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2 Berth Self-Contained Campervan
OK, we reckon our Rental campervans are pretty ‘sweet’.
Feature | Value | Info |
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Vehicle Model Years |
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Vehicle Model YearWhat years were the vehicles for this product made in? 2008 2008 - 2014. (Interior fit out 2014-2018) |
Sleeping Capacity |
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Sleeping CapacityWhat number of people does this vehicle best suit? 3 Berth A three berth vehicle is great for couples with a child or those who want a bit more space. 2 Berth A two berth vehicle is a great option for getting the best driving flexibility. |
Vehicle Toilet |
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Vehicle ToiletWhat toilet facilities does this vehicle include? Certified Toilet The vehicle includes a toilet that meets the self-contained toilet certification standards. Porta Potti |
Vehicle Transmission |
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Vehicle TransmissionWhat type of transmission options does the vehicle offer? Auto/Manual (as requested) The vehicle can have either an automatic or manual transmission at the customer's request. |
2 Berth Campervan
OK, we reckon our Rental campervans are pretty ‘sweet’.
Feature | Value | Info |
---|---|---|
Sleeping Capacity |
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Sleeping CapacityWhat number of people does this vehicle best suit? 3 Berth A three berth vehicle is great for couples with a child or those who want a bit more space. 2 Berth A two berth vehicle is a great option for getting the best driving flexibility. |
Vehicle Toilet |
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Vehicle ToiletWhat toilet facilities does this vehicle include? No Toilet The vehicle does not include a toilet. |
Vehicle Transmission |
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Vehicle TransmissionWhat type of transmission options does the vehicle offer? Auto/Manual (as requested) The vehicle can have either an automatic or manual transmission at the customer's request. |
Escape Rentals is one of New Zealand’s favourite campervan operators, providing reliable, economical campers for backpackers and independent travellers. We’ve been operating for nearly twenty years and over 30,000 happy hires.
Each campervan sleeps two to three adults on a large queen-sized bed. Our campervans are fully equipped with free bedding, beach chairs, kitchen facilities/utensils and more. We also provide 24 hour roadside assistance and a ‘No Hidden Costs’ price policy for complete peace of mind. And of course, there’s the unique artwork featured on each of our vans, perfect for that selfie or Instagram photo.
Escape Rentals has depots centrally located in both Auckland and Christchurch. We’re a popular choice for international backpackers, so ‘Make your Escape’ and choose us for your New Zealand adventure.
Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
Escape Campervan RentalsCommercial organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Directions Auckland Office |
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Directions Christchurch Office |
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Coordinates |
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Feature | Value | Info |
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Sleeping Capacities |
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Sleeping CapacityWhat capacity vehicles are offered? 2 Berth A two berth vehicle is a great option for getting the best driving flexibility. 3 Berth A three berth vehicle is great for couples with a child or those who want a bit more space. |
Campervan Pricing Tier |
Campervan Pricing TierWhat pricing does this campervan company tend to offer? Economy Mid-Range |
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Average Vehicle Age |
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Average Vehicle AgeHow old on average are most of the vehicles? 5+ years old Vehicles aged between 2002-2010. Interior fitout 4yrs or under. |
Vehicle Sizes |
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Vehicle SizeWhat sized vehicles can be provided? Medium From larger vans fitted with toilet and shower to smaller models more suited to couples. Small Smaller vehicles provide easy driving and have less space, but are still set up for sleeping and traveling. |
Payment Requirement |
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Payment RequirementIs there a cost for this experience or is it free? Paid access/participation The experience costs money to access or take part in. |
Campervan Styles |
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Campervan StyleWhat are the styles of campervan that can be provided? Campervan (shower/toilet) A campervan is a medium sized accommodation vehicle with excellent driving characteristics while being less spacious than a motorhome. These vehicles are self-contained with shower and toilet facilities. Certified self contained with toilet, no shower Campervan A campervan is a medium to small sized accommodation vehicle with excellent driving characteristics while being less spacious than a motorhome. These vehicles have no toilet and shower built in. |
Minimum Driver Age |
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Minimum Driver AgeHow old (at least) must the driver of the rental vehicle be at the time of hire? 18 years and older The driver of the rental vehicle must be at least 18 years old at the time of hire. |
✓ Competitive pricing
✓ Spacious van
✓ Responsive customer service
✓ Smooth pick-up and drop-off
✓ Helpful tips for groceries
𐄂 High fuel consumption
𐄂 Older model vans
Very helpful.
A van good enough for three people.
van well maintained, easy pick up and drop off.
Everything was great.
Funky campervan!!
Rating | Count | Percentage | |
---|---|---|---|
10/10 | 72 |
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25% |
9/10 | 70 |
|
24% |
8/10 | 92 |
|
32% |
7/10 | 29 |
|
10% |
6/10 | 13 |
|
4% |
5/10 | 5 |
|
2% |
4/10 | 2 |
|
1% |
3/10 | 2 |
|
1% |
2/10 | 3 |
|
1% |
1/10 | 3 |
|
1% |
5.0/5
We just spent three weeks with a self-contained Escape campervan and were really happy!
At first, I was a bit hesistant as this company seemed less invested as others, i.e. their emails were often just one sentence. Nevertheless, they always replied to my many questions in a timely manner. The positive reviews and the price were ultimately the deciding factor for me and I'm very happy we went with it! When we picked up our van "Golden Dragon" in Christchurch, they took the time to explain everything in great detail. They also gave us tips where to buy the cheapest groceries and stuff. The van itself was from 2010, so rather old and nothing fancy. Nevertheless, we did not have any major problems with it. Also, they state the age range of their campers on the website and with the price it can be expected that it won't be the newest model. Ours couldn't go very fast, especially uphill, the AC didn't work that well and it consumed a lot of fuel. Totally okay for the price but might be something to consider. The rent is definitely cheaper with an older van but the fuel costs are higher than with a newer model. I especially liked the size of the van: Big enough to store everything but small enough to fit in regular parking spaces and garages. The equipment was average I'd say. It had everything that is absolutely needed. I would suggest to bring/buy a few food container boxes, as well as good knives if you plan to cook food often. It's definitely doable with just what Escape provides but I was happy to have some extra utensils.
Overall, our experience was very pleasant, also the drop-off was very smooth. If I'd had to redo my holiday, I would definitely choose them again, you get a great deal considering the price.
Reviewed 10 months ago
Customer
0.5/5
We had a good experience with Escape when we first picked up the van for 7 weeks.
All was going well until we heard some grinding from the brakes. We called escape who told us to keep driving... Long story short we felt this was unsafe so we called again and booked in with a garage. The brake pads and discs were completely worn out to the point where the mechanic who fixed it said it was extremely unsafe. We informed escape of our frustration who partly tried to blame the worn brakes on our driving and not the windy and very steep mountain roads of New Zealand. We believed this should never have been an issue. When sending a van out on a long rental, the brakes should last the entire time!! With the time it took to book in the van and get it fixed, it took 4 days out of our trip due to it being a Friday and unable to book in until the Monday. (We were refunded for 2 of these days) The whole situation with their staff was handled very very poorly. Such a shame as we had loved the van for the first 5 weeks.
Reviewed 6 months ago and experienced in February 2024
Customer
5.0/5
Well, I'm not sure if this was either the best roadie ever, or the best roadie ever orrrr quite possibly the best roadie ever!?After starting my 'Covid redundancy road trip party' with just a 3 week booking
10,000kms - 2.5 months - 0 tourists
so not to get over my head, the ease to just call up for extensions week after week through Kerry and Terry looking after me from the Escape rentals base in Christchurch was amazing plus they were so excited for my trip and stoked to hear where I was up to each time I spoke with them. I received an upgrade to a self-contained van called Sunglasses on arrival and choofed off to discover so many nooks and crannies of NZ I didn't know where there (i'm a dual Aussie and NZ citizen), drove my way through all sorts of weather, and road conditions, surfed the freezing waters of the Catlins and the slightly warmer ones of Raglan and Northland, snowboarded out of Wanaka, hiked my butt off, hot springs my aching muscles back to some normality and literally cried when I had to leave my beloved 'Sunglasses' behind in Auckland.
Thank you so much Terry and Kerry for taking such good care of me, I will continue to brag about Escape Rentals and my NZ roadie that exceeded all my expectations!!
Reviewed almost 4 years ago and experienced in September 2020
Customer
5.0/5
Van was perfect for our trip around the south island, we warmly survived the winter roadie.
The staff were extremely friendly and a good laugh. Set us up with everything we needed. I was impressed with the information they gave us about freedom camping, campsites and being a generally good kiwi. Thanks guys!
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Thanks, Mollie
We have a great team of people and culture at Escape who are passionate about NZ.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
Great people to work with.
They are especially considerate during this lockdown - changing drop-off Location and not charging during level 4
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Hi Harold
Thanks for your review.
Lockdown certainly was a strange time for everyone.
We are travellers as well and know what's important and when support is needed.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Great experience.
Great check-in and drop off of the van. No problems at all during the rental time. Can always recommend.
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Hi Meike
Thank you for the review.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
We loved our Van, everything was perfect and worked well!!
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Hi Birgit
Great to hear you had a Fabulous time.
Thanks for the review.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Everything was great.
People are very professional and very welcoming. Van by itself was very nice looking and was working very well. No trouble at all. Everything needed was inside and we were happy to called it home for our trip. We miss this life now :)
I kindly recommend this company
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
Customer
Thank you for the review, Jonathan.
Cheers
Jolly Roger.
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
Collected our van from the Auckland office - the staff were super friendly and very helpful in showing us our campervan.
The van was clean and well stocked with everything you could need. We had no troubles throughout our stay (3 weeks). The bed was comfy. The staff at the Christchurch depo were just as friendly. Would highly recommend.
Reviewed almost 5 years ago and experienced in November 2019
Customer
Thanks, Tamzin
We would like to think we are a friendly and informative group.
Thanks for the Great review.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Rented van for 3 weeks.
Krispy a mine of information in Christchurch. Had a brilliant time in what must be one of the most civilised countries in the world. Not a moments trouble with the van. In fact, it's probably the only way to see NZ. Had days that will be remembered for a lifetime. Priceless.
Reviewed over 10 years ago
Customer
GREAT REVIEW!! Thanks Jon! Krispy is certainly full of information, some of it is even useful.....haha!! (as he gives me a shove)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
0.5/5
We had a good experience with Escape when we first picked up the van for 7 weeks.
All was going well until we heard some grinding from the brakes. We called escape who told us to keep driving... Long story short we felt this was unsafe so we called again and booked in with a garage. The brake pads and discs were completely worn out to the point where the mechanic who fixed it said it was extremely unsafe. We informed escape of our frustration who partly tried to blame the worn brakes on our driving and not the windy and very steep mountain roads of New Zealand. We believed this should never have been an issue. When sending a van out on a long rental, the brakes should last the entire time!! With the time it took to book in the van and get it fixed, it took 4 days out of our trip due to it being a Friday and unable to book in until the Monday. (We were refunded for 2 of these days) The whole situation with their staff was handled very very poorly. Such a shame as we had loved the van for the first 5 weeks.
Reviewed 6 months ago and experienced in February 2024
Customer
3.0/5
We rented a Self-Contained van for 3.5 weeks (3000km).
The price was very competitive and the van was spacious. Also, the fact that we could sit inside the van during rain was a big pro.
The biggest disadvantage was the fuel usage which was way more then advertised! We used 15 liters per 100km while they said the van would do 10 or 12 liter per 100km. Also, we had a manual car with 280k driven so some bits and pieces weren't working as you'd expect.
So: you get what you pay for: a mediocre van in a beautiful country.
Reviewed 8 months ago
Customer
5.0/5
We just spent three weeks with a self-contained Escape campervan and were really happy!
At first, I was a bit hesistant as this company seemed less invested as others, i.e. their emails were often just one sentence. Nevertheless, they always replied to my many questions in a timely manner. The positive reviews and the price were ultimately the deciding factor for me and I'm very happy we went with it! When we picked up our van "Golden Dragon" in Christchurch, they took the time to explain everything in great detail. They also gave us tips where to buy the cheapest groceries and stuff. The van itself was from 2010, so rather old and nothing fancy. Nevertheless, we did not have any major problems with it. Also, they state the age range of their campers on the website and with the price it can be expected that it won't be the newest model. Ours couldn't go very fast, especially uphill, the AC didn't work that well and it consumed a lot of fuel. Totally okay for the price but might be something to consider. The rent is definitely cheaper with an older van but the fuel costs are higher than with a newer model. I especially liked the size of the van: Big enough to store everything but small enough to fit in regular parking spaces and garages. The equipment was average I'd say. It had everything that is absolutely needed. I would suggest to bring/buy a few food container boxes, as well as good knives if you plan to cook food often. It's definitely doable with just what Escape provides but I was happy to have some extra utensils.
Overall, our experience was very pleasant, also the drop-off was very smooth. If I'd had to redo my holiday, I would definitely choose them again, you get a great deal considering the price.
Reviewed 10 months ago
Customer
5.0/5
Well, I'm not sure if this was either the best roadie ever, or the best roadie ever orrrr quite possibly the best roadie ever!?After starting my 'Covid redundancy road trip party' with just a 3 week booking
10,000kms - 2.5 months - 0 tourists
so not to get over my head, the ease to just call up for extensions week after week through Kerry and Terry looking after me from the Escape rentals base in Christchurch was amazing plus they were so excited for my trip and stoked to hear where I was up to each time I spoke with them. I received an upgrade to a self-contained van called Sunglasses on arrival and choofed off to discover so many nooks and crannies of NZ I didn't know where there (i'm a dual Aussie and NZ citizen), drove my way through all sorts of weather, and road conditions, surfed the freezing waters of the Catlins and the slightly warmer ones of Raglan and Northland, snowboarded out of Wanaka, hiked my butt off, hot springs my aching muscles back to some normality and literally cried when I had to leave my beloved 'Sunglasses' behind in Auckland.
Thank you so much Terry and Kerry for taking such good care of me, I will continue to brag about Escape Rentals and my NZ roadie that exceeded all my expectations!!
Reviewed almost 4 years ago and experienced in September 2020
Customer
5.0/5
Van was perfect for our trip around the south island, we warmly survived the winter roadie.
The staff were extremely friendly and a good laugh. Set us up with everything we needed. I was impressed with the information they gave us about freedom camping, campsites and being a generally good kiwi. Thanks guys!
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Thanks, Mollie
We have a great team of people and culture at Escape who are passionate about NZ.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
Great people to work with.
They are especially considerate during this lockdown - changing drop-off Location and not charging during level 4
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Hi Harold
Thanks for your review.
Lockdown certainly was a strange time for everyone.
We are travellers as well and know what's important and when support is needed.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
We loved our Van, everything was perfect and worked well!!
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Hi Birgit
Great to hear you had a Fabulous time.
Thanks for the review.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Great experience.
Great check-in and drop off of the van. No problems at all during the rental time. Can always recommend.
Reviewed over 4 years ago
Customer
Hi Meike
Thank you for the review.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
Collected our van from the Auckland office - the staff were super friendly and very helpful in showing us our campervan.
The van was clean and well stocked with everything you could need. We had no troubles throughout our stay (3 weeks). The bed was comfy. The staff at the Christchurch depo were just as friendly. Would highly recommend.
Reviewed almost 5 years ago and experienced in November 2019
Customer
Thanks, Tamzin
We would like to think we are a friendly and informative group.
Thanks for the Great review.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
0.5/5
Sadly our experience of escape rentals was most disappointing.
The condition we received the van in was completely unacceptable with the following faults: ripped and stained cushions, broken passenger window that slipped through the door and unable to be used or closed fully, broken AC, holes and rust inside the sleeping area, unusable stove, rubber seal had come away from both side doors and prevented the door closing fully. We were not offered another van on finding these faults, and on return of the van we were told that this was below their usual standard and would be offered a partial refund, however there has been no reply in over a week from the manager. These are high use vans and there is an expected wear and tear but this was unacceptable condition and it fell short compared to similarly priced competitors, which I've booked with in the past.
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
Customer
Kia Ora Mel and thanks for the review... We’d like to respond as follows: 1.You chose not to use our 24 hour Roadside Assistance service during your hire which would have remedied these issues in a matter of minutes. It’s therefore difficult for us to provide compensation or address issues if we’re not given the opportunity to fix the problem in the first instance.
2. Despite this, we still agreed to a refund which you accepted and we processed immediately. I’m not sure what else you were expecting further? 3. It appears the A/C was not broken, the stove was tested and working when it departed our depot and the rubber seals were all in place when you left. Not sure what has occurred here but again, all of this would have been addressed via our on-the-road service 4. We constantly check our pricing to ensure we are competitive and our records confirm we were considerably cheaper than our primary competitors for travel during this time. 5. We don’t misrepresent ourselves and the age and condition of our vans is accurately detailed on our website. It’s worth noting you chose to book one of our cheaper (older) standard vans and perhaps one of our newer self-contained vehicles may have been more suitable.
We have many positive reviews and happy hirers but it’s obvious Escape wasn't for you and I’m sorry about that. We wish you all the best with your future travels.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Everything was great.
People are very professional and very welcoming. Van by itself was very nice looking and was working very well. No trouble at all. Everything needed was inside and we were happy to called it home for our trip. We miss this life now :)
I kindly recommend this company
Reviewed almost 5 years ago
Customer
Thank you for the review, Jonathan.
Cheers
Jolly Roger.
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
I passed two months in a wonderful van!
It was really comfortable to drive it, to sleep inside and to cook.
The staff is very helpful!
The price of the hire was cheaper than the other conpanies for the season where I rented it.
And to finish, It’s always easy and friendly to recognize some other vans Escape on the road! You’ll do some nice meeting on the road!
Reviewed over 5 years ago
Customer
Thanks for the review Maxine! The Campers do stand out as they are all individually painted by NZ Artists..
Pleased you had a safe and enjoyable Holiday.
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.0/5
Cheap and cheerful - don't expect any frills and you'll have a wonderful time.
Check out and check back in process very painless, staff helpful and friendly.
Reviewed over 5 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Laura!
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape.
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Really good travel with escape rental The van worked very well and nothing to complain about We really enjoyed to travel with the van and we recommend it to everyone A very good value for money 👍🏻
Reviewed over 5 years ago
Customer
Kia Ora Damien
Really appreciate your comments as we work hard at Escape to provide a fun and informative service and product that is unique in being individually painted by some of NZ leading graffiti artists but also supplying safe, reliable vehicles loaded with fully equipped kitchens any many other extra's.
Thank you
The Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
As a retired couple we are probably not the typical Escape customers, but we spent a month touring South Island in April and had a great time.
The Escape van did well - no issues and 100% reliable and comfortable. The facilities are very basic but functional. All the Escape vans are all unique which is a nice individual touch - we had Boat Builder which we renamed "Ruddy Duck".
Reviewed over 5 years ago
Customer
Hi Jeremy
"Ruddy Duck" may stick...i like it.
Jeremy it is interesting, we have a variety of age choosing to use Escape and most of the 30,000 hires would agree with your comments.
Thank you
Jolly Roger
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.0/5
Escape Campervan Rentals.
Great company to work with. Check in process was clear. Fun to drive on the left side of the road. Tips: check all elements for repair before sending out, warn people about the stupid sandflys,
Reviewed over 5 years ago
Customer
Haha..yes the sand fly's on the Westcoast of the South Island are infamous due to the rainfall which also gives us the stunning untamed natural wilderness of rivers and rainforests. I am not too sure on your comment of checking all elements for repair prior to sending out is regarding, but all vehicles prior to being hired go through a thorough 70 point checklist taking in mechanical, electrical, interior, tyres plus more.Pleased you had fun and i am sure many great memories.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape.
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
Great experience!
Friendly, thorough service at pickup. Easy return.
Reviewed over 5 years ago
Customer
Kia Ora Alice
So pleased you had a Great Experience with the Escape Rentals Team and product we so pride ourselves in as well our stunning country..
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
We can’t fault a thing, a truly fantastic trip, escape we’re brilliant to deal with as we’re Rankers.
Our van went like a dream and never had a problem, really comfortable and great value for money. The staff we dealt with at pickup and drop off were fantastic. Highly recommend. Thanks to both companies
Reviewed almost 6 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Neil! Good to hear we (and the team at Rankers) looked after you :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
3.0/5
Escape Rentals was 100% good to talk to and they had straight forward information.
Nothing to complain on there. So far 10 of 10. But The car decreased the result and also here it was not escape fault because they had wrote about their van in the specifikations. However The van had a not enough power to work properly in Mountains. The automatic was not always working smoothly and the tachometer increased to 4000 rpm with a velocity of 70 kmph in slopes. One more minus was that the car had no cruise control. Overall it was a very good week and except for those problems above and some other things that decreased the standard a bit, we was satisfied. Satisfied with escape Rentals and the van took us wherever we wanted.
Reviewed almost 6 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Andreas - we are a bit disappointed in the 6/10 rating if we're honest. We do state (as you mention in your review) clearly on our website the van specs including the engine size etc. We're not aware of any backpacker-esque vans out there with cruise control. They are not the fastest vehicles on the road (we make no apologies for that) but they are amongst the most reliable out there. We are glad that we ticked all the other boxes for you though and hope you enjoyed your trip in NZ.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
The team at Escape is professional and handled my rental exceptionally.
The pick up procedure was detailed and the team took the time to answer all questions. The safety-first and preserve the environment philosophy was clear during the briefing and the van itself was great. During the trip on the South Island, I encountered some minor issues and voiced my concerns. The Escape team went far beyond expectations in clearing these up. I would highly recommend Escape as their vans have comfortable beds, and are properly outfitted for the elements. Further, their team was excellent during the pick up and drop off process.
Reviewed almost 6 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Brendan! Happy to hear that we resolved the issues you had and that you and Fairground had a good time in NZ :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.0/5
Size of the campervans perfect for NZ roads, size of the bed is large and perfect.
Sad you can't choose your design and vehicles a bit old but price and oprions are very competitive and service provided by the Team to help and answer queries is really efficient.
Reviewed almost 6 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Francois and Caroline! We do cover the age of our vehicles on our website (we are a backpacker company after all) and we do try our best with design requests but cant guarantee any particular design received. Glad that we looked after you in the other respects though and hope you enjoyed your travel in NZ :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
We cannot speak highly enough of the staff at the Auckland branch of Escape rentals - they were so friendly and helpful and showed real care for our trip.
They went above and beyond to ensure we had the best trip possible. We would always recommend their services to our friends and family travelling NZ.
Reviewed about 6 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Jack!
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Absolutely flawless process.
The camper was exactly what was advertised and made our holiday super fun.
Reviewed over 6 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Jana! Nice to hear your trip was fun and Cathedral Cove was good for you :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Spent 5 weeks travelling all over NZ in an Escape camper - had an absolutely amazing time.
Perfect budget option. We had enough space for our luggage and were comfy. Would thoroughly recommend!
Reviewed over 6 years ago and experienced in February 2018
Customer
Thanks for your review Claire! We're happy you and Treasure Hunter had a great NZ trip :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.0/5
We hired two vans from Escape Rentals.
Both were their cheaper Hugo vans. They were certainly old and budget, but they had all the basics, no fancy frills and that was all we needed. Despite them being old vans and having done huge amounts of kms both ran well enough and got us to where we needed to go. If you are looking for something budget, simple with no fancy frills then I would definitely recommend a Hugo van. They even through in some freebies of old camping chairs, esky etc which were nice!
Reviewed over 6 years ago and experienced in February 2018
Customer
Thanks for your review Felicity! Glad the two Hugos gave you a good trip around both islands :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
2.5/5
My husband and I used an escape van for about 16 days during September 2017.
We are American so we aren't used to driving manual cars, so we opted for an automatic van. We got a very old van unfortunately (when we saw the other options I think the manual vans were newer). Even worse to my surprise, it was painted with pinup girls on the side instead of the flowers or turtles we had come to expect based on the company's website. Needless to say, it was kind of embarrassing to park our bright pink and blue van with pin up girls while we were traveling throughout the country. Our stove didn't work (which wasn't a huge deal for us). I think the biggest thing that was hard was that the size of the van is very small and to store stuff you have to put it under the wooden slats where the bed is. This would not have been a huge problem, except we were traveling during a really wet month so anytime we tried to set the bed up, the bed would invariably get wet. There was lots of condensation during the night, and the only light source is a desk lamp. I think upgrading to a tiny bit larger van would have been worth it just to avoid standing in the rain when trying to set the bed up. I also just felt like the van was definitely on the older side. There was a plastic piece (like a grate) between the front hood and the windshield that fell off midway through driving and we had to stop and get tape to put it back on. I would have felt more comfortable getting an automatic with a different company that offered slightly newer/bigger vans. That being said, the price was good for what we got, and I definitely recommend campervanning in NZ in general. I think renting with Escape is reasonable as long as you definitely know what you are getting.
Reviewed over 6 years ago and experienced in September 2017
Customer
Thanks for your review Carmen - we are a budget backpacker company and we don't misrepresent ourselves, the age and size/dimensions of the vans is detailed on our site. We do have our Self Contained Escape vans which are all 2008-2013 models so newer vans are available also with us. We have more storage in our van than a lot of larger campers out there. We paint all sorts of things on the vans and Pinup Chix is featured within our gallery online - along with many other non-flowery designs. We are glad you enjoyed NZ and the van life though, and happy also that the price point was good ($27 per day in your case travelling over September/winter).
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
Lovely trip.
Lovely Country. Lovely service.
Reviewed almost 7 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Cory! :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
5.0/5
We rented a self contained van for 12 days from Christchurch.
Awesome company, good quality van, perfect service... go for it !
Reviewed almost 7 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Manon! Nice to hear that you and Wally-3 had a fun time in NZ :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
1.0/5
We were unsatisfied with our experience with you.
We had planned the trip since May and I had researched all the different companies and thought yours was the best product. The van was 12 years old with 300,000+ kilometers on it. It was dirty and worn out. It had no power going up hills; very embarrassing with cars behind me. We were going to drive up to Mount Cook but thought it would not be able to handle the hills. I have a 1995 Ram Van which had more power than this one. We actually ended up sleeping in hotels. The "chilly bin" was a very inexpensive ice chest that did not hold much food beside the ice and the ice melted within a day. I would definitely suggest to potential renters to ask more specific questions about the van they are going to rent to you.
Reviewed almost 7 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Terry - this is disappointing to hear. We are a budget backpacker company and we don't misrepresent ourselves, the age of the vans is detailed on our site. This age/kms is pretty standard throughout a backpacker oriented fleet in NZ. We note that you hired a Standard Escape - we do have the Self Contained Escape vans which are all 2008-2013 models, they are a bit more expensive to hire but if you are after a newer model vehicle they are the way to go. We do detail that all the vans are 2.0L petrol engines also, little unfair to compare to a (Dodge I assume?) Ram - I'd say that's a much larger engined vehicle? We've checked our return paperwork and the prior hire to yours passed no comment on the vans power. It has been out on another hire post your return (and driven by our team) and no comments were made regarding the power either. It has been a hot summer so if the ice has melted quickly in the chilly bin (again we do detail that is a chilly bin in the van, not a fridge) we can only put it down to the very hot weather. We don't operate fridges as the vans have a single battery system and to do so would mean using the 12V cigarette lighter outlet. We did this around 8-9years ago and the amount of flat battery telephone calls we received from clients that forgot to unplug it when the engine wasnt running meant we decided it wasn't a viable option for us.
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative
4.5/5
We rented an Escape campervan for 20 days in the Southern Island.
We had a Johndory fish van, brand new ! We enjoyed it ! It was a great experience. Will do it again. People at the Christchurch office are so nice !
Reviewed almost 7 years ago
Customer
Thanks for your review Audrey! We're glad you and Dory Snapper had fun :-)
Cheers
Jolly Roger
Escape
Terry Wakefield
Representative