People new to camping might be wondering what are the pros and cons of each type of camping – caravan, rooftop, tent, van. Here are my views:
Tent/Swag
Pros
- Can camp anywhere except self-sufficient campgrounds or side of road
- Cheapest option
- You don’t have to tow
- You don’t have to backtrack to go back and pick up a caravan
- Can go places like the Simpson Desert, Cape York OTL and Arnhem Land
- If you get an instant up one they are quicker to put up and you can usually stand up in them
- Swags are quick to set up
- No problems with parking
- Allows you to tow a boat
Cons
- Tents take time to set up which may not be ideal if you have been driving all-day
- The cold comes up through the ground, we solved this issue with a Thermarest but you could also use a stretcher
- Can’t safely camp on side of the road
- You can’t get dressed in a swag comfortably
- Have to fit all your camping gear in your car
- Have to cook outside – it may be raining and/or windy which blows the gas out
- Have to carry water in a bladder or water cans inside the car
- Have to carry a gas bottle inside the car – too dangerous to put on the roof as the car becomes top-heavy
- There is a chance that your mattress could get a slow leak and you end up flat on the ground in the middle of the night! This is less likely with a self-inflatable mattress as they have extra padding.
- Packing up a wet tent is not fun
Rooftop Tent
- Quick to set up
- Can camp anywhere except self-sufficient campgrounds
- You don’t have to tow
- You don’t have to backtrack to go back and pick up your caravan
- Can go places like the Simpson Desert, Cape York OTL and Arnhem Land
- Depending on the model, your bed is always set up
- No problems with parking
- Allow you to tow a boat
- Can add an awning to the side of the roof racks
Cons
- Can’t really camp on side of the road
- Can’t get changed during the day if you have closed it up, think bathers
- Have to fit all your camping gear in your car
- Have to cook outside – it may be raining and/or windy which blows the gas out
- Have to close up to go out sightseeing, but it doesn’t take long
- Not very pleasant to sit in if it’s raining
- Have to carry water in a bladder or water cans inside the car
- Have to carry a gas bottle in the car
- May have issues getting into an underground carpark
- Canvas could wet the bed when putting it away when it’s been raining. Take extra towels or a shower screen to put on the mattress in case it rains. You can wipe down the canvas but it will still be wet when you pack it away
- Some models flap in the wind and will keep you awake, so buy a hard shell one like the picture above.
- More expensive than a tent
Camper Trailer
Pros
- If it is an off-road model you can take it most places but not across the Simpson Desert
- Usually has storage under the bed
- If you get a hard floor model, they are quick to set up and put away and don’t require any tent pegs which is great for one night stops.
- Depending on the model, you should be able to keep your bed set up
- Depending on the model, the kitchen is on a slide-out, all you have to do is connect the gas and turn the water on
- You may be able to put it away with the awning still on it
- It has holders to carry your gas bottles so they don’t need to be in the car
- It will have a fresh-water tank
- Fuel cost cheaper than towing a caravan
Cons
- Have to cook outside which is not pleasant when it’s cold, raining, or windy (gas often gets blown out or reduced in efficiency even with shield)
- Have to tow, but it’s lighter than a caravan
- Canvas could wet the bed when putting it away when it’s been raining. We put a shower curtain on the bed when packing away which also stopped any dirt on the hard floor from going onto the bed.
- Not all of them have a kitchen
- The soft-floor models require poles and tent pegs, so they take longer to set up
Slide-on Camper
Pros
- You have everything with you, all the time. Think – morning tea, lunch, grabbing a jacket
- No setting up
- Your bed will be made up all the time
- Depending on set up and size, you might have a bathroom, seating area and table
- Most models you can cook inside when it’s raining or windy, but not the one above.
- You can fit into small campsites that caravans can’t fit in
- No towing
- Off-road capability
- Allow you to tow a boat or jet ski
Cons
- Small inside compared to a caravan
- Not a lot of storage
- Heavy
Campervan/RV
Pros
- You have everything with you, all the time. Think – morning tea, lunch, grabbing a jacket
- Depending on how it is set up, your bed could be made up all the time – minimal set-up
- Depending on set up and size, you might have a bathroom, seating area and table
- Depending on setup and size, you can cook inside when it’s raining or windy
- Depending on size, you can fit into small campsites that caravans can’t fit in
- You can sit inside if it rains
- If you have been driving, it will still be warm from the heater or cool from the air conditioner when you stop
- If you have a bathroom and a grey water tank you will be able to stay in self-sufficient campgrounds
- You might be able to get to the back without getting out the door if it’s raining
Cons
- Depending on the size, you might not fit into normal and/or underground carparks
- If it’s not a 4WD, it could limit the campsites or places you can get to
- With a Class A RV (bus) you will need a toad, another car to pull along to go sightseeing
- A Class C RV (like a caravan attached to the car), you will find it difficult to go sightseeing as they are quite large
Tips
- If the shower is over the toilet, take something to mop up the floor so that you aren’t walking on a wet floor in the middle of the night
- Put up a dark fabric shower curtain behind your seats to block the view into your van
- We travelled in a small van for 6 months in the US which was fine as it only rained once, but the second year it was raining all the time and we found it very claustrophobic.
- In NZ we hired a Mercedes Sprinter and it rained every day. There was extra seating space without having to sit on the bed.
Caravan/5th Wheel
Pros
- Lots of room compared to other options
- Your bed will be made up all the time
- Storage
- You can sightsee anywhere depending on your vehicle and fit in carparks
- Depending on the model, you can cook inside when it’s raining or windy
- Depending on the model, you will have a bathroom that you can use while camped or you can stop while travelling to use if there are no other options around.
- If you have a bathroom and a grey water tank you will be able to stay in self-sufficient campgrounds
- Depending on the model, if it’s cold you can put on a heater, if it’s hot you can put on an air conditioner
- If it’s wet there is somewhere to sit inside
- They usually have an awning which is nice to sit under when it’s hot or raining
- Could have a washing machine, TV, microwave, oven
Cons
- You will have to go back to your base location to pick it up after sightseeing
- You have to tow
- You won’t have your food with you for lunchtime if you are out sightseeing unless you have made it beforehand or have another fridge in the back of your car.
- If it’s not an off-road model, there are some places that you won’t be able to take it
- There could be campsites or caravan parks where you just don’t fit
Do you have any ideas to add?
Luminosity Trails 