Honey I Bought an Off-road Caravan

I am a dreamer. I dream about travelling Africa. I dream about visiting startlingly beautiful and wild places.

I read books about people who have actually done it, people who have lived out my dreams in all their glory in tiny black print.

I am the mother of two amazingly bright, headstrong and sweet children, who have grown up taking short adventures to every weekend spot within a 3 hour radius from Ballito in Kzn.

I am the wife of an incredibly patient man, a man who listens to my dreams about trekking through the dust of Africa - even though he is a self-professed lover of 5 star hotels and really prefers the beach to the bush.

I talk incessantly about our retirement and the expeditions we can take in 20 years time when we are 60 and have the money and time to expand our border crossings beyond Mozambique and Swaziland.

Not too long ago the realisation hit home that 20 years is an awfully long time to wait before we begin to live that life. 20 years can bring about all new challenges and ever changing dynamics that have a funny way of derailing even the best laid plans. And what about the children? They will be 27 and 33 and long past adventuring with their parents.

This was the defining moment that I decided we needed to buy an off-road caravan. This would without doubt be the solution to the expense of traveling and would be one of the most exciting ways to travel together as a family.

With that thought firmly rooted in my mind, I threw caution to the wind and began the task of looking for the most perfect off-road caravan for our family. 

Why a caravan and not something like an Ossewa or Rooftop tent you ask? Well, simply put, the thought of having to pack up camp every time we want to use the car just didn't appeal to me.

I started researching online and making a shortlist of my must haves. In short we needed a 4 sleeper caravan with all the necessary equipment to support us on whatever journey we chose to make, be it camping at a family seaside resort or travelling to the Namib desert. I wanted us to be totally self sufficient if required, yet also be comfortable on longer stays. My must haves included 4x4 capabilities, off the grid power, an onboard fridge and stove, a kitchen/living area add-on tent room, a shower, water storage, hot water geyser (gas & electric) and a washing up area.

After hunting weeks for what seemed like an impossible achievement with our limited budget I had found it...The Conqueror Commander.