Hiring a VW Campervan for the first time? This can be an exciting but also daunting experience if you have never hired before, so we thought we would give you 10 Tips for hiring a VW campervan for the first time.
We use ours for day trips and for holidays, so we can certainly recommend hiring a campervan before buying.
If you are interested, you can follow our travels over on our YouTube Channel:
EDIT: We first hired on back in 2016, and a year later took the plunge and bought a California. We have had some great times in it, and the below tips are still valid if you are thinking of hiring a campervan.
Perhaps you are thinking of buying one, and for sure it is definitely a good idea to try before you buy. After all, you will be parting with £’000’s of your hard-earned money.
Before you read much further, if you are thinking more about hiring a Motorhome, then this post may not be for you. This is really all about hiring a VW Camper. This is what we know.
It is also an honest review from a family of three that until recently, had not even considered the whole campervan lifestyle. We have now hired a VW California, and a VW Transporter conversion (kind of).
If you want to know what I mean by ‘Kind of’ check out this post. It really is quite amusing!
We have not hired the old style retro 70’s van though, so while we can’t talk too much about these vans, the principles of the below should still help. Finally, before we get into it, there are a lot of books out there that will guide you and fuel your thirst for one. Here are a few of my favourites.
10 Tips for Hiring a VW Campervan for the first time
How many of you are there?
An important factor. The VW camper vans with the elevating roof can sleep a family of 4 (2 adults / 2 kids) relatively comfortably. Adults downstairs, kids up in the roof. However, if your family is bigger than this, prepare to be squished. You can get a hammock bed that goes over the front seat, but we have found these seats useful for storage at nighttime.
The other alternative is to buy a tent, perhaps a Pop-Up Tent, to sit just outside your van for the older kids to sleep in, or to store things while everyone is sleeping indoors.
It may be that when hiring a VW Campervan for the first time and do need a one that seats 5 when you are driving. The layout is usually 3 upfront, and 2 behind, so long journeys may become uncomfortable for those upfront as the seats are not the widest. You can find some with 3 seats in the back, but again, cosy especially if one of the seats is used for a car seat.
Worth considering.
Hotel California, or a Cosy Conversion?
VW Campers are typically made 2 ways. Straight off the VW factory production line, or a Transporter van converted to a camper.
VW Campervan. Converted from a VW Transporter 
VW California. A campervan straight off the VW production line
Although there is the best part of 7 years from the birth of each of the above vans, they look very similar on the outside. On the inside, however, it is a very different story.
The VW California is as well made as you would expect from VW, but they do come at a hefty price. Brand new, the California Ocean (with the kitchenette in) starts at over £50k.
This is before you have added the nice wheels, the sat nav, and any other perks you may need (sorry, want, not need).
You could probably knock 10-15k off that for the Transporter conversion. The Van is still VW, but it has been converted by an external company (of which there are a lot of good ones out there) to a camper.
If you are hiring a VW Campervan for the first time with a view to testing the waters before buying, then try and hire as close to what you want to buy.
It may sound obvious, but you may be able to afford to rent a California.
But if you can’t afford to part with the best part of 50k for one, spending 10k on a 20-year-old T4, then you can’t grumble when you have manually pop the roof up or realise there aren’t 2 deck chairs tucked nicely in the tailgate.
Mileage. Check what is included in the hire price went renting your Camper
Our latest hire gave us 714 miles for the 5-night hire (I know, 714 miles?!) this is pro-rata’d from 1000 for the week, hence the odd number. In the UK, 1000 miles will get you from Land’s End to John O’Groats, with almost 200 miles to spare.
But you have to get back again, and that is a lot of driving in a week, so unless you are going to be spending A LOT of time driving, you should be ok.
But a good idea to check just in case.
Food Shopping. Tips for hiring a VW Campervan for the first time
When hiring a VW Campervan for the first time, we suggest going shopping AFTER you pick up the van.
Yes, this is an extra thing to do but you need to be certain of the amount space you have, particularly if you’ve never rented before, or this is the first time renting this vehicle.
How big is the Fridge? How much cupboard space is there? Don’t forget a VW camper for many families is their everyday car too, so it is used to going to supermarkets.
Also, let’s consider that you do go food shopping before you pick up the van. You go to Tesco (or your preferred supermarket. I am by no means endorsing Tesco:) the day before, so you have to take it home, cart it inside, put it in the fridge.
Take it out to the car again, drive to pick up your campervan, unload it again etc. Or you pick the van up, drive to the nearest supermarket, load it straight into the fridge/cupboards. A lot easier, right?
What is included in the hire?
Be as clear as possible about what is included. Will you find it nestling in the cupboard or do you need to take it? It is best to be sure when Hiring a VW Campervan for the first time.
For example on our first campervan trip, we packed washing up liquid and tea towels. None of which I can recall was mentioned in the ‘included equipment list’. But space is limited, you don’t want to be taking it all twice. Which we did!
What would you rather have? Two bottles of washing up liquid, or one bottle of washing up liquid, and a bottle of Sauvignon? There may not be space for both!
Sleeping comfort
Heat doesn’t really get up to the roof, certainly in the California. If you are camping in the chillier nights, which most of them are in the UK, be prepared.
Forking out for the foil type heat insulation that wraps around the pop-up roof may not be warranted on your first hire. Perhaps throw in that extra blanket if you have sleepers that are heat sensitive.
The Camper Briefing
Listen to the van briefing. You may be super excited to get in, and hit the open road, but when you get to where you are going, you do need to remember how to pop up that roof. You really don’t want to be cooking over the stove sitting down. Or worse, bent over so the next day you look like that fella from Notre-Dame!
They also usually run around the van looking for scratches, dents etc and making sure you are both aware of them. Another good reason to pay attention. You want to avoid being the one that has to fork out the insurance excess for that dent that was already there, that you didn’t notice because you were already behind the wheel getting your shades on!
Limit the Luxuries
Don’t take your handheld vacuum.
I am serious!!
On our first rental my wife wanted to bring her portable Dyson! You don’t need it. You really don’t.
As I have eluded to, space is limited, so save it for the important things. Like food. And Wine/beer.
Ask Questions
Our neighbours at one of our first pitches. More than willing to chat about things so feel free to talk to your neighbours.
When you pull in to your pitch and see the van next door with the big bbq, the tables, chairs the coolers, and all the other camping mod cons, don’t be intimidated.
Campers are generally a social bunch. 99 times out of 100 they will love to chat and sell you on the whole lifestyle.
And if you didn’t listen properly, (see point number 7 above), hunt down the nearest camper van family.
They will be only too happy to share their knowledge!
10 – …and finally
After hiring a VW Campervan for the first time, be prepared to love it and not want to give it back. Chances are the most depressing part of the trip is the journey on the way back to the rental place and you wish you had hired that extra night. You are likely to have loved the freedom, the open spaces. The ability to just pull over and make a cuppa, right there, at the side of the A303
You may have wished you had booked that extra night, but then you will just have this feeling tomorrow anyway.
Bonus Tip (so 11 not 10 Tips for Hiring a VW Campervan for the first time)
What happens if your van breaks down? Does the hire company have a contingency? Think this won’t happen? It could. At the time of typing, we had hired twice, vans from 2 different companies. The second broke down and basically ruined our holiday. Although it did make for a good story.
Summary for Renting a Camper for the first time
So there you have it. Our tips for hiring a VW Campervan for the first time.
After hiring a spanking new 2017 4 wheel drive California, and a T5 Conversion if money was no object, then I am afraid it would be the California for us. Build quality, reliability, and the cleverness of it all is just too good to ignore.
The 5 pros for us:
- The California has a sliding rear seat (most) conversions don’t, although you can find them they are not cheap. This is really useful if you have kids. Slide the rear seat forward so it is more car-like, and chuck everything in the back. It means you can still make a cup of tea when you stop en route, without stepping over the pop-up awning or last nights dirty washing!
- Automatic gearbox. More chance of getting an auto in a California than a conversion. Much better for the summer days when in traffic and everyone want to go to the beach.
- Electric roof. A luxury I know, but well……
- Outdoor Table and Chairs built in. The outdoor table is built into the sliding side door. 2 deck chairs live in the boot tailgate. Less to have to pack in the van itself
- Comfort and mod cons. Let’s be honest. Most conversions started as a van. Therefore luxuries will be limited. (air-con, electric windows, sat nav etc) much easier to find all these in a California
If you think those 5 things are worth up to 20k, then the California it is!!
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