Campervan hire: Everything you need to know

A campervan could be your ideal gateway to a world of outdoors fun and adventure travel. Surely, the millions of people around the world who reckon #vanlife is the ultimate way to travel can’t be wrong.

But, if you want to give the lifestyle a try before fully committing cash, time and effort to it, then what options are available to you?

Well, campervan hire is a possibility. So, how does campervan hire (aka campervan rental) work? Is it easy to do? Is it becoming more popular? How has Covid impacted its popularity? Does hiring and renting a camper van mean the same thing? (Spoiler alert: Yes, it does.) We’ll answer those questions and more in this yarn.

Read on.

How does a campervan compare to caravans, camper trailers & motorhomes?

A campervan is similar to a motorhome.

A campervan is a vehicle-and-accommodation package that you drive, but it generally has fewer amenities than a caravan or motorhome – for example, no toilet and shower (unless it’s an outdoors one) – and it is not as big as a caravan or motorhome.

It may have a basic kitchen and counter-top, as well as seats that can be moved and folded to become a bed of sorts. 

A caravan is essentially a self-contained house on wheels, with kitchen facilities, beds, seating, storage and some, depending on their size, even have toilets and showers. It has to be towed behind another vehicle.

A campervan is similar to a motorhome in that it is driven as an all-in-one vehicle-and-accommodation package but it is usually much bigger than a campervan and so it can offer the users a lot more in terms of space and amenities.

Camper-trailers are similar to caravans in that they have to be towed, but they do generally have fewer amenities than a caravan, such as a toilet and shower.

What types of campervans are available to rent?

Campervans usually feature a basic kitchen and counter-top set-up.

What type of campervan you decide to hire will largely depend on your budget, what you want to use it for, where you’re going to take it, and the duration of your trip.

Obviously, you’ll be looking for campervans that specifically suit your needs: if your tastes lean towards caviar and fine wine you’ll be searching in the luxury camper van hire realm; if your furry mates always accompany you on your travels you’ll be looking for pet friendly camper van hire; or, if you like to go off road, then you should seek out something built for forays onto dirt roads.

The layout of campervans may vary slightly depending on the make and model of the base vehicle but there’s usually no divide between the driver/passenger cabin and the rear portion of the van that can be set up for accommodation purposes – it’s all one open space.

As mentioned, there may be a basic kitchen and counter-top set-up and if the van has two or three rear seats they may be folded down to be used as a bed platform.

Beyond those characteristics, there may be black-out curtains, fly-screens, an awning, picnic table and chairs, storage, as well as nice extras, such as an outdoor-mounted shower, or a portable chemical toilet.

Marcus Moffat, of Wander Campervans, converts Toyota HiAces into campervans.

You’ll have to decide whether you’ll hire a campervan from a commercial operator, or opt for a peer-to-peer van sharing service, such as SHAREaCamper, Camplify, or Camptoo.

Camplify, the self-proclaimed “largest and most trusted van sharing platform” in Australia, claims that it has “thousands of unique vans available for hire across Australia and a community of over 50,000 holidaymakers”.

Same goes for companies such as SHAREaCamper and Camptoo – they all reckon they have plenty of vans, so sourcing a suitable example shouldn’t be a problem.

For something different, Marcus Moffat, of Wander Campervans, does his own DIY campervan conversions on Toyota HiAce vans, and hires them out, so check out his website.

The duration of your loan with any company may have a minimum period – for instance, two days – but long-term rentals can be negotiated with the company or the caravan’s individual owner or agent.

How do you hire a campervan?

When you collect a campervan, run through a comprehensive checklist with the owner/agent.

Really, it’s as simple as doing your research, finding a company that seems to suit you with products that seem to fit your needs, and contacting them.

Then the fun begins.

Commercial operators or peer-to-peer van sharing services have comprehensive online booking systems and via those you’re able to pick your campervan and select your travel dates. Before you go any further you should thoroughly read the terms and conditions of the campervan loan before you pay any money, make sure you’re fully aware of all of the fees that will be incurred (more about that in the ‘How much does it cost?’ Section below), and then laying down your cash.

When you collect the campervan, run through a comprehensive campervan checklist with the owner/agent, take photos of the entire vehicle (inside and out), and make sure the owner gives you the lowdown on any quirks or peculiarities to do with the everyday operation of the campervan that you need to know about it. 

How much does it cost?

Trakkadu has been modifying vans since the 1970s.

So, the $64,000* question is: how much does a campervan cost to hire? (* Don’t worry, campervan hire cost is nowhere near that much – in fact there’s a good possibility you’ll find something cheap and suitable.)

Prices vary widely, depending on location and the type of van. 

Just to give you an idea of what’s available: at time of writing (early October 2022) the Camplify website stated that it had more than 300 camper vans to hire in total across all locations in Australia and, within only a few minutes of searching, we found a Campervans that costs $55 a day to hire – the Tom Cruiser, which sleeps four – in Merewether, NSW, through to a Toyota LandCruiser with a rooftop tent* in Wangara, WA for $240 a day. (Not a campervan, but close-ish.)

At time of writing, Marcus Moffat, of Wander Campervans, had four modified Toyota HiAces on his fleet, with more to come soon, and his prices start from $85 a day depending on which campervan you hire.

Before we wrap this yarn up, I’ll momentarily go off strict topic: if you decide you really want to embrace the #vanlife culture and buy a campervan of your own, then it’s worthwhile checking out the campervans on offer from Sydney-based Aussie company Trakka. This mob has been turning vans into adventure-ready machines since the 1970s and has a sterling reputation, so you have nothing lose by having a squiz at their creations.