We had a great time camping on Maui (especially driving the road to Hana) and 100% recommend this way of traveling to experience the island. While our experience with this specific rental company wasn’t perfect, with a few improvements this is an amazing option for traveling around Maui.
Christine was very quick to reply to messages and she offered some helpful tips for traveling around the island.
We were a bit surprised that the Element that was provided to us wasn’t the same as the one in the listing and the setup / supplies provided also differed from the photos.
The vehicle itself needed some maintenance and probably should not have been rented in the condition it was in. The horn in the steering wheel was not working (there was a button installed off to the side but we weren’t informed) The driver seatbelt / airbag sensor is out, and we aren’t sure if the airbags would have actually deployed in an accident. Lastly, the hinge locks on the doors are worn out. The doors don’t hold open and swing in or out when on any kind of grade, which can be challenging while car camping. I did address these issues directly to Christine suggesting she get them fixed before the next rental. I got the impression that she has a lot of Elements with various issues and is juggling that with a busy rental business. She told me all her cars have the broken door hinge locks and said she just warns people about it instead of getting it fixed.
In terms of supplies, the fan and lantern that were provided came with dead batteries so never functioned, and we didn’t have a proper blanket or frying pan for cooking but made it work for 5 nights. These items (full size blanket and pan) are shown in listing photos but were different in the actual car we received.
Plan to pick up some extra batteries for lights / extra propane and any other supplies on your way out of central Maui, as well as an aux cable and usb charging cable for your phone.
Christine’s Element definitely got us to some amazing places and provided a moderately comfortable setup for camping but could be a lot better and safer to drive with just a bit more care and diligence.