So you are under 21 years old and you are ready to embark on an epic campervan trip in New Zealand. That’s fantastic. And to be honest, there’s only a few people in the world that have been prepared to embark on the journey that you are about to go on.
You want to make sure the journey is as smooth and as effortless as possible. For anyone that is under the age of 21, they will typically have challenges with renting a vehicle (car, campervan, or motorhome) simply because they don’t have the years of driving experience.
Additionally, people under 21 are more likely to have accidents, which is a greater risk to the campervan hire company and the insurers.
Despite this, there are several travellers under 21 that safely hire and travel around New Zealand in campervans every year.
Are there challenges with hiring a campervan if you are under 21?
Yes. Many companies and insurance brokers only hire out to people over the age of 21 due to the risk associated with people in that age group.
There are rental companies that will hire out their campervan or motorhome vehicles, but the selection tends to be limited.
What are some of the things that might affect the chances of renting a campervan if you are under 21?
The ability to secure insurance over the vehicle is a big issue. If the insurance broker refuses to cover your hire, then it is unlikely that the campervan rental company will hire the vehicle to you.
On the other hand, should you be able to secure the insurance, the conditions of the insurance may see you pay a higher premium. This means you may end up paying several hundred dollars more than someone who is 25 years and over.
Check with the rental company to find out what the vehicle excess will be and how much that will affect the base daily rental rate of the campervan vehicle that you are hiring.
Consider travelling with someone that is over 21.
If you still have trouble finding a campervan hire company that will hire out to someone that is under 21, consider travelling with one person in your group that is over the age of 21. It’s an easy workaround. It just means that the person will most likely end up as the designated driver for the entire trip.
If they don’t mind, at least you will all get to enjoy your travel experience in in a camper in New Zealand.
Ready to start your search? Use the form below to find the perfect campervan to hire.