Thanks for the overview really liked how you set out the “real” cost as some on TH-cam seem to have fairy money that pops out of the glovebox to fund these trips. Well done Mark
Thanks Mark, just like all our videos, honesty is a priority and we want people to know what it really costs. Camping is cheap, but all the other stuff adds up
Awesome video, thank you. We have a 3 year lead time before we take off indefinitely. We have started the project of putting things in place for us to be absent, so videos like yours help a lot.
Great work, we did a 7 month trip in 1980, it would have cost less than $5000. The dearest fuel we saw was 44.5c, and I was horrified. The whole trip done with a bank book, no credit cards or mobiles. We used to save 20c pieces to ring home on payphones. The van cost $1300 and the car $2500. We made a profit when we sold the van. Our last trip of 3 months cost about $8000. 16000kms and fuel was by far the biggest cost.
John M So True I did 2 year round oz trip in 1996/97 each year cost us $7000 each ( hence myself and a mate ) and had best time ever ,,,As u said biddest cost was fuel (outback was many times around $1.70 ) food next , most yearly Nat park passes covered yr camping hiking cost ( Note zero on breakdown ) Yet completed all the hardest 4x4 tracks in Oz with full 1 tonne on back ute ( completed services our selfs $9 filter $25 oil) LIVING ON A TIGHT A BUDGET ON UR ROUND ozz trip was standard pre 2000 yet seeing everything and going everywhere ((((((SADLY These days it reverse its all about bragging rights about some crazy figure u spent )
wow good to see the real cost come out guys, but all passions will cost you, the return on investment is the life long memories for you and the kids. That is priceless. Love ya work cheers from 2 west aussies in Saudi Arabia
So nature, down to earth and honest. Like the fact that you covered everything, fuel ,food, entertainment, loss of income. Gives an accurate real cost to life not just now but also into the future (loss of super). I was surprised at some of the costs especially maintenance. Thought it would have been higher considering the km you traveled. Well done. Very much appreciated the vid....All the best for the future !
Cheers mate, I really think it was important to show the full picture, but didn't think about super. The maintenance cost was probably less than average because I did all the work and had no labour costs. So that definitely saved plenty. Thanks for the positive words and appreciate your positive comment 👍🤠🍻
Love the honesty. Like you said right at the beginning. Alot of people do cost videos and only mention the on road costs. Not preparing or loss of income. Ive travelled shit tonnes of aus and know exactly what it cost. Your video was bang on with what my cost are. Obviously theres person costs and that kinda stuff. And i love that youve used the old patrol. Im running a 2003 landcruiser. And would never think of buying a new car to do a lap The shear out lay on a new vehicle would blow my budget clean out the water
Thanks mate for the support, it's great to hear from other like minded travellers. It bugs me when I see a video with travellers says it costs them $200 a week to travel, yet they have a new 200 series, huge caravan, 300amp lithium and so on. Hopefully we can show more of a realistic trip
Thank you for your full breakdown. You show that it can really be done on a budget and the fact that you factored in everything. Your memories that you’ve created are priceless and from what we’ve seen you didn’t skimp because of money. Like you said you did the things you wanted and that’s ok. Also you are correct the best camps were the free ones!
Thanks mate, it never felt like we had to skip another because of money, your right, we did what we wanted, and appreciate a natural feature more than a tourist attraction. Cheers for the support 👍
Great vid guys!! Just a note, there is 100% FREE and safe camping at Coober Pedy 😁 don't HAVE to pay for van parks there if you don't want to. And it's very possible to travel all year round....have been for 4 years straight now, just need to be smart and follow the weather. 😊😊
Yeah we know that, not sure why larissa said that, the main reason we did 6 months was because we have already done the eastern half of Australia, so we decided the middle of the year because we could avoid summer.
Hello, ummm kids! Hey we are in our sixties four years on the road, hubby is a mechanic but we have $1400 per month and that is driving two vehicles and towing two trailers and boat rego as well. We eat three good meals a day plus have a wine with dinner. You can do the lap cheaper without children lol. Great videos. Stay Safe.
Have fun! It's a amazing thing to do. Things have definitely got more expensive but at least you don't have to worry about lock downs and border closures! That made travelling so much more stressful 😫
A very real and comprehensive budget, guys, well done. Every young person that is thinking of spending their house deposit or has a personal loan to do their 'lap' needs to watch this.
Taking the leap to leave a job is big, but always rewarding. I made a leap last year and it’s been the best thing. Ended up not leaving my job cause they let me work remote, and I have now proven I can do it so they are happy. Spent two months up in FNQ and now in SA and each place gets explored on weekends. And I live like a local when doing it.
Yeah Jake it's definitely not cheap. We scarified a lot to be in the position where a half lap was possible. But it was worth every cent, cheers mate for the support 👍 🤠
Thanks for that Vid. It is really surprising how much it does really cost. its not just as easy as hooking up the van & taking off for a lap around Aus. 🤠
Thanks for the support and positive feedback, just wanted to show the full breakdown and what everything cost us. Was it money well spent, you bet, I'd do it again in a heart beat 😀.
It's refreshing to see an honest account of the costs involved, including the opportunity costs. My Father, as a retiree, did two separate trips around fifteen years ago. As a former businessman, he was accustomed to projecting accurate costings and was surprised at the number of people that he came across in his travels that were simply delusional about the costs involved with many choosing only to assess their fuel and caravan park bills. One thing that struck him at the time was the number of mature aged people he met that had sold up everything for a "life on the road" only to find that after a couple of years the novelty had worn off and the reality of aging was setting in. It was a sombre reality check for them that the housing market had appreciated, their vehicle and van had depreciated and they'd spent a good percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the family home. This all added up to them having to return to a much less luxurious life than they'd enjoyed only a couple of years before, and with no furniture or homewares! No doubt you both considered this in planning your trip and I bet that you are very glad now that you did. In todays market that could have been a decision that saved you a couple of hundred thousand dollars or more. Thanks for the content.
Thanks David, very good point, we didn't want to travel full-time, rather a good adventure and a break from work. We are so glad not to be trying to buy a house now, I can't believe how much the values have increased.
My wife an I did 3 months on long service. We didn't go forward or backwards during our trip. We had no money saved, except for fuel and the odd experience cost, most of our living costs stayed the same or went down.
Extremely well done! Budgeting is always the hardest part. When people ask me how much it costs to overland I always ask "How much do you have?" Because that is exactly what it costs! If you don't have a lot, you spend less. If you have more, you will spend more. It's the difference between a cuppa, a slab of beer, or a bottle of Dom Perignon when you are on the trail. It is a general rule of thumb for international overlanding that the average cost for 2 people together is in the ballpark of 1500-2500 US dollars per month. And that is for absolutely everything from shipping containers, visas, fuel, repairs, food, park fees, etc. And it doesn't matter where in the world you are traveling, it's still the same. You can also figure it to be about 1 USD per mile (or about 1.20 AUD p/km for all y'all down under!) That takes into consideration going at a slower distance pace and using less fuel per day. I'm lucky enough to have survived reasonably intact a career in the Forces so I get a retirement. That's about enough monthly income to cover our travels (except the initial vehicle cost and prep). My misses is about to take a year-long sabbatical from her work so we can travel southern Africa in '23 -'24. We will rent the house out, stick everything we own into storage, and ship the truck and camper trailer in a container to Capetown, SA. Is it worth it? Oh, dear lord, yes! Traveling is actually much less expensive than most people think it is. And it's absolutely priceless for your kids! And I have no doubt you are already in the dreaming/planning/deep thoughts and daydreams phase of the adventure ;-)
Thanks mate for your info, I would have thought it was a little cheaper in the USA with cheaper fuel, but I guess you have other factors like shipping in that cost. That's fantastic to hear your plans for heading to SA. That's something we would love to start doing, seeing other countries. What a amazing experience
Hi Adam, Thanks for the breakdown of everything for your adventure. I can work out my budget around. I love how you guys did it and also now you guys have the precious life memories. :)
Love your summary and the realness of your experience and the fact that you followed your dream as individuals and as a family. Life is precious life is short.
Thanks Andrew, glad to hear people enjoying our videos, really good motivation 👍. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and it was such a amazing adventure
A great break down of the cost. And you don't need fancy equipment to explore and have a great time. Great to see your number of subscribers increasing.
memories have no money value but oh so precious. plus if you ..WHEN you do it again youre already half way there with the van and car..lucky buggers make the most of it
Hi Adam.We thoroughly appreciated your breakdown of what it cost. We are semi retired and luckily no mortgage. Covid however hit my business and last year being over 70 I found myself in lockdown. Anyway we have our van being upgraded with lithium batteries and my old RC Colorado is being prepared. We are planning more small trips. And in May heading for Oodnadatta, Williams Creek, Coober Pedy and Alice Springs. Thanks 😊 again and keep up your episodes We thoroughly enjoy then.😊😊
Thanks William, happy to share what it cost up to help others. But it was worth every cent. Sorry to hear that you were negatively impacted by covid, I guess there would be a lot of people in the same boat, and the stress alone would have been difficult to deal with. Hopefully you can get out and see this amazing country, have a adventure and put all those problems behind you
I love that you said ages ago you would do the budget breakdown and then not only did you do it but did it so honestly and thoroughly! Well done guys!!
Love the new look GQ. I was shattered when when my GQ that I had spent a lot of time on preparing for a lap got written off. We just finished a full lap in our 02 4.2 GU which I sort of planned on selling after our trip but I don't think i could part with it now. It's the reliability, solid diffs and lack of electronics that i love.
Thanks Doddy, that's sounds like our exact experience. I always thought a tortures lap in a 30 year old patrol would mean the end of its reliability, but I've been proven otherwise
Hi guys, great breakdown of the trip... something I should look at doing. It'll probably frighten the h..l out of me...lol!. My repair bills were a bit higher although still within budget. My principal is to think of a number ...then double it. I too looked out for bargains prior to setting up my vehicle. A bit of haggling here n there kept the businesses honest. ..and doing the work yourself...saves a substantial amount of money. The way I see it now, after travelling, the costs only matter at the time. It's nothing better, to get out there and do things, that is so passionate to oneself. As a matter of fact.. I'm leaving Broome town tomorrow... venturing off to the NT for a new start. Whole new adventure ahead! Anyhoo..thanks again,Adam and Larissa, for the informative video. Cheers guys!
Mate that so good to hear, NT is so good. You definitely hit the nail on the head, we don't look back at the money we spent, but the adventure we had, the time together and the memories we made are priceless
Love your channel. I’m building a Gq as well. Could you explain in a video or on a comment what are the main things you need to look at in your car. Checkups,parts.etc.
Thanks for the support 👍, the gq is a amazing vehicle, strong, reliable and easy to work on. But as with any old vehicle maintenance never ends, and if you do remote areas and really rough roads it is double. Ever morning I shake the front wheels to check bearings, look under the bonnet for the fluid levels, and a visual check of most things.
Thanks again for your brutal honesty. I totally agree, get out and do it while you’re able as you never know what’s around the corner. I’m old school like you in liking a written out budget, not an app. I even used to like opening the old bank book to see the balance. Showing my age. 😆
I did a lap of Australia on the cheap, 25000km, used a cheap toyota seca, free camped, bought food in supermarkets etc, I did it in 1 month and in total, cost approx $5000, obviously not the ideal trip but saw most things I wanted to, nothing interior, but it was well worth it and was great to see parts I hadnt seen before like the nullarbor, West coast etc, cookstown, cairns....
Thanks for a great breakdown - we wish we had done the trip when the kids were younger....now they are finishing high school we will have to wait a few years - but then we will head off!
That was one of the reasons why we did it now, it's to hard on them when they are in high school and we didn't know how 6-12 months off would affect their education
Thanks for your breakdown.everyones situation is differet but many people around your age are in the same boat.Ive enjoyed your whole series and its good to see that your not waiting on retirement but ,like us are doing things as you can afford and you are still healthy and most importantly ,your kids are getting to spend irreplaceable time with their parents.Keep up the great work
Thank you again for another honest and insightful. Review I liked the fact that you take ownership for things that go wrong as well as things you get correct. Looking forward to your continued success in your roles as influences in the caravan camping four wheel driving community. Hope to be sharing the road with you one-day soon doing tag along with you .cheers
Great insight 👍 Yep….a lot of $ for 6 months, but a lifetime of memories for 4 people. Not all of us are as adept ( or inclined to do )as Adam. With the vehicle maintenance, if you weren’t doing it yourself , would the planned trip have been interrupted by having to find local mechanics, dealers etc Stay safe Cheers
Oh yeah andva lot of mechanics want 1-3 weeks bookings so it would have been a pain. We could just buy oil and filters in a town when nearly due for a service and then do the service when and where we wanted and then drop the old oil off at the next town
A great and really informative video. Thanks for that. 😊 The costs for many of the items on your big trip will of course not be spent for future trips, like your trailer, etc. So unless you buy more new gear, those costs won't be there in the future. meaning more affordable adventures ahead. 😎
Very true Paul. I actually thought most of our gear would be worn out after the big lap, but it's just not the case. So now we have the perfect setup for any occasion
Great show guy’s and thanks for the break down. A very good point that Larissa made was that you were servicing your vehicle and doing repairs yourself and for many that can’t it would of added thousands to the budget. I’d hate to think what a late model vehicle would cost to service in remote areas. Cheers Scoot
Thanks Scoot, and it's not just the cost of having a mechanic servicing the car. Imagine then having to catch a cab to and from the workshop while waiting for repairs
Good breakdown of the budget and including house mortgage etc. I guess the vehicle and camper are always going to be unknowns with regards reliability. Even new can have issues. Cheers guys.
I generally work on the cost of fuel doubled to cover car maintenance when operating in harsh environments, as for food it generally costs more away from the big cities and you tend to buy smaller quantities costing more but offset by limited choice and you tend to cook it yourself thus a overall saving than been at home.In 50 years time your kids will look upon it with happy memories as do I from trips in the 1970s with my family its money well spent
Great guys lots of helpful tips just wondering about if you travel with a dog how difficult it is, or isn't . Did Cooper travel at any stages with you ? did you ever think of taking him along ? We know there are hazards like famers leaving 1080 bates all over the country to control wild cats and dogs and lots of snakes everywhere . They say in this case use a muzzle on your dog . Lots of national Parkes and caravan parks prohibit the taking of a dog with the exception of a certified assistant dog they cannot then refuse entry anywhere by law . knowing what you know now would you think of taking your dog around a half lap .
We've taken Cooper on lots of big trips including 3 weeks in Cape York, 2 weeks around birdsville, 3 weeks in the Gulf. And outback nsw, and it's great having him. Am I glad we didn't take him on our trip of the west coast? Yep, too many NP we wanted to see and we would have missed so much. You can do it, lots of people do, and you can find people to help watch them while you go into a NP but it definitely makes it harder. It just comes down to what you want out of a trip, there are still loads of fantastic places you can take dogs and you will have a amazing experience. No right or wrong way to travel, we are going to do another outback trip this year with both dogs and I can't wait 😊
Hey, just come across you guys it's good to get a honest's unsponsored realistic breakdown of what the cost is to travel Australia. Not everyone wants to sell their.... future nest egg (house) just to wonder our backyard. Keep up the great honest work 🤙
Thanks Marcel and welcome to the channel. I recommend going back to week 3 of our lap and watch from there, that's were the adventure really takes off. Happy to answer any questions
Really interesting. My thought with the cost of food and alcohol is that even if we didn't go on a trip, we'd be spending money on those things during that time anyway, probably a lot more money. So they'd be general living costs no matter where we were. The only true cost would be the price of the vehicle, gas, camper, camping fees, and repairs. So it's great to see it broken down like this.
Thanks Bob, lots of different ways to calculate a big lap, but the main thing was to show people everything. Had lots of people asking us specific costs, so thought if we put everything in the video it would help alot of people trying to plan a trip
Appreciate the honest and openness. Including mortgage and all the extras. How was alcohol an overlook? It’s alway on my list, but I don’t have a problem the beer is attracted to me. Here’s to more videos appreciate it guys
I wouldn't count the foregone wages as these would have been applied to the expenses incurred but good to be mindful of them. Nevertheless a detailed and realistic costing, however the memories will be enduring long after costs are forgotten.
Hi, I'm late to the channel and really enjoying the videos. How did you spend $6K on groceries in 6 months?? I reckon we would struggle to do that at home, let alone on the road (also a family of 4)!! Groceries have gone up in price over the last couple of years, but even still, that sounds admirably frugal! Worth a video on its own!
Hi ALHJ, we love your travel series- it's authentic and its what an average family will need to do when they consider taking an extended family trip to see the this great country. We are based in brisbane, like you. We are planning to do a 2 x (3-4 months) trip over 2 years. FNQ and Vic trips can be done as 2x6week trips to in other years - helps to give the family something to look forward to for the next 4 years and also more agreeable with our employers. Sorry to say, but one thing I will make sure, is to do it in is a more reliable trailer and car- not the latest "look at me" fancy camper and kitted out zombie fighting 4 wheeler. I would hate to repair car & camper on the side of the road (servicing is ok but time taken away on sourcing repair parts, repairing in hot air doesnt appeal). Information session like these video helps enormously in our planning process- thank you
🤣 always the way, it was blowing the other way before we sat down. Yeah I needed a little weekend trip to relax, but it didn't end up that way, video coming soon
I think saying to just get out there and that you don’t need to have a $200k car is the biggest point people miss. We did the lap a couple of years ago and I can tell you the people camped on one side of us in their $5k setup were having just as much fun/adventure/joy ect as the people on the other side with their $500k rig.
Great point Shane, it's not about the cost of your gear, it's about the adventure. We had a fantastic trip and nothing a dual cab Ute and couple of mods couldn't handle. 1👍
For accounring purposes you can only factor in the depreciation on the trailer but you also have to factor in the depreciation on your Patrol. I’d suggest in Covid times it’s probably $0 for both. Second hand cars have actually appreciated - especially 4WDs. And there’s 12 months wait for a new camper trailer so you’d probably at least get what you paid for it. But great job accounting for the real costs.
Hi Guys, I've loved your realistic adventures around Aus. One of the things you may not have factored in or out of your budget is what you would have spent just staying at home. I think that this could be viewed as a realistic deduction from your final budget.
I always thought this is why when you travel around Australia, you rent out your house. Now days you can even airbnb your house making it easier. This way your mortage is paid for while your traveling unless you got ripped off with huge repayments. You also leave your job and get a new one when you get back even if its just on paper leaving your current job and going back to the same company/position after so you get paid centrelink while you travel so you have your savings plus your centrelink payment. Get some of that tax money back you have given the government over the years then when you get back, your go back to your old job
This was something I had been wondering while watching the series, so thank you very much for the honest breakdown. I would love to do the same, but the cost of time off work and mortgage repayments is the biggest roadblock, even for just a few months. Also, the wife is not a camping type (likes her hotel rooms, luxuries and clean clothes every day). I need to do some shorter trips around SE QLD to try to get the two kids and wife into it.
That's what we did for many years and which is why we only need a 6 month half lap. I reckon take the family to somewhere like Moreton Island. There are so many amazing places which people fall in love with this lifestyle
Thank again for you frank and in depth budget review with all your vehicle maintenance you have done are you a mechanic by trade? Or just a man many talents?
You beauty guys! excellent rundown on your costs. To think I've only got 125,950 bucks to go and away i go. hehe love your work as usual. See you next time
Loved watching your travel series. Can I ask where you got your long sleeve button up shirts from (the ones with your name/logo embroidered). They are so practical and look great and I’m keen to get some for my trip. Thanks 😃😃
Thanks heaps guys this was the big one I was waiting for and you have explained it better than anyone has explained before... Love that you guys are so bloody normal and do it for all the right reasons and not as a cash cow ... cheers !!!!!!
Thanks mate, like I've said, I'll only keep doing these videos while I'm enjoying sharing our experiences and knowledge. It's just a hobby, and don't want to go full-time and then stress over making views
Great honest breakdown. Good to see an actual breakdown of real world costs rather then just a few items. Would hate to add up the hours repairing the vehicle to work out labour costs, that would be scary. What did the patrol average in fuel overall? I’m budgeting on my GU TD42 towing a camper trailer at 20 litres a hundred. Looks like a great quiet spot your at despite the smoke which always seems to follow you lol
😆 I know, it just follows larissa everywhere. I reckon average fuel usage is about 17L per 100. When ever I work out how much fuel I might need to the next stop I always use 20l per 100. Consumption real depends on speed. Over 90k or in low range consumption goes up
We didn't take him on the lad, and we are at private property in this video. Would be great if you could get a special permit for certain breeds and training to take a dog into national parks
Thanks for the overview really liked how you set out the “real” cost as some on TH-cam seem to have fairy money that pops out of the glovebox to fund these trips. Well done Mark
Thanks Mark, just like all our videos, honesty is a priority and we want people to know what it really costs. Camping is cheap, but all the other stuff adds up
Awesome video, thank you. We have a 3 year lead time before we take off indefinitely. We have started the project of putting things in place for us to be absent, so videos like yours help a lot.
Great work, we did a 7 month trip in 1980, it would have cost less than $5000. The dearest fuel we saw was 44.5c, and I was horrified. The whole trip done with a bank book, no credit cards or mobiles. We used to save 20c pieces to ring home on payphones. The van cost $1300 and the car $2500. We made a profit when we sold the van.
Our last trip of 3 months cost about $8000. 16000kms and fuel was by far the biggest cost.
Wow John that's so good to hear, under 5K back then was still impressive. Bit of a jump to now. Thanks for the support 👍
John M So True I did 2 year round oz trip in 1996/97 each year cost us $7000 each ( hence myself and a mate ) and had best time ever ,,,As u said biddest cost was fuel (outback was many times around $1.70 ) food next , most yearly Nat park passes covered yr camping hiking cost ( Note zero on breakdown ) Yet completed all the hardest 4x4 tracks in Oz with full 1 tonne on back ute ( completed services our selfs $9 filter $25 oil) LIVING ON A TIGHT A BUDGET ON UR ROUND ozz trip was standard pre 2000 yet seeing everything and going everywhere ((((((SADLY These days it reverse its all about bragging rights about some crazy figure u spent )
wow good to see the real cost come out guys, but all passions will cost you, the return on investment is the life long memories for you and the kids. That is priceless. Love ya work cheers from 2 west aussies in Saudi Arabia
Thanks guys, like we said, would do it again in a heart beat. It was something that we will never forget and it was worth every cent
The most honest and realistic channel around 👌- the $ add up quickly 😳
Thanks Steve. Yes all the other things added up more than the cost of the actual trip
So nature, down to earth and honest.
Like the fact that you covered everything, fuel ,food, entertainment, loss of income. Gives an accurate real cost to life not just now but also into the future (loss of super).
I was surprised at some of the costs especially maintenance. Thought it would have been higher considering the km you traveled.
Well done. Very much appreciated the vid....All the best for the future !
Cheers mate, I really think it was important to show the full picture, but didn't think about super.
The maintenance cost was probably less than average because I did all the work and had no labour costs. So that definitely saved plenty. Thanks for the positive words and appreciate your positive comment 👍🤠🍻
Awesome..thank you for you honesty.
Won't show my wife this as she would back out if she knew the actual cost.
🤣 but if you tell her it's a investment in your happiness she can't say no
I would do the same thing lol
Love the honesty. Like you said right at the beginning. Alot of people do cost videos and only mention the on road costs. Not preparing or loss of income. Ive travelled shit tonnes of aus and know exactly what it cost. Your video was bang on with what my cost are. Obviously theres person costs and that kinda stuff.
And i love that youve used the old patrol. Im running a 2003 landcruiser. And would never think of buying a new car to do a lap
The shear out lay on a new vehicle would blow my budget clean out the water
Thanks mate for the support, it's great to hear from other like minded travellers.
It bugs me when I see a video with travellers says it costs them $200 a week to travel, yet they have a new 200 series, huge caravan, 300amp lithium and so on.
Hopefully we can show more of a realistic trip
Thank you for your full breakdown. You show that it can really be done on a budget and the fact that you factored in everything. Your memories that you’ve created are priceless and from what we’ve seen you didn’t skimp because of money. Like you said you did the things you wanted and that’s ok. Also you are correct the best camps were the free ones!
Thanks mate, it never felt like we had to skip another because of money, your right, we did what we wanted, and appreciate a natural feature more than a tourist attraction. Cheers for the support 👍
The most real people on the tube👍 legends🇦🇺🍻🔥
Thanks Chuck for the support, really appreciate it 👍
Great vid guys!! Just a note, there is 100% FREE and safe camping at Coober Pedy 😁 don't HAVE to pay for van parks there if you don't want to. And it's very possible to travel all year round....have been for 4 years straight now, just need to be smart and follow the weather. 😊😊
Yeah we know that, not sure why larissa said that, the main reason we did 6 months was because we have already done the eastern half of Australia, so we decided the middle of the year because we could avoid summer.
Hello, ummm kids! Hey we are in our sixties four years on the road, hubby is a mechanic but we have $1400 per month and that is driving two vehicles and towing two trailers and boat rego as well. We eat three good meals a day plus have a wine with dinner. You can do the lap cheaper without children lol. Great videos. Stay Safe.
Thanks Gail, that's fantastic 👍
Watched your video for the second time. Great to see full budget. We are now in our 4th wee, of our big lap and the expenses are higher now
Have fun! It's a amazing thing to do. Things have definitely got more expensive but at least you don't have to worry about lock downs and border closures! That made travelling so much more stressful 😫
A very real and comprehensive budget, guys, well done. Every young person that is thinking of spending their house deposit or has a personal loan to do their 'lap' needs to watch this.
Thanks Haech, happy to share what we learnt, and hopefully a good guide for others. It is a lot of money, but it's what we love doing
Thanks for the info. Well done on your travels.
Our pleasure!🤠👍
Taking the leap to leave a job is big, but always rewarding. I made a leap last year and it’s been the best thing. Ended up not leaving my job cause they let me work remote, and I have now proven I can do it so they are happy. Spent two months up in FNQ and now in SA and each place gets explored on weekends. And I live like a local when doing it.
That's fantastic! What a great lifestyle you have, so good to travel slower and really see this country
And I'm struggling just to save money to head out on a weekend. 1 can only wish. Good job guys
Yeah Jake it's definitely not cheap. We scarified a lot to be in the position where a half lap was possible. But it was worth every cent, cheers mate for the support 👍 🤠
Thanks for that Vid. It is really surprising how much it does really cost. its not just as easy as hooking up the van & taking off for a lap around Aus. 🤠
Thanks for the support and positive feedback, just wanted to show the full breakdown and what everything cost us. Was it money well spent, you bet, I'd do it again in a heart beat 😀.
Well done on the breakdown of everything. Also good job breakdown on the big ticket stuff.
Thanks mate for the support and positive feedback
Informative thanks guys great job
Great Chanel can’t wait for the next adventure
Thanks Ray for watching 👍
It's refreshing to see an honest account of the costs involved, including the opportunity costs.
My Father, as a retiree, did two separate trips around fifteen years ago. As a former businessman, he was accustomed to projecting accurate costings and was surprised at the number of people that he came across in his travels that were simply delusional about the costs involved with many choosing only to assess their fuel and caravan park bills.
One thing that struck him at the time was the number of mature aged people he met that had sold up everything for a "life on the road" only to find that after a couple of years the novelty had worn off and the reality of aging was setting in.
It was a sombre reality check for them that the housing market had appreciated, their vehicle and van had depreciated and they'd spent a good percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the family home. This all added up to them having to return to a much less luxurious life than they'd enjoyed only a couple of years before, and with no furniture or homewares!
No doubt you both considered this in planning your trip and I bet that you are very glad now that you did. In todays market that could have been a decision that saved you a couple of hundred thousand dollars or more. Thanks for the content.
Thanks David, very good point, we didn't want to travel full-time, rather a good adventure and a break from work. We are so glad not to be trying to buy a house now, I can't believe how much the values have increased.
My wife an I did 3 months on long service. We didn't go forward or backwards during our trip. We had no money saved, except for fuel and the odd experience cost, most of our living costs stayed the same or went down.
Showing the reality of a big trip well done guys. As u said gear doesn't have to be the most expensive.
Extremely well done! Budgeting is always the hardest part. When people ask me how much it costs to overland I always ask "How much do you have?" Because that is exactly what it costs! If you don't have a lot, you spend less. If you have more, you will spend more. It's the difference between a cuppa, a slab of beer, or a bottle of Dom Perignon when you are on the trail. It is a general rule of thumb for international overlanding that the average cost for 2 people together is in the ballpark of 1500-2500 US dollars per month. And that is for absolutely everything from shipping containers, visas, fuel, repairs, food, park fees, etc. And it doesn't matter where in the world you are traveling, it's still the same. You can also figure it to be about 1 USD per mile (or about 1.20 AUD p/km for all y'all down under!) That takes into consideration going at a slower distance pace and using less fuel per day. I'm lucky enough to have survived reasonably intact a career in the Forces so I get a retirement. That's about enough monthly income to cover our travels (except the initial vehicle cost and prep). My misses is about to take a year-long sabbatical from her work so we can travel southern Africa in '23 -'24. We will rent the house out, stick everything we own into storage, and ship the truck and camper trailer in a container to Capetown, SA. Is it worth it? Oh, dear lord, yes! Traveling is actually much less expensive than most people think it is. And it's absolutely priceless for your kids! And I have no doubt you are already in the dreaming/planning/deep thoughts and daydreams phase of the adventure ;-)
Thanks mate for your info, I would have thought it was a little cheaper in the USA with cheaper fuel, but I guess you have other factors like shipping in that cost. That's fantastic to hear your plans for heading to SA. That's something we would love to start doing, seeing other countries. What a amazing experience
Hi Adam, Thanks for the breakdown of everything for your adventure. I can work out my budget around. I love how you guys did it and also now you guys have the precious life memories. :)
Thanks mate, happy to help. I think you should budget a little more for fuel now, I think the average price was $1.50/L
Love your summary and the realness of your experience and the fact that you followed your dream as individuals and as a family. Life is precious life is short.
Thanks Andrew, glad to hear people enjoying our videos, really good motivation 👍. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and it was such a amazing adventure
A great break down of the cost. And you don't need fancy equipment to explore and have a great time. Great to see your number of subscribers increasing.
Thanks mate, we were very comfortable with what we took and more stuff would have been just more weight.
Actually spent more on alcohol than fuel on one trip. The car was particularly good on fuel, but still did 30,000 km. Best holiday ever.
🤣🍻 good work, and bet you can do that easily now with fuel prices
memories have no money value but oh so precious. plus if you ..WHEN you do it again youre already half way there with the van and car..lucky buggers make the most of it
Thanks Cheryl, we definitely don't take it for granted what we seen and done.
This is the best video I've seen to help me with my thoughts on heading off for 12 months or so. Still deciding but this really helps.
Good to hear Alistair, just wanted to share with people the true experience of our lap of Australia. Thanks for the support and positive feedback
Hi Adam.We thoroughly appreciated your breakdown of what it cost. We are semi retired and luckily no mortgage. Covid however hit my business and last year being over 70 I found myself in lockdown. Anyway we have our van being upgraded with lithium batteries and my old RC Colorado is being prepared. We are planning more small trips. And in May heading for Oodnadatta, Williams Creek, Coober Pedy and Alice Springs. Thanks 😊 again and keep up your episodes We thoroughly enjoy then.😊😊
Thanks William, happy to share what it cost up to help others. But it was worth every cent. Sorry to hear that you were negatively impacted by covid, I guess there would be a lot of people in the same boat, and the stress alone would have been difficult to deal with. Hopefully you can get out and see this amazing country, have a adventure and put all those problems behind you
I love that you said ages ago you would do the budget breakdown and then not only did you do it but did it so honestly and thoroughly! Well done guys!!
Thanks so much for the positive feedback. We just tried to make it easy for people to understand, so glad we got that right. 😃
Love the new look GQ. I was shattered when when my GQ that I had spent a lot of time on preparing for a lap got written off. We just finished a full lap in our 02 4.2 GU which I sort of planned on selling after our trip but I don't think i could part with it now. It's the reliability, solid diffs and lack of electronics that i love.
Thanks Doddy, that's sounds like our exact experience. I always thought a tortures lap in a 30 year old patrol would mean the end of its reliability, but I've been proven otherwise
We really enjoyed this ep your honesty is refreshing🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Thanks Kerri, hope we gave you a insight on how we went behind the scenes
Hi guys, great breakdown of the trip... something I should look at doing. It'll probably frighten the h..l out of me...lol!. My repair bills were a bit higher although still within budget. My principal is to think of a number ...then double it. I too looked out for bargains prior to setting up my vehicle. A bit of haggling here n there kept the businesses honest. ..and doing the work yourself...saves a substantial amount of money. The way I see it now, after travelling, the costs only matter at the time. It's nothing better, to get out there and do things, that is so passionate to oneself. As a matter of fact.. I'm leaving Broome town tomorrow... venturing off to the NT for a new start. Whole new adventure ahead! Anyhoo..thanks again,Adam and Larissa, for the informative video. Cheers guys!
Mate that so good to hear, NT is so good. You definitely hit the nail on the head, we don't look back at the money we spent, but the adventure we had, the time together and the memories we made are priceless
Thank you. Love the honesty and what a lovely family.
Thanks DC for the support 👍
Love your channel. I’m building a Gq as well. Could you explain in a video or on a comment what are the main things you need to look at in your car. Checkups,parts.etc.
Thanks for the support 👍, the gq is a amazing vehicle, strong, reliable and easy to work on. But as with any old vehicle maintenance never ends, and if you do remote areas and really rough roads it is double. Ever morning I shake the front wheels to check bearings, look under the bonnet for the fluid levels, and a visual check of most things.
Thanks again for your brutal honesty. I totally agree, get out and do it while you’re able as you never know what’s around the corner.
I’m old school like you in liking a written out budget, not an app. I even used to like opening the old bank book to see the balance. Showing my age. 😆
😅 up until this trip I never did internet banking and still used a check book🤣
Very interesting viewing, thanks so much
Thanks for watching 👍
I did a lap of Australia on the cheap, 25000km, used a cheap toyota seca, free camped, bought food in supermarkets etc, I did it in 1 month and in total, cost approx $5000, obviously not the ideal trip but saw most things I wanted to, nothing interior, but it was well worth it and was great to see parts I hadnt seen before like the nullarbor, West coast etc, cookstown, cairns....
Thanks Nick, there is no right or wrong way to travel, main thing is to get out and see the world. That's fantastic that you could fit so much in👍
Thanks for a great breakdown - we wish we had done the trip when the kids were younger....now they are finishing high school we will have to wait a few years - but then we will head off!
That was one of the reasons why we did it now, it's to hard on them when they are in high school and we didn't know how 6-12 months off would affect their education
Nice work Lovely Ep,
Thanks Craig for the support 👍
well-done ! great break downs !
Thanks Brent 👍
Welldone you two,that was a great overview of cost.Thanks for afew new idea's😎.
Cheers Doug, happy to help
Thanks for your breakdown.everyones situation is differet but many people around your age are in the same boat.Ive enjoyed your whole series and its good to see that your not waiting on retirement but ,like us are doing things as you can afford and you are still healthy and most importantly ,your kids are getting to spend irreplaceable time with their parents.Keep up the great work
Thanks Rob for the positive support. Really appreciate it. It was worth every cent, and I can't wait to do another big trip now we are set up
Thank you again for another honest and insightful. Review I liked the fact that you take ownership for things that go wrong as well as things you get correct. Looking forward to your continued success in your roles as influences in the caravan camping four wheel driving community. Hope to be sharing the road with you one-day soon doing tag along with you .cheers
Thanks Greg 👍, I think honesty is so important. Thanks so much for the positive feedback, that's so great for motivation. Really appreciate it
Great insight 👍
Yep….a lot of $ for 6 months, but a lifetime of memories for 4 people.
Not all of us are as adept ( or inclined to do )as Adam. With the vehicle maintenance, if you weren’t doing it yourself , would the planned trip have been interrupted by having to find local mechanics, dealers etc
Stay safe
Cheers
Oh yeah andva lot of mechanics want 1-3 weeks bookings so it would have been a pain. We could just buy oil and filters in a town when nearly due for a service and then do the service when and where we wanted and then drop the old oil off at the next town
A great and really informative video. Thanks for that. 😊 The costs for many of the items on your big trip will of course not be spent for future trips, like your trailer, etc. So unless you buy more new gear, those costs won't be there in the future. meaning more affordable adventures ahead. 😎
Very true Paul. I actually thought most of our gear would be worn out after the big lap, but it's just not the case. So now we have the perfect setup for any occasion
Great show guy’s and thanks for the break down. A very good point that Larissa made was that you were servicing your vehicle and doing repairs yourself and for many that can’t it would of added thousands to the budget. I’d hate to think what a late model vehicle would cost to service in remote areas.
Cheers Scoot
Thanks Scoot, and it's not just the cost of having a mechanic servicing the car. Imagine then having to catch a cab to and from the workshop while waiting for repairs
Thanks that was really helpful
Good breakdown of the budget and including house mortgage etc. I guess the vehicle and camper are always going to be unknowns with regards reliability. Even new can have issues. Cheers guys.
Thanks Kevin 👍, Yeah we seen new 4wds with some of the same problems, leaking fuel tanks, busted air cons, electrical gremlins etc
I generally work on the cost of fuel doubled to cover car maintenance when operating in harsh environments, as for food it generally costs more away from the big cities and you tend to buy smaller quantities costing more but offset by limited choice and you tend to cook it yourself thus a overall saving than been at home.In 50 years time your kids will look upon it with happy memories as do I from trips in the 1970s with my family its money well spent
Thanks Kis, it was worth every cent and we would do it again. 👍
This is great. Really well done. Thank you.
Thanks Fred for the support and positive feedback 😀
Cheers folks , great straight up video.
Thanks for the support 👍
Great guys lots of helpful tips just wondering about if you travel with a dog how difficult it is, or isn't . Did Cooper travel at any stages with you ? did you ever think of taking him along ? We know there are hazards like famers leaving 1080 bates all over the country to control wild cats and dogs and lots of snakes everywhere . They say in this case use a muzzle on your dog . Lots of national Parkes and caravan parks prohibit the taking of a dog with the exception of a certified assistant dog they cannot then refuse entry anywhere by law . knowing what you know now would you think of taking your dog around a half lap .
We've taken Cooper on lots of big trips including 3 weeks in Cape York, 2 weeks around birdsville, 3 weeks in the Gulf. And outback nsw, and it's great having him. Am I glad we didn't take him on our trip of the west coast? Yep, too many NP we wanted to see and we would have missed so much.
You can do it, lots of people do, and you can find people to help watch them while you go into a NP but it definitely makes it harder.
It just comes down to what you want out of a trip, there are still loads of fantastic places you can take dogs and you will have a amazing experience. No right or wrong way to travel, we are going to do another outback trip this year with both dogs and I can't wait 😊
Excellent advice and thanks for indicative costs guys.
Thanks Ben for the support 👍
Thanks guys for this made me sit down and redo ours.
Cheers Scott, happy to help. What was the biggest thing you miscalculated?
@@GoingOverland Landry and relooked at fuel as prices have gone up. A
Hey, just come across you guys it's good to get a honest's unsponsored realistic breakdown of what the cost is to travel Australia. Not everyone wants to sell their.... future nest egg (house) just to wonder our backyard. Keep up the great honest work 🤙
Thanks Marcel and welcome to the channel. I recommend going back to week 3 of our lap and watch from there, that's were the adventure really takes off. Happy to answer any questions
@@GoingOverland will do over the coming days 🤙
Haha, me and 4 friends did the west coast in a $1000 falcon on gas for $1500
Really interesting. My thought with the cost of food and alcohol is that even if we didn't go on a trip, we'd be spending money on those things during that time anyway, probably a lot more money. So they'd be general living costs no matter where we were.
The only true cost would be the price of the vehicle, gas, camper, camping fees, and repairs.
So it's great to see it broken down like this.
Thanks Bob, lots of different ways to calculate a big lap, but the main thing was to show people everything. Had lots of people asking us specific costs, so thought if we put everything in the video it would help alot of people trying to plan a trip
Appreciate the honest and openness. Including mortgage and all the extras.
How was alcohol an overlook? It’s alway on my list, but I don’t have a problem the beer is attracted to me.
Here’s to more videos appreciate it guys
🤣 thanks Scott, I guess it's a necessity therefore no need to budget for it 🍻
Thanks guys, very informative!
Thanks Mark, happy to share
I wouldn't count the foregone wages as these would have been applied to the expenses incurred but good to be mindful of them. Nevertheless a detailed and realistic costing, however the memories will be enduring long after costs are forgotten.
Thanks Brian, it was worth every cent 👌
Thanks for your informative break down of costs really interesting good to you you again 🤗🤗
Thanks Jo for watching and the positive feedback
Hi, I'm late to the channel and really enjoying the videos. How did you spend $6K on groceries in 6 months?? I reckon we would struggle to do that at home, let alone on the road (also a family of 4)!! Groceries have gone up in price over the last couple of years, but even still, that sounds admirably frugal! Worth a video on its own!
$6000 ÷ 26 weeks is only $230 a week, so we probably spend more at home. And some remote areas are very expensive. I'm pretty happy with that amount 🤠
@@GoingOverland You should be 👏🏼. We probably spend double that, both at home and when away.
Hi ALHJ, we love your travel series- it's authentic and its what an average family will need to do when they consider taking an extended family trip to see the this great country. We are based in brisbane, like you. We are planning to do a 2 x (3-4 months) trip over 2 years. FNQ and Vic trips can be done as 2x6week trips to in other years - helps to give the family something to look forward to for the next 4 years and also more agreeable with our employers. Sorry to say, but one thing I will make sure, is to do it in is a more reliable trailer and car- not the latest "look at me" fancy camper and kitted out zombie fighting 4 wheeler. I would hate to repair car & camper on the side of the road (servicing is ok but time taken away on sourcing repair parts, repairing in hot air doesnt appeal). Information session like these video helps enormously in our planning process- thank you
Thanks Aron for your support. The smaller trips is what we usually do and they are a fantastic way to see the country
Very cool, thank you for the breakdown, legends!
Cheers Greg 🍻
Would be amazing if it was free but awesome to hear realistic costs. Cheers for being candid and sharing!
Thanks Vince, 👍
Great to see you out camping again so soon after you got home! Can't beat that camp fire smoke in your face smell!
🤣 always the way, it was blowing the other way before we sat down. Yeah I needed a little weekend trip to relax, but it didn't end up that way, video coming soon
Nicely done ✅
Thanks for the support 👍
I think saying to just get out there and that you don’t need to have a $200k car is the biggest point people miss.
We did the lap a couple of years ago and I can tell you the people camped on one side of us in their $5k setup were having just as much fun/adventure/joy ect as the people on the other side with their $500k rig.
Great point Shane, it's not about the cost of your gear, it's about the adventure. We had a fantastic trip and nothing a dual cab Ute and couple of mods couldn't handle. 1👍
Glad i found you guys, I always wondered what a trip would cost, this has been great starting point. Happy Trails !
Thanks Gary for joining us, happy to help others. 😀
Bit of a change from our 6 week $1800 lap in 1982. There again I earned about $280 a week back then. Best 6 weeks ever.
Thanks Phil, I know that feeling looking back. No other trip we could do in the future can compare
For accounring purposes you can only factor in the depreciation on the trailer but you also have to factor in the depreciation on your Patrol. I’d suggest in Covid times it’s probably $0 for both. Second hand cars have actually appreciated - especially 4WDs. And there’s 12 months wait for a new camper trailer so you’d probably at least get what you paid for it. But great job accounting for the real costs.
Thanks Mondo, I see your point, but we especially bought the trailer for the lap so thought it we should share everything we put into the trip.
Hi Guys, I've loved your realistic adventures around Aus. One of the things you may not have factored in or out of your budget is what you would have spent just staying at home. I think that this could be viewed as a realistic deduction from your final budget.
Thanks Colin, good point
Great job guys 👌
Thanks for the info - Very interesting.. I suppose those costs can fluctuate with Insurance and what ifs .. but good roundup.
Yeah and fuel costs have gone up heaps since we got back too. Extra 30 cents a litre right now and still climbing
Great insight into the real costs, thanks for sharing 👍🏼
No problems, thanks for watching 👍
Thanks for the info guys helps alot. we are setting of from perth next month but planning on some work on the way
That's awesome Edward, great to hear. Hope you have a great trip
I always thought this is why when you travel around Australia, you rent out your house. Now days you can even airbnb your house making it easier. This way your mortage is paid for while your traveling unless you got ripped off with huge repayments.
You also leave your job and get a new one when you get back even if its just on paper leaving your current job and going back to the same company/position after so you get paid centrelink while you travel so you have your savings plus your centrelink payment.
Get some of that tax money back you have given the government over the years then when you get back, your go back to your old job
This was something I had been wondering while watching the series, so thank you very much for the honest breakdown. I would love to do the same, but the cost of time off work and mortgage repayments is the biggest roadblock, even for just a few months. Also, the wife is not a camping type (likes her hotel rooms, luxuries and clean clothes every day). I need to do some shorter trips around SE QLD to try to get the two kids and wife into it.
That's what we did for many years and which is why we only need a 6 month half lap. I reckon take the family to somewhere like Moreton Island. There are so many amazing places which people fall in love with this lifestyle
Thank again for you frank and in depth budget review with all your vehicle maintenance you have done are you a mechanic by trade? Or just a man many talents?
Thanks Rod, not a mechanic, self taught, and learn a little more everyday. The old patrol is pretty easy to work on too, which definitely helps
You beauty guys! excellent rundown on your costs. To think I've only got 125,950 bucks to go and away i go. hehe love your work as usual. See you next time
🤣 thanks Wayne. It was worth every cent
Loved watching your travel series. Can I ask where you got your long sleeve button up shirts from (the ones with your name/logo embroidered). They are so practical and look great and I’m keen to get some for my trip. Thanks 😃😃
Thanks Leanne, the best ones we have are from Mangrove Outdoors. They are so good in the sun and heat, and being quick dry means they are easy to wash
Thanks for sharing guys, very helpful.
Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks heaps guys this was the big one I was waiting for and you have explained it better than anyone has explained before... Love that you guys are so bloody normal and do it for all the right reasons and not as a cash cow ... cheers !!!!!!
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Thanks mate, like I've said, I'll only keep doing these videos while I'm enjoying sharing our experiences and knowledge. It's just a hobby, and don't want to go full-time and then stress over making views
Very informative episode!!
Thanks for the support 👍
Great work guys, very inspiring!
Thanks 👍
Great honest breakdown. Good to see an actual breakdown of real world costs rather then just a few items. Would hate to add up the hours repairing the vehicle to work out labour costs, that would be scary. What did the patrol average in fuel overall? I’m budgeting on my GU TD42 towing a camper trailer at 20 litres a hundred. Looks like a great quiet spot your at despite the smoke which always seems to follow you lol
😆 I know, it just follows larissa everywhere. I reckon average fuel usage is about 17L per 100. When ever I work out how much fuel I might need to the next stop I always use 20l per 100.
Consumption real depends on speed. Over 90k or in low range consumption goes up
Interested in how you managed Cooper and National Park visits?
We didn't take him on the lad, and we are at private property in this video. Would be great if you could get a special permit for certain breeds and training to take a dog into national parks
Travelled Australia all my life (55 now). I spend all my time in Vietnam these days. Way too expensive in Australia.
Yeah and now diesel is $2.20/L! It would have cost us a couple thousand more in diesel if we went this year
I spent 60 k travelling 9mths all the way around. Mostly free camps.
Good work
Is this Russell Coight and Mrs Coight ?
Good job guys.
Excellent content.
Good to see the covid Lockdown didn't get to you. LOL
Cheers have a good one.
🇭🇲😀👍🍻🍻
Thanks Jim, we got held up twice, but we still managed to see everything we wanted so no complaints.
Nice video! You kind of do resemble Russell Coigt
😆 my idle
let safiery do something special for the electronics
WELL DONE ... VERY HONEST THANK YOU :)
No problems Tom. Thanks for watching 👍
Great info 👍👍
Thanks Troy for the support 👍
Well done you guys
Thanks Michael for the support 👍