17' Series Not to long to go now!!

[Aremac]

Hi Everyone,

I thought it was about time to introduce myself after lurking around the forum for the last month or so. We have ordered a 17.56-2 OB (seems to be a bloody popular choice of late) for Halls Jayco in Mildura. It should be a nice lil shakedown trip with the new van driving back up to North Queensland.

The van will have rooftop air, 150l fridge, 100ah battery, control panel, tv antenna, anderson plug, trigg coupling and a couple of other bits and peices. The main change we've made is to delete the bottom bunk to have a "buffet unit" installed in its place for the extra storage. We're going to take off at least one term with kids next year, maybe more if a few things line up, so the extra storage will be handy.

Can't wait for the week before xmas to get our new pressie.

Cheers,
Scott.

 

[busybusymum]

What are you towing with? Just wondering as we are looking at the swivel coupling (we have 150 series Prado tow weight 2500kg)but think we need to get the Weight Distribiution System and doesn't seem like they are real compatible?

Love the idea of the buffet unit for extra space - but wont work in our case - 4 kids!!

 

[Aremac]

We've also got a 150 series Prado with OME suspension. So i'm getting some polyair airbags in the rear before we head down to get it. I'm hoping it does the job after reading Bigman0510's build-up thread, but i have read somewhere about someone managing to have a wdh with a trigg hitch.

Fingers crossed the airbags suffice.

 

[cruza driver]

Jayco is going to be busy from now until xmas with a few on here waiting for the deliveries :smokin:

 

[Aremac]

We've been told our pick up date is set for the 20th of December. Does anyone have some advice on a nice caravan park in/around Mildura for us to stay. I plan to hang around town for a few days in case there's any teething problems or if we need advice from the dealer. Any other guff on nice spots between Mildura and Townsville would be great, we have a month to make our way north again and we don't have any plans for the return trip.

Looking forward to having a quiet chrissy with the kids in the new van, hopefully camping somewhere on the banks of a river.

Cheers,
Scott

 

[andrea]

Hi Scott, we get our 17.56-2 this Saturday. I cant help too much with Mildura but mum and dad have travelled a lot in the past 12 months. They've just come back from a trip that went as far as Mackay. They free-camped a lot of the time so if you want the details of any places along the way I can ask for you. I know they were quite happy with a few spots near Gladstone and again up near Mackay. They were suppose to go inland but it got too hot for them.

I think our first trip will be a weekend at Mt Barney. Saying that, we'll possibly sleep in it at mum and dads in Maryborough after we pick it up (getting it from Bundy)..... just because we can!

Our chrissy this year will be noisy. We are up at the parents again with my 3 brothers and their families. Lucky we're taking the van to retreat to!

Cheers
Andrea

 

[busybusymum]

Last hols we went out to Lake Menindee. Make sure you go to the junction of the Murray and the Darling at Wentworth. Also the sanddunes just out the northern side about 6 kms or so North of wentworth are a must! If you have time Menindee is good - although may be hot - we camped on Lake Cawndilla - free camping but the lakes are full so very pleasant and you can swim and fish in the lakes and they you can also swim in the Darling- going out to Kinchega National park is also interesting - also the woolshed adn where the old homestead was and the site of the blown up paddlsteamer. Perhaps a good trip would be to go from Mildura tp Wentworth to Lake Mungo - Amazing Archeological history of up to 40 000 years with the Walls of China - heaps of artefacts to discover for yourself - the National Parks Discovery Tours here are great - although we went there over 12 months ago in september - so perhaps a better time of year than summer time - just check that the loop road is open - although still worth going to if it isnt. Also the woolshed here is amazing and personally i think better than Kinchega. Camping here is in teh National park so very minimal fee. Then go from there to Pooncarie and onto Menindee for a dip in the lakes - visit Kinchega Nat Park. The sunsets at Menindee are stunning. Then if keen you can go to either Broken Hill or Wilcannia and make your way north from there. I'm not sure December/ January is the best time to visit there but they are amazing places and well worth the visit. If fishing in the Darling- worms are no good they just catch carp -I thing we caught over 50 carp on worms in a week when up there in September. Fresh shrimp are the goer for the perch - that is the only thing that they would bite on. Wilcannia is interesting in terms of its historty and although we haven't done it going to Tilba is also supposed to be interesting as is Louth (the pubs are basically the only thing there - but the history - especially of the paddlesteamer times is amazing) and then onto Bourke. Don't forget the farmstay things that you can do along this part of the trip. The tourist info centres will give you info on this but basically farms open themselves up for you to camp down on the Darling River and you can see the workings of a farm in the outback. Basically best not to stay in the cvan parks in towns such as Wilcannia - but go for the farmstay thing as you get more out of it. - Dont know much about north of this area - but good luck with it and hope this has been helpful.

 

[Cougz & Aj]

Scott,

Congrats on the van, we to have just picked up our 17:56 : 2 and the bottom bunk is missing. Would be interested in seeing some pics when you get it to see if its the same as ours.

Cheers

 

[Pace]

cougz/aj, does not the rear smaller dining table lower and become the bed???you should've got the additional cushion to make up the bed from from the seat cushions of the dining seating too!! there are many pictures on line or from the virtual tour within the jayco site too.

cheers pace

 

[Aremac]

I can't wait to get my hands on it...i'll be sure to post some pics. I'm interested to see what ours will look like after we changed the small dinette out for a buffet unit.
Cheers,
Scott.

 

[Pace]

interesting cahnge scott, yes be sure to post some pics of the new buffet unit. you know jayco just might patent the plans and use it for future van to come off the assembly line. we had the same do to us when we built our home, the builder patented our altered plan of their display and they now are building our house plans for other families, oh well i guess it works for us then it'll work for others. good brave move guys.
cheers pace.

 

[Deano]

Bargara 20 mins East of Bundaberg.

We've been told our pick up date is set for the 20th of December. Does anyone have some advice on a nice caravan park in/around Mildura for us to stay. I plan to hang around town for a few days in case there's any teething problems or if we need advice from the dealer. Any other guff on nice spots between Mildura and Townsville would be great, we have a month to make our way north again and we don't have any plans for the return trip.

Looking forward to having a quiet chrissy with the kids in the new van, hopefully camping somewhere on the banks of a river.

Cheers,
Scott

Scott,
Bargara is a nice spot to stop over. Google map it. Check out Bargara caravan park too.
Cheers
Deano

 

[Matty4]

I can't wait to get my hands on it...i'll be sure to post some pics. I'm interested to see what ours will look like after we changed the small dinette out for a buffet unit.
Cheers,
Scott.

My mate that we travelled with last year did this to his 17.56-2. Removed the table and had Jayco build a bench with cupboards underneath and left the top bunk folded up. They had 2 little girls who shared the rear bed so didn't need the bunks. It allowed for plenty of storage (which is a bit lacking in the -2 with the shower/toilet IMHO)

 

[busybusymum]

We've been told our pick up date is set for the 20th of December. Does anyone have some advice on a nice caravan park in/around Mildura for us to stay. I plan to hang around town for a few days in case there's any teething problems or if we need advice from the dealer. Any other guff on nice spots between Mildura and Townsville would be great, we have a month to make our way north again and we don't have any plans for the return trip.

Looking forward to having a quiet chrissy with the kids in the new van, hopefully camping somewhere on the banks of a river.

Cheers,
Scott

Just ensure that when you are camping around the river you dont park yourselves under the river red gums- they are prone to losing large branches - can especially happen in the heat of summer - even on still days - you would not want one of those huge branches through your new van or even worse if you happened to be in it asleep at the time.

In relation to my previous post on the Mildura to Wilcannia leg - -the Perry sandhills are the name of the sandhills just north of Wentworth (on the Broken Hill road)- but then you will need to come back across to the Eastern side of the Darling River at Wentworth to head out towards Mungo - Inside the Mungo National Park there is no electricity (not sure about generator use - but would think it would be limited) - but there is a place to stay just outside of the National Park - not sure whether they let vans stay there - but may be worth checking out if you want to use the air conditioner. In the Menindee area there are caravan parks (and hence electricity) on Lake Menindee itself and also another expanse of water ( Copi Hollow) which comes off Lake Pamamaroo and runs into Lake Menindee. Where we camped was free camping basically metres from the water at Lake Pamamaroo a couple of kms from the Burke and Wills Camp (sorry I think in my last post I said it was Cawndilla) - there is no electricity or toilets - but there were a few with generators. We had wanted to camp in the Kinchega National Park on Lake Cawndilla - however this campsite was not open at the time as the National Parks had the Lakes road within the park closed due to flooding earlier in this year and subsequent exposure of some aboriginal artefacts that they were trying to figure out how to manage. Hope I have clarified this a bit more. Oh heaps of spelling mistakes in my last post - the kids wanted the computer and I was typing in a hurry- one I will fix though - it is Tilpa (not Tilba).

 

[Aremac]

dont park yourselves under the river red gums- they are prone to losing large branches

Good to know....I'm hoping to head to the Menindee area, sounds like it'll be a great spot for a look, not sure about our timing though in the middle of summer.

Cheers,
Scott.

 

[Cougz & Aj]

cougz/aj, does not the rear smaller dining table lower and become the bed???you should've got the additional cushion to make up the bed from from the seat cushions of the dining seating too!! there are many pictures on line or from the virtual tour within the jayco site too.

cheers pace

Pace,

I have just re read what i wrote and we have the bottom seats/table removed and a buffett/dressing table or what ever any one wants to call in its place. We still have a the top bunk there but i will remove that to as we wont have any use for it. I will get pics on the week end and post.

 

[Bank of Dad]

Busybusymum............

Oh heaps of spelling mistakes in my last post - the kids wanted the computer and I was typing in a hurry- one I will fix though - it is Tilpa (not Tilba).

I know Tilpa very well....before they even had mains electricity or STD telephones! Everyones car had 2/90 airconditioning - 2 windows down at 90 miles per hour!

A very good school mate is on Kalara Station.:high5:

 

[Cougz & Aj]

Hi All, sorry about the quality but this is what we have in place of the bunks.

 

[Pace]

Hi All, sorry about the quality but this is what we have in place of the bunks.

guys, cant see anything here!! is there another way to view images which have been attached or posted?? very interested to see the setup.

 

[Aremac]

The pics are coming up here ok - I'm interested to see if our unit looks the same.

I think it will be a better usage of the space for us.

Thanks for posting Cougz & Aj