Occasionally I will take advantage of Rental Relocation deals to usually to do a road trip after a key event concludes (be it, after a hike or after a work trip) to explore an area that is new to me.

After attending the Outdoor Training NZ AGM in Wellington in the weekend just past, A JUCY Condo Camper van was lined up in order to go back to Auckland, where we took turns driving it back to Auckland. It was perhaps my first time experiencing driving a Van and a Camper.

About the “JUCY” Campervan itself. Main points…

• A pleasant and friendly lady at the Wellington JUCY branch showed us around the vehicle, how to operate the various functions and provided instructions for return.
• The JUCY “Condo” camper we got was in a good state of repair, very clean and tidy
• A Freshly cleaned set of Blankets and duvet supplied as well as towels for 4 occupants.
• All Cutterly, Bowls, Plates and Cups have been supplied
• The Vehicle included two LPG hobs including Pots, Pans and a kettle.
• A Chemical toilet was included.
• I did find the Vehicle to be quite thirsty, drinking about 12-13 litres of petrol every 100km at Highway speeds.
• The Vehicle only had a 2.0 litre naturally aspirated petrol motor and given the size envelope and weight of the vehicle, it naturally struggled with hills, while noticeably labouring at 100km/h on the flat. Be prepared to pull over frequently to allow other traffic to pass on hilly sections.
• Noticed the Camper was perhaps a little more tiring to drive than a regular rental car. (e.g. in comparison with a Toyota Corolla Hatch)

General observations about renting a car (not necessarily confined to Relocation deals)…

It is in my feeling that you really need at least 48 hours to make the Car rental relocation journey a worthwhile undertaking, otherwise it could all just driving point to point with little time to actually stop off on the way to look at things.

Many Excess reduction insurance options offered by many rental car companies excludes the likes…

• Under Body and Overhead damage.
• Hail damage
• Tires / Punctures.
• Windscreens
• You may still be levied with a claim fee of about $75 even if you took up the $0 excess option.

Most standard Holidays parks charge per person in terms of Camping, not per site, bear that in mind when looking around for places to stay. Cabins and motel units at the same Holiday parks are usually advertised at the Twin rate.

If you have a self contained Camper van, it may be prudent financially to take advantage of that and Freedom Camp where ever possible and as long as it is legal to do so.