Native Campervans Review: A Family’s Experience!
If you’re looking to book a campervan experience with Native Campervans, but are wanting some real life experience with the company – you’ve come to the right place! We have taken two trips with Native Campervans with our two toddlers (to two different locations) so we have become familiar with the company. Here is our honest review of Native Campervans for families.
Disclosure : Some of my blog posts do contain affiliate links which means I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you decide to make a purchase. Thanks for supporting me and helping me to continue to make free content on this platform!
Another disclaimer: We did rent this campervan free of charge, but are not being paid by the company to write this review. These opinions are all honest and our own after taking two trips with Native Campervans!
The Short Version: Native Campervans Review
We love Native Campervans. On both trips we had fabulous experiences and would highly recommend booking a trip with them! I’ll talk more about the specifics below and some of the challenges we faced, but overall I would highly recommend Native Campervans.
What Types of Vans does Native Campervans Rent?
The only van we have stayed in is the family friendly “Squad” campervan which can seat (and sleep) a total of 4 people. The seats in the back also have setups for car seats which worked great for our two kids.
If you’re looking for van for less people, they also have the “Biggie” which seats and sleeps two and has a cool indoor kitchen setup. Lastly, they offer the “Smalls” which seats and sleeps two and is the most economical choice of the three options.
You can see the more detailed campervan specifications on their website!
How Much Does Native Campervans Cost?
Native Campervans does do a variety of sales through different times of year. And like most other things, if you book outside of peak season, you may end up paying less. In general, the rates seem to be about $100 to $250 per night depending on the type of van you rent.
If you want extras like unlimited mileage, safety packages, and more the price will go up. You’ll also need to factor in gas, food (although way cheaper than eating at restaurants!), price of campsites, National Park entrance fees, and more.
Overall, it’s cheaper than staying in a hotel + rental car or vacation rental. Plus, you get the added benefit of camping in style, which is the best way to experience the National Parks in my opinion.
Here are the current deals for Native Campervans!
Native Campervans Rental Locations
We have rented a van at both the Las Vegas location and the Los Angeles location, but here is the full list of rental locations they have available currently:
- Los Angeles
- Las Vegas
- Denver
- Salt Lake City
- Phoenix
Cool Features of Native Campervans
I can’t really speak to the “Biggie” or the “Smalls” campervans since we haven’t stayed in those. However, the “Squad” Campervan has some really awesome features that we loved. One that I didn’t expect was a really cozy heater. Both times we camped in the shoulder season so this did a great job of keeping us warm on chilly nights.
Another feature I love is the rooftop tent (see more about this below under sleeping arrangements!) and the cooking setup. The lights inside are dimmable and there is a ton of storage to reduce clutter. The front seat also swivels around for a nice dinner table setup.
The Pickup Process
I can speak up about the pickup process for both Las Vegas and Los Angeles, but not the other locations.
Los Angeles:
The LA airport pickup was really nice because they have a complimentary shuttle from the airport to where you pick up the van. This was especially easy when traveling with kids so we didn’t have to worry about getting an uber and strapping their car seats in.
We did have a little trouble finding where to get the shuttle (and no one around could really tell us where to go). Luckily we did find it on the 2nd floor, and then it was a quick ride to the parking garage where the campervan was.
We also did have some issues getting out of the parking garage, but we were able to talk immediately to the Native Campervans customer service on the phone. They helped us through the process and were SO easy to get ahold of!
Las Vegas:
The Las Vegas pickup isn’t quite as easy as it is in LA, because there isn’t a shuttle. The main pickup process here is to take an Uber or Lyft to the Native Campervans location and get your van! It took a little coordinating with the kids and their car seats, but was overall a pretty seamless process.
Native Campervans Review of the Drop Off Process
The drop off process was also pretty easy for both locations. The main thing is just to make sure the vans are filled up with gas prior to returning. Then you’ll either take the shuttle (if you’re in LA) or grab an Uber if you’re in Las Vegas.
A Review of the Cooking Setup
The cooking setup in the Squad Campervan is pretty awesome and we were super impressed by the way this van was setup. When you open the back of the van, the stovetop area slides out and on the other side, the cooler slides out.
There isn’t a refrigerator in the van, but it’s equipped with a big Yeti cooler that keeps food cold for days. You also have a big cutting board on the top of the cooler where you can prepare your food for cooking. Lastly, there are several shelves for you to organize all your food.
The van comes equipped with basically everything you need for cooking in the van like pans, utensils, bowls, etc. so you don’t have to worry about bringing it with you. Plus, you can also have a good ol’ fashioned campfire meal as well.
Disadvantages of the Campervan
I’ve written a whole post on the Pros and Cons of Traveling by Campervan with Kids. Overall, the benefits really outweigh the disadvantages of traveling by campervan – but there are a few things you should know before you go! You won’t have access to a shower (but let’s be real you’re camping!) and you will also have to pay for a campsite (or you could find some BLM land!) but there are very few disadvantages in our opinion.
A Review of the Sleeping Arrangements
We have slept in the Squad Campervan a few different ways with our kids. Our favorite option is to have one parent and one kid sleep up top in the rooftop tent and the other parent and kid to sleep in the queen size bed inside the van. Both places are super cozy to sleep!
The Rooftop Tent
The tent is SO EASY to set up and one of my favorite parts about renting a campervan. We stayed in Death Valley in November and Joshua Tree in February, so both had nights that got down in to the low 40s and high 30s for temperatures and we stayed really cozy in the tent.
The only time we had issues was when the wind was really strong. We didn’t feel comfortable having the tent up during those nights so the four of us slept inside the campervan. Since our kids are little, we all still fit in the queen sized bed.
Sleeping Inside the Campervan
Inside the campervan is also really cozy. There is a heater inside the van under the passenger seat of the campervan. There are controls that you can use to keep the temperature at a nice level all night.
How is the Van to Drive?
I am a lifelong passenger princess, so I didn’t drive the van. However, Dane said it was super easy to drive and park. We also have a small camper and it’s WAY easier than navigating that and even easier to park than our truck. We didn’t have any issues during either of our trips driving the van.
Also, did you know that every campervan in their fleet has a name? We loved traveling with BenjaVAN Button and SalVANdor Dali :)
Native Campervans Review: Customer Service
As I said, we had a couple issues getting out of the parking garage when we picked up the van in Los Angeles and we had to call customer service. They answered immediately and helped us solve the problem right away. They were so friendly and it was a great experience.
Ahead of time, the Native Campervans team also sends you several text messages helping you get ready for your trip. One of the things they send you ahead of time is a video with the full van layout and where everything is located.
Lastly, they have a great QR code on the dash that you can scan to get all your questions answered. We were super impressed by the organization and customer service of Native Campervans.
National Parks you Can Visit From Their Pickup Locations
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to where you can visit from the different pickup locations. Here are some of the places we either have visited or would love to visit from each location.
Los Angeles:
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Channel Islands National Park
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
- Yosemite National Park
Denver:
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Phoenix:
- Saguaro National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
Salt Lake City:
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Great Basin National Park
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Zion National Park
Las Vegas:
- Death Valley National Park
- Zion National Park
Are the Vans Kid Friendly?
Yes! We have several articles about staying in a campervan with kids, but overall it’s been one of our favorite ways to travel with kids.
Storage in The Squad Campervan
When we camped in the campervan, we had two carry on sized roller bags, two car seats, a hiking backpack to carry toddlers, a diaper bag, and a carry on backpack. We had no problem storing that in the under bed storage in the Squad Campervan. We actually had additional room in the van as well if we had brought more stuff.
Are the Vans Clean?
The van was impeccably clean when we picked it up, and we loved that the van setup made it so we didn’t really have to worry about getting things dirty like a white duvet I’ve seen in other vans. We spend a lot of time hiking and so we inevitably bring in some dirt. The van is equipped with a broom and dustpan too so we could clean up after ourselves every evening.
Overall, we loved our experience and for our Native Campervans review would give them FIVE STARS! I would highly recommend booking with them if you’re planning a campervan trip in one of the cities they have locations in. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions about the company.
And if you do decide to book, here are the current deals for Native Campervans!!
