Full Time Caravanning They Sold Everything What They Learned After 2 Years on the Road

There’s a point where a lot of people stop talking about doing a lap of Australia and start wondering what it would actually take to start full time caravanning.

Mel and Scott are a good example of what that shift looks like in real life.

They didn’t start out with a long-term plan to travel. They were both busy, fully booked in their own businesses and living a pretty settled life on the south coast of New South Wales. Mel had a hairdressing salon, Scott ran a mechanic workshop, and both were committed months in advance.

Even taking four weeks off to do Cape York was a challenge.

That trip ended up being the turning point. It gave them a proper taste of what life on the road could look like when you step away from the routine and actually give yourself time to experience it.

The following year they headed to Tasmania, and somewhere during that trip, the thinking shifted. Instead of trying to fit travel around work, they started looking at what it would mean to build a life around travel instead.

If they were going to do it, they wanted to do it properly.

They sold everything, closed their businesses, and on 29 January 2024, they set off full-time with no fixed end date and no pressure to rush through it.

Getting the Setup Right (And What They’d Change)

Like most people, they didn’t get everything perfect before they left.

They started out with a smaller 16-foot caravan and upgraded later to a 17.1-foot van that better suited full-time travel. The upgrade wasn’t about luxury, it was about making everyday life easier.

More solar and more power gave them better flexibility off-grid, and adding a gas oven made a big difference in bad weather when cooking outside wasn’t an option. One of the biggest lessons came down to something simple that a lot of people underestimate before they leave, and that’s fridge and freezer space.

What works for a weekend or even a short trip starts to wear thin very quickly when you’re living on the road full-time. Having enough freezer space in particular changed how they shopped, stored food and managed longer stretches between towns.

The First Six Months: Where It Nearly Went Off Track

When I asked what they’d do differently, the answer came back pretty quickly.

They would slow down.

The first six months were packed with commitments. They had birthdays, events and plans that meant they were constantly zig-zagging to be in the right place at the right time. In one nine-day stretch, they went through what they had budgeted for an entire month of fuel just trying to keep up.

That’s something I see happen a lot. You leave home and slip straight into holiday mode. You try to see everything, do everything and make the most of every stop.

The problem is, that pace isn’t sustainable when it’s your everyday life.

For Mel and Scott, it took a bit of time to realise that something had to change. Slowing down wasn’t just about saving money, it was about making the lifestyle actually work long term.

The Mindset Shift Most People Don’t Expect

One of the biggest adjustments wasn’t the driving, the setup, or even the logistics.

It was their mindset.

There’s a big difference between being on holidays and living on the road. When you’re on holidays, you feel like you need to be doing something all the time. You don’t want to waste a day.

When you’re living on the road, you have to let that go.

Mel talked about having days where they do nothing at all. Sitting around, reading, scrolling, or just taking a break. At home, that’s normal. On the road, it can feel like you’re doing something wrong, especially when you see other people constantly out exploring.

It takes a bit of time to settle into the idea that this is your life now, not a short trip that needs to be crammed full of activity.

How Long It Actually Takes to Travel Australia

This is where a lot of people underestimate what they’re taking on.

It took them two years just to reach Western Australia.

Even now, after spending months there, they feel like they’ve barely scratched the surface. Western Australia alone can take far longer than people expect, especially if you don’t want to rush it.

If you’re working with a fixed timeframe, this is where you need to be realistic. Trying to do a full lap in 12 months often turns into a race rather than an experience.

If you’re still figuring out your timing, budget and route, this is exactly the stage where getting clear on your plan makes the biggest difference. That’s why I put together my Planning a Lap of Australia guide, to help you avoid the common mistakes before you even leave.

If you only have a year, you’re better off focusing on one or two states and doing them properly rather than trying to cover the entire country. Especially at the moment with the fuel situation going on.

What You Should Practise Before You Leave

There are a few things they learnt quickly that would have made a big difference early on.

The first is getting out of the mindset that you need to stock up like you’ll never see another shop again. It’s something a lot of people do at the start, especially after leaving a house and trying to bring everything with them. In reality, most places are far more accessible than you expect, and overloading your van just creates other problems.

The second is getting comfortable reversing your van with people watching. Because they will be watching. Caravan parks are full of people sitting back with a drink, quietly observing how everyone else parks. If you’re not used to it, it can feel like pressure. The more you practise, the less it bothers you.

The third is being a bit kinder to yourself. Not every day needs to be productive or memorable. Some days are just about resetting, and that’s part of making this lifestyle sustainable.

How They Find the Best Places to Stay

Some of the best spots they’ve found haven’t come from apps or online searches.

They’ve come from conversations.

Talking to other travellers, chatting with locals, asking simple questions like where people actually go on the weekend rather than what’s listed online. That’s where you tend to find the places that aren’t crowded and haven’t been overdone.

Mel also mentioned that doing haircuts on the road has helped with that. It gives her time to talk to people properly, and those conversations often lead to places they wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Making Money While Travelling

Mel didn’t leave her skills behind when she left home. She adapted them.

She now does simple haircuts and braids while travelling, usually with permission from caravan parks. Most of the work comes from people seeing her setup or hearing about it from others in the park.

It’s not a big, complicated business. It’s simple, flexible and fits around their travel.

That’s something a lot of people overlook. You don’t always need a full online business to make this lifestyle work. Sometimes the skills you already have are enough if you’re willing to adapt them.

The Stuff You Don’t See on Social Media

Not everything goes smoothly.

There are health issues, family emergencies and situations you can’t plan for. Scott ended up in hospital with kidney stones while they were travelling, which meant a rushed trip to the nearest hospital from a remote area.

There were also times when being out of reception became a real issue, especially when family needed to get in contact. That led to them getting Starlink so they could stay connected when it mattered.

These are the parts people don’t always talk about, but they’re part of the reality of long-term travel.

One Piece of Gear They’d Always Take

When I asked what they wouldn’t travel without, the answer wasn’t what most people expect.

It was their camp chairs.

Not because they’re flashy, but because they use them every day. They’re not just chairs, they’re where you eat, relax, and spend most of your downtime. When you look at it that way, investing in something comfortable makes a lot more sense.

What This Really Comes Down To

There’s no perfect way to do a lap of Australia.

Mel and Scott didn’t have everything figured out when they left, and they’ve adjusted things along the way as they’ve learnt what works for them.

That’s how this lifestyle actually works.

If you wait until everything is perfect, you’ll never leave. But if you go in with a clear understanding of what matters and what doesn’t, you can avoid a lot of the common mistakes that cost people time, money and enjoyment early on.

The biggest shift is realising that this isn’t about ticking off a list of places. It’s about building a way of travelling that you can actually sustain and enjoy.