Why rent before you buy?

Buying an RV can be a costly exercise.  If you have not owned an RV before, and you are not sure which RV is right for you, consideration should be given to hiring a caravan, trailer, motorhome or RV for say a minimum of two weeks or several shorter individual times.  This gives you a chance to experience what works and doesn’t work for you especially if the RV is to be your full time home.  It will also give you a feel for what you want as inclusions in your RV in the category of ‘nice to have’ and ‘must have’.

When doing so, particular attention should be paid to the following:-

• The size – will it accommodate all the family, how suitable will it be to tow, will you have difficulty storing the RV at home?
• Sleeping arrangements – do you like the option of a pop out bedding section leaving more internal common area.  Do you want bunks for children?  Do you want single beds or a double bed?  Does the lounge convert to a bed for those extra guests? If the double bed is against the wall would an ‘island’ bed more practical?
• Refrigeration – is the refrigerator and freezer big enough?  Will it be large enough if you are living in the RV full time or for those long extended holidays.  If travelling in the north would a tropical ‘T’ rated fridge suit or would a compressor fridge be best ? (Tropical Climate Class ‘T’ rated refrigerators designed to operate in temperatures up to 43 degree C. and best for the temperatures of northern Australia).  See related article on fridge ratings
• Hot water – do you want a hot water system for easy washing up and showering?
• Shower – do you want an internal or external shower or both?  It’s nice to wash off the sand and salt water from the ocean before coming inside.  Will an internal shower compromise interior living space?
• Toilet – will a porta potti (that goes under the bed) suffice or would you prefer a separate toilet cubicle?  There are combined shower/toilets available.  Van toilets can have a cassette or a vacuum toilet system.
• Annexe – do you think you need an annexe? Perhaps this would provide extra sleeping area for children.
• Take the time to sketch a layout you think would suit your needs.

Buy or subscribe to various magazines and read extensively to educate yourself.  Consider joining a caravan chat forum and ask questions.  When staying in caravan parks or trailer parks, walk the park and look at how people have improvised their caravans, motor homes, 5^th wheeler, slide-on camper or camper trailers to make life easier for themselves.  Most people are happy to talk and share their experience and ideas.

Hire Insurance

Insurance is a very important issue if you are hiring and most hirers offer insurance through the hire agreement contract.  Be sure to check the fine print to ensure it covers you for off-road use if you want to travel to out of the way places.  Standard policies will normally cover you for travel on gazetted roads but always check with the insurer.  Also, make sure the hirer takes you through the RV and shows you how everything works before leaving the yard.