Today (Thursday 2nd October 2014), reprising my visit from last year

I went to the Melbourne Leisurefest 2014 at Sandown Racecourse, Springvale.

It’s still on until Sunday 4th October 2014.

Things to note immediately, no boom gates on Springvale Road. It’s evident from this statement that I’ve not been up Springvale Road in some time, mostly when I’ve needed to go near that neck of the woods it’s been via the Princes Highway or the Monash Freeway and haven’t actually needed to go into that area for a year or so.

This is notable only when driving to Sandown Racecourse from the south, as I was, and used to being able to turn down Sandown Road to get to Sandown Racecourse, which I don’t think you can do any more. There used to be two places to turn right at the boom gates. One before the train line which would take you down Lightwood Road and another, just over the train line which took you down Sandown Road.

Now to get to Sandown Racecourse for the Melbourne Leisurefest (and I imagine other things held there) you need to go up to Virginia Street (there is a sign on Springvale Road indicating where to turn right) which then becomes Bird Street.

As I noted last year Bird Street doesn’t quite meet Racecourse Drive smoothly, there’s a dirt gap. This isn’t a problem for anyone with a 4x4. I would suggest anyone going who is driving in something that sits lower to the ground to enter Sandown Racecourse from the Princes Highway.

I didn’t really go with any plans to buy anything or to sort anything out at the show this time, unlike last year. Although I did go and see the guys at MGL Sat concerning a satellite phone I’ve had ordered with them, who said it would take 6-8 weeks, which has blown out to 10 weeks. He assures me that it will be in soon.

This time I did take some time to have a look at caravans, which I have little interest in ever purchasing. But have some interest in a general sense.

You can get a caravan, which is nicely kitted out with I think a queen sized bed, kitchen and bathroom with shower, toilet and oddly small washing machine for about $75,000. This one from New Age Caravans, the Big Red range caught my eye in part because I could actually go inside and have a wander (some other exhibitors had theirs fenced off so you could only go to the door). But mostly because they had some red and black matting down and their caravans weren’t the bog standard white.

I actually really dislike the white caravans, the white caravans are the ones you see clogging up the road and making every driver’s life miserable because they’re big, hard to over take and people who have white caravans seem to drive slower than anyone else with differently coloured caravans.

The small washing machine I thought was the most notable thing in the Big Red caravan, it’s an odd touch that I’d not seen in others. It’s certainly a nice touch, I can see how that would be useful to have when you’re off travelling rather than having a washing machine maybe outside of the caravan or having to wash clothes in the sink or maybe at the caravan park / laundromat.

I also saw one of the worst designed caravans, I don’t recall which one, just that it was one of the ones that was fenced off so I couldn’t have a good look around inside. The people there were very prevalent and while some people were unhooking the plastic fencing so they could have a look the staff would rush in and fence it back up.

These caravans (or rather the one I had a look at) had a bed area and a kitchen area...they also had a toilet and shower. Although not a bathroom area.

The toilet was separated from the entrance to the caravan by a waist high partition, with the shower (more like a garden hose) above the toilet. This incidentally was in the kitchen area directly opposite the oven.

I don’t know how much the caravan was, but were I in the market for a caravan it wouldn’t be this one.

I think I would rather shit in the bushes that opposite my cooking / food preparation area.

The other caravan that I had a significant look inside was the Van Cruiser Customline Dirt Road caravan, which they had on sale for $57,490. For this you got a caravan that could go on dirt tracks, and an ensuite, bed, and kitchen / eating area.

This caravan also was black and orange, or to put it another way not another white box.

I think this one would be a better caravan than the Big Red, I think the Big Red is larger, but would it really be worth the $20k more?

I don’t really know, I’m more a swag sort of person, the travel, the journey is what is important rather than the arriving and setting up home, so my requirements are rather different. I would rather not be tethered to towing something, so anything I’m going to sleep in needs to fit in the back of my ute.

One notable thing I did find looking at various caravans was the bathroom sink. It was porcelain. Why that’s notable is the toilets were often plastic, the floor is vinyl, the cupboards chipboard with a wood laminate on them. Everything on a caravan is a choice made to keep the weight down. Yet, the bathroom sink is porcelain. That doesn’t make sense to me, why not have a stainless steel sink or even a plastic sink? You could still have a nice looking sink but save some weight. Those sinks are at least a kilogram or two.

The 4x4 area of the Leisurefest was represented by large ARB and Ironman 4x4 marquees, a slightly smaller Battery World presence and similar sized Opposite Lock marquee.

In this area there was also a small marquee that was dealing with GPSs and radios, which I did somewhat want to ask the guy there something about CB radios. But there was already an older guy standing there asking some questions. He was also loudly (audibly, even against the wind) eating some hot chips. Munching, chewing and generally sounding like a cow munching on grass. The guy running the stall seemed pained by it. I couldn’t abide it so left them to it, but when I came back they were being interviewed by the roving camera crew, they didn’t seem like they were from a TV station, but were obviously documenting the Leisurefest. It wasn’t a huge thing I wanted information about, I can find it just as easily online, but I thought while I was there I might quiz them. Munching chip man irritated me though. If you want to ask lots of questions about something surely you’d wait until you’ve eaten your hot chips before doing so, or maybe go and ask your questions before you stuff your face hole with hot chips. Just a thought.

I went for a quick wonder through the undercover areas, which were mostly ‘market’ style stalls. They were all camping and outdoor related but also had their air of a Sunday market sort of stuff, nothing really unique there, a lot of it had the air of ‘cheap’ to it. I’m sure there was a bargain to be had there, but there was nothing that immediately grabbed me and made me want to buy. With the small exception of the rope stall, but then I remembered that why my associates have utes with a tray that offers lots of tie points for rope when carrying stuff. I have a ute with a tub, and have two tie down points inside the tub. Straps, rather than ropes have thus far proved a better way to secure things when needed within the tub, so rope would only be of secondary use.

Continuing through the Racecourse’s area I didn’t walk out into the tent area very much. Tents wise, regarding the big canvas tents I don’t really have an interest in I have a swag, and that’s really enough for me. A rest stop for the night rather than a base camp. So the tents don’t really interest me all that much.

However in amongst the tents were a few things that did interest me.

The Pod Trailer was an interesting design. If I ever needed more storage space when going off road this is something I would consider. I doubt I’d ever buy one. But it’s a well designed product.

I didn’t look at many camper trailers, which I do like the general design of. A bit more than a tent, a lot less than a caravan. Good for off road. One caught my eye while I was wandering around. The Track Trailer Tvan It looked different, futuristic even. Like someone had redesigned one of those little teardrop caravans with a ruler.

I did have a look inside this one. It looks capable, comfortable and useful. It certainly looks like you can pack a lot in once the tent portion of it is folded away. There appears to still be space for other things. It also looks solidly built.

Finally, on the way out I passed by some motorhomes. There was a nice 1960s Volkswagen Campervan that had been completely restored. But aside from that they’re all practical, but boring. At least with a with a caravan you can unhitch it and drive into town, or go off-roading and then return to your house on wheels.

Campervans just make you compromise every which way. They’re smaller than a caravan and therefore have less features. They’re bigger than a car being based on a van so they’re not as good on the road. Plus they’re a campervan. Which means you can only use it as a campervan. At least with a caravan you have a regular 4x4 or ute when you’re not towing your caravan. You can use your vehicle for non-travelling related things. With a campervan it’s a single-use vehicle.