Owner Awards 2025

Meet New Zealand's 2025 Owner of the Year Runners-Up: Camila and Andy from Just Go Campers

The 2025 Camplify Owner Awards celebrate the people who make our community brilliant – and this year's Owner of the Year Runners-Up for New Zealand are a Christchurch couple who turned a travel obsession into an "Airbnb on wheels" experience that hirers can't stop raving about.

Camila and Andy launched Just Go Campers in August 2022 with a single van they'd bought for personal adventures. Two years later, they're running four vehicles and proving that passion, responsiveness, and genuinely caring about your hirers goes a very long way.

When every van you wanted was booked

Camila's Camplify journey started as a frustrated would-be hirer – and that frustration became inspiration.

On how it all started...

"I've been obsessed with campervans since I moved to New Zealand," Camila says. "Every time I searched for one to rent, Camplify always came up. But every time I tried, the ones I liked were always booked."

That demand sparked an idea. When Camila and Andy returned from four months of overseas travel, they decided to try the campervan lifestyle for themselves rather than setting up a traditional home again.

"We bought a van for personal use – a Ford Transit 350L we called Yeti," Andy explains. "Then we said, why don't we try and make an experience for other people out of it and start a small business?"

It took off faster than they expected.

"Really quick," Camila laughs. "We thought maybe we need another one, and then another one."

Now she's put her foot down – no more vans. For now.

The fleet today

Two years in, Just Go Campers runs four vehicles from Christchurch: three LDV Deliver 9s plus their original "first love" Yeti. The vans are compact – around 5.9 metres – but fully equipped with showers, toilets, and everything hirers need.

Their approach? Create an Airbnb experience on wheels.

"Rather than just handing them a set of keys, we try and make it feel like home," Andy says. "Good quality bedding, extras, and we replenish certain things – especially for shorter bookings where people might not want to buy stuff that'll just go to waste."

Three Aussie girls and a compact van

With hirers from across the globe – "everywhere apart from Antarctica" – Camila and Andy have plenty of stories. One booking stands out.

On memorable hirers...

"Three Australian girls, very young, just left school," Andy recalls. "Having three young adults in a 3-berth, in a pretty tight space – since they left to when they returned, they were just fantastic all the way through."

"They were so full of life," Camila adds. "We remember them quite a lot. It was really nice."

The couple has discovered something that surprised them both: campervan life isn't just for the young and adventurous.

"What surprised me most is realising that campervans are not just for young people – they're for everyone," Camila says. "We've had all sorts of ages. Someone 80 years old, and people who are 23, 24, 25. Campervan lifestyle is for everyone, no matter the age."

Good photos, good photos, good photos

Camila's background in photography shows in their listings – and she's emphatic about what makes listings work.

Their top tips for new owners:

"Good photos, good photos, good photos – and a good description," Camila says. "People need to know what they're getting. Everything comes through the eyes. If it looks nice and appealing, people get excited to see it for themselves."

Andy adds their other secret weapon: responsiveness.

"One thing that's really stood out through all our hires is being responsive. Going back and forth with communication, answering questions about New Zealand, about the lifestyle, what they need to carry."

They don't just hand over keys – they share their love of New Zealand.

"We love sharing what we love about the country," Camila says. "If hirers have questions or want to know about spots, that's part of the process for us."

For owners looking to improve their listings, our guide on maximising earnings with a quality listing covers similar ground.

Where they'd send you first

Based in Christchurch, Camila and Andy are perfectly positioned for South Island adventures. Andy's passionate about steering hirers toward the mountains.

"Lake Tekapo for the night sky and stargazing – beautiful place," he says. "The hike up to Mount John, the cafe and observatory, then coming down to hang out in the hot pools all day."

But his top recommendation? A free adventure most tourists don't know about.

"Cave Stream. It's free to do, not everybody knows about it, and if they do it, I'm sure they'll say it's the highlight of their trip. You need a head torch, you don't need a wetsuit – just be a bit brave and don't drop your torch in the water."

Andy's advice for Australians visiting? Skip the beaches.

"You don't need to come to New Zealand for beaches. The heart of New Zealand's in the middle – it's all the mountains."

Planning your own South Island loop? Our Christchurch to Christchurch road trip guide covers the best routes.

The freedom to change plans

For Camila and Andy, the RV lifestyle is about flexibility.

"The good thing about RVs is that your itinerary can actually change," Camila says. "If the weather's not good, you have that freedom. You can choose if you want to cook, if you want to shower in the van or somewhere else. You have options."

They live what they preach. A recent winter snowboarding trip proved the point perfectly.

"We couldn't complete the full weekend because we were in so much pain from falling," Andy laughs. "The Sunday we couldn't even move. We were like two sardines just lying there staring at each other. Thank god we didn't have to drive all the way back to Christchurch."

Ready to hit the road? Whether you're exploring the Southern Alps or chasing starlight at Lake Tekapo, Camila and Andy will have you sorted with quality gear and genuine Kiwi hospitality.

Meet all our 2025 Owner Award winners here.

Interested in meeting the Owner who took the title of Owner of the Year? Meet Tamie and Matt here.

Got an RV gathering dust? See how Camila and Andy turned one personal van into a four-vehicle operation in just two years. Discover what your vehicle could earn.