We are looking at buying a BMW X5 3l Turbo Diesel and have come across your site - I must say you have certainly put a lot of time into it and have found it very interesting and funny too.
We have a 21.5ft Jayco Heritage and until now have been towing it with a ML270 and looked at the ML280 but it won't tow the Heritage.
We visited the Brisbane Motor Show yesterday and fully intended buying a Prado when we came across the BMW and were amazed at it's apparent ability to tow the caravan.
We would certainly appreciate your comments given your vast experience in this area.
Thanks again for a very interesting website - when I have more time I will come back to it and read it in more detail. You should write a book!
Many thanks
Cheryl.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.
A colleague was looking to buy an X5 last year and the following is what I wrote to him:
My overall experience with our X5? When we got it, I was in 7th heaven. There’s been a couple of things that have gone wrong and altered my original thoughts, but at the end of it all would I buy another one? Yes (depending on what I wanted to do, I might be swayed into a Range Rover Sport instead).
I firmly believe one thing – if you have to ask the price – do NOT buy the vehicle! The money you throw into it does not stop after the initial purchase. The vehicle we have came with the following
Sports pack which included
Wide rims (different on front to back, and different to spare. Ie 3 different sizes of tyre)
Sport suspension (firm ride, but hardly moves, including with 240kg on the towball)
Side running boards (The rubber plugs break off quite easily, so don’t be too aggressive on them!)
Sunroof
Original 3.0 litre diesel engine (has been spec’ed up each year) From recollection mine has 410Nm and 135kW, but I think they are up around 480Nm and 150-160kW now.
On our first outing, we headed off to Wye River with a standard tongue and no load levelling device. (BMW do not acknowledge load levelling devices as sound engineering). After driving the VX Calais with the same caravan, I was amazed at the stability including with trucks blasting past! I was well and truly keeping up with the other vehicles on Great Ocean Road!
Whilst satisfied with a non-load balancing tow arrangement, we were pressured into taking the load levelling hitch by Hardings. They also wanted to sell us an anti-sway kit, but that was going way over the top!
Get the brake controller installed by BMW! As they have multiple pulses and signals that are sent down each set of wires, only BMW are really in a position to wire it in correctly. We have a prodigy and it can take some time to settle down and give the correct readings.
The X5 towing mirrors are a treat and really worth the $270 (or whatever they now cost). The driver’s side can still blow flat, but if you have enough of a buffer between you and the passing truck, it should only twitch a bit. They are a small pain to do the initial setup on, but after that, so so easy to put on and take off!
My problems with the vehicle?
I was surprised to need new front disks at only 47,000 kilometres! When I queried whether this was normal, I was told I had got a really good run getting that many kilometres! I would have thought pads rather than disks? This was around $900 worth. I tend to use the gears and do a lot of engine braking now. I’m heading toward 82,000 kilometres, so will see what the difference is soon I guess.
The right front indicator stopped working shortly after this and it needed to whole front bumper bar dropped in order to replace the bulb! It turned out to need a new receptacle as well as there was a tiny mark on the wire which caused the bulb to not make correct contact! This was $200 worth!
You can go an awful long way on the same oil, but if you choose to take the vehicle in for an additional oil change, they cost $205 or so.
At about 62,000 kilometres my digital readout on the instrument binnacle developed stripes! That sort of made it unreadable. Cost of replacement - $1205. Thankfully we’d taken out the extended warranty (3rd year) at a cost of $1250, so the replacement was done for “free”! It concerned me that the BMW excuse was that the display must have got too cold! The things are designed to go into the alps aren’t they? This was just sitting in my driveway in Melbourne!
A rattle developed in the rear end somewhere around 40,000 and it seems the passenger side rear shocker had been dislodged from where it was supposed to be seated. The BMW people told me the only way that was possible was that I had been doing some serious off roading and had torqued the car right up so that the wheel was in the air. I had not done that at all, and it perturbed me for some time. They fixed it for no charge. I later thought that it might have happened when I was rear-ended by a Subaru in the city. The Subaru had to be towed, but the X5 was still drivable.
Would I go 4x4ing with the car? I have tried a couple of times in mild circumstances. The wide tyres and mud do not mix! It’s like driving on ice! The wide tyres do go quite nicely with sand though. However, it may have been the sand that caused my front disks to need replacement….
I recently saw some footage of an X5 in the Paris-Dakar and it spent way too much time on the side of the track with a broken rear wishbone! They replaced one and the replacement broke not too much further into the trek. It concerns me that the excuses used by BMW seem quite feeble.
On the happier side: I got 67,000 kilometres from the first set of tyres, and could have got more but the grip in the wet was noticeably less. They weren’t all the way down to the replacement bars, but as we were heading off with the caravan for a 7,000 kilometre haul, we didn’t want to chance anything. The fronts cost $650 each, and the rears $750 each. The spare remains unused.
The economy is quite good. It can be as good as 7 litres/100 kilometres, but to get that for a whole tank means travelling at a constant speed on flat terrain. On a trip, it is more like 10,5. Around town I tend to get an average of 13 (As I drive it like a car). Slap the van on the back and load the extra gear in the back for a trip and we get somewhere between 13 and 19 (depending on speed and headwinds) or so with an average of 16 over a whole tank. With 93 litres in the tank, you can easily do a whole day’s travel without needing to be too mindful of where to fill up next.
We tow at the speed limit.
We find that the torque means we are quite good pulling away from a set of lights, but the lack of power means it takes quite a deal of time to overtake anything. We travel in cruise control most places, and leave it in automatic rather than sports mode or manual. Some long hills have us back at 90 kph, but with your lighter weight and greater outputs from the later models, you should not have the same problem.
Our X5 is heading toward replacement age now and I have had a look at what I’d replace it with. As we are considering the idea of a replacement van too, it would probably weigh more than the 2700 kilograms that the X5s can tow. It means looking at vehicles that can tow 3500 kg. I need it automatic, so Patrols are out. I never really liked Land Cruisers. The F250 is not an option. The VW Toureg is way too pricey. Haven’t had a look at the new Audi yet. And then there’s the Rover range! The Rangie Sport does seem to offer the stuff I’d be looking for. AND it is a real 4x4!
From: Ryan Sent: Saturday, 27 August 2005 5:06 PM Subject: Thanks
Hey Mike
Was just "surfing" the net and came across your website, excellent. I have to say one of the better sites out there, i learnt alot from your experiances and as being only 17 will put your words of wisdom into practice. Just thought id give you my thanks and respect.
Hi Ryan,
Thanks heaps for the feedback. Appreciate you taking the time to capture your thoughts and send them to us.
As I don’t have any kids, but a head full of tales I can share about what’s happened to me, this Internet site has become a bit of a drop point for all sorts of stuff.
I wish you well in your life’s journey, and the strength to deal with whatever comes your way. May your good choices be ones that you are very proud of, and your bad choices be things that don’t totally knock the stuffing out of you! ;-)
Sent: Wednesday, 27 April 2005 7:08 AM Subject: hello man
hello,
I don't know you but i'm a biker too.
I sincerly hope that the life will be better for you.
Salutation from Marseille in france
a biker frien
Hi,
Thanks for your kind words. Life is being pretty good for us… I think it’s more a case of what you are prepared to accept as to how good or bad life is for you.
I also hope that you stay safe over there on the roads in France. It’s not usually the bike that is the problem – more the obstacles that other road users keep trying to create with their cars and trucks and buses! You need to learn to dodge and duck and weave as well as brake really well to stay safe these days I think.
May you dodge and weave and duck and brake effectively and stay scratch free!
Mike
Sent: Monday, 28 March 2005 7:30 AM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Martha Topic: Wow Text: Very close to the bone... is a very good record etc.
I just do not have the guts to do something like this:-))
Thank you Martha....
You may notice there's not too much info about Shona on the site? It's because she is like you - not too keen especially having a son that she is shielding from some of her realities (I think that's how it goes)...
Sent: Sunday, 13 March 2005 5:45 AM
hello
my name is mario and i just found jour site on the net. i think that is very inspirational you have very big life experience and you share it with others. yes, i like your site but it's not a reason for wirting this e-mail. actually i have problem and i need your advice i found that you are leg amputee. i'm very interested for it because i broke my foot two years ago and sitll can't walk without support. one of solutions is leg amputation and i intensive thinking about it. i don't know what to expect after operation and how look like amputee everyday life. you didn't tell much about your amputation but i'd like to hear more. thanks a lot for reading this. best regrads. mario
Hi Mario,
Which bits do you specifically want to know? Ask your questions, and I’ll try to honestly answer them.
You want to know more about the operation? The recovery? The learning to walk again? The pains that happen from time to time which would seem to be in the foot that is no longer there? The sensations that you miss when your foot is no longer there? The sores that happen from time to time on your stump and make walking almost impossible? The fact that your other foot gets lonely? The fact that you can’t just get out of bed and start your day, you have to pull your leg on first? The fact that you can’t just go for a swim or a walk on the beach unless you have a leg on that can handle getting wet, or full of sand? There are a lot of down aspects and things that slow you down! There is also a case of becoming partly mechanical – and all things mechanical break down over time.
Before my operation, I could only walk short distances. After it, I can run on a good day! Before my operation I was in pain virtually all the time. After it, I can be in pain, but I can take my leg off to relieve it fully! (Apart from the rare phantom pains)…..
I’m more than happy to share what you want to know, but as you might guess from what I have above – there’s lots of things, so it’s best if you give me a bit more direction on what you want….
I also wish you every strength to deal with what you are currently going through, and that your choices are genuinely best for you long term. Maybe also if you shared a bit about what your doubts or fears are, I can respond directly to those too?
Sent: Wednesday, 2 February 2005 9:35 AM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Michael Topic: WOW what a site... Text: Thanks very much for making me stay up till 2am read your site. It is truely a great honest site. I dont know what to say other than you should be very proud of what you have created here. Keep up the great work.
Hi Michael,
Thanks so much for the feedback. (Sorry it kept you out of bed, but glad you found it worth the read!)
Sent: Saturday, 22 January 2005 9:05 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Robby Topic: hi from germany Text: as you see in the topic Im from germany :)
so greez from there ;)
Mike, did YOU get your leg taken off?
can I ask you what crash that was? (speed).
because I m getting afraid when I hear al those crashs of motorbikes, I want to ride one to in some month :(
well at least, nice homepage.
Hidey ho Robby from Germany!
Ta for your note via our feedback page.
My motorbike crash - I would have been doing about 60kph at the point of collision. I have no idea how fast the car was going that I collided with. The car was driven by a young and inexperienced driver who sped through a stop sign and thought he could beat me through the intersection. I didn't believe he would try what he ended up doing, so I never actually hit the brakes! We got the same point on the road and my foot was slammed between the bike and the car. As my body kept going in the same direction that I had been riding in, and the bike went off to the left with the car, my leg got ripped out from between the two vehicles and I flew through the air for a few seconds before crumpling on the roadway.
The doctors back then thought they were very clever saving my mangled foot, and made me a mass of scars by taking bits from the rest of me in order to save it.
Every time I did anything I quickly suffered from pain in my foot, so 16 years after the crash I found a surgeon who agreed to cut it off for me!
Motorbikes are reasonably safe by themselves, on a straight road, with no water or oil or gravel on the road, and nothing to hit! As soon as you introduce anything else, the risks climb dramatically! Most drivers do not allow for motorbikes on the road, and most motorbike riders seem to consider they are "bullet-proof" by the way they weave through traffic and ride in the blind spots of cars or at high speed.
If you ride a motorbike and do it with the mindset that no one else knows how to drive and you need to be able to avoid them all, then maybe you stand a chance of not being in the same place at the same time as a car is...
If you do end up having a crash, just remember that whatever protection you have is what you are wearing! Make sure it is always something that takes damage instead of you if you end up sliding down the road rather than riding down it...
Let's know what you end up doing...
Sent: Monday, 20 December 2004 12:45 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Louise Topic: Feedback... Text: Hi Mike and Shona,
I am currently researching my History Honours thesis at the University of Sydney. My topic is Australian Motoring Holidays in Retirement. I would love to talk to you about your travelling experiences. If you are interested, please email me.
Feel free to pose all your questions!
I am not actually retired yet (but Shona is), and if you want to hear people's experiences who are actually doing the living on the road thing fulltime, I can probably put you in touch (or at least pose your questions to them)....
Let me know what you'd like to hear about.
Sent: Sunday, 12 December 2004 9:05 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Leigh and Angie Topic: Jayco Quality Text: Excellent feedback on the build quality of the Heritage, we have just sold our Jayco Westport , which we were quite fond of, but don't like the east west bed.)
We have contemplated the Heritage but keep getting less than complimentary comments, basically backed up by your first hand experiences.
Question. Based on the average van pricing, would you buy another Heritage?
The Compass/Roadstar( The Compass people will tell you that it is not a Roadstar) is owned by friends and they are very happy with it.
I know ther story is a bit old, but methinks the Bushwhacker man needed a break from his own bull.
Thanks for your site, will place it in thefavourites.
All thebest from Leigh and Angie
Hi Leigh and Angie,
Thanks heaps for your great feedback. Sorry we didn't get to respond earlier but we have JUST now got back from 2 months away in the van!
How to answer your question? Since we bought the van, we have noted that there seems to be a general lack of care in the leisure industry! The service agents we have gone to (and they are brand irrelevant) seem totally nonchalant. The build quality on quite a number of people's vans that we have met has caused them some angst (and they aren't all Jaycos!) I am now almost of the opinion that apart from the discounted price that Jayco achieve through sheer volume buying (of the likes of Galaxy windows, vents, Thetfords, etc.), the reason that they have so much of the market is that you get a fair amount more van for your money. (It's only the quality of their construction, and the lack of care and attention to detail that let them down.)
We have heard one story of Roadstar owners who were not happy, but all the rest were smiling! (I haven't done a factory tour, but having both signs on the front of the same shed makes you wonder about how "different" Compass is to Roadstar in the making!!! ;-))
I think (if we were to buy another van and didn't want to spend the extra $15,000 to $30,000 for a comparable Boroma or Roadstar, we would buy another Heritage. (And then invest some time in checking everything and taking it back for warranty work!!!!)
If you enjoyed the parts of the site on our travels, there is a major update about to go up (hopefully today).
Sent: Monday, 4 October 2004 1:05 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Wil Topic: delivery time Text: Dear Mike and Shona,
It is still a while before we can order our caravan, but can you give me an indication about the time we order till it is available. We think about a 20ft with the option to have an area to be converted into a double bed.
regards,
Wil
Hi Wil,
Sorry for the delay in responding. I have been away with work for the last few weeks and have only got home a few hours ago.
I'm not quite sure of which brand of caravan you are looking at purchasing. Each have a schedule they work to in building and the delivery timeframe can vary quite a bit. If there is a van already built that matches your requirements, it can be ready in just the time it takes to ship it to the city you are in. Some manufacturers take up to 6 months to build to your specifications. It depends a lot on how closely your floorplan matches a standard configuration, and what the normal throughput speed is of the manufacturer. Pose your questions at the relevant outlets and they should be able to give you a feel for the current build times.
We are actually off in our van from tomorrow for about 6 1/2 weeks, so will not be able to respond further after tonight.
Sent: Friday, 24 September 2004 9:25 AM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Alan
Topic: Feedback...
Text: Just stumbled across this fabulous website. My wife and I are retired and planning a semi-caravan lifestyle in the not too distant future. We are still weighing up the pro's and con's but your website is an absolute mine of information and very very entertainaing to read as well.
Many thanks - it will be a great source of reference as we get closer to the day.
Regards
Alan
Hi Alan,
Thank you kindly for your inspiration to keep it up!
We just remember the general lack of information available when we were researching buying our van. I don't know that salespeople have entirely the right motive and your best interests in mind each and every time. As there is no way of knowing that you are dealing with Honest John or Slippery Sam, we thought we'd add some facts and figures and records of our written dealings and people can make their own minds up from there.
I currently have a major amount of changes that are not yet published (but they may not make it up until December as I'm away from home for the next month with work and then we take the van out for 6 weeks), so check back for updates. I used to spend a fair amount of my spare time helping out on MSN Forums related to caravanning, but have refocused my spare time to make our own site even better.
If there's anything specific you were looking for, drop us a line as we might have already researched it or be in contact with someone who has!
Sent: Saturday, 7 August 2004 10:24 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Anton
Very candid but shows bitterness to some family members - if they are still alive you must really hate them
Hi Anton, Thanks for the feedback. I can't speak for how Shona feels about her family, so my comments are about my own. There is no such thing as a perfect person, and we are all dealing with whatever issues in our own lives, but isn't the idea of family to be there for each other? Mine never seemed to do that. My father "disowned" the whole family before I'd finished school. My mother came out with such verbal gems as "Don't you think you've ruined enough people's lives already?", when I told her I was going to look for a new partner a few months after my third marriage split up. My sister only liked to be pregnant but did not like having children after they could answer back. She mentally and emotionally scarred her 4 children and now they carry that pain and scarring into whatever they have as they try to build their own relationships. e.g. Her 2nd eldest justifies her existence by having her own children. My parents have passed on (and are hopefully finally enjoying themselves). My sister knows what I think of her child rearing "abilities", and my nieces and nephew have not made it onto the site as yet. So I don't know that I specifically hate any of them, I just don't rely on them for anything.
Following on from this, I have readdressed how the information has been presented.
Sent: Sunday, 25 July 2004 10:39 PM Subject: Website Feedback Name: Kym Topic: Link request Hi team, Would like to include your site http://users.bigpond.net.au/mbg/Trips.htm#caravanning on the "Experiences" page of www.noboundaries.com.au Would you mind? Kym No Boundaires
Note to self: Must remember to remind Kym to change the link to our new site when it is closer to being finished.
Name: Liz
Topic: Feedback...
Text: Hi guys,
What an inspiring site! I found it through a search for 'prothesis'as I've recently lost a lower limb: your words about life in general reassured me that it does in fact go on, (life that is.)
Cheers
Liz
PS You are so right about hopping to the toilet! It's the little things that you discover after the main event which jump up the priority list! :)
Thanks Liz, What a nice way to start the day with a bit of complimentary mail! I'm ever so glad you found something there which has given you a bit more hope or spurred you along. The other thing which I noted was that my left foot gets "lonely". You remember how you could scratch one foot with the other, and move them about on each other to warm them up in bed? When it's the only thing that far down in the bed, a left foot can feel "left out"!
Since this and a couple of other bits of feedback, I've tried to think of how best to present a resource for people wanting to learn more or come to terms with losing a chunk of themselves and getting on with their lives again. I've come up with a forum as part of this site so people can freely pose their thoughts, ideas and opinions, and both myself and anyone else who happens by can respond.
Sent: Tuesday, 10 February 2004 12:13 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Peter Topic: Wye River Valley Caravan Park Text: You didn't mention that if you are caught talking afer 11pm, your likely to be blackbanned. I'd be supprised if you have stayed there in the past 14 months. Otherwise, great site and keep up the good work
Thanks Peter. (In a subsequent mail exchange, Peter clarified that it was his daughter that had been banned from being able to book any further visits there. Peter will be staying at the Wye River Foreshore park himself next visit, and he recommends the Cumberland River park as more picturesque and campfires are allowed. Although there is no power to sites).
Sent: Tuesday, 27 January 2004 6:52 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Susie Topic: Feedback... Text: Hi... I came across your site quite by accident while searching for adventurous birthday cheer as today (1/26) is a dear friends birthday, he is quite the adventurous type. I enjoy reading -- reading just about almost anything. For whatever reason I was drawn to your site, I began reading about your life story and soon found myself reading more and more. I apologize for that, however, reading your story was so unique. I would believe it is most difficult for one to be so open and express all their thoughts but you have a style that seems to be so creative -- to be your own person. Thank you for sharing your story, it was a joy to read. As you and Shona seek new adventures and travel the different roads may you always find happiness and memories in the making. Believe in the impossible, hold tight to the incredible, and live each day to its fullest potential - Enjoy every moment! Have a great day! Regards, Susie.
Thank you Susie. You're so full of positive thoughts and words yourself. I'm glad you found something of interest in our site.
Following on from this Susie has become a regular e-mail buddy.
Sent: Sunday, 25 January 2004 2:37 AM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: coz Topic: you are the man Text: even though you have been so many up and downs in you life, you still able get rip of all the downs and get up again
Thanks Coz, Hopefully you'll never be down yourself, but if you ever are, you might remember to get yourself up again?
Sent: Monday, 19 January 2004 5:37 PM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Sean Topic: Feedback... Text: interesting site, kind of spiritual, makes me feel melancholy and weird. Dont know how i found it.....yes i do came up on google under barina, found here and had a read, spent better part of an hour here.....feel better now, odd. ummm good luck its been 'real'
Thanks Sean, I hope you found it was a worthwhile hour?
Sent: Wednesday, 24 September 2003 9:56 AM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Tony Topic: Background colour Text: Great web site but the background colour makes it a bit hard to read s I seem to loose the print as the screen colour changes.
I think a change of background would help.
Thanks for the suggestion Tony, I'd like to keep the pictures for the wallpaper if possible. I'd really appreciate you getting back to me once again so I can work through this with you by understanding what you are using to view the site.
(This version of the site no longer uses background pictures, so hopefully that has resolved the problem that you had Tony?)
Sent: Sunday, 23 March 2003 2:03 AM Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Woltsy Topic: G'day Text: Man just breezed thru the site... like in 2 hours... Kewl Bannanas man! We think it is great and can't wait for the continuing of it. We shall soon be in the process hopefully of our own. Til then.. Love, Rainbows, Sunshine and Happiness to you both our dearest of friends.
Thanks heaps Woltsy. Friends say the nicest things don't they?
Sent: 8 September 2002 Subject: Website Feedback
Name: Big Cousin Topic: Feedback... Text: Nice work here Little Cousin. But when oh when do we get to the exciting bits??????????????
Aw shucks, thanks Big Cousin! Honest folks, I didn't pay them for that comment!
Be open to new ideas
Thank you sincerely to everyone who has taken the time to help us make this a more worthwhile place to visit.
We never set out to be the place you could get all the answers, just the place to come and get another person's point of view.
All original work unless otherwise shown For problems or questions regarding this web contact Mike. Last updated: Monday, 06 September 2004 08:55 PM .
