Myself and my wife spent two enjoyable months covering New Zealand a Base Jumper 4.

This was our first time in a campervan, and certainly will not be our last.

When we first picked up the BJ4 in Auckland, we thought WOW, how the heck are we going to drive that beast! In fact, driving is the easy bit. It performs like a car, so much so you forget the length. There is always plenty of power to spare, and you easily find yourself overtaking slower vans! It's also pretty economical on the fuel too.

The van was very well equipped, with everything fitting into its own little cubbyhole. Most importantly, the drying room (the loo) worked a treat and was used regularly.

Wilderness do not have any "branding" on their vans. I thought that this was just a bit of a gimmick at first, but actually it paid dividends, as other NZ drivers think you are one of them and treat you accordingly

At least 7 or 8 times, other campers asked us if the van was our own, as they thought that it stood out a mile against others. One actually asked if they could take a look inside and were amazed at how well equipped it was!

Any downsides?

One or two. The handover was pretty lousy, especially for first-timers like ourselves - and this was echoed by another wilderness hirer. When this was mentioned upon the van's return, there appeared to be every indication that this would be addressed in the future.

On the more positive side, after "sales" assistance is first class and staff are on call 24/7. We had to call for advice late on a Sunday so we proved it.

Problems - One notable problem happened when the glass oven door decided to shatter all on its own. Not really a big deal, and a call to Wilderness resulted in a replacement being couriered down to Christchurch to be replaced. Excellent service all round.

So, 10 out of 10.

Will I use Wilderness again - of course, that's a no-brainer!

Martin & Sheila, UK

Reviewed over 3 years ago and experienced in March 2011