A campervan road trip is not something very cheap. You will need to throw extra bucks compared to renting a regular car. However, by doing the right booking “tricks”, we still can get a budget-friendly campervan. In this post, we will share our experience about getting cheap campervan rentals. First of all, we will describe how the campervan rental companies do their pricing, and the tips will follow.
Campervan Rental Pricing
Seasons
Prices in a peak season surely will be high. When is the peak season? It’s generally during the holiday season when a lot of people taking their days off. The season might be different from country to country. For example, the busiest months to visit New Zealand are generally the months when it is warm and the sun is out and when snow is falling in New Zealand. It will be around December to January and June to August. But in Japan, peak seasons is usually around early April and mid-November because of cherry blossom and autumn foliage times. So, you may want to the busiest months of your destination before you go to avoid peak seasons, which also means high rates of campervan rental.
For us, we love to go during the shoulder season, a period in between a destination’s low and high seasons. Again, research is the key. Knowledge is power 😉
Type of Vehicle
The newer vehicle will be more expensive.
Rental Duration
Longer rental duration will make the rate per day cheaper. Then, it will be better to rent for one longer period rather than some short ones.
Availability
The availability of the vehicle will also influence the price. Just like a basic economy rule: when the supply is rare and the demand increase, the price will rise.
Type of Insurance
There are several options for insurance in a campervan rental. A full-coverage insurance will give you peace of mind during your trip. By signing up for this, you will bear no responsibility in case whatever bad happens to the vehicle (touch wood!). However, this will cost you extra.
Extra Equipments Rental
Campervan rental companies usually will have additional camping equipment available to rent, for example, snow chain, picnic table and chairs, portable heater, and so on. By adding this stuff to your booking, will cost more.
Tips for Getting Cheap Deals
After knowing the pricing of campervan rental, these are the tips that we can share with you.
- Go to your destination on a shoulder or off-peak season.
- Book an older type of vehicle. Older types of campervan still work fine. It’s just the interior that may not as shiny as the newest ones, but it doesn’t compromise the level of camping comfort.
- Book in advance. Usually, there are promos by rental companies for early birds.
- I always suggest to sign up for full coverage insurance. It may seem expensive at the beginning. However, if something bad happens to the vehicle, you will bear even more expensive cost that the insurance price.
- If you need extra camping equipment, try to see if the campervan rental has an offer for a value bundle. This will cost cheaper than their actual prices combined.
- Sign up for a campervan relocation. You drive a campervan for free and help rental companies relocate their cars. This might not be the best option for a planned road trip, but can be a budget saving alternative.
Important note
It’s important not to fall easily over a cheap rental price. Choose a reliable rental company. These companies have 24-hours support and wide network over the country. Should you encounter any problem, help can come to your faster.
Or, if you are not sure if a company is reliable, read reviews online about the rental company. You may find information regarding their vehicle and services.