Camper Quality Versus Reality
What Quality Can I Expect from My Camper or Motorhome?
Travelers who are planning on going on a motorhome holiday in Australia or New Zealand usually have a clear idea of what their dream vehicle is and what it should cost. In this article we shed light on why both wishes often cannot be realized at the same time.
The Dream of Freedom Traveling
For many, a trip to New Zealand or Australia is a dream. Once a traveler has decided to go on this long, and expensive, journey, the question arises, “How will I get around?” For many people, the answer is simple: a mobile home!
When looking for the right model, the right motorhome rental company and the right route, you quickly find that the range of vehicles is wide and so is the price range. Those who are not familiar with ithe market don't always know which details to consider.
Good Advice Is the Beginning
We here at Camper Oasis don’t own any motor homes as a company. We are a broker, providing you with the best companies and options to choose from, so that you can have the best experience possible! We can’t directly influence the quality of a vehicle, but through years of experience and personal visits to the rental companies on site, we know what our customers can expect from a provider and a vehicle. The quality of our advice lies in supplying the camper that fits the exact spot between your budget and a camper that meets or exceeds your expectations. We want our customers to be informed about what’s available. Therefore, as a rule we will send you several offers for you to have an impression of additional costs between a budget option and a middle class option. This gives our customers the advantage of having a selection of campers that are perfect for them. This way our customers can decide for themselves what is important to them.
With this advice, we’ve been able to send satisfied customers all over the world. Those who get a vehicle from us know what to expect in a vehicle and are getting exactly what they paid for!
Demand Determines the Price and “Expensive” Is A Subjective Matter
The range of vehicles on the market is huge, interestingly enough most of these motorhomes are occupied everyday for at least nine months out of the year. The demand is great and can’t fully be met during peak season. Despite new purchases every year demand is hard to keep up with.
Due to such high demand, companies do charge steep prices for their campers and motorhomes. These prices are not comparable with rental vehicle costs in Germany. In fact, 80% of campers or motorhomes in New Zealand and Australia would probably not be offered to rent in Europe. In the South Pacific, if the vehicle is roadworthy, it’s rentable! In this market, demand truly determines the price.
Situations arise where a customer thinks they have booked a high quality motorhome, because it was expensive. However, price is determined more by the market demand than cost of the actual product. Unfortunately, forgetting this detail can lead to people expecting something, based purely on past experiences, that aren’t met when they arrive on site. Comparing travel prices in Germany or other travel countries and Oceania is simply not possible. These unmet expectations can be avoided if you know in advance which vehicle class you are booking and what quality you can expect from that class.
Rental companies do not care if you perceive their vehicles as overpriced. They know the market and the value of what they provide. Among travelers, Germans are known to be a bit picky due to an expectation of higher standards. Complaining won’t make a difference in New Zealand, if you want more you are going to have to pay more.
At times there are short comings that aren’t appropriate even with the correct expectations. These issues need to be solved, and the rental companies are very willing to work towards a quick solution.
The Demand Determines the Maintenance Time
The high demand during main season is both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, it forms the financial basis for a very seasonally dependent industry. On the other hand, the best possible utilization of the rental vehicles also puts pressure on the staff, who often have to maintain, clean and repair the vehicles within a few hours. No customer would be satisfied if they would receive their camper / motorhome a few days late due to the damage of a previous tenant which has not yet been repaired. Therefore, companies procedure is as follows:
• Clean the vehicle thoroughly
• Repair vehicle so that it's driveable
• Gerneral use inspection
• Blemishes (stone chips in the window, dents, scratches, rust, worn interior such as chipped corners on veneer wood) are documented until the vehicle has a longer break.
Some things cannot be determined in such quick maintenance. This mainly concerns defects on the interior. Dripping taps, leaks on the vehicle or cupboard doors that open automatically while driving are defects that the previous tenant must report in order to be repaired. Unfortunately, tenants often fear that they will be held liable for defects and often decide to rather keep them to themselves. That's why it's important to check over the vehicle yourself to identify possible defects before you become liable. If anything does happen while under your tenancy, please inform the company, they are very friendly and often willing to work it out with little or no cost to you.
You Get What You Pay for - The Vehicle Class Decides the Quality
If you consider the heavy use of campers and motorhomes, you quickly understand that vehicles from the lower price segment have most definitely been through a lot. The cheapest vehicles - the budget segment - are usually at least seven years old. They have spent all those years on the road accommodating many different tentants. The kitchen was used daily and so have the beds. The engine was running for hours and 300,000 KM is nothing on this side of the earth.
So, if you make your decision mainly based on the price, please be aware of these facts! There is nothing to be said against renting an old, inexpensive vehicle unless you expect a modern, barely worn luxury vehicle. If you can live with some wear and tear and longer downtimes due to repairs on the road, you'll have a great time in a budget option.
If you need freshly scented curtains and scratch-free cupboards to feel happy, if six-digit numbers on the mileage display make you nervous and, above all, if you have a very tight schedule, you should dig deeper into your pockets.
Middle-class vehicles are usually between three and six years old and less worn out than their colleagues from the budget area. Of course, six-digit kilometers can still be expected and these motorhomes are far from new. However, damage on wear parts that require a longer stay in a garage for repair are much less common than with the very old models.
If you want to be on the safe side, book premium class. But that costs a lot of money. The vehicles are new or have very little use and are often in great condition. Those who cannot enjoy their vacation without a flawless vehicle or who have a very tight schedule should accept the additional expense.
Priorities Are Shifting
It seems so simple and yet so difficult: The booking priorities should not differ too much from reality! Customers repeatedly assert when booking that it is okay for them if a vehicle is old. Their main wish is that the price is right! Half a year later on the other side of the world, money is often forgotten. Eventually the clattering drawer will get annoying and the thought of your vehicle having traveled around Australia at least five times pagues your mind. All the tenant thinks about is the price he paid for the motorhome rental and it feels expensive. The more expensive offers of a newer vehicles are no longer on the radar.
Conclusion:
An old vehicle can be a nice companion on the journey of a lifetime if you can accept it with its quirks and idiosyncrasies! Be sure to check out what you would have paid for a newer model. Keep in mind what you paid for your vehicle relative to what the next class up would cost. It may feel expensive, but every motorhome or campervan in New Zealand costs money.