A Curated Comparison of 9 Campervan Rentals in Christchurch, NZ

When most people think of traveling to New Zealand to explore its pristine nature, a road trip with a campervan is definitely THE best way.

Finding the right campervan to rent in New Zealand could be a challenge. There are over 60 businesses that offer campervans for rent in Christchurch.

If you're a first-time vancationer and are unsure of what type of RV to rent, make sure to check out our article: 'Which Campervan to Rent for Your Next Road Trip'

In this article, I will share with you a curated comparison of the top 9 companies you should totally consider if you are planning to road trip New Zealand starting from Christchurch.

Why are we basing this article on Christchurch?

There are three international airports in New Zealand: Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. Both Auckland and Wellington are located on the North Island. That leaves Christchurch, the only one located on the South Island.

Every article that we have read and all of our friends, who have been to New Zealand, have recommended doing the South Island first mainly because most of the amazing landscapes and pristine nature is in this area.

So, if we would have 16 days to travel to New Zealand, we would choose to start from Christchurch.

Before jumping into the comparison, there are a few topics that we need to talk about so you can pick the best campervan to make your upcoming adventure amazing. Those are:

• Tips for driving in New Zealand
• What is a self-contained campervan and why you should care
• Making sure you return a clean campervan
• The tax you need to be aware of if you rent a diesel

Driving in New Zealand

Just like in Australia, there are two main tips that I can share with you.

Tip #1

Remember always to keep left while driving! The best way to get used to this is to take a few minutes to practice driving around the block once you pick up your campervan.

Don't feel frustrated if once in a while, you accidentally turn on the wipers instead of the blinking lights. It happened to me more than once on our trip through Australia.

Tip #2

Avoid driving at night. Most wildlife is active while it's dark, so it might decide to cross the street in the middle of the night. It's best if you are not driving during this time to avoid accidents.

Most vehicle insurances don't cover damages to the van if they are caused by wildlife during night time while you are driving.

Self-contained campervans

If you have searched for campervans in New Zealand, you might have stumbled upon the term 'self-contained' a few times.

‍Why is this so important?

Well, only certified self-contained RVs are allowed to freedom camp in New Zealand. If you are caught camping outside of a campground without a certified vehicle, you could get a fine of at least NZ$200.

Paying for this fine will need to come from your pocket. No insurance will refund you this amount.

I highlighted the word certified in the paragraph above because some rental companies claim that their vehicles are self-contained even though they don't have the official certification.

Don't be tempted to rent one of these vans, as you can also get fined if you are caught free camping with these vehicles.

So, how do you know if a van is a certified self-contained campervan?

It's pretty simple; the vehicle needs to have a sticker that looks like this:

Most of the campervan rental websites indicate if they have a certification or not. If you are in doubt, and you are planning on doing some freedom camping, make sure to ask the rental company before making any booking.

Cleaning the campervan

A side-effect of having a sink and using it is that you will end up with gray water. If you have a portable toilet (and use it), you will end up with black water. 💩

In any case, if you have gray or black water, you will need to dispose of them before you return the campervan.

If you don't, the rental company will charge you anywhere from NZ$100 - NZ$500! to take care of your mess.

There are tons of stations where you can properly dispose of your gray / black water.

In any case, you can also check out our guide on: 'What to Do With Your Campervan's Gray Water'

Make sure to check with your rental company what they define as 'returning the vehicle clean'.

Some may define a clean van as returning a clean kitchen kit and disposing of the gray/black water. Others might refer to it as everything mentioned before plus having the van washed in a car wash, returning the propane gas canister full, plus other stuff.

If you fail to return the van under the conditions the company has set, you will be charged a fee for it. So be careful.

Let's talk about diesel

If you rent a diesel campervan, you will need to pay an additional fee per kilometer traveled called the Road User Charges.

This fee is a tax collected by the New Zealand Transport Agency to all diesel vehicles. According to their website, electric cars will also be charged this fee at some point in 2020.

Why is there the Road User Charges?

The money collected through this tax is used to maintain and expand the roads in New Zealand.

Everyone that uses New Zealand's roads has to pay this tax one way or another.

All of the gas stations have this tax calculated on their petrol price.

But, since there is no tax on diesel, the way the government collects it is through the Road User Charges.

Why should you care?

If you rent a diesel campervan, you will need to pay this tax at the end of your rental period. **cough hidden costs **

The amount is calculated based on the vehicle weight and how many kilometers you traveled.

For example, I found a rental company that charges NZ$6.70 per 100 kilometers. Another one charges 7.5 cents per kilometer.

I was genuinely surprised that the only way I found out about this tax was by reading the terms of conditions or FAQs in the rental companies' websites.

So, if you decide to rent a diesel, be sure to calculate for this extra expense at the end of your trip.

Criteria used for this comparison

When I first googled 'campervan rentals in Christchurch', I found over 60 companies in Google Maps.

So, why are there only 9 in this article?

Here are our selection criteria for this ultimate guide:

1. The van is big enough for two people to sleep in.
2. The van is a certified self-contained vehicle.
3. The vehicle uses petrol fuel (so no diesel!)
4. The company has good reviews or a lack of horrible reviews (in case the company is relatively new).
5. The company would be one that I would genuinely recommend to a friend.
6. Their website is secure (it has a little lock next to the URL) . Just like this:

For each company, I used the following factors for comparison:

1. Location: how far away is the car depot from Christchurch International Airport.
2. Opening hours: days and office hours, as well as if after hour pick-ups and drop-offs are available.
3. One way rentals: if they are possible, and if a fee is required.
4. Basic rental price: how much does it cost to rent a campervan in Christchurch for a week without any extras or insurance. For example: from Saturday - Saturday.
5. Mileage: the amount of km/miles, if any, included.
6. Included in the rental price: items that are included in the basic rental price.
7. Available for hire: extra items that the company offers for hire.
8. Discreet: can the car blend in, or does it scream 'tourists on board'?
9. Local: indicates if the company is a local business.
10. Minimum age to rent: what is the minimum age a driver needs to be and if there is a young driver fee.
11. Website: does the site provide all the information a potential customer needs; also if it accepts bookings directly.

Important stuff

• All of the rental companies request that if the driver does not have a license in English, that they either provide an International Driver's Permit or an official translation.
• High season is from December - February
• Shoulder season is from March - April & October - November
• Low season is from May - September

Enough of the bla bla, and let's jump right into the ultimate curated list.

Companies that rent small campervans for 2 people in Christchurch, New Zealand

‍
Disclaimer: The list below is in no particular order. We put prices, to give you an idea and a comparable tool. They are of course subject to change by the rental company.

1. The Pod Campervan Rentals

2. Affordable Motorhomes

3. Mode Rentals

4. Camperco

5. Next Campers

6. Escape Campervans

7. Wanderlust Campers

8. Kit Campers

9. Mad Campers

‍

Which company would we rent from?

We would rent from Kit Campers because of the following 6 reasons:

1. It has a fixed kitchen inside; this would allow us to be able to remain indoors and prepare our meals if the weather outside is too cold, windy or rainy. Yvonne has been to Auckland and knows how fast the weather changes in New Zealand and how unpredictable it is.
2. Their office is open 7 days a week.
3. Family owned.
4. It includes almost everything that we would need. The one extra we would rent would be the camping chairs.
5. They could provide an NZ phone with sim card.
6. Although it is not free from ads, it is relatively discreet as their logo is quite minimalist.

Questions about campervanning?

If you are planning a road trip with a campervan and are still nervous about some topics, be sure to check out our campervanning 101 articles. In this section you will find articles like:

• What Type of Insurance Should You Get for Your Campervan Rental?
• The 4 Best Approaches to Stay in a City With Your Campervan Rental
• Are Campervans Hard to Drive?‍
• And much more!

👉🏼 Go to our Campervanning 101 articles.

Which campervan would you choose for your next adventure? Let us know in the comment below. Till next time.