Welcome to The Campervan Channel. Today we're at The Motorhome and Caravan Show. And unbelieveably,
this is the place where hundreds of people sign on the dotted line, hand over their deposits
to buy their very first campervans. Like me, many of them will have got the bug when they
first hired a van. And this video is all about useful advice if you're thinking about hiring
to make sure those first trips go safely and smoothly. And who better to give us some great
advice than Dave Park from Bodans. Your company's been hiring out campers for a long long time.
Start with the basics, who can hire a campervan. Anyone with a full UK driving licence. Between
the age of 21 and 70 is the rule of thumb. We can extend above 70 if we contact the insurance
company, it is purely an insurance issue. There are some issues with driving larger
campervans, with the type of licence you have - but these this kind of size, the VW Transporter
based ones, you're ok with a normal UK Licence. Yes even the long wheelbase still falls into
the same category. And that's because it's not over a certain weight? Correct. So fairly
straight forward. And what about the insurance. How do you sort that out when you're hiring
a van? Well, we've got fully comprehensive insurance on the fleet. It's a £500 excess
in the event of ... and we do take a security deposit but 9 times out of ten we manage that
by keeping the customer's car in our compound. So basically, we've got their car as a security
deposit. Then if they don't leave a car we take a £500 swipe of their card which they
then get refunded when they bring the vehicle back to us. And that's the usual way of doing
it is it? The hire company will sort out the insurance. You don't have to do it yourself.
Correct. We sort it out. It's fuly comp, in the event of an accident, it doesn't affect
the customer's own no claims bonus. So it's completely void of their normal day to day
insurance. And the types of vehicle that can be hired these days, there's quite a range
isn't there. I know most of them are probably the modern Transporter based ones, but you
can, I certainly started hiring with a very old splitty - the range is there isn't it,
you can do what you want. There are with other companies, with us, we've got one T5 and three
T6's as well. They're out all the time. I was going to say it's a very popular thing
to do isn't it? Massive. It is year round. We have got heating systems in them as well
so you can use them all year round. And people do that do they? Yes. We find that in the
summer it's more families - obviously akin with the school holidays, but then obviously
this time of year we get more senior clientelle, who will go off one or two, three weeks to
the North of Scotland or whatever. They put the diesel heater on and they're fine. The
diesel heater on and they're fine. Cosy. And where can you go with them? Anywhere you like.
Within the UK, is on the normal insurance. If you want to take it off shore, to Europe,
there is a small premium to pay on top of the hire fee. But anywhere you want. The hire
company i used were not very keen on me taking this very beautiful old splitty onto a festival
field, not that I wanted to actually, but there are restrictions sometimes aren't there.
Yes, we are mindful that people who want to take these things to festivals - but we do
tend to earmark one vehicle which is our pet friendly vehicle. It's a slightly older one.
We allow dogs in that one and it's the dog and festival van if you like. We have kind
of dealt with the hiring of them but obviously driving one these can be a very different
experience if you're used to a car. We've got a separate video on how to drive a campervan.
Just click on that message up at the top there and you should be led through to that. But
what sort of advice do you give people who are perhaps used to a normal car and then
they find themselves hiring and driving one of these for the first time. To be fair with
one of these, a short wheelbase, is no larger than a normal estate car. They're five metres
long so they're not out of the way in terms of size. The only thing I do say to people
is obviously be mindful of the height. They're under two point one metres so you will get
into most car parks. But obviously be mindful that ... it's a bit un-nerving isn't it- yes,
if you're in doubt, get someone out to watch you in. But other than that they're very very
straightforward to drive and most people come back preferring these to drive than their
own vehicle. What about speed limits with these. They are as your car. All our vehicles
are classified on their V5s as van/ with side windows or motor caravans. So you're good
to do 70 in a 70 , 60 in a 60 and that kind of thing. Because there can be some confusion
over that. Some were vans and vans obviously have lower speed limits - but this is not
a van. No, we've had this changed over. On the older ones, they would have said panel
van on the V5, and you then had to stick to commercial speed limits. And they're more
than capable of doing that. Yes they are, yes. THey'll cruise lovely. So when you hand
over one of these vehicles to someone what sort of safety procedures and warnings do
you give the them before they head off to the hills? Everyone, irrespective of whether
they have had one before or not gets at least a thirty minute handover, starting with the
location of the mains hook up, to the gas regulations. ie - having to have the roof
up with a vent open, and at least one window open. Water, waste, everything they need to
know basically from front to back. And I remember when I first hired a T6, operating the roof
- you know, you get used to it, but the first time it's a bit of a monster isn't it. It
is, yes. Andi mean the key thing is, they're told always have the door open to allow the
air to flow through the vehicle for the canvas, and obviously before the lid comes down all
the way, to make sure the canvas is fully pulled in so we don't damage the canvas. Details
on how to operate these pop top rooves - we've got a separate video on that - don't miss
that one - any other particular kind of rules and regulations or advice that you give to
people when they start hiring. Take it steady to start with. Cos obviously it is a different
vehicle to what they're used to. The obvious things like never drive with the glass lids
up on the appliances and obviously never drive with the roof untethered. Even if it's moving
pitch within a site, still tether it down because obviously if you hit a bump they can
come up. But other than that, no - they're fairly straight forward to be fair. And in
all the time you've been hiring vans out to people, what are the most sort of common things
that either people don't think about or appreciate or get a bit caught out by ? I think the most
common one is that they expect the three-in plugs to work even if they're not on mains
hook up. Even though they're told - they often forget. But other than that, most people find
them fairly straight forward. And is it really common for people like me to hire and then
get the bug, and go on to buy one. Absolutley yeah. I would say probably seventy plus percent...
that much ... do hire and then but. And Bodans do operate a try before you buy scheme. So
if you have a vehicle on hire from us, and then end up booking with us and buying one,
we will re-imburse you a three night stay. If they're a little bit - my mind's not made
up - I actually encourage them to hire one. Because it is a lot of money at the end of
the day and we want to make sure that you're investing your money wisely. And it is very
difficult ... we get a lot of people who have been in big caravans, or big motorhomes, who
are down-sizing because the kids have left home or whatever - but again it's a very different
experience. It's very prudent to hire one first. We're planning over a hundred videos
on everything to do with every type of Volkswagen campervan.. from the earliest splitties and
bays to the latest T6s. So please consider subscribing, cos it will really help us get
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you when every new video is released. But most importantly, tell us the topics you want
us to cover - in the comments box below. Thanks for watching.