Camping guides
Best family campervan layouts
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Worried that a campervan will be a squeeze for your family? Don’t be! We’ve made it easy to find a van that will comfortably house all your loved ones on your next road trip.
In compiling this list of the best family campervan layouts in New Zealand , our camping experts have looked at the size, comfort, features and rental price of each camper.
Making our shortlist for the best family campervans in 2021 are the:
Toyota Hiace - Best layout for a family with young children.
Toyota Kea - Best layout for a family with older children.
Volkswagen Transporter - Second best layout for a family with older children.
Mercedes Sprinter - Best layout for a family with a teenager.
We’ve also suggested alternative options for families of 4 or more people. Plus, we reveal the best way to hire your dream campervan in New Zealand.
Whether you’re after a small and cosy campervan hire on the South Island or a large and luxurious campervan hire on the North Island, you’ll find all of NZ’s best family campervans on Camplify!
Best family campervans
1. Toyota Hiace - Best campervan layout for a family with young children
Seating and sleeping
The Hiace can seat three in the front and sleep three in the rear, with all three people sleeping in the queen-sized bed. Some high-top models also come with an additional upper single bed (suitable for a child or light adult).
Layout The Toyota Hiace finds the perfect balance between living and sleeping space. In most models, the large dining area at the rear seats up to 5 people, which means you won’t all be squished together when eating dinner. When you’re ready to go to bed, simply convert this space into a queen-sized bed , large enough to snuggly fit the whole family. Alternatively, some high-top models come with an upper single bed which is perfect for kids.
Most Hiace layouts also feature a front kitchen with a sink, fridge/freezer combo and pantry. Some models also come with gas burner stoves, but if yours doesn’t, it’s just as easy to set up and clean the portable gas stove outside. This is where the awning comes in handy as an extension of the kitchen.
Underneath the bench seats in the rear, you’ll also find a tonne of storage space for your family’s clothing, linen, food, toys and other ideas to keep toddlers busy on road trips. Plus, there are two special storage areas where the portable toilet and portable gas hob can be stowed away securely.
Best for
This Toyota Hiace layout is best for a couple with one young child or a single parent with two young children.
Cost
Hire on Camplify from $50 per night :
Blue Wonder (Auckland)
Pioneer Diesel (Auckland)
A1Campervan (Auckland)
Tapatoru Nr. 9 (Aongatete)
2. Toyota Kea - Best campervan layout for a family with older children
Seating and sleeping
The Kea can seat and sleep up to four people , with two people sleeping in the rear queen bed and two kids on the upper high-top bed.
Layout
The Toyota Kea is as stylish as it is comfortable. The most important feature for families is the spacious high-top bed - one of the largest on the market and super comfortable for up to two children. Of course, this means that parents can have the rear queen bed all to themselves!
Whilst the high-top bed compromises headspace a little bit, your family will still have enough room to make the most of the front kitchen , which includes a sink, fridge, microwave, gas burner and storage. Plus, when you’re ready to sit down for a meal, there’s enough room around the rear dining table to comfortably seat a family of four.
Best for
This campervan layout is best for a couple with two young children or one older child. It also works great for single parents with up to three children!
Cost
Hire on Camplify from $99 per night : Enola (Ramarama)
3. Volkswagen Transporter - Second best campervan layout for a family with older children
Seating and sleeping
The VW Transporter can seat and sleep three people , with two people sleeping in the lower double bed and one in the upper single bed (suitable for a child or small adult up to 80kg).
Layout People enjoy driving smaller campervans because they’re easier to maneuver. But families often worry they won’t have enough space for cooking or storage. This Volkswagen Transporter layout overcomes that concern by adding an additional bed in its high-top ceiling. Plenty of space to move around during the day. Just as much space when you go to sleep at night!
Besides the convenient bedding arrangement, this Volkswagen Transporter is also self-containment certified and comes with a full internal kitchen at the front , including a sink, 2x burner gas stove and 45L fridge with mini-freezer. Positioned next to the sliding door, this layout is perfect for making the most of outdoor dining and entertaining.
Hidden away in the kitchen cupboards and seat storage , you’ll find a portapotty, 36L freshwater tank and a 38L grey water tank. This means your family can go freedom camping for up to 3 days if you limit water usage. Plus, there’s a solar panel and 240V mains to power conveniences like the water pump, lights and USB chargers.
Best for
This campervan layout is best for a couple with one older child or a single parent with two older children.
Cost
Hire on Camplify from $90 per night :
VW Melu T5 Hightop (Auckland)
4. Mercedes Sprinter - Best campervan layout for a family with a teenager
Seating and sleeping
The Mercedes Sprinter seats and sleeps up to three people , with two people sleeping in the rear queen bed and one person in the front convertible bed.
Layout
Road tripping with teenagers can be tricky because they like their privacy. This Mercedes Sprinter layout offers the perfect solution, by separating two distinct sleeping areas. At the rear of the vehicle is the dining area (seats up to 5), which can be converted into a large double bed or two separate single beds. Plus, there is a smaller dining area at the front with a sofa that can be converted into an additional single bed.
Between the dining areas, in the middle of the van, the kitchen and the bathroom sit opposite one another. This kitchen comes with everything you need, including a sink, 3x burner gas hob, fridge/freezer combo, microwave, cupboards and preparation space. Similarly, the bathroom is simple but all-inclusive, offering a toilet, shower, hand basin and tap.
Also note that overhead storage is used in the rear, perfect for stowing away your family road trip essentials.
Best for
This campervan layout is best for a couple with a teenager or a single parent with two teenagers.
Cost
Hire on Camplify from $80 per night :
Ourfun (Rolleston)
Other options for families of four or more
Due to space restrictions, it can be difficult to comfortably sleep more than 4 people inside a campervan. If your family is larger than this, you may want to consider hiring a campervan that comes with an additional tent (weather permitting), such as the beautiful boutique camper Juno (located in Hamilton).
Alternatively, you may be better off just hiring a larger and more suitable vehicle such as a motorhome or RV. On Camplify, it only takes seconds to find and hire the best family road trip vehicles in New Zealand, such as R2D2 (Auckland).
Hiring the best family campervan
If you plan on hiring a campervan for a family road trip, think about the size of your family and how much time you’ll be spending in your campervan. How many beds do you need? Do you plan on eating and cooking inside or outside? Do you need a bathroom in your campervan?
Whatever your needs, Camplify makes it super easy to find the perfect family campervan. Search for campervan hire in New Zealand, adjust the optional filters and take your pick from a heap of unique listings.
Why Camplify?
We are proud to be New Zealand’s fastest-growing private campervan, caravan and motorhome sharing community. When you hire a van through our platform, it comes with lots of advantages:
Comprehensive hire insurance
Nationwide AA roadside assistance
24/7 customer support
All members are verified
By hiring with Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across New Zealand in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.
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