Owner Awards 2025

Meet New Zealand's 2025 Listing of the Year: Bernie and Reni from Oli Campers

The 2025 Camplify Owner Awards celebrate the people who make our community brilliant – and this year's Listing of the Year for New Zealand goes to a couple who turned a decade of world travel into a thriving Hamilton-based operation that treats every hirer like family.

Bernie and Reni from Oli Campers have built something remarkable: from a single garage where they couldn't even fit a campervan inside to becoming the first motorhome rental business in Hamilton Airport's history. With 15 vehicles, a rental management operation, and reviews that speak for themselves, they're proof that passion and systems can scale beautifully together.

From building vans to sharing adventures

Bernie and Reni's Camplify journey started with campervans they'd built themselves – about ten of them sold before a neighbour changed everything.

On how it all started...

"We built campervans for many years," Bernie explains. "Someone from the neighbourhood bought one of our camper vans and said she'd list it on Camplify. I did my research and said, wow – let's stop selling and start renting out."

They began with a two-berth Toyota Voxy and a caravan they'd restored from scratch. "We bought it like flat back," Reni adds. "Someone started the restoration and left it halfway. It was just a shell with everything chucked inside."

That shell became a labour of love – and the foundation of what would become Oli Campers, named after their daughter Olivia.

The fleet today

Today, Bernie and Reni operate around 15-16 vehicles: eight six-berth motorhomes, one two-berth, and five Toyota Voxy campervans. But here's where it gets interesting – most of the larger motorhomes belong to other owners who trust Oli Campers to manage rentals on their behalf.

"We moved to Hamilton Airport now," Bernie says. "Customers can pick up and drop off from the airport car park. We have our workshop there, our office there. It's taking shape."

The growth has been staggering. Three years ago, they worked from a single garage where they'd throw plastic sheets over campervans when it rained. Now they have a proper showroom, workshop, and parking inside Hamilton Airport – the first motorhome rental business in the airport's entire history.

When hirers become family

Ask Bernie about memorable hires and his eyes light up. A solo Swiss traveller stands out – not just for the booking, but for what happened after.

On connections that last...

"A single guy from Switzerland came here, a bit lost about where to go," Bernie recalls. "I started sharing my experience – we've been travellers in New Zealand before also. I helped him a lot during the trip."

When the booking ended? The messages kept coming.

"He's still sending me messages: 'Bernie, I'm going to Singapore – what can I do?' Then Malaysia. Because I've been in those countries, after the booking finishes, I'm still in contact with him."

This isn't unusual for Oli Campers. Bernie spent nearly ten years travelling non-stop around the world before COVID changed everything. Now, preparing motorhomes fills that space.

"Camplify made me feel I am travelling. When I prepare the motorhomes, I do it like I'm doing it for myself. I'm not travelling, but by helping someone to travel – this feeds my soul."

That care extends to practical gestures too. Young backpackers arriving after months in Asia? Bernie and Reni have made lunch for them, opened their home, shared time.

"We are a family and we treat our hirers like part of the family," Bernie says.

The systems behind the service

With 15 vehicles, passion alone won't cut it. Reni – self-described as "a bit nerdy" – has built systems that ensure every hirer gets the same experience.

Their top tips for scaling up:

"Consider your budget and free time," Reni advises new owners. "I cannot compare preparation of a two-bed camper van versus a six-bed motorhome. If you're short on time, go smaller."

For those ready to grow, systems are everything. Oli Campers runs pre and post-hire checklists covering booking information, inventory (adjustable for guest numbers and special requests), and vehicle checks.

"It helps make sure every customer gets the same level of service," Reni explains. "And it helps us be quicker – you don't need to stand there at 10pm thinking about what else you normally do."

For owners building their own systems, our guide on preventing hirer damage before peak season covers preparation essentials.

Where they'd send you first

Based in Hamilton, Bernie and Reni keep a list of top spots for each island – and books in every vehicle where hirers write their own discoveries.

"I can recommend a place where I've been five years ago, but someone goes now and it probably changed a lot," Bernie notes. "So we use what hirers write."

Their personal favourites? The lakes.

"Kawhia lakes – I love it," Bernie says. Reni agrees: "I prefer lakes over ocean. Really nice water, sandy beach, beautiful surroundings. And if you're lucky, sometimes a kiwi bird walks around at night."

Planning a North Island adventure? Check out our guide to road tripping through the Taupo and Rotorua regions.

Ready to hit the road? Whether you pick up from Hamilton Airport or arrange delivery, Bernie and Reni will have you sorted.

Meet all our 2025 Owner Award winners here.

Got an RV gathering dust? See how Bernie and Reni turned their love of travel into a thriving business – they even manage vehicles for other owners now. Discover what your vehicle could earn.