Jucy RV Rentals leads a movement downsizing at least a portion of the RV market. While full timers probably won’t be looking to live out of one of Jucy’s campervan rentals, millennials think they’re pretty sweet.
We first heard about them through a story by a USA Today writer who took one on a five day road trip up the California coast.
The Jucy campervan is built on a Chrysler minivan chassis and is well equipped – you might even say it comes with everything, including the kitchen sink. The interior provides all of the necessities for a short camping trip, with plenty of room to sleep.
Jucy, the company behind the RV rental operation, is the brainchild of brothers Tim and Dan Alpe. They currently run rental services in Australia, the USA and New Zealand. Their vehicles, painted a bright green and purple, have made Jucy a household brand in Australia, something they hope to duplicate here in the United States.
The Jucy campervan’s dinette has seating for four.
Jucy designs and builds out their own conversions to ensure the best in quality control. Their campers are manufactured in Los Angeles and in Helensville, New Zealand. Dan Alpe had this to say about their move into the US market,
RV-ing in the United States is huge. But operating some RVs is a scary, intimidating experience. We’re going to bring a different group of people into the market. We are getting young people saying, this is a cool thing to do.
While in travel mode, the campervan seats five comfortably. In sleeper mode, there’s only room for four adults – two in the rear seat bed conversion and two in the roof top pop up sleeper. The root top tent has a hard top and fabric sides, and is more substantial than your average homemade roof top tent camper.
The Jucy rooftop popup sleeps two.
Rental packages can include bedding to fit both spaces for a small additional fee. This is great for those “campers” who prefer not to sleep in sleeping bags, which frequently smell of gym socks and musty closets (which is part of the charm of camping, right?).
The van is designed for ease of use, since it’s mostly rented to “weekend warriors” who venture out only occasionally. For instance, the popup can be raised and lowered from just one crank point. More serious campers who travel regularly and generally like more space might want something more substantial for their road trip.
Rear seating converted into a bed for two.
The interior seats fold flat to accommodate a booth style dining table with seating on both sides, adequate for four. We are guessing that with the heavier springs and padding of minivan seats, they’re more comfortable than the standard RV dinette.
Oh, about that “kitchen sink” I mentioned. The rear of the Jucy camper van contains one of the best outfitted tiny kitchens we’ve seen, complete with an integrated water tank and traditional RV sink (a must-have for “non primitive” camping).
The Jucy campervan kitchen comes fully equipped.
You’ll also find an integrated oven and slide-out cook stove within arm’s reach. Two generous, if not huge, drawers allow for plenty of storage for lots of cooking gear. While you’ll have to stand outside to cook, the van’s rear door serves as a natural canopy.
Watch how everything fits inside this converted minivan.
Learn more at the Jucy RV Rentals website.
