On the road

All 3 arrangements can be driven throughout Australia with an ordinary passenger vehicle licence. For most people the motorhome will probably be the easiest to handle being a single vehicle and having the shortest length.The conventional caravan will be the least pleasant to drive particularly in crosswind conditions. 5th wheelers behave just like a small semi trailer so they track the tow vehicle extremely well and are not subject to sway.

The 5th wheeler falls between the other two in terms of driving comfort. It is longer than the motorhome but tows far easier and more safely than a conventional caravan. The turning circle is the best of the 3 as this is the same as the turning circle of the ute by itself.

The choice in tow vehicle dictates how many people can be carried. Standard utes usually only have 2 bucket seats, however, some are fitted with a bench seat allowing 3 people to be carried. Space cabs (also known as Extra cabs or Freestyle cabs) have a back seat, but is not full size. The back seat is suitable for small children generally, or adults for very short trips. Dual cabs have a full size back seat (some models larger than others) and offer enough space for general touring with adult passengers in the back seats.