If you’ve been in Australia, you may have seen the Jucy campervan on the road once or twice. You can’t really miss them if you do – they’re bright green with purple trim! But, Jucy is more than just some flashy colors on a mini-van; they actually provide some nice compact campervans with a number of amenities. Here is a run-down of my personal experience with the Jucy Crib campervan on my Sydney South Coast Circle road trip.
Jucy General Overview:
The Jucy company is fairly new with a nice fleet of 2008 vehicles that have been converted into campervans for travelers to tour in around the country. There are two main campervans on offer, the Jucy Crib and the Jucy Choppa, the Choppa being much like the Crib but with a 2-person penthouse pop-up area on the top (sleeping 4 instead of 2). New for 2010 is the Jucy Grande, which also sleeps 4 but comes with even more space and power. All of the vehicles have automatic transmission (thank you!), so you don’t have to learn how to drive a stick and on the opposite side of the road at the same time while down under.
>> Read more about the ins and outs of driving in Australia
Some of the amenities for the Jucy Crib in particular include: CD player, air conditioning, fridge/freezer, sink, gas cook-top, DVD player, a moon roof, chairs, bedding, dishes and pans, and you can even throw in a GPS for an extra $8.
My Favorite Features:
DVD Player – The DVD player in the back of the Jucy Crib came in handy more times than I can count during our week of use. It turns out that we planned a trip down to Sydney’s south coast in the absolute worst time as we were constantly bombarded with a slew of unusual weather circumstances (gale force winds, hail, fog and rain). Because of that, we spent a bit of time hanging out in the back of the campervan watching movies. And, what’s cooler is Jucy gives you the opportunity when picking up the vehicle to choose 3 free movies for the ride. If you finish them, you can simply exchange them with any other Jucy vehicle or location across the country.
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GPS – For an extra $8 you can include a GPS system to your Jucy experience. We used ours to avoid the toll roads when driving back into Sydney, so it definitely made up for the cost with that excursion alone. It’s also helpful to plan routes that are the shortest, or to help you avoid unsealed roads since they actually pop up quite often in Australia.
Fridge – The fridge in the Jucy Crib has two settings: fridge and freezer. What this means is you can use it to cool your drinks or freeze your meat and ice cream. This added feature makes it an even more viable option to save money by cooking in your Crib instead of eating out.
Bed – The back of the camper transforms into a full-sized bed with plenty of space to stretch out. All the bedding (sheets, blankets and pillows for 2) are included in the rental, so you don’t have to worry about sleeping bags or any extra equipment. The blanket provided is quite warm as well, meaning you’ll be toasty even on the cooler nights depending on where you’re traveling.
Driving the Jucy Crib:
As a person that is used to driving small cars, the Jucy Crib was nothing too dramatic as its compact size was easy to handle. I also enjoyed that it is not too tall, and windows circle the vehicle so there is optimal visibility. The only downside is the fact that pickup is lacking. We felt the slow pickup speed while driving through the Great Diving Range, even with the overdrive on. I highly suggest picking up some momentum before going up hills if at all possible.
What You Can Do With a Jucy Crib:
A Jucy Crib, like any campervan rental, gives you the opportunity to choose your own travel route around Australia and save money on accommodation along the way. You can choose to wake up next to the beach or in the mountains, or you can have a quiet dinner and movie in your own private space. You never have to worry about setting up a tent, and rain will never dampen your mood.
More About Jucy:
Jucy is green – not just in color! As a company, Jucy is green in the sense that they take certain measures to lower their impact on the environment through recycling and other promotions. One such promotion is the dirty discount where you can save $10 on your rental by taking a vehicle that hasn’t been cleaned to its shiny potential.
Jucy is located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns. If you think you’d be interested in renting a Jucy campervan on your next Australia road trip, have a look at their official website to get a quote.