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If you are planning a tour around the beautiful islands of New Zealand then the best and cheapest way is by campervan or car. New Zealand is renowned world wide for its natural splendor and as a popular centre for adventure sports. Its most special and unique places are accessed best with your own transport. The buses and organised tours seem to miss the best bits of the country.
The are defined tourist seasons in New Zealand these are in line with the best months for weather, December through to March. Because of these seasons demand for transport increases and therefore in general the prices also increase, but it is still easy to find reasonably priced, reliable campervans and cars to get you around.
The general attitude towards tourists camping in their vehicles is good in New Zealand and on the whole it is widely accepted, however in some areas it is recommended that you use the allocated campgrounds in the area which are usually cheap or free to use.
When buying cars and vans in New Zealand there are considerations that you need to make before registering a vehicle into your name. The procedure is that you check the car legally and mechanically before you buy it. This will dramatically reduce the risk of buying a “lemon”. It is also important to maintain older vehicles properly so check your oils and water regularly. And always keep one eye on your temperature gauge!
The best way is to buy a car or backpackers camper van is from fellow travelers or at the very least from genuine people who only have one car for sale, try and avoid the unlicenced dealers these vehicles can have legal issues and are generally not well looked after.
Always check the car legally before you buy it, unfortunately when you buy a backpackers car or campervan in New Zealand, some of the legal history of the car can transfer to the new owners of the car. Problems like debts to banks, police interest and fines for some traffic offenses can passed on to the new owners and essentially ended up in the loss of money and the vehicle. So check the legal history first.
The best way to buy a backpackers car or camper van in New Zealand is by having an mechanical inspection of the car before you buy. Try to get a good, thorough vehicle inspection should take around an hour and a half, and always ask for a written report of their findings.
Click here for more information about buying a car in New Zealand
There are a number of factors to take into account when you are considering this topic. Factors like the length of your stay, the time of year that you will be selling, the type of camper van all become important.
Generally if you will be staying over four to six weeks it will be financially more economical to buy and then re sell your car. If you are travelling in the lower season i.e. April to July then selling can take longer, if you are selling during this time you must give yourself enough time to sell. Failure to do this can result in bigger losses with respect to the price of the camper van.
When trying to sell camper vans of higher value it will normally take you longer to find a buyer so remember to give yourself more time.
Renting can better if you are worried about mechanical failure or the money is not an issue, but like most things in New Zealand it will always cost you more during the summer months.
Camping in New Zealand is extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. It is very well catered for throughout both North and South islands.
Camping can be one of the cheapest ways to see the country, at the end of spring and during the summer months i.e. November to April the weather is generally good enough to make this possible.
Some people will choose to travel in a car and camp in a tent, but people who are looking for more comfort and flexibility generally will buy a camper van. When camping in New Zealand with a tent and a car you must stick to designated campsites and campgrounds however people who are traveling in a camper van have the flexibility to park up and sleep in the van. It is however advised that a fair amount of discretion should be exercised and it is not recommended that you just park up anywhere, do a little research or even ask land owners and you will generally be met with a good reception providing you are respectful and tidy.
Camping at private campgrounds will usually cost between $10 and $25 / night depending on the facilities and location of the campsite and D.O.C. campgrounds are generally cheaper and in amazing locations but on the whole will have less facilities. IT IS ILLEGAL TO CAMP IN DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AREAS unless the area area has been designated for that purpose.
The main differences between a motor home and a backpackers campervan is the space inside.Backpackers campervans usually sleep up to two people comfortably, where motor homes may be able to sleep up to six people and generally have more space inside to cook and sit. Motor homes are also on the hole better equipped in side often having showers, cookers and sometimes toilet facilities.
The other main difference between motorhomes and backpackers campervans is the price. In New Zealand you can generally pick up good backpackers campervan for around 10,000 – 20, 000 NZD but a proper motorhome will cost you around 40,000 NZD and upwards.
Because of the price, people who want to travel in New Zealand in a motor home will generally rent, depending on the length of their stay. However, many dealers of such vehicles offer guaranteed ’buy back’ prices. It can often depend on the time of year that you buy and sell as to how much of your money you will get back. Rental prices vary massively throughout the year due to the defined tourist seasons.
Many people decide to compromise with a backpackers campervan, being much cheaper to buy it can cost dramatically less to buy and sell a backpackers campervan, they are often easier to re sell. Just make sure you are buying a good one by checking it out first.
For those travelling on low budgets they may decide for a converted work van. Essentially the same thing without all of the comforts that can be found in the properly set up backpackers campervans. For the same vehicle it can be half the price for a converted van, meaning that you can make the same trip without such a big initial outlay and with the same amount of risk involved. A good converted van will generally cost you around 4000 NZD and up depending on the year, make and model.
With the huge fluctuations in fuel prices recently, one of the big questions, when buying a car, is whether to opt for petrol or diesel.
So which is best?
There’s no easy right or wrong answer. This decision can’t be based solely on which fuel is cheaper at the pump as there are many factors to consider:
- How many kilometres per year the vehicle will travel
- The size and type of vehicle
- The vehicle’s fuel economy
- Purchase price
- Depreciation
- Fuel price
- Road User Charge (RUC)
- Registration costs
- Service and maintenance costs
- Convenience
- Noise and performance
- Environmental impact
Kilometres travelled
The financial benefits of diesel are generally better if you travel high kilometres. A car travelling low kilometres – 15,000km per year or less – petrol may be the better option.
Size and type of vehicle
Large cars and 4WDs with high fuel consumption will benefit from being diesel powered. Smaller cars with petrol engines of around a 1.6 litre capacity will generally be very economical. However in general smaller cars will also travel shorter distances, therefore a number of qualifying factors come into play.
Fuel economy
During the AA Energywise rally 2008 we discovered diesel cars usually travel up to 30% further on one tank of fuel. However fuel economy should be considered in conjunction with other factors such as registration costs, Road User Charges (RUC), purchase price, servicing and depreciation.
Purchase price
Diesel cars used to be considerably more expensive than petrol. These days the price difference may not be as extreme, but it’s still worth checking.
Depreciation
Depreciation is a major factor when considering which fuel type to use. In particular, petrol models of large 4WD’s tend to depreciate more quickly than their diesel equivalents.
Fuel price
Although fuel prices fluctuate, diesel has remained cheaper at the pump. However, RUC and greater registration fees must be factored in to the overall running costs of diesel vehicles.
Road User Charge (RUC)
RUC costs apply to all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and cars using fuel that isn’t taxed at source, such as diesel. For vehicles with a Mass Gross Weight of up to 2 tonnes, RUC costs $36.07 per 1000 km, so this needs to be considered as a direct additional cost of diesel.
Registration Costs
The annual registration fee is a cost that is fixed regardless of distance travelled. This is where higher mileage vehicles have an advantage over low mileage vehicles. The annual registration fee for a private car is currently $211.84 for petrol and $336.69 for diesel, a difference of $124.85.
Service and maintenance costs
Diesel vehicles have traditionally been more expensive to service. However, many modern diesels now have much longer service intervals – up to 40,000km or 2 years in some instances. Fuel filters are usually a recommended service item so this is a cost to be considered. However, service intervals depend on the manufacturer’s recommendation, so different makes and models will vary.
Convenience
Historically, diesel pumps were tucked away in the corner of the service station. This is usually no longer the case although may still be evident in remote areas. Ensuring the RUC is up to date is another potential inconvenience of operating a diesel vehicle. However, the biggest convenience of operating a diesel vehicle is it requires re-fuelling less often.
Noise and performance
Older diesel engines tend to be very noisy; however modern technology has greatly improved noise levels. Performance used to be poor for diesel vehicles, modern direct injection, turbo intercooled diesel engines means this is no longer an issue.
Environmental impact
Neither petrol nor diesel engines are good for the environment. However, minimising environmental damage should be of concern to all motorists.
- CO2 (Carbon dioxide) is one of the major greenhouse gases that has been linked to discussions on climate change. Generally, diesel engines emit a lower level of CO2 per kilometre travelled so could be considered better for the environment.
- CO (Carbon monoxide) is a lethal gas produced by petrol engines. While CO emissions have been combated with the use of catalytic convertors, they only work effectively once they have reached operating temperature, so CO is still a by-product of petrol engines during the warm-up phase.
- NOx (Nitrous Oxide) combines with low level ozone to form smog. While NOx can be higher in a new diesel than a new petrol engine, petrol engines produce more NOx over time.
- HC (Hydrocarbon) in fuels contains harmful chemicals including benzene. Benzene has been proved to be highly carcinogenic. HC emissions are much higher in petrol engines than diesel.
- SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) refers to particles suspended in the air, such as soot, emitted from the exhaust of a diesel engine. While modern diesels are fitted with particulate filters, SPM emissions are still high in older diesel engines.
To summarise the environmental impact of petrol vs diesel engines: Diesel comes out on top with regards to CO2, CO and HC. Both are around the same when it comes to NOx and diesel is worse for SPM.
Generally speaking, a large 4WD vehicle doing high mileage would be better off diesel powered and a small hatchback, doing a low mileage may be better being petrol powered.
However, there are many factors to consider, and each factor needs to be considered in conjunction with the others. Ultimately, it comes down to the individual motorist’s decision as to which fuel best serves their purpose.
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