Rent or buy?

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re in the market for a new or used caravan, motorhome or camper trailer. After all, there were almost 8000 recreational vehicles for sale on caravancampingsales.com.au, last time we looked.

However, while a great way to ‘make some memories’, as one industry association likes to promote it, forking out the big bucks for your very own ‘mobile home’ doesn’t always add up, especially with an increasing number of outlets willing to rent you one at a reasonable rate.

To delve deeper into the ‘renting versus buying’ quandary, we spoke to Kellie Casey, co-owner of Johnno’s Camper Trailers' Melbourne East franchise. Like all of the nationwide Johnno’s network (23 at last count), Casey’s Ringwood-based showroom offers a range of entry-level to mid-range, Australian-built, on and off-road camper trailers for both hiring and buying, so she’s familiar with both sides of the equation.

While renting a motorhome can prove costly (upwards of $300 a day depending on season and spec level), camper hire at the other end of the scale is relatively affordable.

At Johnno’s – Melbourne East, there’s a minimum charge of $240 (for up to four days) and minimum weekly rate of $420. Adding extra canvas ‘rooms’ or an annexe wall kit adds to the daily rate, as does hiring accessories like a fridge, stretcher beds, chairs and tables.

But as Casey explains, many hirers already have the basic camping gear, limiting the daily cost to $60-65. The Johnno’s franchise can also provide a portable electric brake controller kit, saving hirers $400-$500 to get one permanently fitted to their tow vehicle.

Another advantage of hiring an off-road camper from an outlet like Johnno’s is few limitations on where you can take it. This opens up further opportunities to save money by free camping in more remote locations. Many rental motorhomes and caravans, on the other hand, have limited dirt road access for insurance reasons.

Renting an off-road camper is also sometimes a good option for caravan owners, who decide to venture off the beaten track to places where they can’t or won't take their caravan.

Another major reason for renting rather than buying is a lack of room at home – either in a backyard or garage – to store a camper for the time it’s not being used.

Then there are the people who want to ‘try before they buy’. With so many locally-built and imported models on the market to choose from, the buying process can be terribly confusing. Deciding on a style of camper and the features required can be difficult, especially for newcomers or even those ‘stepping up’ from a tent or ‘stepping down’ from a caravan.

So trying as many campers as possible, by renting different brands and styles, helps clarify the decision-making process for many buyers.

There can also be incentives for renters who then decide to buy, with Johnno’s for example offering the equivalent of one weeks’ rental off the purchase price of a new camper.

Of course, there are compelling reasons to purchase your own camper. It can be customised exactly the way you like, such as bigger water tanks or more batteries, to suit your preferred style of camping. You can also upgrade or add new equipment at a later stage, as needs change or finances permit. ??
You’re also more familiar with how everything works, so less time is wasted at the campsite. Although most rental campers are designed to be user-friendly, with Johnno’s fold-out canvas ‘tent’ in particular, notoriously easy to set-up.

And unlike cars, which depreciate rapidly the moment you drive out of the showroom, most towable RVs retain their values quite well when it comes to selling them. That applies to second-hand off-road Johnno’s campers too, according to Casey.??

Being an owner also means you don’t necessarily have to plan months, if not years ahead, for a holiday. Having a camper readily available, and often packed ready to go, means you can head off at the last minute. Whereas due to limited availability rental campers often have to be booked up to 12 months in advance, particularly during peak periods like Christmas.

Apart from the significant upfront cost, downsides of owning a camper including ongoing maintenance, cleaning and other ‘on road’ costs like registration and insurance, although these can be reasonably cheap depending on the state you live in and value of your camper.

And unless you tear a hole in the canvas or a panel, attending to wheel bearings and other minor jobs should be the extent of annual maintenance, at least with basic campers and caravans.

When renting a Johnno’s camper, you can avoid all the ‘dirty’ jobs by paying an extra $50 to bring the camper back uncleaned.

Then there are the intangible benefits of ownership, like providing entry to an exclusive group, not just of fellow travellers but a brand or model specific owners’ club.

Even Johnno’s Ringwood branch organises an annual owners’ trip (this year’s was to Dargo in the Victorian High Country), where stories, tips and advice are swapped among like-minded owners.

Whether renting or buying, larger companies like Johnno’s also offer ‘network’ benefits. So if something goes wrong out on the road there’s a good chance help from another outlet will be close by. Although unlike some of the bigger motorhome rental networks, Johnno’s doesn’t yet let renters pick up and drop off at different locations.

Of course, ownership can be a double edge sword. Human nature dictates that sooner or later there will be a burning desire to upgrade to something bigger or better, and inevitably more expensive. ??

Even Kellie Casey isn't immune to ‘trailer envy’. She’s currently contemplating trading in her until recently range-topping Johnno’s Evolution soft-floor camper, for a brand new, whizz-bang X-Calibur hard-floor model that costs twice as much…

SOME RENTAL OPTIONS:
Johnno’s Campers?
Far & Wide Campers?
Eastern Caravan Hire?
Apollo Motorhome Holidays
?Hire a Kombi