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Mr B2 · 04-15-2014, 09:50 PM

I bought a 36 foot 1989 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED, 300 HP Cat and Allison 4 speed Auto,
August 2012, I bought it, It arrived in OZ via Japan, Roll on Roll off, In March 2013,

Sight unseen from Texas, USA, It was driven by P/O from Texas to California, about 1500 miles, At my cost,
I had it converted in California, Right hand steering, Left hand mid door, Electrics and Gas conversion, To comply with Aussie ADR's,

8 months later, I seen it for the first time as I picked it up from the docks,

spilling oil from the Hydraulic hoses in the steering, They were not high pressure hoses fitted, So just kept blowing the hoses, 25 litres of oil later, I got the right high pressure hoses fitted, Perfect since,

I finally got it registered in November 2013, Its a Mobile Home Built Caravan, Their computer didnt like Foretravel or Grand Villa, so, Its a home made mobile caravan,
Which makes it a special purpose vehicle, So I didnt have to put a 3 metre high vertical exhaust on it,

Done about 4000 kays in it so far, Magic to drive, Love it, The stress was worth it,

All up, The costs involved in my importing it, and the conversion and getting it roadworthy and registered here, I still came out with a Cheap Coach, Compared to any thing here,

Cheers,
Brian

**JohnRR** · 04-15-2014, 10:11 PM

Interesting story.

Medico · 04-16-2014, 07:43 AM

Welcome and glad to meet you!

Enjoy your highly customized coach.

Chiefbvfd · 04-16-2014, 07:47 AM

Great story and welcome...

MSHappyCampers · 04-16-2014, 07:49 AM

Hi Brian! Welcome to IRV2! It's great to have you join the gang!

WOW! I'm glad I don't live in Australia! You've got to want to be an RV'er really bad there!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Lincolnboy2 · 04-16-2014, 07:51 AM

Welcome!!

Pictures!!!???!!!

Would love to see pictures!

Thanks and again, WELCOME to iRV2!!

Hudgens · 04-16-2014, 09:17 PM

Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy the many topics and folks behind them.

Mr B2 · 04-17-2014, 12:28 AM

Sorry about the crap piccys, I dont know what happened there,

I rolled in about 10 PM to a Freecamp on the weir, Greens Lake, Coorop Vict, Australia, I think you lot call it Boondocking,

On the road, Swung a bit wide for a low tree, Still on the road, Then my Coach just slid sideways about 6 feet, Very close to a Caravan and a RV parked there, Did I say it had been Raining, and the road was a bit Sloshy,

Well I cant see any thing, so I propped it right there for the night, Its better than hitting some thing in the dark,

The piccys are the next morning when I woke up, Did I say it had been raining, all night,
We were in a Lake on the road, Hahahaha, we were still well above the weir height, But the bank on the weir held the water back, 4 Tows later by a Big Truck and a tractor, we were all out,
2 RV's, 2 Caravans, and the next day I pulled another car and caravan out of another bog hole,

Highway tyres are not meant to be in the slop, I didnt go down, Just wheel spin, No Traction,
I need a tow point on the front of my Coach, I currently dont have one, and longer chains. Hahahaha,

15 feet forwards and I was on solid crushed rock again, no slippys on that stuff,

OZ, I love it, Where every thing is out to get you, even Bog holes in the sticks,

At least I am far enough south, to not get Crocodiles in the floodwaters, Hahahaha