How to Decide Whether to Rent or Buy Vehicle Transporters

If you’ve saved for years to buy the car of your dreams, whether it’s a luxurious off-road Range Rover or a top of the line Ferrari, you’re no doubt interested in getting the most out of it by racing it around tracks or traversing challenging terrain. Supercars are built to go fast, and 4x4s are made for tackling mud tracks with ease, and no feeling is more exhilarating than pushing your vehicle to its limits. However, if you take your sport seriously, you probably don’t want to risk damaging your vehicle’s new components by driving it to the track.

You want your car to be in pristine condition when you arrive at the race course, and if you’ve only just had new parts fitted to boost its performance, you don’t want them to go to waste by being used on typical roads. Instead, it’s better to tow your vehicle to your sporting destination using a car transporter, but how do you decide whether to rent or purchase?

Buy vs. Hire

You might assume that renting a transporter is more cost-effective than purchasing one, but that depends on how often you need to use it and whether you want specific customisations. You might struggle to find a rental service that can meet your required specifications, but when it comes to keeping your valuable car safe and secure, you should only settle for the very best.

If you want to save money when purchasing your own car transporters, you could look into buying second-hand items that have been kept in pristine condition. Plus, provided you buy a transporter from a reputable provider, you can feel confident it’s been thoroughly checked for damages before being made available to purchase.

Below, we take a look at some the main benefits of purchasing a car transporter instead of renting one before detailing some considerations to help you comply with the law and keep your transporter in full working order.

The Advantages of Purchasing Vehicle Transporters

From being able to choose a model that meets your specifications to saving on the cost of frequent rental, here’s why it’s often better to buy a transporter than hire one:

  • Choose the perfect model for your car – While rental companies will have a variety of transporters on offer, they may not have transporters with your required customisations. In most situations, rental companies can’t make customisations because other people need to use the transporter, so if you need a bespoke trailer, you’re better off buying your own.
  • Don’t keep paying for rentals – If you take your vehicle to a track day once a week, you could end up spending thousands on transporter rental over the space of a few months. By buying a transporter outright, you’ll only need to pay for maintenance to keep it in good condition, which is almost always cheaper than continuing to pay for rental after rental.
  • You’re in full control – You might be forced to take out an insurance package offered by the rental service, but you can choose your own premium if you own the transporter. Why let somebody else be in control of the small print when you could simply have the freedom to do whatever you like with your transporter? With a purchased vehicle, you can add numerous customizations to it. You can add stickers, or a license plate topper to add a little personality to your car. Perhaps even upgrade the wheels and get a paint job done. You cannot do any of these things with a rental.

Top Tips for Purchasing and Using Vehicle Transporters

It’s important to comply with the law and take great care of your transporter if you want your investment to be worthwhile:

  • Make sure registration plates and tail lights are clearly visible
  • Take routine maintenance seriously
  • Make sure you insure your transporter
  • Check the specifications before you buy to ensure the transporter is safe for your car
  • Stick to the rules of the road when driving with a transporter
  • Consider which customisations you might need before purchasing
  • Always check second-hand trailers to ensure they’re in good condition

As long as you apply common sense and buy a transporter that’s in full working order, you can feel confident that you’re making a smart investment and that you will save money by avoiding rentals in the long run.