If you love traveling and the outdoors but car camping isn’t quite your cup of tea, renting a campervan might be the answer. Denver’s Native Campervans rents vans in two sizes equipped for camping while you explore Colorado and the adjacent states.
As long as it stays in the U.S., Native Campervans lets renters drive as far and as long as they pay for, however, renting for months at a time would get fairly costly. For a week or two though, renting can be a lot more attractive than buying, especially if someone’s considering buying a camper but wants to see how much they like it. Native Campervans rents a 2016 Ram ProMaster 136 High Roof van it dubs the “Biggie” or a 2011 to 2015 Dodge Grand Caravans called “Smalls.” The rates vary by model, rental duration, season, and renters have the option of adding extras like inflatable kayaks or bicycle racks.
After pricing a rented Biggie for a week in June with no extras, the cost per day came to $200 plus a $2 Colorado Roadway Safety Program Fee. With tax, the week appeared to run just north of $1,500.
The basic rental fee includes 100 free miles per day, built-in basic insurance coverages, no charge for extra drivers, and no fee for cooking utensils, kitchenware, bedding, chairs, a cooler and cooker, or extra propane tanks. The Biggie also boasts a two-burner propane stove, a 60-can refrigerator/freezer, lighting, and an inverter to charge any electronics.
Along with the added extras and freebies, Native Campervans doesn’t charge any sort of preparation or cleanup fee. Additional insurance is available at what Native says are competitive rates and 24-hour roadside assistance is included at no extra charge. It also lets people bring their dog for an additional $50 per booking.
For those looking to travel more than 100 miles a day (total mileage divided by days), the company allows for the pre-purchase of an extra 100 miles for $20 per day, unlimited miles for $33 per day — it also allows for the payment of $.25 per mile for excess mileage if a pre-paid plan isn’t selected. While a week with the Biggie may seem a touch expensive, renting one of Native Campervan’s smaller Dodge Grand Caravans nearly cuts the weekly price in half.
Though it’s not a terribly new concept, Native Campervans does allow prospective campervan owners the ability to see the country in luxury without laying down the chunk of change required to become an actual owner.
