Holidays for hire

By Malcolm Street

Owning a motorhome is a considerable investment, and an impractical one for working people who cannot get away as often as they’d like. Who wants a very expensive motorhome that spends much of its time parked in the street?

Why hire?

Renting is an attractive and cost-effective option – you have the flexibility to leave whenever you like; the units are always spotless, serviced and well-equipped; and there is a wide variety of rental companies and models from which to choose.

While renting a motorhome is certainly cheaper than buying one, it’s not a budget holiday – more of a lifestyle holiday. A motorhome will generally be more luxurious than a caravan, for instance. But of course one advantage of hiring a motorhome over a caravan is that you don’t need to worry about having the correctly fitted-out tow vehicle.

Self-drive campervans and motorhomes are appealing because they combine the benefits of road travel with most of the comforts of home. They are also quite versatile and you can set up ‘camp’ quite quickly almost anywhere.

While the hired campervan or motorhome can never be ‘yours’ and the interior customised to your specific desires, you do not have to fork out for annual maintenance. With the larger hire companies, all units are generally only a few years old and therefore are up to date and reliable.

They can also be very useful if you have limited travelling time. The ‘fly-drive’ option would, for example, allow travellers based in Melbourne to fly to Alice Springs, pick up a campervan and motorhome and spend their three-week holiday touring the top tourists sites, drop off the van in Darwin and fly home again.

People thinking of buying a motorhome would be wise to rent one first – before they sign on the dotted line. Trying before you buy is a great way to learn about the lifestyle and it will give you a good idea of what you like and don’t like in a motorhome.

Top considerations

Because there is a large range of base vehicles, interior layouts and size, hiring a campervan or motorhome requires more thought than renting a car. Size is the main concern. A two-berth campervan is the cheapest and easiest vehicle to drive, but it may become a little too small for a couple after a month on the road. Four adults travelling together might be better off in a six-berth motorhome.

Also consider storage, something smaller motorhomes and campervans don’t always have in abundance.

Types of hire vehicles range from van pop-top conversions (usually a two-berth Toyota HiAce), to six-berth motorhomes with truck cab chassis units like Ford Transits or Mercedes Benz Sprinters used.

Before you make a booking, take some time to peruse the websites of various rental companies to check out their models, features, inclusions and prices.

Following are typical examples of motorhomes and campervans offered by two prominent Australian rental companies: Britz and Kea Campers.

Britz

Britz has seven models including the two-person HiTop; two-berth Elite; two-berth Pioneer; four-berth Explorer; six-berth Frontier; and the two 4WD models, the Bushcamper and Adventurer.

The Britz Elite is based on a Mercedes chassis and is a very common entry point for first-time motorhomers. It’s designed for two people with a walk-through layout and a rear bench seat which folds out to become a 1.90m x 1.73m double bed at night.

It’s a comfortable home from home, with a shower and cassette toilet with pressurised hot and cold water on the offside just behind the driver’s seat. Britz provides one supply of toilet chemicals per week of rental. There’s also a wardrobe at the rear to store your personal items, with the bench/bed behind that on the offside.

Opposite the lounge is the kitchen, well-equipped with a two-burner gas stove, 55 litre fridge that runs on power from a 12V battery and a microwave, operational through 240V power when hooked up to the mains at a campsite. Interior lights operate on 12V battery.

You don’t need to bring the kitchen sink with you when you hire a Britz – it comes with a long list of standard inclusions such as plates and bowls; cups and glasses; cutlery and cooking utensils; saucepans and frying pan; chopping board, kettle and teapot.

Driving the Britz Elite is easy. It is fitted with a five-speed manual transmission and power steering and there’s air-conditioning and heating in both the driver’s cabin and living area.

Renters also get a travel wallet which contains a Big4 Holiday Park guide, road map, safe driving information and discounts on Australia’s leading attractions and holiday parks. Ask about Britz’s bonus options and inclusions. There’s a minimum five-day rental period and prices start from $105 per day, including insurance and unlimited kilometres.

Britz Rentals, 1800 331 454, email: ausinfo@britz.com, web: www.britz.com.au

Kea

According to Kea Campers, all of its campervans and motorhomes are less than 12 months old and are fully serviced before being rented out to each customer.

The Kea Campers models include the two-berth pop-top Kea 2PT based on a Toyota HiAce SBV; the two-berth Kea 2ST deluxe motorhome based on a Ford Transit; the Kea four-berth 4ST deluxe motorhome with toilet and shower based on a Ford Transit; Kea 6ST six-berth motorhome also based on a Ford Transit and with bathroom amenities; and the two-berth Kea offroad pop-top 4WDPT for the adventurous who prefer to travel light.

The four-berth motorhome is a decent size for a couple who like their space, or a family. There are two double beds – measuring 210mm x 150mm and arguably the largest in the industry. One is in the Luton Peak area above the driver’s cab and the other is at the rear made up from a U-shaped lounge, once the accompanying table has been dropped down.

The mid-station kitchen is configured with the sink and gas stove on the nearside and the fridge and microwave on the offside. Closer to the driver’s seat on the offside is the cassette toilet and shower fed by pressurised hot and cold water.

There’s a minimum five-day rental period and prices start from $145 per day in the off season. Kea Campers has retail outlets in most capital cities around Australia.

For more information contact Kea Campers, freecall 1800 252 201, or visit www.keacampers.com

Other companies to contact include:

Around Australia Motorhomes: www.aamotorhomes.com.au

Maui: www.maui-rentals.com