Little Extras

1. Remote hot water Ignition. Wouldn't be without it.
2. Outdoor shower. Haven't got one, and those that have often say it is good to wash sand off. But as the shower drains directly outside, any sand would also drain out. We have had the van for nearly 6 years and haven't needed one.
3. Webasto Heater. Once you have had one, you would never be without it. I know Steve at BTi was secptical when Bob pollock put one in, but when I went to the factory a short time after fitting one there, he also thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.
4. Exhaust fan in shower is very good for removing odours from the other use in there. We have found that you don't need the fan a lot while showering, but the vent above you allows a draft from window to leave through vent above and take any steam with it.

Brian

I agree entirely with Brian 's comment. The only thing on your list that I would cut out (unless the finances insisted on deleting more) would be the outside shower. Like Brian, we do not have one, but do have the other items on your list and certainly would not delete the remote start for the HWS or the Webasto! Maybe we could live without the exhaust fan in the ensuite but it is very useful and I'm not sure that you would save much by deleting it. (can't remember how much they are)

Obviously, preferences are very personal and there may well be differing opinions, but the above is MHO.

Cheers
John

Don't get rid of the remote ignition. Outside shower can go - nice for the beach but not essential. We stay in the tropics so cannot comment on the Webasto. Exhaust fan - good for fast smell removal - the hatch vent is more important than the fan as it provide extra breeze in combination with the side window.

What else have you crossed off but shouldn't have?

Regards

John and Jean

Remote ignition a must. Out door shower can be replaced by a tap on the draw bar and a short length of hose. The money saved can go to large cargo doors. Webasto, travel to the seasons? Exhaust fan gets little use but the hatch certanly helps.
Good Luck
Trevor & Lyndal

A thought : Consider the cost and any inconvienience of retro fitting any item before chopping it. Also a longer BT (read more room) is not a retro fit. I probably haven't helped !

Neil and Linda,

Two important things: First of all, if you can come up with just the Deposit, GET INTO THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE... If your house has not sold in a couple of months, you can always delay a couple of months. Someone else in the schedule will thank you to trade places and get one sooner. But then you are not waiting around those extra months by waiting until the house has sold.... Trust me, with money in your hand, time will DRAG ON on the tail end of this when you are stuck waiting for your van...
If the Deposit does not handicap you, there is no reason to wait, you can alway delay out a couple of months.

Second of all, Perspective on your items above:
1) No one mentioned the PRIMARY VALUE of Remote ignition, forget the comfort, forget the idea of lighting the pilot in heavy rain or hard winds as this is just a comfort issue weighed against the cost... An important Engineering issue is that it might pay for itself in hassle of getting gas and cost of gas. You would not go out to turn off and relight the pilot, but if you have the remote ignition you could do it easy before you go to bed. Then it does not fire up at night, and it is a simple push of a button when you put the jug on in the morning... It will use half the gas, less hassle getting refills...

2) Outdoor shower: Don't use mine, but somes primary use possibly for washing dogs, outdoor shower for nature bunnies, cleaning fish, shower at beaches, that sort of thing. But I always find a way around it like a bucket of water, even left by the door for feet... If you are on a budget I would say no... If the budget is only temporary then evaluate it for your own lifestyle...

3) Webasto: Living aboard full time... Yes, a major comfort issue in the winter.. Part time travel? You do not have to go out to cold areas in the six weeks of dead of winter..
But it is very nice, and take the outlet in the shower to use it as a drying locker overnight, if you decide to get it. It has proven to be a VERY robust unit of almost no repair or warranty work needed.

4) Exhaust fan? Money and personal issue... You decide. Need a perspective? Take out the money issue of cost, and it is better to have it and not use or need it, than to not have it and wish you did. Can you do with out it? Yes, there is a window in the ensuite. My advice with out money consideration? Get it...

Best Regards from the Ranger trying to look after you... Put some thought into the first bit of this.... It will save regrets later.

Hi Neil and Linda,

Thank you for asking that question. I am working on a similar exercise and found the responses extremely useful. It is fantastic to get the benefit of input on some of these items from people that have been using them.

Kind regards

Theo

Hi, from someone who is selling his BT at the end of the year, here is my two cents worth!

I think you have to always consider resale when you make these decisions. In that regard I would agree with Steve that depending upon your circumstances you should either make a deposit, get in line, and then delay building until you are ready to build what you want and what will resell, OR simply wait. A lot of what you are considering giving up will have a significant resale impact and cannot be added efficiently after the fact.

Remote itgnition - a must!

Outdoor shower - we have used it often and Jak loves the beach and does not love the sand tracked inside. Another use is that we had our shower located so that the shower head reaches to the toilet cassette area. I use the shower everytime I fill the upper cassette.

Webasto - if you are going to be in cold areas and away from mains power to run a small electric fan heater it too is a must have item. I get cold easily and I like a warm van.

Exhaust fan - At least have the area prewired so that a future owner can retrofit.

We have gone down to 18' from 19' - space choice; bigger is not necessarily better, only different. Really depends upon how often you are going to use your toy on wheels. If a vacation home, 18' is more than sufficient; if you full-time home 18' for me would be way too small.

3 solar panels, 3 batteries - depends upon whether you are going bush and how often. Having made two long off-road trips with two different groups of BT owners, those with less than 4 + 4 had to use generators a lot more often.

Air-conditioner - ouch! We are currently in Perth and the weather this week is in the high 30s everyday. I would melt without the air conditioner. At least prewire and do whatever else BT does to install the air conditioner so that the next owner can add the unit. I believe that if a prospective owner was foreclosed from adding an air conditioner he would not be a prospective owner.

Inverter - wouldn't be without it! Yes, you can do everything on the gas or over the fire; however, the ability to boil water, make toast, run fans, run all of your toys, and use the microwave on a very hot day to quickly heat something without heating the whole van are just some of the reasons to install an 1800w inverter.

Hope this helps -

Cheers,

Jay

One thing you cannot do without is an aircon. An absolute must...
You have a window in the ensuite so a fan really is not necessary. One does not spend a lot of time in there. It is just another hole in the roof to worry about. For the cost the outdoor shower it is very usefull. You really only have one good shot at setting up the van.

Cheers

Agree with all, apart from the outside shower.
Had one in the last van and will have one in the new one.
But our cattle dog travels with us so the easy answer.
Also remember the resale value.
Items you put on now add to the sale value at that time.
All boils down to individual circumstances.
Good luck
David

One final thought, you can mull over the three day weekend....
And pardon me if I come across a little funny, I am home just out of the hospital and laid up for a week.. But anyway, put up with me, I mean well...

If you are of two minds on something, ask me, we may be able to make provision for it so that it can be added later without much pain... OK? Know what I mean? A lot of things we can do the wiring for or structure for, and leave it off, just skinned over.
You get three months of coaching when you are in the system, don't stress of these things, and if you have your doubts, it may be compensated for and added later...

Regards, Dopey Ranger home recovering for a week.. Hope I am making sense.

Hi Neil & Linda

My Tip. Delete the window in the shower and have the Exhaust hatch, we did and have not regretted it.

Regards
Brian

I think the yes vote for the remote lighting goes without further comment.
Personally don't have a need for Webasto or large inverter but wouldn't be without air con or outside shower. We have a 300watt inverter hardwired and it runs the laptop, box fan and is handy to charge phones, cameras etc. Also have 2 cig lighter sockets for charging small items, saves wasting power through inverter.
Now the exhaust fan in ensuite is great but we have had to replace the plastic hatch following it's crumbling from UV - I would hope a metal one comes along in the future as caravan suppliers tell me the plastic ones don't last more than a couple of years if exposed a lot. Ours took about a year but BTI told us it was a bad batch.
Depending on which tug you use you may consider a drawbar extension, we have the 500mm to accomodate box to carry genny, chainsaw, outboard etc, just watch you ball weight.
Also wouldn't be without larger ensuite. Layout most important, we love ours, especially the yatch bed as it gives huge storage under (Don't skimp on the extra large cargo doors) and allows much more bench space.

have fun