Star RV Motorhome Hire Reviews 

Overall, our road trip went very smoothly, and we were quite satisfied with the vehicle quality and service! I would just like to share a few minor equipment issues we experienced: the awning failed to deploy correctly, the waste water hose had poor drainage, and the water tank gauge was somewhat inaccurate.

These were minor inconveniences, but for future guests, I'd recommend having staff walk them through testing the awning, drainage, and water tank display on-site before heading out.

So easy to book! Staff friendly and willing to help!
Fast and easy check in system!
Van clean and everything we needed

The core of our experience was the vehicle itself, A Fiat based Polaris-2 fitted into normal parking bays, handled like a sports car and was in off grid setup. This gave us proper independance while exploring the Daintree out of the Cairns depot. 1st class experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ **1 star**

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel obligated to warn others about our experience with JUCY/Star RV.

We traveled all the way from the United States for what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime around New Zealand. Instead, it became one of the most stressful vacations I've ever had.

Our RV leaked the **very first night**, soaking us while we slept. We immediately contacted customer service, only to be told that nothing could be done until **two days later**. We were then instructed to drive **four hours back to the Queenstown branch**, losing an entire day of our holiday. We were never reimbursed for the additional fuel or the time spent driving back and forth.

After spending hours on the phone with customer service, we were assured the Queenstown branch would be expecting us and that a replacement vehicle would be ready. When we arrived, the staff had no idea we were coming. We then waited **for hours** while they figured out what to do. We were even told to empty and clean our original RV ourselves before receiving another vehicle.

Unfortunately, this didn't happen once. It didn't happen twice. **It happened three separate times. Even after three visits to the Queenstown branch, the RVs continued to flood every single time it rained.** The main issue was never resolved.

To make matters worse, the replacement RV's **hot water didn't work**. Instead of fixing the problem, JUCY sent us videos instructing **us** to troubleshoot the issue ourselves by replacing a blown fuse. We were on holiday, not trained mechanics. Because we couldn't rely on the hot water in the RV, we had to change our itinerary and pay for holiday parks with shower facilities, resulting in additional unexpected expenses that should never have been our responsibility.

Every visit to the branch meant more hours lost, more driving, more money spent, and more disruption to our itinerary.

Because of these repeated failures, we missed countless places and activities we had carefully planned months in advance. We even had to return the RV to the Christchurch branch a day early because the issues were never resolved.

The most disappointing part was the customer service. We were repeatedly told one thing only for something completely different to happen when we arrived. Communication between customer service and the branch was virtually nonexistent, and throughout the process we felt dismissed rather than helped. We were constantly given false expectations, only to arrive and find that no one knew about our case or had a solution.

No one expects a vacation to be perfect, but when problems arise, you expect the company to make them right. Instead, we spent days dealing with flooding inside the RV, no hot water, repeated trips back to Queenstown, long waits, broken promises, and constant stress. There were many moments during this trip where I was brought to tears because of how exhausting and frustrating the situation had become.

I genuinely cannot recommend JUCY/Star RV. There are many campervan companies in New Zealand, and I strongly encourage you to book with any of them instead. I traveled halfway around the world for this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and this company turned what should have been an unforgettable adventure into a nightmare. I sincerely hope no one else has their dream holiday disrupted the way ours was.

We had an amazing trip, and every single experience made it memorable. The motorhome was beautiful, comfortable, and fully equipped with everything we needed, making our journey enjoyable from start to finish.

I do have a couple of suggestions that could make the experience even better. Firstly, the grey water drain hose was too short. We stayed at six different campgrounds, and it only reached the drain at one of them, so a longer hose would be very helpful. Secondly, the pick-up process took quite a while. Having more staff available during vehicle collection would help reduce waiting times and make the experience much smoother.

Overall, we had a fantastic experience and would happily recommend Starrv to others.

This is the perfect Company if you want to ruin your vacation. I rented a motorhome for 64 days, 6 of which we were stuck waiting for support for one problem and another 6 days for another. Both times we were in cities like Darwin or Broome, not in the bush. What amazed me was that the support organization they promise you before signing the contract doesn't exist at all. They improvise on the spot, and waiting for days for someone to arrive to fix the problem creates a stress that ruins the whole holiday. The motorhome wasn't even very old, but you immediately notice the lack of maintenance and attention when you pick it up. The back table was broken so they removed it, the gas cylinders had a connection that wasn't suitable for that type of system—we had to beg Bunnings to replace them, the oil level in the engine was at the minimum, like AdBlue—in short, a not-so-pleasant start. And then the problems, the stress of waiting for help that never arrives, so many phone calls and so many broken promises.

Rented an RV that broke down after 30 minutes. Had to wait 2 hours for a replacement they seemingly dug up from their vehicle graveyard! Torn seats, grubby interior and worst of all - a park brake fault showing on the dashboard. Was told by staff to just continue (as it was friday and they were all eager to go on weekend). Driving with an error is against their rental agreement!
After numerous phone calls and emails they later had us spent 2 hours in an auto shop to have the fault checked when we insisted on them being liable for any damages regarding the parking brake.
We are only 4 days into our 3 week trip with the van and the experience so far has been absolutely terrible!
Please please please rent an RV elsewhere if you can!

I rarely leave negative reviews, but our experience with Star RV has been extremely disappointing.

Unfortunately, I didn’t check Star RV on Trustpilot before booking because the motorhome was included as part of a package holiday through another travel company. I really regret that decision. Reading the reviews now, I can see that many other customers describe experiences very similar to ours.

We arrived at the Perth branch at 9:00 am to collect our motorhome. Shortly after leaving, the engine warning light came on. Roadside assistance diagnosed a transmission fault and advised that the vehicle should not be driven.

As a result, we spent the entire day dealing with phone calls, returning to the depot, waiting for staff, unpacking and repacking all of our belongings, and being transferred into another vehicle.

Although we arrived at the depot at 9:00 am, we did not finally leave Perth until 4:30 pm. This meant we had no choice but to drive after dark to reach our first booked campsite. We didn’t arrive until 11:00 pm, with our two children in the motorhome. This was a terrible way to begin what should have been a relaxing family holiday.

Unfortunately, the replacement vehicle turned out to be another disappointment. It was a significant downgrade from the Polaris 6 we had booked. It was older, in much poorer condition, with broken fittings, torn upholstery, missing items and even a leaking toilet.

Most concerning was that the replacement vehicle displayed a permanent “Park Brake Error” warning from the moment we collected it. Star RV’s own rental documentation instructs customers not to drive a vehicle displaying warning lights, yet the Perth branch told us to ignore the warning and continue driving.

When we later contacted Star RV again, they did not send a mechanic to inspect the vehicle. Instead, they arranged for a mechanic to phone us while we were in Monkey Mia. Over the phone, we were asked to carry out a series of diagnostic tests ourselves to help identify the fault. After those tests, Star RV staff asked us to confirm whether we believed the vehicle was safe to continue driving.

We are customers on holiday, not qualified mechanics. We are in no position to assess whether a vehicle with an active warning light is safe to drive, nor could we possibly accept responsibility for making that decision ourselves. At that point, nobody had physically inspected the vehicle.

After we refused to continue travelling in a vehicle with a known fault, Star RV told us they would arrange a replacement vehicle and a relocation driver. We were relieved that the issue finally seemed to be taken seriously.

However, we were then informed that they could not find a driver to deliver the replacement vehicle. They also said they were no longer certain that they even had a replacement vehicle available. Instead, they now intend to send a mechanic—but because it is Sunday, that inspection cannot take place until Monday. Meanwhile, we remain stranded with a vehicle displaying an unresolved fault.

What disappoints us most is not that a vehicle broke down—mechanical failures can happen. It is the way Star RV has handled the situation. We have repeatedly been asked to troubleshoot the vehicle ourselves, make decisions that should only be made by qualified technicians, and spend valuable holiday time waiting for solutions that keep changing.

Based on our experience, I cannot recommend Star RV. Reading the many similar reviews on Trustpilot, it appears that our experience is unfortunately not an isolated incident

We were unfortunately very disappointed with our recent campervan hire. The vehicle wasn’t ready at our scheduled pick-up time, which meant we lost a significant portion of the first day of our holiday. When we finally collected it, it had clearly not been properly prepared. We found dirty dishes, mould, hair, dead bugs and even discovered the toilet hadn’t been emptied from the previous hire.

We had specifically chosen this campervan because it advertised features including powered cabin heating and a microwave, however these were not working during our trip. We also encountered other maintenance issues, including a loose 240V power socket and incorrect vehicle documentation, making troubleshooting difficult.

While we appreciate that the company waived our Road User Charges and responded to our complaint, we were disappointed that no compensation was offered for the delayed collection, the loss of holiday time, or the numerous issues we experienced. Overall, the campervan did not meet the standard we expected, and unfortunately we can’t recommend hiring from Star RV based on our experience.

We understand that mechanical issues can happen, but cleanliness, preparation and delivering the vehicle on time are all things that should have been within the company’s control. We hope our experience is used to improve the standard of service for future customers.

The motorhome performed very well with just a couple of minor issues. Neither of which caused any problems to our wonderful holiday. It was easy to drive and contained all we needed to be self-sufficient. The booking service was exceptional, especially since we needed to add an extra day to our booking. They went out of their way to make things happen.

The staff at pick up and drop off are great,always had a smile.

Brilliant fun, really helpful staff, loads of smiles!

Smooth communication with employees and car condition was good

We rented a Polaris 6 from the Auckland office for two weeks on the north island. The vehicle was not ready for us and after returning it to the depot two weeks later, we learned that this particular vehicle had been in for repairs, while the one we were supposed to have had was moved to Christchurch.

Upon pick up, there was water leaking across the floor and we were told to fill the vehicle with AdBlue. These were the first of our problems, and in hindsight, the least of our problems.

The electrical system failed the first night of freedom camping. Having rented RVs many times before, we knew this was not right.

We contacted Star RV repeatedly, but no resolution was found. We did provide Star RV with the opportunity to repair the system part way through our travels, but their repairs did nothing.

The electrical system continued to fail for the entire trip although we used lights sparingly (one at a time), did not use the over range ventilation system, did not use the water heater, did not use toilet or shower, etc, etc. This also meant that the fridge did not work for our entire rental. Even when we did pay to stay in a campground with electricity, the fridge did not work. We had to buy ice for the entire two weeks.

After months of effort and detailed descriptions of our experiences, Star RV refused to refund us an appropriate amount for the time lost on our vacation and the stress caused by a non-functioning electrical system. They offered us a $266 refund for a two week rental that consisted of non-stop electrical problems.

Do not rent from this company. They may offer a budget option, compared to others, but honestly, it is not worth the risk.

This company has no interest in customer service or getting repeat business. They are entirely lacking in integrity and do not care about the experiences of their customers.

Providing extensive proof of the non-functional electrical system in the Polaris 6 —a vehicle built around mobile utility—should have prompted immediate remediation by Star RV, not bureaucratic "policy based" refusal.

It is quite an achievement to sell the promise of a "high-value" product that truly lacked foundational utility, while simultaneously expecting the customer to bear the financial and emotional burden of quality control failures.

Really looked after us the motor home came clean and tidy was perfect for my family .
Planning our next year holiday and doing this all over again .

The awning was missing from our motorhome, it leaked rain all over our beds, the christchurch staff were rude. The TV was smashed. The drawers were dirty. The company was unwilling to deal with our complaints.

The polaris 2 was the perfect choice for the 2 of us! Almost new Very low klm's. Everything you need is included. The diesel heater was fantastic.

Great service and easy to rent easy to drive and can enjoy beautiful roads of New Zealand

I would not recommend Star RV / JUCY based on my recent experience.

I hired a Polaris 2-berth campervan from Brisbane to Perth and purchased the highest level of comprehensive insurance with $0 excess, expecting proper support if anything went wrong.

On the second day of my trip, a road train travelling in the opposite direction threw a stone that cracked the windscreen. I immediately contacted Star RV/JUCY Roadside Assistance. They told me to wait while they arranged a repair. Because of this, I stayed in NSW and wasted valuable travel time waiting for help.

The next day, after waiting and repeatedly following up, I was simply told to put duct tape over the crack and continue driving while monitoring it. I ended up driving for several more days with a cracked windscreen, unable to drive confidently and having to skip some places I had planned to visit.

After travelling around 2,500 km with the damaged windscreen through NSW and South Australia, I finally entered Western Australia. Only then did their team call and tell me to drive to Esperance, drop off the vehicle, and arrange my own transport and accommodation at my own expense. Esperance was on my travel itinerary, but abandoning the vehicle there and being left to organise everything myself was not an acceptable solution.

When I explained this, a supervisor called me and was quite rude. She repeatedly asked whether I wanted to speak to another supervisor and pressured me to leave the vehicle somewhere safe so they could tow it to Esperance. I was then told that if the crack extended further, I could be liable for the damage, despite having reported it immediately and despite paying for comprehensive insurance with zero excess.

To make matters worse, I was later charged an additional $127 claim administration fee. This fee was never clearly explained when I booked the vehicle or purchased the insurance. When I questioned it, I was simply told that I had remove the administration fee on booking time, something that had never been mentioned beforehand.

The most disappointing part was that the advertised 24/7 roadside assistance provided virtually no practical assistance. I spent days chasing updates, lost valuable holiday time, changed my travel plans, and was left feeling unsupported throughout the entire process.

Overall, this experience spoiled a major road trip across Australia. For a company that promotes comprehensive insurance and 24/7 roadside assistance, I expected far better customer service, communication, and support.