If you’re searching for Escape Campervans and landing on auction pages instead of booking confirmations, you’re not alone. Escape officially closed its doors in November 2025 after nearly two decades and more than 600 hand-painted campervans on American roads. Their fleet is being sold off through online auctions, and no new rentals are available.
For the 90,000+ travelers who rented with Escape over the years, it’s a real loss. Those colorful Mavericks and Mesas became synonymous with affordable road trip freedom – Pacific Coast Highway cruises, national park loops, cross-country adventures on a budget.
But if Escape was your go-to for campervan road trips, the good news is you still have great options. Here’s what you need to know heading into 2026.
What Happened to Escape Campervans?
Escape Campervans launched in 2009 and grew to 13 locations across the United States and Canada, with a fleet of over 600 vehicles. They were one of the first companies to make campervan rentals accessible and affordable for everyday travelers – not just hardcore RV enthusiasts.
In late 2025, the company announced it was ceasing operations. The remaining 400+ campervans are being auctioned through bidadoo in partnership with Hilco Global. If you had a reservation with Escape, you should have received communication about refunds or rebooking options.
If you’re still waiting on a deposit refund from Escape, contact them directly — they’re processing refunds for the $250 deposits on canceled bookings.
What Made Escape Great and What to Look for in an Alternative
Escape earned a loyal following for a few specific reasons, and those are exactly the things you should look for when choosing your next campervan rental:
Affordable daily rates — Escape averaged $114–$150 per night, making campervanning accessible to travelers who weren’t ready to spend $250+ per night on a luxury Sprinter conversion.
Fully equipped vans — kitchen setup with sink, fridge, and stove; bedding; dual battery with solar panel. Everything you needed to camp comfortably without buying a pile of gear.
Multiple West Coast locations — Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and more, with one-way rental options so you could do a proper coast-to-coast or park-to-park road trip.
Easy for first-timers — campervans that drove like regular vans, not intimidating Class C motorhomes. You didn’t need RV experience to pick up and go.
Travellers Autobarn: The Closest Match to What Escape Offered
We’re not going to pretend we’re unbiased here — this is our blog. But we’ll give you the honest comparison and let you decide.
Travellers Autobarn operates from the same three cities that were Escape’s busiest hubs: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. Like Escape, we specialize in affordable, fully equipped campervans that are easy to drive and don’t require any RV experience. We’ve been in the campervan rental business for over 20 years and have a 4.5 Google rating from more than 6,000 customers.
Here’s how we compare to what Escape offered:
| Feature | Escape (was) | Travellers Autobarn |
|---|---|---|
| Locations (West Coast) | LA, Vegas, SF + 10 others | Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco |
| Daily Rate Range | $114–$150/night | From ~$89/night |
| Unlimited Miles | No (100 free/day) | Yes — always free |
| One-Way Rentals | Yes | Yes |
| Kitchen Included | Yes (sink, fridge, stove) | Yes (varies by model) |
| Bedding Included | Optional add-on | Optional ($45 flat fee) |
| Van Models | Mavericks, Mesa, Del Mar, Big Sur | Minivan, Chubby, Beeva, HiTop, Kuga, Hi5 |
| Sleeps | 2–5 depending on model | 2–5 depending on model |
| Pet Friendly | Yes ($150 fee) | No |
| 24/7 Roadside Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Deposit | $250 | $206 |
The big difference: UNLIMITED MILES. Escape charged per mile after 100 free miles per day, which added up fast on longer road trips. Every Travellers Autobarn rental includes free unlimited miles, every day of the year. On a two-week Los Angeles–to–Grand Canyon–to–Las Vegas loop, that alone can save you hundreds of dollars.
Our Campervan Fleet
We offer six models ranging from ultra-budget to family-sized. Here’s how they stack up, from most affordable to most feature-rich:
Minivan
Our most budget-friendly option. The Minivan is a 2012–2019 model that’s perfect if you just need a reliable vehicle to get you from A to B with the option to sleep in the back. It doesn’t come with a built-in kitchen, but you can add a camping equipment pack for $45 that includes a tent, camping chairs, table, gas cooker, and cooking gear. You can also rent a folding foam mattress with sleeping bags and pillows to sleep inside the vehicle. If price is your number one priority and you’re comfortable with a more basic setup, this is your van.
Chubby Camper
A step up from the Minivan and one of our best value options. The Chubby Camper has a 2024–2025 interior fitout and comes equipped with an electric ice box, gas cooker, solar panel, USB ports, LED lights, and a built-in heater for cooler nights. Seats and sleeps 2. This is a great pick if you want built-in camping functionality without the size of a full campervan — similar in spirit to Escape’s Mavericks.
Beeva Camper
Our newest compact camper, built on a Ford Transit with a 2024–2025 interior. The Beeva Camper comes with a full kitchenette (gas cooker, sink, and fridge), solar panel, 120V power points, USB ports, and a built-in heater. Very spacious for a 2-berth and one of the best-equipped compact campervans available at this price point. If you loved the simplicity and self-sufficiency of Escape’s vans, the Beeva is the closest match in our fleet.
HiTop Campervan
Designed for 2–3 people, the HiTop Campervan gives you something the smaller models don’t: enough headroom to stand up inside. It features practical cooking and storage areas and is a solid middle-ground option for travelers who want more living space without jumping to a larger van. Affordable and economical, with all the essentials for extended road trips.
Kuga Campervan
Our most popular model, and for good reason. The Kuga Campervan features a full built-in kitchen with fridge, microwave, gas stove, and sink. The interior fitout is from 2019–2024, with enough space to stand up and move around comfortably. It’s equipped with a rooftop solar panel, 120V power points, and USB charging. Sleeps 2–3 and is ideal for travelers who want a fully self-contained campervan experience. This is the closest equivalent to Escape’s Mesa — the do-everything road trip van.
Hi5 Campervan
Our largest and newest model, built between 2022–2024. The Hi5 Campervan comfortably seats and sleeps up to 5 people, making it the go-to for families with young children or groups of friends. It features three front seats and two directly behind, a full kitchen at the rear, two fridges, a spacious living area, and a rooftop solar panel. This fills the gap left by Escape’s Big Sur, which was their largest and most popular family-sized van.
Where to Pick Up Your Campervan
If you used to rent from Escape’s Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or San Francisco locations, you can pick up from Travellers Autobarn in the same cities:
Los Angeles — Our depot is near LAX, just like Escape’s was. Take an Uber or Lyft from the terminal and you’re at our office in about 15 minutes. From Los Angeles, you’re perfectly positioned for the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, or south to San Diego.
Las Vegas — The gateway to the Southwest’s national parks. Pick up your van and within a few hours you can be in Zion, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, or Bryce Canyon. Low-season rates from Las Vegas are some of the best deals in campervan rentals anywhere.
San Francisco — Our Bay Area location puts you within striking distance of Yosemite, the Redwoods, and the entire Northern California coast. A popular route is San Francisco down the Pacific Coast Highway to Los Angeles with a one-way rental.
Popular Road Trips That Escape Customers Loved (and You Can Still Do)
The Pacific Coast Highway (Los Angeles ↔ San Francisco) — The classic California coastal drive. Pick up in one city, drop off in the other. Stop at Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Barbara, and dozens of beach campgrounds along the way. Best done over 5–7 days to avoid rushing past the best parts.
The National Parks Loop from Las Vegas — Hit Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands in a 10–14 day loop. This was one of Escape’s most popular routes, and for good reason — Utah’s parks are some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country.
Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon — Drive through the Mojave Desert, stop at Route 66 landmarks, camp on the South Rim. Add Joshua Tree and Sedona for a 7–10 day trip that covers desert, canyon, and red rock country. This road trip is one for the books!
The California National Parks Circuit — Start in San Francisco or Los Angeles and loop through Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Death Valley. Mix in some coastal time and you’ve got a 2–3 week trip that covers the full diversity of California.
Read through all our epic road trip itineraries and best campgrounds to visit in full!
Ready to Book Your Road Trip?
Escape may be gone, but the open road isn’t going anywhere. Whether you’re a longtime Escape customer looking for your next van or planning your very first campervan road trip, we’d love to help you get out there.
Get a free quote in under a minute — just choose your dates, pick your van, and you’re on your way.
Dreaming of owning a campervan yourself? See our current campervans & RV’s for sale.
Questions? Our team is here to help you plan your trip. We’ve been doing this for over 20 years and we know these roads inside out. Contact us today!
FAQs
No. Escape has permanently ceased operations and their remaining fleet is being sold through public auction. This is not a temporary pause — the company has officially closed after nearly 20 years.
Escape is processing refunds for deposits on canceled reservations. If you haven’t received yours, contact Escape directly through the information on their website at escapecampervans.com.
Travellers Autobarn consistently offers some of the lowest daily rates in the market, starting from around $89 per night depending on the model, season, and rental length. Combined with unlimited free miles on every rental, overall trip costs are often lower than what Escape charged (since Escape had mileage fees after 100 miles per day).
No. All of our campervans can be driven with a standard driver’s license. If you can drive a regular car, you can drive our vans. International visitors with a valid license from their home country are welcome.
Yes. You can pick up at one Travellers Autobarn location and drop off at another. For example, pick up in Los Angeles and drop off in San Francisco (or vice versa). This is one of the most popular options for Pacific Coast Highway road trips.
Every rental includes unlimited free miles, 24/7 roadside assistance, and basic insurance. Kitchen and bedding packs are available as optional add-ons ($45 flat fee). Our Kuga, Hi5, and Beeva models come with built-in kitchens. All vehicles include USB charging, and most models feature a rooftop solar panel for off-grid power.
It depends on which Escape model you rented. If you had a Mavericks, our Chubby Camper or Beeva Camper are the closest match — compact, affordable, and equipped for camping. If you rented a Mesa, our Kuga is the equivalent — fully self-contained with a full kitchen, solar, and standing room. If you traveled in Escape’s Big Sur, our Hi5 is the family-sized alternative with seating and sleeping for up to 5.
For peak season (May through October), we recommend booking at least 4–6 weeks ahead, especially for one-way rentals. Off-season (November through April) has more availability and lower rates, but popular spring break and holiday weekends still fill up. The longer you rent, the better the daily rate — discounts apply automatically at 7+, 14+, 21+, and 34+ days.
DISCLAIMER: All information provided, including prices, availability, and site details, is correct at the time of publishing. We recommend contacting campsites or caravan parks directly to confirm the latest details before planning your visit. Please review our Terms and Conditions for additional information.
SEE OUR CAMPERVANSAbout the Author
Bastian Graf
Bastian is the Sales & Marketing Manager here at Travellers Autobarn. He holds a Master of Commerce in Marketing and International Business Management, and 20+ years experience in campervan hire, road trips and travel.
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Our Campervans
Seats 2-5
Tent Optional
Chairs Optional
Ice Box Optional
Ext. Table Opt.
Gas Cooker Opt.
