Campervan relocation deals in NZ: $1 a day hire and how to get them

A rental company has a campervan sitting in Christchurch and a customer waiting for one in Auckland. Trucking it north costs money, so the company would rather you drive it there for almost nothing. That is a relocation deal, and in New Zealand it can be the cheapest way to get a vehicle for a few days.

This guide explains how relocations work, where to find them, the routes that come up, and the catches nobody puts in the headline. Prices are in NZD and are from listings we checked, as at November 2026. Listings change every day, so treat every number here as an example rather than a promise.

Quick answer

• Search Transfercar and Imoova, the two main relocation sites. When we checked, Transfercar listed 954 vehicles in New Zealand.
• Expect $1 a day for a fixed number of days, sometimes with a free tank of fuel or a free Cook Strait ferry.
• Budget for the extras: fuel, a booking fee on some sites, extra days if you want them, and a bond of a few thousand dollars on a credit card.
• Be flexible. Dates are tight and the good ones go quickly.

How relocations work

Rental companies end up with too many vehicles in one place and too few in another, often because one-way hires pile up at popular drop-off points. A relocation listing offers that vehicle to anyone who can drive it from A to B within a set window.

Each listing sets out:

• Pick-up and drop-off locations, usually a branch or airport depot
• A pick-up window, for example any day between 16 and 20 November
• Included days, often charged at $1 a day
• Optional extra days, at a higher daily rate
• Inclusions, such as a free tank of fuel, a ferry ticket or an insurance package

Transfercar says users must be at least 18, and that the minimum age is set by each rental company at 18, 21 or 25. You also need a valid licence for that vehicle and a valid credit card. Transfercar says operators respond to requests within 24 hours, and you can request up to three vehicles with the same pick-up date while you wait. Imoova says confirmation can take up to 48 hours.

If you are driving on an overseas licence, our guide to driving in NZ as a visitor covers the licence rules and road rules.

Where to find them

Transfercar (transfercar.co.nz) is free to register. When we checked in November 2026 it listed 954 vehicles in New Zealand, 635 cars and 319 campervans or motorhomes, with 455 listings carrying extra inclusions. You can filter by vehicle type and set up alerts for routes.

Imoova (imoova.com) runs the same kind of marketplace, with relocations from rental companies across New Zealand and Australia. Listings show the daily rate, included days, extra-day price, bond and any booking fee. Imoova listings we checked charged a booking fee of $50 to $64.

Rental companies sometimes advertise relocations on their own sites too, but the two marketplaces are the quickest way to see lots at once.

Insider tip: set an alert on both sites for the route you want, then check first thing in the morning. New listings appear without warning, and the ones with a free ferry or several extra days tend to go first.

Typical routes

Relocations follow demand, so the same routes come up again and again. Listings we checked in November 2026 included:

To give you a feel for the driving, Christchurch to Picton is about 337 km and 4 hours 45 minutes, and Wellington to Auckland about 641 km and 8 hours 15 minutes (routing estimates without stops). Queenstown to Christchurch is about 482 km and 6 hours 25 minutes. That is a lot of driving in four days once you add the ferry, so look at the included days carefully before you book.

If the deal does not include the ferry, our Interislander vs Bluebridge guide compares the two Cook Strait operators.

The catch

Relocations are cheap because the company’s priority is getting the vehicle there, not your holiday. The trade-offs:

• Tight time limits. Four days for Christchurch to Auckland leaves little room for side trips.
• Little choice of dates. You fit around the listing, not the other way round.
• Fuel is usually yours. Some listings include one tank. Transfercar’s help pages say “free fuel” means one full tank, and you do not need to return it full. Diesel vehicles may also carry road user charges: one Imoova listing added $0.08 per km.
• Extra days are expensive. Optional days in the listings we saw cost $70 to $200 each.
• Basic kit. One Imoova campervan listing said linen and cooking gear were not included. Check before you assume the camper is ready to live in.
• Booking fees. Some sites charge one, even on $1 a day deals.

Transfercar’s cancellation fees are $25 if you cancel more than 48 hours before pick-up, $50 within 48 hours, and $100 after pick-up time or for a no-show.

Insurance

This is the part to read twice. A $1 a day hire still carries the normal risk of damage, and you are responsible for the insurance excess.

• Bond: listings we checked held a bond of $2,500 (a car) to $5,000 (a campervan) on a credit card. One Imoova checkout said a $3,000 bond would be pre-authorised and released in 7 to 10 business days after the vehicle was returned safely.
• Daily insurance fees: Transfercar’s terms say that if a rental operator must charge a daily fee for insurance, it is capped at $5 a day, paid by the driver.
• Excess reduction: some operators let you pay to reduce the excess. Check what is included before you collect the vehicle.

Your own travel insurance may cover rental vehicle excess, so it is worth checking the policy wording. Read the excess section of your policy before you sign the rental agreement, not after.

Relocation or normal hire?

A relocation suits you if you are travelling light, have flexible dates and mainly want to get from one city to another cheaply. It suits you less if you want a slow road trip with lots of detours, or if you need to be somewhere on a fixed date.

Ask yourself three questions before you book:

• Does the route match a trip you would take anyway? A free campervan from Christchurch to Auckland is only a bargain if you wanted to go north.
• Can you cover the drive in the included days? If not, add up the optional days and compare that with a normal one-way hire.
• Can you carry the bond? A $5,000 hold on a credit card can leave you short for the rest of the trip.

If the answer to all three is yes, a relocation is hard to beat. If not, a normal hire with a one-way fee may work out better, and you choose the vehicle and the dates.

Tips

1. Have a credit card with room on it. The bond is usually a hold, not a charge, but it ties up your limit.
2. Read the inclusions line by line. Ferry for driver only, or for passengers too? One tank, or fuel reimbursed? Linen, or bring a sleeping bag?
3. Count the hours, not the days. Work out the drive time with no stops, then add breaks, ferry check-in and daylight.
4. Add optional days at booking if you can afford them. It is cheaper than being late.
5. Photograph the vehicle inside and out at pick-up and drop-off, including the fuel gauge and odometer.
6. Check where you can sleep. Freedom camping on council land usually needs a certified self-contained vehicle. Our freedom camping rules guide covers the rules, and many relocation campers are not certified.
7. Have a backup plan. If the listing goes, a normal one-way hire may still be cheaper than you think. Our campervan hire cost guide shows typical prices.