Sub-$50K caravan and hybrid camper buyers guide

If you’re just starting out looking for a towable RV under $50,000, such as a camper trailer or an entry-level caravan, it can seem like a bewildering choice with all the variations and options available.

So let’s make life easier by explaining some of the variations and which is best for your circumstances...

Different expectations

Expectations for RV buyers can be very different, depending on your camping experience and stage of life.

If you currently camp in a tent, a soft-floor camper-trailer will be a revelation. But if you normally holiday at hotels, a soft-floor camper might seem like too much hard work.

You have to decide what camping comfort and convenience level you’re happiest with.

Your stage of life can also influence your choice. For example, pre-teen children will usually want to have their bed close to yours in the camper/caravan, while teenagers are happiest as far away as possible!

What you think you need now might be different in the near future, so while you might be prepared to change your RV to suit, you might want to buy a future-proof one for the longer term.

Storage issues

For most of us living in suburbia, parking a small soft-floor camper trailer is easy. If you’re thinking about something bigger, such as a hard-wall hybrid camper or a pop-top caravan there’s not only length and width of the camper to think about, but also the height. Even a pop-top caravan could be a tight fit on your block.

One option is the various 'annual fee' caravan storage options dotted around the major cities, but that isn’t necessarily a cheap option.

Tow vehicle issues

The RV you decide on is often dictated by what vehicle you have to tow it with.

There’s no use buying a pop-top caravan weighing 2000kg if you own a vehicle that can only tow half that. Do your research before you go in too deep choosing an RV, as you might be forced to upgrade your tow vehicle to suit your RV of choice.

Try before you buy

In this digital 'peer-to-peer sharing' age it's easier than ever to ‘try before you buy’.

If you’ve never stayed in an RV before, renting or borrowing one for a week-end or holiday is a good idea. You’ll soon learn what you like and don’t like in an RV.

Budget options

If your budget for a new RV is $50,0000 or less, there are broadly two styles of towable RVs available: camper-trailers, which includes 'soft floors', 'hard floors', ‘teardrops’ and 'pop-ups', and hybrids or pop-top caravans. There are also 'on-road' and ‘off-road’ options of both available...

When shopping around, you'll notice a big variation in prices for what appears to be the same type of RV. That's because imported RVs (often from China) are usually much cheaper than Australian-built RVs but, like anything, research a brand before you commit to it.

In general, be prepared to spend more for quality if you plan to keep your RV for the longer term and/or are keen on strong resale value.

Soft option

With prices starting under $10,000, soft-floor camper trailers are usually the cheapest and easiest way to get into the RV lifestyle.

A soft-floor camper is in its basic form a standard box trailer with a fold-out tent assembly bolted to the top.

They often have a ply base on which a mattress is fitted, and a hooped frame that makes the tent simple to erect. Adding options such as extra tent sections, an off-road chassis and accessories like a kitchen set-up, lighting and fridge will increase the price accordingly.

Soft-floors use a fold-out framed main tent section that makes initial set-up much easier than camping tents. Unlike vehicle-based tent camping, soft floors offer trailer bed storage and the option to lug gear on top.

Beyond the relatively quick unfolding of the main tent section over the bed, they still require assembly of time-consuming poles and pegs, similar to a camping tent.

If you’re camping in high winds, just like a tent the canvas can become like a sail if not tied down well. Canvas also retains heat easily - great in shoulder-season camping or winter, not so much in the hotter months.

Although a soft-floor camper can require the least maintenance of all RV types, there's one exception. If you pack the canvas away wet, you need to dry it out at home or it will get mouldy. You also need to occasionally clean and waterproof the canvas, or it will deteriorate.

Hard floors

Hard-floor campers, which can start from about $15,000, are similar to soft-floors, except the tent is attached to the body and a hard top/roof section.

The hard top section folds out, doubling the floor area of the camper, while using a framed tent section for walls and roof.

A hard floor camper allows you to stay off the ground, unlike a soft floor, helping keep out the cold and reducing the need to worry about uneven ground.

Whether a traditional rear-fold or latest forward-fold variant, they're especially popular with families with young ones as you can easily set up a folding cot or bunks in the open, hard-floor section, or transform the fixed lounge/dinette to another double bed.

While some hard-floors offer an internal kitchen, most are external.

A hard-floor is a bit quicker to set up than a soft-floor, although once you start adding canvas annexes and awnings it can end up as as time-consuming when it comes to setting- and packing up. Wet canvas is also a potential problem.

Tiny teardrops

Prices for ‘teardrop’ campers (named because of the characteristic teardrop shape, although some these days are more squared-off) generally start around $15,000.

Effectively they're a mini-sized caravan with hard base, walls and roof (and no canvas!) offering good insulation to better protect against the cold or heat.

Inside there’s generally room only for a double bed, with the external kitchen typically under a hatch at the rear of the trailer or in a kitchen slide-out to the side. While awnings and annexe arrangements are doable, you’re basically out in the weather except when in bed.

The advantages of this type of super-lightweight caravan include easy towability and compact size, minimal set-up and a more secure, lockable camping shelter when sleeping

External storage is usually minimal, meaning you might be forced to shove larger items inside when travelling.

Pop-up popularity

The pop-up or wind-up camper-trailer, made popular by Jayco, is arguably the most versatile, family-friendly option for budget RV travellers, with basic versions starting at just over $20,000.

Pop-up camper set-up is relatively quick -- with the tub of the trailer used as the main living area, the hard-base bed sections slide out each end and a hard-top roof section winds up and down via a cable system.

The raised main body and bed-end walls are usually canvas, and this style of camper usually comes fully equipped with an internal lounge/dinette, kitchen with cooker, sink and fridge, water supply and basic electrics including a battery and lights.

Often they're a six-berth arrangement, with two double or queen size slide-out beds and a centre lounge that converts to another bed

Hybrid campers

Hybrid campers are often similar to a pop-top caravan in principle (and are often marketed as either a pop-top caravan, hybrid or both!).

Essential, a hybrid camper offers a secure, insulated living and sleeping area with fixed walls and roof. Small internal kitchens are offered on larger fit-outs, while many just have an external kitchen.

With prices for a basic one starting about $35,000, hybrids usually have far less floor space and the pop-up roof section is often hinged over the bed area.

A hybrid should be easier and quicker to to set up than a canvas camper, but with smaller body sizes they rarely offer satisfactory sleeping quarters for more than a couple.

Pop-top caravans

While a $45k budget will no longer offer you a selection of new 16 foot-plus full-size caravans, it should get you into a pop-top of around 13 feet (body length), or for a bit more something with a fixed roof.

A pop-top caravan should be as easy as a hybrid to set up for camping, and they usually come with a comprehensive kitchen, cooking, water, power and storage options.

There are variations similar to the pop-up theme in this price range that offer slide-out bed sections, but you'll generally pay more for more family-friendly options.

The downside of pop-tops is this style of budget towable RV is often the heaviest and largest, which might put you into trouble with storage and exceed your vehicle’s capacity to tow it.

What about off-road options?

A towable off-road is basically anything from a soft-floor camper to a caravan that has off-road pretensions.

How that is interpreted by a manufacturer varies wildly, but added features like a tougher chassis and raised suspension, off-road tyres, an off-road coupling and better stone protection are usually in the mix.

While you'll pay more, the advantages of a good off-road set-up are obvious if you travel on lots of dirt roads or off-road tracks. But if you're going to stick mostly to paved roads, you can do without the extra weight and expense.

Also read:

First caravan buyers guide

Quick guide to RV types

Ultimate caravan buying guide