Every time someone asks us whether caravanning is worth it, we ask them one question: how often do you go away?
If the answer is once a year, a lodge might make more sense. But if you’re the type who wants to escape every other weekend, a caravan pays for itself faster than you’d think.
Let’s break down the numbers.
The Cost of a Lodge Weekend
A typical 2-night weekend at a self-catering lodge or chalet near Gauteng costs roughly:
- Accommodation: R1,500-R3,500 per night (depending on location and quality)
- Total for 2 nights: R3,000-R7,000
- Fuel: R500-R1,000 (depending on distance)
- Food and drinks: R1,000-R2,000
Total weekend cost: R4,500-R10,000
Over a year of monthly getaways, that’s R54,000-R120,000 on accommodation alone.
The Cost of a Caravan Weekend
Once you own a caravan, a weekend away looks very different:
- Campsite fees: R200-R500 per night (powered stand)
- Total for 2 nights: R400-R1,000
- Fuel: R600-R1,200 (slightly more because you’re towing)
- Food and drinks: R800-R1,500 (you cook your own)
- Gas for the caravan: R50-R100
Total weekend cost: R1,850-R3,800
That’s less than one night at many lodges.
The Caravan Investment
Of course, you need to buy the caravan first. Here’s what a realistic budget looks like:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Second hand caravan (decent condition) | R50,000-R120,000 |
| Insurance (annual) | R3,000-R8,000 |
| Accessories and setup | R3,000-R5,000 |
| Annual service and maintenance | R2,000-R5,000 |
Let’s say you spend R80,000 on a caravan and R10,000 per year on insurance and maintenance.
When Does the Caravan Pay for Itself?
If you save roughly R4,000-R6,000 per trip compared to a lodge, the caravan pays for itself in about 15-20 trips. At one trip per month, that’s about a year and a half.
After that, every trip is essentially a fraction of what you’d pay for a lodge. Over five years of regular use, the savings run into the hundreds of thousands of rands.
And at the end of those five years, you still own the caravan. A well-maintained second hand caravan holds its value reasonably well, so you can sell it and recover a good portion of your initial investment.
What You Get With a Lodge
Lodges have their advantages, and we won’t pretend they don’t:
- No setup or pack-down. Walk in, put your bags down, you’re done.
- Better facilities. Hot showers, proper beds, a real kitchen, sometimes a pool or spa.
- No towing. Just drive your car and arrive.
- Variety. You can try a different place every time without committing to a setup.
What You Get With a Caravan
But caravanning has its own advantages that money can’t easily measure:
- Freedom. You can go whenever you want without booking weeks in advance. Your accommodation is always ready.
- Your own space. Your stuff stays in the caravan. No packing and unpacking everything every trip.
- Flexibility. Don’t like a campsite? Hitch up and move. Try that with a lodge booking.
- The experience. There’s something about sitting under your own awning with a braai going and the kids playing in the bush that a lodge just can’t replicate.
- Community. Caravan parks have a social culture that lodges don’t. You’ll make friends you keep for years.
The Hybrid Approach
You don’t have to choose one or the other. Many caravan owners still book a lodge once or twice a year for special occasions, and use the caravan for regular weekends. That’s the best of both worlds.
The Verdict
If you camp regularly (once a month or more), a caravan is significantly better value than booking lodges every time. If you’re a once-or-twice-a-year traveller, a lodge is simpler and probably more cost-effective.
But here’s the thing we’ve seen over and over: people who buy a caravan end up going away more often. When the cost of each trip drops to under R2,000, you find reasons to go. A random Tuesday off work becomes a Vaal Dam overnighter. A long weekend becomes a Mpumalanga adventure.
Start Your Caravan Journey
At Caravan Center in Vereeniging, we have quality second hand caravans that will have you camping within the week. The sooner you buy, the sooner you start saving on lodge bills.
Browse our stock at caravancenter.co.za/caravans.
