Rent or buy a caravan?

[smd]

For someone who doesn't really have much caravanning experience but is determined to start, do you think it would be better to hire a caravan first or go straight into buying one? Would love to hear your pros and cons for both options!

 

[Buckman]

For someone who doesn't really have much caravanning experience but is determined to start, do you think it would be better to hire a caravan first or go straight into buying one? Would love to hear your pros and cons for both options!

Hiring a touring caravan may be difficult and also very expensive. Buy a low cost DAMP FREE caravan to start with to see if you like camping. You can the ntrade it in to upgrade to something more suitable or sell it and do something else.

 

[GAS]

Look into the towing capabilities of your tow car before you decide just to make sure your with in your limits. 80% of your vehicles towing capacity is the general guide before you start looking for a purchase. Maybe you are aware of this but thought to mention just in case....

GAS .....

 

[Mel]

Assuming you have a car capable of towing a medium sized caravan and already fitted with a towbar then rental may be a good start if you are really unsure if it is the holiday for you. Many caravanners got into it via tents and trailer tents so already knew that a holiday in a field was what they wanted. If you have never done anything like this, then rental is worth considering.
Costock caravan hire seems to charge between about £300 and £500 for a weeks hire. Extra if you to hire an awning.
OK this is money that you could spend on a van but at least you can try it out and, if you decide it is for you, already have explored some of the layout options.
You always hear from the people that have dived straight in and over it. Those who dived in and discovered it was a mistake, tend not to post on this forum 😀
Mel

 

[audiorob]

Try and visit a couple of dealers (although used and new stock is very low currently) and enter a lot of vans. Imagine you are away for a fortnight and think about what suits. Even for a couple many people like to buy a 'four' berth that is a fixed bed at the rear and made-up double at the front - even these come in several different layouts. As above start with your intended towcar and work from there.

 

[Paullus1959]

Assuming you have a car capable of towing a medium sized caravan and already fitted with a towbar then rental may be a good start if you are really unsure if it is the holiday for you. Many caravanners got into it via tents and trailer tents so already knew that a holiday in a field was what they wanted. If you have never done anything like this, then rental is worth considering.
Costock caravan hire seems to charge between about £300 and £500 for a weeks hire. Extra if you to hire an awning.
OK this is money that you could spend on a van but at least you can try it out and, if you decide it is for you, already have explored some of the layout options.
You always hear from the people that have dived straight in and over it. Those who dived in and discovered it was a mistake, tend not to post on this forum 😀
Mel

I totally agree with everything Mel has said.
I was a pre-teen camper and loved the freedom.
When I got married we camped and later with the kids in the UK and France. In France we started with Eurocamp and then bought a massive trailer tent in which we had fabulous posh camping holidays in both the UK and France.
When kids flew the nest, we sold the trailer tent and started doing hotel holidays, package deals, all inclusive, long haul, villa rental et al. However, we constantly talked about our earlier camping experiences. So, we decided on the caravan/motorhome route. After 12 months research and many visits to dealers we bought our caravan and absolutely love it and the lifestyle it provides.
A bit long winded I guess but, to put it into perspective, an acquaintance of mine, with more money than sense went out and bought a beautiful, top of the range Buccaneer caravan on a whim. He and his wife barely lasted the week and after one trip it was up for sale!
If this is a completely new venture for you, I'd personally go down the rental route before making a possibly expensive mistake. But, If you follow the advice given and, you find that caravan holidays are just what you want, welcome to the family