Frequently Asked Questions

Not yet… but a Vanagon Westfalia Syncro is in our future.

Most of our vehicles are automatic transmissions, but we do have some manual transmission vehicles. Please let us know what you prefer when you submit your inquiry!

Nope! Our vehicles have either a built in auxiliary battery or a solar powered auxiliary battery to power things like your sink, fridge, furnace, interior lights and power sources. If you have a built in auxiliary battery it will be charged every time you drive or when you plug you camper into an external power source (called “shore power”). If your battery is running low you can turn on the engine, drive around, or go plug in somewhere. While you don’t need to plug in to shore power, we suggest doing so when you are able to as it keeps the battery charged. Our solar powered auxiliary batteries are charged by your rooftop solar panels. Our campers with a built in furnace or a built in stove also have a built in propane tank to power those features.

None of our campers ever need to be hooked up to water at your campsite. For our campers that have a water tank (full campers and promasters) you will have a hose in the car to be able to refill your water tank as needed.

With more style of course! Seriously though, none of of campers are near the size of an RV. All of our VW campers drive just like a regular sized SUV or mini-van. The Promaster Campervans are a little larger, but are still easy to drive. 

Each van comes equipped with at least a portable tripod toilets for your campervan for no additional charge. We have additional options available for rent if a tripod toilet isn’t your thing. We also have some vans with a built in bathroom!

Yes, however keep in mind there is no latch system in any of our vehicles and kids seats are installed using the rear seatbelts. We do have locking clips available if your child seat does not have one and it is needed for your rental. Please let us know if you need any (or aren’t sure if you need any).

Not all of our campers have a tether point for forward facing seats. While you are not required to tether a forward facing seat, it does increase protection. We have installed them in some of our vintage vehicles and most of our more modern vehicles have a tether point. Please be sure to let us know if you require a vehicle with a tether point.

Because we are awesome like that. We would never mess with the style of any of our vintage cars – that would be just wrong. We also don’t want you to look like a ‘Chad’ out there (sorry if your name is Chad. No offense, we really like that name). Our motto is ‘be a traveler, not a tourist’ and we find that difficult to achieve when you are driving around a mobile billboard for us.

On a serious note, we feel it is important for people to feel safe in their camper which holds all of their belongings. We feel that putting a large amount of advertising or spraypainting massive murals or blatant logos on the side of your vehicle makes you a target for theft. We don’t want that for any of our clients just like we wouldn’t want it for our own travels. 

Renting a Vanagon Westfalia is much more about the experience of a vintage campervan. They have an undeniable style and you will find out quickly you make friends everywhere you go. We like to think the Vanagons are always on island time when it comes to travel – IE you can expect to have a slower paced trip. The VW Vanagons were made in the 1980s and early 1990s. Most were made when highway speed limits were still 55 mph. Our Vanagons top out at 65 mph on flat highways. They will be slower on steep hills and in the mountains — 30-35 mph can be normal. We say they get you where you are going, just at their own speed!

None of our Vanagons have AC in them. We have disabled it for any of our cars that did have it. It was a power drain and we find most people want the power (plus it never really worked well to begin with).  We find the Vanagons to be perfect for mountain and coastal trips where weather is cooler. Really prefer AC? Let us know, because we are thinking about adding these portable AC coolers as an optional item!

We don’t do Subaru engine conversions to our Vanagons at this time for a number of reasons and we are happy to discuss that with you if you have questions.

Our warm weather vans are primarily intended for use on maintained roads (see our travel and road restrictions for more information).  Sorry, off-roading is not allowed in our vehicles, so you will not need 4WD.

Our year-round vans are equipped with snow tires in the winter. While that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to go everywhere, your campervan should get you where you to your destination with some good common-sense driving. Slow and steady is the way to go when traveling roads in the winter for any vehicle. If the roads aren’t safe they will close them.  You can check road conditions and closures year-round at cotrip.org for Colorado, udot.utah.gov for Utah, and NVroads.com for Nevada.

Denver: We do not offer airport pick or local hotel pick ups, no. The airport is located east of the city and hotels are spread far and wide in the metro area. You can get to us by a few different methods:

• RTD Light Rail is $9/person. You will take that from the airport to Union Station and switch to the W line at Union Station. We will pick you up at the Lamar Street stop for no additional charge or you can easily walk to us from there. Please let us know if you are arriving via Light Rail. Time: 45 min – 1 hr
• Uber/Lyft costs around $40-45 varying with traffic and demand. Higher-end vehicles will be more expensive. Time: 30-45 min varying with traffic. We can have LA-like traffic, so expect delays if you are arriving during rush hour.
• Taxi costs around $65+ . Their costs are more fixed, but you will find they have fees to enter/exit the airport that are tacked on to all fares. Time: 30-45 min varying with traffic. Again, Denver has traffic – so expect delays if you are arriving during rush hour.
• Super Shuttle costs around $30/person. They offer direct drop-offs, but usually take several travelers so time can very depending on the order in which you get dropped off.

Las Vegas: We do not offer airport pick or local hotel pick ups, no. You can get to us by a few different methods:

• Uber/Lyft costs around $15-30 varying with traffic and demand and vehicle type. Time: 10-15 min varying with traffic.
• Taxi costs around $35+ . Their costs are more fixed, but you will find they have fees to enter/exit the airport that are tacked on to all fares. Time: 15-20 min varying with traffic.

One Ways: All one way pick ups or drop offs will be at the destination airport. Local pick up may be arranged on requested.

In short, wherever you can park it that allows overnight camping (boondocking), but we recommend checking out private parks and campgrounds, US National Forest Campgrounds, US National Forest Dispersed Camping (IE no campground), & state campgrounds.  We have a lot of information on this topic, so check our planning your trip page for more information.  We’re also happy to share any local camping tips and secrets we’ve got. Just ask!

We suggest you do so when you will be arriving somewhere late at night that does not have a lot of camping options or if you will be camping in a popular area during high season (may-sep) on a Friday and Saturday night. If you’re hoping to camp in a National Park during high season, make reservations as early as possible. In places like Zion, Canyonlands and Rocky Mountain National Park it can be difficult to find a last-minute spot.

When it isn’t possible to make a reservation, try to have at least two options for a campground near your destination — then if one is full you already know where a second one is.

Yes, our Denver location is right at the base of the Rocky Mountains and we wouldn’t rent you a vehicle that couldn’t get you up there! You will be passing every RV on the road – sorry RVs, but it is true. Still, we do ask that you take care when driving up mountain passes to not overload the engine. As with any vehicle, going up or down the steep grades requires caution. The vintage cars get you into the mountains too of course, just at a more relaxed pace. 

Everything that we could think of, even the kitchen sink! Ok, the sink is part of the van in most of our campers, but we try to include everything you need for you trip included in our rates. We noticed some RV rental companies charge for necessities (sheets, plates, silverware, etc) and we didn’t want to do that. You can check out our complete list of what we stock in each campervan rental and check out each Campervan’s page for what is built into the van. If there is anything we aren’t currently stocking in our vans that you want please let us know. We’re also local experts and can point you to the best markets, supply stores, outdoor equipment retailers, liquor stores and other places to shop in the Denver and Las Vegas areas before heading out on your trip!

Local recreational centers are a great option for getting an affordable shower if you aren’t going to any campsites with showers. Many private campgrounds will also offer these amenities. Some private campgrounds will let you pay to use the shower even if you are staying there. Colorado also has an abundance of natural hot springs!

Each Eurovan comes equipped with an water sprayer at the rear hatch which can be utilized for rinsing off and outdoor showers.  Our Vanagons are not equipped with this, but we do offer hot water shower kits for rent.

Each promaster comes equipped with an external hot water shower at the rear hatch which can be utilized for rinsing off and outdoor showers. (Winterized in cold weather months!)

In winter we have to winterize the outdoor shower feature and the faucet (November-Mid April) in Colorado. We provide a refillable water jug and sink basin for washing up and doing dishes inside the warmth of your camper. As soon as it is warm enough or for those heading to warmer destinations you can use the sink.

A great resource for finding free/no reservation campgrounds is a Delorme atlas.  We will provide one for Colorado in your camper.  If you let us know what other states you are visiting we can make sure we have those in your camper too.

Campground requirements can vary for what you need to book when sleeping in a vehicle. Be sure to check each campgrounds requirements. Click here for more information on where to camp. You don’t have to reserve an RV hookup site for your camper.  Everything will work just fine (even the fridge) without being plugged into shore power. When allowed tent sites are cheaper, often more secluded, and just as good. When booking in advance look for a level ground (so your bed is level!) and a parking layout that you like.  Since you will be camping in your ‘car’ you want to think about where you are allowed to park it.

You will never need a site with a water hook up for any of our campers. If you choose an electrical site you will only need a standard outlet with 15-20 amp of power, nothing more. We do provide you with a shore power plug.

Some do yes, but plenty stay open and some of the best places for ski-bumming are not a campground.  Here are a few ideas:

http://www.coloradodirectory.com/FallWinter/winterbytown.html
http://www.wheelingit.us/2011/07/30/free-overnight-rv-parking-finding-freebies/
http://www.milesinthemirror.com/blog/archives/01-2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68snwH5Gyy4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug3f6sdQ-d0&feature=youtu.be

Check our ski bumming page for more information or contact us with specific destination questions.  We are happy to help you find a safe site.  Please always be aware of your surroundings when you park in the winter – DO NOT PARK SOMEWHERE YOU CAN GET PLOWED IN WITH SNOW OR TOWED.

Our Eurovan full campers and Promasters all have a built in furnace and thermostat that will keep you nice and toasty. The furnace is powered on your auxiliary battery and propane. You will go through propane faster if you are using your furnace all the time, so best to use only when you need it.

We have portable propane heaters available for all of our other vehicles – available at no charge in the winter. These are best used without small children or pets as there is a flame and they are hot to touch. We suggest using these to warm up in your camper in the morning or before bed. We can provide a portable electric heater available on request, but you will have to plug in you campers to an external power source to use these.

First, you should turn around and go back to the ski resort you just left; it’s going to be a powder day! Second, call us to extend your rental if needed – if you can’t get back to use due to road closures we will accommodate you. The best thing about your VW campervan rental is that you always have your hotel room with you, so you can follow the snow and road closures won’t ruin your vacation.

Yes, please! These VWs need some music in their life (don’t we all). If you are renting out of Colorado be sure to check out anything any music festival in Telluride, CO! Planet Bluegrass and Red Rocks are two others not to miss for CO. For rentals out of Las Vegas Coachella is not too far!

Si, hablamos español, si hablas despacio! Podemos leer español mejor que podemos hablar.

Yeah, we know, he is pretty great. Thank you. He is not available for rent though and neither is his bus, but both do hang around the office to greet renters often. – Sadly King Wilson passed on to his great gig in the sky in fall 2019.

His friend Milly Grace the Great Pyrenees joined our team in 2018 and will now be in charge at our office. Check out our Facebook and Instagram for incredible fluffy pictures of our newest mascot.