Roma the Van

I never thought that I would enjoy owning a caravan but little Roma is special.
It took a little while to find Roma but we were so happy when we did.
The guys at Johnsons Caravans in Maryborough Victoria were so helpful.

Buying a caravan was something that had never even been discussed.
I enjoyed the comfort of Holiday houses or apartments.
Turn up, open the door and enjoy everything already set up for your arrival.
And when you leave, just leave it neat and tidy and most definitely undamaged.
No cleaning up on check out.
So probably you would  say that I am a five star type of person, but only on a beer type budget.

So it was just one of those discussions that we had one day that grew quickly and the hunt for a caravan began.
We had spent a couple of nights in our tent, just to prove to others that I could enjoy camping and actually last the few days living outside.

Setting up our very large tent

Funny though, we were the most organised , as other camp members were coming to us to borrow bits and pieces.

So we decided that a caravan was perhaps a better option due to our increasing age.
And one of the best advantages is that you can set the bed up to suit yourself. No struggling with a bed that is too hard or soft.

We trawled through advertisements and checked out a few vans for sale in our local area.
It was only a chance visit to Maryborough that we decided to check out the options at Johnsons that we came across Roma.
So after a few weeks we attached her to the ute and delivered her to our yard.

Mind you Roma is nothing fancy.
Just a little 16.5 foot pop top, and quite a few years old.
But she is ours and we have been having fun setting her up with all the required utensils and things to make our travelling around quite comfortable.

Our very first trip away was to Barmah

I often hear people ask " I have just bought a caravan, what should I pack ?"
My idea would be look at what you have in your house as then it is pretty self explanatory.
Just nowhere near as much. And be prepared to add or subtract each time you go away.
Clothes and bedding will always be altered to suit the season. Toiletries, well I just leave a complete set in the van along with towels.

We have set up a large tool box with outside chairs, table and BBQ which just slides on to the back of the ute when we are ready to head off.
Listen to other caravanners when they make a suggestion as sometimes their tips are very helpful.
We did, and learnt heaps of useful ideas.

We have not taken Roma very far as work gets in the way but she is always ready for a spur of the moment trip. Hitch up to the ute and off you go. What a great feeling !

www.romacaravans.com.au
www.johnsoncaravans.com.au
www.morninggloryriverresort.com.au