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More Free Campervan Rentals From Road Trips for the Rock Stars

Two makes a trend as Road Trips for the Rock Stars joins ROAMERICA in offering free road trips to front-line workers. Nominations are open through May 31, and winners will be chosen by popular vote in early June.

By: Jonathan Stull + Save to a List

Good ideas are usually the most contagious ones. Throughout May, Portland-based campervan rental company GoCamp, in a collaborative effort it calls Road Trips for the Rock Stars, is collecting nominations for free campervan road trips for workers on the front line of the pandemic. Road Trips for the Rock Stars brings together a collective of 16 campervan companies throughout the West Coast and Canada, and so far the effort has collected more than 400 nominations.

The effort is the most recent among campervan rental companies to support front-line workers. Since April 1, Hood River-based ROAMERICA has been giving away a road trip a week, the contest’s first recipients both nurses. Deborah Kane, founder of GoCamp, thought there was room to do more. She brought together a coalition that includes RVshare, Outdoorsy, Escape Campervans, and several others to offer 300 free nights of campervan rentals, according to a report from ABC News San Diego.


Photo courtesy of Deborah Kane.

Kane also opened the contest to community support. In addition to nominations, community members interested in supporting winners can do so in two ways. They can donate to the Road Trips for the Rock Stars Fund directly, or they can schedule their own trip and pay a deposit. Road Trips for the Rock Stars will match any deposit of $250 with an additional free night and $500 with two free nights. Donations start at $25, and neither donations nor deposits are required to submit a nomination. As of May 26, the total number of free rental nights surpassed 530, allowing Road Trips for the Rock Stars to offer more free trips.

The community also decides who wins. Every nomination is posted on Road Trips for the Rock Stars, and the community will vote on who it wants to win a trip. Voting will take place in early June.


Photo courtesy of Deborah Kane.

Road Trips for the Rock Stars sought a way to give back as the pandemic spread around the world and customers canceled their reservations. "What I really want to say but I don't know if it will translate well is thanks for showing up," Derek Mason, cofounder of VanCraft, told ABC San Diego, "because we're here safe at home while they're on the front lines and risking their health and their livelihood, so thank you for that."

All road trip winners will receive a three-night rental throughout the U.S. and Canada in one of a wide variety of vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Vanagons, Jeeps with roof top tents, Dodge ProMasters, Sportsmobile conversion vans, and others. The vehicles accommodate anywhere from two to six people, and winners are allowed to bring friends or family.

Nominations are open only until May 31.

Cover photo courtesy of Deborah Kane.

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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