Escape Campervan's Santa Cruz vs JUCY USA Wayfarer: Compared Head To Head

If you’ve decided that the best way to see the USA is by campervan, you’re definitely on to something. Not only can you travel at your own pace, but you get to explore off the beaten path destinations that the tourist buses won’t take you to. But how do you choose the best campervan for your needs? To make life easier, we are going to compare two options for you to help you make your decision.

Escape Campervan's Santa Cruz vs JUCY USA Wayfarer

Today we are having a look at two vehicles from Escape Campervans and JUCY USA. Both of these companies started in New Zealand quite a number of years ago and have since branched out into the US market. If you check out our Escape Campervans vs JUCY company comparison article that was posted recently, you can understand a bit more about the background of these brands and also about their fleet size. In this article we are going to be comparing the two closest ‘apples for apples’ vehicles that these companies have, which are the Escape Santa Cruz and the JUCY Wayfarer. Both of these vehicles are suitable for two people, with sleeping inside. Both come with basic kitchen facilities and are suitable for people wanting to make use of holiday parks for bathroom needs or for roughing it a bit more. In terms of vehicle age, the Santa Cruz is a 2016 model Ford Transit Connect or similar. JUCY’s vehicles are either a Chrysler Town and Country or a Dodge Caravan and are models from 2012-2014. So, it seems that Escape already has the upper hand with the new vehicles, and also the fuel consumption is much better too. You can only get 100km out of 13 litres of petrol with the JUCY Wayfarer, whereas you get 100km out of 9 litres with the Escape Santa Cruz

Rental Costs

The price that you’ll pay for campervan hire will vary throughout the year and changes due to seasonal promotions and discounts. If you are flexible with your traveling plans, booking during low season will always give you better deals, so make sure to check exactly when this is. For the purposes of this article and to get an idea of costs, we did a booking enquiry for the 7^th October 2019 to the 21^st October 2019 (2 weeks) picking up from Los Angeles.

What’s included in the price?

Optional Extras

Please note: Prices are one time unless otherwise specified Both Escape Campervans and JUCY USA offer additional extras to make your road trip more enjoyable, and so you don’t have to stop and buy things along the way. For example, Escape has a kitchen kit ($40), electrical kit ($20,) rooftop sleeper so you can accommodate two more people ($30 per day), 2 person tent ($30), BugSoc ($40), and other bits and pieces like sunshades, ice scrapers, snow chains, USB charger, Aux cable and propane. JUCY has a more expensive cooking kit ($115), but there are a bunch of other things to help keep you entertained. Some of these include a charcoal grill ($24), DVD player ($20), smore sticks ($5), electric blanket ($20), frisbee ($6), a winter pack ($30), plus lanterns, playing cards, racquetball set and coolers. Escape Campervans might be a better deal if you are traveling with kids due to child and booster seat prices.

Escape Santa Cruz vs JUCY Wayfarer Costs Winner: JUCY

Escape Santa Cruz vs JUCY Wayfarer Design

Both the Escape Santa Cruz and the JUCY Wayfarer Campervans are excellent choices for either a couple or two friends that can let go of life’s luxuries while on your great USA road trip. These vehicles are designed purely for sleeping in, but with the basic kitchen facilities you are able to prepare meals while taking a break from driving during the day or at a holiday park. Because there is no shower/toilet, you will have to stop in at a campsite/holiday park every now and then, or make use of public bathrooms where you can. Now, the main difference between these two campervans is the bed and seating set up. In the Santa Cruz, there are two seats in the front for the driver and the passenger, but the double bed stays in bed mode throughout your journey. This means that you can’t bring someone else with you, as there is no space for them to ride with a seatbelt. 

JUCY on the other hand, actually incorporates a table and bench seat in the back that folds down to the double bed when you need it. Because of this, there are 5 seatbelts, so if you were to travel with another couple or friends and have them sleep in a tent, it can be done. Both campervans have a trunk that opens vertically, and you can access the kitchen facilities here. 

Both include a water tank and fridge, but JUCY kindly provides two stove burners compared to Escape’s solo burner. Unfortunately, both companies require you to buy a kitchen pack with all your utensils and cookware, something that is not usually done down under. For privacy, Escape gives you curtains, and JUCY gives you blinds, and you have a small amount of storage space in each – so make sure to pack light! You’ll no doubt want some music while you’re on the road, so it’s good to know that Escape has AUX and USB outlets so you can connect your phone, while JUCY just has a CD player and radio. Even though there is not much difference in terms of design with these two vehicles, we do like the JUCY difference of being able to have a table inside to eat or play cards etc, rather than only being able to lie down on the bed.

Escape Santa Cruz vs JUCY Wayfarer Design Winner: JUCY

Company Reputation

While a campervan may look good on paper, it’s definitely recommended to see what other people have had to say about their experiences. Were the vehicles really up to scratch? How was the customer service? In our Escape vs JUCY article, we examined customer reviews on each company. It’s worth having a read to find out more, but to give you a sum up, we found that both companies were rated at least 4/5 or more on several sites. However, Escape did have the upper edge overall and can boast a rating of 4.8/5 on Google which is pretty impressive. This doesn’t mean that JUCY should be completely disregarded though, as they do have a lot of positive reviews as well.

Escape Campervans vs JUCY USA Reputation Winner: Escape

Insurance Matters

Campervan Insurance is another thing that we discuss in our article comparing Escape vs JUCY USA, and this is one area that you definitely want to be clear on before you hit the book button. Usually in NZ or Australia, policies are rather similar, but in the US, you’ll want to make sure that you understand the options before committing. If you’re domiciled in US or Canada, you may even have some coverage on your own car insurance that will cover you for campervan hire, but always check first. When comparing the two companies, it was too hard to call a winner between the two. With JUCY campervans, you will have a bond taken from your card, but you can reduce the excess down to either $500 or $0 depending on what you are willing to pay per day. Escape Campervans on the other hand, will only take a card imprint, but if you don’t take out insurance then you are liable for the whole cost of the vehicle. This is all good and well if you don’t hit any problems on the road (literally), but if you do and you don’t have insurance then you could be a little bit (or a lot) screwed. Confused? Read our Escape vs JUCY comparison article to get some more info about what the deal is here.

Escape Campervans vs JUCY USA Insurance Winner: Too hard to call

Anything else worth knowing?

If you’re still not convinced about which option is best for you, you can see what other offerings each rental company has that may sway your decision in our Escape Campervans vs JUCY USA article. No time to read that? No problem. To give you a brief rundown, Escape Campervans can often sell out, so you’ll need to get in quick if you want to secure booking. You can drive through Canada at no extra cost and there is no extra charge for one-way trips. JUCY USA allows you to take your pet with you on your road trip, but you will need to get prior approval for this. The company is happy to arrange an after hours pick up, and you’ll also get a bunch of discounts of up to 20% for activities, tours and RV parks. In the EscapeCampervans vs JUCY USA article we decided…

Escape Santa Cruz vs JUCY Wayfarer Extras Winner: JUCY

Overall Winner – JUCY USA

This was a pretty close race, which is often the case with vehicles that are really similar. Even though Escape won our company comparison battle, we’ve had to give this one to JUCY. We like how the vehicle design gives you more flexibility and that there are lots of cool extras you can buy. Also, JUCY’s insurance policy offers more flexibility too, and we like how you can get lots of great discounts to help you save money while you travel the great US of A. This is not to say that the Escape Santa Cruz won’t give you a good time though. This is a company that has really good reviews and great customer service, and the newer vehicle models plus better fuel consumption is certainly something to smile about.

Compare prices of Escape Campervans and Jucy USA using our price comparison engine.