Best Campervan Hire Tasmania – Reviews, tips and advice
When it comes to campervan hire, Tasmania is your perfect road trip destination. This guide will help you choose the perfect campervan for your needs and budget.
Keep reading for the best tips and advice from a Tasmanian local!
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Tasmania is the best place in Australia for a road trip in a campervan. It is a small island – making it easy to explore – and you’ll find it jam-packed full of incredible scenery, wonderful wildlife, and fascinating history.
There are so many different ways to explore Tasmania, but I think hiring a campervan for your road trip is one of the best ways to explore its hidden secrets.
Why?
- Packing and unpacking – Put your hand up if you love unpacking and then repacking your bag every day… No takers? With a campervan you only need to do it once at the start and once at the end – perfect!
- Location, location , location – With a campervan you can get up close and personal with Mother Nature in some of Tasmania’s best National Parks.
- Freedom – There are literally hundreds of free and low-cost campsites dotted across Tasmania where you can stay a night or longer – and you can forget about those pesky early hotel check-outs!
- Save $$ – Self-catering is a fantastic option when you hire a campervan, and it’s guaranteed to save you money compared to eating out at hotels or restaurants.
In this guide I reveal the best companies for campervan hire in Tasmania – including exclusive campervan rental discounts for Lap of Tasmania readers – as well as plenty of other handy local tips and advice.
I’ve lived here for more than 20 years now, and I love using my experience in Tasmania to help you get your Tassie road trip off to the perfect start!
Tassie Road Trip Resources
- Free Self-drive Itineraries – Click here
- Tasmania Motorhome Guide – Click here
- 20% OFF at Discovery Parks & Resorts – Click here
- Bring your car? Rent a campervan? My cost calculator helps you decide – Click here
- eBook ‘How to Plan Your Tasmania Road Trip‘ – Click here
Important: As you read this article, it is important to keep in mind that there is a subtle but important difference between a campervan and a motorhome. For me, a campervan doesn’t have an onboard shower or toilet, whereas a motorhome will provide this as standard. All the models presented in this guide are what I consider to be campervans – click here if you prefer to compare the various motorhome hire companies in Tasmania.
The following table provides a summary of the campervan rental options in Tasmania, including the 4 best companies who I feel provide the best combination of price, customer service, reliability and convenience for Tassie road trippers.
More detailed reviews are provided each further down, so please keep reading!
|
Company |
Score |
Best for… |
Prices |
Pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#1 – LeisureRent |
5 |
Couples seeking the best all-rounder – great value for money and amazing customer service, without compromising on comfort. SAVE 5% with the LAPOFTAS code. |
HL | |
|
#2 – Cruisin’ Motorhomes |
4.5 |
Couples who don’t mind paying a little bit extra for a more spacious campervan. SAVE 5% with the LAPOFTAS code. |
H | |
|
#3 – GoCheap |
4 |
Budget-savvy couples or families seeking a cheap campervan rental in Tasmania. SAVE 5% with the LAPOFTAS code. |
H | |
|
#4 – Explora |
4 |
Couples and families who want the best of both worlds – camping in the Tasmanian outback, but with familiarity and convenience of a regular car. $50 OFF with the LAPOFTAS code (5-day min. rental) |
H | |
|
AutoRent |
4 |
Road trippers wanting to pick up their campervan in Devonport. |
HLD | |
|
Tassie Motor Shacks |
4 |
Couples and families looking to keep their costs down. |
H | |
|
Maui, Apollo, Britz, Mighty, CheapaCampa |
3.5 |
Lappers wanting a huge fleet to choose from. |
H | |
|
Camplify |
3 |
Travellers who can’t find a rental through one of the other companies. |
Statewide |
Best Campervan Hire in Tasmania – My Top Picks
1. LeisureRent
Perfect for: Couples seeking the best all-rounder – great value for money and amazing customer service, without compromising on comfort.
There are plenty of good companies in Tasmania, but there is only one truly exceptional option, and that is LeisureRent!
I love supporting local businesses like LeisureRent, and from the very beginning they have been a big supporter of our community of Lappers providing Lappers with a generous 5% discount on all rental rates – use the LAPOFTAS code to claim this special offer.
They have two campervan options available:
- 2-berth Campervan – You have to see one of these campervans to appreciate just how much convenience and comfort they pack into such a compact space. A convertible dinette is brilliant for meals, the double bed is very comfortable and there’s also a microwave, fridge and stove for all your self-catering needs.
- 2-berth Sleeper Van – More compact and nimble, driving a Sleeper Van is no different to driving your own car – but with the bonus of a double-bed in the back, as well as a cooker, small fridge and a convenient side awning for relaxing.
If you’re after something a little larger or more luxurious, they also have some fantastic 4-berth and 6-berth motorhomes. Click here to read more about these options.
Judging by the feedback from travellers in the Lap of Tas Facebook Group they are a real favourite with our community as well, especially for their warm and friendly customer service.
We hired our car in Launceston from LeisureRent. An absolute pleasure to deal with – customer satisfaction and enjoyment of Tassie is high on his priorities. Great customer service and can’t recommend them highly enough!
- Maikha (LoT FB Group)
Took your advice and went with LeisureRent. Very pleased with the price – the best for what we’ve hired – and pleasant phone service. They will even collect & return us from our flight to our van – great service!
So thanks again.
- Anne (LoT FB Group)
We used LeisureRent in February – very happy with the motorhome and excellent service. Highly recommend Ken and his team!
- Leanne (LoT FB Group)
Another big plus for LeisureRent is that they don’t just service Hobart Airport, but they also have a depot near Launceston Airport.
A lot of travellers tell me how much they love the convenience of flying into Hobart, spending a week travelling from south to north using one of these 5-day itineraries, and then flying out from Launceston (or vice versa) – and LeisureRent is one of the few campervan hire companies in Tasmania who can make this happen for you.
A nice little bonus is the provision of a courtesy shuttle during business hours, and the flexibility of after-hours vehicle pickup as well.
You can probably tell how much I love what Ken and the team are doing for Lappers at LeisureRent. Click on the button below to check availability for their campervans and sleeper vans and get your Tassie road trip started!
Special Offer: SAVE 5%
Discount Code: LAPOFTAS
2. Cruisin’ Motorhomes
Perfect for: Couples who don’t mind paying a little bit extra for a more spacious campervan.
You’ll see Cruisin’ everywhere across Australia, but what a lot of people don’t realise is that they are another Tassie success story, starting from humble beginnings in Hobart before branching out with their extensive range of spacious and beautifully appointed campervans and motorhomes.
Their focus is on motorhomes, so they only have one campervan model – but it’s an absolute cracker!
The 2-berth ‘Hi Top’ is a brilliant option for exploring Tasmania. The living space is surprisingly roomy, converting to a double bed at night, and you’ll love the convenience of a TV and heating/AC. The general fitout is stunning as well, and when you are living in a confined space those little extra touches make such a difference to the overall experience.
As its name suggests, the Hi Top provides more internal height, which is great for additional comfort (especially tall people) and it is also longer and wider than other campervans on the road.
This extra space is great, but it does come at a cost – fuel consumption is a lot higher compared to the LeisureRent Campervan, and the Cruisin’ Hi Top isn’t as nimble or manoeuvrable either.
Overall, the 2-berth Hi Top from Cruisin’ Motorhomes is a fantastic option for Lappers, and I have no doubt you’ll experience an amazing lap of Tasmania in this campervan.
Click through to check their rates and availability, and don’t forget to use the LAPOFTAS code to SAVE 5% on your rental!
Special Offer: SAVE 5%
Discount Code: LAPOFTAS
3. GoCheap
Perfect for: Budget-savvy travellers seeking a cheap campervan rental in Tasmania – especially during peak summer season.
Where do the Cruisin’ campervans go once they reach 4yrs old?
GoCheap!
It is a really clever business model that I see many vehicle rental businesses using these days, and it creates some fantastic opportunities for travellers on a budget.
Essentially, Cruisin’ Motorhomes purchases brand new vehicles, keeping them in operation for no longer than 4 years. But once they hit that limit they get rebadged as GoCheap, together with a very handy reduction in the rental rate.
You are getting exactly the same campervan you would be provided through Cruisin. The same maintenance regime, the same amazing customer service, the same roadside assistance, the same quality linen, kitchen equipment, and everything else – just with a few extra kilometres on the dial.
That sounds like a pretty good deal to me – especially if you’re trying stretch your dollar as far as possible.
You’ll be familiar with the 2-berth Hi Top I showed you for Cruisin’ in the previous section, but GoCheap also provide a very handy 4-berth Hi Top variation.
This 4-berth Hi Top shares a lot of similarities with its 2-berth sibling, the key difference being the inclusion of two additional seats and an overhead double bed, making it ideal for families with one or two young children. A group of 4 adults would also be an option, but it’s going to be ‘squeezy’.
As a no-fuss budget campervan, this is pretty hard to beat!
Special Offer: SAVE 5%
Discount Code: LAPOFTAS
4. Explora
Perfect for: Couples and families who want the best of both worlds – camping in the Tasmanian outback, but with the familiarity and convenience of a regular car.
I was so excited to discover Explora because they provide a really interesting option for road trippers who are on a budget and maybe a little nervous about driving a bulky campervan, but they don’t want to let this stop them from experiencing Tasmania’s great outdoors and the free-camping lifestyle.
Explora provide you with two things – a vehicle for exploring Tasmania, and all the camping gear you need for plenty of relaxing nights under the stars.
The range of vehicles is perfect, from basic compact 2WDs all the way up to spacious and uber comfy AWD SUVs – and unlike many of the larger companies they have very flexible rental conditions:
There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing the camping gear for your holiday, and it all packs away neatly into your vehicle of choice.
How nifty is that?
Explora are loving the Lap of Tasmania community, providing all Lappers with a $50 discount on all bookings that are 5 days or longer – just use the LAPOFTAS code to claim this special offer!
Special Offer: $50 OFF
Discount Code: LAPOFTAS
Best of the rest…
AutoRent
AutoRent are also Tasmanian owned, with a solid history of service and support for their range of camper wagons, 2-berth and 4-berth campervans, and dual-cab rooftop tent options. If you are wanting to pick up your vehicle in Devonport – ideal if you’re catching the ferry – then AutoRent is the company you need, as they are the only ones providing this option. They can be a bit pricey, but they look after their customers very well and you won’t be disappointed in the reliability or quality of their vehicles.
Tassie Motor Shacks
Customer feedback is exceptional for this small outfit operating out of Hobart. Their 2-berth Wilderness Camper is a great campervan option provided by Tassie Motor Shacks. They have some limitations on unsealed roads though – so keep this mind if you’re planning on getting off the bitumen.
Devil Campers / Tasmania Campers
Another good Tassie campervan company offering 2, 3 and 4-berth campervans at very competitive prices. The trade off? They are limited in fleet size and their vehicles tend to be a bit older than other companies.
Maui | Apollo | Britz | Mighty | CheapaCampa
All these companies are owned by the same NZ parent company. Maui targets the luxury sector, Apollo is a great all-rounder, Britz and Mighty represent good value, while CheapaCampa is their budget option. Being a large multi-national you won’t get the same level of service as for the local Tassie companies, but they do have very large fleets to choose from.
Camplify
Camplify are like the Uber of campervans, where Tassie campervan owners rent out their vehicle for you to use. This means you have state wide coverage and often at very competitive rates. However, I’ve read a lot of customer reviews for Camplify and it come with a much higher risk to travellers of something going wrong, and it can be more difficult to resolve issues – so make sure you do your research!
Final thoughts on hiring a campervan in Tasmania
You are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing the best campervan hire for your holiday in Tasmania – but I hope my local tips and advice have helped you narrow it down to the best option for your style of travel and budget.
If you need any more advice, please don’t hesitate to join us over in the Lap of Tasmania FB Group. We’re a very friendly group of likeminded road trippers, and we all love helping out fellow ‘Lappers’ with our tips and advice on planning a holiday in Tasmania.
If you enjoyed this article then I’m sure you will find these other free guides and articles helpful in planning your adventures here in Tasmania:
- My free self-drive road trip itineraries show you where to go, what to see/do, and where to stay
- Still deciding on your wheels? This guide to car hire and this motorhome comparison will be helpful
- This spreadsheet shows you all the exclusive discounts I have negotiated for Lappers
- I get great feedback on this helpful guide to driving times and distances in Tasmania
- My eBook ‘How to Plan Your Tasmania Road Trip‘ is your ultimate Tassie travel bible
Best wishes with all the travel planning, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any further advice.
Happy travels!
Andrew.