Was our caravan even worth it?
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- Опубліковано 1 гру 2024
- We have made it to South Australia! Join us as we begin our vintage caravan travels through the Eyre Peninsula while answering some of your questions about the build and #vanlife so far.
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When we first set off on this adventure, we had no idea what was in store for us.
Our vlogs were originally supposed to be something for us to look back on in the future but we are so ecstatic that you have been able to find some value, inspiration or entertainment in them!
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About us:
We're Jack & Megan, and in late 2020 we sold our belongings and packed our lives into our 2005 Toyota Troop Carrier to travel Australia. Our original plan was to complete a full lap of Australia and return home to Perth to resume our 'normal' lives. We decided we wanted to document our lap for the future and began sharing a weekly travel #vlog of our life on the road and fell in love vlogging, filmmaking and sharing our lives with you. We completed our first lap and couldn't imagine living any other way so we decided to continue travelling and calling the Troopy home. We have gone on some crazy adventures since then and it is all thanks to you tuning in to join us every week.
Keep in mind, before the world of Off Road Caravans, everyone went around Australia in Caravans just like Myrtle.
Mango curry and the hat that Megan wore was such a pleasure to witness. Your " front of camera " skills are exceptional. Great Vlogs.& very entertaining.
$34,000 that's a ripper build! If you end up adding on cruisemaster offroad suspension,
You will have an offroad van for 50k
Starting price for Chinese imports are 75k so you have done extremely well guys.
Ps thanks for putting my comment in 😅
I was thinking the same such a good price for a build like that
Have you thought of getting a water bladder for the car and that way you can top up the van. They sell about 100 litre ones that sit in the rear footwell of the car. Loving you guys back on road again 😊
It is amazing where you can take an on road caravan if you slow down when in off road situations. It is speed and not letting tyre pressures down that will damage the van.
I always watch to the end, it would be rude not to after all the effort you guys put in. 🥰
Ditti 😂
Ditto 😂
Hi guys, we’ve been holidaying around our beautiful country for the last 40 years. We’ve had two tents, three camper trailers, three caravans and now a motor home. Each one has its pro’s and con’s and you will get so much advice, whether you want it or not, on what you should have. All I can say is ignore the advice and go with what suits you at the time. When we went from a camper trailer (tent on a trailer type thing) to a caravan we felt like you do with Mertle but our friends said we were mad because how will we get to so and so? We had already sat down with pen and paper and worked out what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go and we never regretted upgrading to a van. Each van upgrade gave us more of what we wanted, our first van was very basic, our last van had a full ensuite however we never went bigger than 18’ because that’s all we needed. We got the same questions when we changed to a motor home, oh what if you want to go somewhere or you need some shopping ect. After 40 years we know what we need and we now tend to get somewhere and stay put until we move on. We do our sightseeing and shopping before we arrive at a campsite and if we’re at a caravan park there is normally some sort of little store selling the essentials or there are taxis and Uber. We can bush camp for around 5 days before needing to resupply, normally water, and by then we’re ready to move on. Have fun and enjoy life cause you’re doing it right. Cheers Stuart.
Just love you guys love your new vlog .Megan your photos are awesome keep it up 😀👌👍
Thank you Brian :)
Use both have beautiful souls wishing use all the best. All things happen when they a meant to be.
Tbanks for sharing your travels, you're showing us all what travelling and life is about, its not how flash the van is, it's as my late mother-in-law said to me just before she passed and i continue to reflect on "the best things in life are the people we love, the places we have been
and the memories we’ve made along the way".
Just discovered you guys and super keen to watch all of your vids! We have an old 1968 Adelma caravan called Dulcie, who we've been doing up slowly over the years with the intention of exploring Aus just like you except we're a lil bit older and a whole lot more disabled but watching couples like you keep us motivated! Looking forward to finding some helpful tips and watching you explore our magnificent country 😊
Love following you two, you are such a cute couple and Myrtle is a credit to you both. She looks fabulous. You will have so much fun travelling with her. ❤
Thanks so much Dianne 🙏
my partner and i have been planning our working trip around Australia for well over a year now, however considering opting out for a old caravan instead of a new camper trailer, so much more comfy looking. I'm only 17 years old and you guys are my inspiration! we well be leaving January next year, i hope i get the honour to run into you on the road!
Love the video guys! Was a pleasure to see you both and see Myrtle on the road. Hopefully we can catch up down the track. Safe travels!
Thanks for having us mate!
You guys have done such and incredible job with Myrtle! You must be so very proud.
Just a thought guys! You should invest in a stone stomper or rock tamer also a DRS system and they will make your travels so much more enjoyable. Keep yhe vids coming. Love what you two crazy kids do! ❤❤
You’ve got value out of every dollar you both spent. You have a beautiful van that is uniquely yours and suits you both perfectly. I’m really excited for the day you start a new build..
It’s a pretty cheap house at that price and definitely worth what you put into it I reckon! And, as the creator of the world’s very first Vintage Caravan Magazine I have been accused of being personally responsible for the huge increase in values of vintage caravans in the past 😂
My theory is that you can’t overcapitalize in creating your dream van and I meet way more people out there on the road having to take their brand new $100k+ vans back to the dealers for repairs that I’ll stick with a vintage over a new van any day! ❤
I stuck strips of velcro ( purchased at spotlight) around the vents on the bottom of the door. Then cut a rectangle of vinyl ( purchased at spotlight ) to fit across the vents and stuck vinyl around the edges.
Before setting off, stick the vinyl over the vents to prevent dust entering. Makes a huge difference.
I'm happy it's going so well and you're reaping the rewards of your hard work, watched to the end. 😀
Thanks for watching!!
Of course it's worth it 👌 you've done an awesome job 👌💯
great video today...really enjoyed this one. Your effort to this channel shows and you really do care about your viewers. Great job guys and so happy there is progress ahead. Have fun, enjoy life and stay safe!!!!!!!!..WE LUV YA! Monty!
Hi Jack and Megan, Your excitement is contagious! I have been following you for some years now and I always look forward to your videos. I put my grey water into the dump points with the black water. Kind regards, Alexandra.
Thanks for following along for so long Alexandra :)
Grey Water. I was told by an older couple years ago that they drain their tank on the highway as they travel. There is already so much 'debris' deposited on there, tyre rubber, oil leaks, exhaust stuff, that they thought it best.
Definitely more book talk Megan, on either channel :)
❤ the best channel in aust by so far
Thanks so much :)
Another excellent vid! And in answer to your grey water, back when this van was built the sink grey water( it was only the sink as they didn't come with a shower!) Went out a pipe and normally out into a plastic bucket under the van which got emptied every day, so you can do that in some places but not in caravan parks cause in parks you'd need to have your grey water flow through a pipe thats joined under your van ( coming from the sink and the shower) and that flows into a 'grey water outlet pipe - situated normally on your site! You can also install a grey water tank that you empty which is normally a 100 litres in size if you have 2x 100 litre clean water tanks. Hoping that info helps, Phil
The caravan is amazing including the old style of caravan that it is. I believe you are ahead of your time...good stuff. I love WA. Back in the day I was the Australian lt hvy boxing champ and worked at Pinnochios night spot with other Aussie champs. Go west aussies...love you all god bless.
pretty sure my old man is best mates with the old owners of this place.
Hey there I really love your channel I’m so glad you put the bathroom in and that your enjoying so much well done
Love waking up to you guys on a Sunday morning. We don’t have a grey water tank just a portable one in case it’s required. Have only been in WA though with our van. We do the water on off when showering and save the full on showers for when we know we are topping up the next day or we need to empty our tanks 😊
Love your window pics Meegan, stunning!
Love it guys, it’s definitely worth it and I loved how Jack jumped at the idea to do another build 😂 the look on Megan’s face hahah not anytime soon Jack 😄 also yes us west Aussies do appreciate a beach with no wind haha! Mertyl is looking great on the road 💚
Cheers guys!! she's slowly being convinced haha
Great episode! Loved our travels through SA and WA earlier this year, so many familiar scenes. With 4K+ km under your belt on fresh wheel bearings I’d give them a quick check when you next find a flat spot (leave the van hitched) and chock well. Agree with comments re bladder or rear footwell tank - it might even gravity fill into your tank on the van.
We have 180L of water and it can last us up to a week off grid. We do stop start showers and use bottled water for drinking and have a couple of 20L cheap bladders from BCF just for washing up water. Sometimes we even just use paper plates and bowls.
With grey water it’s totally dependent on where you stay. Always best to ask but if free camping we run in to bushes if allowed. Happy travels guys.
Was great to meet you at Nullabour Roadhouse. Safe travels and hope to catch up again one day.
Loved the series and you did really well at the weekly explanations in each video. I am not into building but I loved watching you tackle the challenges. When you your video came out I didn’t watch it because I felt I had already seen it all. Also to be honest if you did another build I probably wouldn’t watch unless there was a different spin on it. Love you guys
I think you guys have done very well for the money spent you know every part of your van and it’s new should last a long time well worth it and you have the mighty 100 series doesn’t get ant better enjoy
Cheers mate! So far so good. The 100 has been going amazingly!
my favourite thing about the Van would be the table and comfortable seating ... something you don't get sitting in the canopy of my Ute.
Don't keep going back to the Troupie you have a new adventure and beginnings this is the future Myrtle is the valued family member you were aiming for cherish her she will look after you .I enjoy your vids very much
Very clever idea with the projector! We might steal that idea 💡
Myrtle is awesome guys, well done
@@TheOutFit cheers guys!!
I'm looking very forward to the bus build.
Yes!!! That’s what I wanna hear haha
How exciting! We dump our grey water on the ground 🤷♀️ some places ask that you collect it, so we use our grey water tank or we've seen other people use buckets ☺️
Thanks mate!
Never seen the “no views” before haha
Grey water depends entirely on where you are. Some places allow you to dump it straight on the ground or direct it on bushes. We often just pull over on random spots and drop it on the ground. Just need to remember it turns to black water if you leave it in the tank for more than 48 hours, and then it should really only be dumped at a dump point. (Or in the middle of nowhere) I’ve seen people that have electric valves and they open it while driving, that’s a bad idea if your on main roads, but I’d do it on isolated dirt roads. But people get super judgy about this sort of stuff.
My simple rule is , don’t dump it at water fill points, don’t dump it right on a campsite as your leaving .
@@itsJackandMeganwith the whole caravan value thing, I’ve been eyeing up prices a lot lately because of our coaster issues and 35k doesn’t get you much in the way of a modern caravan. You can get a very nice older caravan but then you will have to update the fridge and electrics and water storage etc etc.
Thanks heaps for your input!! Appreciate this.
Because you have stripped Myrtle down and customised your rebuild she is probably more sturdy than some just off the lots.
You can always install new heavy duty axels along with air or gas shocks to ease the ride when you’re off road and although you have the sway problem solved installing a sway bar kit will sturdy the ride a lot and give the drawbar and tongue more support, of course more money. Keep keeping on, I love what you’re doing! 🤪
I love the build videos. The reveal was just what we already saw with your build videos. Enjoy your caravan for at least a year or two before your deside to do another build. But that's just my opinion.😊❤
Thanks for following along!!
10:13 grey water into the toilet dump point. Just to let you know, I watched and laughed to the end 😅😅
Loved the way you did this q&a not just talking to the camera much more engaging. That camp site on the cliff is epic so jealous. Will be interesting to hear your thoughts after say 6mths in the van then do a comparison between van life and Troopy life.
Hey thanks for following along we to like this different style! glad you did to!!
I watched to the end. Go 100 k
Yieww thanks Pauline!
watched to the end, so you got at least one person all the way to the end.
@@darrellbest1800 haha appreciate you! 🫶🏼
They all cope and beating the vans
That was such a fun way to do a Q&A . Also just subscribed to the new channel ☺️
Thanks Robyne :)
Jack, you should rig up a very rugged jockey wheel/slider set up so you can disconnect Myrtle and drag her around with a winch/chain for when you get bogged or run out of turning space .... better to have it ready before you need it and i could be stowed in the van until needed. 😎
Buy yourself a water bladder, drifter have got 2 great options 100lt or a 60lt, that way you can carry a little more and bring some water back from town.
we actually have a 60litre tank in the car we have started using.
Great video and making us so excited to be over in Eyre Peninsula. Would be awesome if you could list the places you go and say in the video description 😊
You aowsome guys, I watched whole your chaneel in 2 days nonstop.
Cheers mate!!
A Toyota coaster 4x4 bus would be great not to big and can go off rd , but enjoy myrtle and do a big lap in her , a one bedroom apartment on wheels and different views all the time , priceless 😊
Eyre Peninsula is my homeland, wish I still lived there. Hope you thoroughly explore(d) the lower Eyre Peninsula
It's honestly beautiful! We did explore the lower part a few years ago when we travelled in our old troopy :)
You did a great job on myrtle and to do it for that price is amazing yes towing up a track hopefully being able to turn around is a a little scary i got caught out last year where it took about a hour and a hundred point turn to get out not nice but all part of the experience.all the best Ron
How can you put a price on the experience and joy you have building and enjoying the fruits of your labour. Seriously guys anyone with a big credit card can buy a caravan but you guys built your own. Awesome ❤
The price it cost you was a massive shock (I thought it was going to be at least $50K)! That’s very impressive and you could probably get almost double for it. And I don’t think you’d ever be able to buy a caravan to the level of finish for what you’ve paid. Massive congrats to you both.
I just saw your centrum vitamin ad while watching your episode , you did well 🎉🎉❤
oh gosh haha we're yet to see it!
Hey guys amazing video as all ways, I agree it's hard to see your life with out a caravan once you get one.
So grey water we just leave it open most places, I figure if I was camping at the place all my water goes straight on the ground so what's the difference? Haven't been told off yet. Also leave your tank open while you drive so when your on an angle the stuff at the bottom of the tank comes out 👍
Thanks for the tips mate!
The new Caravan Park just outside Streaky Bay is the best and cheep you will enjoy it
Myrtle is amazing guys , I have also worked out what your next project build is going to be 🤔😁👍
There's always plenty of room for more water, but the limitation is usually the weight. Just be aware that 100L of water weighs 100kg and can affect your ball weight depending on where you put the tank.
Awesome video guys 🙏
Grey water , we have a designated hose and we put it in the bush n water the trees.
We love Perlubie Beach and SA try Moonta
Thanks for the tip guys! We to love Perlubie!
Re the other Vlog channel. May I suggest that it’s easier for us Followers to keep everything in one place. I stumbled on the Vlog channel by chance and I think it would have fitted in here very well.
Great video guys. Yep we have some fantastic camp spots here in SA. Enjoy.
Hi good to see the old girl on the road looks great we camped in that spot last year was bloody windy at the time. Just a word of advice if you havent already checked the ubolt shackles can come loose after the initial tension dont ask me how i know❤
will be going through the whole caravan in an upcoming episode :)
Hi Jack, I found running level rides took away all issues of swaying etc👍 I’ll give you another radio show shout out this Thursday morning to boost your channel guys👍
Cheers mate!
Put in a flow meter. It's a capacity down down meter for your water. Look at going overland. They just got a plastic pipe about 20ltr. For overnight, stop greywater restoration areas.
I really loved the video guy's, have enjoyed them all immensity. I will definately check out the new Vlog, maybe Megan you could have "Book Chat" at the end of every video, and those that aren't keen could button off 🤔 🙃 Not knowing your favourite genre, I really loved "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus, you can also download it as an audiobook, if you're not close to any bookstores 😁
Iron knob in SA great stop at museum up at back of the place to see and history.
Grey water, only hold it when you asked to, then water some plants when you pull up somewhere where you don't have to contain. At them places run a hose to a tree and water it and leave the grey tank open? Its not black water, no difference if you had an outside tap to wash with and water goes on ground
Seems the ultimate setup is actually a troopy towing Myrtle so when you are in a destination whereby you need to be unhitched then you can.
Hey Jack with your cheapie tow mirrors - just buy a roll of black duct tape & apply at each end (so not touching the actual mirror face) to secure the plastic arms (especially the drivers side) and they will stay secure in place and not move around. I have still got mine as too stingy to buy expensive bolt on ones
Thanks mate!! I have actually ended up buying some cheaper ones set me back $309 from memory.
I have a grey water tank in my Ducato van but I leave the valve open so that when I'm driving the tank gets emptied. Nothing worse than storing grey water I reckon. It's dead weight. If we stay at a caravan park, we connect a hose from the grey water valve to the concrete pit where the tap is. Grey water is yuk.
Lucky you. We were in SA for 3 months and we only got 3 days without +50klm winds
Another great video! Now I'm going to shamelessly plug my mates book for you Megan! He's a local from Three Springs and has an ongoing series. His name's Michael Trant and he's written a few books starting off with Wild Dogs, then another called No Trace and he's got a third in the series coming out in January called Blood and Gold. They're fantastic reads all based in Western Australia and I'm hanging out for his next one. He does have another book not a part of the series called Ridgeview station which I'm still yet to read. Just thought I'd share some really good page turners for you to hopefully enjoy. I think you guys did well to do that work for $34,500.00. I keep saying to my missus I wish it was June already because that's when we're buying our caravan and if I had my way we would have it already lol! Keep up the awesome work and I'll check out your other channel!
Loved "Wild Dogs" Michael is a fabulous story teller 📚
@@CoffeeX3mealsAdaycertainly is! You should read the next one it's just as good and I'm sure his 3rd one will be just as good too!
Thanks so much for watching! Oooo sounds great, I'll add them to my list thank you! I think I've only ever read one book set in Australia and that was Candy (the one the Heath Ledger movie was based on) so bit of a different vibe 😆
Ahh how exciting, June will creep up on you fast I'm sure!
I was at that place this morning and got mango chicken and rice too 🤣
If you need anything for Myrtle, please come and see us at caravan crash and service 285 North east road, Hampstead gardens. We have access to free campsites in the Adelaide hills. Been following your journey for a long time, good work.
Jack streaky bay has brilliant fishing stops
Grey water turns to black water in 48 hours(roughly) you can’t discharge black water on the ground but you can water the trees with grey
Cheers Shane!
You've done an amazing job and have gained more than you spent but the answer is, yes, you could have bought an offroad van for around that price that would be modern. That being said, it would have been second hand with unknown hours if use. Your van is brand new inside with only your use. So, only you can decide if you could buy what you have for the same money you spent. I love your van.
I like a kid that reads very rare these days I don’t mean you Jack ❤
Beautiful vid ❤ now i just want to get in the car and go back to the EP 😊 My husband also got sick on the nullarbor and we had to dash home.
Jack, can I ask what you did to your airbags to fix your sway please? More or less pressure? We just got new car and van and had too much sway so need to change our settings to fix it up. Thanks.
I always see water trails on the road leaving camping spots that caravans can get into so i presume that's where all the Gey Water goes to.
How’s the fuel consumption now towing
I'd love to see the name Myrtle on the Caravan my mum's name is on my daughter's Caravan .
Those chairs! Shit I'll see if I can get you some new ones 😉
Water in van , for shower - turn on get wet turn off.. shampoo soap /rinse quickly lol
I guess you are doing this ❤
Spot on!
❤❤
Jack & Myrtle & Megan, I love your videos.
I have a question for you both...well it might turn into a few questions.
1. Is there any particular spot in Australia that you absolutely feel as though you must take our beloved Myrtle?
2. I know that you spend nearly every minute of the day together. Do you feel as though your travels bring you closer together? and...
3. How do you both deal with arguments, as I know that these occur in every loving relationship?
4. I followed your build videos of Myrtle. I live in a 1998 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van 312D with 12 volt (3 x AGM batteries and 3 x solar panels). I have the option to use 240 volt power, but never have. Yes I've completed 1 coastal lap of Australia and am in Esperance (I've been here for a month - September 2024) and loving it 😀.
I know that the 240 volt system works, but have never used it.
Could you please put out a video on how to connect correctly to 240 volt power?
Anyway guys, sorry for the extremely long comment as I know you have so many comments to read on a daily basis.
Thank you again from your mate, Martin.
P.S. I am not on social media.
Another great vid Safe Travels
🙏 Thank you!!
Yes you paid about 4k to much for it, but in the end 34k is good, you got what you wanted, learnt some skills and made a few dollers on the content, don't forget to check on the wheel bearings and give them a repack..
Hey Megan, love all your bedding and would love to know where you got it and what colour it is 😍🥰
Hello!! I got the quilt cover set from Amazon (I think the brand is linen house) it’s also linked in our description under products in Myrtle. And I have one sheet set from Amazon but it’s really bright orange so that’s just our spare one haha but I got a really nice rust coloured one from Kmart! 🥰
We spotted you driving in Streaky Bay and gave you a call on the UHF but received no reply back so we let you go, Myrtle does look good on the road.
That’s weird I have channel 40 on 24/7 sorry guys must have missed it.
@@itsJackandMegan you were heading out of town and did a left hand turn towards the Hospital when we called.
We are currently on the Eyre Peninsula for a few more weeks, will keep our eyes open🙂
Think I saw you yesterday afternoon heading towards Geraldton?
Couldn't have been us mate we're over east :)
Yes please, pleeeeaaase do a bus next time. Pleeease? 😊
Would be awesome hey!!
@@itsJackandMegan btw you've inspired us to do up our old vintage caravan that's been down the back for 15 years. I've already moved it, jacked it up on stands and fitted a new hitch.
This is what we want to hear!! Would love if you sent some photos on Instagram if you can I’d love to see the caravan!
Do you guys have an air compressor on board. Haven't seen you adjust your tyre pressures over corrugations.
We do and we do 😊 just don’t always film it
@@itsJackandMegan just thought we'd ask, all good. Love you guys. Hope to see you on the road one day. In our van with Daysend stickers on the bt50 and our caravan.
😊😊😊😊😊
If you didn't have sponsorship your build would probably be more like 60 if using the same parts. Either way, you got er done and everyone is happy! As far as the grey water, save what you can. Make sure to stay at least 200 yards from a water source if dumping.
Nope that figure was including sponsored products- only the Thetford and Renogy products were apart of a collaboration 😊