We're making a change. We want your view, old van owners & new on planning the dream Lap of Oz.

[@Suzcam023]

Hi David and Paula , love this concept . Biggest lesson from us or maybe just me is don’t get caught up thinking what others have is better than you have or need . FB posts can be very useful but also not helpful in groups and on pages . 😅. I regularly got hung up on the dreaded power and solar .. I thought after watching posts argh we don’t have enough , but alais we definitely do .. a mere 200amps and 500 solar has never let us down . Only been below 50% once in the 4 yrs of owning our Zone . As you say it’s each to their own and how people choice to travel . I really think it’s a very personal choice and that’s what matters most . Get out and enjoy life and camp the way you want . Water is the thing you need to get right . Caravanning is a wonderful thing and way of life , look forward to your posts . 😊

[@nextleveloz]

Great points. And we’ve all seen so many people doing it well and comfortably their way in different rigs. No issue from us at all that people want more than that or feel that suits their full time on the road lifestyle etc. That’s the whole point isn’t it. The right amount depends and it’s those depends considerations among others were hoping to offer some balanced considerations for new owners/ planners. Great points as always. Thank you and safe travels. Hope we see you out and about some time. cheers

[@peterbullen3347]

I started watching because I liked the pace of your travel, the initial opening intro about "taking a gap year" and just going for it,

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks Peter. As a longer term subscriber who has also thought about some of this, your thoughts about what struck you are really valuable. cheers

[@johnbrooks5211]

The videos that I like but are hard to find are more about an adventure and maybe a little about the vehicle that they used rather than trying to sell me something or all about the about there vehicle

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks John. We agree that ultimately it is all about the adventure each person wants. The more we are looking at the varied suggestions and questions the more it reinforces our view that preferences on things like equipment can be varied, but ultimately you have to start with what you want to do / how you want to live your adventure and then many of the other choices fall out. People who follow us know what our van is and what our car is. But it was ultimate in our case about where we wanted to go and what level of comfort etc and equipment choices had to match that. Our main series cover our adventures but this coming series on planning, what you need and how you want to do it we think is more about helping sift through so much confusing stuff and help people decide how they want to do it. It’s a good point because as you say a lot of content is about a particular car or a particular van or sponsored etc. No problem and a lot of that is very popular - but on our case we are being led by what most people ask is about and this is yet another good suggestion. thanks for that and all the best.

[@seandolkens4021]

Hey Dave. Love that you’ve put the question out there. While we haven’t done a lap yet, we’ve done 11,000km this year. Here’s some thoughts (just mine, I’m no expert): Don’t do the Bruce Hwy north and then south. It is exhausting and no fun. Plan a few spots where you’re going to stay 4 to 5 nights minimum. Don’t listen to all the rubbish about car mods. Our stock Ranger was awesome but our new one (coming) will have a minor suspension upgrade purely for weight headroom. Get weighed! Please 🙏 You don’t need everything advertised. A couple Muk Mats, cheap ground cover and good tie downs for the awning is oodles. As well as some comfy outdoor chairs. A cheap propane cooker is as good as a Ziggy or Weber (we have both). Water is more important than everything. Fuel is almost as important. A sense of humour is vital and if traveling as a couple, appreciate what you’re doing and the occasional disagreement is natural and nothing to get crazy over. If you’re traveling with a dog, appreciate the dogs joy and not the limitations having them imposes. Money is important, as is a budget but traveling isn’t necessarily cheaper than hanging out at home. A key concern, and likely to be controversial, please people, consider your physical and cognitive capability as well as your rig before hitting the road. I’m sure you know this but thought I’d contribute at least something. (My thoughts only, not advice 😊)

[@nextleveloz]

@@seandolkens4021 Hey, thanks Sean. Thats a great list of points. I’m not hoping for experts, the comments of the range of experiences is brilliant because it helps drill down some key takeouts. And it’s not really about a Lap as such - it’s just easier for me to use that as a model. Its about how each couple or family is actually going to travel and live and their usage - get that and a good idea of what your adventure looks like and it becomes much clearer what you need or dont need to have ball and get better value from your spend. I’m amazed at the influencers who have thousands invested in drawer systems or even more in canopies but then can’t afford to go to some of the experiences in locations they stay at. Each to their own - always, but as you say you dont really need it all. BTW 11,000 km towing isnt too shabby and I dare say more van owners are doing a series of shorter adventures than Laps and half laps or living full time. Sense of humour - made me smile. Paula and i reflected we hadn’t had as many good laughs in years as we did on the Lap. Physical well being yep. Cognitive ? I think I know what that means. Great points thank you. My challenge now is how to present this in short series of punchy informative, useful and hopefully interesting vids. Thank you once again. Cheers

[@seandolkens4021]

@@nextleveloz Thanks David. Just thinking about structure, perhaps a series of videos broken down into key topics that cover the suggestions you get along with your own would work. Off the top of my head (for example) would be: 1. Why do you want to go and what are you hoping to see and do? (some do it for adventure, others just to get away, some to live life on the road etc). This one might therefore cover the type of van (and therefore layouts), tow rig, how to plan your trip (fast, slow, some forward bookings etc) budget implications, personal capabilities to perform the driving, set up/pack up and so on. 2. What do you really need? - for van and car (don't buy everything advertised), personal belongings, weight, roadworthiness, UHF radio. 3. Planning for when things go wrong (car, van, health, family at home) 4. USEFUL tech (EPIRB depending on where you go, Starlink, Smart TV, Batteries/Solar etc) 5. Couples Therapy 🙂 - backing up the van, provisions, communicating about what you both want out of the adventure as things may change, agreed timeframes to return home etc Just a quick scratching of my initial thoughts, I'm sure you'll come up with something superb.

[@nextleveloz]

@@seandolkens4021Thanks mate. You might be up for the producer job. I’m putting some thought to the structure. It will follow a process that guided how we thought about it but the good thing is in retrospect we get to include the things we didn’t know or preferences we developed as we went. As Paula said to me, at some stages we’ve covered a lot, but it’s a process of pulling it from disparate bits of the Big Lap series into a tighter little collection but hopefully in away where people new and thinking about it from scratch and hitting all that confusing white noise that spins the head and maybe makes you make some decisions you wish you hadn’t- help them navigate that. For us, getting on top of the most likely things you want to do to have your adventures is key, where many people start out equipment led and that’s often why people buy so thing they might not need. You can never escape the reality that somebody just wants that piece of kit in that layout (front door or rear door, club lounge, etc) but hopefully they might have a narrower sense of needs before they get talked into expensive mod cons or something that fails the weight tests. So some draws on how we put together a big purchase decision and some key considerations. Your suggestion isn’t too far off. And the beauty is all it ever is, is a guide and people can adapt it and not be space to it. But not far off. Thanks mate. Great stuff.

[@Sansui313]

Hi David and Paula, I agree with a lot of the suggestions here and the things you mentioned in the wrap up of your lap (sounds like a cue to a song) and as you mentioned on a couple of vids back where does the budget start vehicle and van are a massive outlay. Research on vans and what people are towing with is a must whether it's Facebook posts or other as sales people will give you the basics but not the hard facts of weights and tow vehicle, I think comms is a very important thing to research as you and Paula unfortunately found out, personal EPIRB is something I would have, a recovery kit incase of getting bogged or to assist someone else, compressor for different road conditions, a decent first aid kit maybe even a first aid course and CPR training. As you know I recently purchased a Defender and could not be happier I haven't had to change or add anything to the vehicle whereas my previous vehicle Q7 needed a WDH as the vehicle could not be modified suspension wise even though it was a very capable tow vehicle, tyres were another factor, towing a van with low profile tyres is not ideal and was not practical to fit off road wheels and tyres including the excessive cost. Look forward to your future vids..

[@nextleveloz]

@@Sansui313Great suggestions thank you. They align well with what we were thinking, but that along with the other suggestions gives some extra clarity. I agree - we won’t be able to say which vans or cars are good or not good, but the tips for the considerations, trying to avoid the furphies and suggestions on how to check and research independent of the sales process is worthy as tips. And yes, as you’d expect from us. comms and other preps. for peace of mind helps you stretch to slightly more remote and slightly more difficult places. Good suggestions thank you and hope you have lots of fun in your new Defender. cheers

[@annietravels5543]

We love your vids they are presented well as you go to unique places. You guys were why we went to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. Our best travels are to lesser known places Finch Hatton Gorge, Eungalla Nat Pk and Bunya Mountains Nat Pk the aboriginal history there is amazing and those Bunya Nuts.

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you for such a kind comment. We loved Cygnet Bay. A lot different to free camps or even van parks, and much easier to get there these days. Wasn’t one of our more popular vids, but that just proves our point that everybody is different and you have to do your adventures the way you enjoy them. As you say there are so many other terrific places. North Queensland had some gems as you’ve pointed out. Must confess we haven’t been to Bunya Mountains - which is crazy given its relatively close to Brissie for us. Which reminds me I keep thinking about how to share some SEQ stuff for those not from here. We always forget about near home! Thank you again, those vids are a bit of work noting it’s for charity and we just love a good share as well, so we approached people coming along the journeys and watching and the lovely feedback thank you. Safe travels.

[@richardevans5147]

Hi Dave, I’d appreciate videos that help and discuss the planning, timing, distances in the context of limited set time. For example, for us it’s 2 months long service each year, so how far, where, travel distances and limitations of water. We think we could see each state in 6-8 weeks with WA requiring longer as there is more to see and we live in Eastern Victoria so further to travel. So with time limitations our biggest head scratcher is the planning, balancing the amount you drive each week and getting to see the best of of country. We have a similar set up to you and enjoy the same type of touring -like free camps and being remote before CPs. Love your vids👍

[@nextleveloz]

@@richardevans5147 Interesting suggestion and variation on the the theme. It gives some considerations for thought for sure. But in general terms yes we want to try to help with considerations and people of course will tailor things like their appetite for driving to suit their needs. Thanks for the feedback - it really helps especially when it’s a hobby and not for profit. Stay safe and thanks for the comment, very useful.

[@cathbp4089]

As newbies planning for a big lap (June 25), am super keen to hear your experiences on planning, but also tips tricks for traveling. Perhaps also how to manage your van and tow vehicle as you are traveling. Thanks so much!

[@nextleveloz]

How exciting. The time will fly and you’ve got a great opportunity to get to the essentials in place. Good suggestions thanks. Is there anything that seems uncertain to you or worries you that we might be able to address? Fact is, while some challenge is part of the appeal, it’s not actually hard either, so we hope to give confidence that with due consideration most people can do it well and have a wonderful time.

[@cathbp4089]

@@nextleveloz I think mainly about what we need to consider to prepare, ensure we have insurances, how to manage mail, best communications back to family and friends etc what are options in this space.

[@nextleveloz]

@@cathbp4089 Great practical suggestions. We will put those in the list for sure because they can make life a bit more comfortable and if they are in place before you start, they offer some peace of mind on the most likely worst case things. You have a simple plan in place, you can then set that aside, have a great time and hopefully never have to draw on it, but not have to 'reinvent the wheel' if its actually gone wrong.

[@Chance_It_Oz]

hi David - really like the idea of documenting lessons, tips and the like. Could I suggest that it not be necessarily a “lap”’focus but maybe longer term travelling around Oz?

[@nextleveloz]

Hi, that’s great also. The intention is more on the focus on what lessons we’ve all learned that would help those starting over or those considering a big adventure . So it’s a worthy consideration to say ask - is this a time limited trip or living full time on the road. Because clearly that changes your needs and choices. So no issue and not meant to limit the sorts of contributions people want to make it was more about seeing the discussion so the input is more than what Paula and I alone thought about (wharts and all) but canvassing the ranges of experience. Does that help? But clearly to your point if you are living full time for a longer duration you might be more inclined to want to max out on battery or there will be a few other essential learnings those people will share. Where Paula and I have a view that for a time limited adventure - if that’s your likely van use - then you might be able to save money on that and go for our 400AH with gas. I saw another owner recently questioned on why they needed a generator if they had so much barrier and solar - and that’s an interesting question. They didn’t have a weight problem in the rig, lived long term and had massive solar and battery capacity but wanted to be off grid all the time and rarely if ever go to a CP. So good comment and question thanks - your input is really, really welcome without intending to limit the inputs too much. Then I’ve just got to figure out how best to balance it all up succinctly in some interesting vids.

[@peterbullen3347]

Interesting set of questions in your latest video, I need to get another coffee and think about it all..

[@nextleveloz]

I’m about to grab another coffee myself!

[@RickyCranium-e8v]

As someone who was interested in your blog 1st because of the fact you have a Defender, and 2nd I was compemplating a lap sort of I have liked very much your blogs -but cannot say I have watched them all. I am very much interested in your planning process -AFAICT you only have the short, part of another video on this., Particularly interested in the how many hours a day driving you budget for, annd how long it took you to establish the useage figures you have (ie the 17.5 l/100 Km figure - should I with a smaller, lower profile van [est to be delivered Jan 2025] van just expect better [I do] but what was the say ‘regional useage eg around Geraldton, around Gibb River, on highway, Central Australia {eg how much variance did you have]) and how much water you use daily in ‘off the beaten track circumstances’ eg Gibb River. Where do find info on filling points (for water)? But overall thanks for talking the time to do these videos they have, sofar, been most helpful. Lower profile

[@nextleveloz]

Hi. Thanks for watching and greta questions. We will definately cover some of this in the planning series but check out the wikicamps for water fill info. And for sure a low profile camper or pop top van will get you better fuel economy. The variance was considerable from 30l /100km in headwinds on the Nullabor to single figures unhitched. The 17.5l/100km was the entire lap all up. Over 80% was towing on black top, 6000km or so on gravel including some pretty tough roads. So no question a lot gets done on varied conditions with a high profile / 3.2-3.3t van. 17.5 lm/ 100km is very good given the conditions and towing - but if your van is lighter and lower profile that will unquestionably help twice it further. Stay tuned and we will try to give a not cohesive deducted series on the planning and key equipment choices as we faced it and covering a range of the questions and suggestions others and you have put out there as well. Thanks again and hope we can help further. Cheers

[@alexandermay1196]

Hi David / Paula I have really enjoyed your videos, especially the early ones about the Defender troubles, I am based in the UK and have caravaned for years around the UK and Europe with a Land Rover Range Rover but only on the blacktop. However, I always wanted to do the big lap. I have lived and worked in Australia and have driven a truck from the top to the bottom and to some remote parts and fixed stuff with what was to hand. I am looking forward to your next content of videos. Please keep Paula away from any water, apart from drinking 😆

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for watching and the feedback. Can’t say we enjoyed the early Defender troubles 😳😉. But glad we shared and very glad they’ve been fixed of course. But it did draw out some really important lessons on the various recovery packages. People forget that most of the lap is on black top even with the many thousands of km of gravel and off roads mixed in if you do those harder remote roads. But in your truck you’d have seen good and bad behaviour so let us know what helped keep people safe and courtesous etc in your experience. Thanks again and lets hope we can do this in a good structured way hitting the key common things while letting people do it there own way. Paula is much better and she’s a trooper. Sea sickness is debilitating and while she didn’t get to enjoy all the marvelous food and wine offering, she made sure whe got out and about in zodiacs, on the ice and kayaks. But yes, we might stuck to land for the next one 🙏👍. All the best.

[@alexandermay1196]

@@nextleveloz Driving a truck OZ is safer than the UK, in as much that you have better road signage if you pay attention to what you see. Time is a killer just give yourself plenty of it. One thing I remember when towing and driving my truck was the wind shear from other trucks or coaches. I did drive on unmade departmental roads and across dry river beds. Part of my job was driving around loaded mining areas (explosives) and not blowing myself and others up😅

[@nextleveloz]

@@alexandermay1196 Wow. Mind you the wind sheer of a passing truck or coach is one of the things likely to set off sway in a caravan. So good point! But you’ve clearly done some other stuff. Maybe one day you will get back to do a lap.

[@suzannecrosdale2629]

Hi, We are almost 70 and had never towed anything for travel or our holidays ever. We decided on a Lumberjack Sheoak (teardrop). I got our existing car set up with tow bar and brakes etc. We didn't realise that the tow vehicle was more important than we knew. Caravan companies say 'Your car will tow this.' It was very misleading. Nothing about AGM, GVM's tow ball weight and more. We are limited time and time again. Friday, we are going to get weighed so that will be the next education about our set up. Our car can't get lifters or suspension (checked that out this morning) so we are turning to a weight distribution hitch for $899.00. We have learnt a lot 'after the fact' and after spending the money needed to make towing work. We know now it is just a band aid. We found out we like/love the life style and we want to upgrade. 'How long is a piece of string' scenario? Where does the budget take a hammering to get what we want? Or do we limp along making do?

[@nextleveloz]

Another really good comment and suggestion thank you. You guys are examples of a few things - first time towers, not necessarily wanting the massive off road rig etc and doing it a different way, but still the importance of understanding how the weights of a rig work before you buy. and as you say the sales staff either don't really know or in some cases obscure the reality. Do you need to commit to the WDH before you weigh though? Getting weighed professionally, fully loaded up is a really important exercise in our view and quite often you can have some options. Yes, loving the lifestyle is what its all about and we can do it in so many different ways and yes, budget, weights, options its a whole study in compromises. Great comment thank you.

[@ottoswinebar]

One of the reasons why I and others like me enjoyed your channel was it was down to earth. I hate clickbait titles and have unsubscribed a few in the last few weeks. The other thing is, we just bought a brand-new van but it wasn’t a full off-road van, we haven’t had any problems going to want to go. And I live in the north-west of Western Australia . We just pick exactly where we want to go and where we can’t go, we have learnt unhitch the van and just take the four-wheel-drive but with the extra money we saved not buying a full off-road then we are still in front. Jayco vrs a Zone is no competition but it shouldn’t stop you getting out. Looking forward to your channel growing

[@nextleveloz]

Thank you. Nothing wrong with a Jayco or a number of brands. We love our Zone Base and it’s nowhere as tricked up as the new generation Zones either. We’ve said it time and again just know what you can can and can’t do and then try to stick within its capabilities. We do have a bit of an issue with what semi off road means because you are either off road or you aren’t - but let’s face it there is a whole spectrum of conditions isn’t there. But the way you do it, parking up unhitching and going the next bit in one car is a good way of dealing with the balance. Comes back to our key question to people who ask what they should get in a a van. Our answer starts with what do you want to do with it and how do you like to camp. Then drive to conditions. And budget iand how you deploy your hard earned is a factor for all of us. Good point and a few others have made that same point.

[@michaeldallimore8590]

Love the content David whether it is Arctic experiences or caravan travel. Pity we wont saee Paris. It is our favourite city. On the issue of what people need to know before a big lap I think the most important lesson is not to believe caravan manufactitrers or car manufacturers. I am a retired engineer and I think it goes with the profession that I question everything. I purchased my D4 ten years ago mainly for remote area desert travel and touring (which I have done a lot of) but knowing that once I retired it could tow 3,500kg with a 350kg ball weight. Well guess what, it can't do the 350kg ball weight in fact my limit is around 270kg. I don't know how the manufacturer came up with a 350kg ball weight while also stating a max rear axle load of 1,855kg. I also spoke to a lot of caravan manufacturers who could not tell me what their ball weight was when the water tanks wer filled let alone once you fill the tunnel boot. They only evwer state tare weights. So I think the issue for people starting out is either to understand the mathematics of calculating weights or know to get some professional assistance before they purchase a van or a car for towing. As I think you know I purchased a semi offroad van based on my calculations and the professional weigh in subsequently has shown that I am just below the limits for my car as far as rear axle load goes. Plenty of GCM available and the van is well below max weight but the rear axle is the limiting factor. I also see that this is not spoken about that often. Honestly I dont know how vehicle and caravan manufacturers get away with it and this could be an expensive mistake for many people. Worth pointing out in a video for newbies I suggest. BTW what is the insignia on the cap that you seem to wear most of the time?

[@nextleveloz]

Michael, we;ve really enjoyed your comments, questions and observations. The educated skepticism and precision of thought engineers bring is really useful. Sorry about Paris, and had Paula been well we’d have included Normandy. We like France also. But it was clear in this case wed have been doing a vid for its own sake and thats not why we did the channel, so I thought its was best to make the call. Lots to unpack in your comment and we will try to include the layman’s essentials of that topic. Regrettably there are also various bureaucratic overlays such as passenger vehicle standards and sales dumbing down that adds to the confusion. Some vehicles lie the defender can tow more and are rated to do so elsewhere within the same GCM envelope. The 350kg TBW v axle capacity etc is a widespread issue and confusion in most vehicles of that class. The 350kg is partly rating of the tow bar and hitch itself and partly the extrapolation of the 10% rule for stable van towing. As you say though it’s misleading if in practical terms the rear axle capacity of most similar vehicles doesn’t readily allow you actually tow with a TBW of 350kg. You might recall I pointed out in several vids that I regard the real practical TBW limit to be closer to 300kg, and thats similar for most vehicles unless they can up rate the axles in a GVM upgrade. But it’s a critical issue and yes no prep and planning series can avoid it - although I hope to raise it in simple terms and then people scan dig deeper as need be in a more technical resource. The only thing I would say is it’s important sometimes not to remove flexibility and more have people understand that various contributors to payload will have a cumulative impact on axle capacity and GVM. It’s a great point and I think often misunderstood including by sales teams. We had a great deal of trouble when we first assessed the Defender as noobs, because I read in detail about this and couldn’t reconcile it with the sales responses (that were both wrong and at times illegal). We worked it out though. The Badge on the hat is from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea from which I graduated in 1985. OCS is now regrettably closed (I was in the last graduating class) but it was a marvellous institution. The caps post date our time, one of our class arranged for them to be made, but I find it it a useful fave to wear and have three of them in various states of repair. Thanks again, we always appreciate your comments and questions and look forward to more when we pull together the inputs and our experiences into some hopefully cogent, interesting and useful vids.

[@michaeldallimore8590]

@@nextleveloz Thanks David. You are right about the sales people. When I last had my car at a dealership and was waiting for a wheel alignment I asked the sales guy what the max rearr axle weight was for a certain vehicle on the floor (same as yours). He had no idea. he eventually found it about half an hour later. Then I asked him what the weight on the rear axle was as it stood on the show room floor. Again no idea. My process was to take my car over the local weigh bridge with various loads in it to work out the distribution between from the rear axles then did the maths from there. A good rule of thumb is the TBW x 1.5 is what is added to the rear axle. Interstingly I also discovered that with an unloaded vehicle my front axle was overwieght becausde of the bull bar. The manufacturer of the bull bar never mentioned that to me when I purchased it either! Its not a problem because I always have something in the rear to balance that out.

[@peterbullen3347]

My Job situation has changed recently so will have some time , and since Life is a winding road, I plan to have short trips up and down east coast from Gold Coast. Coastal visits to also get some diving in. Done inskip many times so will head up.

[@nextleveloz]

@@peterbullen3347 An opportunity to enjoy more of life! Life is a winding road indeed.

[@duncanm6589]

Your own insight to your planning would be great. Lessons learned would also be good.

[@nextleveloz]

Thanks for the comment and for watching - it’s really welcome. Yes we will, but we also learned so much from others and there is some considerable experience among our subscribers as well that we hope might be drawn on, as well as giving noobs the chance to ask the questions and put their minds at rest. It wasn’t long ago we knew zip about carvaning and weights etc, and it was confusing and so much poor as well as good info outs there. We will try to share those lessons for sure. All the best.

[@paulwilliams6424]

Hi David & Paula, We have enjoyed everyone of the videos we have watched which is about all of them. We are a couple of years off retirement and have our vehicle and just finished a small trip in our new van which is ready for its service now. We are thinking about traveling for a few months (3, 4, 5, 6,) at a time depending on how far we are going. How far ahead do you plan and do you book places to stay or would you book the hole trip or just wing it. We will be very interested in any questions and answers.

[@nextleveloz]

Hi, thank you and great question. We will certainly touch on that. We plan well but book sparingly. The longer the trip, the more likely you are to change or need flexibility. yes , it’s a good suggestion for the episodes in a more structured and presentable way. If you want a rough version of it check out the Plenty Highway ep as we break from the travel coverage in that one and did a rough segment on how we planned. Some places and times require forward bookings, school holidays and then main attractions and camp sites in say NW WA. But good suggestion 🙏.

[@nextleveloz]

P.S, I still laugh about that planning segment. I set up and just went at it as I do and realised as I was videoing that our washing was on the line behind me. Fortunately just shorts and shorts but Paula rolled her eyes and i decided to just go with it. So much for being an amateur vlogger!😂

[@deankarenandrews]

Hi. I've never owned a caravan so have no experience towing. Atm l say we wouldn't do extreme things like travel along the Gibb River Road but l wonder if l would change my view with experience, or if we would largely stick to sealed or well maintained dirt roads. I'm trying to future proof when making a decision of a van purchase. I would be interested in your views in relation to this situation. Thanks for you videos. They are very informative. Keep up the gr8 work!

[@nextleveloz]

@@deankarenandrews Hi. Great comment. Thats the pivotal consideration. The ideal rig at the most sensible balance of costs that’s going to do what you mostly are likely to do or spend the dough for the fully spec, heavy off road everything with 800AH battery and needs a chevy silverado to tow it, to still mostly do what you were only ever likely to do with a good quality tourer and maybe not the roughest stuff and for no more than 2-3 days at a time off grid and blow the bank. Thats the big question. Most people won’t be too far from sealed road or well graded road and even a Lap with a fair bit of off road / off grid will still be 85% sealed road. Yes we will be covering this because it important to understand what you are most likely to do and how you will mostly do it and then invest to that decision. Learning to tow - easy. Take a short course for the confidence. Bit of practice leaving to reverse and you can even do that while getting it weighed for peace of mind and you can do many other things well before even thinking about the Gibb. No problems. heaps to see and a greater range of van and car options can do it if you aren’t too far from sealed road. You can always unhook a tourer and day trip or borrow a swag for an overnighter to get to the next level of off road adventure without the van. Yes, you might well get confident and feel you might want to do the Gibb sometime down the track but why invest in an outside chance at great cost. Yes we will cover this because having a sense of the way you are most likely to travel and live has a huge bearing on what you do and don’t need. Most people don’t go too far from sealed or well graded roads. Many go from hip camp to national park camp to van park and many even want to go to van parks every week or two just so they can wash the clothes and have some comforts and plug in. Very few live off road and off grid for substantial chunks of time. In our case we figured I would be bored stupid sitting in one place for more than 3-5 days so we planned for off grid not more than 5 days. We wanted to do the Gibb and Cape and Flinders Ranges as part of a Lap (we think a sensible Lap doesn’t include the Cape or Tassie as we did ). Take out the Gibb if that’s not a priority, don’t go Borroloola to Hells Hare and you can see good stars without going to Lamberts Centre and you still have a brilliant Lap. Great question. You are one of the key the sorts of person we are doing these next series of Planning Vids for.

[@deankarenandrews]

@@nextleveloz thanks so much for the feedback! I look forward to seeing more videos down the track. All the best...

[@easy0961]

Hi David and Paula. Would like to know the actual weights of your setup. Especially the rear axle load and how you setup for the 1800kg rating.

[@nextleveloz]

We have a 1900 kg rear axle - 7 seater has a higher rating and even then we had to remove the rear seats so we could carry the fridge. Took the heavier platform rack off and put lighter bars on. We haven’t weighed more recently, but when we first weighed on picking up and fully packing the van first up we were 50kg over on the rear axle (We show the numbers in the early van pickup episode ) hence the changes and taking stuff out of the car to work it. We will touch on this as a lesion learned for sure but as every ring differs we are weighing up how best to make the general considerations clear and practical - like “get it professionally weighed” etc. Overall we run about 6400kg GCM - which was weighed on a weigh bridge when the car broke down in WA so we knew we were well under GCM and around 20-40kg under GVM. But yep, we had t make changes in the setup to make the rear axle weight work. Great point and yes, no planning, rig setup lessons learned can be complete without the issue of weights.

[@easy0961]

Thanks, David. We have the 5 seats, so limited to 1800kg. That said we dud get the car and van weighed by weighstation and passed with 42kg spare on the rear axle. The van was fully loaded and the car had about 150kg in the rear, a full tank of diesel plus ourselves. Only just made it. I not you upgraded your tyres and rims. What tyres did you go for and what was the road noise like?

[@vincentdeknock4186]

How far in advance did you need to book some of the more popular spots, I know WA has heaps which are really hard to get into unless you are booking months in advance. When I think about a lap it would have some open time and not be so planned like a 5 weeks travelling trip.

[@nextleveloz]

@@vincentdeknock4186 Good point, yes we will touch on that. Plan well, book loosely or plan well, book sparingly is our general theme. As you say there are some exceptions if you want to go to say Ningaloo Coast and Broome at high season. Good suggestion and we will include that. for sure .

[@stevehardiman8134]

Hi Dave love your stuff, just keep being yourselves. Aside from that, in your opinion what would be a comfortable battery, solar set up to travel the lap and of grid stuff thx guys....

[@nextleveloz]

@@stevehardiman8134 Thanks mate. Appreciate it. We agree, people have to do it their way. Yes there are wrong ways to do it, but there are any number of variations of right way that suits each person for sure. Yes - we will of course run the gauntlet on how much power people need 😳. But good point - comfortable set up for the intended use is the approach we’d hope new people might consider. All the best and grateful for the suggestion.

[@peterbullen3347]

We have also done the south trip to victoria, the journey is just full of sights to see, next time we will do the inland trip. My van is not new, but well equipped, the car is not new either but well maintained so.. suggestions would be welcome.. from anyone on the channel reading these morning coffee questions

[@nextleveloz]

@@peterbullen3347 And if you have any thoughts on what you think the essentials or the basics needed (or not needed) for that sort of set up, let us know . Thanks as always.

[@JulieFry-v5r]

Hi David loved your series , we have the car and van and pretty happy with what we have, interested in your pre planning as in insurance and roadside care and how far ahead of time in Western Australia should we look at booking camp sites cheers Julie

[@nextleveloz]

@@JulieFry-v5r Good questions. Now in the mix. Great you’ve sorted car and van, we certainly won’t be telling people what rig combo they should have as opinions vary (tribally) but we will be trying to get new people to understand they don’t necessarily need the max of everything at max cost and max weight - it all depends on what they want to use their rig for. The time limited adventurers clearly don’t need the same rig as the forever home for several years travellers. Thanks for watching and the feedback - love it. And if you think of anything else add it in somewhere on a vid comment or the FB page. Safe travels.

[@grahameroberts8109]

Just a question on your drone. Did you learn to fly on your own or through a course? Cheers. 👍🏻🙏

[@nextleveloz]

Hi- taught myself. Read the instructions and watched a few youtube vids and then practised a bit. And learned the hard way crashing one at Teewah Beach🙄. My overarching cautions about drones is that while they are great for adding some perspective, I find they can be overused - and there is a real question of value for the limited impactful footage most channels can really use. The second is that more and more places are restricting their use. We’ve always been very careful to try not to adversely impact others and to adhere to the CASS rules etc, but many places are just prohibiting or requiring permission in which case they often just say no anyway. we experienced this at Kalbarri for example where the rules were unclear but required a phone calm request and they said their default position is no. Yet a number of channels at that time and since use their drones their without permission. So not sure if we’d cover that question in the series or not but hope that helps. Thanks again for watching and the contribution through questions and comments. 🙏