Camper vans can make any summer road trip into an adventure of a lifetime. Whether you are traveling across the country or just a few hours from home, having a camper van gives you the freedom to travel without the need for hotels and accommodations, stressing about missing layovers at the airport, or trying to shove half of your wardrobe into a carry-on bag. For many families, this is one of the best options for traveling for so many reasons, but if you’ve been juggling between buying a camper van and just renting one, there are a few key things that you should keep in mind.

Should you buy a camper van?

There are a lot of benefits to owning a camper van over renting one for buyers who don’t mind paying for storage fees, have extra space to keep one, and travel often enough to make them a good financial decision. Camper vans can be expensive to purchase, but that is far from the only financial burden they can create. Registration, insurance, and storage when necessary can all play into how much you’re going to spend when purchasing — and those aren’t necessarily factors you will have to consider when renting, either. If you just want the comfort of not having to unload and reload a rented camper, or you plan on using it rather often, it can still be a good purchase.

Should you rent a camper van?

If you’re new to camper van ownership and not entirely sure what you want, renting one can be a happy medium. Renting a camper van is a good way to figure out what qualities you really care about and which ones you can do without. Besides that, if you aren’t sure how often you will actually use a camper van or don’t want the hassle of storing one, rentals can be the easy solution to making sure you aren’t wasting your money where it isn’t actually needed.

Renting before you buy isn’t a bad idea, either

If you are debating between the two options, it isn’t a bad idea to rent a camper van before making the final decision to buy. Camper vans can be a much larger expensive than some buyers realize, as it’s as intensive as buying a new vehicle while also coming with some additional costs. When you buy a camper van, you can expect to be paying not only for the van itself but also registration and insurance, and if you’re going to get yourself in that deep, it is important that you feel confident in your purchase and aren’t regretting the decision a few months down the road.

According to Escape Campervans, renting is the ultimate solution if you’ve always been interested in testing out the camper van lifestyle but just can’t make the full financial and time commitment that it requires. Renting is a great option for many families, especially as they begin to travel this summer with many travel restrictions beginning to lift, and, of course, if you find yourself falling in love with the lifestyle, you can always make the purchase when you’re ready, too.