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Campervan Hire: 5 Tips To Remember When Picking Up Your Campervan

Have you been planning the ultimate road trip in a campervan around Aukland? We bet you’ve put tons of effort into planning all your pitstops, accommodation, meals, and activities. It would be a shame if all of that fell flat because you don’t know the specifics of your campervan. Oh, yes, it’s all fun and games until someone puts in the wrong fuel by accident. 

So, to help you along the way and ensure you know what you need to know and do when picking up your rental. 

Opt for an early check-in (if possible)

Just like when you’re getting ready to hop on a flight, there’s a certain procedure you need to follow when getting your campervan at check-in. Some campervan rentals will allow you to check in early. If this option is available to you, just do it. This will give you some extra time to read through the documents that have been sent to you. 

It’ll also give you time to ask any questions you may have about important information like the vehicle itself, drop-off times, and mileage limits – all of which you could ask when you pick up the campervan, but this way, you’ll be one step ahead. 

When checking in early, you’ll also have to be prepared with your necessary documents, your driver’s license, credit and debit cards and rental agreement. Therefore, this helps you to organise all your essentials prior to the pick-up, too. The more organised you are beforehand, the smoother the pick-up procedure should be. 

Get to the pick-up location with time to spare

There’s nothing worse than being rushed when picking up the campervan. A word to the wise – never be late! You’ll typically be accompanied by staff when checking over the van, and they’ll have a checklist to go over with you, which can take some time. So, don’t waste their time (or your precious holiday) by being late. If you’re late, you’ll rush and miss important details. 

Take your time

It’s an absolute buzz when you’re picking up your campervan. You’re just ready to get out on the road and enjoy your holiday – but when you do things in haste, you’re bound to make mistakes. So, be calm and collected and take your time getting to know the ins and outs of your vehicle. Ask about the nitty-gritty information, like where the spare tyre is and what kind of fuel it takes. Rather, you need to know everything you need to know about the vehicle because then you’ll be prepared if anything unplanned happens. 

When the staff member accompanying you goes over the checklist, they must note any damage that has occurred to the vehicle prior to you renting it. Keep an eye out for any damage that has not been noted, and it’s advisable to take some pictures of anything odd, broken or missing before you leave – this way, you’ll have evidence it did not occur while you rented the campervan. 

Know what fuel the campervan takes

You’d be surprised, but this is one very important and seemingly obvious detail that many people overlook when renting a campervan. Your campervan could need petrol or diesel, or even premium petrol (which could make your trip more expensive than you anticipated). So, make sure you ask a staff member, or just open the fuel cap and it’ll have the information you need. 

Ensure everything works

There are various types of campervans you can rent. Some are kitted-out with a kitchen, a small bathroom and other amenities. Before you leave, ready your engines and set off on your holiday, check that everything works. The toilet, stove, indicators, lights and the works. If you’re unsure of how something works, ask the questions then and there. 

Unless you’re a seasoned professional at campervanning, there are a few things that may catch you off-guard. You could YouTube how to do things, but rather ask the people you’re renting from, as they’d have experience with the particular vehicle. Should your campervan be completely self-contained, you’ll need to know how to:

• Empty and clean the toilet facilities
• Dispose of the greywater
• Locate and change the spare tyre
• Plug into powered sites
• Operate electronics off the battery
• Operate the cooking facilities
• Put fuel in

Final Thoughts

Don’t let anything but a dampener on your holiday, and ensure that when you’re picking up your campervan, you’re prepared in every way possible. There are many places to find cheap campervan hire in Auckland, and they will do their best to set you up for a holiday to remember. However, the responsibility doesn’t lie with them as the rental agency, but with you as the person renting to check everything beforehand. So, be early, be vigilant, ask questions and get ready to explore Aukland and beyond.