Is it cheaper to travel by towing a Caravan or stop in cabins on your next holid

1. 63

   Eileen Hughesposted 12 years ago

   Is it cheaper to travel by towing a Caravan or stop in cabins on your next holiday

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2. 79

   JamaGeneeposted 12 years ago

   Eileen, I think it depends on the length of the trip and the terrain you'll be traveling through. 
   
   I can only speak for road trips in the U.S. where the daily fee for a spot to park a caravan (what we call a travel trailer or 5th Wheel) is quite reasonable, around USD$15-25 per night. I have cousins who go all over the U.S. this way and say they wouldn't have it any other way, even after factoring in the cost of buying petrol more often because of the reduction in mpg (miles per gallon) from pulling their "home away from home" (which contains a full-size freezer full of meat purchased before leaving home!). 
   
   Also, one has to factor in the cost of repairing (and towing!) the vehicle towing the caravan if it breaks down during the trip, in a place where repairs may be much more expensive than the same repairs would cost at your local garage. Or, as happened to my cousins, the problem that caused the breakdown may be deemed not worth fixing and a new vehicle will have to be purchased to continue the trip.
   
   That said, the main disadvantage of towing a caravan is it's not cost-effective to pull a travel trailer in mountainous regions, or in areas with a lot of twisty-turny roads that require repeatedly slowing down and speeding up.  Either scenario dramatically reduces gas mileage which in turn requires buying petrol more often than the budget allows.
   
   If traveling in such areas, cabins would probably be the cheaper option.

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3. 60

   aboutaustraliaposted 12 years ago

   Hi Eileen,
   
   Great question. I must admit before answering the question though, that I am a little bit biased because I just love caravanning!
   
   From an Australian 'caravan lover' perspective, I would say that it is by far the cheaper option to go caravanning.
   
   You have greater flexibility and a chance to save a great deal of money by choosing free camps or overnight highway rest areas on your holiday.
   
   Your fuel costs will obviously be a little more because you are towing, however this would not add up to more than a stay in a cabin which I believe would set you back a minimum of $90 per night in most places in the 'off season', and around double or triple that during 'peak season'.
   
   You would of course need to take the purchase price of a caravan into consideration, or you might be able to hire one for your holidays to try out the lifestyle. If anyone is thinking about caravanning, I can highly recommend you give it a go. You will meet many wonderful people all with similar interests and really enjoying the great outdoors.
   
   Feel free to check out my blog if you are interested in caravanning. http://www.caravanningaroundaustralia.c … ut-us.html

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