Marto Kelleher
Founder & Touring Editor
Based in Bright, VIC
Marto sold the house in 2017, bought a 21-foot off-road van and hasn't looked back. He obsesses over tyre pressures, tow-ball weight and the exact moment the corrugations start on a desert track. If a route is in this site, chances are he's dragged a van over it.
8 published articles · most recent July 29, 2026
Marto sold the house in 2017, bought a 21-foot off-road van and hasn't looked back. He obsesses over tyre pressures, tow-ball weight and the exact moment the corrugations start on a desert track. If a route is in this site, chances are he's dragged a van over it.
Articles by Marto Kelleher
- Wheel bearing checks: how to spot trouble before it costs you a hubA hot, roaring hub on the Oodnadatta doesn't lie. Here's how I check caravan wheel bearings before every big trip, and what the warning signs actually mean.
- A Flinders Ranges caravan loop that's actually worth the dieselA two-to-three week Flinders Ranges caravan loop from Adelaide through Wilpena, Blinman and the Oodnadatta Track, with real numbers on fuel, water and pressures.
- How long does the Big Lap actually take? A realistic timelineThree months or twelve? Marto Kelleher breaks down realistic Big Lap timelines — by rig type, pace and budget — so you can plan one that actually fits your life.
- How to size a caravan solar and battery system that actually worksStop guessing how much solar and battery capacity you need. Marto walks through real load calculations, honest panel output figures, and the sizing mistakes that leave tourers flat.
- Can My Van Do This? Our Rig-Rating System ExplainedHow our 1-5 rig rating and caravan suitability categories work: grading surface, corrugations, clearance and water crossings to read any track page.
- Towing Weights Explained: ATM, GVM, GCM, Tow Ball and PayloadATM, GVM, GCM, GTM, tow ball mass and payload defined plainly, with a worked example showing why so many caravan rigs are illegally overweight.
- Tyre Pressures for Corrugations, Sand and GravelReal tyre pressure ranges for corrugations, sand and gravel, why airing down works, why the caravan's tyres matter too, and where TPMS earns its keep.
- Australia's Best Scenic Drives You Can Tow a Van AlongThe best scenic drives in Australia you can tow a van along, with real gradients, fuel gaps and honest towing advice for each route.
