When I decided to book a trip to Norway, I had no other option than traveling by camper van. As a van owner in the United States, I am very comfortable driving and operating them. Also, I love the comfort of always having a bed made, a place to cook and store food, a shower, and a toilet, all within my reach. I find the self-contained nature of van travel incredibly satisfying.

I booked my van through Indie Campers having compared pricing and availability with CU campers. I will admit that Indie Campers was more expensive but the pickup location (very close to the Oslo airport), the reviews, the ease of booking, and the fact that I could add a foldable bike for an extra $10/week made my decision.

What I liked best about CU campers was that they offered unlimited mileage. With Indie I had to pay extra to increase my allowance from 100 km per day to 200 km per day. The free insurance package that Indie offered was also a bit lacking. I ended up paying extra to have a policy that would replace the vehicle if I was involved in an accident. Without that, I could be vehicle-less 2 days into a 5 week trip. Because of this, I considered it to be trip insurance.

I opted for the Nomad which to me was a perfect blend of space and maneuverability. It is also almost identical to what I own! The Nomad is a WEINSBERG CaraBus 600 MQ– a German conversion with a fiat diesel engine. I loved it so much that I was trying to figure out how to buy one after only four days of driving around Norway!

What I loved about the Nomad:

• Fantastic fuel economy (diesel is still cheaper than gas in Norway)
• Full kitchen
• Spacious bathroom
• Roomy sleeping area
• Plentiful storage
• Great light- lots of windows/skylights
• Easy to park anywhere
• Lots of seating options- both front seats swivel
• A large table

My only criticism of the van is the oil issue I ran into in the previous post. When I returned the van in Oslo the technician confirmed my suspicion: the Fiat diesel engine burns through oil. I never once saw any oil drips but still somehow it was disappaiting. It was very, very slow but if you rent or own this vehicle I highly recommend always traveling with an extra quart to top off from time to time.

Unfortunately, my experience with Indie Campers was less positive. And here is why:

• It was nearly impossible to get questions answered before my trip as they have outsourced all customer service and I was never given the contact info of the Oslo location that I was renting from.
• If I had any issues on the actual trip I had to utilize this inefficient customer service platform and could not contact the location that I rented the vehicle from. I found this incredibly frustrating with what I had spent to rent this vehicle for 5 weeks.
• The Oslo Indie location clearly did not check or top off any of the fluid levels. For a van departing for 5 weeks and traveling 6,800 kilometers, I cannot understand this. I would come to find out that when I picked up the van, it was nearly a quart low on oil. And with a quart of oil costing $30 in Norway, this was especially frustrating.
• The Oslo Indie location also did not conduct a basic check of how the components inside the van were working. Several window shades were broken. One stove burner never worked. And the shower curtain was missing from the shower.

I quickly got used to the “quirks” but questioned whether I would rent from Indie again. At the very least now I know what to check before leaving the pickup location!

None of this dampened my experience in Norway but I do think it is important to share for those who may consider this type of trip.

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Lessons from: My Home

• Biltema is a fantastic store to buy AdBlue (aka DEF Fluid) if you rent a diesel van in Norway. They are located in most larger cities, although are much more scarce in the far north. And don’t forget to buy a funnel as well! I did.
• Always check the fluid levels in your vehicle before leaving the pickup location.
• Always check that the camper components are working correctly: blinds, stove, fridge, etc.
• Consider the customer service experience before deciding on a rental company.