Campervan relocation deals are a great way to rent a campervan for cheap in New Zealand. Typically you drive the vehicles between the north and south island and have four to five days to complete the trip. Some companies allow you to pay for additional days. Many campervan relocation deals for New Zealand start at $1 to $5 per day but watch out for hidden fees.
It is essential to read the fine print of the rental contract. Some companies like Apollo do not include kitchen equipment and linens. Some companies impose a $500 fee or charge the entire rental at the retail rate for rentals returned late. The pickup and drop off times for some relocations can be restricted more than regular operating hours. The default excess insurance on relocations can also vary a lot based on the operating company. Almost all relocations that reimburse expenses require receipts.
Relocation Deals Through a Third Party
Imoova– Imoova is a third party lister of car, campervan, and motorhome relocation deals. They list Maui, Britz, Mighty, Apollo, StarRV, Cheapa, Hippie, and other companies. You pay a $25 and a deposit to Imoova upon submitting your rental request. Your request is usually confirmed during business hours, and you will get a call from the rental company that they assigned you to. The website does a good job listing if ferry, fuel, and any other reimbursements are covered. During peak season some rentals only last a couple of hours. Imoova receives a list of relocations from the rental companies every day and typically update their website by noon. If your vehicle requires a $1000 bond and comes with $1000 excess insurance, there is a good chance it is a Mighty, Britz, or Maui vehicle. One island rentals are due at noon, and two island rentals are due at 3 pm, with a hefty fee if you are late.
Transfercar– Transfercar is the largest third-party car and campervan relocation company in New Zealand. It is not uncommon for there to be over 500 vehicles available at any one time. They list everything from private party to major rental companies to campervan rental companies including Travellers Autobarn, Cheapa, Hippie, StarRV, and Apollo. Sometimes it takes a little longer than Imoova for them to confirm a rental once it is requested. You can see on the main page if extras like fuel and ferry tickets are included. During the off-season, they frequently offer ten-day rentals compared to the standard four to five days.
Coseats– Coseats is third-party campervan relocation website and tends to have much of the same inventory that is available on Imoova and Transfercar.
Relocations Direct Through Rental Companies
Apollo/Cheap/StarRV/Hippie– Apollo, Cheapa, StarRV, and Hippie are all owned by one company, and you can see their relocations on one site. They also cross-list their rentals with third-party booking sites. You frequently are shown more details on the exact vehicle on the direct website and can avoid some of the fees that third-party sites charge. Many of the relocations do not include linens and kitchen equipment. Rentals typically are for 5 days, and some have the option to pay for additional days.
Budgy– Need to fill out a form. You have 5 days to complete the transfer
Escape– Scroll down to where it says relocations and click into the box. It will list if they have any relocations, but you will need to email for more information
Heron– You need to fill out a form, and they will contact the list with relocations as they occur. They are not super common, only about once a month.
Jucy– Jucy tends to batch list their relocation deals, and they tend to pull them at a specific time. They do not remain until they are all taken. Jucy lists their cars and their campervans. The rental rates can vary from $1 to $30+ per day. They tend to have a good number of rentals and do not list them on other websites.
Kia Ora– They offer some specials, but they are not actual relocation deals.
Maui, Britz, and Mighty– Maui, Britz, and Mighty are owned by one company. They have a form you can fill out for campervan relocations, but they currently only do their relocations through third-party websites like Imoova. You are given 4 days and on some rentals have the option to pay for more.
Pacific Horizon– Rentals come with one tank of fuel and ferry tickets for the driver and vehicle.
Pod Camper– Pod Campers sometimes lists relocation specials. They are more common in the shoulder and offseason. The deals tend to be discounted rates but still $30+ per day.
Spaceship– Spaceship tends to list more shoulder and off-season relocation deals. You are given 5 days for the relocations and typically cannot pay for additional days
Travellers Autobarn– Travellers Autobarn has a dedicated page for relocations, but I do not frequently see relocations listed there or on their Facebook page. I have seen rentals listed on transfercar pretty regularly. Their rate is $1 per day. Travellers Autobarn is closed Sunday all year round and Saturdays during the offseason, and there are no after-hours drop-offs.
Wendekreisen– They offer discounted rentals, but not “true relocation” deals. Some of the deals are between islands, others are short rentals to fill out their schedule. More deals during busy times.
Wicked– Wicked occasionally lists relocation deals.
Wilderness– Wilderness lists their relocation deals on their website. They tend to be a little more expensive than some other companies relocations. Often the price will decrease the closer it gets to the rental window.
Don’t forget to read our guide on driving in New Zealand. What New Zealand campervan relocation deals have you booked?
