FAQs

 

I. General

  • Vanish is a campervan rental service with locations in Jersey City, NJ, Austin, TX and Frederick, MD. We offer fully-outfitted campervan rentals to guests ages 25 and over.

  • Yes, we have space for one vehicle per rental at our Jersey City, Austin and Frederick locations. Just a heads up that we are not responsible for your personal vehicle at any time.

  • Unlike hotels, which charge by the night, Vanish’s rates are charged by the day. For example, a Friday to Sunday reservation would count for three days, not two. Why? It all revolves around the cleaning schedule. When staying at a hotel, you expect to check-in around 3pm and be out by 10am, giving the staff the middle of the day to clean. At Vanish, we’d rather see you pick-up in the morning, leaving plenty of time to reach your campsite before sunset, and return the van in the afternoon at your leisure.

  • Our hours are between 9am and 5pm. You can pick-up and drop-off your rental anytime within that window.

  • Your rental comes with 200 free miles included per day. For example, a 5-day trip includes 1,000 miles for free. Additional miles are charged at a rate of $0.95 per mile.

  • Jersey City: 395 10th St, Jersey City, NJ 07302 (Intersection of 10th St and Brunswick St). Click here for directions.

    Austin: 979 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX 78702. Click here for directions.

    Frederick: 6809 Bowmans Crossing Unit A-2, Frederick, MD 21703. Click here for directions.

  • Jersey City, NJ - 395 10th St, Jersey City, NJ 07302

    The closest airport is Newark Liberty International Airport, which is about a 20 minute Uber or Lyft to our location. Via public transport, you can take the NJ Transit train to Newark - Pennsylvania Station and transfer to the PATH train going towards the World Trade Center, getting off at Grove St.

    Austin, TX - 979 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX 78702

    Your fastest route from Austin Bergstrom International Airport is by Uber or Lyft, which takes 9 minutes total to get from the airport to our vans at 979 Springdale Road.

    Frederick, MD - 6809 Bowmans Crossing Unit A-2, Frederick, MD 21703

    Your fastest route from any DC airport (Dulles, Reagan or BWI) is by Uber or Lyft, which takes about 60 minutes to get to our vans at 6809 Bowmans Crossing Unit A-2 in Frederick, MD.

  • All renters are required to select an insurance option during check-out. The deductible is $1,500 on claims, with different tiers that provide different coverage limits.

  • 100% refund of booking total up to 30 days before pickup. 75% refund if trip is cancelled within 30 days of pickup.

II. Vans

  • To view a chart outlining the similarities and differences between our Standard, Plus, and Quad vans, visit The Vans page.

  • Yes! Each campervan rental comes with a toilet in an enclosed bathroom for privacy. Nature’s Head composting toilets are the gold standard among vanlifers for their odor elimination, cleaning ease and low environmental impact.

  • All vans have an outdoor shower with hot water at the back of the campervan with a shower curtain for privacy. Our Plus and Quad models also have an indoor shower.

    • 26 gallons fresh water

    • Sheets, quilted blanket and pillows

    • Towels

    • Plates, cups, bowls, utensils, cutlery, cutting board

    • Pot and pan

    • Pour-over coffee filter

    • Toilet paper and paper towels

    • Outlets - USB and standard

    • Window covers

    • Trash container

    • Biodegradable soap

    • Lighter

    • Can opener and corkscrew

    For a full overview of amenities, check out our virtual tour.

  • Yes! We are dog-friendly and cat-friendly. A maximum of two pets can come along for the ride. A $40 pet fee applies.

  • There is air conditioning in the front cab (when the vehicle is running), as well as a two-fan system in the main cabin — but for the purpose of keeping the entire van super cool throughout the night or day, we recommend adding on the Cool-A-Zone portable A.C. add-on at checkout.

III. Your Trip

  • Anywhere in the US or Canada is fair game. Head to our Field Guide for a curated list of places to stay and things to do.

  • The Vanish Mapper™️ is a tool we created for our guests to build custom road trip itineraries tailored to their travel “style.”

    • Clothes and footwear

    • Groceries (bring your own salt & pepper to save a store purchase)

    • Bug spray and sunscreen

    • Toiletries

  • Experienced van-lifers often look for free overnight parking in shopping centers or on residential streets. This so-called “stealth camping” may sound appealing, but we generally don’t recommend it for first-timers. Waking up in a parking lot isn’t as fun as waking up in nature! Check out our guide on how to find campsites for your campervan.

  • Vanish is making vanlife accessible to anyone, but it isn’t necessarily for everyone. Our happiest travelers embrace the principle of self-reliance, getting to experience the sense of accomplishment that comes from living off-the-grid. We welcome anyone that brings an open mind!

  • Campgrounds usually have different types of sites for different types of RVs. We recommend choosing the most basic (cheapest) option, as the pricier sites cater to bigger RVs with more needs. A few things to know:

    • 20ft van length

    • An electric hook-up is not necessary (the vans are designed to be off-grid), but if you want an electric hookup for peace of mind, pick a site with a 30 amp connection

    • No need for a sewage hookup