The motorhome renter
Helen Werin has lived in Australia and New Zealand and toured in hired campervans in both countries
It was more cost-effective for us to hire campervans in both countries because, four or five months in advance, I found early-bird discounts and discounts for rentals over 21 days. One of our daughters had bought and, later, sold off campers easily enough in Australia, but we were bound by time constraints. I signed up to rental companies for quotations and, because I was shopping around and didn’t book immediately, was repeatedly offered even better discounts.
The choice is overwhelming. I started by looking on a couple of agencies’ websites, such as motorhomerepublic.com and camperdays.co.uk to get an overview. Drop-down menus for locations, berths, amenities and date availability narrowed my searches.
Having then picked out potentially suitable vehicles, I checked specifications. Interior height had to be enough for us to stand without stooping and beds to be long enough; the latter point crucial to check if there are more than two of you.
In my latest search for an Australian trip with a 6ft-tall daughter, I found two supposedly four-berth models, which, when I double-checked on a rental firm’s live (human) chat because the measurements were confusing, discovered that two of those berths were child/very small adult-sized.
I found some so-called ‘double’ roof beds weren’t long enough, either. Luckily this daughter is not claustrophobic. I would not be able to tolerate sleeping with my face so close to the ceiling in a roof bed – another research consideration.
Critical in further narrowing my choice of vehicles was storage. I allow for one holdall each, squashed in under-seat lockers in all the ’vans we’ve hired. In our Jucy Condos in Australia we used the roof beds to store bedding, etc.
Our daughter would have been happy with a safari tent (on the roof). However, looking at such models revealed that my husband and I would be squashed below in the car-like base vehicle with hardly room to move, let alone storage.
Neither did I fancy having to negotiate a ladder in the dark to visit the toilet. Falling off could be nasty in
Australia because, on many commercial campsites there, you park alongside a raised concrete hardstanding. It could be an option if you’re nimble, but risky if you enjoy a nightcap!
I next looked at online videos (YouTube and some hire companies’ websites). I’m glad I did because one I’d shortlisted, the four-berth Jucy Compass, revealed a potentially big problem. From the demonstration I could see that the bed, assembled from the dinette, had first to be put together outside. You can image how blue the air would be with language, rather than eucalyptus, on a rainy night if we’d gone for that. In pictures of other companies’ models, I noted jutting cupboards over the sink having plenty of head-banging potential.
Two big comparisons to make were insurance/excess waiver cover, which adds massively to basic quotes, and quickly mounting costs of extras, such as outdoor table and chairs, which I think are essential.
Kia Ora Campers in New Zealand included a lot of extras in its basic price that other companies charged for, which swayed our choice. I opted for top insurance/excess waiver cover for peace of mind over expense, especially as a big cause of damage and accidents in Australia is hitting kangaroos.
In Australia, the most basic ’van worked best for us because, with a couple of exceptions, we used campsites. Wild/freedom camping is illegal in many places in Australia, with big fines. Australian and NZ commercial sites all have wellequipped kitchens. Knowing therefore that we would only use our stove in Australia when brewing up between sites, or on national park campsites, also shaped our layout decisions.
Perhaps I should say here that, at Australian national parks, there are at least toilets, typically of the ‘drop’ variety. Just hope the previous user has put the lid down because of flies!
Otherwise there are public toilets and drinking water taps at rest areas, in Lions, Rotary and other public parks and at beaches. Porta Pottis are a complete waste of space in small ’vans as there is nowhere to ‘go’ on them.
Comfort and on-board facilities were far more important to us in New Zealand because we were taking advantage of the fantastic Freedom Camping initiative newzealand. com/int/feature/free-camping
This meant our ’van had to be certified self-contained (with onboard toilet). I have seen a few exceptions for non-self-contained ’vans, but not checking signage risks a hefty fine. Thus, being able to camp for free has enabled us to splash out on smart self-contained ’vans in New Zealand, luxurious after roughing it a bit in Australia.
I’m especially glad that we hired in Australia rather than export our ’van because all that dust gets in everything. At times, there were four adults travelling in the Jucy Condo in Queensland (two sleeping in a tent), yet we managed to fit everything in comfortably.
We weren’t planning to drive on dirt roads in either country as this is not usually permitted by hire companies, something crucial to factor in when plotting off-thebeaten-track adventures.
What would I do differently? Check fuel consumptions. Our Jucy Condo out of Sydney was a shocking gas guzzler. I also wrongly assumed, it being the same model as our Queensland ’van, that it would have the same layout. It didn’t have a food cupboard, so we ended up with boxes where the passengers would have sat. I would also aim to totally avoid public and school holidays when hire charges (and campsite prices) shoot up. ➤