What are your cleaning policies?

We hear ya. Here’s how we roll: Our Cleaning Commitment

What is your cancellation policy?

• Cancel 30 days before departure, full refund

• Cancel 14 before departure, 50% refund

• Cancel less than 14 days before departure, no refund.

Can I leave my vehicle with you while on vacation?

Yes. But please arrange with us in advance. Just leaving your car parked in one of our spots for however long is no bueno as they get towed. Leave the keys with us and we’ll park it securely inside.

How do I pick-up & drop-off

We’re based in Coquitlam, BC.

We keep our vans in a storage location vs a formal brick and mortar commercial location where you can pop in to say hi or come to see the vans in-person (There’s plenty of imagery on our site here and even some overview videos on youtube that should suffice).

Quick hits, depending on traffic (Uber friendly obv):

• 45 min from YVR Airport

• 9 min off highway 1 via Lougheed Hwy

• 40 min to Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal

• 24 min from Vancouver border (40 min from downtown)

If you want to pick-up the vehicle in Coquitlam but drop it off somewhere like Calgary, or vice versa, we're open to that and do a bunch of these every year. You can add it to your trip using the online reservation tool as an “add-on”. Same for airport pick-ups.

• YVR Vancouver Airport (additional fee)

• YYC Calgary Airport (additional fee)

• YEG Edmonton Airport (additional fee)

• Abbotsford Airport (additional fee)

• Victoria Harbour (additional fee)

What is off-season vs. high-season?

• Off-season rates: Oct 1 - Apr 30

• High-season rates: May 1 - Sept 30

I have kids that use kids seats.

Here’s the details per vehicle type:

Mercedes-Benz Sprinters: The second row of fold down seats have 2 seats of child seat clips, shoulder and waits belts.

Mercedes-Benz Metris: Rear seats have 2 sets of child seat clips (and for the middle seat you could in theory clip a child seat to each of the other seat clips - so potentially 3), and shoulder and waist belts.

VW Westfalia: Child safety clips were not really a ‘thing’ in the 80’s but we have installed some aftermarket tethers from GoWesty specific to Vanagons on a few of our vans. Please reserve Dorothy or Rose for those.

How far can I drive?

Before your trip, hit up Google Maps to get an idea of how many km's you'll be travelling. You get 150km (or 120 miles) per day included with the vehicle, but if you think you'll exceed that, you should evaluate beforehand if you'll need to purchase additional mileage packs. These need to be added at the time of booking and Honest Camper would calculate any overages once the vehicle is returned which would be added to the final invoice. 

150 km / 120 miles per day INCLUDED

Add 500km / 350 miles to your total $150

Unlimited mileage Package $25 / day

Each km / mile over your daily limit $0.35 per km / mile

What happens if the vehicle breaks down?

It’s entirely possible that shit CAN actually happen. Let's hope it doesn’t, but if it does, we can deal with it. A positive attitude on everyone’s part is the key to success. This cannot be emphasized enough.

Roadside Assistance via Outdoorsy is required for all rentals but in any event, text or WhatsApp Honest Camper first and we can point you in the right direction. We’re pretty good at solving issues that come up or ‘MacGuyver-ing’ solutions.

The Mercedes-Benz sprinters are covered under warranty and need to be worked on by certified German car scientists, so taking them to Uncle Steve's Discount Auto & Cocktails is not advised. 

That said, for the VW's in particular, they are over 35 years old and you should seriously embark on your journey with an understanding of the possibility that something could come up. Maybe a headlight stops working. Maybe the heat won’t turn on. Maybe the van won’t start one morning. For the very very few that experience this, small solvable issues like this can actually become a fond memory of teamwork. At least that’s what we tell ourselves at night.

You will not be held responsible for any mechanical failures that occur as a result of normal driving. Worst and super super rare case, if you have to abandon ship for repairs, we will do our best to get you back on the road as soon as possible, however we will only reimburse you for any night you are not able to physically sleep in the van. There’s no compensation for missed ferries, campsite reservations, special events, airline reservations. For compensation around that type of stuff, you should contact a company like BCAA or similar for Trip Insurance and specifically Trip Interruption coverage. It’s a point of pride that in the very few instances that this has occurred, folks have still left 5-star google reviews in terms of our service and ability to help out to resolve.

If anything happens, text us first. 

I have fuel questions!

This is all you. Each rental comes with a full tank of fuel. Super crucial note: Mercedes-Benz Sprinters run on diesel. If you put regular gas into these, bad things happen and you're on the hook for repairs related to that. Big $. 

You might wonder how far these vehicles can go on a tank, here's some rough numbers that fluctuate on gas prices:

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 800km - 850km (~$200 CDN to fill-up)

Mercedes-Benz Metris 700km - 750km (~$180 CDN to fill-up)

VW Vanagon Westfalia 350km - 400km (~$120 CDN to fill-up)

When you return the vehicle, please refill the tank. We're not dinks like the rental car companies if its a smidge below full, but if we need to refill the tank, we'll charge for the cost of fuel and a $25 ‘pain in the ass fee’ on top. 

Can I get a discount for booking a camper for longer?

Yes!

Once you book for 7 days, you receive a 15% discount. 20% for 14 days, 25% for 21 days, 30% for 30 days or more.

Note that when you reserve online, you won’t see a line item calling out how much you saved or that its been applied. It basically automatically adjusts the daily rate. So you can do the math and calculate the price shown divided by number of nights and you’ll see that the nightly rate is below the norm.

Do I need to pay a deposit for the reservation?

At the time of booking, there's a 25% deposit to hold your reservation. The remaining balance is charged 14 days prior to departure. The damage deposit is charged (Held actually) 2 days prior to departure.

When is my credit card charged for the balance of my rental amount?

14 days before your trip you will be charged the balance of your reservation.  

We are a Canadian company and accept payment in Canadian Dollars. Unless you are booking one of our vans that are located in the US. Those are listed and charged in USD.

We accept the following: Visa, Mastercard, Amex. All online. Nothing over the phone or in-person.

Do I need to pay a security deposit?

Yes, it is between $1200 and $1500 CAD depending on the vehicle. This is a precautionary charge / hold to account for any damage to the vehicle which would require the use of the deductible and additional post drop-off charges such as refuelling, pet cleaning, additional km's over your limit, extra time fees. It is held 2 days prior to departure. If none of the above additional fees are incurred, the funds are released within 5-10 business days post drop-off. 

If there is damage to the van, the deposit will be held until we’ve sorted the amount.

What about insurance?

Insurance coverage is up to you. Here are the 3 levels. If an unlikely event occurs where insurance is needed, you are responsible to pay the deductible and it comes off of the damage deposit.

This is the approx cost per day:

• BASIC: $36

• ESSENTIAL: $52

• PEACE OF MIND: $75

Deductibles (Varies per vehicle - the renter is responsible to pay for the deductible):

Mercedes Sprinter / Metris: $1500

VW: $1200

Note: Roadside Assistance is required on each rental. If it is not included in the package that you select, it will show as $19/day at checkout.

If you want to bring additional coverage from your credit card company for example - check with them first as some do not cover international rentals or have limitations on "RV" rentals. This is on you to sort. But in terms of basic insurance coverage, you need to use what is offered via the booking platform here vs if you have coverage for ‘rental cars’ on your existing credit card or insurance policies. Ie: Don’t ask if you can use the rental car coverage that comes with your credit card instead of what’s offered here. Not an option unfortunately.

What if I damage the vehicle of get into an accident? What do I have to pay?

Honest Camper will first require, if not provided already, a copy of your drivers license, and details of the incident (time, place etc)

In terms of payment for damages, you the renter (you), pays the deductible amount.

These are the deductible amounts per van type:

Mercedes Sprinter / Metris: $1500

VW: $1200

Honest Camper will hang onto the damage deposit and use that to pay the deductible. In 2024, our damage deposits are generally the same as the deductible amount, but if not, a top-up would be required from the renter if an incident occurred and the damage deposit does not cover the deductible amount.

Honest Camper creates the claim post-trip and it is processed through Wheelbase / Outdoorsy and then through to the respective insurance company (ICBC). Please consult the Terms & Policies for additional information on insurance. We have been super fortunate to have very few of these incidents so lets keep the winning record going.

1. Van returns with damage exceeding the damage deposit

2. Honest Camper creates a claim and holds the damage deposit

3. Honest Camper gets an estimate done by an ICBC accredited shop

4. Said shop gives the estimate to ICBC

5. ICBC approves the estimate and lets the owner (HC) and Outdoorsy know the amount.

6. Honest Camper claims the damage deposit and sends the deductible amount for the vehicle to Outdoorsy. If the damage deposit does not cover the full deductible amount, Honest Camper will charge the balance to the renter. Outdoorsy then pays the ICBC deductible.

7. Vehicle is repaired

If an incident occurs where the damage is within your damage amount, let’s say, you break the fridge door handle, we’d obviously not need to use insurance for that, and would just use the equal amount of the damage deposit to cover the damage.

Any age or licensing restrictions?

While Lego has many items listed as appropriate for those aged 0-99, we're a bit more fussy. You need to be at least 25 years old and have a valid class 5 license or international equivalent to rent our vehicles. 

On the rental agreement you'll need to list who will be driving the vehicle and said persons will need to provide driver's license numbers at the time of booking. There is no cost to add additional drivers.

What condition of vehicle should I expect?

At the time of pick-up, you'll be provided with an inspection list of what has been checked prior to you taking the vehicle. Things like, fuel, propane, sheets, fridge, stove top, water etc. If the vehicle has any pre-existing conditions, it will be noted here as well. Much like a rental car, you need to check these yourself prior to liftoff. If there's any that are off, send us documentation of this (email with picture would be fine) so we can make note of it and there won't be any charges coming your way post drop-off.

Our Retro VW's come with 35 years worth of love built-in, so we know there are a bunch of tiny bumps and dings that have a story behind each. We're not too concerned with those. There are some interesting clicks, creaks, and clangs that come with these campers too. We call that character. :)

Can I bring a pet?

We like pets. But not everyone does. So we ask that if you're bringing your pet, you extend the same respect that you would as if you were visiting someone's house. Meaning, no pets on the bed / couch. Don't let them destroy the place. Don’t leave a shit ton of hair behind. At the discretion of Honest Camper, if we get a vehicle back and deem it to require additional cleaning to bring the vehicle back to a state of feeling non-pet-inhabited, there is a $300 fee for that. 

I can't smoke on planes, but can I smoke in a camper van?

No smoking in the campers. Again, at the discretion of Honest Camper, a $300 cleaning fee if the van is returned smelling like darts. Smoke whatever you want outside though. Like, not the super bad stuff though.

How do they drive?

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinters have a beefy 3L V6, and the Metris vans have peppy 2L 4-cylinder engines with 208hp. There's a backup camera on both of these as well. These models are not the super long ones so they fit in standard parking spots. 

For the Retro VW's, if you are expecting a super smooth ride and muscle-car power, we have some bad news for you. While the engines in VW our fleet have been upgraded with 2L Ford Focus engines (40% more power vs the stock engine), the reality is that you're going to be driving a 35 year old HEAVY camper van with the aerodynamics of a brick. Quite honestly, steep hills are not an enjoyable experience if you’re in a hurry (stay to the right!). They creak. They make odd sounds. The engine is in the trunk behind the back seat so it's not the most quiet experience (though we've added plenty of sound dampening!). But…it doesn’t get any cooler, you will enjoy is retro vibes, chill cruising, people checking out your vehicle adoringly, and you'll even get flashing headlights from other Westfalia brethren. You’re in the club (or you’ve forgotten to turn the lights on).