Looking into a folding camper and wondering what kind of budget you’ll need? Folding campers vary greatly in price based on several factors, so I decided to create a guide that explains all you need to know about the price of folding campers.
How much are folding campers? Brand new folding campers start anywhere from £13,000 – £20,000. Second-hand folding campers range from approximately £2,000 – £8,000 depending on age.
As you can see, folding campers vary greatly in price. Even with new folding campers, the price variance is significant. In this blog post, I’ll explain the factors that impact the price of a folding camper with some examples of folding campers available right now.
What Impacts The Price of A Folding Camper?
Several variables affect how much a folding camper costs, such as:
- Age of the folding camper
- Whether the folding camper is second-hand
- The condition of the folding camper
- The model of the folding camper
- The specifications of the folding camper
This list isn’t exhaustive, either. There are so many variables that can impact how much a folding camper costs. For example, folding campers are often available for cheaper on the private market outside of the summer months. This is usually because owners don’t want to store their folding camper throughout the winter, so they’re willing to sell their unit cheaper to get rid of it quicker.
Age of A Folding Camper
This probably doesn’t come as a big surprise, but the age of a folding camper has a bit impact on how much a folding camper is worth. For the most part, a 2005 Pennine Pathfinder will always cost more than a 2002 Pennine Pathfinder.
Once folding campers reach a certain age, they don’t tend to change much in price. I wrote a post about the depreciation of folding campers that revealed once a folding camper hits around 10 years around, its value will remain pretty stable providing the unit is kept in a good condition.
This is a good thing, really. As long as you keep your folding camper in good shape, the age of the unit won’t matter so much after the initial depreciation in the first few years.
Whether Or Not A Folding Camper Is Second-Hand
This same point applies to cars, caravans, trailer tents and pretty much everything else that you can purchase second hand. Even if the second hand folding camper was released this year, it’ll still be valued lower because it’s already had an owner.
This is the primary reason that a folding camper depreciates so fast if you purchase one brand new. That’s why we advise that you shouldn’t purchase a brand new folding camper if you can avoid it. Always go second hand if you can so you avoid that initial depreciation hit.
The Condition of The Folding Camper
The condition of a folding camper perhaps has the biggest impact on the value of it. For example, a 2005 Pathfinder can be worth more than a 2015 folding camper if the 2015 folding camper is in poor condition. If you want to purchase an immaculate folding camper, you’ll always end up having to spend more. If you’re willing to purchase a folding camper that has signs of age, you’ll pay less. It really is as simple as that!
When browsing for folding campers, you can end up getting a real bargain if you don’t mind cosmetic issues such as stains on the canvas and so on. You just have to be careful that you don’t purchase a second-hand folding camper with defects that aren’t just cosmetic. I put together a guide to purchasing a second-hand folding camper that you can read here. If you’re buying a second-hand folding camper privately, hopefully this guide can come in useful.
The Model of The Folding Camper
Some folding campers are worth more than others because of the model or the manufacturer. For example, a Pennine folding camper might set you back more than a second-hand Trigano folding camper. Be aware that you do sometimes pay for the name when purchasing a folding camper.
The Specifications of The Folding Camper
Some folding campers in history have had special editions that have costed more than the standard edition. Little differences in specifications like this will have an effect on the price of a folding camper.
Some folding campers change slightly between generations too. For example, the Conway Countryman’s weight and width changed numerous times as the model was refined. Slight differences in specifications such as this won’t have too much of an impact on the price of a unit. However, differences in canvas and furniture colour will as some colour schemes are much more popular than others.
How Much Are New Folding Campers?
As I said at the beginning of this post, the price of brand new folding campers usually fall between £13,000 and £20,000. The tables below will give you a rough idea of how much you’ll have to pay for a brand new folding camper. Please note that the price will differ slightly depending on the dealer that you purchase the dealer from.
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 £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.
Now we’ve covered Pennine, we’ll have a look at the pricing of the latest Opus folding campers.
New Opus Model Price
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| All-Road Standard | £15,995 |
| All-Road Easy Rider | £17,495 |
| All-Road Full Monty | £18,995 |
| Off-Road Standard | £20,995 |
| Off-Road Extreme | £24,995 |
As you can see in the table above, the cheapest Air Opus is the all-road standard. The all-road standard model starts at £15,995. For this price, you’ll get a 5-berth unit without any of the extras such as the Enduro motor mover and the alloy wheels you get on the Easy Rider. The most expensive Air Opus is the off-road Extreme. With the off-road Extreme, you get extras such as thermal roof lining, a portable toilet, roof bars, and a complete awning.
How Much Do Second Hand Folding Campers Cost?
At the beginning of this post, I explained that the price of a second-hand folding camper will usually fall between £2,000 and £8,000. Of course, this all depends on variables such as the size of the folding camper, its condition and how old it is. As part of creating this blog post, I’ve had a look at some well-maintained second-hand folding campers to give you an idea of the budget you’ll need.
Here are a few examples of pre-owned folding campers available at the time of writing this post.
Pennine Sterling 2005 – £3,995
This 2005 Pennine Sterling is a 6-berth folding camper available for a great price when you consider the condition that it is in. As with the vast majority of folding campers, this Sterling has a 2 burner hob, grill, and refrigerator, as well as plenty of cupboard space. As well as the two beds on either end, the seating area can be converted into a 3rd bed for comfortable sleeping for 6 people.
This Pennine Sterling is fitted with gas assisted struts, which make putting up the folding camper so easy. If you’ll be putting it up alone, these gas assisted struts are a great feature as they’ll do the vast majority of the work for you.
Pennine Pathfinder 2010 – £6,995
This is a 2010 Pennine Pathfinder currently available from Pennine. Again, this is an excellent price for the condition of the folding camper. As well as the 2 burner hob and the grill, you also have a cassette toilet in the Pathfinder that always comes in handy. The Pathfinder is one of the most spacious folding campers available, so it’s a great option for family holidays.
In the 2010 Pennine Pathfinder, you also have a water heater. Most older folding campers only have cold running water, which can be a bit annoying. But as you may have guessed, the Pathfinder has hot water thanks to the built-in water heater.
Riva/Dandy Dimension 2007 – £5,500
Another 6-berth folding camper is the Dandy Dimension, alternatively known as the Riva Dimension. The Dandy folding campers are fairly distinctive, as the roof and walls of Dandy units are winterised and insulated. Instead of having a canvas, the Dandy models have PVC tops and sides. I personally prefer the look of the canvas, but the PVC top and sides you’ll find on a Dandy are advantageous in some respects. For example, you never have to deal with mould or rot because the material is PVC rather than canvas.
One of the big advantages of the Dandy is that you can pack it away wet if you have to and it’s never going to do any damage to your unit. Dandy folding campers are actually pretty hard to come by because they pretty much last forever. So for £5,500, you really can’t go wrong!
So now we’ve had a look at a few options available from trusted dealers, you should have a really good idea of the budget you’ll need if you’ll be buying a second-hand folding camper from a dealer. The prices will be similar on the private market too, but perhaps a little bit cheaper.
Hopefully my blog post has given you a really good idea of how much a folding camper will cost you. Good luck finding a camper for yourself!