Hokkaido Nomad Rental Car
北海道ノマドレンタカーWinter-readyfrom ¥27,500 a day
Hokkaido Nomad rents the largest Hokkaido-based camper fleet from Chitose, with studless tyres and FF heaters on its 4WD cab-overs, though a winter cab-over runs ¥41,800 a day and some foreign customers are barred from December to 20 March.
Photo aokomoriuta（青子守歌） · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Nomad keeps its fleet in one yard in Chitose, about seven minutes from New Chitose Airport on the free shuttle. In winter the domestic cab-overs are the ones to book: ZIL and Cordebanks on Camroad 4WD chassis, studless tyres from mid-October, an FF heater and a fridge, and on the newer units a room air conditioner that runs off a hookup. The European Adrias are two-wheel drive. Winter rates are flat across the season at ¥41,800 a day for a cab-over, and the heated Every kei van costs ¥27,500.
The company writes more about ski trips than anyone else here. Its winter page names partner spots near each ski region, and RV Park Kutchan is free for Nomad customers ten minutes from Hirafu. Water lines are closed from November to March. Read the winter restriction before you book, because riders from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia need proof of three snowy winters behind the wheel.
What it does well
- + Biggest Hokkaido-only fleet, with more than sixty vans at one Chitose yard
- + Publishes a winter ski page with partner overnight spots near Niseko, Teine, Asahidake, Furano, Tomamu and Sahoro
- + English and Chinese-speaking staff on LINE and WhatsApp during the trip
- + Accepts the Hokkaido Expressway Pass
What to watch for
- – Campers are off-limits from 1 December to 20 March for many Asian customers without snow-driving experience
- – Water is disabled all winter, so there's no sink or on-board toilet flushing
5 vehicles
The vans you can rent車両
| Van | Sleeps | Base | 4WD | Studless | Engine-off heater | Toilet | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adria Matrix 600SL / Adria Compact | 4 | Fiat Ducato (European motorhome) | No | Yes | – | – | The winter page lists the Adria among the models that are not 4WD. |
| ZIL 520 / ZIL | 5 | Toyota Camroad cab-over | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | Seats 6. Some ZIL 520s need a semi-medium (jun-chugata) licence. |
| Cordebanks / Cordleaves / Cordrandy | 5 | Toyota Camroad cab-over | Yes | Yes | Yes | – | Seats 6 or 7. Cordrandy sleeps 4. |
| Re-Relax / Hymer Sydney GT | 4 | – | – | Yes | Yes | – | No room air conditioner. The Hymer has a pop-up roof. |
| Suzuki Every Nomad camper (FF heater) | 2 | Suzuki Every (kei van) | – | Yes | Yes | No | Seats 3. A cheaper Every without the heater exists; skip it in winter. |
Map
Pick-up points and places to sleep地図
Dashed red lines are roads closed for the winter. Toilets, combini, fuel, baths, campsites and michi-no-eki come from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and can be out of date. RV parks and depots are our own research. Use the locate button to see what's closest to you; your position stays on your device.
