Christchurch-born in 2005 and family-owned, Kiwi Campers runs a budget fleet of around 150 vehicles from just two airport depots: Auckland and Christchurch. The 2-to-7-berth range covers everything from old Hiace sleepervans to Fiat Ducato and Mercedes motorhomes, with certified self-contained vans for freedom camping. Pricing is quote-only.
Kiwi Campers is a New Zealand-owned rental company that's been on the road since 2005, run by Kevin Whiteside out of Christchurch (6 Export Ave, Harewood) with a second depot near Auckland Airport (Airport Oaks). Those two airport depots are the whole network, so think Auckland-to-Christchurch one-way trips with a Cook Strait ferry in the middle, not a Queenstown pickup. It sits at the budget-to-value end alongside sister brand Happy Campers, with a fleet of roughly 150 vehicles from 2 to 7 berths. The pitch is self-containment: vans are certified to let you freedom camp, and kilometres are unlimited (you pay diesel RUC by distance on return). Reviews run mixed, around 3.3 on Rankers, with older stock the recurring gripe.
The range runs from 2 to 7 berths on real, recognisable base vehicles. At the budget end the 2-berths use a 2002/03 Toyota Hiace (Kiwi 2) and a VW T5 (Kiwi Dart), both with a portable toilet and tanks but no shower. Step up to the ST models, built on the bigger VW Crafter (Kiwi Euro 2 ST, 2019 Deluxe Euro 2 ST) and a brand-new 2024/25 Hiace (Traveller 2 ST), and you get a proper built-in shower and toilet. The motorhomes are the Kiwi Cruise and Kiwi Ranger, both 2016 Fiat Ducatos (manual, shower and toilet), plus the automatic Kiwi 6 Berth on a 2010/11 Mercedes-Benz and the Kiwi 7 Berth on a 2009/10 Mitsubishi Canter. Every model page states certified self-contained, though the older Hiace Hi-series get there with a portable toilet rather than an internal shower.
Pick up in Auckland or Christchurch and point the van at the open road. Both depots sit minutes from the airport, so you can be freedom camping the same day. Here's where the good roads go.
Yes. Every Kiwi Campers model is certified self-contained, which is what lets you freedom camp at the council sites that demand it. The ST models (Euro 2 ST, Deluxe Euro 2 ST, Traveller 2 ST, Deluxe 2/3 ST) carry a built-in shower and toilet; budget vans like the Kiwi 2 and Dart use a portable toilet plus fresh and grey water tanks. Each van travels with its green self-containment card, so keep it handy when you check in to council sites. Without that certification you'd be limited to holiday parks and designated campgrounds.
Standard cover (Bronze, included in the rate) carries an excess that equals your bond: NZ$6,000 on 4/6/7-berth motorhomes, NZ$5,000 on the Deluxe models, NZ$4,000 on smaller vans. You can buy it down through Silver and Gold tiers, or take Platinum to reduce both excess and bond to NZ$0 (NZ$70/day on larger vehicles). The bond is held as a credit-card imprint, not deducted. With no credit card, a NZ$500 cash bond applies and is refunded around three weeks after return.
Yes to one-way between its two depots, Auckland and Christchurch. Auckland to Christchurch costs NZ$100 (1 Apr-30 Sep) or NZ$250 (1 Oct-31 Mar); the reverse is free in winter or NZ$150 in summer. The Cook Strait ferry is not bundled into the rate, but Kiwi Campers will pre-book the Interislander or Bluebridge crossing for you, which is worth doing for the December-March peak. They also run availability-dependent relocation deals at discounted rates when they need a vehicle moved.
Included: unlimited kilometres, standard Bronze insurance, a full kitchen kit, bedding and towels, a 240V heater, kettle and toaster, and 24/7 roadside assistance. Costs extra: Road User Charges on the diesel vehicles, billed on return at roughly NZ$76 or NZ$82 per 1,000 km depending on the model. Also extra are excess-reduction upgrades, one-way fees, the Cook Strait ferry, toll roads (NZ$2.60 per road), and picnic chairs and tables, which only come bundled with Gold or Platinum cover.
Every Kiwi Campers vehicle runs on diesel, and in New Zealand diesel vehicles pay a government Road User Charge by distance rather than at the pump. Kiwi Campers recovers this separately, calculated on the actual kilometres you drive and collected when you return the van. Budget on about NZ$76 per 1,000 km for the Deluxe Euro 2 ST, 2/3 ST, Dart and Hi 5, or NZ$82 per 1,000 km for the Euro 2 ST, Ranger, Cruise and the 6 and 7-berths. The kilometres themselves stay unlimited.
Kiwi Campers runs exactly two depots, both airport-adjacent: Auckland (197 Montgomerie Road, Airport Oaks, ~3.7 km from the airport) and Christchurch (6 Export Ave, Harewood, ~2.3 km from the airport). Both offer free shuttles from the airport and nearby hotels. There is no Queenstown depot. Through CampervanPlanet you compare Kiwi Campers against other operators on the same dates and route, then book; pricing is confirmed by quote, since Kiwi Campers publishes no public rate card.
Explore the best places to rent a campervan, motorhome, or RV worldwide
