Black Sheep Campers: small 4×4 campers by Keflavík Airport

Most camper vans in Iceland are vans. Black Sheep Campers rent something smaller: SUVs with a flat bed in the back. You give up the kitchen counter and the standing room. In return, you get a car that parks anywhere, uses less fuel than a van, and, in the 4×4 versions, is allowed on the open highland roads.

It is a family business. Two brothers started it in 2016, and they now run it from a base three minutes from Keflavík Airport. I like Icelandic companies where the people answering your messages are the people who own the cars, and it shows in what their customers write about them.

Who Black Sheep Campers are

Black Sheep Campers have been renting campers since 2016. They were based in Reykjavík until 2026 and are now at Flugvellir 15, next to Keflavík Airport. The fleet is small, and every car in it is an SUV rather than a van.

Their customers rate them close to five stars on Google, from more than 170 reviews, and they score well on Trustpilot too. You can reach them by phone, email or WhatsApp, and the WhatsApp replies are what reviewers mention most.

Three ways to camp

A few things worth knowing before you choose:

• The Dusters are manual. If you have not driven a stick shift in years, an Icelandic gravel road is not the place to relearn. Take the electric C10 or wait for the BYD.
• The bed is the same in every car, flat and about 190 cm long. If you are taller than that, measure yourself honestly before you book.
• The electric C10 is not a highland car. It is quiet and cheap to run on the Ring Road, but it may not cross rivers.
• Rooftop tents are for summer. Black Sheep do not recommend them from November to March, and neither do I.

How pickup works

There is no rental counter. Everything happens by phone and lockbox.

1. Check in online before you fly, and add your flight number.
2. A free shuttle collects you at Arrivals at Keflavík Airport. The shuttle company contacts you by text or email.
3. The lockbox code arrives a few hours before pickup, once the booking is paid in full.
4. Open the lockbox, take the key, and drive off.

Returning is the same in reverse: park at the base, drop the key in the lockbox, and take the shuttle back to the terminal. That suits a late flight, and it suits an early one too.

Two tips from reading their reviews. Read the pickup instructions on the plane and save the address in your map, because a few people struggled to find the car in the dark. And film the car all the way round before you leave, which is the single most useful habit in my 12 camper van mistakes article.

What comes with the car

Every rental includes unlimited kilometers, basic collision cover, a second driver at no extra cost, roadside assistance around the clock, and the airport shuttle. You also get a full camping kit: sleeping bags or duvets, pillows, a stove and gas, pots and pans, plates and cutlery, a cool box, and a camping table and chairs.

Extras include higher insurance cover, child seats, a Wi-Fi hotspot and more camping gear. What each insurance level covers, and what it leaves out, is set out in their terms. Read them before you book, and confirm anything unclear with Black Sheep directly.

Staying warm at night

This is the part people get wrong, so here it is plainly. The Dusters and the BYD have an electric heater that only works when you plug in at a campsite with power. The electric C10 is different: it heats the cabin overnight from its own battery, with nothing running.

So from late August onwards, book campsites with an electricity hookup and pay the small extra for it. Bring a sleeping bag rated colder than you think you need, and a hat. Never run the engine to keep warm while you sleep.

Winter rentals

Black Sheep rent all year, with winter tyres on the cars. In winter they recommend the sleep-inside versions, not the rooftop tents. Only around twenty campsites in Iceland stay open through the winter, so plan each night around a site you have confirmed is open, and have a second one in mind.

I will be honest with you: a winter trip in a small camper is for people who enjoy that sort of thing. If you want to come in December and sleep warm, a car and guesthouses will serve you better, and you will still see everything.

What their customers say

I read their reviews on Google, Trustpilot, and Northbound before writing this; I included the critical ones.

What comes up again and again is the speed of the replies, mostly on WhatsApp, and that problems got fixed quickly. People like the self-service pickup, find the camping kit complete, and say the price is fair for what you get.

The criticism is just as useful. Some cars have plenty of kilometers on them. Some people found the number of emails before pickup a lot to keep up with. A few struggled to find the car in the dark. One reviewer was cold on freezing nights without an electric hookup, which is why I spelled out the heating above. That is a fair picture of a small company with sensible prices: not every car is brand new, but you get an answer fast when something goes wrong.

Is Black Sheep right for your trip?

It is a good fit if you are two people on a budget, if you want the open highland roads in summer, if your flight lands at an awkward hour, or if you want to drive the Ring Road in an electric car.

Pick a bigger campervan if you want to cook inside when it rains, need a toilet, or are three adults who all want to sleep inside. My other camper partners are on my camper van discount page.

Whichever you choose, a small camper rewards a slow trip. Fewer kilometres a day, two nights in the same place now and then, and coffee on the tailgate with someone you like. Sleep in. You are on holiday.

Frequently asked questions about Black Sheep Campers