On vacation with the trailer tent: rent or buy?

Trailer tent: rent or buy?

Renting a folding trailer, tent trailer, rooftop tent, camper or caravan is in demand.
One of the causes, of course, was … Corona.
Because the flight vacations have been canceled, people still want to get away in their own country.
And renting is of course a great solution.

But is renting really more advantageous than buying?
We list it here for you.

Rental costs of different camping equipment

Let’s assume a 3-week vacation in the month of July.
What is the approximate cost of camping?

• For an average caravan you pay around € 450 per week
• You can rent a motorhome in high season for around €900 per week
• A rooftop tent can be rented for € 150 per week
• You can rent a furnished tent in the Netherlands for around € 500 per week
• And a folding trailer you rent around € 475 per week

The above amounts vary, of course, depending on what kind of luxury you want in your camping equipment, what the quality of the camping equipment is, and in the case of furnished tents, what location it is in.
If you go during off-season, prices will be a little lower.
But it gives a good average picture.

Depreciation of your trailer tent

Let’s take a trailer tent for comparison.
A well-equipped CAMPWERK trailer tent with complete kitchen, awning and other items can be bought for approximately € 13,500.
Suppose you sell your tent trailer after 5 years.
The residual value is then about € 10,000.
So you write off about € 700,- per year.
By the way, most owners keep their tent trailer longer.
So your depreciation costs per year decrease quickly.
Again, there is a difference in depreciation rate.
With the better brands, the depreciation will be a lot lower than with the cheaper brands.
So sometimes it makes more sense to invest a little more in a brand that you end up depreciating less on.

Insurance of your trailer tent

Most car insurance companies include the folding trailer in the insurance as long as it is hanging behind the car.
A special folding trailer insurance is therefore optional (in the Netherlands).
If you want to insure your trailer tent against theft, fire and damage at the campsite or driveway, count on +/- € 275,- per year.

Storing your trailer tent

The cost of storage depends very much on the region.
A storage in the Utrecht area costs € 50,- per meter.
That comes out to € 200,- for a trailer tent with a maximum length of 4 meters.
In the countryside it is often cheaper.

Maintenance costs of your trailer tent

Maintenance on a trailer tent is very limited and not comparable to that for a caravan or motorhome.
The tent doesn’t really need any maintenance, as long as you fold it dry and clean and use it properly.
For the trailer itself, it is advisable to do a brake check and check the tires once every 2 years.
Someone who is handy can do that himself, but let’s calculate an amount of € 150,- per year when you have it done.
By the way, it is advisable to change the tires every 5 years anyway.
With a trailer tent or caravan they do not wear down on the tread, but hairline cracks can appear due to drying out.

Interest you don’t get

For the complete picture, you would have to include the interest cost if you were to leave the invested money in the bank.
Right now, however, the interest you get on your savings is virtually zero, so we’ll leave that aside for now.

As mentioned, the amounts will vary by region, insurer and purchase.
The above overview does give a financial insight between the differences between renting and buying.
But, of course, there are other advantages and disadvantages to both ways of vacationing.

Benefits of renting

• The biggest advantage of renting is that you pick up the trailer tent at the dealership, vacation and return it.
  The rest of the year you don’t have to worry about it.
• You don’t feel obligated to go away with the trailer tent every year.
  You can also try something different this way.

Benefits of buying

• The advantage of buying is that you have something of your own.
  You can set up your trailer tent the way you want, allowing you to really pursue your own way of camping.
  You also lie in your own bed that no other people have slept in.
• The above calculation model is based on 3 weeks of vacationing in the high season.
  But with your own camping equipment, nothing prevents you (except your days off) from taking it out of season.
  It makes you a lot more flexible and free to go where and when you want.
• You are not dependent on the availability of a rental trailer tent.
  Especially in high season, demand is high and you need to book far in advance.
• A tent trailer from a reputable brand is a good investment.
  Very different from, say, a car, which we all have experience with.
  The calculation model assumes a depreciation of Euro 700,- per year for 5 years.
  If you assume the average life of a good tent trailer, however, it is much longer.
  If you assume that after +/- 8 to 10 years you sell or trade in your trailer for a new one, then your depreciation can quickly drop to less than € 400,- per year.

Financing your trailer tent

Of course, you must have the money available to purchase a tent trailer.
If you don’t have that or want to keep your savings in your account for unforeseen circumstances, then financing is also an option.
And yes, borrowing costs money, but can provide the very opportunity to enjoy your camping gear now, without compromising your financial security.
You can read more about this in e.g. the VouwwagenDreamsConcept.
There you can also read that financing costs less than you might think.
Be well advised, because you are financing for several years.
With the trailer tent Dreams Concept you get personal advice and you can make unlimited repayments at any time.

Conclusion

Buying a folding trailer or tent trailer may seem like a big expense, and it is a lot of money.
But when you realistically spread the cost over several years, buying is often cheaper than renting.

Don’t forget that most campers not only vacation for 3 weeks during the peak season, but use the tent trailer much more intensively.
If you look at the average CAMPWERK owner, they use the tent trailer at least 5 to 6 weeks a year, including weekends.
This is possible because the trailer tent trailer is quick to set up and (unlike a large ground tent or the older types of trailer tent) can also be used for a short trip of 1 or 2 nights.
The price per night is also quickly reduced.

Owning a good, easy to set up and comfortable tent trailer also has great emotional value.
Because after all, you make the best memories of your life together with your loved ones during your vacations.

Sources:

https://caravantrekker.nl/info/kosten.php

https://caravanstallingstichtsevecht.nl/tarieven/tarieven-stalling/

https://www.dakop.nl/daktenten-huren/

https://www.devledders.nl/accommodaties/verhuur/vledderstent#verblijf

https://www.ohra.nl/caravanverzekering/berekenen

https://www.bovag.nl/thema-s/onderhoud-en-reparatie-van-uw-caravan,-vouwwagen-o