Hidden Costs Of Owning a Caravan

The dream of having a home in the parts of the world your heart longs to reach is one that eludes many, but those who dare to venture out to buy their holiday homes to visit their dream destinations – know the luxury and the freedom that comes with it. Owning a caravan is a reason for rejoice among the keepers – they are aware of the humongous amount of pros that come with it, the freedom of making a home out of everywhere you go being the prime one, along with the liberty to go out to explore the world at your own whim, and end up with a plethora of amazing adventure stories and quality bonding time being spent with the family.

However, even though having a caravan is a pretty conventional if you are one of the free spirits who adhere to the ideas of flexibility and unrestrained independence while travelling, you need to check the affordability of the vehicle you are investing in – as there is always more to the price you are paying at the showroom to acquire the vehicle it requires to keep and maintain it, and that should be calculated in your budget as you decide to purchase one. For example, caravan awnings, towbar fitting, security devices, camping kits and bare necessities for survival out in the open can itself take up a lot of your budget. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the major hidden costs that raise their heads once you end up buying a caravan.

Petrol -

With great mileage comes better affordability of petrol, and that is exactly why you should check the vehicle for its mileage before purchasing it. As the cost of petrol gets higher each year, it might be a bit of a gamble to buy one without integrating the estimated cost of fuel in tank.

Caravan awnings -

To be out on the road and not include the cost of a caravan awning to go with your motor home is utter mayhem – as it is pretty versatile equipment and they do offer a lot of convenience when you park your vehicle for a staycation. However, some trailer parks have certain rules that make you buy only a certain type of caravan awning, but you can totally upgrade and enhance them with cool equipments like screens for long walls, front and rear screens for end walls etc, which add more to the costs.

Security

While buying a caravan, you also need to make sure that the security of the vehicle is at the top of its game – in order to prevent thefts and vandalism. Window and door locks, hitch locks, wheel locks and tracking devices are a few more investments that you should add to your list.

Accessories and spare tire -

Once you invest in a caravan, the need to invest in the furnishings of it also arises. Ideally, your home away from home should be as comfortable as your real home, and in order to make it cushy, additional costs will pile up. Also, keeping spare tires handy in case of accidents or emergencies has always been helpful to those wise enough to consider it, and the cost for tyres being $450-$500, with the covers ranging from $17.90-$37.90 for a pack of 2.

Location fees - 

Owning a motor home or a big as a caravan requires you to check-in at a pitch site or caravan park while not being on the move. However, this stay-cation comes at a price and it varies from one location to another. Although the average is a$25 per night. Other costs might include vat, meter-reading charges, delivery charges from manufacturer to the park and availability charges.

Insurance -

You need a good cover for your caravan, in case happenstance leads you to dire consequences in your travelling plans – and you need that at affordable prices in order to maintain your finances and keep your vehicle on top of its conditions. Onsite caravan insurance covers accidental damage or by vandalism, fire or storm, theft or attempted theft, automatic contents cover up to $1000, food spoilage up to $300, storage costs, liability cover, new for new replacement, and temporary accommodation along with 24/7 helpline assistance.