Vehicle category
Budget Mini-Camper
Car with rooftop tent
- Seats
- 5
- Sleeps
- 3
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Manual
Rental company field guide
Campervan Village review
Compact campers with a back-to-basics camping style in Australia and New Zealand, alongside a separate Australian 4WD range.
Profile reviewed and updated on
Background
Company overview
Campervan Village began in 2016 as a camper rental business serving Australia and New Zealand. Its range centres on converted vans and people carriers, with car-based and pickup-based camping options in Australia. The rental operators are Campervan Village Pty Ltd in Australia and Campervan Country Limited in New Zealand.
Later additions include Johnny Feelgood in 2023 and Desert Sands in 2024, adding different approaches to onboard refrigeration, storage and camping equipment. Campervan Village also shares a sales and reservations operation with Wicked Campers and Allridey across Australia and New Zealand.
Our verdict
Editorial review
Campervan Village makes most sense when you choose a vehicle around the way you actually camp. Within its small-vehicle range, a proper fridge, a raised roof or a bed that stays inside the vehicle can make a more useful difference than the category name alone. The Australian 4WDs broaden the offer substantially, although their camping layouts and permitted routes need to be considered together.
Motorhomeland's assessment is that the product has a clear place for travellers who enjoy a simple setup, but the rental experience deserves as much attention as the equipment. Customer accounts include helpful handovers and satisfying trips, alongside complaints about vehicle preparation and the handling of faults. That mixed record makes it harder to recommend the service as confidently as the variety of camping formats.
Good points
- One-way rentals across a substantial network.Eleven Australian locations and three in New Zealand give travellers several starting and finishing points. One-way rentals can avoid a return drive to the original depot, subject to the route's availability, minimum hire and fee.
- Useful upgrades within the compact range.Johnny Feelgood, Alice Chillgood and D5 combine an internal double bed with a fridge and solar equipment. These are meaningful additions for travellers who want to retain a small camping format while reducing reliance on an icebox.
- Different ways to camp with a 4WD.Australia's D5 provides an internal bed for two, while Grip and Desert Sands use two rooftop tents for up to five. This gives the 4WD range a useful choice between enclosed sleeping and greater passenger capacity.
Things to consider
- Vehicle preparation has drawn repeated complaints.Several customer accounts from 2026 describe problems with cleanliness, fittings or camping equipment, including reports from Australian locations and Auckland. Other travellers describe clean vehicles and helpful staff. The complaints support a concern about consistency at handover.
- Fault resolution can be disruptive.In a June 2026 Exmouth rental, a failed fridge led to a replacement arrangement using tents that the customer found less comfortable; Campervan Village confirmed that it had offered an alternative. This illustrates a practical limitation: an available replacement may change the camping experience substantially.
- Allow room in your budget for funds to remain tied up.The bond-return window can extend to 30 days, and a documented September 2025 Brisbane rental ran five days beyond that limit, as Campervan Village acknowledged. Even a rental that ends without a retained bond may therefore affect the funds available for the rest of your trip.
Vehicle categories
Campervan Village fleet
Compact campervan
Mystery Machine 3-Seater
Campervan
- Seats
- 3
- Sleeps
- 3
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Compact campervan
Mystery Machine 3 Rooftop Tent
Campervan with rooftop tent
- Seats
- 3
- Sleeps
- 3
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Panel van camper
Mystery Machine 2-Seater Hightop
High-roof campervan
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Manual or automatic
Compact campervan
Mystery Machine 2-Seater
Campervan
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Manual
Mini camper
Aventus 2
Converted people carrier
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
4WD with rooftop tent
Grip 4x4 Camper
4WD pickup with rooftop tents
- Seats
- 5
- Sleeps
- 5
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
4WD with rooftop tent
Desert Sands 4x4
4WD pickup with rooftop tents
- Seats
- 5
- Sleeps
- 5
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Manual or automatic
4WD expedition camper
D5 4X4 Adventure Camper
4WD camper with an internal bed
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Mini camper
Johnny Feelgood
Converted people carrier
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Vehicle category
Alice Chillgood
2WD camper with an internal bed
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Compact campervan
Freedom Camping Aventus 2
Compact campervan
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Compact campervan
Mystery Machine 2
Compact campervan
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
Compact campervan
Freedom Camping Aventus Plus
Compact campervan
- Seats
- 2
- Sleeps
- 2
- Toilet
- —
- Shower
- —
- Transmission
- Automatic
The fleet concentrates on compact camping vehicles, with a wider choice of layouts in Australia and three two-person campers in New Zealand.
Australia's simpler camping options
Budget Mini-Camper is a small car with a rooftop tent. It has five travel seats but sleeping capacity for three, and camping equipment is not included. The Mystery Machine campervans add cooking facilities, a sink, storage and an icebox. Hightop provides a raised roof; the three-seater rooftop version combines an interior bed with an additional sleeping space above the vehicle without increasing its total advertised capacity.
Aventus 2 uses a converted people carrier with a rear kitchen and a 20-litre icebox. Johnny Feelgood and Alice Chillgood offer a 20-litre fridge and solar equipment, with Alice also adding an awning. The Australian compact range includes older base vehicles: Johnny Feelgood, for example, uses vehicles from 2006–2010 with conversions from 2023–2025. A recent conversion should not be mistaken for a new vehicle.
Australia's 4WD range
Grip and Desert Sands are diesel pickups carrying two rooftop tents. Grip has a 50-litre water supply and a 45–50-litre compressor fridge. Desert Sands adds hard-shell tents, a 70-litre water supply, an electric pump and a stainless-steel work surface. Sleeping is outside the vehicle cabin in both categories.
D5 takes a different approach: its double bed and 20-litre fridge are inside a petrol-powered camper, with solar equipment and an awning. Its two-person layout is more enclosed, but it does not have the same permitted touring area as the pickup-based 4WDs.
New Zealand's two-person campers
Freedom Camping Aventus 2, Mystery Machine 2 and Freedom Camping Aventus Plus are automatic, petrol-powered campers based on a Toyota Voxy or similar. All have an internal double bed, rear kitchen, sink, dining arrangement and storage. Aventus 2 and Mystery Machine 2 use a 20-litre icebox; Aventus Plus has a fridge. Mystery Machine 2 adds a distinctive painted exterior.
These are the three New Zealand categories. The other eleven categories above belong to Australia. Similar names do not make the vehicles interchangeable: Australia's Aventus 2 uses a different people-carrier base, and its Mystery Machine 2-Seater is manual.
Locations
Campervan Village pickup locations
Open each country to see its pickup locations.
Australia
-
Adelaide 86 Gibson Street, Bowden SA 5007
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Alice Springs 30 Stokes St, Ciccone NT 0870
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Brisbane 46 Deshon St, Woolloongabba QLD 4102
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Broome Unit 3, 3 Farrell St, Broome WA 6725
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Cairns 75 Sheridan St, corner of Sheridan and Aplin Streets, Cairns City QLD 4870
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Darwin 15 Cousin Street, Winnellie NT 0820
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Exmouth 10 Maley St, Exmouth WA 6707
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Hobart 201 Kennedy Drive, Cambridge TAS 7170
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Melbourne 45 Bond St, Ringwood VIC 3134
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Perth 28 Charles Street, Bentley WA 6102
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Sydney 23-25 Erskine Rd, Caringbah NSW 2229
New Zealand
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Auckland Unit 3, 50 Ascot Road, Mangere, New Zealand
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Christchurch 9 Pukaki Rd, Yaldhurst, New Zealand
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Queenstown 234 Glenda Dr, Frankton, New Zealand
Before booking
Practical facts
The policies, inclusions and services that are specific to a Campervan Village rental.
| Topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Driver age and licence | In Australia, 2WD drivers must be 18–75 and 4WD/AWD drivers 21–75. In New Zealand, the range is 18–75. Both countries require at least 12 months' driving experience and an International Driving Permit or an accepted translation for a non-English licence. |
| Children and restraints | Campervan Village's two-seat 2WD campers are unsuitable for young children. Australian 4WDs have child-restraint anchor points, but the company does not hire child seats and prohibits using the centre position without a top tether. The five-seat Mini-Camper needs a category-specific restraint check. |
| Rental days and check-in | Hire is charged by calendar day. Complete online check-in around 72 hours before collection. Minimum hire periods depend on the route and booking. |
| Airport transfers and collection | Campervan Village does not provide a direct airport transfer. Out-of-hours collection and unattended returns must be arranged in advance. out-of-hours collection costs AUD 195 in Australia or NZD 195 in New Zealand; out-of-hours return costs AUD 100 or NZD 100 respectively. Public-holiday handling adds AUD 195 or NZD 195. |
| Bedding and cooking supplies | Bedding is not included. Optional bedding is offered for Johnny Feelgood, Alice Chillgood, D5 and Desert Sands; bring your own for Mystery Machine, Aventus, Mini-Camper and Grip. Stoves are supplied without gas in the Australian Mystery Machine 2-Seater, Aventus 2, Grip, Desert Sands, D5, Johnny Feelgood and Alice Chillgood, and all three New Zealand campers. Mini-Camper does not include camping equipment. |
| Campsite electricity | None of the campers or 4WDs connects to a campsite's 240V mains supply. Bring a 12V-to-USB adaptor and your charging cables where the vehicle uses 12V sockets; fitted USB and solar equipment depend on the category. |
| Australian mileage | Limited-mileage rentals include an average of 250 km per day over the hire. Excess charges are AUD 0.35/km for 2WD and AUD 0.55/km for 4WD. The Australian contract provides unlimited kilometres for Darwin hires of at least seven days and Perth hires of at least ten. For Johnny Feelgood and Alice Chillgood collected on the East Coast, the unlimited-kilometre arrangement applies within 500 km of the coast; travelling outside that area puts the whole rental on the applicable mileage limit. |
| New Zealand mileage | The limited-mileage allowance is an average of 250 km per day, with excess kilometres charged at NZD 0.25/km. Freedom Camping Aventus 2 and Aventus Plus are also offered with unlimited kilometres through our booking system. The mileage package therefore matters alongside the vehicle name. |
| Bond, card and damage liability | The bond is separate from the amount you may owe for damage. Use Visa or Mastercard; a zero-bond Cover Plus arrangement requires a credit card. Australian exceptions can still require a minimum AUD 500 bond at certain bases or without the required credit card. Damage-reduction options do not remove all exclusions. |
| Additional drivers | Each driver must provide a licence and sign the agreement. Damage Cover options include up to four additional drivers; Standard Liability charges for them separately. |
| Australian road restrictions | A 2WD may use maintained unsealed access roads shorter than 10 km, but other unsealed driving is prohibited. A 4WD may use permitted unsealed roads; tracks marked “4WD only” require written approval. Cross-country driving, sand and beaches are prohibited. D5 is excluded from Gibb River Road, the unsealed section of Cape Leveque, Bungle Bungles and Cape York. Gibb River Road, Weipa and Cape York are prohibited from 1 December to 30 April. |
| New Zealand road restrictions | Ball Hut Road, Ninety Mile Beach, Crown Range Road and Skippers Canyon are prohibited. Other unsealed driving is restricted to maintained access roads shorter than 10 km leading to recognised campsites or national parks. Crown Range Road's exclusion matters particularly when planning travel between Queenstown and Wanaka. |
| Night driving in New Zealand | Driving after dark is permitted only in illuminated urban areas. |
| Australian ferries | Taking an Australian rental on a ferry to an island requires written permission recorded in the rental agreement. A suggested destination does not constitute that permission. |
| Pets | Pets require approval in both countries, with an exception for qualifying assistance animals. |
| Assistance | A 24-hour assistance line is available. In New Zealand, faults with the fridge, stove, air conditioning, water pump or radio are excluded from the contract's definition of a breakdown, and a replacement vehicle is not guaranteed. Non-mechanical problems or driver error can attract charges. |
| Direct-booking cancellation | Under the Australian and New Zealand country contracts, cancellation at least 31 days before collection is free. At 30–15 days, the charge is 10%, with a minimum of AUD 150 or NZD 150; at 14–7 days, 20%, minimum AUD 250 or NZD 250; at 6–1 days, 50%, minimum AUD 400 or NZD 400. Less than one day before collection, or for a no-show, the charge is 100%. These are direct-booking terms, not a cancellation promise for every sales channel. |
| Return arrangements | Return the vehicle at the agreed time and location. In New Zealand, return it with the original fuel level. New Zealand contract charges include NZD 200 for a dirty vehicle, NZD 150 for a late return and at least NZD 750 to change the return base. An unattended Australian return does not end responsibility for the vehicle immediately. |
Quick answers
Campervan Village FAQ
Can a New Zealand camper be used for freedom camping?
Campervan Village markets its three New Zealand campers as self-contained. For a stay in an area restricted to certified vehicles, the camper you collect must have a valid Green Warrant and the required displayed card. Confirm that certification for the assigned vehicle before relying on it for your overnight plans; certification also leaves local camping restrictions in place.
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