Elements RV

Elements RV Australia — The No-Nonsense Campervan for Road Warriors

There's a certain kind of traveller Elements RV was made for: someone who wants to throw a bag in the back of a campervan, point it at the horizon, and drive until something interesting appears. Not a glamper. Not a family of five needing a kitchen sink and a bunk room. Just two people, a reliable set of wheels, and as much open road as Australia can offer. Elements RV has been serving that market since 2012, and they've kept it deliberately simple — one vehicle, three pickup cities, and a booking process that doesn't take all afternoon.

The fleet is built around the Toyota Estima Tandem, a Japanese minivan platform that Elements has converted into a compact, fully self-contained 2-berth campervan. It's a clever choice for the Australian market. The Estima is narrow enough to handle tight coastal roads, economical enough that the 60L tank doesn't empty your wallet every 400 kilometres, and reliable enough that the "24/7 roadside assistance" promised on their website feels more like a safety net than a lifeline. The conversion itself is thoughtful: a separated kitchen alcove at the rear boot means you can cook breakfast without climbing over your travel partner, while the double-bed conversion makes genuinely good use of the interior space.

What Elements gets right — and what a lot of the big-box campervan companies get wrong — is the included package. There's no upselling a linen kit or charging you extra for a second driver. Unlimited kilometres, all linen, a full cooking kit, gas cylinder, awning, two camping chairs, and free maps come standard. Compare that to Britz Australia or Apollo Australia where extras can stack up quickly. The only thing missing is an onboard toilet or shower, which means you're relying on campsite facilities. That's standard for this class of campervan and keeps the vehicle light and maneuverable, but it's worth knowing before you book if you're planning to free-camp in remote areas for extended stretches.

Elements operates from three strategically placed depots: Sydney (Merrylands), Brisbane Airport (Northgate), and Cairns Airport (Portsmith). The airport-adjacent locations in Brisbane and Cairns make one-way trips particularly sensible — fly into Cairns, drive the Queensland coast south to Brisbane, drop the camper, fly home. Or do it in reverse. If you want a similar compact campervan on the east coast with more depot options, Camperman Australia covers five cities from Cairns to Melbourne. The lack of a Melbourne or Perth depot limits the southern and western loops, so if you're planning a full lap of the country, you'll need a different operator for those legs.

One honest note: the fleet runs 2005-or-newer vehicles rather than brand-new campervans. Elements are transparent about this and maintain the fleet to a high standard, but travellers expecting showroom-fresh vehicles should calibrate expectations accordingly. What you get is a well-maintained workhorse that's been on more Australian road trips than most people will ever take — and that's not nothing.

For a couple planning an East Coast campervan trip, Elements RV is genuinely hard to beat on value. The price guarantee, unlimited kilometres, and no-nickel-and-diming approach to inclusions make it easy to budget a trip. Combine that with airport-adjacent depots in two of the three cities, and the logistics practically sort themselves. For budget travellers who want something even more stripped-back, Hippie Campers or Spaceships Australia are worth comparing. But for travellers who want to go further without going broke, Elements RV has been delivering exactly that for over a decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What vehicle does Elements RV hire?

A single model: the Toyota Estima Tandem, converted into a compact, fully self-contained 2-berth campervan. Single-model focus is a design choice — Elements has optimised one vehicle for the east coast touring market rather than offering a confusing range. It's compact, automatic, fuel-efficient, and reliable.

Does Elements RV include unlimited kilometres?

Yes — unlimited kilometres on all hires. This is a meaningful inclusion given the distances involved in east coast Australian road trips. No per-km calculations, no odometer anxiety.

Where are Elements RV depots?

Three locations: Sydney (Merrylands), Brisbane Airport (Northgate), and Cairns Airport (Portsmith). The airport-adjacent Brisbane and Cairns locations make one-way fly-in, drive-south itineraries particularly practical. No Melbourne, Perth, or Darwin — for those cities, Camperman Australia or Apollo have wider coverage.

What's included with an Elements RV hire?

Unlimited kilometres, all linen, full cooking kit, gas cylinder, awning, two camping chairs, and free maps — standard, at no extra cost. No separate linen hire, no equipment fee add-ons. No extra driver fee. The inclusions model removes the sticker-shock extras that accumulate at some larger operators.

Does Elements RV have an onboard shower or toilet?

No — the Toyota Estima Tandem is a compact campervan without onboard bathroom. You'll rely on campsite facilities for showers and toilets. This is standard for this vehicle class and keeps the campervan light and easy to manoeuvre. For self-contained options, Apollo and Britz have full motorhome ranges.

How does Elements RV compare to Spaceships?

Both use the Toyota Estima platform for a car-like compact campervan experience. Spaceships has seven depots (vs. Elements' three) and more model tiers. Elements has the simpler choice — one model, three cities, everything included. For Sydney-Brisbane-Cairns itineraries specifically, both are worth comparing on price and availability.

Who Should Book Elements RV

Book Elements RV if:

• You want a simple, honest compact campervan with no model decision anxiety — one vehicle, well optimised
• All-inclusive pricing (linen, kitchen kit, gas, chairs, maps, unlimited km, no extra driver fee) removes the add-on stress
• Your itinerary is Sydney-Brisbane-Cairns or any subset — the three depot locations serve this corridor well
• Flying into Cairns or Brisbane and driving south — the airport-adjacent depots make this straightforward

Think twice if:

• You need Melbourne, Perth, or Darwin — Elements covers Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns only; Camperman adds Melbourne and Airlie Beach
• You need more than 2 berths — the Estima Tandem sleeps 2 only
• You need a shower or toilet onboard — no bathroom in this model

Final Verdict

Elements RV is a well-executed specialist: one vehicle, three strategically placed airports, everything genuinely included at one daily rate. Since 2012 they've served the couple-and-solo-traveller market on the Sydney-Brisbane-Cairns corridor with a product that doesn't oversell or overcomplicate itself.

For wider coverage, Spaceships on the same Toyota Estima platform offers seven depots and more model choice. For self-contained facilities, step up to Apollo or Camperman's Maxie 4 Deluxe. But for the traveller who wants a compact, reliable, properly equipped campervan on the east coast with zero add-on fees — Elements RV is a clean, honest choice.

Three depots means limited availability; book early for summer and school holiday periods.