DeVan Rentals Avis 1

I rented a van his van for a long-planned camping trip near Beaver, Utah—an area close to 10,000 feet in elevation. What I wasn’t told until after picking up the van was that it was a retired Amazon delivery van, which absolutely matters when you’re headed into high mountain terrain. These vans are not built for elevation or off-grid travel—and after researching, I found they commonly stall or fail in those conditions.
The van didn’t even start when I went to pick it up. The owner was out of town and never met me in person. Instead, he filled out the check-in form on my behalf before I even arrived, and had to call roadside assistance just to get the van running. That should have been the first red flag.
I drove the van home and, less than 30 minutes later, it stalled again at my community gate. When I contacted the owner, he told me that was "normal" behavior for Amazon vans. That was the first time he ever mentioned what kind of van I had rented. I was shocked—and immediately concerned for my safety.
I was a 54-year-old woman traveling alone with my 11-year-old dog. If that van had stalled in the mountains, I could have been stranded at 10,000 feet or in 100+ degree temperatures going to and from. After thinking it through for about 20 minutes, I returned the van to where I picked it up from, placed the keys back in the lockbox, and informed the owner. He agreed to refund me, minus one day over text right after that.
I had the van for about an hour—never even made it out of town. I didn’t even bring up how dirty the van was because that was the least of my concerns. Despite returning it immediately and explaining the serious safety concerns, the owner denied that he had agreed to the refund.
So not only did I lose the cost of the van, I also lost money on camping supplies, a prepaid campground, and days off work that I had already arranged and the Airbnb I was forced to book at the very last minute. I had to scramble to book a condo just to salvage my trip.

Why These Vans Struggle at High Elevation:
1. Turbo vs. Naturally Aspirated Engines:
Many Amazon vans (like the Ram ProMaster) have naturally aspirated engines. These engines lose significant power at elevation because they rely on air density, which drops dramatically at higher altitudes. Vehicles with turbochargers do better because they compress air for the engine. If a van isn’t turbocharged, it can stall, lose power, or overheat more easily at 8,000–10,000 feet.
2. Stop-Start Technology Glitches:
Amazon vans are often equipped with auto stop/start features to save fuel. That’s likely what the owner meant by “stalling by design.” However, these systems are known to malfunction when battery health is poor or when the van is climbing or descending at high elevation, leading to unintended stalls or failure to restart.
3. Heavy Wear and Tear:
Retired Amazon vans are driven hard in urban routes and often retired after hitting mileage caps. They’re rarely maintained to camper van standards unless significantly upgraded—and many renters report mechanical issues, from stalling to battery and transmission problems, especially under stress.
4. Driver Reports & Forum Posts:
On RV and van life forums (e.g., Expedition Portal, Reddit’s r/VanDwellers), there are multiple posts warning about: