Campervan Adventure in New Zealand with JUCY

New Zealand is a beautiful country to experience campervan travel. I was fortunate to have explored New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa during the pandemic for two years, making full use of the visa and my freedom to travel.

Together with my friends and partner then, we had spent countless nights sleeping in cars, modified camper cars, campervans, and caravans. We had freedom camped near the waves of the Pacific Ocean at the northernmost campsite of New Zealand, endured -2°C nights in our cosy sleeping bags in the car at a campsite in Mount Cook, and cooked our meals at the end of the shift as a hops trainer in a caravan at the South Island.

But the New Zealand Working Holiday Visa isn’t for everyone. Perhaps you’d just like to sample a sliver of life in a campervan while on a 2-weeks vacation in New Zealand? Or would like to save on time and lodging expenses and experience remote NZ?

Well, here’s a reflection and learnings of my campervan rental with JUCY, one of the most budget-friendly self-contained campervan services in New Zealand. Their green-purple facade is difficult to miss.

I travelled on a JUCY Camper around Northland in Mar 2021. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!

What is a self-contained camper?

You could sleep rough in your car, but there are rules for spending a night in your car in the campsites of New Zealand.

There are designated campsites that indicate overnight parking for self-contained units only.

What exactly is self-contained then?

To qualify to camp in certain self-contained-only places around New Zealand for free, your motor has to contain:

• A sink connected to a watertight greywater tank
• A portable or fixed toilet
• Freshwater tanks holding 12 L of water per person for 3 days
• A blackwater tank that can hold the same or greater amount of waste for 3 days
• An evacuation hose
• A rubbish bin with a lid
• A self-containment certificate visibly displayed

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What is Freedom Camping?

You could stay in holiday parks during your New Zealand trip for their bigger and better kitchens and other amenities.

However, the beauty of travelling in a self-contained camper is the freedom to camp anywhere! Well, almost everywhere, but it’s best to consult CamperMate or Wikicamps. Camping at the wrong place could result in a hefty NZ$200 fine!

As a freedom camper, we leave no traces of trash and bodily waste. It’s all about protecting the environment, and saving it for the rest to enjoy!

That’s where self-contained campers come in – you leave all waste in the camper and dispose of it only at designated dumping stations (check for the nearest one via those mentioned sites!).

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Picking a Camper

Pickup location

Understand where you’ll pick up and drop off your rental.

Would you be doing a loop trip like me in the Northland? That means you’d be picking up and dropping the motorhome at Auckland.

Or would you be doing a one-way trip from Christchurch to Queenstown?

Most motorhome companies have rental offices in Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown.

Number of people

Finalise the number of people travelling with you to decide on the type of camper.

This question sets the number of seatbelts you must have in your campervan, which is mandatory.

Also, take note that some motorhomes do not support child seats.

Shower cubicle

Planning to shower no matter where you camp?

Then you might need a self-contained camper with a shower cubicle. These usually come with a fixed toilet within.

Having a shower room makes it very convenient to clean up after a swim or a roll in the sand dunes (cue the giant sand dunes of Te Paki in the Northland). We showered in the carpark of a supermarket once during our Northland road trip.

But it also means less space for an additional bed, hence accommodating fewer people.

Cooking

Would you be cooking your meals to save money? Or do you envision your trip sampling some of the delicious foods in New Zealand and making easy sandwiches? 

Some campervans are small and do not cater for cooking within the van.

Budget – prices and inclusions

For some – at least for us – price matters when you have a budget for your exploration or want to stretch your dollars.

Consider all the extra or hidden costs when choosing the rental company.

Would there be more than one driver? Young drivers incur a higher premium. Would you be paying via credit card? Those have fees. Different companies charge varying amounts for cleaning. All companies have some form of insurance coverage – what’s your risk level?

Think about the costs to get to the rental site. Research for those that provide shuttles from the airport.

JUCY tends to be the cheapest for couples. For bigger groups or those travelling with families, it could be MAUI, APOLLO or BRITZ. Try to spot their promotions early and book outside of peak travelling periods or holidays.

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Expectations 

Driving a Campervan

Getting behind the wheels of a campervan can be exciting and frightening at the same time. 

Spend some time getting used to driving the vehicle before hitting the expressway.

Know the blind spots and the vehicle’s height when driving through tunnels or entering underground car parks.

Camping

As mentioned, not all areas are free to camp. Look for signs allowing free camping, or cross-check with the CamperMate or Wikicamps apps if in doubt. Illegal camping can incur hefty fines!

Motorhomes or holiday parks are scattered all over New Zealand. These have powered and non-powered sites and shared facilities like kitchens and hot showers but come at a price.

Water

I used to think holiday parks and motorhomes were the only places I could get clean water and dump soiled ones. But that does not make sense for budget-conscious folks who live in campervans.

You can find places to get free clean drinking water and dump wastewater through the apps.

Space

The campervan is – most of the time – all the space you have for cooking, washing and sleeping. Take in extra space by cooking or chilling outside the van when the weather allows!

Our trip around the Northland in summer was perfect for enjoying the outdoors with the campervan. But a warm summer also meant warmer nights in the campervan.

It takes time to get used to the small space and convert the same space for other functions, like the bench into a bed for sleeping. That also limits the space in the van for standing.

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My Reflection with JUCY Chaser

The five days I spent in a JUCY Chaser around the Northland were fun and memorable! I’d say money well spent!

That experience later inspired us to imagine what a long-term life in a campervan may be, and what our camper might look like. We turned that into a reality a couple months later at Te Puke during the Kiwi harvest season by selling my old 1998 maroon Honda Odyssey for a dusty blue converted Mazda MPV camper car!

Read more about my car purchase adventure in New Zealand here – we went through three cars within 2 years, and had experienced a car accident and theft!

Here are some of my thoughts on staying in a JUCY Chaser;

1. The Chaser is a converted Toyota Hiace capable of carrying three adults. It has three seatbelts at the front. However, the third person sitting in the middle might find it uncomfortable with the rigid seat.
2. There are two double beds in the Chaser. The top bed is easy to make, but difficult to climb into. The bottom bed requires some time to configure and takes substantial activity space within the camper.
3. There are two small cookers and a sink in the kitchen. The spark to our cookers was faulty, and the pot and pan would slide across the cooker if the van was parked tilted to one side. We were able to make pasta and soup. The main problem was the sink, which could not drain well most of the time.
4. The 50L compressor fridge keeps our perishables fresh. This is handy for meats and vegetables that require cold storage, especially during warm days when the van can become an oven. 
5. Bring detergent, a sponge and a washcloth. Cleaning aids are not included in the package.
6. High electricity consumption appliances, like the laptop, need the van to be plugged in. Otherwise, electric gadgets that can be powered through USB sockets are fine.
7. There is hot water! You could take hot showers during the winter.

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The Booking Process with JUCY

Our 5-day campervan adventure was booked at a whim.

After a week into our Helpx, we wanted a bailout from the demanding host and bad experience.

As we were looking for our next destination before the Te Puke Kiwi harvest season, we saw a promo for JUCY. It took all of 15 minutes to get what we wanted sorted out.

We booked a JUCY Chaser the day before departure, one Friday afternoon, and were lucky to have scored a 20% off deal. But being money-minded folks, we found three inescapable extras we have to pay to secure our campervan trip: (1) insurance, (2) a ‘premium’ location fee; and (3) a credit card fee.

Insurance

For insurance, JUCY offers three options: (1) yolo no coverage; (2) some coverage; and (3) full coverage. The main differences between the last two are insurance against roof panel damage and rollover damage. Being aware of the roof and careful driving should solve that.

We went with JUCY’s Stress Free Standard Cover (option (2)) for NZ$40/ day. The price has remained the same in 2024. The full coverage option, named the Stress Free Plus, costs NZ$55.

Location fee

Next on the list: the ‘premium’ location fee.

What’s premium?!

All three pickup offices listed on JUCY’s webpage charge a different premium fee, so this is an inescapable fee varied by the location where you pick up the vans.

Picking up the van from Auckland or Christchurch costs NZ$12. Picking it up from Queenstown would set you back $45 – about four times more than the rest!

As of 2024, the price has gone up to NZ$150 for Queenstown! It’s still the same price for Christchurch and Auckland. 

JUCY charges a one-way fee of NZ$150 – NZ$650. If you were to pick up the van from Auckland and drop it off at Queenstown, it’d cost an additional NZ$12 + NZ$150 + NZ$650 = NZ$812! My suggestion is to stick to loop trips and save on unnecessary costs.

JUCY often has an attractive promo for travels from Christchurch to Auckland or from Queenstown to Christchurch – basically travels heading North. So seriously consider your options!

Credit card fee

I doubt there is anyone who can get away without paying this fee. It cost us NZ$10 in 2021.

Other fees

You may be charged other fees depending on added conveniences, for instance, an extra driver at NZ$2 per day or GPS – who uses that nowadays when you have Google maps or Waze?

Payment

You could choose to pay a deposit or full payment during checkout. We opted for full payment to save time.

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Collection Day

Collect your van anytime during the offices’ opening hours. We went with the 10 am slot. 

Picking up the van takes some time for us. Only one administrator was on duty that day, and she had to clear a few other customers – those picking up or returning the vehicles – before reaching us.

The check-in process involves going through the driving licence, the cleaned van for any defects, and finally settling any due payments.

It took us almost an hour before we were on our way to our Northland adventure.

We left our car by the roadside of their Auckland branch.

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Returning the Van

Returning the van was surprisingly easy. Perhaps affected by the lockdown then.

We had to return the van with a full petrol tank, an empty waste water tank, a full water tank, and a full LPG tank.

We called the office beforehand to let them know we were returning after their working hours. They allowed us to drop the keys in their letterbox and charged us nothing. Then again, this might have been due to the lockdown in Auckland.

Read all about how we transfer vehicles and make our way out of Auckland in my Northland post.

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Conclusion/ Rambles

This episode was my first time renting a vehicle overseas, and it was taxing for someone new who has no idea what to expect! We judiciously read the fine print, identified the extra costs, picked suitable insurance coverage, and made sure the vehicle came back looking as it should be.

Those concerns aside, renting a campervan to travel around New Zealand is probably the best way to fully experience the natural beauty of the country. If you were to factor in the time, costs and comfort of staying in a dorm room or a motel and relying on a rented car or public bus, a campervan vacation ultimately wins!

We came out of our short campervan vacation inspired, which later propelled us to purchase a camper car for the remainder of our New Zealand Working Holiday adventure.