Apollo vs Britz campervan: which hire suits your road trip?

Apollo and Britz both sit in the mainstream Australian campervan hire world, so the biggest trap is treating the badge like a guarantee. The useful comparison is the vehicle class, age band, layout, included gear and depot rules on the day you book. A 2-berth high-top and a 6-berth motorhome can feel like different planets, even if the logo on the key tag is familiar.

As a broad rule, Apollo often appeals to travellers watching the budget and wanting a wide spread of camper styles, while Britz is commonly picked by first-timers who like a touring-focused, established feel. But fleet mix changes by depot, season and availability, so compare the exact listing rather than pub-chat wisdom from someone who hired in 2017.

• Do compare: bed size, internal toilet/shower, transmission, fuel type, included kitchen kit, roadside support terms and whether linen is included.
• Do not compare: just the nightly headline price. Insurance excess, one-way fees, extra drivers and holiday park costs can move the real total.
• Reality check: a powered site in popular coastal towns can easily sit around $45–$85 per night in peak periods, and national park camps often need online booking before you arrive.

Apollo can be a good fit if your trip is more about covering ground than pretending the van is a hotel suite. Think two adults, a tidy packing system, a few powered sites each week and the occasional free camp where it is legal. The smaller end of the fleet is easier in supermarket car parks, ferry queues and older holiday parks with tight slabs.

The trade-off is comfort. Smaller campervans may not have an internal toilet or shower, and some are not accepted at free camps that require self-contained vehicles. In South Australia, Tasmania and parts of coastal Queensland, councils can be fussy: sleep only where signs allow it, because fines around $100–$300 are not rare.

• Best for: couples, solo travellers, city-to-coast loops, cheaper site fees and people who can shower at parks or pools.
• Watch for: limited standing room, small fridges, less storage and needing public amenities more often.
• Do: plan a powered site every 2–3 nights in hot weather so the fridge, devices and human morale recover.
• Do not: assume a pretty beachfront rest area allows overnight camping; if the sign says no camping, move on.

Britz tends to suit travellers who want the classic Australian motorhome experience without learning every lesson the dusty way. Families, two couples and first big-lappers often prefer a larger motorhome with internal shower/toilet, proper standing room and a table that does not need to be rebuilt like a puzzle at midnight.

That comfort costs you in fuel and manoeuvring. A 6-berth motorhome can be around 7.2–7.7 m long and 3.2–3.4 m high, which makes low tree branches, underground car parks and tight heritage-town main streets part of the day’s entertainment. Fuel use can sit roughly around 14–18 L/100 km depending on weight, wind and your right foot.

• Best for: families, longer trips, travellers wanting onboard bathroom access and more wet-weather living space.
• Watch for: higher fuel spend, dearer powered sites in some parks and fewer choices in compact urban campgrounds.
• Do: write the vehicle height on a sticky note near the dashboard before the first supermarket run.
• Do not: take a large motorhome onto unsealed roads unless the hire conditions specifically allow it.

Australia is not short of space, except precisely where you need to park a motorhome: beach towns in January, national park lookouts at 11 am and bottle-o car parks designed by someone with a bicycle. Smaller Apollo-style campervans win here. Larger Britz-style motorhomes win when the rain sets in and everyone needs elbow room.

For free camping, the magic words are usually self-contained. That means a toilet, wastewater storage and the ability to leave no trace. Some councils accept only vehicles with fixed onboard facilities; others simply ban overnight stays outside designated areas. Apps help, but the sign on the ground wins every argument.

• Small van advantage: easier street parking, cheaper ferries in some places and more relaxed fuel stops.
• Large motorhome advantage: better self-containment, onboard toilet at 2 am and fewer public-shower logistics.
• Typical limits: many city car parks cap height at 2.1–2.3 m, while many high-top campers and motorhomes exceed that.
• Do: arrive at first-night camp before dark; reversing a hire van by torchlight is a relationship test.

On a map, Australia lies. Adelaide to Alice Springs is about 1,530 km, Brisbane to Cairns is roughly 1,700 km, and Perth to Broome is about 2,240 km before side trips. In a campervan, that means fuel planning, rest breaks and not letting the tank drop below a quarter just because the next town looks close.

Smaller campervans commonly use about 10–14 L/100 km; bigger motorhomes often sit around 14–18 L/100 km. Add headwinds across the Nullarbor, air-conditioning, water tanks and a pantry full of tinned tomatoes, and the numbers creep. Road trains can be over 50 m long, so give them room, keep left and never play chicken with a bow wave on a narrow bitumen shoulder.

• Do: check fuel stops before remote legs; some servos close early or run limited hours on public holidays.
• Do: carry 10–20 L of drinking water per person for remote stretches, separate from the van tank.
• Do not: rely on phone coverage between towns; download maps and camp confirmations before leaving the coast.
• Rule of thumb: if the sign says next fuel 280 km, fill up now, even if the coffee is terrible.

If you are doing a shorter coastal loop, spending most nights in holiday parks and want easier parking, lean towards the smaller and simpler end of the Apollo range if the exact vehicle suits. If you are crossing states, travelling with kids or want the peace of an onboard bathroom, a Britz-style motorhome may earn its keep by day three.

The smart move is not loyalty; it is matching the van to the route. Tasmania rewards compact vehicles on winding roads. The Red Centre rewards fuel range, shade planning and dust discipline. The east coast rewards air-conditioning, early bookings and patience with every other big-lapper doing laundry at 7 pm.

• Choose Apollo-style: lower running costs, easier parking, lighter packing and more frequent campground facilities.
• Choose Britz-style: more space, better bad-weather comfort, onboard bathroom and family-friendly layouts.
• Before booking: check availability online for your dates, depot, one-way route and exact vehicle details.
• Final don’t: book a cheap van that cannot legally sleep where you plan to camp.