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Campervan Hire

Charges at Pick-up

Picking Up Your Campervan

Which charges you pay at the branch when you collect your campervan, including the security bond, excess reduction and optional items, and what to check in the rental agreement.

Accident liability insurance

Accident liability is the maximum amount you, as the hirer, have to pay for an accident in the campervan. It usually applies separately to each accident if you have more than one, and usually covers damage to the rental vehicle and to third-party property. The rental agreement sets out exactly what it covers. Standard accident liability insurance is included in the daily vehicle hire rate.

You can take out additional insurance, called excess reduction, to reduce your accident liability. You can add it when you book on our website, or when you check in to pick up your vehicle, either online or at the branch before you sign the rental agreement.

Whichever option you choose, the rental company usually takes or holds a security deposit, also called a bond, on your card at pick-up. The bond is usually largest if you don't add excess reduction.

Whichever accident liability option you choose, in some cases the liability limit doesn't apply and you may have to pay more after an accident. These exclusions are listed in the rental agreement and summarised under when you are fully responsible. You may also have to pay more if you breach the terms of the rental agreement and this causes or contributes to any damage.

How to select additional accident liability insurance (excess reduction) when booking

When you book on our website, select your vehicle and continue with the reservation. In Step 2 (Review Quote and Request Additional Options), choose the level of accident liability you'd like. If you're unsure which option to choose or have any questions, contact DriveNow on 1300 547 214 or +61 3 9095 7460. Our customer service team can explain the different options.

Security deposit

The security deposit, or bond, is money the rental company takes or holds on your card when you pick up the campervan. It's separate from the payments you make to DriveNow for your booking. The rental company handles the bond under its own rental terms.

The amount depends on the rental company, the vehicle and the liability option you choose. With standard liability, it can be several thousand dollars. Excess reduction usually lowers the bond, but doesn't always remove it. Your quote or the rental terms show the bond for your vehicle and option. To see how the bond and your liability compare, read the bond on our insurance page.

Before you book, check these points in your quote or the rental terms:

  • Charge or hold: whether the bond is charged to your card and refunded later, or held as an authorisation against your available credit or funds
  • Accepted cards: whether the rental company accepts a debit card for the bond, or only a credit card. A card DriveNow accepts for your booking payment isn't always accepted for the bond
  • Whose card: whose name must be on the card, and whether that person must be at pick-up to sign
  • Available funds: that the card has enough available credit or funds for the bond and any other payments due at pick-up

If any of these points aren't clear, ask DriveNow before you confirm your booking.

The rental company refunds or releases the bond after you return the campervan, if you've met the conditions in the rental terms. These commonly include returning it on time, to the correct location, undamaged, clean, and with the fuel tank and gas bottle full. If the bond was a hold, it's released rather than refunded. How long this takes depends on the rental company and your bank.

If you didn't select excess reduction when you booked, you can add it when you check in to pick up your vehicle, either online or at the branch before you sign the rental agreement.

Please note: you usually can't add excess reduction to your rental agreement once you're on the road.

Rental agreement

Take the time to read the rental agreement. It's the contract between you and the rental company, so make sure you understand what it says. DriveNow can give you a copy before your pick-up day if you'd like one.

Each driver needs to present their full, valid driver’s licence when you collect the campervan. Photocopies aren't accepted. All drivers must sign the rental agreement.

Vehicle Condition Report

Before you leave the branch, check the vehicle for damage and compare it with the Vehicle Condition Report in the rental agreement. Ask a staff member to record anything new on the report, and take photos or videos for your own records.

Optional items to pay for at pick-up

Your DriveNow booking lists the optional items you need to pay for when you pick up the vehicle. These are the items you didn't pay for when you booked. At the branch, you can add or remove extra hire items, but not a compulsory fee such as a one-way fee. With some rental companies, you can also change these items before you arrive if you check in online.

Items you may pay for at pick-up include the following. Some are optional and some are compulsory. Not all items are available with every rental company.

  • One Way Fee
  • Broome Surcharge, a location fee for picking up or dropping off in Broome
  • Public Holidays Fee
  • Pet Fee
  • Liability Reduction Option
  • Extended Roadside Assistance
  • Windscreen and Tyre Protection
  • Re-fuelling Pack
  • Chairs
  • Table
  • Additional Doona/Duvet
  • Eski
  • Child/Booster Seats
  • Gas Bottle
  • Extra Driver Fee
  • Toilet Chemicals
  • Satellite phone
  • Gas canisters
  • Solar shower
  • Side Awning
  • Mosquito net
  • Fly screen
  • Tent
  • Fan/heater
  • Aux Cable
  • GPS

Toll roads

You might come across toll roads if you're driving through metropolitan New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Some rental companies register their vehicles for automatic tolling, so you don't need to do anything. The rental company pays any tolls you incur and charges them to the card on file for your booking. Some rental companies include these fees in the vehicle hire rate. To find out whether tolls are included or charged separately, check your DriveNow confirmation or ask the branch staff when you pick up the vehicle.

Next steps

Part of Picking Up Your Campervan in the Campervan Hire Handbook.

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