VW Campervan Hire

WHEN CAN I HIRE SANDY?Sandy is available for hire all year round. Pick Up Drop Off days are Fridays and Mondays meaning you can hire for a weekend, the five days inbetween or the whole week. WHAT TIME IS PICK UP AND DROP OFF?You can pick up from 3pm giving you a chance to beat the motorway traffic. Latest drop off is 11am. Any other proposed pick up or drop off arrangements must be discussed before the booking is made. WHERE DO I PICK UP FROM?Pick up from. The Coach House, Folleigh Lane, Long Ashton, BS419JB.Theres ample parking for your vehicle on a private drive not visible from the road. HOW DO I BOOK AND PAY FOR SANDY? All the booking details including availability and payment method are to be found on the booking section of this website. All bookings and payment need to be made through this. Unfortunately for security and insurance reasons we do not accept cash.WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE? All those within the hire group who hold a full driving licence and are over25 years of age will be comprehensively insured for the days of hire, inclusive of breakdown cover. WHO CAN I BRING? Sandy has two front and two rear seats and sleeps 2 adults and two small children in the bunk. We permit 1 dog with a deposit, refundable on inspection after the van is returned. I'M ARRIVING BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, HOW DO I GET TO YOU?IS THERE ANYWHERE I CAN'T TAKE SANDY?These Bay Window T2s are to be savoured, so if a dash up to The Lake District for the weekend is your thing we advise you hire a modern vehicle. For a start Sandy doesn't dash anywhere and whilst we haven't stated a mileage limit we ask that you bare in mind the top driving speed should not exceed 60mph. If you have a weekend break it pays to keep the miles down or most of it will be spent behind the wheel. Don't get me wrong, it's good fun but camping is even better. We would also ask that you leave the Safari parks to those vehicles without classic status please, monkeys can be cruel to shiny wing mirrors. Go gently through gates into fields and be aware that the rear has lower clearance than the front. DRIVING SANDYWHAT IS A T2 BAY WINDOW LIKE TO DRIVE? Sandy is a rear wheel drive built in 1979, the last year in which this beautiful curvy shape was used for the VW camper. We've done a lot of work to ensure Sandy is as responsive now as it would have been over 40 years ago but we would ask that anyone getting behind the wheel of a classic vehicle be aware of the limits of the technology used at the time This means doing everything you would do in a modernvehicle but slower, leaving more space between you and everyone else. The slowerpace that driving a Bay brings is really one of its greatest joys, a tall driving heightmeans you can take in a lot more of the views along the way.WHY SHOULD I DRIVE SLOWLY?Sandy has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, a system that you stillfind on cars today and benefits from a servo which adds more brakingpower than most T2s. However it lacks ABS and is a weighty beast so its really important to give plenty of room to those in front of you and plenty of time to stop when approaching junctions.AREN'T VINTAGE VW CAMPERVANS UNDERPOWERED?VW vans have always had a reputation of struggling up hills. Weredelighted to say that this isnt the case with Sandy which has a 2000ccengine. The power to pull up a steep hill isnt matched with acceleration though, so again plenty of room on the road when setting off from junctions and we wouldn't advise you attempt overtaking anything.The engine is aircooled and the technology is the same as it was over 40years ago, it was designed to be driven at a serene speeds. We ask that youdrive at a maximum speed of 50mph on wide straight A roads and 60mphon the motorway.WHY IS THE STEERING WHEEL SO BIG?The big bus wheel helps with the fact that, in keeping with the classic Bay,there is no power steering. With the engine at the back the front is verylight, once youre moving its not as daunting as you might think.The suspension is soft for greater driving comfort but this does makecornering something to take into consideration. To avoid lurching slow andsteady is the way, youll get the hang of it quickly enough.HOW MANY GEARS DOES IT HAVE?Four forward gears and a reverse I still forget and try to find 5th whentransitioning from my daily drive With the gearbox at the back and thegear stick at the front, changing gear is often described as stirring a bigbowl of porridge in a T2 and not without good reason. Again this issomething we will be very happy to demonstrate when you come to driveaway on your adventure.WHAT FUEL DOES IT TAKE?Petrol. Well make sure youve a full 50 litre fuel tank on departure and youbring it back full to us. There are three 24hr petrol stations within 10minutes of the drop off point.IS THERE A STEREO?Yes with decent speakers and an auxiliary jack point for phones so your favtunes can soundtrack your adventure.IS THERE A SAT NAV?Im afraid not, were old school and use maps A phone can be mountedabove the stereo should you wish to navigate via that.CAMPING IN SANDYWHERE DO I SLEEP?The rear seat folds down into a bed by lifting the bench up and towards thefront of the van. The roof is unclipped and pushed up from handlesmounted inside it to reveal the bunk which can be pushed to one sidewhen standing.HOW DOES THE POPTOP WORK?Two external latches hold the fibreglass roof to the body of the van, onepositioned on the roof gutter between the cab and sliding doors, onetowards the rear. Unclip these and after entering the rear of the vanthrough the slide door youll find two black handles on the roof above you.Simply grab these and push firmly up to release the roof. You can now arrange the sliding panels as you wish, pushing to either side in order tostand when using the appliances, drawing both together to make a bunk.To close the roof, firstly ensure no luggage is left on the bunk sections, grabboth the handles and pull firmly down. You may need an someone toensure the canvas is folded into the roof space and not trapped betweenthe roof and body of the van from the outside. Most importantly, nowattach the clips to secure the roof to the body of the van An unsecuredroof opening when the van is travelling at speed could result in injury topassengers and major damage to the vehicle and other road users.DO I NEED TO BRING BEDDING?We do offer the service of providing you with bedding and towels if youretravelling light or dont want the hassle, just select this option under extrasin the booking section.CAN I CHARGE MY PHONE?Yes, there are 2 USB sockets in what would be the cigarette lighter of thefront cab and another USB socket in the rear.IS THERE A COOKER?Yes, with 2 hobs and a grill. We hope to have provided everything you needto knock together a decent meal with non stick pans preferred as thecamping gas can be a little fierce in temperature With this in mind pleasealways put pans on the trivet when removed from the stove hot. Please usethe wooden and silicone implements on the pans to retain the nonstickquality.If theres something you think weve really missed a trick on in the kitchensupplies, let us know We love to cook when camping and would love toknow your tricks, one pot wonders or special cooking implement you nevercamp withoutWhilst weve taken all steps to ensure the cooker is safe, have fitted smokeand carbon monoxide alarms and a fire extinguisher, you are ultimatelyresponsible for ensuring the gas is switched off when the cooker is not inuse. Please keep all curtains away from the cooking area at all times whenin use, provide adequate ventilation in the form of an open cab window,slide door or tailgate but NOT the windows closest to the cooker. Gas caneasily be blown out on a windy site. Ventilation when cooking is importantfor many reasons but filling the van with cooking smells or condensationwill also get in the way of your enjoyment. Never leave the lit stoveunwatched and when travelling and before sleeping isolate the gas supplyat the bottle.IS THERE A FRIDGE?Yes, a brand new 40 litre one with a freezer compartment. If your travellinglight or in a rush we can fill the fridge and cupboards to get you straight onthe road, just select this option under extras in the booking section andcontact us with your list.IS THERE A SINK?Yes, with a 50ltr reservoir tank pumped straight to the ornate brass tap.Well happily fill it with Bristols finest before you leave if your going to afield without access to a tap. Its all pretty straight forward, thoughobviously dont run the pump without water in the tank as it will burn itselfout.WHAT ABOUT HOT DRINKS?On the hot beverage side of things theres a kettle and cafettiere. On thecold side the fridge has a freezer compartment so you can knock up a GTand chuck some cornettos at the kids.CAN I SMOKE?Sandy is a no smoking vehicle.CAN I PLUG IN A LAPTOP?Yes, 2 standard household plugs, located next to the cupboard by the rearseat, run off an invertor connected to the leisure battery that willautomatically switch to the hook up when youre on a site with that option.One thing to consider when not hooked up is that the leisure battery willdrain quicker if your using the standard plugs for appliances requiring a lotof power. As the fridge and stereo run on the leisure battery as well youmight want to limit their use. If youre hooked up this isnt an issue at all.DO I NEED TO BE ON A SITE WITH HOOK UP TO USE THEELECTRICS?No, we want Sandy to be as flexible as possible in order that we cater formany different adventures with no complication. That's why Mark haswired the stereo, fridge, internal lights and sockets to a brand newdedicated leisure battery. This ensures that you wont find yourselvesunable to start after a few days using the juice When driving, the enginecharges its own battery and then automatically switches to charging theleisure one too. A solar panel automatically charges the battery in fairweather and an inbuilt battery charger will charge up both batteries whenhooked up on a campsite that has that facility.We predict that youll get 2 or more days off grid use of the fridge, stereoand USB ports before needing to charge the leisure battery and with somedecent sunshine you may not need to at all A small panel on the cupboardbehind the rear seat will show you what voltage your leisure battery is at soyou can keep an eye on your power usage.WHERE IS THE HOOK UP POINT?The plug for hook up is located in the engine bay to the rear of the vehicleon the left hand side next to the leisure battery.WHERE DO WE SIT?There is the option of two outdoor folding chairs and a folding table andalso a table can be set up inside the van in front of the rear seats. The singlepole leg is underneath the rear seat and slots into a brace in the floor, thetable top slides from beneath the cupboard above the tailgate and slotsinto the pole.IS THERE ANY HEATING?Not at present. The heating systems of these vans has always been problematic so instead we've done our best to insulate Sandy and you'll be amazed how quickly it warms up when a couple of people are in the same space. In due course we will invest in a stand alone heater to extend the camping season into the colder months. Watch this space CAN WE BRING BIKES? Yes. We can add a bike rack for some pedal powered adventures, its available under extras in the booking section.IS THERE AN AWNING? We've researched the drive away awnings and decided to go with a freestanding tent instead. Less of a faff lining up the van in the dark on your return to camp. Select this option under extras in the booking section.

Pebbles is our brand-new van with a new high quality 4 berth conversion with 5 seat belts. Available from May and built to a similar specification and high standard. She's all ready for you to set out on your adventure. Her rock n roll bed is M1 tested - which means it's as safe as any other car seat for passengers sat in the back and has ISOfix fittings. The bed also sits further forward than others when in the upright position meaning there is more space behind the seat for your luggage when travelling, great if you have the kids in the back. Pebbles is easy and comfortable to drive and has Parking sensors App integration - Air Conditioning- RAC Rescue including Europe - Electric windows and mirrors - Stereo radio and CD player. For your comfort Pebbles has - Diesel night heater - Fully insulated and carpeted walls and ceiling- Privacy glass on the side and rear Tailgate windows, all with black out curtains for warmth and to keep out the morning sun. Black out internal cover for the front windscreen which also covers the front driver and passenger windows makes for an easy lie in the morning. There's a poptop roof making it easy to stand up in the van. The bed board in the roof comes with a foam mattress for extra comfort. Front Passenger swivel base on the double seat - so the front passenger seats swivel round to face into the van when you are parked up. Pebbles has great cooking and gas facilities - 2 ring gas burner hob with sink alongside, gas bottle included, and we make sure you leave with plenty of gas. We also provide a camper stove with gas canisters so you can cook outside if you prefer. - All the gas fittings have a safety certificate. Pebbles brings electricity to camping with 240v hook up Cable included. So, you can book into a campsite with electric hook up and you'll have unlimited use of the - 3 x 240V plug sockets, 2 USB sockets and 12v socket. We try to include everything you'll need including TV with DVD, sun canopy, table and chairs and even camping stoves and indoor and outdoor games.