50,000 Kilometres of Dust, Dirt and Hard-Won Knowledge
We’re not travel influencers. We don’t have a film crew or a sponsor-wrapped rig. What we have is a dusty Ford Ranger, a well-tested MDC Forbes 13 hybrid caravan and nearly two years of living full-time on Australia’s back roads. This is Road Trip Nomads, where the advice comes from experience, not press releases.
Why We Chose the Nomadic Life
In August 2023, we walked away from the daily grind. Years of careful saving, conscious living and one firm decision: we weren’t going to wait until we were too old to explore this country properly. Early retirement wasn’t a lottery win. On the contrary, it was a 20-year plan.
Prior to retirement, we started where most overlanders dream of starting: Western Australia in a tent in Karijini. Cold nights in the South West forests. Those first experiences taught us what gear mattered and what was dead weight. In 2022, we transitioned to a hybrid caravan setup in preparation for our first lap. It was compact enough for remote tracks, comfortable enough for the long haul.
Why a hybrid? Because we wanted access. Access to gorges, beaches and bush camps where large caravans struggle to reach. The Forbes 13 lets us unhitch the Ranger, push further and then return to a real bed and a working kitchen. It’s a compromise, yes, but after 50,000 kilometres, we reckon it was the right one.
Trial by Dust: Our Rig and the Work Behind It
Since November 2023, we’ve covered 50,000 kilometres. Every mainland state and territory. We also visited Tasmania twice, as we did not allow enough time the first time around. That’s not a highlight reel; that’s testing. Real-world, corrugation-shaking, red-dust-coating testing.
The Tow Vehicle
Our Ford Ranger pulls the Forbes 13 and carries a custom DIY canopy fit-out. We designed and built the canopy system ourselves: a 12V system, recovery gear, tools, spare parts and usable storage all organised for quick access. After 20 years of maintaining critical sensors in the Oil and Gas industry, I don’t leave my 12V systems to chance. The 200 Ah lithium battery, paired with solar and a 2000W inverter, runs everything from the freezer to the laptops to the coffee machine. No shore power required.
Many tourers make extensive upgrades to their vehicles before embarking on a long trip. While some setups might genuinely require them, our philosophy is simple: modify only when there’s a demonstrated need. We don’t even run a bullbar. Because we were sitting right near our rear axle limit, our single major modification was a GVM upgrade. That said, a transmission oil cooler is likely next on the list before our next big expedition.
The Van
The MDC Forbes 13 came from the factory decently equipped. After 50,000km, it’s become something better. Key modifications include:
- Victron SmartShunt: Accurate battery monitoring replaced the guesswork. We know exactly what’s coming in and going out.
- Stone Stomper: A-frame protection that’s proven itself on the Gibb River Road, the Oodnadatta Track and countless unnamed station tracks.
- Interior ventilation upgrades: Additional fans installed to address the realities of tropical conditions. Factory ventilation wasn’t cutting it.
Every modification on this site has been road-tested. If we write about it, we’ve used it for thousands of kilometres.
When Things Go Wrong
Not everything survives the outback. That’s the reality of remote travel and pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone.
Deep in the rainforests west of Cairns, our caravan batteries died. At the time, I noticed that the lights dimmed much more than usual while the water pump was running. On checking the voltage, it was 10.5V! I knew that wasn’t good. We headed to a powered site the next day, where I could do some testing without worrying about power. A couple of days later, I sourced and replaced the batteries in Cairns.
On the drive up to Cape York, our fridge failed. We’re fairly certain the relentless corrugations shook something loose internally. It was replaced under warranty, but warranties don’t keep your food cold when you’re days from the nearest town. We adapted, we continued and we learned. Shit happens, and the question is whether you can problem-solve your way through it.
Luckily, we sourced enough ice and used the freezer in the canopy to finish that leg of the trip. Thanks to the freezer in the canopy, we still managed to get the beers cold.
These stories matter because they’re the ones most travel sites leave out. Breakdowns, failures and inconvenient truths are part of full-time travel. We share them so you know what to prepare for.
How We Travel: Our Philosophy
Our approach isn’t for everyone. But if you’re drawn to the quieter side of Australian travel, here’s how we operate:
- Remote first. We avoid cities and big caravan parks whenever possible. The best camps aren’t on apps or in guidebooks.
- Slow travel. Our self-imposed limit is 400 km per day and we rarely hit it. Driving isn’t the trip as it’s just how you get to the good bits.
- Low-cost camping. Free camps, national parks, station stays and bush camping. Powered sites are for laundry days, not lifestyle.
- Climate-led, not calendar-led. We follow the weather south in summer, north in winter. No itinerary survives contact with a heatwave or a cyclone warning.
What You’ll Find Here
This site exists because when we first hit the road, the “no-fluff” information we actually needed was nowhere to be found. We wanted honest assessments of hybrid caravan life and technical advice on off-grid electrical setups that were grounded in reality, not a sales brochure.
We’re here to share the gritty details of living in a 13-ft van, such as handling condensation during a Tassie winter, managing the heat of a Kimberley summer and finding storage solutions that actually survive thousands of kilometres on the road.
We share the breakdowns alongside the sunsets. The modifications that failed before we found ones that worked. The camps we’d return to and the ones we’d skip.
Initially, we will focus on building itineraries for our trip. You will not find information of places that we have never visited. It is all about first-hand experience.
How we Operate
We don’t accept sponsored products for review. We don’t run affiliate links that compromise our recommendations. We don’t use AI to fake our experiences or curate generic lists. Every word on this site is guided by our real-world miles and verified by our own hands-on testing.
What we publish comes from two people, one rig and the accumulated knowledge of 50,000 kilometres across this country (and counting). The recommendations are ours. The mistakes are ours. The lessons learned are yours to use.
If you’re planning your own escape, whether it’s a weekend in the bush or a full-time lap, we hope what we’ve learned helps you travel smarter, cheaper and further.
Where to Next for Us?
Before embarking on our next major multi-year journey, we’re fitting in a south coast run to Esperance and Lucky Bay, tracking back to Perth along the coastline. After that, we hit the dirt for what we’re calling our Figure of 8 Lap.
We’ll start by taking the Outback Way and Mereenie Loop into Alice Springs, heading up to Cairns via Winton and Hughenden, then tracking down the East Coast through the High Country. From there, we’ll forge north through the Flinders Ranges, the Oodnadatta Track, and the Old Ghan route back into Central Australia, before crossing the Tanami Road to the Kimberley and finally returning south to Perth.
See you out there.
Rob and Muay: The Road Trip Nomads
