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It’s camping, made easy
If you’ve been itchin’ to try out #VanLife but don’t want to spend big bucks buying a van of your own, you might consider renting one. A new group of companies rent ready-to-camp, converted vans with everything you need to get outside, explore, and sleep.
Predominantly located in the American West, these camper van rental companies cater to people craving wide open spaces and Instagrammable road trips. It’s like renting a car and a hotel room in one, with the savings to match. Adventurers can choose from minivans equipped with just the camping basics, or opt for fully converted Class B vans with luxury amenities and rooftop tents.
Whatever you choose, here are 11 companies that let you try the adventure van life on for size, right now.
Location: Denver-based Native Campervans rents out fully equipped camper-vans for long or short term road trips through the Rocky Mountains and beyond.
Details: Native Campervans offers two sizes of vans: the “Biggie”—a Ram PropMaster 136” High Roof—or the “Smalls,” remodeled Dodge Grand Caravans. Both vans sleep two people, and the smaller model features a convertible double bed, camping chairs, a foldaway table, blinds, and a small kitchen complete with a sink and single burner gas stove.
Cost: The Smalls vans start around $80 per night and the Biggie rents for about $180 per night. The company provides 100 free miles per day with each rental, has built-in basic insurance coverages, and most of the supplies (like cutlery and blankets) and included in the nightly rental price. Head over here for more.
Location: Originally started in 2003 in New Zealand by three surfers, Escape Campervans expanded to the U.S. in 2009 and now offers converted vans available to rent from seven U.S. cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Las Vegas, New York, Denver, and Seattle.
Details: With two different models, each colorful camper van is painted by local artists and comes fully stocked with bedding, a 2-burner stove, a sink with running water, a refrigerator or cooler, cooking and eating utensils, and picnic chairs. The larger model, called the Mavericks, uses a Ford E150, sleeps three, and offers an optional rooftop tent to add another couple. The Ventura, a converted Dodge Caravan, sleeps up to two people.
Cost: Each rental includes 100 free miles per day and rates vary according to your pickup location, how long you rent for, and the time of year. Head over here for a quote.
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Location: Lost Campers rents their vans out of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City.
Details: Billing itself as the “budget” rental van option, Lost Campers rents minivans—think Dodge Grand Caravans or Chrysler Town & Countrys—and converted Ford E350 vans. Each rental comes with a full-size bed, linens, a picnic table, two camp chairs, and a full outdoor kitchen and cooking kit.
Cost: Rates change frequently but start around $84 per day and with 100 free miles each day included in the base price.
Location: Wandervans rents vans out of Boise, Idaho.
Details: Started in 2016, Wandervans uses three different sizes of the Ford Transit to provide vans that get good gas mileage but come with all the necessary adventure amenities. The small and medium vans sleep two people. The largest van can sleep four or it can sleep two people with a gear garage underneath. All camper van rentals include a kitchen, fridge, rear screen door, camp chairs, table, awning, and shower.
Cost: The smallest Wandervans start at $95 per day, medium size vans go for $105 per day, and the largest vans start at $120 per day. Rentals include 200 miles per day.
Location: All vans are available for rent near Los Angeles, California.
Details: If nostalgia and the surfer life are more your style, check out Vintage Surfari Wagons in Southern California. With a fleet of 1970s and 1980s VW camper buses, these vans are ready for Instagram. Each van is unique, but they all include revamped interiors, sleeping berths, a stove, sink, refrigerator, dining table, and all the other amenities you need to camp.
Cost: Rates start at $129 in the low season—November through March—and include 120 free miles per rental day, and a free parking spot at their location.
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Location: Jucy Rentals are available in San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Details: Founded in New Zealand and Australia, Jucy Rentals offers brightly colored “Mini RVs” from three spots in the U.S. The distinctive purple and green vans come in two sizes that either sleep two or four people with a rooftop tent. Standard amenities include a fridge, two gas stoves, beds, a table, a sink, storage space under the benches.
Cost: Rates start at about $100 per night, but depend on location and time of year.
Location: Van rentals are coordinated out of Golden, Colorado, about 25 minutes from Denver.
Details: With a small fleet of hard-charging adventure vans, Adventure Travel Sport Rentals is for the serious outdoor enthusiast who wants to try out off-the-grid #vanlife. The Colorado company rents Sportsmobiles and a Tiger Bengal rig in addition to rooftop tents and adventure trailers.
Cost: Rentals start at $350 per night.
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Location: Camper van rentals out of Portland, Oregon.
Details: With a convenient location near Portland International Airport, Roamerica puts the Pacific Northwest at your fingertips by renting converted Sportsmobiles. Camper vans come with a “pop-up” rooftop which is raised when stationary, giving you 6’8″ of standing room inside the van. Each van sleeps and seats 4 adults comfortably or a family of 5 with young children.
Cost: Rates start at $175 per night in the low season, October-April.
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Location: Van rentals out of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Details: Offering a range of different van rentals that sleep two to four people, Basecamper Vans offer a convenient location near seven National Parks and a slew of top-ranked Utah ski areas. Each van comes with automatic transmission, custom-built interiors, spacious rooftop storage boxes, and all the cooking amenities you need. A rooftop tent is available for an additional cost.
Cost: Rentals start at $119 per day, with discounts for long-term rentals. All rates include 125 miles per day.
Location: You can pick up van rentals from Bozeman, Montana; Seattle, Washington; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Denver, Colorado.
Details: These camper vans may not have flashy exteriors or vintage style, but convenience reigns supreme. With four different locations and four different sizes of vans, Campervan North America makes a road trip easy. All of the vans—Ford Transits, Dodge Promasters, and Dodge Sprinters—get decent gas mileage and can sleep two to four adults, depending on the model.
Cost: Rates start at $110 for the smaller vans and $289 for the larger vans.
Location: Tonto Trails is located in Durango in Southwest Colorado allowing for access into Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
Details: With 4×4 Sportsmobiles and Tiger Expedition vans, Tonto Trails offers fully equipped van rentals for adventures in the American West. All rentals come with cookware, propane stoves, bedding, camp chairs, a camp table, and important safety equipment like first aid kits and work gloves.
Cost: Seven night rentals cost $2,300 and include 100 miles per day.
