Aussie caravan family share 'scary' close call in 40C heat: 'We had no idea'

The couple outside the caravan in West Australia.
The couple share their journey online, including a 'wild' close call on Saturday. Source: Facebook/Instagram/TheScenicRouteAustralia

A caravanning family of four who share their epic travels around the country by taking "the scenic route" with their ginormous eight-metre caravan, truck and boat have shared a "wild" moment when they could have lost it all.

While travelling in the outback in Western Australia in near 40C heat, the couple noticed a hole almost burning on the black flooring mat they place outside their caravan's door.

"Just when we thought we had seen it all," the couple said, sharing the video online.

"We had no idea that light could actually do this!"

The hot sun had reflected off part of the caravan door and concentrated on a small portion of the mat, which slowly began to burn.

"You guys want to see something crazy?" the mum says in the video.

"Doug came out and noticed a burnt hole in our mat and realised it's a light, coming down and burning a hole in our mat."

According to the couple, the close call took place in about 40 degree heat in the middle of The Kimberley as the sun bounced off the vehicle. "Thank God we had noticed it before we went out for the day or we could have come back to a burnt down caravan," the couple wrote.

The clip has been watched more than 70,000 times across various social media platforms with Aussies describing it as "insane" and pretty "wild".

"That's actually pretty scary," one person commented.

"You guys are lucky it wasn't dry grass instead of a mat," another agreed.

One person claimed it's even a circumstance in which some people "lose their vans" while another suggested buying heat reduction film from Bunnings.

"My mum's couch burnt inside her house from a mirror reflecting the sun onto it. So crazy," another said.

During summer, it's certainly a danger firies are keen to remind people of, however unlikely it may be.

"You’d have to be really unlucky, to have a really hot day, the weather conditions perfect, low humidity," NSW fire fighter Adam Dewberry previously told Yahoo News. "It would have to be the perfect storm where everything is perfect for that to occur. But it can occur."

After selling their house and hitting the road full time, the family are among a seemingly growing legion of Aussies who take followers inside their travels, even sharing detailed breakdowns of their every cost.

With camping and caravanning becoming more commonplace among younger Australians, plenty of influencers are keen to share the unvarnished realities of life on the road while also providing tips such as the best Kmart products for extended camping trips and even $40 off-grid washing machines from Temu that make chores that little bit easier.

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