Short answer: every campervan hire in Australia includes basic cover, but basic cover leaves you liable for a bond or excess of about $3,000 to $7,500, and on several brands it excludes the roof, glass, tyres and single-vehicle rollovers. You can cut that to $0 by paying $30 to $75 a day, depending on the brand. In the quotes we checked on 22 October 2026, the lowest-priced vans all came with basic cover included and the zero-excess upgrade was a separate daily charge.
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.
What are the three levels of campervan insurance?
Most brands sell the same three levels under different names:
- Standard or basic. Included in the hire price. You pay the first $3,000 to $7,500 of any damage claim, and a bond for that amount is held on your card.
- Reduced excess or bond. About $30 to $60 a day. The bond drops to $500 to $3,000.
- Zero excess or zero bond. About $30 to $75 a day. The bond is $0, and it often adds tyres, windscreen, an extra driver or camping gear.
What matters more than the name is what each level leaves out. Read the exclusions before you read the price.
What do the bond and daily cost look like by brand?
All figures are from each operator’s published options or booking engine, October 2026.
| Brand | Included cover | Reduced option | Zero-excess option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spaceships | Basic: $0 a day, $5,000 bond, write-off liability up to $18,000 | Partial: $30 a day, $3,000 bond, write-off up to $9,000 | Stress-Free: $40 a day, $0 bond (daily cost stops after 50 days) |
| Awesome Campers | $0 a day, $5,000 bond | Halfway Cover: $35 a day, $500 bond | Fast Track Pack: $45 a day, $0 bond (25 and over) |
| JUCY (Cloudbreak, Crib Plus) | Risk Taker: $0 a day, $3,000 bond | Essentials: $35 a day, $1,500 bond | Comprehensive: $50 a day, $0 bond |
| JUCY (Malibu, Coaster, Condo) | Risk Taker: $0 a day, $5,000 bond | Essentials: $50 a day, $1,500 bond | Comprehensive: $65 a day, $0 bond |
| Mighty and MightyLITE (HiLITE, DeLITE, Highball, Double Down) | The Low Road: included, $3,500 liability, with a deposit of the same amount | n/a | The High Road: $42 a day (HiLITE, DeLITE) or $52 a day (Highball, Double Down), $0 liability |
| Britz (hi-top) | The Low Road: included | n/a | High Road: $55 a day, $0 liability |
| Travellers Autobarn | Standard Protection: $0 a day, $3,500 bond | n/a | Protection Plus: $30 a day (wagons) or $35 a day (campervans), $0 bond |
On the 10 to 17 November Sydney to Brisbane quotes (8 rental days), that makes the zero-bond upgrade $320 on a Spaceships Alpha, $360 on an Awesome Compact, $400 on a JUCY Cloudbreak and $336 on a MightyLITE HiLITE. Those are on top of the hire totals in how much campervan hire costs in Australia.
What isn’t covered by basic campervan insurance?
The exclusions are where claims go wrong. Per each operator’s own published terms:
- Spaceships Basic and Partial exclude accident towing and salvage, single-vehicle accidents, rollovers, roof damage, glass and windscreen, tyres and exterior damage. Only Stress-Free covers those. Basic and Partial also carry a $100 accident admin fee.
- Mighty’s Low Road says exclusions apply, and its High Road covers front, back, side, overhead, underbody and awning damage. Windscreen and tyre protection is added by the Platinum Pack. Britz’s Platinum Pack at $80 a day adds one windscreen replacement or up to three chip repairs and two tyre replacements.
- Travellers Autobarn says that on Standard Protection you are responsible for a single-vehicle rollover or write-off up to $50,000. Protection Plus caps that at $10,000.
- JUCY charges a $125 claims fee on each of its levels. Read its options page for which level covers the roof and rollover on your van.
Roof strikes, underbody damage on unsealed roads and rollovers are the claims that cost most. Rental terms also restrict where you can drive. Mighty and Apollo, for example, ban 2WD campers from all beaches and from unsealed roads longer than 12 kilometres, and ban 4WD campers from beaches too. See our 4WD campervan guide.
How do bond holds work on my card?
- Spaceships: the bond is frozen one day before pick-up.
- Awesome Campers: the funds must be available at least 24 hours before pick-up, and the bond is frozen for the whole hire.
- JUCY: the excess bond matches your level (see the table). Separately, a security bond for tolls and fines is $1 on a credit card and $300 on a debit card, released 7 days after pick-up or 48 hours after drop-off, whichever is first.
- thl brands (Britz, Apollo, Mighty, Maui): the deposit is debited at pick-up, refundable if the van is returned on time, to the right place, undamaged, clean and full.
Check your credit card limit before pick-up. A $5,000 hold needs $5,000 of available limit.
Which level should I choose?
A short rule of thumb: pick the level where the largest bill you could face is one you would shrug off. If a $5,000 bond is more than you can lose or more than your card can hold, buy the $0 bond. If you are under 25, some brands limit the options, so see campervan hire under 21 and under 25. If you will drive unsealed roads or tight car parks with a hi-top, choose the level that covers the roof, underbody and glass. Check your travel insurance wording before you assume it covers a rental campervan.
For help choosing a van to match, see best campervan companies for backpackers.
FAQs
How much is the bond on a campervan in Australia?
Most budget brands hold $3,000 to $5,000, JUCY’s biggest van $7,500, and the thl brands a deposit equal to the liability, from $3,500. Reducing it costs $30 to $75 a day.
Is campervan insurance included in the hire price?
Basic cover is included in every price we checked, with a bond or liability. Reducing the bond or adding roof, glass and tyre cover is a daily extra.
Does campervan insurance cover roof damage and rollovers?
Not on basic cover with most brands. Spaceships excludes both on Basic and Partial, and Travellers Autobarn leaves you liable for rollovers up to $50,000 on its standard level. Higher levels cover them.
Can I use a debit card for the bond?
It depends on the brand. JUCY accepts a debit card and holds $300 for tolls and fines. Check the card rules for your brand at booking.
Is zero-excess cover worth it?
If a $3,000 to $5,000 bill would hurt, yes. The cost was $320 to $400 on a 7-night hire in our quotes.
Sources
Spaceships FAQ (insurance options, bond timing, exclusions); JUCY excess reduction options page (bonds, daily costs, claims fee, card rules); Mighty liability reduction page and Britz liability options (daily costs, liability amounts, inclusions); Mighty and Apollo safety and driving FAQs (road and beach restrictions); Travellers Autobarn FAQ (protection tiers); Awesome Campers booking engine (insurance options, bond timing). All read October 2026.
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