CAMPING THE KIWI WAY

Camping comes in all forms, from tarpaulins and tents through to large caravans and motorhomes.

After close to 30 years of camping, firstly with a NZ-made 1970’s classic caravan (and 4 children) followed by a luxurious UK Bailey Senator, it was a hard choice to get a caravan that would meet our needs. 

We had to consider budget, how long we intend to keep it for, size, and features. Would the new caravan handle the high usage we demand of it and take the beatings dealt out by some of New Zealand’s roads? Our preference was for another tandem (2 axle) caravan as we have found they seem to handle NZ roads better plus they can take a higher payload.

Having worked in the industry with dealers and repairers and being involved in caravan and camping organisations I had seen that all brands of caravans, whether European-, Australian-, NZ- or USA- made could sometimes develop leaks or suffer breakages.

Bev and I agreed that the new caravan would need to meet our needs for both business and relaxation and be comfortable enough to sit up and work all day while being able to stretch out without knocking elbows and knees. Being self-sufficient when off-grid, with lots of solar, water and a decent fridge-freezer was a must for us, plus a comfortable bed and large washroom. We expected a lot, but we wanted to get it right. So the long search began.

Our large Bailey Senator had done us well for over 13 years and many thousands of miles. Finding caravan number 3 wasn’t an easy job. We considered multiple European and UK Caravans, always well-featured and lighter for towing. We considered multiple Australian caravans, large and heavy, some with slide-outs and some without. The benefit of a slide-out being more living space but often this is countered by difficulty to access areas when the slide-out is in. We like to stop regularly, going shopping, exploring and making a coffee; we are often in tight spaces and fitting into campsites with a slide-out could be an issue for us. For us, a slide-out was not an option. So it was time to explore caravan yards, motorhome shows and check out other people’s homes on wheels.

Bev and I were up at Thames for the Steam Punk Festival with the All Points Camping Club when we decided we would pop along to Tauranga and again go caravan hunting. We decided to pop into Country RV at Tauranga. In 15 minutes our decision was made. Country RV in Tauranga are the North Island agent for Leisureline and Southern Star Caravans. Both are built in the Leisureline factory in Hamilton, along with Zephyr caravans and the factory has been building quality caravans since 1973, more than 30 years, and one of the few NZ caravan builders remaining.

It’s a nice feeling to buy NZ-made but it was the quality fit-out and construction that sold us on the Southern Star.

We had to step up quite high to get into the caravans in the showroom and access may be an issue for some people, but as soon as we saw the open plan layout and spaciousness of the caravan we got interested. For us the large U shape seating area, and deep front shelf offered a potential work area, room for all our gadgets. The cabinetry is finished to a very high standard. With lots of power points plus 12volt and usb outlets throughout the van, charging and running multiple devices wouldn’t be a problem. Backed up by 880 Watts of solar and 200 Amp-hour lithium batteries, the caravan would be good to go even on the cloudiest days.

Our preference was for an SUV rather than a ute for towing and we settled on a 2nd hand high spec Audi Q7, with electronic air suspension and 3500kg towing capacity. Once the caravan is connected to the car, the car automatically adjusts the car’s ride height (which we can also adjust as needed). The remote electric brakes and rear camera make towing a breeze and the old-school leaf springs keep the van tracking well.

The sales service with Country RV in Mt Maungaui (Tauranga) was a breeze and we were able to make some changes to the layout to meet our needs. Currently we are using the new caravan every second weekend and can’t wait to take longer trips in a few months time. North to South, East to West we intend to give the caravan a hard workout and have every confidence it will handle it.

Some of the features of our Southern Star caravan:

• 880W solar panels, that will still charge in part sunlight.

• Hard-wired 2000W inverter, power to all points.

• 2 x 100Ah lithium LiFePO4 batteries.

• Victron charger, controller and smart shunt 

• Dometic 188L compressor fridge that runs continuously.

• Automatic satellite dish.

• 2 smart TV’s.

• Autoterm diesel heater.

• Wireless reversing camera.

• 172 litres fresh and waste water.

Both the Leisureline and Southern Star branded caravans are very similar. We liked the deep front locker with slide out gas bottles that make them easy to fit and turn on and off. Queen-sized bed, large shower, heated towel rail.

At our age being comfortable is important and the NZ-built Southern Star caravan was our choice and the price was competitive. There are many other well-made, terrific caravans out there to suit peoples’ different camping and travelling needs. It’s definitely worth checking them out to choose the one that best meets your needs.

Safe travels.