Motorhome Republic Reviews 3,572

Easy to use website, able to reach the company by phone, and immediate access to my Motorhome consultant

The booking process was fine and everything seemed ok until we realised that the underlying company we were actually hiring from was 5Star RV in Perth. If you check out 5Star reviews on this site (or TripAdvisor) you'll see what I mean - their review score averages below 2 stars across all reviews and to be frank quite a few reviewers objected to giving them 1 star (the minimum) and would have opted for 0 stars if that was an option (I would have awarded 0 stars given the option)

The actual motor home we thought we'd booked looked brand new (although they do justify this by saying you aren't guaranteed a new model) but what we were expected to accept on collection in Perth, Australia was old, tatty on the outside (taped up light clusters, dents and scratches down the side) and a disgrace on the inside (pictures available) Worse for us was the layout which turned out to be unusable for my partner who, granted, has mobility issue's but we thought the research we'd conducted before booking in terms of the vehicle layout, especially the WC, had covered this. The pre-hire research turned out to be a complete waste of time. What you get at 5Star in Perth is what they have on site when you turn up and may bear no resemblance to what you thought you'd booked.

Worse still, 5Star rigidly enforce their 'no refund for early return policy' so when we returned the vehicle less than 24 hours after collection (we spent the 1st night in a hotel) and virtually unused they would refund nothing of the 12 day hire cost of AU$3,100. Despite a formal complaint to 5Star (the hirer) and subsequent complaint to Motorhome Republic (the search website) they appear to sing from the same song sheet and strictly apply the small print hidden away in terms and conditions. AU$0 refund.

The final nail in the coffin for me was we didn't realise we paid additional fees to Motorhome Republic to cover any excess insurance charges, collision damage waiver etc So when pushed at the counter in Perth I handed over an additional AU$797.16 to cover excess fees and penalties if something went wrong. I, rather naively, expected that when booking Motorhome Republic would have let 5Star know we'd already paid a premium for this cover but apparently not. AU$0 refund for the double insurance.

All in all a very poor and costly experience and whilst I lay most of the appalling customer service at 5Stars door, if you read the almost exclusively negative reviews on 5Star, it begs the question why Motorhome Republic continue to recommend them as a supplier - this reflects really badly on their ability to offer a top notch product and service hence the 1 star review I've left here. In total we spent AU$3,800 for a 2 hour drive down the Eastern Highway in WA and a 2 hour drive back the next day.

We're pursuing 5Star and Motorhome Republic through Consumer Protection in Western Australia and will update here if we get a result, although the way things look we're not holding our breath.

Update 4/12/2025

Goodness, within 48 hours of posting the original review I received an email from Motorhomes Republic who have re-assessed our complaint and offered a full refund of their charges (AU$3,100) and within 48 hours of the email the refund landed in my bank. They’ve also stated that Star RV have been asked to review their position regarding the additional insurance premium of AU$790. What a fabulous result, clearly their reputation matters to them, offers some degree of confidence that they’re trying to get it right!

Excellent call with Alex this morning who not only was really knowledgeable and helpful in answering all my queries but also even found me an extra discount on top of the Black Friday offer. Superb customer service. Thank you.

quick respond, easy booking process, all questions were answered.

Denisa is amazing. She walked me through everything and helped out in everything I needed.

Had a small issue that was easily resolved via a phone chat with a polite and very helpful team member.

Fantastic service and attention to detail.

Motorhome Republic was really helpful in resolving challenges faced after booking and during the trip.

Quick and attentive responses

Excellent clear concise and prompt responses to my questions from Remmarie and Alex.
Gave me confidence to proceed with my motorhome booking.
Thank you Bruce

Iulia from MotorHome has been very helpful and solved very quickly our questions/needs
Thank you Iulia

I had no issues with the booking process simple and quick. Betty checked out a few things for me and advised me on an early pick up.

The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our request was a bit particular and they have went above and over to support us. We feel like we have been taken care very well of the team. Highly recommend.

Lulia helped us get our reservation sorted out and was very helpful and timely with good responses to any questions I had.

When I requested a quote and left my phone number - Denisa called me within 5 min of doing so. Answering my many questions and putting my mind at ease about hiring and driving by myself.

Called me really fast after sending an e-mail with extra questions so that made the booking go smooth aswell. Always had the same friendly woman, Betty, who helped me by e-mail and phone.

Betty helped me with selecting the right camper. We had some challenges as we travel with 5 so we need enough space. Also preferably a pick up on New Year’s Day. We ended up picking the camper on 31st as that motor home was only slightly more expensive but for sure a camper between 2-4 years old.
Also with the insurance the explained the differences very clear so it was easy to choose. And with the equipment she provided the right advice. All in all, good service and friendly and quick. Thanks Betty, we are ready for the holiday!

Betty was very helpful and made booking our motorhome easy.

Lulia went above and beyond to help us with our enquiry and I am very happy with the service she provided to us.