Want a campervan or motorhome? 10 great reasons to hire

Posted on 12/01/2021 by Mike, Spaceships Crew

If you want to own a campervan or motorhome, here are 10 reasons to hire before you buy.

With many people looking at different types of holidays that avoid flying or staying in busy resorts, demand for campervans and motorhomes has never been higher. But before you take the plunge and buy a motorhome or convert an old van into a camper, here are our top ten reasons to hire.

1. Purchase Cost

With demand high, a new 5-berth motorhome would cost around £60,000 to buy. It could be bought on finance with a deposit and monthly payments of about £600. A used or "previously enjoyed" (as the trade now likes to say) motorhome might be around £40,000 or £400 per month.

You can book a holiday in June 2021 in a Spaceships 7-berth high spec motorhome for around £85 per day. With our Covid Promise you're covered in the event of Government imposed restrictions that prevent you from travelling. 

You could also sign up to receive our Spaceships Blast-Offers and take advantage of any last-minute availability at discounted rates, even in the height of the summer season.

In our low season the rental price drops further. A Spaceships motorhome in the first week of November this year starts at around £63 per day, with our 4-berth Voyager campervan available from just £35 per day. The motorhomes can be used all the year round, with central heating, hot water, shower and toilet on board. The only difference is the rental is cheaper, with the roads and campsites quieter! Our campervans are available with winter packs including extra bedding and a heater, so if you're feeling adventurous, you can take a winter campervan break too.

With central heating and hot water, you can enjoy a Spaceships road trip all the year round

Before you embark on the time and expense of converting your own van into a campervan, why not try our Spaceships campervan first? 

Our ultimate 4-berth Voyager is re-styled from the popular and reliable Ford Transit. It is also uniquely custom-designed to include up to 2 double beds, 2 gas stoves, a 40 litre fridge freezer, a water tank, all cooking gear with huge storage areas. Both Spaceships campervans have a side awning as standard to extend the living area.

2. Servicing and maintenance

More cost, unfortunately. A motorhome will cost an additional £250 - £500 per year to service, that's before the difficulty of getting it through the city to a garage.

All the Spaceships motorhomes and campervans undergo a multi-point check before each hire, and are serviced more frequently than the manufacturer's recommended intervals. Another potential cost may be roadside support. Our customer service team is available at the end of the phone or via email, and all rentals have 24/7 Free Roadside Assistance throughout the UK and Europe.

3. Insurance

Insurance on a motorhome will typically cost between £250 and £400 per year, depending on the model and mileage. And don't forget to factor in Road Tax at £165 - £220 per year.

When you a hire a Spaceship, you have a choice of insurance options, from free insurance cover (with a £1500 or £2000 excess) up to our all-inclusive insurance which reduces your excess to zero. This starts from just £20 per day and is capped for longer rentals. And of course, we pay the road tax, not you.

Did you know...

4. Habitation Servicing

You've guessed it, more cost... Your campervan and especially motorhome should have its habitation area and equipment maintained and serviced regularly to keep it hygienically clean and operating to maximum performance. That includes all cooking gear, oven, fridge/freezer, heating, plumbing, toilet and shower.

It's important to keep the habitation area cleaned, maintained and serviced

All our Spaceships campervans and motorhomes undergo a 77 point vehicle check before each hire. This includes all levels, equipment and habitation facilities being tested and checked.

5. Depreciation

Although campervans and motorhomes hold their value relatively well compared to other vehicles, they will depreciate over time as the mileage increases. 

One less thing to consider when you hire a Spaceships campervan or motorhome.

6. Storage

A Spaceships motorhome is nearly 7 metres long. This is great on the road or on a hardstanding pitch at a camp site or in a parking bay, but it's not so easy to store at home when you're not using it. It's height and length make it difficult to store in a garage and on street or parking on your drive may not be secure. You may need to look at renting designated caravan parking in a compound when you're not on the road.

Easy to park on a campsite, but not so easy on your drive...

When you return your Spaceships campervan or motorhome, you just park outside the branch, drop the keys into the secure box and go. You can leave everything else to the Spaceships Ground Crew!

7. Theft

The issue of secure storage brings us to theft. Sadly, owing to their popularity, the incidences of campervan and motorhome theft are on the rise. The number of vehicles reported stolen increased by about 50% in 5 years between 2013 and 2018. There is now a stolen motorhome database and Facebook group called Stolen Caravans and Motorhomes with over 2200 members. 

All Spaceships campervans and motorhomes are fitted with a GPS tracker for extra security.

8. Equipment for your road trip

Buying your campervan or motorhome is just the beginning. You will need extra equipment for your road trip or holiday. All our Spaceships motorhomes have toilet, shower and kitchen with oven, hob and fridge/freezer on board. They also have central heating and hot water. The campervans have stoves, water tanks, a fridge/freezer or coolbox, and all our Spaceships are supplied with cutlery, crockery and all the cooking equipment you will need, from a chopping board to a spatula!

All your cooking gear and an awning to extend your living area is included with your campervan

We can supply a range of optional extras like bedding (you can bring your own), mains electric hook ups, outdoor table and chairs as well as bundles that give you extra kit at a discounted rate. This includes our European bundle with VoH certificate, headlamp converters and EU electric hook-ups for travel in Europe.

We can also provide airport transfers and parking for your car at our branches (except Edinburgh).

9. Cleaning

The size of the motorhome means you may need a commercial truck wash to clean it. After that trip to the coast with the kids and dog, cleaning and valeting the interior can be an expensive and time consuming job.

All our vehicles are deep cleaned and valeted by our in-house valeting team using specialist motorhome cleaning agents before each hire.

10. Convenience

You might have spotted this theme running through the blog. Renting a Spaceships campervan or motorhome is, well, easy. Just put some dates for your road trip into the price checker on our homepage, choose your pick up branch, campervan or motorhome and get an instant quote. You can get the quote emailed to you or just book it there and then. You can add extra kit through your booking portal, watch vehicle familiarisation videos on our YouTube channel then get a safe, contactless pick-up and return, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No extra kit, servicing, maintenance, cleaning or storage to worry about.

You just arrive at the branch and blast-off in your Spaceship on your holiday!

Try before you buy

If you still prefer to buy your own motorhome, please let us know. We sell nearly new motorhomes that have benefited from our professional care, cleaning, servicing and maintenance and are less than 3 years old.

Get your hire cost off the purchase price 

In fact, if you see one of our Spaceships that you like, you can try before you buy. Rent a motorhome between October and March, and if you decide to buy it, we'll knock the rental cost off the price of the vehicle. Just email us here to try before you buy.

So whether you want the convenience and flexibility of hiring a campervan or motorhome for your next holiday or whether you prefer to buy a well maintained vehicle from a company you can trust, just talk to the Spaceships Mission Control Crew. We'll help you to prepare for take-off in your dream Spaceships campervan or motorhome!

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