On the show this week we visit the town of Trangie for the Truck and Tractor Festival. Trangie is NW of Dubbo about 75km’s and from Narromine 38km’s on the Mitchell highway. The festival started back in 2019 but of course Covid stopped the next 2 years so the town was excited to have it happen again. Was a great country atmosphere in the town, everyone came out. The morning started with grey skies and a little rain but the gods were kind and the sun shone through. Note to self next year if we are out that way take gumboots. They would normally have had a tractor pull but due to the conditions in the show ground that did not happen but everyone had a great time. The towns streets had trucks all makes and tractors down the main street, the showgrounds had a country market and food stalls.
Phill chats with Rob McCutcheon one of the organisers of the festival and he tells us a little about whats on.
Next on the show Phill is chatting with Jeff DeAth from Check Weight. The topic this week is “Why ask vague questions on Facebook”
Well here’s Five Reasons why this is stupid.
(I can come up with more but here’s the top FIVE )!
1 The number of feet doesn’t matter
- Size doesn’t matter – Yes, despite what they told you at school – size doesn’t matter
- WEIGHT DOES MATTER
- A Jayco 20 ft caravan will weigh different to a New Age 20 ft which will be different to a Kedron 20ft
- So to reiterate – size doesn’t matter (just in case you didn’t read the first point)
- The TARE Weight doesn’t matter either – you can’t be fined for being over TARE. If somebody has added extra’s to the van (after manufacture) than you TARE is no longer what it was – but we can’t tell from your vague post!
The only weight that really matters when determining what vehicle you can tow with is
- The actual ATM (Aggregate Trailer Mass) of the caravan fully loaded with everything (including water and all your stuff !)
- The tow ball weight of the caravan when loaded
2. If you are after good advice than why would you ask
- Pretty vague stupid questions on a forum ?
- Ask people who you don’t know, have less knowledge than you, and have no knowledge of your circumstances?
3. Every vehicle and caravan combinations is different
- We have different goals
- We load differently
- We go to different places
- We have different hobbies
- We eat differently – I can weigh the same vehicle and caravan combination today and then tomorrow weigh the same vehicle and caravan and they will be different weights.
4 Ford Versus Holden
Most people are unlikely to have driven every different vehicle available or in you option list. So they can’t compare say a Ford Ranger and a Holden Colorado – because they haven’t driven both – so they have a love (or a hate) for one of the other – so their opinions are pure speculation and not derived from any scientific or real life knowledge.
5. We don’t know what extra’s you have added to the vehicle.
- Bull Bar
- Winch
- Drawers
- Roof racks
- A Fridge
- 2nd Battery
- Kids
- Canoes
- Wife
This all really matters when you are considering how much weight you can take in your vehicle.
A person who is a minimalist travelling by them self is very different to a couple going for 2 week holiday compared to a couple doing the lap, to a couple with kids living in their caravan. Circumstances matter!
Buying a Caravan or vehicle and a caravan is a massive financial decision – one that many get wrong because they buy with their heart and not their head.
By all means – do research online and use facebook groups for information – but when asking questions be a bit more specific than –
“What’s the best vehicle to tow a 22 foot caravan ?”
Visit Check Weight for this topic or many more on their website. Interesting reading if your in the market for a van, upgrade or new tow vehicle or if you are curious get your set up weighed.
We make a stop at the Nindigully Pub, now this had been on our list for a while but had never got there. We were a little worried as at the time of our visit the flood waters from up in Queensland were starting to flow down but we managed to get through. The river was way up but roads at the time were not closed. We decided to have a meal as the pub is generous with ample parking for vanners and big rigs, though there were a few mud puddles. There are also toilets and a shower.
Nindigully Pub ‘The Gully’ is Queensland’s oldest hotel located in its original condition and position on the banks of the Moonie River. The Nindigully Pub license was issued in 1864 after operating as shearer’s accommodation for the Nindigully Station. From the late 1800s the Nindigilly Pub was a Cobb and Co coach change over station. Home of the famous big ‘Road Train’ burgers Feeds a minimum of four hungry people but you need to book in advance. The popular Pig Races fundraising event is held every November. Check their Events page for more info.
We feasted on their amazing Aussie Steak burger that could feed 4 people complete with chips, was amazing and after driving certainly filled a hole. Phill stopped by the kitchen and had a chat with Jamie the chef who filled us in on a few things.
We were lucky we left the next day as the Moonie River was flooding fast and the road to St George was cut, so we had to make a bigger detour than expected but it is a place we will visit again and the amazing Steak sandwich. https://nindigullypub.com/
