So I was going through my recordings (yes, sometimes I record my thoughts if Iโm unable to have two hands free to type at a certain moment, good for jogging and washing dishes alike ๐) and I found this thought about our motorhome trip we did last month. A few tweaks and itโs a prefect blog post for you all ๐ happy reading!
After several weeks driving Australiaโs East Coast from south to north with three kids under five, weโve come to one conclusion:
Motorhome life is equal parts โWOW, this country is stunning!โ and โHoneyโฆ where exactly do we empty the toilet?โ
Here are the things we wish someone had told us before we picked up the keys.
1. ๐ฝ Your holiday revolves around water, electricityโฆ and poo.
Forget Instagram sunsets for a second.
Before you rent a motorhome, learn:
โข How to refill fresh water
โข How to empty grey water
โข How to dump the toilet cassette
โข How long your batteries actually last
Rental companies love saying things like, โYou can go 72 hours off-grid!โ
Maybeโฆ
Our experience? 48 hours is usually the sweet spot before something starts flashing, beeping, filling up, stinking or running out.
2. ๐ If you already own a car, seriously consider towing a caravan instead.
This was probably our biggest realization.
With a caravan:
โ Set up camp.
โ Unhook the car.
โ Spend the day exploring.
With a motorhome:
Want to drive to a nearby waterfall?
Congratulations.
Youโre taking your entire house with you.
Remember that your paying per day for the van/motorhome and an hour or two a day packing and unpacking adds up.
3. ๐บ๏ธ Plan your routeโฆ then be completely prepared to ignore it.
A rough itinerary is essential.
But an even better idea is having:
โข backup campsites
โข optional stops
โข places youโre happy to skip
โข earlier stopping points when everyoneโs had enough.
Some days we skipped places weโd planned for months. Other days we pulled over somewhere weโd never even heard ofโand it was one of the best unheard of places in Australia!! (Send me a message for details)
Flexibility beats perfection every time.
4. ๐Not every famous stop deserves your time.
This might be controversialโฆ
Some โmust-seeโ attractions are incredible.
Some are justโฆ a very well-marketed beach.
Donโt feel guilty skipping places if everyone is tired or youโre loving where you already are.
The best memories often happen where you never planned to stop.
5. ๐ Powered campsites arenโt cheating.
Before the trip, we imagined ourselves living the rugged, off-grid dream.
A few weeks later?
Give us electricity.
Give us hot showers.
Give us somewhere to charge five devices, run the fridge, boil the kettle, clean clothes and let everyone and everything recharge.
6. ๐งบ Youโll become strangely passionate about laundries.
You know youโre deep into motorhome life when you arrive at a campsite and the first question isnโt,
โHowโs the view?โ
Itโs,
โSoโฆ where are the washing machines?โ
Yeah that was me. A bit too excited about scent boosters ๐
7. ๐ Grocery shopping becomes an Olympic sport.
Youโll become an expert at fitting a weekโs worth of food into a fridge roughly the size of a bedside table.
Youโll also have conversations like:
โDo we really need milk?โ
โHow many bananas is too many bananas?โ
โShould we buy or make coffee?โ
Oh, and youโll thank all the heavens (and Covid) for click & collect ๐
8. ๐ง Kids measure destinations very differently.
You might spend six hours driving to one of Australiaโs most spectacular lookouts.
Your kids?
Theyโll rate the random playground behind the public toilets as the highlight of the day.
Honestlyโฆ theyโre not always wrong.
And sometimes they last 3 hours without stopping at all and enjoying every moment and sometimes a 45 minute drive is too much for them. Try to learn when is a good time to drive and when they need a break (usually after a good meal and energy reliever like a hike or a park and they were good to go ๐
9. ๐ฆ๏ธ Weather becomes your new travel agent.
Your itinerary will eventually be decided by:
โข rain
โข wind
โข tides
โข road closures
โข and whichever app you trust most.
The more flexible you are, the happier youโll be. Even though itโs scary, only plan a day or two ahead maximum (with a rough skeleton of where you need to go). There are many just-in-case places called โrest areasโ that are very high standards.
10. โค๏ธ Youโll remember the chaos far more than the convenience.
Yes, youโll empty toilets.
Yes, youโll refill water.
Yes, youโll wonder why someone designed cupboards that only open when another cupboard is closed.
But youโll also wake up beside beaches, cook dinner under the stars, meet wonderful people, and watch your kids think that living in a tiny house on wheels is the greatest adventure on Earth.
The logistics fade surprisingly quickly.
The memories donโt.
Would we do it again?
In a heartbeat.
And after winning lotto. ๐คช
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