real issue that no newbie is going to think of, hopefully this vid will save a few people.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Your video was amazing and resourceful. We shy away from discussing mistakes in a lot of areas in our life. You video has taught so many people valuable lessons. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting 😀.
Good job guy’s, a lot of good tips here, basic maintenance checks is something you should be doing at every stop really if you dont have all the excessively flash gear for checking tyre pressures & axel temps, etc. thankfully you didn’t have any real catastrophic failures overall and this is a good reminder to all travellers to keep an eye on ur gear. Safe travel guy’s.
Thank you. Agree with you there. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I almost put diesel in my car the other day. Lucky the nozzle didn't fit. Cheers guys, happy travels.😊
Another really great video. So brave if you to share it. Well done. (Our latest: I had to go away from the van for 5 days at the beginning of the week, leaving hubby to 'batch'. On my return on Wed, he told me the flap on the toilet cassette came off when he was about to empty it!! So glad I wasn't there and he had to deal with it by himself.) Yeo. Things DO happen to all of us.
Want a funny toilet story from us. The button on our flush played up and stayed on flushing the toilet. About 15 mins later I was like what's that noise. The toilet was flooding into the van.
Ahh well, these things happen. Thanks for watching and the kind comment.
Thank you for your honesty and sharing your knowledge with us
Your welcome, thanks for watching and commenting.
Nothing wrong about manning up and admitting mistakes...now you hopefully have helped people who have never been out on the road camping...like me..won't be towing a van but its all good info..Thanks heaps for the vid..
Thankyou. That was certainly the hope with this vid.
Great video and very good advice. I love that it is a warts and all chat about your adventures and mishaps. Keep up the great work and stay safe and well.
Thank you! Will do! Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
Great video and thanks for being brave and sharing. Invaluable advice for newbies (like me)
Priceless guys. Thats not embarrassing at all and very helpful. One of the best videos I have seen. Thanks and great job
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a lovely couple. Thank you for this video, I learned a lot.
Great honest video guys. Having once places a few litres of petrol into our diesel fuel tank, we know how easy it can be done. It is a horrible feeling when you are a short distance away from the servo and you start to question yourself "did I put diesel in" so for that reason we now always get a receipt as a reassurance of what fuel was purchased.
Yeah, it was the receipt that picked it up for us. Mel enters the info into an app to track our consumption.
great content... I am a 'bush camper' with a Troopy and rooftent as well as a good size ground tent. We are considering our next move up to a caravan or trailer... all the helpful info we can gather before making our major purchase is helpful. Knowing the issues that could lie ahead is key to an enjoyable trip. Thanks for your insights. Safe travels !!
Glad to hear sharing our experience is helping. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hey making mistakes is how you learn, we are all human. Thanks for sharing.
So true! hopefully we can speed up that learning curve for others by sharing ours. thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for sharing! We have just started travelling in our new van and have made some good mistakes! Hit a tree on our first trip because we didn’t take the height of the van into account! We will definitely take your wisdom on board to avoid future mistakes.
Glad it was helpful! good luck with your travels :)
Great honest and open video to bare all! Yes don’t see a lot of this going around. I knew a few of these to look out for, but learned a few good tips too!!
thanks for the feedback, glad to hear it was helpful.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I hope you have happy and safe travels in the future. The caravan community are amazing, lots of experience and great people to learn from.
Thank you, and thanks for watching and commenting.
Love your honesty, and so helpful, well done 💖
This is the the first of your videos that I have watched, I am impressed! I have been caravanning for 25 years and have a reasonable amount of experience but I am going to subscribe to the channel to follow your travels. Keep it up, it is a great life.
Welcome aboard! Thanks for subscribing
Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I have also done many things you have described. Thank you again!!!!
Thank you, glad we're not alone 🤣
Fantastic video thanks for the honest sharing. I look forward to watching you each week.
Happy to have you onboard, see you next week.
Awesome video! Great tips to share and loved the first one. Hubby and I are new to this and don’t know where to start, so any tips are good tips, even though these were errors for you both. Thanks for taking the time to do this video, xx
Hey guys thanks for being so open about some of the things that can go wrong. We’ve only just begun our caravan journey with a weekend away here and there. Last weekend we were packing up in the rain, and had another person waiting for our site. In the mad rush we packed everything up and took off. About 30km down the road I decided to stop and empty the toot, and found the caravan keys still in the front boot of the van. I did do a quick pre-departure check but missed this one. Keep the videos coming I enjoy learning from your adventures.
always pays to take your time. Don't let people rush you. Safe travels and thank for watching.
Great video! Always love the honesty x
Thanks so much!
Authentic and honest. Love it x
Only recently started to follow (currently off sick) love the honesty of your videos. Information is valuable as I'm in the process of buying my 1st camper... (Jayco Swift) It's been a long-term dream and finally about to happen. No intentions to do full-time on the road, but definitely school holidays.
Thanks for following along. We've had a Jayco flamingo and loved it. Enjoy your travels and thanks for commenting 🙂
New sub guy’s, raw, honest and took a risk. You have won us !!
Thanks for the sub! Glad to have you on board.
Great and honest video . When we back up into a site these days we tend to use our phone, if we have phone reception, so that the driver can have both hands on the wheel.
Great tip! Thanks for watching.
Great honesty and very helpful.
I appreciate your tips.
Safe travels 😊.
Thanks so much!
Great tips guys we ended up strapping every overhead cupboard as well as the fridge we use little clear rubber straps and stick on clips from Bunnings! We like your fridge idea better though! Thanks!
the clear rubber staps for the cupboards should be enough, the fridge might need something a little more sturdy. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great video, well done. I love the truth. I call mistakes learning opportunities now.
Exactly!
All very good suggestions to takeaway. Thanks for being candid and sharing the vid 👍
Glad it was helpful! thanks for watching and commenting.
wow, that was great, you both are great on camera !
thank you !
Perth
@@RPR147 thanks 😊
Thanks for your tips! We’re heading off for the first time in March and every bit of information helps.👍👌
Glad it was helpful! enjoy your trip and thanks for watching and commenting.