Short answer: there is no single best company, there is a best fit. Spaceships suits drivers aged 18 to 20 and anyone who wants no one-way fee. Awesome Campers had the lowest all-in price we found for a week Sydney to Brisbane, for drivers 21 and over. JUCY is the loudest-looking budget option with the most van sizes. Mighty and MightyLITE are the cheapest of the bigger-brand hi-tops and take drivers from 18. Britz and Apollo cost more and suit people who want a newer, taller van.
Prices below are the operators’ own website totals for 7 nights Sydney to Brisbane, 10 to 17 November 2026, driver aged 26, checked 22 October 2026. We compare live prices from the major operators, and on vans we can check, our price is lower than the operator’s own website. See live prices for your dates.
Which campervan company is cheapest for backpackers?
| Company | Cheapest van in our check | 7 nights Sydney to Brisbane | Minimum age | Standard bond or liability | East Coast one-way fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awesome Campers | Compact (2 berth) | $490 | 21 | $5,000 bond | $0 to $350 by van and route |
| Spaceships | Alpha (2 berth) | $515 | 18 | $5,000 bond | None |
| JUCY | Cloudbreak (2 berth) | $562 | 21 in our live check | $3,000 bond | $195 metro, $295 Cairns |
| MightyLITE / Mighty | HiLITE / Highball | $1,264 / $1,344 | 18 | $3,500 liability | about $200, built into the price |
| Apollo | Hitop Camper | $1,664 | 21 | The Low Road liability, set per model | about $200, built into the price |
| Britz | HiTop (2 berth) | $1,784 | 21 | The Low Road liability, set per model | $200 |
| Travellers Autobarn | not in our sample | ask for a quote | confirm at booking | $3,500 bond | confirm at booking |
The budget trio is $490 to $562 for the week. The hi-top brands start at $1,264. Neither is wrong: you are paying for age of vehicle, headroom, a fridge that runs without a powered site and a newer fit-out. How much campervan hire costs in Australia has the same comparison by van type and season.
Which company suits which traveller?
Spaceships: best for drivers 18 to 20 and for one-way trips
Spaceships rents to anyone 18 or over with a valid licence and says its price is the same at every age. One-way trips between its depots (Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Hobart and Airlie Beach) carry no extra fee, and it offers free after-hours pick-up and drop-off. The Alpha ($515 for the week) has a double bed, a fridge-freezer, a 10 litre water tank, a rear awning and two free gas canisters, and the Beta 4-berth with a roof-top tent was $893. The catch is availability: for 27 December to 3 January the Spaceships vans we checked showed unavailable. Its Basic cover leaves you with a $5,000 bond, and the roof, glass, tyres and rollovers are only covered on its top tier. See insurance and bonds explained.
Awesome Campers: lowest price, drivers 21 and over
Awesome Campers took the lowest total in our Sydney to Brisbane check: $490 for the Compact, including a $90 admin fee and no one-way fee on that route. It rents to drivers 21 and over, and offers contactless pick-up. Two things to know before you book. First, the Compact’s 40 litre fridge runs on an inverter and needs a 240V powered site overnight, so plan for caravan parks, not bush camps (more in free camping vs powered sites). Second, one-way fees vary by van: $0 on some routes, $180 on others, and $350 on the Coast Hopper Sydney to Cairns.
JUCY: the widest choice of sizes
JUCY has two-berth wagons, 4-berth vans, a 6-berth Big Kahuna and motorhome-style vans. In our check the Cloudbreak was $562 and the Crib Plus (4 berth) $796. The Malibu was $1,400 and the Coaster $1,563. JUCY charges $195 for a metro one-way and $295 for anything to or from Cairns, and added a $100 weekend surcharge in the peak week. Its bond depends on the van: $3,000 for the Cloudbreak and Crib Plus, $5,000 for the Malibu, Coaster and Condo. It did not return a price for a 20-year-old driver in our check.
Mighty and MightyLITE: cheapest of the big-brand hi-tops
Mighty’s Highball (2 berth, $1,344) and Double Down (4 berth, $1,384) and the MightyLITE HiLITE ($1,264) and DeLITE ($1,304) take drivers from 18. They are part of the thl group, which also owns Britz, Apollo and Maui, so the one-way fee (about $200 on the east coast in our quotes) is already in the total. The Low Road liability is $3,500 per incident on these four vans. Cutting it to $0 costs $42 to $52 a day.
Britz and Apollo: newer and taller, and dearer
Britz HiTop was $1,784 and Voyager $1,824. Apollo Hitop was $1,664 and Endeavour $1,704. Both require drivers to be 21. They make sense for longer trips, a couple who want to stand up inside, or a 4WD: the Britz Warrior and Maverick and Apollo 4WD Adventure were $2,180 to $2,454 for the week. Britz’s High Road ($0 liability) is $55 a day on the hi-top. The hi-top campervan and 4WD campervan pages show what you get.
Travellers Autobarn
Travellers Autobarn was not in our price sample, so we will not guess a number. Its published protection tiers are $0 a day with a $3,500 bond, $30 to $35 a day for a $0 bond with two tyres and a front windscreen included, and $35 to $45 a day for the Value Pack. Ask us for a quote on your dates.
How do I choose?
- Under 21: Spaceships, Mighty Highball and Double Down, and MightyLITE. Read campervan hire under 21 and under 25.
- Cheapest week, drivers 21+: Awesome Compact, then Spaceships Alpha, then JUCY Cloudbreak.
- Going one way for free: Spaceships. Read the one-way hire guide.
- Four friends in one van: JUCY Crib Plus, Spaceships Beta 4-berth or Mighty Double Down.
- Two weeks or more, comfort first: hi-top or motorhome from Mighty, Apollo, Britz or Maui.
- Travelling at Christmas: book early. The budget vans were the first to go.
Start your pick-up in a city with the most choice: Sydney, Brisbane or Cairns. Our Sydney to Cairns route guide has the stops.
FAQs
Which campervan company is best for backpackers?
It depends on your age, budget and route. Spaceships takes drivers from 18 with no one-way fee. Awesome Campers had the lowest price we found, from 21. Mighty takes drivers from 18 in its Highball, Double Down and MightyLITE vans and is the cheapest of the big-brand hi-tops.
Who is cheapest, JUCY or Spaceships?
For 7 nights Sydney to Brisbane in November 2026, Spaceships Alpha was $515 and JUCY Cloudbreak $562. The order flips on other dates and routes, so compare your own dates.
Do campervan companies hire to 18-year-olds?
Spaceships does, with no young-driver fee, and Mighty does for its Highball, Double Down, HiLITE and DeLITE. Most other brands in our check required drivers to be 21.
Which campervan companies charge no one-way fee?
Spaceships charges none. Awesome Campers charged nothing on some vans and routes. JUCY and the thl brands charge $195 to $300, with the thl fee built into the quoted total.
Sources
Prices: operator booking-engine quotes for Awesome Campers, JUCY, Spaceships and thl brands (Britz, Maui, Mighty, MightyLITE, Apollo), pulled 21 and 22 October 2026. Policies: Spaceships FAQ (minimum age, one-way, insurance tiers, after-hours service); JUCY excess reduction options page; Mighty and Apollo safety and driving FAQs (minimum age); Mighty liability reduction page; Britz help centre (one-way fees, minimum age); Travellers Autobarn FAQ (protection tiers). All read October 2026.
Get your price
Put your dates and route into /campervans for live prices from the major operators, with a Wanderlust price that is lower than the operator’s own website on vans we can check. Rather talk it through? Book a free call.
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