The age-old debate of choosing what to use when going camping.  Do you go with the truest form of camping and use a swag however if you have a family this may not be right for you. So, the next step on the traditional ladder would be a tent which is great for those who have a family or just like a bit more wiggle room. Although maybe you’re a fan of original with a twist and a roof top tent takes your fancy. Maybe just maybe you are one of the many Aussie out there that’s ready to take their camping to the next level and really kick things up a notch.  This brings us to the greatest Aussie show down there is camper trailers vs caravans.

Caravans and camper trailer offer many benefits some similar some different, they both have pros and cons so how do you decide. Well, this guide will help you decided if either a camper trailers vs caravans.

Particularly if you’re planning on doing the infamous “lap” then making the right decision between camper trailer or caravan is vital. The term the lap refers to a lap around the great country that is Australia. Hence obviously why the choice between camper trailers vs caravans is so important as although Australia is beautiful, she is also vast and rugged. So the toll on your caravan or camper trailer will be hefty. So not only making the right decision between camper trailer vs caravans is important but also what type and quality of camper trailer you choose is critical.

Firstly, a good place to start your decision process in camper trailers vs caravans is what is vehicle capable of towing. This is not only important legally and safety wise but also if you are taking your caravan or camper trailer through the rugged lands of Australia then your vehicle must not only be cable of towing your camper trailer but towing it well.
Legally the things the you need to consider before selecting your camper trailer or possible your caravan is GVM and GCM. The most common one people know is GVM which stands for Gross Vehicle Mass this is how much your vehicle can weigh when fully loaded. However when buying a camper trailer or maybe a caravan then what you need to look at is the GCM. Gross Combination Mass is what GCM stands for and this is vital when decided to buy a camper trailer or anything that needs to be towed. As is calculates the towed weight added to the weight of the vehicle plus any payload.

Now that the legal side of the choice between camper trailer and caravan is over its time the where. Possibly the major factor of what will determine which is better for you a caravan or a camper trailer is where you are traveling.  If you’re heading to a very cold climate or somewhere that it constantly rains heavy, then maybe the luxury of being inside a hard-shell caravan is the way to go. However, the technology of sleeping bags and swags and also rooftop tent has vastly improved so a camper trailer is defiantly not a bad option.

On the other hand if you are planning on doing some 4WDing and traveling that road less traveled than a caravan is vastly more limiting than a camper trailer. Due to many factors, one being they are significantly heavier making them more likely than a camper trailer to get bogged. Also, your vehicle may just not physically be able to tow your heavy caravan up a track due again to the weight compared to a lightweight camper trailer. Another reason is although caravans these days have significantly improved with their off-road abilities with suspension they can’t compare to that of an off road camper trailer. The final reason is probably the most obvious but the actually size of the caravan itself will prevent you from taking narrow track unlike with a camper trailer.  Not only are they wider but a caravan is also taller than a camper trailer making possible low-lying branches an issue.

Fuel economy particularly if doing a large trip like a lap around Australia is partially important as it can really add up. The unlike before in this category the caravan is actually no match for the camper trailer. Not only is the caravan wider than a camper trailer creating drag it is also taller than a camper trailer creating drag in both directions. However, it is not only drag that is the issue the weight of a caravan vs the weight of a camper trailer is a huge effect on fuel economy. Caravans weigh so much more than camper trailer not just due to the size but also the contents.  As a caravan has big bulky items like double beds, cabinetry and etc. Where the camper trailers are design to keep weight to a minimum to cater for the off road.

Another big contributing decision maker is cost. Maybe cost isn’t a factor for you, but I believe I would rather save money on my camper trailer or caravan and be able to afford to use it more. Cost is extremely varied but generally speaking camper trailers are significantly less expensive. Obviously, you can get really expensive camper trailer and really cheap caravans so you need to decided what is important to you. Decided a budget is a really helpfully way to narrow your search or the vast range of camper trailers and caravans or better yet maybe budget will make the decision for you. As maybe you would rather a high-quality camper trailer you know won’t let you down rather than a budget cheap caravan.

Hopefully this guide helps in your direction between a camper trailer or caravan, what ever you do decide the most important thing is you get out there and use it!