Garry and Pam love the space and comfort their rig offers.
When grey nomads Garry and Pam Sharp decided to take the plunge and sell their home in order to travel full-time they knew exactly what they needed from a rig … space!
Having spent six years travelling part-time in a 22’ caravan, they already had a fair idea of what worked and, just as importantly, what didn’t.
Although those part-time trips lasted between six and 10 months, the couple – who have been married for 51 years – knew that making the lifestyle permanent was a different kettle of fish. They spent three years researching their dream rig and looked long and hard at motorhomes before plumping for a fifth wheeler … and the space and comfort it offered.
“We have three slideouts and it is more like living in a small apartment as we have underfloor heating, two aircons, an electrical fireplace and so much more,” said Garry. “And I found a fifth wheeler was much easier to tow than a caravan.”
Their fifth wheeler is 38’ long and is towed by a big 3500 ltz Chevy. The couple loves the fact that, unlike a motorhome, they can drop their fifth wheeler off at a campsite and still have the truck to go sightseeing.
“When we travel we free park and low cost park,” said Garry. “About 60% of the time we stay at showgrounds as there is more room for larger vehicles, and most van parks are too small.”
Garry and Pam are currently in Queensland heading slowly south. They reckon they may stay in Victoria for a few months before heading across the Nullarbor and spending 18 months or so in Western Australia … although they hesitate to plan too far ahead or commit themselves to any sort of schedule.
“We travel to a lot of the smaller towns as the farmers and towns are doing it very tough and the reason we free park is so we can spend a lot more money in these towns … and boy do they need every dollar just to survive,” said Garry. “We find that the people are also so much more friendly than in the larger towns.”
The couple advises others thinking of selling up to do some short trips first.
“We have had some say, after it was too late, that they did not like the lifestyle or living in a small space together for so long,” said Garry. “But it is only the few.”
Garry and Pam believe that living on the road full time keeps them healthier and that living expenses are actually lower.
“We have made some great friends and plan to stay on the road as long as we love the lifestyle,” said Garry. “And when we cannot travel any longer, well that’s when we will work out what we will do next!”
My preference is for a motorhome towing a toad or trailer with 4×4 and/or a motorcycle on it. Another form of transport is certainly highly desirable for motorhomers. I’ve avoided caravans and 5th wheelers because of the need to get in and out between tug and van. Fuel consumption is also a consideration with most motorhomes returning ~10 litres per 100k’s perhaps more when towing something heavy but for me the convenience is what I’m after. Each to their own as many people prefer to have a big 4×4 as their independent vehicle. The best thing is to enjoy the journey.
Tottaly agree with all that was in this story. We are doing the same. We have been on the road full-time for 6 1/2 years with a LandCruiser 100 series towing a compass caravan which is 17 foot 6