When you hire a caravan, what are you actually hiring? Is there a gas bottle for cooking included? Will there be bed linen? Will you have to pay a bond? What sort of ID do they require? Here are the things you need to bring when hiring a caravan.

Firstly, you will need to bring clothes, linen and of course food! But many caravans for hire come with most of the items you use at home. Often there’s an equipment list on the web for you to check what’s provided with the caravan. This can include: microwave, fridge/freezer, TV/DVD player, gas cook top and oven (with gas bottle) and mattresses. Inside the van you may find cutlery and crockery, toasters, buckets and cleaning gear as well as dustpans and brooms all included. The same applies to motorhomes, RV trailers and camper trailers.

Just as if you were renting a unit, a bond is required, taken from a credit card, and refunded when the caravan is checked and the all clear given. In terms of insurance, caravans and camper trailers have full comprehensive and public liability insurance – but you need to have comprehensive insurance for the towing vehicle specified on the hire contract.

Caravan hire companies require the driver/hirer to hold a full unrestricted Australian drivers licence and be at least 25 years of age and under 75 years old. You must make sure that you have a sufficient amount of ID on you when you go to pick up the caravan, as well as a valid credit card. If you don’t have all this, you will start your trip off on the wrong foot.