About Campervanz — Built by Ernesto in Christchurch, NZ

Hi, I'm Ernesto.

Originally from Argentina, I came to New Zealand as a backpacker. Small budget, no fixed plan, just the road. I fell in love with the country — and with a particular way of experiencing it: waking up somewhere wild, with no one around, having spent exactly nothing on accommodation. I never left. That way of travelling never left me either. A few years in, I started building my own vans. I had a background in electrical work and construction, so I learned the rest hands-on. Every van in our fleet is built and maintained by me — the solar systems, the batteries, the insulation, the joinery, all of it. I build them the way I'd want to travel: genuinely self-sufficient. Large battery banks, solar panels, fridges that run for days, hot water on demand. You don't need to book a powered campsite. You don't need to plug in. You can park in front of a lake, cook dinner, wake up to a sunrise, and move on whenever you feel like it — for days, completely free. Running a small fleet means I can do something the big companies can't: actually be there for you. Every message gets a personal reply, usually within the hour. If something comes up on the road, you contact me directly — not a call centre — and it gets sorted fast. My partner Marta and I speak English, Spanish, Italian and French between us. Wherever you're from, we can have a real conversation. I've travelled through South America, Europe and Southeast Asia — but New Zealand is the place I know best, because I've spent years exploring it in a van. Both islands, every season. The famous spots and the ones that don't make the guidebooks. Ask me for the best free campsites on the South Island, the roads worth the detour, the spots that are packed in January and completely empty in November. That advice comes with every rental, at no extra cost.