A New Zealand road trip never looked so good. There are countless (almost) campervans to rent in Auckland that offer more than just a bed on wheels. These quirky campervans have been carefully crafted by fellow Kiwis to ensure anyone who travels in them has the best trip possible. There are campervans with wood-lined interiors, inventive storage solutions and even one with a tent pitched on the roof. Plenty of personality is crammed into these vans to set them apart from the rest. Check out the funky campervans to rent on Camplify to begin planning the ultimate road trip from Auckland.
1. Stevo the Hippocampus
Stevo the Hippocampus is the ultimate quirky camper to rent in Auckland. With solar panels, a big grey water tank and a battery to power a chiller and charge your essentials, you can head to non-powered sites across the North Island. Stock up on your favourite beer, dig up a pack of cards, and you’re away and running. Enjoy the generous seating area by day, and have a cosy sleep each evening. Stevo has a bed upstairs as well as down, but when travelling as a couple this upstairs space is just handy extra storage. Chat with the owner on Camplify to get the most out of your trip with mighty Stevo!
2. Roxy
South of the city the motorway opens out into Waikato farmland, and it is down at Mercer that you collect this one. Roxy is a 2005 Toyota Hiace with room for three, and her solar panels and house battery keep the fridge, lights and USB ports running. The listing describes her as fully self contained, with a shower and toilet on board for the mornings you would rather skip the facilities block. A two burner gas cooker, cookware, plates, cutlery and bed linen all come with her, along with camp chairs and a table for the evenings outside. Free airport pick up and drop off is offered, and hire starts from around $120 a day.
3. Foxy Voxy
Retro on the outside and neatly resolved within, this is a camper for two people travelling light. Foxy Voxy is a 2005 Toyota Voxy, and her owner puts the appeal down to a sleek, retro inspired design and a compact layout that wastes nothing. The kitchen runs to a portable gas cooker, a 10 litre fridge, a sink, and fresh and grey water tanks. The double bed has a custom made mattress that folds back into a couch by day, and the bedding is provided. The listing states she is green stickered and self contained, with a portable toilet on board, and dogs are welcome as long as you bring their own bedding. From around $107 a day.
4. Happy Getaway
West of the city the Waitākere Ranges fall away into black sand and heavy surf, and that is where this camper starts from. Happy Getaway is a 2004 Toyota Alphard for two, with wood finishes inside and a layout that turns the living space into a bedroom for the night. The kitchen lives outside around a double LPG gas stove, and a solar panel and second battery keep the fridge running. The listing describes her as self contained, although there is no toilet or shower on board. Confirm the green self containment warrant with the owner before you plan a night outside a campground, since freedom camping in an uncertified vehicle carries a $400 infringement. Pick up is roughly forty minutes from the airport, and hire starts from around $92 a day.
5. FSZ Camper
FSZ Camper is a modern, six-berth camper, giving you a taste of the motorhome life. She sleeps up to six people and has a fully equipped kitchen and dining space. Not to mention a toilet, shower, and permanent bed at the back. Be as extravagant as you please, with plenty of storage and bike racks on the back. Dine outside under the awning in the evenings with the camping table and chairs. This diesel machine will be a reliable camper to get around the New Zealand roads and campgrounds in. With the added space and luxuries, your campervan trip will be the trip of a lifetime!
6. Lucy
Some trips are better measured in weeks than in weekends, and this is the camper for those. Lucy is a 2006 Toyota Hiace, fifteen feet of campervan sleeping three, and she goes out on a seven day minimum hire. That points you at a proper loop rather than a quick night away – Coromandel, the Bay of Plenty, back around Lake Taupō. Solar panels and a house battery run the fridge and the lights, and the listing describes her as fully self contained with a shower and toilet combination. Linen, cooking gear, a camping table and chairs are all included, and hire starts from around $120 a day.
7. Ocean II
Not every camper needs a wet room to be worth the drive. Ocean II is a 2004 Nissan Elgrand for two, built around a living area with a table and seating that drops down into a wide double bed. The kitchen is the clever part, with a full extension drawer that slides out carrying a two burner stove. A 12 volt cooler and a portable camping toilet come with her, but the listing is clear that she is not fully self contained, so plan your nights around holiday parks. A three day minimum hire applies, and prices start from around $125 a day.
Looking for travel inspiration for your campervan trip? Check out our list of 5 of the Best Beaches to Visit in the North Island here!
8. Suzy
Three seatbelts and three berths make this one work for a small group rather than a couple. Suzy is a 2004 Toyota Hiace, run by a family business based at Mercer, south of Auckland. Solar panels and a house battery keep the fridge and freezer cold and the lights live, which the owners reckon makes freedom camping a breeze. A shower and toilet are on board and the listing describes her as self contained. Heating, air conditioning, a two burner gas cooker, linen, cookware and camping chairs are included, along with free Auckland Airport pick up and drop off. From around $120 a day.
9. Ori
The quirkiest of the lot reads more like a hut than a vehicle. Ori is a 2008 Nissan Caravan high roof whose owner calls her a gorgeous little rolling bush hut. Two bench seats face each other and convert into a double bed, with clip on curtains at the windows when you want the world shut out. There is a fridge, a sink, a kettle and a coffee plunger, plus a two burner stove for cooking outside, and a roof mounted solar panel keeps the leisure battery topped up. The listing says she is green stickered and fully up to date with the newest regulations, with a portable toilet on board. Pick up is at Green Bay in west Auckland, from around $131 a day.
10. Camper 2
The last one sleeps four, which in a van this size takes some doing. Camper 2 is a 2012 Nissan Serena with a table and seating that converts into a double bed inside, and a rooftop tent overhead sleeping two more. A power station rated to 800 watts charges phones and cameras, and a fridge, freezer, pantry basics, plates and cutlery are all aboard. A fixed toilet is fitted and the listing states she holds a green certificate, which is the paperwork that decides where you may legally stop. Dogs travel too for an extra cleaning fee, and one way hires to Christchurch or Queenstown can be arranged. Pick up is fifteen minutes from the international airport and hire starts from around $68 a day.
Ten vans and ten quite different weeks away. Book the one with the right personality through campervan hire in Auckland.
Cover image: Stevo the Hippocampus
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