Bill West has spent a lot of time on the road, in his role as Category Manager for The Australian V8 Ute, Mini Challenge and Australian GT Series. He was also one of the organisers for the inaugural Gold Coast Indy.
Now enjoying retirement, West hasn’t shied away from the road and in 2016 purchased a New Age Big Red 19ft Caravan, which is towed by his Toyota Landcruiser 200 Series V8 Diesel.
Along with his wife he has travelled most of Australia and describes Tasmania as his best adventure so far.
“After 75,000km around Australia (not yet WA) without doubt the 3 months we spent touring Tasmania. An amazing experience from the minute you set foot, and wheels, on the Spirit of Tasmania. The Stunning beauty of the beaches to the amazing wilderness areas, the quaint villages and ultra friendly people, just WOW! We did heaps of free camping which is readily accessible in Tasmania, our average daily accommodation spend was $13 a night!”
There are many things West loves about his caravan including the Simplicity. The Way it tows and the ensuite Bathroom, he’s even picked up a few traditions along the way.
“Sausage sizzle with fresh baked white rolls cooked on our Campmaster Butane Cooker with deep dish. This is our traditional first meal for every new adventure, one we learnt from our fellow caravaners and great friends Leeanne and Allan Cook.”
There are a few other items Wests recommends are essential to hitting the road, “A smile and a great attitude regardless of the weather!. Comfortable but lightweight chairs as you spend more time sitting around than you would at home! Fold up table and a good car fridge like sold by Kings 4wd supacentre.”
Although driving should be fun West has seen a few incidents on his caravanning adventures and suggests fellow carvanners follow some simple guidelines.
“Weigh your rig and make sure the load is legal, distribute the weight correctly, ensure tyre pressures are correct and drive to the conditions and your ability and comfort. Caravanning is all about smelling the roses, if you have to rush you are going too far!!
Bill’s Caravanning rig 
With 7 years’ of caravanning under his belt the British born traveller has learnt a few tricks of the trade.
“Keep it SIMPLE, pack the van for the number of you travelling not Dinner sets of Bone China for 12!! If you meet fellow travellers for a drink they are well versed on bringing their own gear.
Do lots of research and narrow down your search and hunt down that van. Essential is to join a Facebook page for the Make and Model of the van you have or are buying as this is an invaluable resource. There is no such thing as a silly question.
While you are waiting for your van DON’T rush out and buy every gadget you THINK you will need. Because you won’t! The simpler you keep it, the more you will enjoy it. WikiCamps is an amazing tool that will save you hours and lots of money,” Bill explains.
If this is your first caravanning adventure or your 20th we hope Bill’s advice has helped you prepare for your next trip and if you need a great playlist to listen to whilst on the road check out the BrainStormers Road-tripping playlist available on Shopify and Youtube.
If you’re in the Automotive Aftermarket industry and want to see how your supply chain can flow as well as Bill’s caravanning journey’s contact us here at BrainStorm for a free consultation.
