A Curated Comparison of 6 Campervan Rentals in Vancouver

One of Canada's most famous road trip routes is from Vancouver to Calgary (or vice versa). This route takes you through the Rocky Mountains. The scenery promises amazing landscapes with different kinds of turquoise bodies of water surrounded by magnificent mountains.

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'

If you are planning your next campervan road trip adventure from Vancouver, this guide will help you decide on what campervan company to choose to enjoy the outdoor options British Columbia and Alberta have to offer.

British Columbia's Campervan Season:

Most campgrounds are only open from May until September, depending on weather conditions. This would be considered as high season for most campervan rentals and campgrounds.

The ones that allow winter camping suggest that you have a 4x4 vehicle and be prepared to shovel some snow at all times.

Free camping is allowed in British Columbia's Crown Lands; these areas are called Recreational Sites. Some Recreational Sites are free, while others charge a small fee. Most of these sites are off-road.

If you don't have a 4x4, you should not be winter camping or driving off-road to the secluded Recreational Sites.

Criteria for this comparison

When you Google 'campervan rentals in Vancouver' there are 30+ results on Google Maps.

So, if there are 30+ companies, how come we only have 6 on this list?

Our main criteria to find companies are:

1. Offer small campervans for 2 people.
2. The campervans don't have a fixed toilet.
3. The campervans can be parked in a tent site.
4. Companies that we would genuinely recommend to friends.

Also, we chose only the companies that we would seriously recommend to our friends. So no BS here 😉.

On this list, you will not find a company like Wicked Campervans. They are a bit too rustic for our taste. Plus, renting a van from them could never be feasible because we would always need to bring our own bedding kit.

In this article, we will compare 12 different factors amongst the 6 companies:

1. Location: how far away is the car depot from Vancouver 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 Vancouver for a week without any extras or insurance. For example: from Saturday - Saturday.
5. Weekly Rental Price + Airport Delivery: The basic rental price + how much it would cost for the van to be dropped off and picked up at the airport.
6. Mileage: The amount of km/miles, if any, included.
7. Included in the rental price: Items that are included in the basic rental price.
8. Available for hire: Extra items that the company offers for hire.
9. Discreet: Can the car blend in, or does it scream 'tourists on board'?
10. Local: Indicates if the company is a local business.
11. Minimum age to rent: What is the minimum age a driver needs to be and if there is a young driver fee.
12. Website: Does the site provide all the information a potential customer needs; also if it accepts bookings directly.

Companies that rent small campervans for 2 people in Vancouver

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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. Vancouver Westy Rentals

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2. BC Campervan Rentals

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3. Honest Camper

Honest Camper offers two types of vehicles: Retro and Modern.

They are so nice to indicate on their website that the Retro vehicle is not the most ideal way to go climbing up the Rocky Mountains with. This is because the car is quite old (from the '80s).
Since our plan would be to go up the Rocky Mountains without any worries, we would choose their Modern Mercedes-Benz fleet. Although it is a little bit bigger than our understanding of a small campervan.

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4. Roam Free Campers

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5. Jucy RV Rentals

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6. Escape Campervans

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Which one would we choose?

Drum roll, please 🥁. We would choose Vancouver Westy Rentals for 7 reasons:

1. It's just 10 minutes away from the airport. This is a short taxi ride to them and back.
2. Offices are open 7 days a week.
3. The van is discreet and does not scream, "Tourists on board!"
4. The company is local.
5. It has some living space inside that can be used during those chilly mornings and nights
6. There are no hidden costs, and a lot of amenities are included. So no need to buy extras. 
7. Fast response to e-mails. I wrote to them during this research, and they responded almost immediately to my inquiries.

Are you wondering, whether you should choose Canada or the US for your first or next campervan adventure? We have been in your shoes and compiled a detailed comparison between the two countries, with all things campervan related.

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.

If you have rented from any of these companies and have some insights you would like to share, feel free to comment below.