5 Things You Should Know Before Hiring a Campervan

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Hiring a campervan is perfect for anyone looking for adventure. Whether it is wild camping in Scotland, climbing the Fells of the Lake District, a family festival, exploring the stunning beaches of England’s South Coast or quite simply ‘trying before you buy’, then campervan hire is for you, but there are a few things you should consider before making your choice. Read on for five things you should know before hiring a campervan.

1. Research the different types of campervans

There are two main types of hire vans: motorhomes and campervans. Motorhomes offer more amenities and also provide more room for sleeping and living, but campervan are usually smaller enabling you to travel around with more ease.

Other general considerations include:

  • A VW campervan, or size equivalent is drivable on a standard driving licence.  However, most campervan hire companies only hire vans to those aged 25+. Some will consider 21+, so it is worth doing your research if you are in your early twenties.

  • Often companies will insure one driver, but additional drivers can be added for a fee. This varies considerably from

    £0 - £50+, so check this before booking if you intend on having two or more drivers.

  • Check that Breakdown Cover is included in your hire charge.

  • Most campervans sleep four people (the most common arrangement is a pull out bed for two adults and two children in the pop up roof). An awning or glawning is sometimes available at an additional charge if you want to sleep more people.  

2. Which company is best for campervan hire?

There are a few things to think about before you decide on your campervan hire company, the first thing being location. An advantage of hiring your campervan/motorhome from a local company, is that you can drive the van home to pack it up before your trip. Another option, is hiring local to your holiday destination, meaning that you can do the bulk of your journey before the specified collection time. It is worth noting that most companies won’t be able to let you have your hire van before 2pm on the day of collection.

Mileage restrictions vary from company to company. Most have unlimited mileage and will even allow you to travel into mainland Europe, but sometimes you are only allowed to travel in specific areas. Occasionally, additional insurances are required for longer distances, so please discuss this with your hire company before booking.

Minimum hire is usually three consecutive days, but some companies will not take bookings for less than seven days during the peak season (July - August) and some charge a premium during this time. Expect to pay £90 - £160 per night depending on the season of your booking.

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3. What’s included in the hire of my campervan?

Most reputable campervan hire companies will include everything you need for your trip apart from food and bedding. Things that should be provided in your campervan include:

  • Fridge

  • Gas hob

  • Gas bottle (asked when this was last filled up when you collect your campervan)

  • Sink

  • Water tank

  • Mains hook up

  • Interior lighting

  • Pots, pans, cooking utensils, crockery, cups and cutlery

  • Diesel heater

Additional things that might be useful:

  • Bike rack

  • Some vans will have a grill or small oven

  • Porta potti (small chemical toilet)

Optional drive away items might include:

  • Awning or glawning,

  • Toilet tent and Porta potti

  • Portable shower

Pets

Most campervan hire companies will welcome your four legged friend. Some companies charge extra for this. Realistically you will struggle to comfortably fit more than one dog in a campervan if you plan on travelling as a family of four in a smaller campervan.

4. Check the insurance

It is important to check what type of insurance the hire company offers before signing a contract. Read the fine print and understand the extent of the coverage. Make sure you check millage limits and if you plan on taking your hire van outside of the UK, if there is any additional insurance requirements.

5. Prepare for full handover.

Finally, as you prepare to head off into the sunset in your hire campervan, ensure you have a detailed handover of the vehicle and make sure you know how everything works. Most reputable companies will have demonstration videos that you can watch before collection and ask any further questions you need to.

You need to make sure you know how to:

  • Turn the gas on and off

  • How to fill up the water tank and empty grey waste

  • Pull the bed out and return it into position

  • Plug the electric cable in, turn on (and off) the lights and the fridge

  • Pop up the roof and secure it down again

  • Swivel the front passenger seats

  • Turn the diesel heater on and off

  • Disable the alarm in order to lock the doors from the inside

Below you will find a Google Map of UK Campervan Hire Companies as recommended by members of the vanfamtribe community.

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