(Updated 2023 Edition) 

So I’ve already posted the ultimate roadie list tips & info on my site and I don’t want to go back and repeat all that! However, I thought it would be good to do an updated review as I’ve used a different campervan company for our trip from December 2022 to January 2023. Grab a cuppa, this is a bit of a long one!

Just incase you’re looking for it, I’ll link my other blog here which contains all the details you might need!

When booking your van, you can either go directly to the company or you can book through an travel agent. Both times I’ve been and every campervan I’ve hired has been through RatPack Travel. These guys are great, and they do all the leg work for you so that all you have to do is let them know your dates and what kind of van you’re looking for and they do the rest. I think it is wise to still have a look around at the van options, even if just to give them a better idea of what you’re looking for! 

The one huge difference this time was that our van was Certified Self-Contained. This is essential for camping in New Zealand as this means you’re able to freedom camp! By being Self-Contained the van doesn’t release any waste water from it’s internal kitchen tap, it just holds it in a tank until you go to a dumping station and let it out. It will also have a toilet, even though our’s was just a pop up potty and we didn’t use it as we just used public toilets or stayed on sites that had toilets. 

Our campervan was a Barefoot Camper called Willy. He was a cutie! A Toyota Hiace which had been converted in the back to fit in a fridge, sink, cupboards, double bed and USB power sockets. I’ve popped some photos below and here is the link to my tiktok which shows the van inside a bit better!

I wanted to do an honest review for the van because I could have done with reading a few more honest reviews before we went ahead and booked our van. That’s not to say we wouldn’t have still booked the Barefoot one, but it’s always good to have a full idea of what you’re hiring especially when it’s a once in a lifetime trip!

Just so we’re completely transparent on it all – I couldn’t find anywhere any blogs that gave the prices of what they spent whilst hiring a van. It was SO hard to know what was a good price/what wasn’t and what to aim for when saving for a trip like this so here’s everything below. 

Pick up: Auckland, December 2022

Drop off: Christchurch, January 2023

36 Days of Hire (during Christmas period) 

$155.00 per day x 36 = $5,580.00 NZD 

(This price was on the more expensive end as it was during the Christmas period and the demand for campers is so high too. There are definitely cheaper options but also, if you’re going for less time, you may have a different budget entirely. Prices were correct as of 2022).

As we booked through RatPack, we had their discounted insurance. So whereas normally you would be expected to pay an additional insurance bond per day, this was included at no extra cost as they work closely with some rental companies. This is something to be mindful when booking and another good reason to book through these guys. 

*Disclaimer: My review is not affiliate with RatPack or Barefoot in anyway. 

I just want to recommend the good things and address the not so good things. 

Good stuff up first! 

This van was great in so many ways – I could stand up, it was comfortable to drive and it had a decent amount of storage. I loved how roomy it was and the bed, once put together, was really decent sized. We had a nice bedding set and pillows (which were provided) and it packed away nicely in a little bag which was handy during the day. The sofa cushions that made the bed were also really comfy and we slept well on them which was a relief. 

I think it’s pretty standard, but our camper came with 2 chairs and an outdoor table too. This was great because we could then enjoy meals outside or just relax outside of the van. They tucked away nicely behind the front seats too which was fab because they were quite bulky but this way, they didn’t take up any extra room. 

Another fab feature was the table on a swivel pole so that it could be turned around in the van to provide the best position whether that be tucked to one side whilst driving or in the middle whilst we were eating. It was a decent size, perfect for 2 people and really stable which was great during dinner. The table came apart from it’s pole to make the middle of the bed so it didn’t cause any issues at bedtime as well. 

The set up of the van was also really handy. The bed was at the back so this meant you could lay in bed with the boot open and feel like you were laying outside. This also helped keep us cooler by being at the back of the van which was really important as I didn’t love sleeping with the windows wide open. Some vans have the bed right behind the front seats and the kitchen at the boot which makes it more enclosed, but with this layout we could stand up in the van even with the bed made up at night and also open the boot in the morning and enjoy a cup of tea in bed.

There was so much storage in the van too which was so good & essential. The seats lifted up, so we stored everything underneath. We had one each for our clothes, one for food and then the 4th one was the one that held the (clean & never used) toilet/gas canisters/shoes and other bits we didn’t want to touch our food or clothes. Another cupboard was under the sink and that stored all our kitchen stuff, cookers, toiletries, tea bags and other random bits we needed daily. This worked for us quite well but of course only because this was how our van was laid out. It might take you a couple of days to work out where stuff works best, but its worth having a move about if something would work better elsewhere or feels more logical as this just makes everything more relaxing. 

The final good point for now & what was a huge relief for me was that driving the van was really easy – it was automatic, and it was pretty solid. It wasn’t the most aerodynamic but it was sturdy and we felt safe in it. There was a radio/CD player built in which also had bluetooth so we could play our own playlists whilst we were driving around (essential for a roadie) but you could also connect via an aux cable too. There was also a lot of storage in the front too, in the dropdown (a perfect place for a secret snack stash) and another secret cupboard in the dashboard as well as cupholders. 

Also, just something to bear in mind when looking at vans – this couldn’t be helped as it’s just the size/weight of the van, but it absolutely drained the petrol. We filled up every other day if not every day, which was a huge expense and was more than what we had budgeted for. Whereas, the Spaceships van was petrol but as it was a car shape, it was much more economical. We also noticed that a lot of other vans were diesel which was considerably cheaper than petrol but also, diesel is typically better for heavy vehicles which our van absolutely was when it was full of water! 

There are more good things to say, but I think it’s time for the not so good stuff.

So, here comes the negatives. 

Because the van ran off of solar panels (a fab way of running the fridge etc) our electricity was dependent on whether it had been a good day of weather or not. On the whole it wasn’t too bad, but sometimes we had to hope it would last if we couldn’t find a sunny spot to park up and let the panels charge. But that wasn’t always possible, so sometimes we just had no power to charge our electronics. Luckily, the fridge didn’t stop working as it ran off an alternative battery. The van also didn’t have a standard plug so this meant I wasn’t able to charge things like my camera or our switch – again, not a huge issue but frustrating when you’re in the van for a long time. If you’re travelling with a laptop, this would probably be a bit of an issue. Annoyingly, this wasn’t something I thought to check when booking as I assumed there would be a plug slot available.

The kitchen utensils were also slightly lacking. We had no kettle and only one small saucepan and one small frying pan to cook with. We had to buy a kettle because we couldn’t be boiling water in the saucepan everyday when we needed it for cooking. They also didn’t include a peeler or a tin opener which is kind of essential when camping. We had 2 x mugs but no glasses and only 1 small chopping board, 1 sponge and a travel sized washing up liquid. We had to buy some tea towels as the cloth provided wasn’t suitable for drying up. The kitchen stuff was ok, but it was definitely the bare bones of kitchen utensils and it really could have done with a few more pieces here and there. 

The van had been kitted out with wood boards to make the table, seats, cupboard etc which were great, but they really needed sanding down. I caught so many of my clothes on the rough wood and ended up either plucking my things or scratching myself. Again, this wasn’t a huge issue, but I was frustrated when I plucked my third piece of clothing! Another reason why it was disappointing is because with a bit of sanding, this wouldn’t be an issue so we just felt like a few finishing touches would have gone a long way. 

The final thing that really was frustrating were the window covers. The vans I have previously hired have had curtains. In Willy, there were window covers which stuck down with suction pads. The weren’t the best suction pads, and with the window being open, they just wouldn’t stay stuck. Now this isn’t the end of the world, except at night-time when its dark outside and you pop the light on. Suddenly everyone around you can see you in your van, which is not great for privacy. There also wasn’t one provided for the windscreen, so we ended up also buying a sun visor as otherwise we would have been on full view, all of the time. 

Despite these criticisms we had a really good time on our roadie, there was just a few issues here and there that felt a bit unnecessary and let our experience down a smidge. I do wonder if we would have had these issues in a van that was from a bigger company. For example, we paid one amount for the Barefoot campervan hire and everything came included, but we then had to purchase basic items (e.g. kettle) that we assumed would be included. With the Spaceships hire, we had to pay an extra $40 for the chairs and the outdoor table. Despite the annoyance of having to pay a bit extra with Spaceships, we were provided with better utensils/crockery and we had curtains that went all the way around the inside of the van so we had full privacy. The Spaceships van just felt a little more finished and we possibly spent more than $40 on the things not included in our Barefoot camper. 

I would still recommend Barefoot campers, and have done since we used them, but I have made those I have recommend the van to that it may not be the absolute best van you could have and you may need to buy a few additional things that you’d expect to be included. It really just depends on personal preference, your budget and what you’re looking for.

Unfortunately I seem to have deleted the photos I took of the van’s layout from inside however, the videos in the tiktok I linked at the beginning of my blog do show this. I have put some that show off Willy below, but they’re just not the best for seeing the layout. I’ve also put some of our Spaceships camper below too, just incase seeing a comparison would be helpful!

 *just a disclaimer – the Spaceships van was not Self-Contained so there was no sink, no fresh water tank or waste water tank. This is a great option if you want a cheaper van, as it used less petrol during our drives, cost less to fill up and was a cheaper hire. 

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Willy 

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Heaps (our Spaceships van) 

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I’ve linked Spaceships here as well.

Hope this has been helpful but I appreciate it is an overload of information! As usual, any questions pop me a comment below or contact me on my instagram @hannahshildrake // @hans_travels_ 

lots of love,

Han x