Vandelicious is For Sale: High-top Toyota Hiace Campervan, 1999, with loads of extras for $16,500

It's time for Vandelicious, my trusty high-top campervan, to move on to a new owner and to new adventures.

**Update: sorry, but she's been sold. But have a look around and hope you find some inspiration for your journey.

I've bought a car, and am settled here on the Central Coast and ready to knuckle down and finish my book, so my lovely Van is for sale.

Lots of pics below, but first, here's a brief description:

Campervan, Toyota Hiace Hi-Top (High Roof), Manual 5 Speed, 1999. Loads of extras such as solar panel, tinted windows, fiamma awning, solar-reflective roof paint, GPS & reverse camera; rear sliding window & ‘Fan-tastic’ ceiling vent; inverter to charge laptop etc. New Engel fridge. Aircon re-gassed. Serviced regularly. Engine purrs. Previously owned by ex-mechanic. Female non-smoking owner past 2 yrs. Vic rego till August 2012.

Currently on Central Coast NSW. Inspections welcome, and delivery is a possibility. $16,500. Telephone 0419 580 382 or (02) 4384 4942.

Please scroll down for lots of pics. And you can find a much more detailed description here.

 Wind-out Fiamma awning - so easy to put up, and can be tethered to the ground or to sockets in the side of the van. This was only installed 2 years ago.

Professional fit-out (it's an ex-rental), with a table and bench seats which also fold down to make a bed.

In this pic you can see the 'Fan-tastic' Vent in the roof, which can be opened for air and light, or closed. It has several speeds and can be used as an exhaust fan or a cooling fan. 

Stove, sink, cupboards. All professionally fitted. The sink has a 12v pump, and a water tank is under the van. There's also a board that fits over the sink so you can use it as extra bench space.

 The Engel 12v/240v fridge was replaced 2 yrs ago. I haven't used it much in the past 16 months so it's almost new. 

I've added storage containers and strips of wood along the window edge so that you can store small objects that are in frrequent use there so they can be easily accessible. This photo also shows the voltmeter, so you can keep an eye on your battery level.

 The Fan-tastic ceiling vent, shown from the inside. This was great. Added so much extra light, and was very useful as an exhaust fan when cooking, or to exhaust out hot air if the van had been left locked up. And was lovely at night with cool fresh air descending. These vents have been called the 'poor man's airconditioner'. It's trimmed around the edge with wood to match the side rails.

The table and bench seats fold down easily to convert to a large and comfortable bed.

Very cosy and private inside with the curtains drawn. And I had a sliding window with flywire fitted instead of the standard fixed window on the back driver's side (left hand corner in this pic), so there's lots of air and cross-breezes. 

Some bedding can be included if you would like -- a sleeping bag that folds out, sheets, etc. Plus a feather doona and quilted mattress protector that I used on top of the foam cushions that made it extremely soft and comfy. (nb the cushions here are not included.)

Good quality thermal curtains all round (new 2 years ago).

Handy storage bits. There are lots of built in cupboards, and loads of room in the front and back of the high-top, but I found these wire baskets etc invaluable for being able to see and grab things easily. 

This little inverter made a huge difference for me -- as it allowed me to recharge my laptop and phone easily, and even use a little rocket blender while on the road.

 Click here for more details.

Asking $16,500 (compare it to the price of ex-rentals without any of these extra features and you'll see this is great value), because it's time for me to move on and I'd like a quick sale.

Give me a call if you're interested on 0419 580 382.

Or use the contact form here.

And don't forget you can read a more detailed description here.

Vandelicious is for sale: here's what's so great about it.

Campervan for sale -- high top / high roof Toyota Hiace, 1999. 

5 Speed Manual. White. With lots of extras.

Professional campervan fit-out (was an ex-rental). 

Standard fittings -- Table and bench seats that fold down to a large double bed. Gas stove; sink, water tank and 12v pump; cupboards and plenty of storage space; fold-down table at the side.

It’s also got lots of customized extras to make it much more comfortable and flexible for travelling and free-camping.

(Go here for lots of photos, but read on first for why this van is so special.)

Extras include:

--Solar panel

--Tinted windows

--Fiamma roll-out awning (fitted 2 yrs ago)

--Solar-reflective paint on top (keeps it a bit cooler)

--GPS & reverse camera

--Rear sliding window with flywire (instead of the standard fixed window).

(This provides a great cross-breeze & makes a huge difference to the comfort level when sleeping or sitting in the back -- eg if you’re parked somewhere that you need to have the back door closed for privacy or to be unobtrusive).

--fitted with a ‘fantastic’ roof vent. (‘Fantastic’ is the brand name, but it is pretty fantastic. Provides a lot extra light during the day, and you can use it as an exhaust fan when cooking ,or to exhaust out hot air trapped inside if you’ve had it parked in the sun. This vent also brings in lovely fresh night air and can be used as a gentle fan on a hot night.)

Other handy extras:

--A 600w Inverter -- to charge your laptop, phones etc, and for small appliances (eg a rocket blender).

--The ‘house’ battery (in the back) has been fitted with a battery charger so it charges up every time you’re plugged in to electricity. (This is very useful if you want to stay in the one spot for a while, but don’t want to be permanently plugged in at a caravan park -- you can just go there for a night now and then to top up. The solar also helps keep the battery topped up. ) I’ve also had a voltmeter fitted so you can keep an eye on how the battery’s going.

-- very long 15v extension cord included. Plus a food grade water hose.

--The Engel 12v/240v fridge is almost new (I replaced it 2 years ago and it has hardly been used in the past 16 months).

--Lovely deep blue thermal curtains.

The van is very clean, and surprisingly roomy and airy because of the high roof. Like an excellent cubby house on wheels.

It has heaps of storage space – in the front and the back of the high top, under the bench seats, and in the cupboards.

I’ve also had a couple of extra side access holes made for the bench seats so you can reach stored things without having to lift up the seats; plus some wire baskets and storage rails and hooks for extra convenience. And a nice oval mirror.

The fit-out is very flexible. You can make it up to table and bench seats during the day if you like, but I preferred to keep the bed made up all the time – more comfy and easier for just one person.  (See my blog post re the best Voffice – van-office – desk.)

I actually lived in it for a year, so I had it very cram packed with stuff. But if I did it all again, I would travel much more lightly. It’s a great little unit and, with a few clothes and some bits and pieces, really has just about all you need.

I can also provide kettle, frypan, cutlery, plates, chair, etc if you need them.

The big advantage with these campervans over the larger motorhomes is that they fit into an ordinary car parking space. In fact I used this as my only vehicle for a year after I stopped travelling. So it is very versatile.

--The cabin aircon is very cold – was re-gassed and serviced about a month ago.

--Power steering

--Radio-CD player in front cabin (and I’ll include an attachment so you can plug in your iphone or ipod)

--good tyres, tow bar (not currently attached), new wipers, no rust. Two little dents in the back where I backed into tree branches, but otherwise the body is great for its age.

--has 370,000 on the clock, but these are mostly highway ks and these motors are built to last. It still purrs beautifully and starts instantly every time.

Previously owned by an ex-mechanic.

Female non-smoking owner for past 2 years.

I’ve had it serviced every 6 months (approx every 5000 ks), and it has never let me down. 

--Vic rego till August 2012.

--currently located on the Central Coast, NSW (Terrigal). Inspection welcome. Or give me a call if you want to find out more. 0419 580 382

--Delivery for an extra fee is a possibility (depends where and when).

--Sad to see it go, but I’m settled here now and have bought a car. This Van loves to be out on the road and having adventures, so it’s time to pass her on to new owners.

Comes with a Camps Australia 3 book (shows the free and cheap camping spots throughout Australia), some maps, street directories and copies of the CMCA Wanderer magazine (lots of travel info).

$16,500.

(To give you a comparison price – a campervan rental place in Sydney is currently selling an ex-rental high-top with 460,000k, and none of the extras listed here, for $16,000 – so this is great value for the right person.)

 Lots of pics here (in separate post).

Telephone Beth on 0419 580 382

How to make the most of your Voffice (mobile Van-Office) or Bed-Office, & the best laptop bed-desk

How'd you like to have this view from your office?

When I first decided to sell my house and buy a campervan to live in for a year, I bought and tested out quite a few laptop and bed-desks. None of the designs really worked. I always ended up with aching shoulders from the bad ergonomics.

Then one day I wanted to check some email in a hurry and without thinking too much I just grabbed my yoga bolster which was lying on my bed, and popped my laptop on that. After that, I turfed out all the expensive single-function laptop-desks, and was able to use my mac in complete comfort, leaning back in my cushions. There was plenty of room on the bolster to use a mouse, and the smooth fabric made an ideal mouse-mat.

When I finally found and bought my current little house in Terrigal, I thought I'd keep the van and use it as a mobile office. Seemed like it would be great to drive off to the beach for the day and work in the back. But my house is so comfy and airy, that for a year the Van just got used to go to the shops and the gym and the occasional trip to Sydney.

So I've bought a little Yaris instead and am ready to hand the van over to someone new. (See here for details and pics if you're interested in buying it.)

Here's a little video I made to demonstrate how to make the most of a Voffice (Van-office) or Boffice (Bed-office), for those who appreciate the value of living comfortably in a small space:

Campervans and chemical toilets - why I'm glad mine didn't have one

One of the tough decisions I had to make when buying my campervan was whether to go for a Toyota hi-top - which can fit easily into any carspace, and can double as a town vehicle during the times you're not travelling -- or whether to get something a bit larger with a toilet and maybe a shower.

In the end, I went for the campervan, and I'm glad I did.

Even if you only use the toilet when absolutely necessary, those chemicals really smell. And it's right next to where you are cooking and eating and sleeping. (Horrible.)

So I got by fine with my iphone 'Toilet Mate' app, which finds and guides you accurately to the nearest toilet, no matter where you are in Australia, as long as you have 3G access. (And for some more of my favourite travel apps, check out this post.)

At night, if I needed to do a wee, I had an icecream container with a good-fitting lid, dedicated to this purpose, which I kept handy in the cupboard under the sink. In the morning I put it in a plastic shopping bag and carried it to the public or caravan park toilets and emptied and washed it there. No problems at all. (Or if I was in the bush, I diluted it with water and used it to fertilise a convenient tree.)

It's just wee, after all. Do we really need to use heavy horrible chemicals to deal with it?

Especially as, when diluted, it is actually a brilliant fertiliser. (Lots of nitrogen and a range of other goodies. Farmers buy it as Urea, and pay quite a lot of money for it.)

And by the way, if you do feel the need to have a porta-potty, apparently it's when you mix number ones and number twos together in the one potty that it creates the need for such high strength and quantity of chemicals, as each requires a different process to break down properly. Keep them separate, and you'll need a lot less of those expensive and smelly chemicals.

Finally, if you're travelling or living in a campervan and are worried about what might happen in a dire emergency (food poisioning or a stomach bug etc), here's a tip I gleaned from browsing websites written for and by people in the US who had lost their homes due to the subprime mortgage disaster, and who were living in their vehicles.

Their tip was to get a small bucket with a good-fitting lid. Double line the bucket with disposable plastic shopping bags (or triple line it if you want to be extra sure), and then put some kitty litter in the bottom. When you've used it, tie it up, and dispose of it in a rubbish bin as soon as you can. Not recommended except for extreme emergencies as this is not the kind of thing that we want going into our rubbish system. But handy to know about, if you ever need it.

As for not having a shower in the van, I was glad I hadn't used up valuable space for that too. Unless you are in a large motorhome, it's unlikely that your water tank will allow you to have much of a shower. And the small space that would be available makes it rather uncomfortable. I've heard of lots of people who end up using their shower space for storage.

For me, a peaceful, slow and thorough wash with a basin of water is one of the pleasures of camping. And there's always the ocean or a river. Or the gym (my Fitness First membership was very handy for this, as I could go to any of their gyms anywhere in Australia.) Or a caravan park. Or a friend's house.

Indeed one of the delights of travelling and living in a campervan is to discover how little you actually need in life compared to what you think you need.

farewell to nomadic life and yay to new home & new blog

Thanks for joining me on my year of the Vandelicious. I've got a great new home on the Central Coast of NSW now, and a new blog that is slowly finding its feet at www.bethspencer.com/blog. So would love to see you over there.

Meanwhile you can also check out lots of bits of my writing at www.bethspencer.com.

love to all,
Beth

a funny kangaroo video...

this one made me laugh...
They are such great creatures.

Cat and a box... gorgeous little cartoon by "Simon's cat"

I love the way cat's love boxes....