I rented a camper van to stay in Hawaii. It didn't save me any money.
I couldn't find legal places to park the van overnight.
I wouldn't stay in a camper van on a crowded island again.
It's not defined
There is a chance of last-minute changes.
Changes that you wouldn't face in a hotel are possible in mobile dwellings.
I was told the night before my reservation that I would need to collect the van an hour away from the check-in location.
I was lucky that the new pickup spot was close to where I was camping.
It was difficult to find legal places to park.
I searched for places to park overnight after I booked the camper van. This was more difficult than I anticipated.
I looked into RV parks and campgrounds on the North Shore.
The van needed a three-day camping permit in order to use an RV park. It didn't seem like the best option for me since I was going to stay in one part of the island and another part of the island.
They couldn't find an RV that fit their needs. They used their experience in metal fabrication to build their own vehicle. They showed us how to make a fully- loaded truck camper.
Most of the campgrounds were full but they didn't offer vehicle camping.
Malaekahana Beach Campground was the only place I could find that allowed vehicle camping and had a campsite.
I was able to get a parking spot at Sun Farm Hawaii for $59.
I had to ask a lot of questions because there was no user manual.
I realized there was no user manual in the van when I picked it up.
I had to keep in touch with my hosts to inquire about everything from potential maintenance issues to how to work certain parts of the rig.
You're on your own when it comes to cleaning.
You don't know what you'll get with rentals.
I think the van I rented could have been cleaned before I got the keys.
I was not expecting a five-star resort experience but I was disappointed that basic cleaning protocols didn't seem to have been followed. The pillows and towels were dirty and there was trash in the van.
I couldn't ask for a new room or fresh towels. I didn't have anyone else with me.
When your mode of transportation is also your temporary home, there can be maintenance issues.
The risks of renting a van are unique. I wouldn't have a place to sleep and a way to get around if something happened to the car.
Even small things worried me throughout my trip, but I'm grateful that there was no catastrophe. It was difficult to drive at night because of dim headlights and the brake lights were stuck on, so I didn't feel safe until my hosts told me it wasn't an issue.
It was nerve-racking to maneuver the vehicle.
I've driven a van before, but this is the first time I've traveled in a car.
The van was old and lacked state-of-the-art technology.
The 10 minutes it took to drive up the road after picking up the van felt like a long time. I was worried that the camper van wouldn't fit on narrow roads or bridges, so I changed my mind at times.
It was difficult to parking a big rig.
I was worried after the van's camera stopped working. It was difficult to see out the back of the van without it.
If another human wasn't guiding me, the likelihood of hitting one of the vehicles was high.
Someone stood nearby and yelled directions to help me get out of the parking lot. I wanted to find lots of stalls with angles, spots that I could pull straight into, or areas with a lot of open space.
I adjusted my travel plans when I was concerned about my safety.
It took a bit of strategy for me to safely parking and drive the van. I didn't want to go on narrow roads.
I wasn't going to take the van to Honolulu because it was too tall to fit in the city's parking structures, and I was worried about my safety.
It can get crowded so I was worried about driving there. There were more than 600 car break-ins in Honolulu over the course of a few months. The large van would have stood out in the city.
I got locked out of the campground after arriving late.
I called in the afternoon to let the front desk know that I would be arriving after hours. They said I would be fine.
I didn't know I'd be locked out of the campground.
I wondered if there was a misunderstanding over the phone. They might have thought I'd be arriving after office hours, which ended at 4:30 p.m., not after the gates closed.
I found a phone number with instructions to call security and had the gate unlocked for less than I had paid for the campsite.
I was told to stay in the parking lot for the night.
A visitor told me not to call the security guard because he might not help me.
The visitor suggested that I leave the van under the parking lot lights and lock the doors while I slept since it was too late to find a different place to park.
Management was expecting me to park and sleep on the property, so I decided it would be ok. I woke up before the gates opened to make sure there wouldn't be any trouble.
My van was too tall to get to the campsite.
I had to walk through a tree tunnel to get to the campground in the morning. The van I rented was close to 8 feet tall.
I wouldn't have been able to get to my campsite even if the gate had been open.
It was easy to locate my second campsite.
Hipcamp allowed me to book a parking space at Sun Farm Hawaii. It was enjoyable.
Locating the farm was easy and I was given directions to my parking spot. The property had an outdoor shower, lots of fruit trees, and friendly people who were there a lot of the time.
The owners and guests were very nice.
The manager gave me a tour of the space, which included an outdoor lounge, a communal kitchen, paid laundry facilities, toilets, and an outdoor shower.
There was a lot of fresh produce for sale. Coconuts, Papaya, eggplant, zucchini squash, various herbs, and local flowers may be offered.
I was excited to use the amenities at the campsite because my van did not have a shower or toilet.
I like to bathe in the outdoors so I went for an al fresco shower. The water was cold but refreshing after a long day in the sun and I felt like I was in nature.
Guests cross paths in the communal areas. I wish I'd stayed longer to form deeper connections with them, they were nice and welcoming.
I figured out how to operate things I thought were broken during my last day with the van.
I thought the interior lights and sink didn't work because I didn't see a faded note that labeled the buttons.
I didn't get enough instructions for where to leave the van at the checkout. I had to ask the front desk employees to show me where to put it after I brought it to the storage unit.
You leave your key in a box or at the front desk when you check out in a hotel.
My hosts might have communicated better with me about the van.
The camper van cost a lot more than I thought.
People turn to van life to save money. Van life is not a cheaper alternative.
Before and after the reservation, campsite booking fees, and gas were hidden from the public.
The rental cost $362.99. I spent $149.18 on rides, including tips, and $68.37 on overnight parking.
Before taking food and activities into account, this made for $654.78.
Renting a small car would've been cheaper.
I wanted to know how much it would have cost if I had booked the cheapest accommodations and transportation for the same weekend.
I was able to find a room in a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in Honolulu for $251 a night, and a two-day car rental through Turo for $176.
I would have spent $427 if I had booked these. It's likely that the trip would have cost about $560 if gas cost the same and I still needed to order a ride.
If I had booked a more traditional stay, I would have saved $100.
I will not stay in a camper van in Hawaii again.
I don't think it's a good idea to travel in crowded communities.
I think I'm relatively low-maintenance, and I don't mind leaning into budget travel when necessary, but this experience dropped well beneath an already low bar.
There are some legal issues with this type of travel. Outside of Waikiki, Oahu is cracking down on short-term rentals. Maui County is working on a plan to regulate mobile vacation dwellings.
People coming to the islands to live in a van for an extended period are making a lot of problems worse. The destruction of land and vegetation, congestion due to overtourism and population increase, and price inflation are some of the reasons why native Hawaiians can't afford to live on their ancestral land.
Don't try this on your next trip to Hawaii for the sake of Hawaii locals. Waikiki is a designated tourist area and can be explored through guided tours.
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