Camperman Australia

We rented a campervan from Camperman (13 Dec 2025 – 2 Jan 2026). Our experience was defined by poor maintenance and a lack of effective customer support.



From day one:



The hand pump for the sink was faulty → sink unusable for the entire 20-day rental.



During the trip (rainy season in Queensland – well known to both customer and company):



Water leaks from rear windows



Water leaks from side windows



Leak through sliding door seal



Leak through roof



Drain holes fully clogged



Rubber seals displaced



Result: 11 out of 20 nights with water entering the vehicle and repeatedly soaking our bedding. This meant sleepless nights and early mornings drying mattresses, sheets and belongings instead of enjoying our holiday.



Company response during rental:



No replacement vehicle offered.



No proper repair arranged.



We were instructed to:



Clean drainage holes,



Adjust window seals,



Buy Gorilla tape to patch leaks,



Purchase engine oil after the oil warning light appeared.



We had to keep receipts for reimbursement.



We had to repeatedly follow up for updates.



Communication was reactive, not proactive.



No concrete solution was ever provided before the end of the rental.



In short, we carried out maintenance that should have been completed before handover.



After return:



Initial “offer”: AUD 31.44 (exact reimbursement for oil and tape), conditional on signing a form including an NDA.



After we objected, a $300 “goodwill” offer was made — not proactively, but only after we challenged their response.



The reimbursement amount was only added on top after we specifically asked.



Final offer: AUD 331.44.



We declined the $300 compensation as not fair given that more than half the nights were affected and the sink never worked at all.



We did not expect luxury. We expected a vehicle fit for use in rainy season conditions and basic systems functioning properly. Based on the vehicle condition and the level of support provided, we would strongly advise others to think carefully before booking. It is simply not worth risking your holiday.

We rented a campervan from Camperman (13 Dec 2025 – 2 Jan 2026). Our experience was defined by poor maintenance and a lack of effective customer support.



From day one:



The hand pump for the sink was faulty → sink unusable for the entire 20-day rental.



During the trip (rainy season in Queensland – well known to both customer and company):



Water leaks from rear windows



Water leaks from side windows



Leak through sliding door seal



Leak through roof



Drain holes fully clogged



Rubber seals displaced



Result: 11 out of 20 nights with water entering the vehicle and repeatedly soaking our bedding. This meant sleepless nights and early mornings drying mattresses, sheets and belongings instead of enjoying our holiday.



Company response during rental:



No replacement vehicle offered.



No proper repair arranged.



We were instructed to:



Clean drainage holes,



Adjust window seals,



Buy Gorilla tape to patch leaks,



Purchase engine oil after the oil warning light appeared.



We had to keep receipts for reimbursement.



We had to repeatedly follow up for updates.



Communication was reactive, not proactive.



No concrete solution was ever provided before the end of the rental.



In short, we carried out maintenance that should have been completed before handover.



After return:



Initial “offer”: AUD 31.44 (exact reimbursement for oil and tape), conditional on signing a form including an NDA.



After we objected, a $300 “goodwill” offer was made — not proactively, but only after we challenged their response.



The reimbursement amount was only added on top after we specifically asked.



Final offer: AUD 331.44.



We declined the $300 compensation as not fair given that more than half the nights were affected and the sink never worked at all.



We did not expect luxury. We expected a vehicle fit for use in rainy season conditions and basic systems functioning properly. Based on the vehicle condition and the level of support provided, we would strongly advise others to think carefully before booking. It is simply not worth risking your holiday.

I was offered $150 refund NOT to publish this! (And sent a 'legal' document to stay silent)



Isn't that bribery? Hmmmm......



We expected a 'budget option' but not this bad.......



The Smell

Our van smelt so bad when we picked it up - like a discarded, wet, mildewy, moldy old mattress and got worse the first few days. After airing out the van and buying multiple closet camels, we discovered the source was the old water reservoir in the sink so once we drained that the smell finally disappeared. The fridge was also a smelly, moldy mess. Not only was it dirty but smelt of stale, rotten eggs and didn't work. We took out the freezer drawer so at least some cool air would flow into the fridge itself but not only did this make everything wet, it also continued to smell. Upon looking at the freezer drawer we also discovered the underside was covered in black mold.



The Cockroaches



On the first night we discovered the floor and cabinets covered in 3mm - 10mm cockroaches which scurried about the cabin and all over our food and belongings. After spraying everything with insect repellant they reduced, but not eliminated.



The Leaks



In heavy rain - not uncommon in Queensland as you may know and especially in April/May, water not only dripped from each of the upper windows that were closed, but dripped down covering shelves and belongings in water. Copious tissues were used to mop up what we could. Water was also leaking directly from the power sockets - not over them, OUT of them. We were also greeted with a puddle each in the front foot wells after overnight rain.



The Exterior (Electrified when plugged in!)



We affectionately named the van rusty in honour of the rust along every metal seam, every hinge and even after the barely legible number plate. The tailgate squeaked loudly on opening and the reversing mirror was brokeb, unable to be secured in the correct position and 100% useless for the intended safety measures. The exterior was generally dinted cracked and discoloured, with aged painted and decals.



Every time we got into the van and accidentally touched the exposed metal on the door we got a nice, big zap - the whole van was electrified when plugged into power. OUCH!



The back window, and only opening window to the main sleeping compartment of the van has seen its poor little handle glued on multiple times - the window is smeared with glue and silicone and when we went to try and open this window for some fresh air the handle almost came off in our hands. We ended up having to open this sliding window from the outside - great when it started raining in the night and we needed to exit our electrified van.



The Interior



Old, semi sticky adhesive marks throughout and the curtains not only smelled bad (I'm sensing a theme) but were tattered, torn and falling off the tracks constantly. Old tissues were shoved in bulkhead holes to stop rattles as well as for other possible leaks or pests and we were unsure if they had been used..... ewe.



The passenger door armrest was so smashed and cracked that it pinched my skin on contact and resulted in bleeding elbow scrapes and a pretty uncomfortable ride for 10 days. We tried covering it up but the plastic was pretty sharp and would poke through.



The steering column was caked with greasy filth, and dirt in and around most nooks and crannies.The front headliner fabric was stained with watermarks and more mildew was present on top of the passenger and driver side roofing. A huge watermark above the driver and even the seatbelts were covered in mould, marks and generally filthy.

Rented a 5 birth automatic Toyota Hiace from Camperman in March 23, collecting from Brisbane to Airlie Beach.



Upon collection the van was in an awful state. Severely chipped windscreen, engine management light on, unusable charging points due to damage.



The first night we had the van there was a storm. It turned out Camperman had not fitted the roof vents so the van became flooded. This meant we had to spend time taking it to one of their departments for it to be repaired. Our belongings were damaged due to this and Camperman claim this is not their responsibility as leaks are not their issue, despite them not fitting parts.



The engine then developed an oil leak which meant we had to spend over 100dollars on oil just to keep the van running. Because of this issue we missed certain stops on our trips, losing the cost of the booking and having to pay further for alternative accomodation. Also because of this oil leak, further locations meant they would not accept the van on their sites as they did not want oil spilling on their land which I do fully understand. This happened on a Sunday. Having called Camperman, leaving a voicemail and emailing due to their offices being closed they are unwilling to cover these added costs as we hadn't discussed it with them. They never responded to any messages when their offices opened again on the Monday.



We also had a blow out on one of our tyres. No problem with this as these things happen. However, the customer service team decided to book us into a tyre replacement shop some 300km north of where we were and to travel on our spare that distance. Completely unsafe to travel that far on an unsafe tyre and they also stated to me if the spare became worn due to excess distance I would be liable for that too, despite them booking me into that shop.



Do not book with this company. The vans are unsafe and they are not usable. For our trip of 7 night's we were only able to stay in the van for 3. 750 dollars of extra costs, 2000 dollar booking and Camperman have offered a 200 dollar refund. Awful company who are only interested in your money.

Terrible service. We rented a van back in May and had an accident. We are still expecting the reports and so we still have not been able to get a refund from our insurance because of those missing reports. The thing is, why would they refuse to give us those reports even though we have been begging for them for almost 5 months now .. ? All services involved have been blatantly ignoring us ever since. We didn’t feel safe at all with this van (over 600 000 km) and their denying of the report is very shady. Please keep safe and stay away from Camperman, something is definitely wrong with their vans.

I spent hours researching camper vans for our family holiday. I eventually booked a 10 day hire with Camperman in Cairns. I booked directly on their own website to avoid any surprises and gave my credit card details during the booking process. It wasn't until after I had completed the online booking that I received an email saying that they were busy and someone would contact be to confirm, although I thought it was already confirmed. 24hrs later I had heard nothing, so I called the Cairns office, only to be told they had no vehicle for me for my booked time. I was gutted, as I had to start going through all the other companies again that I had passed on as I thought this was confirmed. It was pretty much back to square one.

As part of trying to find another available camper, I emailed Camperman again. They came back with an offer of only 5 days of the 10 day period I was after, but still asking for the exact same amount for the same van, or more cost for an upgrade. So they want the same money, but only give me half the rental time to what I had originally agreed too. I rang them again and was told there was a minimum 10 day charge. What?!, but I want it for 10 days! But it's only available for 5, you just have to pay for 10. That's just how we do things she said. Unbelievable! They have no care as to how they effect peoples planning and only care about raking in money.

Great company we picked up our van in Airlie beach in the Whitsundays with ease The lady was very helpful & sorted the extra days van hire we decided to take last minute We took a few weeks traveling down to Brisbane with my daughter her husband & children who had their own camper so they were very experienced & because it was our first time showed us the ropes we had a great time now we want to buy one to travel Australia when we soon retire

We did have a leak in our van the first week but the lovely couple from Airlie where we picked up our van came & took our van for an hour fixed the leak & gave our camper van a good steam clean to ensure it was mould free for our onward journey

I cannot comment on the kitchen as we didn’t use the gas or sink at all because every camper site we stay at had excellent camp kitchens & we found mixing with other traveler’s gave you a chance to make new friends & tips on where to go What was worth the long drive What was not Including tips on what to carry What time of year is best to see what We had the best few weeks adventure my only complaint was it wasn’t long enough & my tip to you is….

Knowing what we know now I would book the camp site close to the toilets as some are a bit of a trot during the night Happy Camping

We had a great experience with camperman vans great service good contact persons when required.

I would recommend to family and friends

We compared the prices of 5 campervan hire companies and the thing we liked about Camperman was their honest and upfront pricing. It includes things like road tolls, 24 hr roadside assistance, extra drivers and full insurance. The others did not, and without full insurance you have to pre authorize at least $3000 on your credit card, which is a hassle when you're travelling. To get full insurance with the other companies (Wicked, Hippie, Jucy, Apollo) it adds quite a bit to your daily rental fee ($20 - $30). We had no mechanical problems, the staff were helpful, and we would recommend them.

There were four of us and the Paradise Toyota hightop was roomy enough to fit us comfortably. It was the cheapest way for us to travel as a group and Camperman’s pricing really was all-inclusive. Campervan companies always say the quote is the quote and then you have a one-way fee, or you pay extra to reduce your insurance excess etc. Camperman’s was all inclusive. Even the road tolls were covered. The van was a 2012 model but it ran well. We had no problems and loved our two weeks of vanlife!