Thirty years ago Caravan World celebrated its 25th anniversary with a bumper edition which introduced the new 16-page Outdoor Life lift-out supplement full of destinations, product reviews, photography and camp cooking.
This month we jump forward a decade in the Caravan World archives, to the bumper 25th anniversary edition of September 1995.
This issue introduced the new 16-page Outdoor Life centre lift out, including information on camping, holiday fun, outdoor adventure and lots more for the family.
Outdoor Life was a centre lift-out feature in Caravan World's September 1995 issue
The front cover featured a full colour image of the ‘Breo’ single axle, pop-top model from Brisbane manufacturer Future Systems, and the price had risen to $4.30.
On page 29 was a special feature on Caravan World’s first 25 years including a look back at the first ever edition from September 1970, which we highlighted last year.
I was interested in this paragraph: “There are quite a few differences between Caravan World of the 1970s and the one we see today, but sadly the one fact that stands out is the fact that caravanning in the 1970s was very much a family affair. Today, most caravans are only built for two people.”
I reckon I can attest to that statement. Even 20 years ago when our son was four and we were looking for our first caravan, there was very little on the market to accommodate families. Pre-owned vans with bunks were available but they were as scarce as hen’s teeth and so we opted for a Jayco Swan with beds that slide out either end. The Swan and the two Jayco Expandas which followed served our family very well over the ensuring two decades.
The editorial column lamented the lack of family vans on the market
Luckily that has changed, and caravanning is very much a family affair these days. Just about every one of the hundreds of manufacturers in this country will offer a family version in their range and the number of families who are living and working on the road since COVID has skyrocketed.
What sort of vans were on review?
The Future System’s Breo featured on the cover of this issue is not dissimilar to many of the pop-tops of today — from the outside — although the drawbar looks positively naked without gas bottles, a toolbox, bike rack, stoneguard and the like.
Future System was a new-ish company established by brothers Tony and Frank Bottaro out of Melbourne with a second factory set up in Brisbane to manufacture their European style vans.
Review of the Future System Breo
The 16ft 7in single axle Breo 490 had a rear entry front bedroom layout — which is still popular today — and the kitchen along the back. Only the best quality timber was used — Victorian Ash — no custom wood or chipboard. There was no bathroom but there was a discreet cupboard under the bed to store a portable dunny.
There was also a review on the Trayon Seeker — a new concept slide-on designed to slide onto a ute tray that folded out into roomy camper with a canvas upper section and solid walls.
A Goldstream Goldcrown camper for two with just the wind-up component — no slide out beds at either end — got a good review for its practicality for those who don’t like packing up wet canvas.
Review of the Goldstream Goldcrown camper
Testing a Ford Fairlane as a tow vehicle
You certainly don’t see many V8 Ford Fairlanes on the road these days, let alone one towing a caravan. But a tow test report from Tom Olthoff gave it a thumbs up for its touring comfort and towing capacity.
Gorgeous gorges
In the new Outdoor Life supplement Colin and Prue Kerr wrote a travel piece about the beautiful Galvans Gorge in WA’s Kimberley, long the Gibb River Road. This piqued my interest for a couple of reasons. Colin and Prue are still travelling and still writing. And I stopped at Galvans Gorge during a trip along the Gibb last year. Judging by the pics it’s still as beautiful and pristine as it was 30 years ago which is great news for some of these iconic remote locations which are becoming more and more popular with travellers.
Outdoor Life also featured a promotion on Hema Maps’ (our sister company) new Kakadu, NT, map.
Changing with the times
Caravan Clinic with Tom Olthoff comprised four pages of letters from readers seeking answers to a myriad of issues including the suitability of a 1987 Mitsubishi Magna station wagon as a tow vehicle, the best type of caravan for touring Australia, towing weights, how best to clean a water tank and — my favourite — disposing of ‘unmentionables’. This particular reader was about to buy a caravan with a shower and toilet on board and wanted to know where to empty the toilet.
“Nowhere have I seen any mention of toilet emptying facilities and wonder if there are such things or are we to tip her out behind a bush,” the reader lamented.
The advice to the reader was that many people are happy to do without a shower and toilet in their van because of the excellent amenities at most caravan parks. Apparently, it was common practice 30 years ago to empty toilet cassettes into normal fixed toilets, as long as “the correct chemicals are used and only bodily waste products are contained in the toilet (cassette).”
Fortunately, we’ve come a long way since then. Not many vans come without a shower and toilet these days and dump points are located pretty much everywhere. We are currently on the cusp of seeing traditional cassette toilets making way for composting toilets which eliminate the need for water and dump points completely.
Getaway Gear featured a story on Land Rover’s Defender cab chassis, a book from Greenseas on tuna and salmon recipes and a story about SAAS which had incorporated airbags into its sports steering wheels.
Cooking was all about stir fries — six different types and all served with a healthy serving of Maggi two-minute noodles. It’s good to see that some things never change.
THE NEXT STEP
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Related articles:
Looking back: Offroad adventures | January 1984
Looking back: Caravan World's first magazine | September 1970
Looking back: 25 years and counting | September 1995