Star RV Motorhome Hire - Queenstown Avis 5

We rented a Polaris 6 campervan from Star RV, picking up and dropping off at Queenstown Airport, from 23 to 29 January 2026. Unfortunately, the vehicle had multiple issues throughout the trip, several of which raised genuine safety concerns for our family.

The bathroom door would sometimes fly open while driving. Kitchen drawers and overhead cupboards also opened in transit, and on one occasion bottles of water fell out of an overhead cabinet into the cabin. We were very lucky our children were not injured. We had raised a drawer issue at pick-up and staff adjusted one drawer, but the problem continued with that drawer and others for the rest of the trip. In the end, we had to buy gaffer tape ourselves to keep drawers shut while driving.

Other problems included constantly squealing brakes, a faulty grey water gauge that showed full even after emptying, a stove knob that had fallen off, air conditioning that blew hot air even when turned down, and a table in the middle seating area that slid along its rail while driving, including while our children were seated there.

We raised these issues with staff when we returned the vehicle and later wrote to request a partial refund equivalent to one day’s rental. What has been most disappointing is that the company has not even bothered to reply.

We enjoyed our time in New Zealand, but this campervan was not in a condition that met a reasonable standard for a family hire, and the lack of response afterwards has made the experience even worse.

If I could give it a zero I would.
Our trip didn't start well waiting 45 minutes in the freezing cold for shuttle collection but when we saw a fairly new model RV waiting for us things were looking up - or so we thought. The RV blew a major fuse on the first night (in negative temperatures) so we had to return it.
As a replacement they gave us the oldest grottiest piece of crap on the lot. The vehicle had done almost 300,000km and it showed.
There were broken panels all over the outside and some didn't lock. One even fell open as we were driving along the road.
Curtains were falling off the rails, there was no electric heating (and you can't use gas heating at night) so no hot water in the mornings, electrical appliances were not legal and there was no ladder to the top bed.
Because we had to change campers very quickly, because they were in a hurry, we left behind a bag with some personal items in it. It took 4 phone calls and 3 weeks to get it returned.
Then they over charged us for mileage because they didn't take a reading when we picked the vehicle up which was admitted by their manager.
We we complained they played everything down and made out like it was our problem.
The vehicle felt unsafe and I would not recommend them to my worst enemy.

Everything from the power to the car itself was bad. The power wouldn't work, laddler fell off and almost injured us, the breaks were bad etc.

Old and dated rv: 218,000km done, charging ports were USB and not USB c. Noisy engine.

Poorly maintained: internal table was damaged, 1 air con vent was damaged, both side mirrors couldn't be adjusted electronically.

I collected the motorhome on August 31, 2024, at 14:10. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the advertised luxury standards; the interior was outdated, and the engine made a troubling cranking noise. I requested a replacement because I needed to travel to Fox Glacier and use Arthur Pass to return to Christchurch, but my request was denied. While heading to Glenorchy, the desk fell to the floor, forcing me to drive back to StarRV Queenstown for repairs. My request for an exchange was once again rejected. The next morning, the motorhome displayed ABS and ESP warnings and advised a visit to a workshop. I returned to StarRV Queenstown and finally secured a replacement motorhome, but this process took until 12:48 pm, delaying my journey to Fox Glacier. This entire ordeal significantly disrupted my holiday and prevented me from enjoying the scenic route and attractions. I am deeply disappointed with the luxury motorhome provided by StarRV and am seeking compensation for the time lost and the impact on my holiday experience.