Renting a Campervan 

Thinking of renting a Camper? Here’s our top tips when choosing a campervan to hire for your holiday…

Classic or Modern

While a classic camper has retro curb appeal they can be tricky to drive if you don’t have experience of driving older vehicles. They use more fuel and have less mod cons such as A/C, power steering and ABS. A modern campervan such as a VW T6 will keep up with modern traffic and be easier to drive with parking sensors, cruise control etc. A modern diesel powered camper will use much less fuel and can still turn heads! 

Manual or Automatic

Manual campers return better fuel efficiency,  the end result is that you’ll end up getting more kilometres out of the fuel you pump in than you would with an automatic campervan. A campervan is probably bigger than your usual vehicle so choosing an automatic transmission means there’s one less thing to worry about when driving/parking etc. Automatics are so much easier to drive than a manual campervan as you only have to worry about two pedals – essentially just stop and go and you can add cruise control for an even more relaxing motorway experience. An automatic can also hold the vehicle on a hill start negating the use of the handbrake and avoiding having to be precise with the clutch.

Space, seats, beds and storage

What size camper to rent depends on your needs, if you’re a large family make sure you have enough seat belts for the whole family. Motorhomes and some larger campers have more space and creature  comforts such as; showers and toilets but are more difficult to drive and manoeuvre particularly down small country lanes in the UK. A VW T6 camper seats 4-5, sleeps 4 comfortably and is just like driving a large family car. When renting a camper or motorhome it’s best to travel light and we recommend only buying a few days worth of food as fridge & cupboard space is limited.

Which Accessories to Hire

Bike Rack

If you’re setting up camp and don’t want to be driving your home around with you, bikes are a great way to explore. Hiring a bike rack means you can transport and store your bikes safely and securely without taking up valuable space inside the campervan.

Portaloo

Although campsites have toilets and showers you might want to consider hiring a portaloo for those night time emergencies!

Awning

If you would like a bit more space for your trip, hiring an awning gives you additional living space and shelter from the rain and can even include an inner tent for an extra bedroom should you need it.

Website or Marketplace 

It’s often cheaper to rent a campervan directly through a company’s website as marketplaces take a fee. If the company has good reviews from previous customers and you feel comfortable booking directly there will most definitely be some savings to be made, however if you are unsure there are many marketplaces that act as a go between and offer protection to the hirer. It’s important to check insurance cover, excess amount and security deposit terms as with any car rental. We recommend taking out excess cover as the excess is usually around £1,000, as standard. 

Check out our friends at www.letsgocamperhire.com for VW T6 campervan rentals.