The age-old debate of folding camper or caravan tends to crop up time and time again. Folding camper owners insist folding campers are the best, while caravan owners insist caravans are the best.
To settle this old debate and help you decide which is best for you, I’m going to do an in-depth comparison of folding campers and caravans in this blog post.
Folding Camper Or Caravan: What I’ll Compare Them On
To properly compare folding campers and caravans and determine which is the best, we must consider a variety of factors.
- Price
- Towing
- Storing
- Insurance cost
- Setup time
- Facilities
Let’s get on with the comparison, starting with the price.
Price
One of the most important considerations when choosing between a caravan and a folding camper is the price. If you’re in a position where budget will affect your decision between the two, keep reading.
How much do folding campers cost?
Brand new folding campers typically start at around £13,000, but can cost as much as £20,000. You can often find second-hand folding campers available for as little as £2,000, whereas newer second-hand models will cost £5,000 – £8,000.
Let’s take a look at the latest Pennine campers, since they are one of the biggest manufacturers of folding campers.
New Pennine Model Price
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Pathfinder | £16,695 |
| Fiesta | £13,695 |
| Countryman | £13,695 |
As you can see in the table above, the latest Pathfinder is currently Pennine’s most expensive model. The 6-berth Pathfinder will set you back approximately £16,695. There are some extra options available that will push the price up, but for this price, you’ll get the full awning included. Optional extras include an awning extension dividing wall and the outdoor storage cover.
Second-hand, well-maintained folding campers can cost as little as £2,000. The price all depends on variables such as how old the folding camper is and its condition. However, you can usually pick up a bargain if you look in the right places.
How much do caravans cost?
Brand new caravans typically range in price from £17,000 – £35,000. Well-maintained second-hand caravans are available for as little as £3,000 – £10,000 from reputable traders.
Entry-level caravans usually start at around £17,000. For example:
- Swift Sprite Alpine 2 (2 berth): £16,995
- Xplore 422 SE (2 berth): £16,985
- Adria Altea 612 DL Tyne (4 berth): £19,995
- Adria Altea 622 DK Avon (6 berth): £19,995
- Compass Casita 586 (6 berth): £19,795
Mid-range and high-spec caravans are available for around £22,000 – £35,000 depending on the size of the caravan. Here are a few examples:
- Swift Elegance 480 (2 berth): £27,430
- Coachman VIP 460 (2 berth): £26,750
- Buccaneer Cruiser (4 berth): £34,994
- Swift Elegance Grande 845 (4 berth): £34,905
- Buccaneer Aruba (6 berth): £35,000
- Elddis Avante 868 (6 berth): £26,000
You can pick up decent second-hand caravans for as little as £3,000 – £10,000 depending on what you are looking for. In fact, I wrote a blog post titled The Best Caravans Under 10k. It’s well worth a read if you’re looking to purchase an excellent caravan while sticking to a tight budget. You can read the blog post by clicking here.
Winner: Folding Camper
You can purchase a high-spec brand new folding camper, such as the Pennine Pathfinder, for less than a 2-berth entry-level caravan. If budget is a serious deciding factor but you want something brand new, go for a folding camper.
Towing
Let’s consider which is best to tow: a folding camper or a caravan? Firstly, I’ll clarify what I mean by the best.
- The easiest to control when towing
- Which causes the smallest increase in fuel consumption
- The easiest to see around
The biggest determiner in ease of towing is the weight of the object you’re is towing. So let’s consider how much folding campers and caravans weigh.
The average weight of a folding camper is 600kg, while no folding camper weighs more than 1,000kg. In my experience, towing a folding camper is an easy experience. Because folding campers are light as far as trailers go, the majority of cars can easily tow a folding camper. The lightest folding campers can even be towed by a 1.2L car! Also, towing a folding camper doesn’t tend to increase your fuel consumption too greatly, because you’re towing something that’s relatively light.
Another benefit when towing a folding camper is how compact the trailer is. Depending on your tow vehicle, you’ll be able to see over and around your folding camper with ease. The same cannot be said for a caravan, because of how tall and wide they are. One of the largest folding campers, the Pathfinder, is 139cm tall and 212cm wide when towing. The average caravan is 260cm tall and 240cm wide to put that into context.
Caravans tend to weigh anywhere from 900kg – 2,000kg. Most caravans fall into the 1,200kg – 1,800kg weight range. Caravans tend to be much heavier than folding campers, which makes them harder to tow. It goes without mentioning that your vehicle will use much more fuel than usual when you’re towing a 1,800kg caravan too. It can be difficult to see around a caravan when towing, even with towing mirrors. And there’s no caravan in the world that you can see over while you’re towing it! –
Winner: Folding Camper
Folding campers are lighter, increase your fuel consumption the least, and are easier to see around. Caravans are much heavier, taller, and usually much wider. Therefore, a caravan is much harder to tow than a folding camper. Furthermore, caravans tend to be much heavier than folding campers.
Storing
Yet another important consideration is storage. Which is easier to store: a folding camper or a caravan?
To judge how easy it is to store both a folding camper and a caravan, we need to consider their dimensions.
Most folding campers fall into the below when stored/not set up:
- Height: 120cm – 140cm
- Length: 300cm – 500cm
- Width: 150cm – 220cm
The information above is based on the height, width, and length of 21 popular folding campers manufactured in the last 25 years. If you have a garage, you’ll be glad to know that most folding campers are small enough to fit into a garage. The only problem you may have is width-wise, as the average single garage door is 213cm wide. However, it is possible to store your folding camper on its side if it won’t fit into your garage otherwise – just be careful to store it properly.
Most caravans fall into the below data ranges:
- Height: 240cm – 270cm
- Length: 300cm – 650cm
- Width: 220cm – 255cm
The information above is based on over 100 2, 4, 5, and 6 berth caravans produced by a range of major manufacturers. As far as I’m aware, there’s no caravan that will fit into a domestic garage. You’ll have to store your caravan on your drive, which might be difficult if you have a small area available.
Only you know how long and how wide your drive is. Is it possible to store a caravan on it? No one can answer that but you. However, it’s evidently easier to store a folding camper than it is to store a caravan.
Winner: Folding Camper
Caravans tend to be wider, longer, and taller than folding campers. Because folding campers are smaller all round, it’s typically easier to store a folding camper than it is to store a caravan. However, ease of storing also depends on your personal circumstances. If you have a massive drive, it could be just as easy to store a caravan.
Insurance Cost
The cost of insurance is an important consideration for some when choosing between a folding camper and a caravan. How do insurance costs compare?
Let’s first take a the cost of insuring a folding camper.
How much does it cost to insure a folding camper?
The cost of folding camper insurance typically ranges from £40 – £150 per year. However, insurance can cost as much as £400 per annum depending on factors such as:
- The value of your folding camper
- The security you have in place to protect your camper
- Where you’re storing your camper
If your folding camper is secure and you’re storing it in a safe location, such as a gated drive, expect to pay between £40 – £150 annually for most folding campers.
I previously wrote a blog post all about insuring a folding camper, which you can read by clicking here. I got some quotes for folding campers of different values, changing up the variables to get a good idea of how much insurance will cost you. It’s well worth a read if you’re considering a folding camper and want to know more about what folding camper insurance covers, whether you need it, and how much it will cost you per year.
How much does it cost to insure a caravan?
Touring caravan insurance premiums range from £100 – £270 annually. The premiums vary due to factors including the value of the caravan, where you are storing it, and how secure it is.
The price of caravan insurance will depend upon several factors, such as:
- The age of your caravan: The age of your caravan will usually have an affect on how much you pay for insurance. In most cases, the older the caravan, the cheaper the insurance when compared with newer equivalents. This is because newer caravans are worth more.
- The value of the caravan: This one’s pretty obvious, but caravans with a high market value will cost more to insure than caravans with a low market value. With all insurance, the greater the value of your asset, the more you’ll pay so this should come as no surprise.
- Where you’re storing your caravan: Where you intend to store your caravan will have a big impact on the insurance premium you are offered. If you’re storing your caravan in a secure facility, you will pay less than someone storing their caravan on the side of the road.
- The caravan’s security features: The more secure your caravan is, the cheaper your insurance generally. For example, insurance for a caravan with an immobiliser and tracker fitted will be less than insurance for an equivalent caravan with neither.
So depending upon your specific circumstances, you could pay £100 – £270 annually, slightly more, or slightly less.
I wrote a blog post all about caravan insurance, looking at how much it costs and giving example quotes for numerous caravans. If you’d like to read about the price of caravan insurance in more detail, please click here to read that blog post.
Winner: Folding Camper
Typically, insuring a folding camper will cost less than insuring a caravan. However, I’ve only worked out the averages here and it will depend on exactly what you’re looking for. For instance, it’ll cost more to insure a brand new folding camper than it will an old, second-hand caravan.
Setup Time
Once I get to a campsite, I’m in holiday mode. I don’t want to spend ages getting everything set up, and I’m sure most holidaymakers feel the same way. So which is the quickest and easiest to set up: folding camper or caravan?
Folding Camper Setup Time
On average, it takes approximately 20 – 25 minutes to set up a folding camper once you get to site. If you intend to use the awning, it will take around 1 hour to get everything set up – although that’s a best-case scenario!
Once you’ve erected the folding camper, you have to set up the water, gas, and electric systems. If you know what you’re doing, this won’t take long. However, for those new to using a folding camper, it can take much longer.
Although putting up a folding camper is relatively easy, you still have to put it up. It’s quite a manual process and can take a long time. With a caravan, you don’t have any of these problems. Although admittedly you may also decide to use the awning which can take a while to put up.
Caravan Setup Time
There really isn’t any setup time with a caravan. Once you get to site, you’re pretty much ready to go. You have to organise all your belongings and make sure the water, electric, and gas are set up; that’s all you have to set up.
Setting up your awning can take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the type of awning you have and the number of people that are putting it up. An air awning is an excellent acquisition if you want to use an awning without all of the stress of having to set it up. For those who don’t know, an air awning self-inflates, so you’re not messing around with poles and the awning itself.
All in all, it’s fair to say that setting up a caravan is much easier and quicker than setting up a folding camper.
Winner: Caravan
Setting up a caravan doesn’t take long at all once you reach your destination. Comparatively, setting up a folding camper can take as long as a few hours if you’re unsure on what you’re doing.
Facilities
For some, it is important that their unit feels like a home away from home. Others enjoy an experience more in line with camping; they’re not too bothered about the facilities available. Which has the best facilities: a folding camper or a caravan?
Folding campers usually have:
- A kitchen
- Electric system
- Water system
- Gas system
- Fixed bed (or two)
As you can tell, most folding campers include the basic necessities and not much else. A typical folding camper kitchen will include a grill, sink, fridge, sink, and worktop space. Some folding campers, such as the Pennine Pathfinder, include a full oven. However, that’s where the luxuries end as far as kitchens are concerned.
It’s also worth mentioning that while some folding campers have toilets, not all do. And to my knowledge there isn’t a single folding camper that contains a washroom with a shower. Some folding campers have an external shower point, but no folding camper has the shower built in.
A folding camper is ideal for those who enjoy sleeping under a canvas but want to travel with a few luxuries such as their own kitchen. For those wanting something more luxurious, something that resembles home a little more, a caravan is the only option.
Caravans usually have:
- A large seating area at the front
- A kitchen
- Water system
- Gas system
- Electric system
- Washroom
Caravans in general tend to be more luxurious than folding campers. Some caravans truly feel like a mobile home, although the same cannot be said of all caravans.
Most caravans will feature a large, comfortable seating area at the front. Moving further along, all caravans have a kitchen containing at least the following:
- Grill
- Multi-burner hob (usually dual fuel)
- Fridge
- Sink
- Worktop space
Some caravan kitchens will feature more, such as an oven and a microwave. In general, caravan kitchens are much larger than the kitchens you’ll find in a folding camper. Most caravans are designed with comfort in mind, rather than simple functionality.
As well as the large seating area and a good kitchen, all caravans have a washroom. In general, this washroom will feature a toilet, sink, shower, and plenty of storage space. In some caravans, the shower will be in a separate cubicle. However, some washrooms are more akin to a wet room. Either way, you have a shower and a toilet, which you won’t find in any folding camper.
Winner: Caravan
The winner here has got to be caravan, as even entry-level caravans contain more facilities than the best folding campers. Caravans typically feature good kitchens as well as washrooms, which sets them apart from folding campers.
Which Is Best: Folding Camper Or Caravan?
So now to finally answer the question: folding camper or caravan?
To choice primarily depends on what is important to you. Do you want the option that’s easiest to store and simple to tow? Go for a folding camper. Do you want the option that gives you the very best in terms of facilities? Choose a caravan.
Hopefully this blog post has given you all the information you need to choose between a folding camper and a caravan. I hope I’ve given you all you need to make the choice that suits you best.