Comparing camper and car rental companies in Australia is tough to do- it's the ultimate road trip destination, with everything from tropical rain forests, to stunning beaches, to snowy mountains- and it's safe, with good roads between all the major cities and towns. Because of this, there are a ton of different rental companies to choose from- so much so it can get overwhelming! Campervan and car companies operate in Australia in a very similar way to airlines- their prices increase with more demand and the closer to the date of departure you book. The vast majority of campers in Australia are automatic, not manual, and use petrol, and must be returned full of fuel.

You can get away with sleeping in a camper along the street in smaller towns in Australia- provided you've paid for parking. Certain places are very strict on this, such as Byron Bay and Airlie Beach, and they will fine you for sleeping in your camper. There are plenty of free campsites, and we strongly recommend you download Campermate or wikicamps onto your phone. They are paid apps but worth it, 10 times over if they help you find a free campsite! Finally, most campers here do not have a shower or toilet included- except on their best models.

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Relocations

If you simply want to get a camper to go from A to B in as quick a time as possible, try to find some relocation vehicles. You can get campers from $1 a day, with a fuel allowance, just for bringing a camper from point A to point B in a certain number of days. This is normally the number of days it takes to drive directly (without stopping) between places, plus a day or two. So you won't have time to see many sights- but it can definitely save you the price of a flight. Relocation vehicles are normally available 1-2 weeks before the departure date, and its always a risk to count on them- as rental prices increase closer to the time. You can check with the camper companies directly, or use a website like Imoova. Normally a bond is required to secure the booking, and speaking of bonds..

Insurance vs Bond

When booking a campervan, you will almost always get a choice between leaving a bond or paying a daily rate for insurance (The exception is Camperman, which includes it automatically). A bond is money taken from your credit card that is kept until you return the car/camper undamaged at the end of the trip. Most Australian companies take it, not freeze it, and most need a credit card, not debit card. Bonds vary- car rentals can have a bond as low as $1200, while campers tend to be between $3000 and $5000. RV rentals can be as high as $10000! We always recommend the insurance option, as accidents happen, and sometimes there nothing you can do when a kangaroo jumps in front of you. Insurance, is generally $20 a day with cars, and $30-$35 a day with campers, and covers most damages. Some companies will still require a small bond in addition to insurance, usually $100-$500. Occasionally, additional windscreen protection insurance can also be bought as an extra.

Other Additional Costs

There are other costs to be aware of when booking a camper, that isn't included in the daily rate. Most companies have a one way fee for dropping off the rental in a different city to the city you began in (Spaceships don't though). Many companies also charge extra for additional drivers, or for drivers under 25. Other charges can also be added on- renting tables and chairs, extra gas tanks, GPS, etc. Wicked are especially bad for additional charges- they charge you an 'outback' cough bullshit cough fee for leaving the East Coast, and other crazy fees such as having a foreign licence.

Final costs to be aware of is tolls- most companies do not cover the toll fees, which you have to pay yourself (Camperman is again the exception)- and fuel. Fuel efficiency changes depending on the vehicle, and in general the older the vehicle, the worse the efficiency.

Here's our breakdown of the different campervan companies, and which is best for you- Remember, contact us for a free comparison quote between the companies, and also get 10% off the price on their websites- even if they are on sale. Only with Tripfarm.

Jucy

We love Jucy at Tripfarm. OK, so their campers and car rentals are a terrible green colour, and their ads are everywhere.. But they are a great company to rent from, both price wise and reliability wise. Jucy have a wide selection of campers and cars to choose from. Their car rentals include everything from budget hatchbacks to 8 seaters- and 8 seaters that rent to under 21's are not easy to find! Their El Cheapo camper is.. well cheap, and doesn't have a fridge, but every model above that is perfect for the road. They also offer campers with rooftop tents, and fully covered converted camper vans such as the Jucy Condo, for people who want a hot shower inside.

Pros

• Tend to be reasonably priced
• If you are insured, you are fully covered- no sneaky fees.
• Tend to be new cars
• Customer Service will do their best to find a solution if there is a problem
• 18 year olds can rent with no extra fee.
• Book through us and more often then not you'll get free tables and chairs, or the one way fee waived

Cons

• Only cover the main cities of the East Coast and Adelaide
• Can get booked out early
• For their cheaper options, you cook at the back, which can be a pain in the rain.

Lucky Campers (Owned by Jucy)

Lucky Campers are the budget option for Jucy, that only operate on the East Coast. Their cars and campers are Jucy's old versions- so don't expect 5 star luxury, they can be scruffy on the outside! Their selection isn't massive either- it's either 2 or 4 person converted people carriers. If you are just looking for a cheap option to get you from one place to another and aren't fussy, Lucky might be the ones for you.

Pros

• Can be really cheap

Cons

• Tend to add on a lot of extra fees
• Even with insurance, you can have to pay an excess
• Old vehicles
• Only on the East Coast
• Some vehicles are not available in certain locations
• You cook at the back, which can be a pain in the rain

Camperman

Camperman are a great Austrailian owned company. They have a different strategy compared to other companies- they offer all-inclusive rentals, with rent in the price. They also cover any tolls you pass on the road, and provide all the optional extras. There is a $500 bond however, which must be left on the day- but for the quality of their vehicles, that's fine. Their vehicles range from 3 person to 5 person campers, but occasionally include a tent instead of space for the extra person inside. All in all, they usually work out cheaper than any other company with everything taken into account.

Pros

• Good quality vehicles
• All vehicles are self contained campers
• All inclusive
• Tolls included- not usually the case !
• Wide selection of different vans
• Have depots in Airlie Beach and Townsville

Cons

• $500 bond is obligatory- there is no way to avoid it.
• $70 admin fee.

Spaceships

Spaceships tend to be a backpackers best budget option for renting campervans, especially those travelling the East Coast and dropping off in different cities. They offer cheap, decent quality cars, fitting 2-4 people, and most importantly, they don't have any of the sneaky one way fees other companies charge. Spaceships offer three different quality rentals, from the Alpha budget option to the Beta plus- all options are converted people carriers, with awnings on the back.

Pros

• No one way fee is huge.
• No other additional fees is also huge
• Normally one of the cheapest in high season

Cons

• Only cover the main cities of the East Coast and Adelaide
• You cook at the back of the camper, which can be a pain in the rain
• $5000 bond means you almost have to take insurance

Travellers Autobarn

Travellers Autobarn host a range of camper rentals from all over Australia, including Perth and Darwin. They're reliable, cheap, and have a great reputation, starting from their cheap, stationwagons with a mattress in the back, to amazing 4 berth campers. Their selection is pretty great, and the stationwagon is a good cheap sleep option for two people. They are even a good company to buy campers from- they buy back after!

Pros

• All over the country- the go to guys for rentals from Darwin to Perth
• Stationwagon is great and cheap
• Great customer service

Cons

• The 'Living Fee' is a bit annoying and unavoidable
• 14 day minimum hire in most places on the East Coast. 5 day minimum hire usually.
• Campers can be expensive to hire

Apollo Campers

Apollo Motorhomes Australia are good quality, generally new, well maintained vehicles. They are usually more upscale than Spaceships, and more discrete than Jucy. Apollo rentals vary from 3 people Hi Tops to RV rentals that fit 6+ people, while they have a good selection of cars of various types too- they basically have something to fit anyone's need. As one of the biggest rental companies in Australia, they are the most likely to have availability when everything else is booked out.

Pros

• Pretty much everywhere in Australia
• Have decent customer service compared to others
• As they are so big, they normally can swap vehicles in case of a problem
• Decent range of RVs
• One of the few companies with Tassie rental options.

Cons

• Slightly more expensive then others for cars- a lot more expensive for campers
• Unavoidable bond even with insurance- even if it's only $200.

Hippie Campers (Owned by Apollo)

Hippie Campers look old school- but they are the perfect vintage outside/modern inside mix. Owned by Apollo, but built for backpackers, they have a few different options from 2 person campers with an awning to 4 person campers plus tents. The iconic Hippie Drift is the reason for their old school reputation- it's like a camper from the 60s on the outside.They have three models- Hippie Drift, Hightop, and Endeavour. They are mostly remodeled Apollo Vehicles- so they look good, but can have a lot of miles on the clock!

Pros

• Aesthetics
• Like a true camper- cooking equipment is inside
• When they have a sale, they're great value

Cons

• Can be expensive
• Are a usually old refurbished vans
• Use campers that are sometimes old- over 250000kms
• Only cover the main cities of the East Coast and Adelaide

Mighty Campers

Mighty Cars and Campers are upscale- they're very good quality, spacious, and are what you'd get if you want to impress a special someone. This reflects the price of course, but you do get what you pay for. They offer campers of all shapes and sizes, from 2 person to 6 person, and the price varies from relatively normal to astronomically expensive. Often their cheapest camper is out of the budget of a lot of backpackers- however they have locations on Tasmania and in Alice Springs, which is a huge.

Pros

• Great quality, well taken care of, and in general, newish campers
• Good selection of locations around Australia
• One of the few companies with Tassie rental options.
• Majority of campers have toilet and shower inside.

Cons

• Expensive for backpackers

Wicked

Wicked Campers are notorious around Australia for the controversial designs on their vans. I personally think they're pretty cool, but some 'looking to be offended' people protest against them- almost leading to a wholesale ban in Queensland. However, we don't book Wicked here at Tripfarm- as much a I like their designs, their business model leaves a lot to be desired. Wicked tend to offer a really cheap initial price, and have a wide selection of different car and van rentals. They also cover the entire country.

Pros

• Covers the entire country- even smaller places such as Broome and Airlie Beach
• Large selection of vehicles types
• Cheap daily rate

Cons

• So many extra fees it'll make your head spin- $5 a day for a foreign licence? Really? Expect to pay roughly the daily rate in fees.
• Old, often dirty vehicles
• Interesting paint jobs
• Refunds are hard to get
• Unreliable maintenance and repairs

So there you have it, a break down of the main camper companies in Australia and New Zealand. We have made a table for easier comparison.

Comparison Tables of Different Campervan Companies

Companies	Depots	Car and Camper Rentals	Bond	Insurance	One Way Fees	Extra Fees
Jucy	East Coast (Cairns/Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne) and Adelaide	Both	$3000 for campers, $1200 for cars	$30-$45 a day	$150	None
Lucky Rentals	East Coast and Perth	Campers only	$3000	$20-$30	Up to $274 - $440, included in additional fees	Up to $440, including one way fee.
Camperman	East Coast including Townsville, Airlie Beach and Gold Coast	Campers only	$500	Included	Free on East Coast big stops, up to $200 in smaller depots	$70 admin fee
Spaceships	East Coast and Adelaide	Campers only	$5000	$20-$30	Free	None
Travellers Autobarn	All major cities in Australia, including Darwin	Both	$3000	$20-$30	Free on East Coast	$45-$75 living equipment fee
Apollo Campers	All major cities, including Darwin, Alice Springs and Hobart	Both	$3000-$7500	$12-$45	$165	$100 bond minimum for rentals
Hippie Campers	East Coast and Perth	Campers Only	$3000	$22-$30 a day	$165	$100 bond minimum for rentals
Mighty	All major cities including Darwin, Alice Springs, and Hobart	Campers and RV's	$3500-$5000	$29-$49	$165	None
Wicked	All above mentions plus Broome, Townsville and Airlie Beach	Both	$3000-$7000 plus $150 fee	$45 a day	$200	$150 for bond, $35 toll roads fee, 5% booking fee on every fee

So there's our comparison between different camper companies in Australia- New Zealand is pretty similar (Minus Camperman!). Remember, if you're looking for a quote, we'll compare the prices of different companies and give you a discount off their online price- for free, just send us a message!

Be sure to leave a comment with what you think about this- and if you have any other opinions.

Did we miss anything? Let us know here

Looking for other exploring guides around Australia?

How about:

1. Exploring Cairns
2. Exploring Magnetic Island
3. Exploring Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays
4. Between Hervey Bay and Airlie Beach
5. Exploring Fraser Island
6. Exploring Brisbane
7. Exploring Byron Bay