Driving a motor home in Korea: A few tips for beginner campers
Published: 11 Aug. 2008, 20:29
Registering a camping car as a vehicle was difficult, until Korea hosted the Donghae Rally in 2002. Since then the registration process has become simpler. Gradually, local camping car companies emerged, such as Sejung Camping Car, Cheil Mobile and Vantech Camping Car.
“We’ve [Cheil Mobile] sold 80 camping cars to personal campers last year and this year,” said Choi Jang-hee, a manager at Cheil Mobile.
“Overall, there are an estimated 700 camping cars [both imported or domestic] nationwide.” But maintaining a camping car is costly. A trailer can cost from 10 million won to 100 million won and a motor caravan is at least 45 million won. And there often aren’t enough parking spaces for them.
If you’re not a camping maniac, it is more practical to rent rather than buy a camper. Most recreational areas in Korea that can accommodate camping cars are booked until the end of this month.
Rental cost
You can rent camping cars from Good Weekend (www.egoodweekend.com), Any Camping Car (www.anycampingcar.com) and Camping Story (www.campingstory.co.kr).
Anyone with a driver’s license can drive a camping vehicle. The rental fee depends on the size, type and interior of the camping car.
The latest camping cars can generate their own electricity using solar energy. A 24-hour rental ranges from 180,000 won to 360,000 won on weekdays and 230,000 won to 400,000 won on weekdays and holidays.
Tips
First-time renters may find the size and weight awkward when driving a motor caravan. It is difficult to drive at speeds anywhere near 100 kilometers per hour so allow for longer travel time than you expect.
Driving along steep mountain roads in many provinces can also be difficult. Also, using any cooking equipment while the car is moving is prohibited. The number of auto-camping sites with full facilities are increasing but there still aren’t enough. Many still lack electricity, water and sewage disposal facilities.
For more information, visit www.autocamping.co.kr.
By Kim Jung-soo JoongAng Sunday [angie@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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