It’s easy to picture the open road when you step inside a gleaming new caravan, but before signing anything there are some decidedly practical questions worth asking.
There’s something about stepping inside a caravan that can make the imagination run away with you. The bed looks comfortable, there’s more kitchen space than you expected and, before long, you’re picturing breakfast beside a beach somewhere warm and wondering how many weeks it would take to drive around Australia.
Dreaming is part of the fun, but buying the right caravan requires a little more homework.
With National Dealer Open Day just around the corner (Saturday September 5) to help you “explore”, here are seven things worth considering before you say yes, from the weight you’ll actually be towing to the layout you’ll live with and the bills that continue after you leave the dealership.
This is one area where Starts at 60 motoring expert and columnist Paul Gover believes buyers can get themselves into trouble.
“The biggest mistake for most people is underestimating — often critically — the caravan,” Gover says.
And he isn’t talking about the weight of an empty van sitting on a dealer’s lot.
“It needs to be run over a weighbridge, fully loaded with water and gas bottles and all the kitchen and bedroom equipment, to understand exactly the weight involved in towing.”
That distinction is important. Water, gas, food, clothes, tools, outdoor furniture, bikes and everything else you take away adds weight.
You’ll also encounter terms including Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM), Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), Gross Combination Mass (GCM) and tow-ball load. They’re not the most exciting part of caravan ownership, but understanding the limits that apply to your particular caravan and vehicle is essential.
A vehicle having a particular maximum towing capacity doesn’t automatically make a caravan of the same weight a sensible match.
Gover believes there should be some breathing room.
“There also needs to be a ‘safety margin’ with the tow vehicle to allow for travelling in Australia, climbing hills and summer temperatures,” he says.
That becomes particularly relevant for anyone contemplating long trips through regional and remote Australia, where heat, hills, distances and heavily loaded vehicles can make towing much harder work.
Gover regards the Toyota LandCruiser as the benchmark, describing it as proven over decades, although he acknowledges its price puts it beyond many buyers. He also rates the Toyota Prado highly and is a fan of the Nissan Patrol, with the caveat of V8 fuel consumption.
His advice for people shopping on a tighter budget is interesting: “Often it would be better to get a secondhand ‘Cruiser than something new and cheap.”
Once you’ve dealt with weights, you can get back to the enjoyable part.
Spend some proper time inside the caravan.
Lie on the bed and work out how each person gets in and out. Stand in the shower. Sit at the table. Open the fridge while your travelling companion is at the kitchen bench. Check where clothes, food and everyday bits and pieces will actually go.
And consider what happens when it rains for an entire afternoon and both of you are stuck inside.
A layout can look fantastic in photographs and prove irritating in daily use. This is one purchase where physically walking through several different configurations can tell you far more than hours spent looking at them online.
It’s tempting to prepare for every conceivable adventure, but someone planning extended stays in caravan parks and regular runs along the coast may need a very different setup from travellers heading into remote areas and spending days away from mains power and water.
Think about where you realistically want to travel and how long you expect to stay away.
Ground clearance, suspension, water capacity, batteries, solar, refrigeration and bathroom facilities can become increasingly important as you move away from established facilities.
There’s little benefit in paying for serious off-road capability if your idea of getting off the beaten track is a powered site beside the Murray.
Storage space is appealing, but being able to fit something into a caravan doesn’t necessarily mean you can carry it.
Payload can disappear surprisingly quickly once water tanks are filled and gas bottles, food, clothes and equipment are aboard.
If you expect to travel with bikes, a barbecue, outdoor furniture, tools or extra batteries, include them in your thinking from the beginning.
Ask what the caravan’s available payload is and consider whether it suits the way you intend to travel.
The number on the windscreen is only one part of the budget.
There can be registration, insurance, servicing, tyres, storage and accessories to consider, while towing can have a sizeable effect on fuel consumption.
Then come the additions that are easy to convince yourself you need: another battery, more solar, a different awning, cameras, towing equipment and various gadgets for making life on the road easier.
None of that means caravanning has to be prohibitively expensive. It does mean buyers are better served by looking at the likely annual cost of ownership alongside the purchase price.
And before buying, measure the place where you’re planning to keep the van. Length, width, height and access all count. Commercial storage is another option, but that’s another ongoing cost.
You may walk into a dealership convinced you need a large caravan and discover something smaller feels better. You may prefer a different bed configuration, decide you don’t need a full ensuite or even find yourself looking at a motorhome instead.
That’s why comparing vans in person can be so useful.
New caravans offer current features and warranties, while a well-chosen used caravan may offer considerable value. Anyone buying second-hand should pay close attention to condition and maintenance history, with an independent pre-purchase inspection worth considering.
You don’t have to know exactly what you want before you start looking.
Looking is often how you find out.
For Australians currently considering a caravan or RV, there’s a timely opportunity to do some of that research this Saturday.
National Dealer Open Day is being held on September 5, with participating caravan and RV dealerships across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland opening their doors.
No appointment is required and there is no obligation to buy. Prospective buyers can walk through different caravans, campers and motorhomes, compare layouts and ask dealers about everything from weights and towing to the practicalities of ownership.
Visitors to participating dealerships can also enter the draw to win one of three $5,000 cash prizes, with one available in each participating state. Entry is free and no purchase is required.
If you go, take your time. Take notes. Ask questions. Bring the details of the vehicle you’ll be towing with and be realistic about the travelling you intend to do.
Most importantly, you don’t need to arrive intending to buy a caravan.
You can simply leave knowing a lot more about the one you might eventually buy.
National Dealer Open Day is Saturday, September 5, at participating dealerships across Victoria, NSW and Queensland.
Got a question about your car? Starts at 60 motoring expert Paul Gover answers readers’ motoring questions in his regular Thursday Q&A column – read today’s here.
Comments 0
Join the conversation. Comments are reviewed before they appear.
Be the first to comment.
Join the conversation
Tell us who you are to post a comment. We'll remember you next time.