"tanks" -- HOW I GOT INTO MOTORHOMING--PART 2.
Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 7:30 pm
To join the convoy the first and most important thing was to buy a caravan before I could join-up with the convoy, after all that was a pre-requisite for such a venture. There were a few offers to fall in with some of the couples who had spare room in their vehicles, but I felt that this would be imposing on my good and thoughtful friends so I checked out the caravan sale yards in Perth and purchased a 20 foot caravan. There was a fridge, a stove, beds which became seating when not sleeping --- What more could I ask for.
I completed the deal and parted with the dollars and then towed this "Box-on-Wheels" back to Wyalkatchem to prepare for the uplift to the caravan park in Fremantle in a few months time. The Caravan Park in Freo was where the mob were booked for the period. The first thing that I noticed was that my Jaguar was almost dragging on the ground with the additional weight on the tow-ball. Jaguars were not made to tow caravans I was told, and I would have to change the shockers and springs if I wanted to continue. The local engineer types, were backed up by the local auto mechanic, and a few wheat farmers who were giving advice.
My move was a regular topic of conversationin the pub where we gathered each afternoon. The longer we hung-out in the pub the more I had to do to prepare the "Box-on-Wheels" for the "expedition" over-the-top, on my trip around Australia.
Well, we went to work on the Jag. also added a carrier to the back of the van to carry four Jerry Cans and two spare tyres -which they informed me would be necessary for such a long trip. The benefit of this -- so I was informed by the Engineer types -- was that the additional weight at the rear of the van would reduce the tow-ball weight on the Jaguar. This was rapidly becoming a Community Project to get Morris ready to leave and get to the Reunion by April 20th --and away for a few months so that they could get back to the normal drinking routine in the pub.
All work was completed on the Jaguar and the caravan, stores were loaded and test drives were organised, with the resulting relocation of cartons of Baked Beans and Spaghetti, tins of fruit, and blocks of the necessary fluid and water containers to achieve the "balance of the load" to eliminate tail waggle. I was new to towing a caravan so this was regarded as an important phase of the preperation. I could not use the Cruise Control when towing and had to set the transmission "J" Box, which ment that I had to drive the vehicle all the way, rather than set the Cruise Control and use the Automatic Gear shifting. The test track was from Wyalkatchem (pop 300) to the town of Yalbeni (pop 4) and return after a brief stop-over and a few tinnies consumed by the 'observers' en-route to adjust the load and fine trim the balance of the van.
CONTINUED: MOVE TO THE CARAVAN PARK AS PART 3.
