Although this review was a while ago it remains one of our favourites. Good luck, get at least the aluminium frame version. Check out composite vans also (no frame). I saw this very Gator a week ago and it had done another 20Ks as a hire van and still looked terrific. Solid brand.
With your future vids can you mention the water capacity as we go remote and that with power is what we look for... water and power to stay off grid for long periods of time!!... great information great vids keep it up!!❤
Hi, love your persistence and careful deliberations in finding a van that suits your needs. Have you had a look at “4 & 2 Vanning” channel. They had a JB similar model and had quite a bit of trouble with weights. They found that if they filled their tanks to go remote off grid they were overweight…
I can see that happening at the ball weight end given those 2 tanks are forward of the axle. I’ll check them out. Our next van hire was particularly impressive - you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for that one. Thanks for your comment David.
@@caravansbythecampfire yeah just had a friend that was trying to get his to work on 240. Then realised it only worked with gas . Thought that might not always be convenient . Especially with the change to lithium dominated caravans
Thoroughly enjoyed your review and you had me there, I thought you were going to choose this van . Have you considered or do you consider the materials used to construct a van i.e. aluminium or wooden frame, aluminium or composite cladding, etc.
Thanks Andy, yes we do consider those things - I don’t mind the composite cladding or the Aluminum, I'm more into weights and ease of towing and the ability to go off road. After many vans now, they are all starting to look very similar!! Some of the price tags are amazing for what you get. We have another couple coming up that are impressive.
How do you say that? It looks like NOE - I'll have to check them out on the web - thanks for your comment. What about why the outside shower taps turn on and off in different directions - nobody appears to know why that is? Thanks for the comment!
We loved our NCE washing machine.. It saved us heaps of coin and worked a treat.. The Micro... We hardly used is as also with the swift stove top... And that's another story where JB dropped the ball on advising customers on whether the ACC had decided on what.. We heard the result via another Caravan Manufacturer..
You don't generally sleep in vehicles. Maybe it only applies to new installations from the compliance date, not a lawyer though. I would be interested in the view from manufacturers and installers.
Hey guys the Gator Is not a fully off road van it's marketed as a semi offroad van. The Gator X isthe fully off road version of the Gator. Majority different suspension and battery management systems.
Thanks Steve, both are stated as off-road - The difference being a couple of rear side nudge bars and airbag suspension on the X from what is advertised.
@@rrstaffies That may be so and I'm sure the Gator is quite capable offroad, but it isn't one of JB's fully off road caravans, or as the episode labels as "the heavy duty off-road caravan", personally I think if you want to review a fully off road caravan you should review something that is built and marketed a fully off road van.
Well I stand corrected! I just had a look a the JB Caravan webpage and you are correct they now advertise the Gator as offroad where as the Gator had previously been advertised only as semi offroad.
Very informative review as this is one of the vans we are currently considering in the range 17ft to 18.6ft.
Keep up the good work
Although this review was a while ago it remains one of our favourites. Good luck, get at least the aluminium frame version. Check out composite vans also (no frame). I saw this very Gator a week ago and it had done another 20Ks as a hire van and still looked terrific. Solid brand.
I like what you guys are doing. Keep up the good work. Hope u both do well with youtube.
With your future vids can you mention the water capacity as we go remote and that with power is what we look for... water and power to stay off grid for long periods of time!!... great information great vids keep it up!!❤
Sure, I forget sometimes! Most have 2 tanks standard 90 or 100 ltrs.
Hi, love your persistence and careful deliberations in finding a van that suits your needs.
Have you had a look at “4 & 2 Vanning” channel. They had a JB similar model and had quite a bit of trouble with weights. They found that if they filled their tanks to go remote off grid they were overweight…
I can see that happening at the ball weight end given those 2 tanks are forward of the axle. I’ll check them out. Our next van hire was particularly impressive - you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks for that one. Thanks for your comment David.
Really enjoy your humour, and vid's
Thank you!
Keep up the informative and straightforward style guys. Very relatable. PS, you do realise wine is for drinking, not for throwing about the place!
Tracey does this ever episode! Then she wants to go to town to get more... haha.
Great review, my only concern with JB is their shocking after sales backup reviews
Lots of stories about leaks etc.
👍👍
Thanks for the comment! Not many manufacturers are receiving rave after sales backup reviews - an area of opportunity for them!!
Not good 😐 might give them a miss cheers 👍
Great review guys. Our booking for this van is coming up in a few months!
Fantastic - you will enjoy!
Loving your vids guys - keep them coming 👍
Thank you!
Love your reviews guys. Great work pretty sure those instantaneous gas water systems only work with gas not 240v unfortunately
Did I say 240v? I’ll have fix that if so. Thanks for the comment.
@@caravansbythecampfire no you didn’t.
@@crewzincool haha - that’s good! And you r right about gas only.
@@caravansbythecampfire yeah just had a friend that was trying to get his to work on 240. Then realised it only worked with gas . Thought that might not always be convenient . Especially with the change to lithium dominated caravans
Yep. Ours as standard is gas only
Thoroughly enjoyed your review and you had me there, I thought you were going to choose this van . Have you considered or do you consider the materials used to construct a van i.e. aluminium or wooden frame, aluminium or composite cladding, etc.
Thanks Andy, yes we do consider those things - I don’t mind the composite cladding or the Aluminum, I'm more into weights and ease of towing and the ability to go off road. After many vans now, they are all starting to look very similar!! Some of the price tags are amazing for what you get. We have another couple coming up that are impressive.
FYI Guys. Microwave and washing machine brand is NCE 😉
How do you say that? It looks like NOE - I'll have to check them out on the web - thanks for your comment. What about why the outside shower taps turn on and off in different directions - nobody appears to know why that is? Thanks for the comment!
With regards to the taps it appears to be a common thing. All the American stuff is the same. 🤷♂️
I’ll find out!
We loved our NCE washing machine.. It saved us heaps of coin and worked a treat.. The Micro... We hardly used is as also with the swift stove top... And that's another story where JB dropped the ball on advising customers on whether the ACC had decided on what.. We heard the result via another Caravan Manufacturer..
@@rrstaffies great stuff about the washing machine! Well done.
Will you guy try out the jayco base station
I don’t think so. Looks great for the toys but limited creature comforts for us - we are trying out the Silverline this week!
I tihnk new laws coming will require all lithium batteries to be fitted externally.
Where did you here that?
Electrical Installations Standard AS/NZS 3001.2:2022, which will be inforced Nov 2023.
@@Dave_Gurman I wonder about all the campvans and cars with them in?
You don't generally sleep in vehicles. Maybe it only applies to new installations from the compliance date, not a lawyer though. I would be interested in the view from manufacturers and installers.
@@Dave_Gurman every time we attempt to discuss anything with manufacturers they don’t return calls or emails…. I’ll investigate- thanks again
Hey guys the Gator Is not a fully off road van it's marketed as a semi offroad van. The Gator X isthe fully off road version of the Gator. Majority different suspension and battery management systems.
Thanks Steve, both are stated as off-road - The difference being a couple of rear side nudge bars and airbag suspension on the X from what is advertised.
I have a gator and it went fully off road.
Gator is full off road.
Dirt roader is the Semi off-road.
@@rrstaffies That may be so and I'm sure the Gator is quite capable offroad, but it isn't one of JB's fully off road caravans, or as the episode labels as "the heavy duty off-road caravan", personally I think if you want to review a fully off road caravan you should review something that is built and marketed a fully off road van.
Well I stand corrected! I just had a look a the JB Caravan webpage and you are correct they now advertise the Gator as offroad where as the Gator had previously been advertised only as semi offroad.