Pacific Horizon Review

Editors Review

Last Updated: 10/6/19

With nearly 25 years in the campervan hire business, Pacific Horizon is a company that has earned the trust of countless travelers. They’d like to do the same for you by renting one of their quality vehicles sheltered and maintained at their depots in Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington.

About Pacific Horizon

Let’s start with a few of the things they DON’T do: no credit card fees, no charges for extra drivers, no hidden fees, no charge for road diesel tax, and no one-way fees. That’s only the beginning. Since Pacific Horizon has been providing campervans for hire in New Zealand for two and a half decades they understand the important role they play in providing you and your family with an incredible travel experience. They take their role seriously. That’s why at Pacific Horizon you’ll get free transportation to and from airports, free linen and towels, and a free bottle of LPG gas. 

When it comes to customer service Pacific Horizon is one of the best campervan for hire companies in New Zealand. But when you shop around you’ll notice that Pacific Horizon is not among the cheapest campervan for hire companies in New Zealand. Are their prices outrageous? Not at all. Plus, with Pacific Horizon you’ll get an excellent vehicle and incredible customer service. Is that peace of mind and awesome experience worth a few extra dollars to you?

Fleet

But what about the actual motorhomes Pacific Horizon has for hire? What are they like? Pacific Horizon operates a fleet of high-quality of no more than 2 years old vehicles with enough variety to meet just about any travel needs. Hitting the road with that special someone? Travel in comfort and style in the custom-built 2+1 berth motorhome. Planning to take the whole family on the adventure of a lifetime? Pacific Horizon’s spacious 4 to 6 Berth units are perfect choices. These beautiful vehicles provide enough room to ensure that the whole family has adequate space to enjoy their trip without getting on each other’s nerves. 

All Pacific Horizon motorhomes are self-contained for freedom camping and come furnished with all needed holiday equipment, including linen kit, shower & tea towels, crockery, utensils, cooking items, and more. And talking about a unique and memorable camping experience, there are also camping rules to follow. To help you, check out this remarkable NZ free camping tool that offers you everything you need to know about each NZ area.

Vehicles

2+1 Motorhome

Built on a powerful, automatic Mercedes Benz 2.2 ltr turbo, this compact and stylish motorhome tops the selection because of its functionality and practicality. It is perfect for couples travelling with or without a kid. Featuring an integrated living space that incorporates a larger living room with swivel passenger seats and unique mid-vehicle double bed location, the unit easily saves more space inside. And if you are with a child, you can easily put out a hammock-style sleeping area above the double bed. For genuine comfort while on the road, there's a kitchen with sink, gas cooker, gas heater, and 2-way fridge. The fitted internal toilet/shower gives you utmost convenience while the large sliding door opens you to the magnificence of outdoor beauty. This one comes in a premium model, with a newer unit, either 2018 or 2019.

GEM motorhome

The automatic GEM Motorhome is a sleeker substitute for the 2 berth motorhome. Sleeping also up to 2 adults, the 2016-2017 unit is known for its luxury layout and sophisticated amenities that can make your road trip more relaxing. To start, the beds are very accessible as these are located at the front and rear area. The versatility of this motorhome makes it unique, leaving you with options either to use the rear as your living area or leave it as your bedroom. There's an internal walk-through that allows you to access the living room from the driver seat without having to step outside. Also, GEM Motorhome offers a premium unit that now caters to 2 adults plus 2 children with its double bed over double bed layout. This one is also a much newer model, either 2018 or 2019.

4 -berth Motorhome

This 4 berth motorhome is shaped upon a Mitsubishi Fuso 3.9 ltr turbo with automatic transmission. The vehicle is good for groups up to four people as it provides 4 seat belts in the rear of the motorhome as well as two large double beds. If you are with your kids, don't worry because the unit has 2x child seat tether points for their safety. Certain upgrades such as the 3-way 90 ltr fridge/ freezer, 4 burner gas cooker/ grill, thermostatically controlled diesel heater/cooler, and fly screens also provide more convenience to everyone on-board. If you want a newer unit, there is also 4 berth premium model (2018 age).

SAM Motorhome

If you're after added sleeping space and bigger interior layout, then SAM is the one for you―either their Premium (2018) or Standard (2016 or 2017) model. This 6 berth motorhome takes pride in its innovative design that features two living areas with up to 6 forward seating at the front area. The multiple bedrooms located at the rear and front easily cater all passengers, while the large outside storage locker provides more than enough area for your stuff and equipment. Just like the GEM, this comes with a walk-through cabin that allows you to conveniently access the living quarters. Everything is also provided, from kitchen facilities to shower & toilet. 

Insurance

Pacific Horizon is one of the few campervan rental companies in New Zealand that don’t deduct any money from your credit card for the excess/bond. Instead, they would require you a credit card imprint at the time of vehicle pick-up for the insurance excess that amounts to NZD$5, 000 (per incident). Unlike most companies that do not cover windscreen, tyre, overhead and under-body damage, all these are already covered by the policy. Further, you have three insurance excess reduction options: 

Reduction 1 at NZ$29 per day for a maximum excess of NZ$2, 000 (per incident), with maximum total insurance charge of  50 days or NZ$1, 450

Reduction 2 at NZ$39 per day to waive the excess for the first incident only, with maximum total insurance charge of  50 days or NZ$1, 950

All-Inclusive Package at NZ$ 55 per day for a NIL excess for the first incident only, plus usage of the following equipment at no charge: picnic tables and chairs, snow chains, GPS unit, and child or booster seats.

Reputation

A good reputation means finding a rental company that gives you a quality vehicle and customer service. It's true that there are many rental companies in NZ, but what does Pacific Horizon do to stand out from the crowd? Aside from their very extensive rental experience that radiates from multiple, positive feedback, the company assures you of a more personalized trip with lots of perks. They provide convenience at its finest by offering free one-way rentals and airport service to and from their depots. And if you're looking for certain drawbacks, well there aren’t many, really. Their rates aren't the cheapest and their insurance options may be pricier, but all of these are recompensed by their reliable service that has been running for more than two decades now. 

Summary

Consider booking a campervan with Pacific Horizon today. You won’t be disappointed with their fleet of new and quality vehicles.