How to drive a campervan - 15 tips

Want to travel around New Zealand but not sure how to drive a campervan? No stress, it's super simple if you follow along with our 15 top tips!

We cover everything you need to know when hiring and driving a campervan, including insurance, roadside assistance, licence requirements, road rules, driving tips, parking, reversing and much more!

Camplify makes it easy to find comfortable and affordable campervan hire in New Zealand.

Disclaimer: This is general advice only. While these tips are great to have under your belt, please make your own driving decisions that factor in the immediate circumstances at hand.

15 tips on how to drive a campervan safely

1. Have your pick of hire campervans

Most campervan hire companies in New Zealand don’t offer a lot of choices when choosing your vehicle. You don’t want to get stuck in a campervan that is run down.

Camplify is a platform that makes it easy to find affordable, comfortable and well-maintained campervan hire in New Zealand. Take your pick from hundreds of unique campervans around the country.

Use the search filters on Camplify and find your ideal campervan hire based on:

• Price range

• Automatic or manual gearbox

• Number of sleeping berths

• Shower and toilet included

• Self-contained or otherwise

• Much more!

Want to hire a motorhome instead? See our guide on how to drive a motorhome.

2. Don’t pay extra for comprehensive hire insurance

You shouldn’t drive a campervan in New Zealand without a comprehensive hire insurance policy and roadside assistance.

When you hire a campervan through Camplify, you get comprehensive hire insurance included at no additional cost!

Plus, you’ll also receive Nationwide AA Roadside Assistance - simply call our 24/7 local support team and we’ll have someone come out to help you!

3. Check that you have the right licence to drive a campervan

You need a standard car licence to drive a campervan in New Zealand.

If you are a New Zealand resident and have a full car licence, you can drive any campervan that has a gross laden weight (GLW) or combined weight (GCW) of 6000kg or less. However, if you have a learner or restricted car licence, lower weight limits apply.

If you are a foreign tourist visiting NZ and hold a full car licence or International Driving Permit (IDP), you can drive a campervan with a TARE weight of 4500kg or less.

For full details, please see our article about What licence do I need to drive a campervan?__

4. Know the campervan road rules in New Zealand

The most important thing is that you understand how to drive a campervan according to the laws and road rules in New Zealand.

Keep these essentials in mind:

• Always drive on the left-hand side of the road.

• Always wear a seatbelt when travelling.

• Stick to the signposted speed limit (usually 50km/h in urban areas and 100km/h on motorways).

• Don’t drive under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (BAC of 0.05 for drivers over 20).

• Give way to the right when approaching a roundabout.

• Only overtake on dotted lines or in passing lanes when it is safe to do so.

• It is illegal to use your mobile phone whilst driving.

For a quick and easy guide to all the essential road rules in New Zealand, please check out our article about driving in New Zealand.

5. Empty the campervan’s tanks before driving

Before leaving your campsite, empty your fresh and grey water tank at a designated dump station. This will make the campervan lighter and easier to drive and manoeuvre. It will also improve fuel efficiency.

Discover even more beginner campervan tips like this.

6. Plug the campervan sinks

If your campervan has a wastewater tank (black or grey tank), try to plug the sink before you drive around. This will prevent foul smells from rising out of the tank and stinking out your campervan.

It can also be beneficial to put some detergent down the drain, which will help to kill the bad smells coming from your wastewater tank.

1. Turn off the campervan gas bottle

Never drive a campervan without having first turned off any gas bottles (e.g. LPG bottles). Leaving your gas tank on whilst travelling is dangerous and can potentially cause a gas leak or an explosion.

Also, ensure that the tank is securely stowed in an upright position so that it can not roll around in the back of the campervan when driving around.

8. Leave plenty of space around the campervan

Campervans tend to be larger and heavier than cars. This means they are slower to brake and accelerate.

When learning how to drive a campervan, put enough space between you and the vehicle in front - at least twice as much distance as you normally would in a car.

If you want to overtake or merge into traffic, make sure there is plenty of space in the next lane.

9. Turn long, wide and slow

When turning the campervan, try to take the corner as long, wide and slow as is safe. By putting as much distance as possible between you and the corner point, you can avoid scraping the vehicle. However, do not cross the centre line and intrude upon the other lane.

10. Watch your clearance height

Campervans also tend to be taller than the average car. Be aware of the clearance height of the campervan and avoid scraping the roof when driving through tunnels, car parks and other low-clearance areas.

There may be a sticker on the windscreen that indicates the clearance height of the vehicle. If not, check the manual or ask the Camplify owner.

11. Ensure that loose items are stowed away in the campervan

Don’t drive the campervan away from your campsite without double-checking that you have stowed away all loose items. This includes both internal and external items:

• Gas tanks

• Awnings

• Power connection

• Entrance step

• Water hose connection

• Roof ventilation hatch

• Levelling chock

• Loose items inside the campervan.

12. Choose a low gear on hills

Because campervans tend to be larger and heavier than your average car, they cannot climb steep hills as quickly. When driving a campervan up a steep hill, choose a lower gear and keep the engine in a suitable range of RPM (usually between 1,500 - 3,000 RPM).

13. Have someone help you park and reverse

When learning how to drive a campervan, it can be tricky to park perfectly. Where possible, get someone to guide you when reversing and parking the campervan. This will help you to avoid any unnecessary accidents.

14. Park and camp where it is legal to do so

If you want to avoid a hefty fine, be sure to only park your campervan in places where you are legally allowed to. In New Zealand, you can park your campervan in any of the following areas:

• Freedom Camping Sites (where signage indicates that camping is permitted)

• Department of Conservation Campgrounds (where signage indicates that camping is permitted)

• Holiday Parks and private campgrounds

To park at a freedom camping site overnight, your campervan must display the Caravan Self Containment Certification sticker. To be certified as self-contained, the campervan must have:

• A toilet

• Freshwater storage

• Wastewater storage

• A rubbish bin with a lid.

For full details, please see our guide to Where can I park a campervan in New Zealand?

1. Make the most of the campervan’s features

It’s important that you are comfortable in your campervan and get a good night’s sleep. You do not want to be tired or stressed when trying to drive a campervan.

Make sure that you know how to use all the features that your campervan offers, including the power system, water system and heating/cooling system.

Read our guide on how to use a campervan and ask the Camplify owner if you have any further questions.

Hire a campervan for your New Zealand road trip

With our above tips, learning how to drive a campervan is simple. And it’s even easier if you use Camplify!

Want to arrange campervan hire on the North Island? Or maybe you need campervan hire on the South Island?

Camplify makes it easy for holidaymakers to find the ideal rental van for their adventure.

Simply enter your pickup location, adjust the optional filters and within seconds, you will find the perfect motorhome, caravan or campervan for your New Zealand road trip!

All the vans on Camplify are privately-owned and offer a unique experience. Plus, every booking comes with a range of extra benefits.

Why Camplify?

We are proud to be New Zealand’s fastest-growing private caravan, campervan 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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