g'day from oz

[JohnW]

Hi there, the missus and I have recently purchased what will be our future home on wheels. We've got ourselves a 2008 Forest River 32' Wildwood with 2 slide outs.
Why so big? well we have a 12 year old daughter and we need some space.

We ended up buying a Isuzu frr500 truck to tow it, plus the missus's little car goes on the back.

I am in the process of towing it across Australia ~3750 km from where we purchased it to where we live.

We are prity happy with it, though there are a few bits we need to repair and replace. after all it is 5 years old and has been lived in.

Expect many question etc.

thanks,
Johnny.

[libslowmo1]

Welcome from Missouri!

[Bryan2503S]

Welcome from Pennsylvania!

[Badlands]

Welcome, Johnny, and this forum will provide many answers to those questions! Very knowledgeable people here, and endless array of topics and ideas.

[BarryD0706]

Welcome! Now THAT'S a tow vehicle!!

[Indymule]

Welcome and Congrats,

Are you going to full timing it? Enjoy the summer.

[OldCoot]

Welcome from NC and congratulations. Looks like the hitch needs to be lowered to level the trailer while towing. NICE setup!

[Pamelaq]

Welcome from Navarre, Fl. !! I've never been to Australia, so look forward to any pictures you post!!! Wishing you many Happy Adventures...

[gobblertales]

Fantastic set up you have !! Welcome and keep the photos coming!

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Welcome from SE GA...like your tow vehicle! Congrats

[awwall]

Welcome from Mississippi !!

[Wildcat661]

Welcome from Northern Ontario Canada.
Nice setup.

Bill and Diane
Cobalt, Ont

[JohnW]

thanks for welcome guy's.

Indymule, yes we will be going full time. but lots of planning and modifying yet to do. plus HEAPS of saving 1st I guess. also have to work out home schooling as the daughter will be in 8th grade (1st year high school in oz). not sure how she will take that as I think she thinks she'll be on a extended holiday!

OldCoot, hi. I can turn the hitch upside down to place the ball lower, but it looked like the van would then be nose diving (granted I never tried it to be sure). so I turned it the way it is and yea it is higher at the front. I'm not sure what's best with a van this size.

i'll upload some pic's when I get a chance, still mobile on the way home at the moment.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by JohnW

...OldCoot, hi. I can turn the hitch upside down to place the ball lower, but it looked like the van would then be nose diving (granted I never tried it to be sure). so I turned it the way it is and yea it is higher at the front. I'm not sure what's best with a van this size...

Just concerned about the extra load this puts on the rear axle/tires. Better if trailer is level while towing.

[JohnW]

ok, thanks for the advice oldcoot. i'll have to see what I can do.

but right now i'm cursing loudly.

I thought before I pulled up that the van looked a little bouncy. have just done some checks as I was going to head off further up the road. all my hitch etc. is nice and tight, no problems there.
so I happen to stick my head up under the van. WTF!!!
it seems there are ribs that come out from the main I beam on either side that bolt to the under body of the van. this must be what holds the whole lot to the chassis?
and now that I look at them ribs they are prity piss weak in build/size! IMO.
well the 1st 2 rows of bolts both sides have lost their nuts and have been rubbing on the rib so are useless and the rest along the way either side are loose. one of the ribs has cracked through.
I've gone along and tightened the ones I could. but does anyone know if I can access these mounting bolts with-out pulling the van apart??
i'm kinda in the middle of now where, cannot exactly go down to the miter10 store and get some replacement bolts and nuts.

that must be why a panel in the lower side of the bedroom has popped off a little, I noticed that yesterday and just thought it has somehow pulled from the little staples that hold it on.

AARRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[Ford Idaho]

Looks like you have enough tow rig to me....


Welcome to the forums.

[JohnW]

thanks ford Idaho,
well I've made it home, was a harrowing trip across. I've had better across oz trips that's for sure! (been across oz about 19 times now).
the reason why I went the small truck is because there is not much else down here that would pull it that we could afford. if I win lotto I will buy a dual cab 4x4 doge ram.
the only 4x4's or ute's available down here to pull something so big safely is a huge F truck or doge ram. both of those are ridiculously priced and way out of our budget.
so I opted for the small truck, at least I can carry the missus car on the back (or a small 4x4 which we'll probably get later). so when we are traveling and pull up for am extended period of time we can zip around in the car etc. for groceries and not have to drive a huge rig everywhere. will see how it goes, I might downgrade in size slightly as long as the GCM is still ok.

in regards to the chassis/body issue, I had to do some demolishion and bodge up the front section to try and hold the body to the chassis. I know what I need to do to make it a better design, just a shame I had to wreck the front frame structure of the van to get to the bolts.

[Ford Idaho]

Please do not misunderstand me I think your tow rig is just fine.

I have in the past seen far too many overloaded pickups.

Best to have something a little bigger than what you need.

[JohnW]

haha, all good mate.

I've seen sooo many big vans being towed by undersize vehicles down here in Oz. some of them down right dangerous IMO if they had to stop in a hurry or get a strong side wind gust.
it's not what I went looking for when we travelled to look at the van. (we travelled in the little car seen on the truck ~3900 kilometres just to look at the van by the way). I was originaly looking at a smaller Isuzu npr300 dual cab with a 4 meter tipper. dual cab for more space to travel with the daughter, dog and cat. the tray big enough to fit the little car on and being a tipper I might be able to use it to pick up work along the way.
I've had a kidney transplant, so getting the right sort of work is tricky sometimes.

I still think i'll be changing from the truck we have bought, it goes ok, but definatly needs a hi-way diff. it'll do for now, but I will still be in search of a better tow vehicle.

how many folks travel with vans so big there? do people buy tings this large to tow to a park and sit or do they actualy travel distance with them? also what vehicles do people tow these large caravans with?

[Ford Idaho]

Far too many, I saw a Dodge Dakota pulling a 28 foot Terry tt, less than ten miles later he lost control and ended up on top of a section of guardrail.

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Journal of a Gypsy Cowboy june 2009

http://rvtravel.com/blog/rvnow/uploa...ler-799911.jpg

Just because a rig can tow it, it does not mean it should be.