Escape Camper Vans USA was founded by Rob Mewton, an entrepreneur, surfer, and traveler from New Zealand. In 2009, Rob made his way to the US and brought a part of his culture with him – campervans. Today we have 11 locations, over 600 vans, and the same adventurous spirit that started this whole journey. Want the long version? Here’s the story of our campervan rental company.
Our Mission
To Inspire People to escape their everyday routines and embrace their adventurous spirit by exploring the world in our campervans.
The Beginnings
Escape Rentals New Zealand was established in 2003 by 3 good friends, Peter, Mike, and Andrew. We saw an opportunity to offer a product with a difference.
We figured that not all people wanted to hire a motorhome and effectively take their living room on holiday. Instead, some prefer to get away from everyday life and enjoy the great outdoors. Hence the name ‘Escape’ was created.
We also realized that people wanted to travel and enjoy the culture, sights, and delights of a country without having to sell body parts to pay for their campervan holiday.
The Escape Experience
We developed a product that seemingly offered the bare essentials. At the same time, it delivered everything you needed to travel and explore a country safely, comfortably, cheaply, and uniquely. Add in our local knowledge and travel tips, and you’ve got the trip of a lifetime, guaranteed.
Not only did we want to offer a high-quality product with excellent customer service and support, but we also wanted our clients to embrace the Escape spirit. So, we began to convert boring white vans into works of art.
The Special Sauce
The decision to sand all the clear coat off a new van and have artists cover the campervans in paint was not a decision we took lightly.
It was a frightening thing to try out this concept that had not been tested before… our mates thought we were crazy. The artwork on the campers goes a lot further than making you feel cool on the road. It acts as an interaction piece for our renters when they are traveling and allows them to mix with other travelers as well as locals.
Turns out, people love the artwork. Customers fall in love with their campervan (it quickly becomes their best friend) and bystanders notice them, too. The feedback our renters gave us after their campervan trips reinforced the initial crazy idea as being a pretty good one.
Crossing the Pond
In 2009, with Rob as our fearless leader, Escape Camper Vans USA launched with the learnings and experience gathered from the NZ operation.
With our Los Angeles depot as our US starting point, we’ve continued to grow year after year, continually working to refine our campervan designs, improve our service, and exceed customer expectations. We look forward to opening new depot locations each year to offer even more possibilities for adventurous local and international travelers alike.
After 15+ years of experience in the industry, we’re proud to say we have looked after tens of thousands of happy campers from all over the globe.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Team Escape