Thread: Caravan Hire?

7 of you ..... look at the tent trailers with all the zip on rooms .... It's going to be painful trying to fit 7 into anything How old are the kids? You could probably stick two of them out in a dome tent ... it being there responsibility to set it up and pull it down each day ....

I've seen hire caravans on gumtree and ebay. There very expensive. You need to do some investigation. A lot of caravan parks want upto $15 per child. so somewhere the grey nomads are complaining about paying $40 a night for, we would pay $75, you will be paying $115 a night .... for a dead patch of grass and a toilet.

I'm looking at setting up that huge old 'van I bought for free camping as we want to do the "go away for a few months" thing with our kids too. But near bloody died when we saw how much it would cost us each night for a dead patch of grass in a caravan park. I'm thinking NOT spending thousands to setup a caravan with solar, batteries and all the gear. Rather running 12volt lights, gas fridge (as fitted to all caravans) and buying the quietest generator I can find ( eg: a small honda) then selling it when we are done. I see little point in investing thousands into setting up solar and 12volt in your caravan with inverters when this kind of trip is a "once off" until I can retire (many decades away)... you see the solar with age and batteries die 'cos it'll sit unused....

If you have never towed before .... Plan on using double the fuel you'd use not towing. So if you have a turbo diesel expect 16+L/100 instead of 10.... if you have an old V8 land rover, think 30L/100+ instead of 20

So you would be looking at maybe $100 a night for the dead square of grass in the caravan park, ~$100 a night rental for the caravan ... and double the fuel usage..... It may work out cheaper to plan you trip and pre-book cabins in caravan parks. You have no hassles of towing and parking a caravan then. I imagine the insurance costs against damage to a hire caravan would be massive too. Also check the cost of taking a carvan to tassie and back ... if you do the rental thing it may work out cheaper to hire a 2nd caravan for the time your in tassie and leave the 1st rental on the main land.

seeya,
Shane L.

Yep, 7 of us!
The problem I see with either tents or Pop Top type vans is they would not be very warm. We are all hard core North Queenslanders, I am not sure how the kids would handle it if it was very cold?


Yep, $115 per night is a bit rich. The van we have looked at, Swift, has a toilet & shower so I was hoping to free camp as much as possible, between major towns.


Actually, I might have a talk to SWMBO re the tent camping type thing. It looks like we will have to pull the 6X8 box trailer to Brisbane to carry our gear to a hire van place anyway, it would not take much to load up all our camping kit (which we already own) & camp on the holiday.
My big issue would be staying warm. Really don't like the cold at all.


BTW the kids will be 7,10,11,12 & 13 by that time next year, the 4 oldest are special needs but all pretty high functioning.


Jonesfam

I'd suggest that you also look at cost of the caravan on the Spirit of Tasmania. Car only is quite cheap but when you add a van the cost skyrockets.

sounds like you need an windsor rapid/jayco expanda ... with bunks as well as the push out ends. Deisel heaters will be very effective for free camping, I can't see a QLD based hire 'van being fitted with one though. If it has a good reverse cycle air condition (ie: not a crappy roof one) you could just use that too heat and run a generator.

we are considering all this too. My parents have given us there portable (lpg) shower and shower tent and toilet ... these can both side just outside the door. we haven't tried this yet 'cos were still looking at another 2years yet ... which means we'll be travelling with a 10, 12 and 5 year old.

The biggest problem I have is trying to free camp without ****ing everyone off by running a generator ... I'm guessing you'll have the same problem.

seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by Xtreme

I'd suggest that you also look at cost of the caravan on the Spirit of Tasmania. Car only is quite cheap but when you add a van the cost skyrockets.

Big time. Just using the Spirit of Tassie calculator, a Defender towing a full height 18 foot van, with you all using recliners as the accommodation (cheapest option) shows it costing $785 each way. Drop the van and you're at $470 each way, so over $300 each way just for the van.

Have you considered buyin a second hand van and then selling it after?
Just a thought.

Motor home ......brother in law did it to tour the interior with 6 bodies - cost was reasonable .
Or get in contact with "just go away " based in Sydney , rents caravans - jayco expand as type .

Originally Posted by bacicat

Big time. Just using the Spirit of Tassie calculator, a Defender towing a full height 18 foot van, with you all using recliners as the accommodation (cheapest option) shows it costing $785 each way. Drop the van and you're at $470 each way, so over $300 each way just for the van.

That's cheaper than I heard from a couple of Grey Nomads - maybe they had a much larger van.

Need to check with hire company re taking van to the south island also.