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When Michelle and Jason bought their new On The Move Adventure 5.5 for an off-road upgrade, they had one mission: get off the beaten track.
Their previous caravan just couldn’t keep up with the spots they wanted to reach, so they ditched the bitumen and upgraded to something with serious off-road capability.
“We had a van that wasn’t off-road before,” Jason said. “There were a lot of places we wanted to go that we just couldn’t really access. So we went for the off-road van and we love it.”
They picked up the upgraded van just before summer, but thanks to a stretch of wet weather, their first real trip away came during this year’s OTM Owner’s Retreat.
“This is our first Owners Retreat,” Michelle said, “and it’s been really great. We’ve loved chatting to other people, checking out the little mods they’ve made and hearing about different camping spots. Everyone’s really open and happy to share ideas.”
Jason agreed. “Some of the changes other people have done, we’d probably never do. But some of them? Genius.”
And when it comes to modifying their van? Let’s just say these two know how to make it work for their lifestyle.
“We’ve got a family van, but we’re not using it as a family van,” Michelle said. “So naturally, there’s a spot under the bunk that’s now the bar. Probably not what everyone would use it for, but it works for us.”
Aside from the layout and smart design, there’s one feature that’s made a huge difference: airbag suspension.
“Levelling it is a breeze,” Jason said. “We’ve been on really uneven sites and you can just dump the air out of one side, pump up the other and you’re done. It’s a marriage saver.”
The bathroom space and bunk area modifications have turned the van into something custom-fit for their lifestyle. “We’ve added a curtain to close off that section, so it’s kind of like our own ensuite now,” said Michelle.
And when they’re not tweaking, upgrading or touring? They’re cranking out country music and making new friends.
“We’re in a central spot here at the retreat, so everyone walks past. A few people have popped in just because they heard the music — it’s been such a great way to meet people.”
Back home, Michelle and Jason run a busy company – One Turf Synthetic, where they supply and install Australian-made synthetic grass. And they’re launching a new product line designed just for outdoor lovers.
“We’re bringing out custom-colour mats for camping, fishing, caravanning, boating… you name it,” Michelle said. “Being at the retreat has been great to talk to people about what they’d want, it’s really helped shape our ideas.”
The goal? Eventually hit the road with their van full-time, using it to attend 4WD events and festivals while promoting their products.
“We haven’t worked on the road much yet,” Jason said, “but we will. That’s the plan.”
Ray appreciated the sense of shared experience.
“They’ve had issues the same as I’ve got and gave me some pointers of how they’ve got around it… just little things,” he said. “It’s nice to talk to other people who have got the same caravan.”
“Definitely a community,” Leonie agreed. “We’re on a few On The Move Facebook groups as well and you always get great advice from people. And Brig’s really good. When you contact her, she gets onto it straight away, which is good.”
Their two golden retrievers are as much a part of the journey as the van itself.
“We wouldn’t go anywhere without our dogs,” Ray said.
“They don’t go, we don’t go,” Leonie said.
They’re full-time travel companions and the van and gear are built around them.
“That’s why we have a dual cab truck. That’s why we bought a bigger caravan because of the dogs,” Leonie said. “We even had a little tinny, and I just went, it’s too small with these two big dogs.”
“So we had to buy a bigger boat for the dogs and a bigger caravan for the dogs,” Ray said.
Leonie said, “It’s all about the dogs – but we love our house now.”
Michelle and Jason are based on the Sunshine Coast, so most of their travel has been in Queensland and New South Wales.
But they’ve got their eyes on bigger adventures.
“We’d love to head up north and out west, just get to some of the places we see other OTM vans going,” Michelle said.
For now, they’re enjoying the downtime, the laughs over bingo, the communal dinners and the little moments like finding out someone else has the perfect tie-downs — and being offered a set to borrow.
“That’s been one of the nicest parts,” Michelle said. “Everyone’s just so willing to help and share. It’s a really good crew.”
From turning bunk beds into a bar to transforming their business around van life, Michelle and Jason are the kind of OTM owners who remind us what it’s all about: freedom, fun and making the most of every kilometre.
