Frequently asked questions

Where are Star RV branches located in New Zealand?

Star RV's New Zealand motorhome branches can be found in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown. Just look for the Star!

What are the driver's licence requirements?

Star RV accepts drivers 21 to 75 years old who hold:

A Full driver licence in English

A Restricted NZ Licence or Australian Green P (P2) Licence. We do NOT accept Learners Licence or any probationary Licences, including a Red P Plate or a P1 Licence.

If you have a temporary licence, note we only accept NZ temporary licence and this needs to be accompanied with another form of photo ID.

If the licence is not in English then you will need an International Driver Permit or a NAATI approved Certified Translation of your Driver Licence issued in the country of hire. This must accompany the original home country driver licence.

It is mandatory by New Zealand law that you produce a driver licence in English when renting your Star RV vehicle, we have teamed up with the crew at Language Links to get this sorted for you.

Can I check in online?

Yes you can, we offer easy online check-in via your booking confirmation.

What is the minimum hire period?

The minimum hire period changes depending on many factors, including, time of year, type of vehicle and customer demand level.

As you're going through the booking process, you may get a notification saying the minimum hire hasn't been met. This means you'll need to extend your trip or change your vehicle type.

Do I have to pay a deposit to hire from Star RV?

When you hire your wheels from Star RV, you have two options.

Pay a 20% deposit at the time of booking and pay the rest on collection.

Pay in full at the time of booking - one less thing to do on pick up day!

How do I make changes to my booking?

To make changes to your booking, including extending your hire period you can do this within the My Booking portal found on our website. Please note that any changes are subject to availability and approval by Star RV. Rates may also be re-calculated and you agree to the current Terms and Conditions at the date of the amendment.

How do I add an additional driver?

You can add an additional driver to your motorhome rental in New Zealand. Additional drivers must be added to your booking and approved, before driving the vehicle.

Any additional drivers must be present at the branch upon collection of the vehicle or have approval from Star RV's team that the driver has been added. The Star RV team can add an additional driver once they’ve received a copy of the front and back of the driver's licence and passport.

There is a fee payable for each additional drivers per day. We keep this low for you as an additional driver because it makes for safer driving.

Are there additional charges if I pay by credit card?

Yes, a fee may apply. The % amount payable of the fee will be made known to you at the time of booking or amendment on our website.

Can I use a debit card to hire my Star RV?

Yes! Please ensure you have enough funds on your card to cover any related excess pre-authorisations and charges.

All applicable Excess Reduction & Security Bonds are pre-authorised on the debit card at the time of pickup. For further information, please refer to our Terms and Conditions available on our website.

**If your booking was confirmed prior to 1st May 2026: **

If you are using a debit card for hire, JUCY will hold a $300 security bond on Your debit card for infringements, tolls, and other additional hire costs (even if You have Stress free and Stress free plus cover).

What does my Star RV rental include?

• Cutlery and dinnerware
• Kitchen equipment and utensils
• Linen, pillows and duvet
• Bath towels and tea towel
• Roadside breakdown assistance
• Unlimited kilometres

Do road user charges (RUCs) apply to my booking?

• RUCs apply to all diesel vehicles on NZ roads
• For a summary of how they're calculated and charged, please see the Terms and Conditions on our website.

What extra hire items are available in New Zealand?

For your convenience, we have a number of extra items available to hire with your Star RV.

• Camping chair
• Camping table
• Snow chains (these are required for certain roads during winter)
• Prepaid gas bottle refill
• Fan heater
• Booster Seat
• Baby Seat
• Extra Driver
• Pet Fee

Please note, that all items are subject to availability. You can add them to your booking when booking online.

Where can I camp in NZ?

New Zealand is a beautiful land, and there are plenty of camping options that allow you to explore every corner.

Holiday Parks provide both powered and unpowered sites for campervans and are well-equipped with all the services you could need. These are often located at popular travel destinations throughout the North and South Islands.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) also offer well-run camping facilities in more remote areas which tend to be quieter and a bit more rustic than commercial holiday parks.

Some visitors love Freedom Camping. This is where you simply park up and stay on public land where there are often no facilities. While there are over 500 freedom camping locations across New Zealand campers must follow some basic rules and regulations.

Freedom camping in New Zealand

Freedom camping (camping in public places) is generally only possible for self-contained vehicles. If your vehicle has a blue self-contained sticker displayed and you decide to freedom camp, you must ensure you are close to public toilets and take extra care to clear your site of any rubbish and other waste, before leaving.

If you are caught freedom camping illegally, you could face an instant fine.

Where can I go in my vehicle?

When exploring in your New Zealand motorhome rental, please keep to the roads. Driving in off-road conditions, including fire trails, beaches, sand, tracks, fields or paddocks, is not permitted. If the damage is incurred or towing required while driving in these out of bounds areas the customer will be liable for all costs. The only exception to this is a reasonable use of access roads to recognised commercial campgrounds.

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions on our website for more information.

Can I drop off my vehicle after hours?

Motorhomes must be dropped off during our branch opening hours. Please contact our reservations team with any questions.

Can I pick up my vehicle after hours?

All vehicles must be collected during branch opening hours. If you have made a booking directly with us and you are unable to pick up during normal branch hours, please urgently call us so that we can review your booking and make potential adjustments. If you have booked through an agent, please contact your original booking agent to make any date adjustments to your Rental Agreement. The Third Party Agent is in charge of your rental contract until you collect your vehicle.

How do I pay for the toll road?

If you travel on a toll road and incur any tolls, Star RV will charge tolls and service fees to your nominated credit or debit card. You will also be charged a service fee of $3.45 for each toll notice your vehicle incurs.

Am I allowed pets in my vehicle?

Yes! We allow pet dogs in certain vehicles. You can pay an additional pet fee, per trip to bring your pet dog with you for your Star RV experience.

Service animals, such as guide dogs, are allowed in all of our vehicles. Please let us know if you will be accompanied by a service animal when making your booking. Please read our Terms and Conditions.

Is there a public holiday surcharge?

Yes, if you are picking up/dropping off your Star RV in New Zealand on a declared public holiday declared a surcharge will be applicable. The surcharge will be made known to you when making your booking.

Where can I find the Star RV terms and conditions?

If you're hiring a Star RV you can see our terms and conditions here!

What excess reduction cover options are available?

Our Excess Reduction options reduce the amount you may be liable to pay in the event of accidental damage to the vehicle, subject to the Terms & Conditions of your booking.

Like any cover, exclusions apply. To understand what is not covered, please refer to the Terms & Conditions for the brand under which your booking is made, available on the relevant website.

If you select Risk Taker or Essentials, we will pre-authorise (hold) the applicable Security Bond on the day of pick-up. The amount held depends on the vehicle category and booking terms.

This pre-authorisation is automatically released from our end between 48 hours and 7 days from the pre-authorisation date. However, depending on your bank or card provider, it may take 7–30 days for the funds to appear back in your account.

If you selected Stress Free, Stress Free Plus or Comprehensive, no Security Bond is required at pick-up.

You can select your Excess Reduction option when booking online, by contacting us, or at the branch when collecting your vehicle. Excess Reduction cannot be added after you have collected the vehicle and departed the branch

**Bookings made prior to 1 May 2026: ** If paying by debit card, a $300 Security Bond may be pre-authorised at pick-up to cover any infringements or additional charges, in line with the booking terms applicable at the time of booking.

When will you release or refund my security bond?

Did we take (pre-authorize) a security bond for your hire? If you haven't broken any Star RV Terms and Conditions, please know that the bond we have held will automatically be released either 7 days after you've picked up or 48 hours after you've dropped off– whichever is the earliest.

You could notice it takes between 7 - 30 business days to show back up, which is all depending on your bank/card provider. Please note that once it's back safely in your bank it won't appear as a refund on your statement because it was only held as an authorisation. We appreciate your patience!

Do you allow one-way hires?

Star RV allows customers the flexibility to pick up and drop off New Zealand motorhome hires between the Auckland and Christchurch branches. The applicable one-way fee for your chosen vehicle and direction will get added as you put together a quote on our website. Please note, all one-way hires must be approved by Star and are offered subject to availability.

What are Star RV's cancellation fees?

Please refer to the Terms and Conditions on our website for our current cancellation policy.

If your booking was made via a travel agent, please contact them directly to discuss your options

Please note: The cancellation policy may be different based on your confirmed booking date.

If you have added our Flexible Booking Fee to your booking, you may be eligible for flexible cancellation policy.

Why has Star RV charged me an administration fee for an infringement?

Unfortunately, if you incur an infringement while you are in your Star RV vehicle and these are not paid within the timeframe designated by authority, the notice is sent to Star.

We have to pass the notice onto a third-party, to have the name and address changed on the notice from Star's to yours. We charge the hirer an administration fee for each infringement incurred for costs associated with the process, in addition to the infringement that needs to be paid directly to the relevant authority.

Should you wish to dispute the infringement fine, you must contact the authority directly that have issued the fine.

What is the unpaid infringement process?

If you think you've incurred an infringement while you were out in your Star motorhome, it's good to know our processed and any additional costs associated with the fine.

Then Star receives an unpaid infringement notice from the relevant authority, it must be changed from our name into yours as you were the person who had the vehicle on hire from us at the time the fine occurred. This name transfer involves a third party who charge us a fee to make the change. We pass this administration charge, onto you in addition to the fine amount. Following the name change, the infringement authority will then send out the unpaid infringement notice to the name and address held against the booking. This must be paid by the customer responsible.

Unfortunately, the infringement authority can take up to four months to process infringements. Once the infringement authority has processed the infringements, they are then sent to Star.

Should you wish to dispute the infringement fine, you must contact the authority that has issued the fine.

If you have already paid your infringement and have still been charged the administration fee. Please note that you must have paid the infringement before Star RV received the notice.

Which vehicles connect to 240v campsite power?

Star motorhomes have the option of a 240v mains campground hook up as well as a domestic dual 12v battery.

We cannot guarantee just how long the domestic battery will last - all you need is another Star adventure on the road, to charge it up again.