Motorhome / campervan hire services offer you a way to get out farther away from the cities and to still have a very luxurious time of it. There are quite a few things to consider about hiring one of their vehicles, however, and many of them have to do with determining whether or not you’re really ready to take on this challenge. If you are, you’re in for one of the most enjoyable times you can have on Australia’s motorways.
Driving These Vehicles
The vehicles a motorhome / campervan hire company will have for sale will be much larger than what you’re used to, of course, unless you have a lot of experience driving big vehicles. If you are experienced in this regard, you’ll find that there are no new challenges that you face with these vehicles. If this is new to you, however, you’ll want to keep the following in mind.
Your mirrors will be used or just about everything except for driving in a straight line when you’re in a motorhome or a campervan. You’ll need to get used to using blind spot mirrors and to backing up using your mirrors. This is a bit intimidating at first but, if you practice for a while in a parking lot or other safe area, you’ll get the hang of it quickly. If you need someone to assist you backing up, have them stand in the passenger side mirror so that you can see them. Use the driver’s side mirror to check behind you on your own side.
If you plan on towing your car behind you, you’ll have to become accustomed to the amount of space you’ll be taking up on the highway. A motorhome / campervan hire company will oftentimes have trailers that you can use to tow your car behind you. You’ll have to hook up the appropriate wiring to make sure that your car’s brake lights go off when the campervans do. These are usually provided by the motorhome / campervan service, as well.
Safety
Motorhome / campervan hire services will usually provide all the basics you need for safety, but you’ll want to double check to make sure you have everything you need on hand. You’ll want triangles to make sure that you can flag off the motorway if you run into trouble. You’ll also want a spare tyre in case you have to make a change on the road. Make sure you take a look at the apparatus required to change a tyre on these vehicles and that you’re sure you can do it by yourself or, if you’re on the road with your mates, with a bit of help. Most of the time, it’s not as difficult as it may seem. Some motorhomes and campervans have dual tyres on the back, which makes it less likely that you’ll have a complete blow out.
Take a look at the engine at the motorhome / campervan hire and ask the service people what you need to know about checking fluid levels and so forth. If you’re driving in very hot conditions, make sure that you take extra fluids with you. These should include fluids for you, as well as the vehicle. You can usually just turn on the AC if you have trouble on the side of the road so you can keep cool in the van, but if you have a complete breakdown far from help you’ll want to make sure that you have some way of keeping the heat from getting to you. Provided that you’re safe and comfortable with driving the vehicle, you should have a great time in these vehicles and enjoy the scenery and destinations that Australia has to offer!