We're looking for something cheap, but big enough to carry 2 adults and 2 bikes around Canada. Probably for 6 weeks.
Avis, Alamo etc are around £1500 for that period, I could probably buy something for less!
There must be somewhere that rents older vehicles, Ford Transit type etc
What about just buying a boot mounted rack once you get there? Shouldn't cost much more than £50. And just bin it/donate (if you can find a way) at the end of the trip. Obviously, you'd have to find a reliable way to secure them but I think crime rates are pretty low outside the big towns.
Worth thinking about, goes against most rental contracts, but who's to know...?
Ford f-150
We found the Dodge Voyager superb for this type of trip last couple years... seats fold into floor making an effective van that took bike bags, bikes and luggage all inside easily. Probably no cheaper perhaps?
Which airport are you flying into? I've had success in Vancouver looking at smaller hire firms on page 2 or 3 of Google. Yes you may not be able to pick up at the airport, but better deals can be had even including a taxi fare.
You'll have a hard time buying anything reliable for that little. Used Cars are horrendously expensive compared to the UK. Plus there a 12% tax (BC) on car purchases so you can't just buy and sell for convenience.
Though not to everyone's taste, wicked campers might suit? Rent a wreck also?
Minivans (dodge caravan) will be spacious enough to carry you, your bikes with wheels on and all your gear. Minivans are typically cheaper than compact SUVs too. Most rental cars in North America are sedans (saloon), so even to get a hatchback you need to be careful what you choose to rent. F150.. you could probably get a taxi everywhere for what a truck rental would cost.
Might consider U-Haul. They do some smaller vans and their day rate can be reasonable.
Boot rack.. not ideal, where are you going to store your bikes? When leaving the car as there will be nothing but possiby a tow hook to lock them to.
As above, u-haul is probably the cheapest option.
Most cars over there are huge, I got 2 bikes in the boot of a Chevy impala (saloon) with the wheels off, there was still plenty of space in the boot and all five seats were free.
Years ago (waves! Hi Jonny!) we hired a Chevy Cobalt for 3 weeks in BC. It had a boot, not a hatch, but the bikes went in there (mechanical Tetris) and the bags on the back seat.
Avis, Alamo etc are around £1500 for that period, I could probably buy something for less!
Did you get these prices off the Avis or Alamo websites?
Are you flying in and out of the same airport? Prices will be more expensive for one way rentals, and even more expensive if the pick up and drop-offs are in different provinces...
If it's just a "straight-forward" rental, try somewhere like HolidayAutos.com or Carrentals.com - these are usually cheaper. Also, check whether your credit card provider will insure you if you pay for the car on your CC - that would potentially save you a fortune. It's fairly typical for North American issued CC - not sure UK/European CC will cover you so check first
(It may even be worth getting a CC specifically for this, if you can find one)
Probably a fair rate.... Something like a Toyota corolla hatch would do 2 bikes and bags if you can pack properly, wheels off obviously but shouldn't bee too much hassle.
Yep, got those rates direct and through an aggregator. Flipping expensive. Not thought about UHaul
I sold a Mazda bongo for £1500 recently, that would be perfect!
Uhauls business model won't work if you are doing big mileage, as they are a flat daily rate and then a 'per km' fee.
Maybe tolerable if it's one way...
It may be worth checking out Discount Car rental. The service isn't as reliable as Avis etc, but they can be cheaper. Another option is RentaWreck. Not used them myself, but some friends have and it worked out OK, and I've seen the lots in a few places.
Failing that, is there an option of 'contract hire', or something like, of the sort that businesses use? It's such a long rental period that even with a cheap company the costs will add up.
And as above, Dodge Caravan would be fine, but realistically if there are two of you, most things bigger than an Audi A3/ Golf would be doable with 2 people and 2 bikes. If it was a shorter rental you could probably get an SUV as a free upgrade, and you could chuck two bikes with both wheels on in the back of most of them!
I find Enterprise the cheapest of the main options. Also try not to book direct from the airport if possible. In come cities there is a tourist tax that is applied to rentals at the airport... depending on cost / plans it might be cheaper to get into downtown and then rent the next morning.