Going on that great Aussie road trip and planning on doing it all? Making a wrong choice when hiring a vehicle can leave you missing out on some of Australia's best scenery — or even stranded in the outback. Travel writers Lara Dunston and Terry Carter tested the great Aussie road trip in several different four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles from Darwin to Adelaide and across to Perth. Here they explain how to decide on the right vehicle to suit your style of travel and journey.

Campervan or motorhome?

There are two main vehicle choices for this kind of trip: a campervan or motorhome. Motorhomes may be more spacious and comfortable and enable you to pull over anywhere and cook a meal or take a nap, but they are generally two-wheel-drive, rendering many of the scenic tracks we wanted to tackle off-limits.

Any feelings of envy for those decked-out homes-on-wheels with onboard bathrooms would soon be forgotten as we passed them turning around at the start of tracks signposted "high-clearance 4WD only". A motorhome may get you to the Blue Mountains but it's not going to take you along the Birdsville Track.

What kind of 4WD?

All-wheel-drives (AWDs) are cheaper to hire than 4WDs and there's plenty of discussion around about how you can take an AWD just about anywhere you can take a 4WD. For around 90 percent of our trip, you probably can. It's the other 10 percent where you run the risk of getting into trouble, when a heavy-duty 4WD comes into its own.

If a 4WD with high-ground clearance and low-range (lowered gearing that can be engaged in difficult situations) gets bogged, it might only need low-range 4WD engaged to get out of trouble, whereas an AWD might need a tow truck. And if you're in a remote area when this happens, help could be a day's drive coming. And consider that while emergency services are helping you out of trouble, they might be unable to help someone that really had an accident, rather than someone who was an accident waiting to happen.

What kind of 4WD campervan?

If you've decided on a 4WD, it's now time to figure out what type is right for you. There are several configurations, generally based on Toyota's "Troopie" (troop carrier), with different sleeping and cooking arrangements.

Vehicles we tried

Britz Bushcamper

Features: Two beds (double up top, single below), interior kitchenette (sink and fridge/freezer only, gas burner can be fixed outside) and a fixed high-top roof so you can stand comfortably in the back.

Seats and sleeps: three people.

Advantages

• 240V power outlets, which are perfect for recharging batteries at a powered site.
• Extra fuel tank, with around a 900km range.
• Relatively easy to turn back section into bed every night.
• A pretty good amount of cupboard storage space.

Disadvantages

• The vehicle is 2.8m high, so underground car parks and old petrol stations awnings suddenly become obstacles.
• Top-heavy, so this is one vehicle you don't want to lose control of on wet tracks.
• You'd want to be very good friends or family to ride three across the front seats for thousands of kilometres.
• Lack of luggage space. We had to move our bags from the back onto the front seats every night.

Britz Safari 4WD

Features

• Camping gear and tent for sleeping.
• Ingenious "Black Widow" drawer system that houses a fridge and two deep drawers for the crockery, cutlery, portable grill, and groceries.

Seats and sleeps: five people (with an extra tent and bedding).

Advantages

• Speed of access to "kitchen".
• Uses less diesel — just 12km per 100km (compared to 15-20 litres for the others) — because of the aerodynamics and lighter load.
• Feels more like a "regular" 4WD on the road.
• Having a normal back seat means more flexibility for storing luggage.

Disadvantages

• No extra fuel tank.
• No 240V power outlet for recharging cameras, phones, etc.
• Setting up a tent every night after a long day on the road.
• You'd much rather be in the back of the vehicle than in a tent in the rain.

Maui Spirit 4WD

Features: "Pop-top" fibreglass and canvas roof that rises to allow you to stand in the back.

Seats and sleeps: two people.

Advantages

• Ingenious "kitchen" (two burners and sink) that slides out the vehicle's side. An alarm sounds if you drive off without sliding it back in.
• Drives almost like a "normal" 4WD with the advantage of the pop-top.
• Long-range fuel tanks give a range of more than 900km.
• 240V power outlet is handy.

Disadvantages

• The pop-top was difficult to raise, especially in high winds, and had to be adjusted to get a good seal.
• It's easy to forget to put the pop-top down before driving off.
• Little storage room here and the luggage slept on the front seats. All staff said it was travellers' biggest complaint and something they're working on.

The verdict

All vehicles performed admirably. Every vehicle was a well-maintained recent model and it's great to hire vehicles from companies encouraging you to go off-road! The choice comes down to whether you prefer to pitch a tent or sleep in the back of the vehicle. It's not called the "great outdoors" for nothing, so we prefer the convenience of the Britz Safari, but we'd miss the excellent outdoor kitchen features of the Maui Spirit 4WD and the extended range of both the Maui and the Britz Bushcamper.

Quick tips for 4WD campervanning

• Hire a full recovery kit, including a shovel, snatch strap (tow rope for vehicle recovery), and emergency beacon for when the shovel and snatch strap can't get you out of trouble. And when that fails, you'll be needing your satellite phone.
• If you can, go in a convoy. If one vehicle breaks down or is irretrievable, you can still get to the next town.
• If you're not an experienced four-wheel driver in all conditions, consider doing a driving course before you head off.
• Always check weather and road conditions and tell people where you'll be before heading off-road.

Prices and contact details

Britz

britz.com.au

Prices from $90-150 per day.

Maui

www.maui.com.au

Prices from $160-$255 per day.

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