Ridgeline Campervan

The van was great and met our needs for our 10 day tour of national parks. Unfortunately, our experience with Basecamper owner/operators Matt and Mark were not great. One of the determining factors in renting from Basecampers was the 8' awning that was listed as included equipment with the van we rented. Upon delivery of the van, the awning was missing. When brought to the attention of Mark, the owner from whom we took delivery, he said that not all their vans have awnings and there was nothing he could do to get us a vehicle with an awning. We explained to him that this was not an acceptable answer and that it was major factor in picking this van. He apologized and insisted there was no way to get an awning that day, so we asked about a refund for this portion of our rental, he said he's not the one able to make that decision, that he would have to talk to Matt, the other owner who was in Alaska at the time. Prior to our departure, we agreed that we'd take it up with Matt upon our return and were told this wouldn't be an issue. Off we went on our 10 day adventure. Upon arrival back to Basecampers, we checked in with Matt. He did a walk around and recorded the mileage and found everything in good standing. We then brought up the missing awning. He aggressively stated, “You are not getting any money back. Period.” We were obviously confused by this as the awning was listed as included equipment and Mark gave us the impression this would not be an issue, so we asked “Why not?” He then became visibly agitated. His hands were trembling and he was turning red. He replied with “I’m so tired of people coming in here trying to nickel and dime me.” Trust me, if we were trying to nickel and dime this company, we would have brought up all of the missing items listed below. We attempted to have a civilized conversation suggesting that we work out a compromise with our mileage overage (we owed about $305) or maybe he could us a refund of $10/day, nothing excessive. He flat out told us that there was no way we were receiving a refund for anything, that we signed a contract when we took delivery of the van, and any missing equipment should have been brought up at that time. We expressed that we did bring it up to Mark at delivery, and he said, "I guess Mark and I are playing Good Cop, Bad Cop but you would have found something wrong with any van I gave you." He then suggested that we should have refused delivery and should have just left at that time. We flew in from the east coast and his solution to the missing awning was to refuse delivery and simply leave?!?!? At this point, the conversation became less civilized and he told us the “get the f**k out of his shop.” We left and were never given the opportunity to sign any return agreement. Just to be clear: We have a lot of experience with overlanding. We have a built-out van and truck. We are not novices to this type of travel and know what is needed and what to expect out of this type of vehicle. But since we had limited vacation time, we decided to fly out and rent a vehicle. We chose to work with Basecamper because of what was listed on their website as included equipment. I have screenshots of what’s was included at the time of our reservation because I sent them to my wife. They have since modified the description of what’s included with their vans so hopefully future renters will have a better experience as they know what it is lacking upfront. Our exchange with Matt left a foul taste in our mouths and I can only warn others on here, if you choose to use these guys, make sure you review everything from the list on their description prior to accepting delivery of the van. And have a backup plan. You might want to print out this review as well so you know what isn’t included and you can stop by REI and pick them up before leaving for your trip. Here's the list of items that were listed in the "what comes with my van" link they sent us but were missing at delivery: 1. 8' Awning 2. "His and Her" synthetic Big Agnes sleeping bags that can zip together (Also noted at delivery and again told the didn't have any to give) They gave us comforters instead 3. Coffee mugs (there were two plastic cups, that were dirty, and not up for hot coffee duty) 4. Coffee kettle 5. Jumper cables 6. Fix-a-flat 7. Tire pressure gauge 8. Sharp kitchen knife (List says it comes with 3, they gave us two bent dull pairing knives instead. The photos clearly show a good sized chefs knife as part of the kit) 9. Lighter. (This wasn't missing, however it was the worst lighter I’ve ever used. It was difficult to light even in very low to no wind.) 10. Can opener. (Again, not missing, but it wouldn't open a can. We tried both ways, from the top, and from the side. It just made a gnarly mess of a can) 11. Windshield wipers. (Again, not missing but seriously dull to the point that it would have been dangerous to try to drive in any type of wet weather which we thankfully did not) The following is a list of things that we assumed would be part of a "Camper Van" and were not part of Basecamper vans: 1. No fulltime 12v outlets. This means you can't charge your phones, tablets, or cameras w/o leaving the ignition completely turned on. So no charging anything after full day of hiking unless you like all the dash lights on while you're sleeping and the possibility of waking up with a dead battery 2. No privacy curtains. If you want to get changed in a national park campground, your wife better not be modest. 3. No place to stash anything while you're sleeping (think of a pocket in a tent). Not a huge deal but it's not fun to rummage around your bed in the dead of night to find your headlamp to go to the bathroom.

Matt and Jenn were solid and reliable folks in making my quick getaway happen. Communication was on spot and not over-bearing, the vehicle was ready to go when promised and appropriately outfitted, and the location is a breeze for those going to Salt Lake. The Dodge Promaster I rented was well laid out, in tip-top condition, and sipped gas. It made my run up to Jackson Hole a real pleasure. I'd be quick to do business with Matt again should I find myself in Salt Lake,

This trip was awesome! We rented a Mark 2 and it was perfect for my wife and I. We took this thing everywhere in Yellowtone. We were able to get camp sites at every park without reserving before or getting up early because of the size of the vehicle. The vehicle had everything we needed to cook full meals at the campsite! We ate one meal at a restaurant everything else was cooked, so the gear you receive is more than enough to camp for months! Once concern was that it was bit cold so they could use a larger blanket since it was kind of hard to cover both of us, even though we are small people!

Amazing service, everything you need is in there. I recommend it to friends and family.

The van was in good shape, just as described. Matt was very easy to work with and a great communicator. We had a great time and hope we the chance to do it again.

My experience was great, everything I needed came with the van, it was kitted out perfectly and the van itself was in great shape. Matt gave me advice and recommendations and answered all my questions . Check out the van was quick, easy and convenient. I will definitely use them again!