FAQ & USEFUL INFO
 

• To confirm your booking, a deposit of 20% of your booking total is required via a credit or debit card.

• We accept Visa, Mastercard and AMEX for deposits, and also bank transfer for your balance payment via our payment platform (see below). Please note, a 2.5% card processing fee will be added on the 20% deposit payment.

• The 80% balance payment is due 30 days before your pick up date.

• 80% balance payments can be sent easily in your own currency by credit / debit card or local bank transfer via our payment platform. This makes sending money internationally very easy and avoides higher fees charged by banks. Please note, all fees are included in the amount you pay in your own currency via our payment platform. We do not accept payment through providers like Wise.

  There are a few reasons for this, detailed below:

  We've found it often leads to issues, such as funds being blocked while Wise / Revoult etc request more information. It's also not 100% straightforward and many customers have run into various hiccups while trying to set up accounts and send the money. Our process is built around Flywire which is a dedicated service (similar to Wise / Revoult) designed for companies like ours which need to receive funds from customers in various currencies. We've crunched the numbers on fees too and Flywire is broadly in line with the others in that regard too. Most of our competitors only accept credit card due to the simplicity of doing it at scale, which of course means much higher fees. 

• Any insurance upgrades or optional items may be added and paid for when you convert your quote to a booking request, by emailing us, or at our premises when you collect the campervan (subject to availability).

• You will need sufficient funds to pay any bond due when you collect the campervan. The bond amount is dependant on the insurance option you choose. The funds will be frozen on your credit card for the duration of your trip and released on return of the campervan within 7 days following drop off.

We have 3 insurance options to choose from. Have a quick look through our Insurance section of the website for full details.

• Over 95% of our customers opt for our EPIC cover insurance. This is a no worries policy meaning all damages to the vehicle that may occur during your trip are covered by us.

• We then have basic and Mid cover options. If you opt for either of these, any and all damages to the vehicle are the renter's financial responsibility up to the value of the "Bond" (Excess). 

• With Basic cover, this means you would be liable up to $10,000 (The Grand), $7500 (The Plus), $6000(The Duo) and $5000 (The Original). 

• Mid cover reduces the excess that you are liable for.

• Accidents do happen, opting for our EPIC cover insurance makes for a much more stress-free holiday. 

We require all drivers to:

• Be 18 years of age or older if hiring The Original or The Duo camper, 21 or older if hiring The Plus or The Grand camper.

• Have a current drivers licence. Suspended, or sanctioned licences are not accepted, however a restricted or provisional (P) licence is acceptable, provided you are at least 18 /21 years of age and drive within the terms of your licence.

Licences from English speaking countries are accepted without any supporting documentation.  These countries include: New Zealand, Australia, USA, United Kingdom, Ireland and relevant parts of Canada.

If you are from a Non English speaking country you will require the following to legally drive in New Zealand:

• Your drivers licence

• Either an International licence or a certified English translation of your home licence. We recommend Transnational for certified translations in New Zealand - you can arrange this here : www.driverlicencetranslation.co.nz

** Please ensure you do this prior to your arrival at our depot as you will not be able to collect your campervan until we have your correct licence ** 

Please also ensure that you have spent some time understanding the local driving conditions and road rules, it can be tricky driving in a new environment and we want everyone to have an amazing experience in their EPIC Camper!

For more information on driving safely in New Zealand please click here to visit Drive Safe New Zealand’s website.

In Auckland we are based a short 8 minute taxi from the airport, at 52 Ascot Road, Mangere, 2022. We recommend using Uber to get to us.

In Christchurch we are a 15 min drive from the airport, at 186B Ohohka Road, Kaiapoi, 7630. We recommend using Uber to get to us.

If you are driving to us, you are welcome to leave your car at either location for the duration of your trip.

Our opening hours are below:

• 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat-Sun and public holidays

• Our latest pick up time is 4pm (or 3pm on weekends / public holidays) and latest drop off is 3pm unless agreed beforehand

• We are not open on Christmas day, and are open for drop offs only on New Year’s Day

If you would like to pickup or drop off outside of these hours, we will try our best to accommodate you, so please ask. Our handover process takes about an hour and is very thorough as we want to set our guests up for success.

If your flight arrives after 2:30pm we recommend you spend your first night in a hotel near the airport and collect the van the next day as you'll save a day's rental fee and allows for any delays. If you’ve had a long flight you will probably be craving a shower and some sleep! Check out Booking.com for the best local hotel options.

Freedom camping or free camping is the practice of putting up tents or parking up campervans in areas not designated for camping. Free camping typically means that freedom campers cannot access facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets (either flushing or long drop) and waste disposal facilities. 

Freedom camping is not illegal in New Zealand, but local bye-laws can specifically restrict it in certain areas and free campers not complying with notices can be fined. Signs will usually indicate where you are not allowed to camp. To be certain about local camping guidelines, we recommend you ask at an i-SITE information centre, Department of Conservation visitor centre or holiday park before you stop for the night. 

Travelling in a Fully Certified Self Contained EPIC Camper allows you the freedom to travel as you please. We do ask that you respect the environment and camp responsibly by doing the following:

• Ensure you don't camp anywhere that it's not permitted

• Empty your waste water tanks and toilet only at a special dumpstation. Most campsites will have one and there are also many public ones around the country. A list of these can be found here

• Try to camp near toilet facilities (i.e don't use the side of the road or the bush)

More information on freedom camping can be found here.

To compliment freedom camping, we recommend getting a Dept of Conservation campsite pass for $95 NZD per person, which gives you up to 30 nights at 160 different nature campsites around NZ. Many of these have hot showers and other facilities and so offer great value.

We wholeheartedly encourage you to visit both islands in your EPIC Camper (as long as you have enough time to do so). When you book with us you’ll recieve a promo code to get 10% off ferry crossings with Bluebridge ferries.

If you are looking for the dimensions of our vans because you’re booking a ferry crossing with Bluebridge, please book it under the ‘car/van/ute< 5.0 meters’ category. 

If you are looking for the registration number of your campervan then please use LNM797 for now as we are not able to confirm this until just before you pick up your camper. Ferry companies are used to this with rentals so will be fine to update the registration later on.

Our campers come pre-loaded with just about everything you’ll need on your trip. Check out Campervans Page for the full list of included and optional extras, as well as vehicle specifications on each model.

• Check your driving licence is valid and you have an english translation or international licence if required (as per above).

• Please ensure your credit card has enough funds available to pay for your chosen insurance option and bond.

• Take some time to learn about driving in New Zealand - you can find some useful information here.

• There is plenty of storage in the campers for soft or small luggage, and large harder suitcases are ok to bring but not ideal. If you are returning to the same depot, you are welcome to leave any luggage with us for the duration of your trip to give you more space in the van. We also offer a 450L rooftop storage box which we recommend if you are bringing a reasonable amount of luggage with you and would like to free up living space inside the van. Availability is limited so please email us ahead of your trip to book one.

• How does the dual battery system work?
  There are two batteries in our campervans. The regular 12v car battery and the 12v leisure battery. The leisure battery powers the fridge, USB sockets, lights and water pump and gets charged up by the alternator whenever you’re driving or running the engine.

• How much driving do I need to do to keep the leisure battery charged up?
  The Grand has the largest battery and solar setup in the fleet, a 200Ah lithium battery paired with a 300W solar panel ensuring you can stay of grid for for weeks at a time without driving at all. Our EPIC+ campers a good size leisure battery and a 150W solar panel, meaning you can stay in one place for 3-5 days without driving (depending on power consumption and sunshine). Our EPIC Original campers need to be driven at least every other day for 2-3 hours (depending on power consumption) in order to keep the battery charged up enough to keep everything going.

• Does the camper require a powered site?
   The Duo, Plus and Original don’t have an electric hookup, just a leisure battery which charges up when you drive. We can supply a camping power lead ($50 total) which will give you a mains power socket at a powered site. If you plan to stay at the same campsite for more than 2 nights (or 4 nights in the Plus) without driving much, we recommend booking a powered site and getting the power lead as it will let you plug in the fridge to the mains and avoid running out of leisure battery in the camper. The Grand is the exception as it has a built-in 240V shore power hookup, so you can plug straight into a powered site to top up its 200Ah lithium battery or run mains devices directly.

• How does the van perform in winter?
  All the vans perform well in winter, especially in the North Island where winters are fairly mild. Down south up in the high country when temps get very low at night, it can be pretty chilly so you’ll need to be well prepared. The Grand is a fantastic option for winter travel. It’s the only van in the fleet with a built-in 2.2kW diesel heater, which warms the van in minutes without needing a powered site, along with an insulated fibreglass roof, blackout curtains and an indoor kitchen. It’s the one we’d confidently recommend if travelling for extended period throughout the winter. The Plus is also well set up for cooler trips, with an insulated roof, thermal curtains and inside cooking option. For the Duo and Original, we recommend getting the winter kit and being prepared to book into a powered campsite if it does get very cold so you can plug in a small heater.

• How much storage space is there inside?
  In the EPIC Original there are two storage spaces under the bed, as well as the gap between the two benches, as well as of course on top of the bed / benches. Most people put luggage on or under the bed when driving and transfer to the cab when camping. In the EPIC+ there is a lot more space in front of the bed on the floor, as well as an extra storage cupboard down the side. If you have lots of extra gear for activities, e.g Surf / Dive / Bike etc, we recommend getting the Roof top storage box which gives you 450L of extra space and frees up your space inside the van for living, available with The Duo, Plus and Original. The Grand has by far the most storage in the fleet, with pull out storage at the rear, under bed storage plus the innovative FlexRoof system, which can be used purely for storage or pulled down to create a third bed.

• Will I be shown how to use everything before I get let loose on the road?
  Yes, 100%. We always do a very thorough handover to ensure you fully understand how to use the camper and get the most out of your trip. We are also available via Whatsapp / SMS / phone throughout your trip for any queries / issues. This is one of the key ways we deliver a superior customer experience.

• Can the van be driven on the ferry between North and South Islands? Yes 100%. We highly recommend doing this if you have at least 2 weeks for a one way trip, or 4 weeks for a round trip.

• Can the vans take an infant car seat?
  If your child is old enough to go in a front facing car seat (2+) then they can travel in the passenger seat of our standard EPIC Original campers. If your child is in a rear facing seat they must travel in the EPIC Plus and Grand campervan only. Both the Plus and the Grand vans also has 3 seats with seatbelts allowing for 2 adults and a child, whereas the EPIC Original has 2 seatbelts only.

• Can you offer pick ups / drop offs in Queenstown, Wellington, Nelson, Hamilton or Picton?
  No, unfortunately we are a very small company and are only set up to operate in Auckland and Christchurch.

• Are your campervans certified self contained for freedom camping under the latest rules (2025 onwards)?
  Yes! Our entire fleet of vehicles is certified self contained and ready for freedom camping.

• Can I use a CPAP machine in an EPIC Camper?
  A CPAP machine can run off the mains power inverter in our Plus and Duo campers, however it must be a 12 volt DC CPAP machine, designed for travel, not one that plugs into the mains and requires mains 110v / 240v. Alternatively you could look to stay at powered campsites and add on the camping power lead, which will allow you to connect to mains power.