Never done a festival in a motorhome before? Here’s everything that surprises first-timers — from depot pickup to campsite setup to heading home.
The main things first-timers need to know before they go: book the camping ticket and the motorhome at the same time (both sell out), confirm whether the site has powered sites, and check the festival’s generator and vehicle length rules before you leave the depot.
Tent camping at a festival is a rite of passage, but it has a ceiling. After a few years of sleeping on thin foam in a muddy field, waking up to a collapsed tent after overnight rain, and queuing for a cold shower at 7am, a lot of festival-goers make the switch to a motorhome and don’t go back.
What a motorhome gives you that a tent doesn’t: a real bed with a real mattress, a lockable door, a kitchen with a gas stove and a fridge, a private toilet and shower, and somewhere dry to sit when the weather turns. What it costs you: more planning upfront, a larger footprint on the campsite, and a higher daily rate than a tent hire or car camping setup.
For a first timer, the planning is the main hurdle. This guide walks through every stage, from choosing a vehicle to driving off the site on the last day.
This is the mistake that catches most first-timers. Motorhome and campervan zones at major festivals sell out faster than general camping, sometimes within hours of tickets going on sale. If you buy a general camping ticket assuming you can upgrade to a campervan zone later, you’ll often find it’s already full.
The same applies to the motorhome itself. Festival weekends are peak hire dates. Operators in the cities nearest to major events — Sydney for Bathurst and Tamworth, Brisbane for Woodford and CMC Rocks, Toronto for Boots and Hearts and Calgary Stampede, Las Vegas for EDC and Stagecoach — run out of available vehicles months in advance for the biggest events.
The sequence that works: decide on the festival, check when campervan zone tickets go on sale (usually the same day as general release), buy both the festival camping ticket and initiate the motorhome booking in the same session. You don’t need a confirmed vehicle to buy the camping ticket, but you do need to move quickly on both.
Motorhome hire vehicles range from a compact two-berth campervan to a large six-berth motorhome. For a first-timer at a festival, smaller is almost always better.
Why smaller works better at festivals:
Festival campervan zones are tighter than a standard campground. Bays are usually marked out, and the space between vehicles fills up quickly once the site is busy. A large motorhome is harder to reverse into a tight bay in the dark, harder to manoeuvre if the ground is soft, and harder to exit if vehicles have parked close on either side.
Many Australian and New Zealand festival campervan zones also have a vehicle length limit, typically 7-8 metres. A large motorhome from Maui or Apollo can run to 8-9 metres. Check the festival’s campervan rules page before booking a large vehicle.
For a couple or two friends, a two or three-berth campervan from JUCY, Britz, or Apollo is the most practical choice. For a family of four, read What Motorhome Size Suits a Family of Four at a Music Festival before deciding on a vehicle class.
Every operator’s hire package is slightly different. Before you leave the depot, confirm:
Usually included:
Usually not included:
Operators like Britz, Maui, and Apollo offer add-on kits that bundle most of the consumables together for a fixed fee. For a first-timer, this is usually worth the cost rather than sourcing everything individually.
For a full breakdown of what to bring, see the Festival Campervan Packing List.
Depot pickup for a major festival weekend is busy. Operators process a high volume of hires on the same day, and the handover can feel rushed. Don’t let it be.
At pickup, always do this:
Walk around the entire vehicle with the operator rep and confirm every scratch, dent, or mark is noted on the condition report before you sign it. Take photos or a short video of every panel, the roof, and underneath the bumpers. Email or message yourself the photos immediately so they are time-stamped. This is the single most important thing a first-timer can do to protect their bond or security deposit.
Check that the gas burners light. Check that the fridge is running and cooling. Check the water tank level and confirm where the fill point is at your destination if the tank isn’t full. Check that the toilet cassette is empty and correctly seated.
Ask the depot staff to show you how to empty the toilet cassette and grey water tank if you haven’t done it before. Most operators are happy to demonstrate at pickup. It is much better to ask at the depot than to figure it out on a busy festival site.
Driving the vehicle:
If you haven’t driven a motorhome or large campervan before, take ten minutes in the depot car park to get used to the width, height clearance, and turning circle before you join traffic. The height is the critical one. Australian operators fit height stickers on the dash, but confirm the exact height of your vehicle at pickup and check for low-clearance bridges or car parks on your route to the festival.
Power is the thing that surprises first-timers most at festival sites.
A hired motorhome has a 12V leisure battery that runs the fridge, interior lighting, and USB charging points. This battery charges while the engine is running and, if the site has powered sites, from a 240V/120V shore power hookup when you’re parked.
If the site has powered sites:
Book one. They sell out. A 20-metre power extension lead is essential because the shore power post is often well away from where you end up parked. Bring your own lead since operators rarely supply one.
If the site has no powered sites:
The leisure battery will run the fridge and lights for roughly 24-36 hours before it needs recharging. Running the engine for 30-45 minutes tops it up enough for another night. A small portable solar panel (100W) is a practical alternative for multi-day events in sunny conditions.
Generators:
If the motorhome has an onboard generator, check the festival’s generator policy before you plan around using it. Generator restrictions at Australian music festivals are common and often strictly enforced with noise curfews and outright bans at some events. See Generator Rules at Australian Music Festivals for the rules that apply at Woodford, CMC Rocks, and other major AU events.
Arrive in daylight if at all possible. Navigating an unfamiliar festival campsite in the dark in a large vehicle, with marshals directing you by torchlight and other vehicles already parked, is genuinely stressful for a first-timer. If the festival allows early arrival the day before, take it.
At the gate:
Have your festival camping ticket, your hire agreement (with the vehicle registration on it), and your driver’s licence ready before you reach the gate. Printed copies are more reliable than phone screenshots in areas with poor signal. Some festivals check vehicle length at the gate, so know your vehicle’s dimensions.
On the site:
Follow the marshal’s directions. Campervan zones are usually allocated in rows, and marshals manage the flow to make sure vehicles park without blocking others. Once you’re directed to a bay, reverse in if possible, since it makes leaving much easier, especially if the ground has softened after rain.
Once parked, set up immediately: run out the awning if the vehicle has one, put the doormat down, set up chairs, and plug into shore power if it’s available. Getting the basics sorted before you head to the festival means coming back to a comfortable, functioning base rather than setting up in the dark after a long day.
Water:
Festival sites have water refill stations, but queues build in the mornings. Fill your onboard tank and any spare containers in the evening when the queue is short. See the Festival Campervan Packing List for recommended container sizes.
Toilet and grey water:
Check where the dump station is as soon as you arrive, before you need it. Festival sites usually have a cassette emptying point and a grey water drain, but they can be a distance from the campervan zone. Empty the cassette before it’s full rather than waiting until it’s urgent.
Food and cooking:
Keep meals simple. Two-burner gas cooking, a small fridge, and limited bench space are the realistic constraints. Pre-prepped breakfasts and simple assembly lunches work well. One cooked dinner per night on the gas stove is achievable without stress.
Security:
Lock the motorhome every time you leave it, even for short periods. Keep valuables (passport, laptop, spare cash) in the vehicle rather than in a tent or day bag at the festival. Most hired motorhomes have a safe or lockable drawer.
Noise and neighbours:
Festival campervan zones are communal spaces. Music from neighbouring vehicles, late arrivals, and early departures are part of the experience. Earplugs are useful both for sleeping near a stage and for blocking out a neighbour’s 2am playlist.
Not every festival requires you to park on the festival site. Some hirers prefer to stay at a nearby campground or holiday park and drive or shuttle to the festival each day, which gives you better facilities, quieter nights, and almost always a powered site.
The trade-off is the commute. Some festivals have shuttle services from nearby towns; others expect you to drive and park each day, which means navigating the same congested entry roads repeatedly. Freedom Camping vs Festival Campgrounds covers the specific pros and cons and which approach suits which type of event.
The condition check on return is as important as the one at pickup.
Before you leave the festival site, do a sweep of the area around the motorhome for any items left outside: chairs, mats, cables, awning pegs. Check the awning is fully retracted and locked. Empty the rubbish from inside the van and dispose of it at the festival waste stations before you drive off.
At the depot, the operator will do a return condition check against the original report. Having your own photos from pickup means any dispute about pre-existing damage is straightforward to resolve. Return the vehicle with the same fuel level it had at pickup (most hires operate on a full-to-full fuel policy), and empty the toilet cassette before return if the hire agreement requires it (most do).
Australia: Britz, Apollo, Maui, JUCY, Travellers Autobarn, Go Cheap
New Zealand: Britz, Maui, Apollo, JUCY, Happy Campers, Trek Campers
Canada: CanaDream, Cruise Canada
USA: Cruise America, Road Bear RV, El Monte RV
Do I need a special licence to drive a hired motorhome?
In Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, a standard car licence (Class C) covers most hired motorhomes up to a certain gross vehicle mass. The specific limit varies by state or province, but the hired vehicles offered by operators like Britz, Apollo, and Cruise America are generally within the Class C licence threshold. If you hold a licence from a country other than the hire country, carry an International Driving Permit as a backup, since some hire operators require one.
How far in advance should I book a motorhome for a festival?
For major events (Woodford Folk Festival, Calgary Stampede, Coachella, Burning Man, Boots and Hearts), book six to twelve months in advance. Festival weekend dates are peak hire periods, and operators in the nearest pickup city run low on available vehicles quickly. For smaller or regional events, three to four months is usually sufficient.
What happens if I break down on the way to the festival?
Every hire agreement includes a roadside assistance number. Save it in your phone at depot pickup, and also write it on paper. Most major operators (Britz, Apollo, Maui, Cruise America) have 24-hour assistance lines. If the breakdown is the vehicle’s fault, the operator covers the cost. If it’s driver-caused (running out of fuel, a flat tyre from a kerb, a collision), it comes out of the security deposit or insurance excess.
Can more people sleep in the motorhome than its rated berth number?
No. The berth number reflects the number of safe, legal sleeping positions with proper restraints and space. Putting more people in the vehicle than it’s rated for breaches the hire agreement and voids your insurance. If you have more people than the vehicle sleeps, hire two vehicles or split the group between a motorhome and tent camping.
What if it rains at the festival?
This is where a motorhome earns its cost. You have a dry interior, a functioning kitchen, and a bed that isn’t sitting in a puddle. The main practical issues in rain are mud (put the doormat out immediately and designate a pair of shoes to leave outside) and a softening ground (avoid moving the vehicle while conditions are poor if you can). If the site has issued wet-weather advice, follow it.
Is festival camping in a motorhome worth the cost compared to tent camping?
For a single-night event or a budget trip, tent camping is cheaper overall. For a three-to-five day festival where sleep quality, meal preparation, and secure storage matter, the nightly hire cost often compares reasonably to a nearby motel or hotel, with the added benefit of being on-site. Groups splitting the hire cost between two or three people bring the per-person cost down significantly.
Do I need to bring my own chairs and outdoor furniture?
One folding chair per person and a small table is practical. Some motorhomes come with an awning that creates a shaded outdoor area, which is worth setting up if the weather allows. Don’t overload the vehicle with outdoor furniture, since storage space inside is limited and large items left outside overnight can be a problem in bad weather.
What’s the best way to stay cool in a motorhome at a summer festival?
Open the roof vent and windows on opposite sides to create cross-ventilation. A battery-powered clip fan on the bunk makes a significant difference. Park with the side door or rear door facing shade if you can. More specific ventilation strategies and tips for hot-climate events are in How to Keep a Campervan Cool at a Summer Festival.
Can I bring a pet in a hired motorhome to a festival?
Most hire operators prohibit pets under their standard terms, and most festivals also prohibit animals other than registered assistance animals. Check both before booking.
What should I do if the toilet cassette is full mid-festival?
Empty it at the dump station on-site. Most festival campervan zones have a clearly marked cassette emptying point. Remove the cassette from its housing (usually via an external hatch on the vehicle’s side), carry it to the dump point, empty and rinse it, and reseat it in the vehicle. The depot staff will show you the process at pickup if you ask.
Event Campers compares motorhomes and campervans from leading operators across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Search by event, pickup location, and vehicle size to find the right vehicle for your first festival weekend.
