Frequently Asked Questions

How much do I pay when I make a booking?

Your payment depends on the rental company you choose. Some rental companies require full payment at least 28 days in advance. Other companies just require a deposit up front, with the balance due at pick-up. If you have a preference, we can advise which companies offer the different payment options.

Campervan hire and motorhome rental are based on calendar days. This means that the days of pick-up and drop-off are counted as a day of rental each, regardless of actual pick-up and drop-off times.

For example, a rental from 05-15 December would be calculated as 11 days' rental, regardless of the pick-up and drop-off times.

Cancellation fees are payable for all campervan bookings. Please refer to your quote for the cancellations fees pertaining to your booking.

All cancellations must be in writing and can either be per email, facsimile, or by letter. No cancellation will be accepted unless received in writing and received by us directly from you. The date that we receive the cancellation notice is the date that it is deemed cancelled.

Refunds will not be made for bookings cancelled due to inclement weather, illness in the family, etc. We strongly recommend that you take out personal travel insurance, including cancellation insurance!

You have a number of options when it comes to overnight camping in Australia with a motorhomes:

1. Caravan Parks
2. National Parks
3. Free Camping

Caravan Parks

Staying overnight in a caravan park is recommended when travelling in Australia with a campervan. Australia has an extensive network of caravan parks in all major tourist centres and in most towns. Often boasting landscaped surrounds (for example, beside a beach or lake), they offer shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and sometimes include access to a dining area, TV lounge and games room. Many caravan parks have play areas, heated swimming pools, trampolines and barbecues. Bicycles, canoes and boats can sometimes be hired.

Caravan parks also have provision for you to plug the vehicle into 240V electricity at a "powered site". Some appliances, such as microwaves, air-conditioning units and TV's, require 240V to operate. There is ordinarily no need to book ahead, however it may be wise to book ahead in peak periods (Easter, Christmas, etc). The approximate cost of a powered site is AU$30 - AU$50 per night (depending on the time of travel). Please note that some caravan parks charge a fee per vehicle and per person (rather than a flat fee for the powered site).

Australia-wide:

www.big4.com.au
www.toptouristparks.com.au
www.familyparks.com.au

National Parks

Most national parks have areas set aside for camping. There are often shower and toilets, barbeques and picnic areas and of course national parks provide a scenic and peaceful place to stay at overnight. However these areas generally do not have facility for you to plug the vehicle into electricity. Please note that most national parks require a pass or permit for overnight camping.

Australia-wide:

www.environment.gov.au/parks

States and Territories:

New South Wales: www.environment.nsw.gov.au
South Australia: www.environment.sa.gov.au
Tasmania: www.parks.tas.gov.au
Victoria: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
Queensland: www.epa.qld.gov.au
Northern Territory: www.nt.gov.au/nreta
Western Australia: www.calm.wa.gov.au

Free Camping

Local council laws discourage overnight camping on the side of the road in the vicinity of towns. This includes beaches, rivers and lakes within the township or where "no overnight parking" signs are posted. Check with the town's tourist information centre or council if you are unsure about where you can spend the night. Outside the towns and in country areas it is generally allowed in designated rest areas or truck stops. Please note that only fully self-contained motorhomes and campervans (with shower/toilet facilities) should be used for free camping.

Baby Capsules

Recommended for children:
- newborn to 6 months (approximately)

Most rental companies do not permit baby capsules in their campervans. The rental companies who do permit baby capsules are Kea (can hire or bring own) and Maui/Britz (must bring own). Please check check individual vehicle specifications for more details. If you intend to bring your own baby capsule, it must be secured to an anchor point and comply with the strict Australian child restraint standards.

For Australia campervan hire, all drivers must be 21 years and over and hold a valid, current and full (i.e. non-provisional) car driver’s licence. Please note that Apollo, Cheapa and Hippie require drivers to have held their full licence for at least 2 years.

Exceptions:

1. Jucy 2 Berth Crib: minimum driver age is 18 years. Australian provisional licences are accepted. (Drivers do not have to have held their provisional licence for 2 years).

2. Backpacker 2 Berth Breezer: minimum driver age is 18 years, however the driver must still have a full licence (i.e. non-provisional).

All licences must be readable in English. If the licence is not readable in English (e.g. if the licence is in German, French, Chinese, etc), an International driver's licence must also accompany the country licence.

International clients are also required to show their passports as a form of identification.

Some rental companies have a maximum age limit (e.g. 75 years). Please refer to the relevant rental company's Terms & Conditions.

The Excess or Liability is the amount of money that you are responsible for if the vehicle or any third party property is damaged while on hire. This is regardless of who actually causes the damage.

The Excess/Liability can be up to AU$7500 for some vehicles. So, for example, if you are involved in an accident (regardless of whether you are at fault or not), you would be liable for the first $7500 worth of damage.

The rental companies therefore offer a number of protection options to reduce this Excess or Liability. The amount of protection that you take (or do not take) determines the amount of your Security Deposit (Bond). More information on each company's Excess or Liability reduction packages are available in their Terms and Conditions.

Many rental companies offer "flex rates". Flex rates are based on a simple system of supply and demand. So when there are a large number of vehicles available for hire from a particular branch, then the rental rate is lower (and vice versa).

Flex rates are released each week. The rates can therefore change (i.e. increase or decrease) from one week to the next, depending on the movement of vehicles between branches. To secure the current rate, you must book by Saturday (Australian time). After Saturday, the rate may change for the coming week. (We cannot offer flex rates that were displayed weeks or months ago).

Special conditions apply for making changes to a flex rate booking - please refer to the rental company's terms and condtions for more details.

In Australia, campervans and motorhomes either use unleaded petrol (gasoline) or diesel. Fuel is sold by the litre. Petrol and diesel fuel costs between AU$1.10 - AU$1.40 per litre and can be higher especially in country and remote outback areas.

For current fuel prices in Australia, please visit Motor Mouth.

Most campervans have a dual battery system. This means that the engine battery is separate from the battery system used for internal appliances, such as the fridge, lights and water pump. The appliance battery system will last approximately 12 hours when fully charged. The batteries only recharge when you drive the vehicle. Since the engine battery is separate, if you flatten one of the engine batteries, you will still be able to start the engine and drive.

Most vehicles have the facility to plug into electricity. When you plug into electricity in a caravan park, all appliances automatically run off 240V electricity rather than the batteries. You can then use appliances such as the television, microwave and rear air- conditioning that only run off 240V electricity.

We strongly recommend that you take out your own Personal Injury Travel Insurance. The insurance options to reduce the Excess/Liability on the rental vehicle do not include cover for personal injury or loss of personal belongings.

Some clients may wish to use their own travel insurance (for example, through their credit card company) to cover the Excess/Liability on the rental vehicle. In regards to using insurance from another source, the rental companies will still require you to cover their Excess/Liability (e.g. AU$7500) up front. This is because the insurance cover is between you and the independent source, not the rental company and the insurer. Also, you may not be able to "double-up" on insurance (i.e. you may not be able to take any optional insurance with the rental company as well as use the cover of your insurance broker).

So this means your Excess/Liability will be $7500 which in turns means you will have to leave a Bond of $7500 with the rental company. They only accept payment of the $7500 Bond with credit card (and your card will be debited immediately). If the vehicle is returned safely, this money will be refunded back to you. However, if the vehicle is damaged in any way (regardless of who is at fault), you will be liable for the first $7500 worth of damage. You would then have to claim these expenses back from your insurance broker independently. Please check the finer details with your insurance broker to ensure that they cover campervans and motorhomes.

Australia is a large country so to enjoy your holiday, we recommend that you research your intended travelling route thoroughly, particularly your travelling distances. It is far better to travel at a leisurely pace and visit the many attractions of Australia rather than spend each day driving long distances. Aim to cover 150 - 250 kilometres per day and you will experience Australia in comfort.