These days the majority of caravan travellers seem to utilize a medium to large 4WD tow vehicle pulling a hefty dual-bogy caravan.

This setup supposes a retired couple to invest some of their capital (say $70 to 80,000 ) in the big trip of their dreams.

There are some aspects of this plan that are perhaps overlooked. It’s possible to drive around Australia on splendid bitumen highways, with many good gravel side tracks to interesting places.

A 4WD vehicle is unnecessary in this role. At the end of the trip you have a large thirsty vehicle that does not suit a surburban lifestyle and the caravan is a large investment (say $30,000) that can only be passed on at a far lower price.

However, some caravanners still tow with a sedan car, probably because most drivers own a sedan car. I drive a sedan car. The lockable boot means that my tools and electronics test gear is out of sight and hence fairly safe when the vehicle is parked.

On our round Australia trip the boot held two film camera bags, the video camera and recorder, plus other valuable gear. In the many car parks and side streets where we left the car parked it was not broken into. Most theft from motor vehicles involves breaking into the passenger compartment - the boot is seldom attacked. Of course this aspect is only one factor in the overwhelming popularity of the sedan car.

Because a sedan car is designed for passenger comfort rather than for heavy load carrying, the caravan being towed should be as light a load as is practical. If you feel you need a big caravan (say 16 to 18ft long) then you must tow it with a suitably large car. There are still large cars on the market. GMH, Ford and Mitsubishi all produce vehicles suitable for towing medium sized caravans, ie. 14 to 18 feet in length.

Each of these manufacturers can provide optional towing facilities for their vehicles directed towards the motorist who tows a van, boat trailer or horse float, etc.

It may seem an exaggeration, but I suggest a large car and a small caravan as the safest and easiest rig. We used a Holden auto sedan with a 4.2 litre V8 engine, weighing 1,600kg. Our van is a diminutive 12ft 6in long, yet loaded for the trip probably scaled at least 1,200kg. This combination was ideal and gave a great sense of stability in all road conditions. The lugging power of the V8 engine at low to medium speeds, plus the extra engine power available to run air conditioning in the tropics without overheating, is a real bonus.

With a big car you have the tremendous benefit of power steering, vital when manoeuvring the van on to a site.

Dave Jeanes is a 'fairdinkum Aussie'. He is a Technical Writer and recently has re-published his updated popular ebook "Driving Around Australia by Car and Caravan". Dave has made the round trip twice with his wife Pam and along the way gathered a wealth of hints and tips which will make YOUR trip around Australia a lot more relaxed. His website is: http://drivingaroundaustralia.com

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