The No-Regrets Guide to Choosing a Caravan

Investing in a caravan means the freedom to take a totally different kind of holiday. Taking your accommodation and amenities with you gives you the chance to explore without constraints, helping you make the most of your leisure time. If you're buying a caravan for the first time, it's easy to overlook some important factors when choosing. You might fall into the trap of only deciding based on what you might look for in a car, but this could be a huge mistake. When you're looking at caravans, bear these things in mind to make sure you get the most suitable model for your needs.

Can you tow it?

This is the absolute first thing you should find out before you even look closely at a caravan. It's easier than you think to get excited and carried away before you realise that your dream home-on-wheels is just too heavy for your car. Talk to the caravan salespeople to find out your limitations before you do anything else. Take your car with you if you can—this will help them to work out what's suitable.

Does it have the facilities you need?

First of all, think about how many people are in your family and how many berths will be needed for them all to sleep in. Is anyone else going to be using the caravan with you at times? If you have kids, bunk beds can make good use of the space available. Also, think about privacy. If you're holidaying with your partner and another couple, you'll probably want separate sleeping areas. Next, look at the toilet and washing facilities and the appliances for cooking. Can they be hooked up to external electricity and gas sources? Will you easily be able to cater for all your needs while away from home?

See what it looks like set up

Remember, a caravan is not just a vehicle. Get the salespeople to show you what it looks like when it's in static mode. If you want an outdoor sitting area, does it have an awning? If not, you can buy one separately, but factor this into your budget. If possible, get them to show you how to set up any parts of the caravan that open up and connect gas or electric supplies. Take note of how easy this is—you don't want to spend hours struggling to set up!

How much will it cost to run?

Think about maintenance, insurance, additional fuel costs from towing and the use of outside power sources. Don't forget to check the costs of pitching at sites. Remember, if you go for a bigger caravan, you might need to pay extra for a large pitch.

For more information, contact a company like The Caravan Company Pty Ltd.


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