My rental with Happy Campers was absolutely spotless and great ! The campervan perfectly fitted our needs and was reliable (drove 5000km in 3 weeks). But to be honest, the best part about happy... See more
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Happy Campers offers great low cost campervan hire options for any tourist coming to New Zealand. If you’re looking for a reliable and cheap campervan, then with a ‘Happy Camper’ you’ll be well on the road towards a stellar New Zealand holiday.
Contact info
791 Wairakei Road, 8053, Christchurch, New Zealand
- 0800 569 385
- info@happycampers.co.nz
- happycampers.co.nz
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Replied to 26% of negative reviews
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We had a wonderful trip with our car…
We had a wonderful trip with our car from Happy Campers! The battery died half way in to our trip but received assistance from the support team instantly and had it replaced the next day as well as being compensated for the lost day. All in all, we are very pleased with the experience.
GreAt communication
We got what we booked
We got what we booked. The camper was in good condition. Pick-up and return were trouble-free.
We genuinely had a bad experience
We genuinely had a bad experience. First van had rain dripping in from the roof side window making the bed soaking wet in the middle of the rain. Also the key didn’t work, so we had to manually lock every single door every time we left the van. We had to drive all the way back to Auckland to get it fixed. We waited aprox 4 hours for them to realize they couldn’t fix it. So we got a new van. Due to all the time waiting for a new van, we drove from Auckland to hot water beach, just to realize at 10pm they didn’t give us the key to the gas locker! So no dinner for us. For us to be able to make dinner the rest of the 22 days, we had to get a gas cooker from a random store. They also charged me a lot of money for a parking fine that was fined for the previous camper rentals so before we even got the van. Thankfully you compensated it quickly! Because of you gave us and extra free day for all the convenience, we give 2 starts. But it genuinely was a bad experience so you absolutely deserve a 1 star rating!
A very good Holiday
The Camper was in a very good condition. It was easy to drive and very confortable to live in. We, 2 people, had enough space, even in rainy days.
Friendly staff for pick up and drop…
Friendly staff for pick up and drop off. Campervan was a bit old, but worked perfecly fine for is. We had a question about something and got a very fast text back by whatsapp from the rental company. We had a lovely trip with our Campervan, loved everything
Well done, Happy Campers!
Happy Campers provided a well-equipped campervan that was clean and in good condition, with clear labeling of the important bits. The videos available to explain the use, care and keeping of the vehicle were lighthearted, informative and are essential viewing for enjoyment of the journey. No problems were encountered! The staff were friendly, relaxed and helpful.
Camper for Little People only
All in all, the camper was ok. We quickly came to terms with the conditions. But it really has to be said that the interior layout only works for very slim and small people. The space between the shower cubicle and the kitchen is extremely cramped, so you really have problems opening the doors of the vanity unit. My husband is 1.85m and it was hardly possible for him to use the shower and toilet because of the cramped space.
When we returned the car, we were unfortunately charged for the child seat for the second time, although I had pointed out several times that it was already included in the bill before we picked it up. All in all ok, but unfortunately not recommended.
9 weeks in a van
Like - The van was mechanically great and never missed a beat. Drove well though a little sluggish up steaper hills. A1 for this.
Dislike - The van was not what was advertised. Yes, the age was advised but the pictures were of newer units.
After back and forth discussions the van was changed (not upgraded just changed).
The exchanged van had an ant nest in it and an old hanky so clearly not thoroughly cleaned from previous users.
The side light on the outside fell off during transit.
The small side windows in the extended fibreglass roof leaked in the rain and containers had to be used and emptied during the night.
Because these windows couldn't be opened in the rain there was no ventilation and the whole interior roof was wet each morning. We had to put our towels over everything so things weren't wet and damp in the morning.
The water cap to fill up the water was broken and couldn't be opened. A plumber was sent several hours later and he ripped the cap off with multi grips. A new cap wasn't provided or organised we had to put tape over the hole to prevent dirt and dust from getting into our water supply.
Nothing was discussed or advised regarding tolls. Consequently for two $7 tolls it cost me the toll amount plus $30 in administration fees for each one.
KEEP AWAY FROM HAPPYCAMPERS
We booked with happycampers 5 months in advance a campervan to travel new zealand 2 weeks in the north and two in the south. A month before our trip we realized that all the ferries between the north and south island were fully booked. In our original booking from happy campers we selected the option „ferry booking“, however we were never contacted by the company regarding our crossing date or given a voucher to book the ferry ourselves. Since it was not possible to cross to the south island we contacted kiwicampers for a partial refund and to bring the campervan back 2 werks early. Not only was the refund denyed (which would have been fine with us) but also they said we have to pay an additional 1000$ because we would bring back the van at the pickup location in Auckland and not drive the van to Christchurch! The customer service was very stubborn and would not try to reach a solution. They provided us a ferry booking two weeks after our desired crossing date, which would have ment we would have to skip the south island and spend 4 weeks in the north.
Also the vans are more expensive than on other more reputable companies and offer little to no insurance even if the price is already so high.
Horrible company, horrible customer service, if I could i would leave 0 stars!
The cushions for the top bed were…
The cushions for the top bed were stained and not pleasant. Surely you have a wet vacuum. There were personal items left in the camper from the previous user.
The lady that helped check out and check in was amazingly helpful and offered prompt service.
Ka pai waka.
Our camper drove great and was just enough for our family. Good on gas and got us from start to finish with our trip. The only thing was that the lower bed didn’t fully extend to lay flat so had a big bump across the center. We managed to problem solve this by getting a mattress from the op shop.
Easy check in and out and everything explained to us by the staff on how it all works (power, gas bottle etc).
Blankets kept us warm and we got the table and camp chairs through the website which came in very handy.
Reliable budget friendly camper vans
We rented this campervan for a month while travelling around New Zealand. It was small, basic, and a little old, but it did exactly what we needed and was great value for the price we paid.
When we had an issue with a brake light, the staff were friendly and easy to contact. They fixed it immediately, which we really appreciated.
We also liked that the van had no decals or promotional branding, so it blended in well and didn’t feel like a typical tourist vehicle.
Overall, a solid budget option that did the job. We’d recommend it if you’re looking for something simple and affordable but also reliable and comfy.
The storage unit in the van broke a few…
The storage unit in the van broke a few days after we started, leaving us with no room to store our belongings except for in our suitcases. We had a very poor experience with the van and the customer service
Never again
Checking and présentation of the van before delivery
Checking of the van before delivery is clearly not completely performed
- sink was clogged
- as a conséquence waste water tank was full and did not empty. I had to uncork the sink to be able tu empty the tank
- The shelves were not fixed but rested on twigs of wood.
- Missing curtain fasteners
- No presentation of how the dashboard works.
- The gearbox use is not explained while the roads and slopes imply using S Mode (safety issue)
Okay
Customer service was very good! Unfortunately the camper itself had several issues (cabinet got flooded due to a loose water pipe, gas stove did not work, it took a lot of fiddling to close the fridge as the seal was coming off, engine check light went on shortly after getting the vehicle...). Would have been nice to get a little refund for the troubles (they only refunded the portable gas cooker we had to buy). Nevertheless, they are one of the cheapest options, so we'd probably book again. Booked with them before without problems, so I guess it's a matter of luck what car you're getting.
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