your opinions please...caravan vs rtt and motels

[shmick82]

Hi all,
Just after your thoughts and opinions so I can get an external view since Im biased.
Wife has HESITANTLY OK'ed the purchase of a Expanda. She really doesnt want it but I do.
We have an apartment in Port Douglas and we go up yearly taking a different route each time.
We normally stay at motels and resorts mostly doing overnighters in smaller places and 3-4 nights in places like Airlie, Mission Beach, Fraser, Noosa, etc (we have kids to entertain).
It gets pricey from 120/night to 250/night.
Would buying a 20-25K caravan be worth it for mostly overnighters or should I just throw up the roof top tent of the girls and the hiking tent for the boys (our usual camp setup for the local trips to Murray etc) when the weather permits and just do motels when weather is Shit.
This year we are heading up (from Melbourne) via Flinders, Birdsville to Burketown and across to Port. Then south down the coast with some time at Carnarvon Gorge, Fraser and GoldCoast.
Thanks
PS. I was getting a custom off road trailer built by Blackburn Trailers and they went into liquidation. Deposit gone. Hence now the caravan.

[tryagain]

Only really you can do the sums, as  there are too many variables, but I think it's safe to say that you probably need to spend quite a few nights in it per year for it to work out cheaper, you need to factor in depreciation on the van, rego and insurance, maybe interest if you are borrowing, increased fuel costs from towing etc etc etc. I think the main reason people buy vans is for convenience, you could probably do a fair few motel stays for the likely 4k+/pa it probably costs once you factor in all of the above for a 25k van.

[Rodt]

I think the real thing to understand first is why do you want a van?

If it is a financial decision then as tryagain has said you get a lot of motel rooms for the price of a van. If your looking for a bit of a lifestyle change while travelling then it is possibly a good idea.

We spent $20k on a van the year before last and have used it 6 times but have no doubts in our minds that it was a good purchase. We didn't base that on financial though. I like the ide of having my own stuff and setting up a camp how I want it as opposed to rocking up to a motel room with a suitcase. The freedom that it gives us also was a plus ie: let's go to xyz next weekend. Throw in the clothes, a bit of food and drink and just hookup and go

Good luck with it

[Bird]

how often are you going to use it? once a yr? 20?
As said only you can do the numbers to work out if you can afford 25k sittin there 51 weeks a year.

Thought of hiring when needed?

[boobook]

Buy a little runabout car in Port Douglas and fly up.

I would have thought you'll soon get sick of driving from Melbourne to Cairns and back for your holiday.

I drove from Melbourne to The cape once towing a camper. I won't be doing that again. Too bloody far.

[KeithB]

I have been married to the same woman for almost 30 years and, once a month regular as a clock, I sit her down and give her a bloody good listening to.

If your wife does not want the Expanda, I think the project has alarm bells on it. You could always hire a good off road caravan and try it on for size. But make sure it has a bathroom and do share the cooking. She needs a holiday too.

Keith

[Fizzie]

I have been married to the same woman for almost 30 years and, once a month regular as a clock, I sit her down and give her a bloody good listening to.

Now that's a different slant on "That Time of the Month"!

[MarkVS]

Fly up and back......it’s easier and probably cheaper by the time you did the sums.

[#jonesy]

Years ago my parents were looking at buying a campervan (bus type) and do some big trips. The brother in law went through the sums about how much cheaper motels would be. Never bought the bus and barely ever went anywhere.

Phycologicaly it is easier to apart with the $$$ upfront for the caravan, rather than dipping in to your pocket each time you stay at a motel.
 

[Bigfish]

Driving from Melb to Port Douglas every year is like Russian Roulette.  Too bloody far and every day the roads are getting more dangerous to travel.  Nothing stopping you from flying up. Even fly to Brisbane and catch a train for something different. Fly to Hamilton Island.  Stay at Airlie Beach ( pretty much the same as Port Douglas...tourist hot spot).  Once in Port Douglas you can do heaps of overnight trips with hire car and then enjoy the luxury of a hotel/motel room in some outback town.  Listen to the missus mate.  I,d rather spend 3-4 thousand every year on motels, planes and cars than loose it in depreciation and maintenance every twelve months.  Is your vehicle in good nick and up to the task of towing without having to spends lots of dollars? Good luck with your decision.   

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi Mick, Well we are the complete opposite we love the driving and looking at our great country, My wife and I and our 4 kids it costs around $310 for a double cabin per night if you can get one, you must book ahead and we hate that, one place we stayed it cost over $400 as we had to book two cabins as lots do not have double cabins, and the firetrucking aircon was crap never again, Most of our trips are for the duration of the school holidays so everything is heaps dearer, most of our trips are 14 to 16 days so 14 to 15 nights thats $4300 to 4610 for one trip in cabins, I bought a small Jayco pop up van and gutted it and rebuilt it to our likeing it sleeps 7 if need be and used vinyl in stead of canvas so pack up time is just a wipe down with a towel and pack up, I Lengthened the draw bar so do not have to unhook to set up, it owes us around $4500 on the road, I would never own a big van for the stile of trips we do, just to big to tow if on a time limit, and we go on pretty wild dirt roads and 4wd tracks some times that bigger vans just will not fit down, be fine if you were going for a few months and are only going a few hundred ks to the next town and stop for a few days to a week,  with our little van one trip and it payed for itself, we have done a couple of trips scene then, and the biggest trip was up to Darwin for 16 days, we free camped all the way up and back saving around $4000, so that trip cost us buggeral really except wear and tear, and it cost $30 at night at Darwin at a caravan park not $310,or $400 So money wise we are miles in front, But I am lucky my wife and kids and I do not need 5 Stars to go on Holidays, and in winter we have a fire at the camp at night if not a fire ban,  just great to get the kids away from Wifi and sitting around the fire, can not wait for our next trip along the Darling maybe, then the Cape, good luck with your quest, Craig   

[shmick82]

Thank you all for your words. Definitely gave me a few things to think about and ultimately make a decision.
It seems that with our style of travel (usually single night stays), there is no justification for a big van.
Just like Craig we enjoy the road trips but travel mainly during school holidays so I think I will go back to my original idea of building a small camper that can sleep us if need be that wont cost or weigh as much as a large van.
I never even considered insurance and rego which would have been another $1000.
Wife is terrified of flying, hence the driving. Plus the couple of times I got her on a plane (with the help of some Valiums) there was no sense of adventure. But the time savings are incredible.
Our apartment is holiday let when we are not there so I cant fill the carport with a car. So always rental.
Thanks again all, definitely helped me see some things I didn't think about.