Star RV Motorhome HireReviews 

We hired a Polaris 2 from Christchurch for 4 weeks in Dec 2925 - Jan 26. Mixed experience. The booking system was frustrating with my eventually having to contact juicy head office to get a quote honored. Emails to weeks to be responded to. But on the other hand our pick up experience was very good. The pick up shuttle was easy to organise and turned up promptly. The staff were friendly and helpful.
The van was pretty poorly fitted out which was a shame. Blinds were difficult to use, the roof window leaked, a cupboard base was loose. We’d learned from previous van hires with other companies that it pays to bring a few things of your own so we went straight to Kmart and bought kitchen knives, tee towels, pillows, a mattress topper and extra mugs. Consequently the van felt comfortable to live in. We found it easy to drive and easy to park.
On our third day of hire we were contacted to ask if all was ok - a nice touch especially as it was Boxing Day. We mentioned the leaking room and the staff member was helpful. Some damage was done to the van in a Supermarket car park and the staff dealt with our report quickly and efficiently - we were fully insured and they assured us there would be no further cost to us On returning the van we pointed out the problems we’d had and they offered some compensation and apologized.
So on the whole our experience was positive mainly due to some nice kiwi staff. I would just have liked a better fitted out van. As we said to the staff if we’d paid hundreds of dollars for a hotel room and the roof leaked, the blinds wouldn’t close and a cupboard was hanging off the wall we’d ask for a refund. They agreed.

We are currently renting with star. We had a problem with our first camper on the first day of water liquid leaking and filling the cabin with compartments with water. After a week they replaced the camper, BIGGEST safety issue with second camper. Each night sleeping in the back bed with our new born, the bed got unusually warm every night and electrical was malfunctioning! We called and they told us to go to a shop, we did but they didnt have batteries for the camper they tols us to go next door to the battery shop, turns out the two 12v batteries were swollen, melting and leaking toxic fluids under the bed! The battery company normally never replaces batteries in camper but called in their management as they didnt feel safe lettung us get in the camper knowing that a fire or explosion can happen anytime and they didnt want to be liable to letting us leave knowing that could happen so their direct store manager came to fix. The two batteries were melted together and the wires melted into the battery. There were two large holes on the bottom of the battery. They had to take sledgehammer and extremely large flathead to separate it to remove from the camper. We paid and replaced the batteries and the company battery world said there IS something wrong with the electrical system as the battery and camper were less than 2 years old so this shouldnt be happening. We got a call from star once we fixed it and they apologized and said upper management will call us as its needing to go higher. They promised compensation and reimbursement. That was over a week and half ago and our emails go unanswered and their on the road team and management has not responded. Kicker is, the back light is filled with water so the brake lights dont work properly and no shop can fix it as its custom so we have been driving an unsafe vehicle period! The ccamper isnt road worthy we got pulled over but luckily talked our way out of a ticket. We rented this polaris 6 camper for 3 weeks and its been a total nightmare!!!! What if this camper exploded or had a fire with my entie family in it?! They dont take safety as a priority!!! I have chain emails from them and photos. do not rent from them unless you have a DEATH WISH! I would think with the severity of the issue they would have called us back and offered a full refund and reimbursement for the necessary repair. The stress has me beyond angry and they will get an earful upon my return of the rental tomorrow in melbourne. Store manager from brisbane has been CC in all emails but hasnt responded this week! Its ridiculous!

So disappointed by this company. After driving for 7 hours we found the fridge didn't work and we were unable to use ANY of the plug sockets....the floors also sunk as you walked on them, we could also see the shower/toilet area leaking through the wall (probably explaining the soft sinking floors).
We were told to drive into Bundaberg to a reputable mechanic of their choice to check our fridge...and by this point the cooker aswell (both were not working).
We waited with 2 young children for over an hour to be told (we have the report from the mechanic) that the van we had been given was 'inhabitable & unsafe' apparently it should have NEVER been given to us. In addition too this we were advised that the back marbling going through the cabin above the driver's seat was actually black mold (which can be deadly).
We were absolutely devastated and told the only thing star RV could do would be to have a better van driven to us from Brisbane (4hrs away) or we could drive to Brisbane and pick one up.
This derailed the rest of our holiday and all the bookings we had made for the later part of our trip.
When we got to Brisbane our hearts broke further to see the vehicle we should have had compared to what we were given.
The trouble didn't stop there however!!
The new van had a ladder that didn't fit the bunk bed, a massive safety hazard for anyone who needed to access that space. No chairs or table for outside provided. No tablets for the toilet. Which stunk majority of the time.
We had finally given up and decided to drive home only to pull into a service station and find we hadn't been given the right key for the fuel cap.
We are currently waiting for the road side assist who have told us will be an hour and a half.
I genuinely just want this nightmare to end.
Also the customer service are useless, rude and do not seem to want to help at all.....thats when you are able to actually talk to them without being put on hold!!

**** As you can see below i have received a very nice reply to my review- with no way of writing back.
Please don't be fooled by them.
Since receiving the response below this company has refused to refund even half of the cost to hire their cesspit of a van and no one has been in contact regarding this review!!
We were also informed by the NRMA technician in Port Macquarie that they are inundated with calls from desperate holiday makers also using StarRV and Juicey in deep distress. Not ideal for a nice holiday.
If you know anyone who may be considering hiring a campervan steer clear of StarRV and Juicey a.k.a 'the juicey crew'.
We have taken this to fair trading and the ombudsman.
To the person who responded below, your company put my young children in danger, that is something that can not be forgiven and your companies response to our ordeal has been abhorrent.
Legal action has also commenced.
You have had two weeks to rectify this situation and you haven't.

Got a Car RV2 with 2 tyres lower 2mm, Lot of screws loose, several damages we're Not documented in Andy Form. You don't know how to Report and in which Form. No good introducing If anything Happens and how to contact branch in Perth.
Never again. No Professional hire sorry

Do not hire from this company, NZ is beautiful but star rv made it a nightmare, $8000 AUD We hired Polaris 2 for 4 weeks in Christchurch New Zealand in 4 weeks we exchanged 4 vehicles as each vehicle had major faults, and that was because we took the vehicle back,every request was never answered until the end of our 4 week vacation,from bald unroadworthy tyres,to heating not working,usb charge points not working, insect screens not sealing letting in blood hungry sandflies, vehicle running low on engine oil, with the oil light flashing on dashboard, when we emailed of issues we got a reply two days before leaving the country,phone calls went to answering services in Philippines with no replies for upto ten days.

We would like to share our experience with this campervan rental company.

While the local staff in Perth were friendly and helpful, our overall experience with the rental was extremely disappointing. In particular, we are still waiting for a compensation payment that was confirmed in writing but has not been received to date.

From the beginning, the first campervan already had technical issues, including a permanent service warning, overdue engine oil, and a non-functioning stove plate. After approximately two weeks, a check engine warning appeared and the vehicle lost power. Roadside assistance advised us not to continue driving.

The rental company arranged a return flight to Perth. Although the flight itself was covered, this was still a major inconvenience, as our trip was completely interrupted and we later had to drive the same route again with the replacement vehicle (approximately 800 km).

Due to these issues, we lost several travel days, had to discard food and camping supplies, incurred additional costs, and were unable to complete large parts of our planned route. We also spent many hours over several days trying to reach customer support.

After returning to Perth, we received a replacement campervan. Unfortunately, this second vehicle also caused problems, as the electric step could no longer be retracted and had to be removed by roadside assistance, resulting in further loss of travel time.

Communication with this company has been extremely poor. Phone contact required repeated attempts, and email communication has effectively stopped. Compensation was offered and accepted in writing, yet almost two weeks later, no payment has been received and no response has been provided, despite multiple follow-up emails and clear deadlines. Due to this lack of response, we have now had to involve legal counsel.

Based on our experience, we strongly advise against booking with this company. If serious issues occur, communication becomes unreliable and confirmed resolutions are not followed through. We will not rent from this company again.

We required urgent support from the Star RV team while we were on the road, but unfortunately, we were unable to get any meaningful assistance.

The support representative we spoke with was rude and showed little willingness to help. He only raised an enquiry and stated that he could not confirm any ETA for a response, despite us clearly explaining that we were on the road and required immediate assistance.

Additionally, the company we hired the van from was also unable to help solely because we were not at a physical location, which left us without any support at all during a critical situation.

Due to the complete lack of timely assistance and poor customer service, this experience has been extremely disappointing. Based on this, we would not book with Star RV again and would not recommend their services to others.

After countless calls and emails, it's been a month since I've dropped of the campervan and I've never received my 7500 dollars bond back, worst company ever

Horrendous experience from day one. Collected Polaris 4 in Christchurch depot. Staff member openly stated when numerous customers were checking in, that she didn’t know what to do and went looking for other staff who weren’t in a hurry to assist. Same staff member handed us keys to camper without a walkthrough or sufficient handover to ensure that camper was in full working order. Arrived in first campsite 3 hours away, only to find that the water pump was broken, locking mechanism on cabin door was broken, toilet cassette had not been emptied. Called customer service teams, assistance teams numerous times on day one/ day two only to be kept on hold for up to 30 mins each time before being transferred to another team. Ultimately no solution offered. Repairman eventually sent out to inspect the camper for the water pump,, and couldn’t find the water pump. Star RV offered no replacement vehicle but told us to book into hotel up to $80 a night. Stated they’d book an appointment with mechanic to completely take out water tank which would result in loss of days travelling. Star RV main concern was fixing issue for next customer and not assisting us. While driving on the main roads, the cabin door would intermittently decide to swing open. My passenger had to sit on the step and hold door closed until a safe spot to stop was found. Only solution was to use power cable tied to handle of door and wrapped around table. Star RV didn’t acknowledge serious health and safety matter.. BBQ on side of camper did not work either. All issues addressed with numerous emails/phone calls to different operators/customer service members who could not offer a solution, instead said they will make a follow up call tomorrow. Bed linens and curtains were filthy and full of dust.. Delivered the camper to Queenstown and outlined every issue. Staff member mentioned that Christchurch branch are notorious for not checking vehicles and sending them out to customers in unfit condition. Offered a 1/2 day compensation for our troubles which were declined. Provided with another email address to address compensation. Made numerous calls/ emails to feedback teams or management team. Star RV could not even reply to the emails and blatantly ignored calls by transferring to different team members. When queries were addressed, they offered a credit note to use with the company, as if o would use Star RV again.. Overall terrible experience and could not recommend the more of any vehicle. Paid for a premium service and did not receive one. Might as well rented a car and slept in the boot.. Customer service was non existent during hire period and weeks after.. If possible to give 0 star or negative feedback, I wouldn’t hesitate

Quote and invoice different! Waited 7 hours to pick up. No "walk through to explain workings. Chair broken, coffee plunger broken. Doors and fridge open while driving. Seat behind driver broken. Toilet seal broken, urine in shower basin. No AD blue, gastank empty! What a lemon. Were told in Auckland had to pay $0.08 c per km + $247 for credit card surcharge. Tried to steal $$ from debit card!
Absolute horrible company, we paid way too much for this lemon!

The awning was missing a screw but when we arranged for a repair whilst the RV was parked on site, no one turned up! All subsequent emails were ignored. Not great when you’re dealing with 40 degrees of heat! No one was interested during or post our hire period. Definitely would NOT recommend

We’ve had the best time with our Polaris 6 RV! It was perfect for our family of 4 (two adults and two toddlers).

The RV was super spacious. The bed in the back of the RV was easily converted from table to bed. The large fridge and separate freezer could store enough for a couple of days and the RV had enough storage space for all our belongings (our double stroller even fit in the back).

The minor issues we encountered were rapidly fixed with great service! Super convenient that they allow you to change your linnen and towels if you pass one of their offices. It has been our second time taking a RV of StarRV on the road, and we will definitely continue to do so 🙌

Was interested to book Star RV. However i found that they deliberately increased the per day price to soften the BF discount. From before BF promo of 150$ to 185$ per day. Hence they are actually only giving 2$ discount.
Thankfully i have the habit to screenshot for comparison. This action just nailed it for me, off to your competitor!

Avoid Star RV at all costs. One of the worst rental experiences we’ve ever had.

Our 32-day motorhome rental with Star RV in New Zealand turned into a constant stream of problems and disappointment. The vehicle they provided was clearly not properly checked or maintained. We had to deal with a fridge that didn’t work for nearly half the trip, a damaged rear door, a non-functioning airbag, and even an expired gas bottle. For a company renting vehicles meant for long-distance travel and remote camping, this is completely unacceptable.

Because of these issues, we lost three full days of our holiday sitting in repair shops instead of exploring the country. These unplanned detours caused extra fuel costs, cancellation fees for activities, and a lot of stress. Star RV cost us time, money, and a significant part of a trip we had been looking forward to for a long time.

The worst part, however, was how Star RV handled the compensation process. We contacted them more than a week before drop-off in Auckland, clearly describing the issues, our expectations for compensation, and our request to have someone familiar with our case present at the branch to discuss everything in person. Instead of supporting us, the contact center delayed responses, dragged the process out, and showed no sense of responsibility.

When we arrived in Auckland, it was clear that no one there had been briefed about our case — except for one staff member, Vinay, who genuinely tried to help us within his limited authority. His effort was appreciated, but he was the only one who showed any real initiative.

When we finally returned the vehicle, the contact team suddenly scrambled and worked frantically on something they had plenty of time to handle earlier. They delayed everything so long that they only presented us with a laughably low offer — a little over $500 instead of the roughly $900 we were owed for the lost days — when we were already at the airport and moments away from boarding our flight home. Considering all the additional costs caused by the vehicle issues, we estimate we are eligible for around $2,500 in total compensation.

There was no real apology, no ownership, and no proper customer service — just empty phrases and a clear attempt to minimize their responsibility.

Based on our experience, Star RV appears far more focused on pushing vehicles out the door for lots of money than on safety, maintenance, or customer care. After everything we went through, we strongly advise future customers to stay far away from this company. There are rental providers in New Zealand who take their responsibilities seriously — Star RV is not one of them.

The welcome at the company in Perth was very friendly, but that was it.
We set off with Polaris 6 and we were dancing on the road. We thought it was the wind and the poor condition of the road, but it was the tyres; they all turned out to be 1 bar underinflated.
The motorhome door didn't close properly, resulting in a hellish noise while driving.
The rear light wasn't working.
Grey water spontaneously ran onto the road!
There was a problem with the fridge and we wrote an email about it, but received no reply.
The telephone number for assistance can only be reached with an Australian telephone number.
There was a crack in the windscreen, which no one could do anything about, but when you can't reach anyone, this is a problem. We interrupted our holiday to drive back to the company in Perth to get a replacement motorhome. After a day of unpleasant conversations at the company, we got another motorhome.
We drove off and after 20 minutes the bathroom door flew open and hit the floor.
I'm going to stop here because the list goes on and on.
Johan Rycken

Came for 10am pick up was interrupted by people surprise calling in on a staff member. Obviously run by back packers wandering around like they are on holidays, I interrupted the interruption to say i was in a hurry as I had an 11 oclock appointment.
I had been told by upbeat emails and marketing it would take only 5 mins to check in having done most of it online already despite online check in problems and a call to them on the weekend prior and told to just check in with docs in person (but it came good the day before check in). The girls then said they were short staffed and it would take another 2 hours. I had to cancel the 11 oclock appointment and they were good enough to reschedule their appointments so I could come at 1pm (change their 1pm to an 11 am) for us. The latest I could attend the appointment was 1:30pm... The rescheduled appointmen also had to be rescheduled and late cancellation fees were applied to me. The Vehicl was not ready until over 4 hours after the pick up time. Other hirers came happy and went away disappointed because the waiting area was full. Some people came after us and only waited a little while and drove off in a motorhome exactly like we ordered. When I asked I was told that they were first in the order of booking on the computer and therefore got priority. I pointed out at one point that only three families with children remained and some had been waiting the longest and if they wanted to be human about it they might prioritise children and old people. I was told that that would be unfair, because the computer set the order. I said they had just proven my point about it being inhuman. They then said that they are not a computer, and I said that I agreed with them that they were not a computer (standing there in flesh and blood telling me they are not a computer) further proving my point. They seem to have lost or never had the capacity to empathise or prioritise or negotiate or commiserate. They simply stared at computers and bumbled around like a herd of cats going in and out to see if motorhomes were cleaned. They really seemed impaired in some way with fatigue, hangovers or drugs. It was the Monday before the Melbourne cup and right after Halloween, so gods only know what they and their absent colleagues got up to on the weekend. Later I heard that the manager was off sick and no-one knew what to do. They were really painfully slow and nonchalant, with a care factor approaching Nil.
Why not have an assistant manager trained up and train up staff in what to do? Why not have a locker or lock up area to leave luggage and go away to appointments or lunch and come back to the poxy waiting room. We sat on hard logs at first because the other furniture was taken. It really was a shambles and left us with zero trust or appreciation for the company.
When I gently asked if there were any clean coffee cups at one point, i was rudely told by the staff member whose parents had come and interupted the other staff member serving me initially so they could have a surprise social visit with her, that she would get around to washing the 20 or so dirty cups when she had time. There was not one clean one or anywhere to wash it. I suppose I could have done that in the toilet but it did not occur to me... nor should it. We are not unreasonable or unsympathetic people. But these people had Sweet FA concern for anyone's comfort or prioritise.
Just really poor treatment. They seemed to think that saying the word, "sorry" flatly and glumly and making a small reimbursement was sufficient and all they had to do. The apology was insincere and lacked any sort of authenticity. Someone should make them read the five languages of apology.
Most of it was scripted BS that simply meant that they would be replaced by scripted bots one day. Like their complaints online service... Clearly a Bot. So annoying. The only thing humans can do that bots cannot is creative problem solve and show humanity and compassion. These companies seem to want to make people as lacking in initiative, creative problem solving, flexibility and compassion, deliberately so we customers with demand that a bot takes their job, because at least then we will know there is no feeling or concern or flexibility, and stop being so insensed by these cold, callous and nonchalant millenials who don't give a rats about Gen X, Boomers, Gen Jones, or for that matter... anyone but themselves and their partying. Maybe there was valium in their food.

We booked a specific layout that had no step into the WC and particular access as my partner has MS and is a wheelchair user. We made this clear on the booking. When we collected the motorhome the layout we were offered was not suitable and not as ordered. We returned the motorhome within 24 hours, having used less than 1 day of the 12 days booked. Paid a total of Aud$3,800 including Aud$700 insurance and offered Aud$0 refund.

Never had the bad experience like now. We are on the road with a camper rented at StarRV. The camper is totally old, dirty, not working, doors cannot close correctly. We argued this at pick op point in Sydney. No solution. Than we sent emails, 3 days in a roy, filled in the contact formular..... no reaction at all.
Pleas do not book at this terrible company

Over 24 hours later and still no single kind of help after we called (impossible to reach), asked at the desk in Sydney (no way somebody cared) and mailed them twice (no answer). Can’t believe this kind of leading a company exists

Oh how I wish we had read these reviews 10 months ago when we booked our campervan for Australia.

4 words - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

We hired a Polaris 6 with Star RV from Perth for 13 days. We were plagued with issues and noted these all done to pass on feedback but they were all basic maintenance issues and upkeep of the vehicle. The fridge smelt and needed to be replaced, the blind by the sink fell down every time you tried to put it up or down, the alarm light kept coming on for the left brake light which we figured out had to do with the fact that some of the led lights on the brake lights were not all working, the door to the camper was only secured to the fly screen at the bottom as the top was broken and not fixed so we had to use duct tape to keep it from flapping around like crazy while driving, the kitchen tap was loose, the reversing camera was quite frankly useless and we unplugged it. The shower door latch was so worn out that it didn't stay in place while driving so it slammed open, blocking the rear view of the driver so we had to wedge bags up against it to stop it doing this. We were told very clearly that any damage to the awning was chargeable at $1500 but the first time we opened it, the back arm wingnut was seized up so badly that it wouldn't even budge to hold the awning in place so out came the duct tape again and then came the really bad part. We called Star RV on the Saturday evening around 7pm local Australia time as our power had short circuited and after doing all of the tests and switching things off etc. nothing. We spent an hour with them on the phone and were repeatedly told that they were speaking with a service person who would call us back on Sunday morning. No. We did not receive a call, nor an email - nothing at all for 72 hours! We beleaguered along on battery power and then we tried a test of the mains power while hooked up. It worked for 30 minutes and we thought all was ok and must have been a glitch and then it short circuited again and the stovetop lit up like a Christmas tree with sparks flying and flames. We called Star RV again and after 90 minutes, we were told that we would have to drive the 300km return journey to Exmouth to get the campervan fixed. We had such a preciously short time on holiday that this was devastating but after not having had power for more than half of our hire already, we had no choice. The campervan person who looked at the van said it was definitely an oldie and that it was normally the hot water that was causing it. It wasn't. The stove top was faulty and was causing the whole van to trip. He turned off at the mains so we had no stovetop on mains, just gas but by this point, I was so anxious about everything in the van, I wasn't even trusting the gas and the pipes! After many emails and explaining how horrible everything was in the camper, we were offered the most insulting amount of compensation but then no one replied to that email! We dropped the vehicle back and the depot had no clue at all about all the issues that we had experienced. They saw a note about air-conditioning and that was it so after all of the feedback we had provided about all the things that needed fixing in/on the campervan and after the stovetop being faulty to the point of it having to be turned off at the mains, we were advised that the camper was booked after us and was due to go out the very next day!!! I only hope that the people after us got a major upgrade on their campervan because otherwise that is just negligence.
It took another 3 days and I finally phoned and also emailed the feedback email address we were provided with at the depot. Our compensation was increased from outright insulting to just plain insulting. I have not had any reply to date from the feedback email I sent.

My advice - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.