Which campervan to choose????

Tigerandahalf

For 2 people ...a decent camper with fridge, stove...and other extras(no s/t needed)
have looked at various sites and options...
hippie vans are cheapest...has anyone used them...
I was leaning more towards the Hi-Top as you could store your luggage in the child's sleeping area in the top part of the van (will have big cases)
Would love to hear from people who have used either....there's a nice bit in price difference so just wondering what you would recommend.
Thanks in advance

Sonnenblumen

Apart from the hippie low van types, there is a surprising consistency of prices amongst the other vendors (smells of controlled pricing ?).

Heading out next Tuesday, have decided to make booking during short stay in Sydney before heading north. IMO, the prices are a rip off, typically AU$ 250-300/day:eek: which is more than a 5 star hotel in Sydney! Unbelieveable.

Also how why are there so many petrol vans, surely diesel is better cost/more reliable etc etc?

I've shortlisted 2: BRITZ and Backpacker, forget the rest? I wish I was wrong.

littlejukka

i've mentioned this in another thread, www.standbyrelocations.com

for as little as 5 dollars a day you get a new van, some as big as 6-berths. they are all one-way rentals with restrictions on time and distance travelled. we took one from melbourne to adelaide to alice springs over the course of a week for 5 dollars a day plus 18 dollars a day to reduce the excess to zero. it was a brand new mercedes sprinter 6-berth with 58km on the clock. awesome machine with a kitchen, toilet, shower, TV/DVD, all that stuff. great way to travel but you don't get to laze around for a few weeks on the beach, it's more for a point to point trip with a hectic schedule on the way.

as for the consistency of prices; britz, maui, explorer and backpacker are all brands owned by tourism holdings australia, the company that pretty much run all the major names in camper rental except for wicked. they might own apollo as well, not sure.

Dave!

littlejukka, am I right in thinking that you have to put up a rather large deposit for those relocations? Do you lose that if you, say, get a scratch on it? And are they strict on the timetable, ie. if you get delayed or don't make up as much ground as you'd hoped, what happens?

I'm thinking it's a pretty good idea, just a bit concerned I could end up losing a big deposit !

littlejukka

you need to bring your passport for ID and there is a 1000 dollar deposit, payable on a credit or debit card. with the excess reduced to zero you won't get done for scratches or minor damage, just be careful with it. these things are longer and heavier than you think.

the exception is damage to the roof if you whack it off something or roll the thing over, you are liable for that up to 3500 dollars but that is standard with any camper rental afaik.

tbh i don't think 1000 dollars is unreasonable. if i was giving someone i didn't know a van worth 50,000 dollars i'd expect some surety they'll actually return it.

if you're late you are liable for the 1000 dollars, but you can ask for (and pay full rate) extra days when you book it, if they can be flexible they will be but sometimes it will be going out of the new location first thing in the morning so it absolutely has to be back by 3pm.

for making up ground, just make sure you are realistic about what you can cover in a day. in some outback areas there is no reason you can't do 600km in 4 hours, but in other areas and in bad weather you'd be lucky yo do 600km with a full day driving. if they allow 3 days to make the trip then it will be reasonably achievable to do it in that time, just start early, plan ahead and ask for advice along the way.

Tigerandahalf

littlejukka wrote: »

you need to bring your passport for ID and there is a 1000 dollar deposit, payable on a credit or debit card. with the excess reduced to zero you won't get done for scratches or minor damage, just be careful with it. these things are longer and heavier than you think.

the exception is damage to the roof if you whack it off something or roll the thing over, you are liable for that up to 3500 dollars but that is standard with any camper rental afaik.

tbh i don't think 1000 dollars is unreasonable. if i was giving someone i didn't know a van worth 50,000 dollars i'd expect some surety they'll actually return it.

if you're late you are liable for the 1000 dollars, but you can ask for (and pay full rate) extra days when you book it, if they can be flexible they will be but sometimes it will be going out of the new location first thing in the morning so it absolutely has to be back by 3pm.

for making up ground, just make sure you are realistic about what you can cover in a day. in some outback areas there is no reason you can't do 600km in 4 hours, but in other areas and in bad weather you'd be lucky yo do 600km with a full day driving. if they allow 3 days to make the trip then it will be reasonably achievable to do it in that time, just start early, plan ahead and ask for advice along the way.

I looked at them but tbh I don't think they're a great option. The amount of days you are given to drive it to the destination is very limited. You are basically working as a driver, except you are paying them! Maybe it would suit some people.
Can I ask people what you did for food while driving in the camper. We were hoping to cook a lot of our own food. However, what I thought would be a cooker turns out to be a single hob stove that you would place on a table....baked beans comes to mind!

-jellybelly-

I would recomend the high top as you said you can keep your bags out of the way. Also you can cook inside which is alot better when it gets dark and all the bugs come out. I rented a travelers auto barn hi-top first but it was old and the battery wasnt good for fridge and light. Got a Britz hi-top for 2months for 2 people and it was perfect for us.

travelsarah

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

For 2 people ...a decent camper with fridge, stove...and other extras(no s/t needed)
have looked at various sites and options...
hippie vans are cheapest...has anyone used them...
I was leaning more towards the Hi-Top as you could store your luggage in the child's sleeping area in the top part of the van (will have big cases)
Would love to hear from people who have used either....there's a nice bit in price difference so just wondering what you would recommend.
Thanks in advance

I would recommend the Travellers Auto Barn Hi top as budget option with fridge, gas stove, double bed + single bed, easy to drive. The vehicle wasn't a new one, but good value for the price, I had a really good time when I travelled 1 month along the East Coast with 2 of my friends. Otherwise if you want the comfort of a new vehicule, there is the Apollo as a 5 star HiTop model, but more expensive.

Hope these advices will help!!!

Tigerandahalf

Well, we've booked a Britz Hi-Top....their communication was poor and a bit impersonal with the emails...however for about €140 a day we have a camper that will sleep upto 3..or two with big luggage...our insurance covers everything (including damage to under and over carriage) and there is no excess. It has a fridge, 2 hob stove and all bed linen towels etc is thrown in. I think we have to pay a bond of about $300 which is not so bad. They've said it will be between 1 and 2 years....wait and see until we get it!
Advice I'd give is plan and do your research early and look at the finer print in the contract.