Motorhome rental - step by step guide

Deposit ? Advance? Mileage limits ? If you want to be sure that you haven't missed anything, read the comments below and ask questions before you sign the contract for renting a camper for your holiday . Also pay attention to its transparency. Read all its parts carefully - especially those written in small print. If you have any doubts about its elements, ask the rental company.

Vintage camper. What should be the year of production?

When looking for a camper for your holiday, look for a rental company that offers new cars with low mileage. Choose new campers or max. 2-3 years old ones. Nothing spoils a vacation more than a broken car somewhere on the road. By the way, ask how the rental company solves such problems. Some large rental companies even provide another camper in case the one you drove breaks down. Some rental companies guarantee quick repairs by their service technicians or provide payment cards to pay the repair costs on the road.

Type of camper heating

If the heating is gas, ask how many gas cylinders can fit in the camper and whether that many cylinders will be enough for your entire trip, especially if you are traveling in a time other than summer. Remember that even in spring or autumn you may need to turn on the heating if, for example, you are driving towards Scandinavia or any mountains.

If the heating is gas, ask whether the camper is equipped with Duo-Control that allows you to automatically change the gas cylinder - you will avoid a situation in which you will have to leave the camper in the middle of the night to manually change the cylinders.

How much does a camper actually weigh?

It is important to know the total weight of the camper with a full fuel and water tank and what its Gross Weight (GVW) is. Thanks to this, you will know how much more kg you can pack. You can read more about this in our other article: " Magic 3.5 tons GVM and penalties for "overloading" a camper "

What is the capacity of water tanks?

The capacity of clean and dirty water tanks is especially important when you spend the night in the wild, so that you know how many days you will have enough water. According to our experience, 150 liters of water should be enough for 2 people for about 2-3 days of economical use. Of course, this is not a rule and you can use all the water in one shower.

What is the total rental cost

Sometimes the rental price given in the advertisement does not include additional costs, e.g. insurance or cleaning. Ask whether the rental amount includes a service/initial fee and what exactly it includes. Find out how much the advance payment is and when you have to pay the rest of the amount, as well as how much is the deposit ?

What about insurance? Each camper is fully insured. The only thing you can buy additionally is travel insurance and/or trip cancellation insurance. Ask if the insurance has any restrictions, e.g. the age of the driver or the countries in which it is valid. Also remember that if you are going to Dubrovnik and passing through Bosnia and Herzegovina, you need a green card. Ask whether the camper's insurance is full or includes your partial own contribution in case of damage

Please note: the camper is insured, but in the event of any damage, your deposit (or part of it) will be forfeited. The deposit is intended to protect the insured's loss of discounts and the damage is the first to be repaired from the deposit.

What happens if the camper has an accident and breakdown before your rental? It is easier for large rental companies to arrange a replacement car for your holiday. If the rental company you rent a camper from has only 1 or 2 cars, ask what happens in this situation.

How long does it take to deliver a camper?

When renting a camper, you will be trained in all its use. You will learn how to operate the control panel to control the water pump, heating and battery power, how to fill the clean water tank , how to empty the dirty water tank, how to remove and empty the chemical toilet cassette, etc.

Don't rush to pick it up, let it be trained calmly and get to know the camper before you leave. The better you know all the elements of the camper on the site, the less often you will call the rental company for help and you will not waste time on this during your vacation. You wouldn't believe how many times we've heard from people who run camper rentals that their customers poured fuel into the clean water tank while on vacation.

Find out when exactly you will be able to pick up the camper. Remember that packing takes a lot of time. Plan at least half a day or even a whole day for this. If you also rent a car in a city that is not your home, add travel time as well. On the day you pick up your camper and pack it for your vacation , don't plan an extremely long route. If you leave the rental company in the afternoon, assume that you will stop even several dozen kilometers away for many different reasons: a tired driver or sleeping or hungry children ;)

Are there any additional accessories in the camper?

Ask the rental company whether the car will include equipment such as: pots, dishes, cutlery, bedding, pillows, camping chairs (how many?), table, grill, extension cord, power adapters, ramps, outdoor flooring, etc. A very nice additional option is reversing camera. If you don't often drive large cars, this is an invaluable parking aid. Also ask about the arrangement of beds and seats for traveling in the camper.

Ask how all passengers will travel and where they will sleep. Will it be possible to use the common space at the table while unfolding the bed?

Does the camper have air conditioning and solar panels?

Campers with air conditioning are especially popular in hot months, especially if someone is going to southern Europe. It is very difficult to create a draft in a camper. However, the lack of air conditioning means a few extra kilos that you can take with you on board :)

Ask if the camper has solar panels and how long the electricity will last? This is a particularly useful convenience if you will be standing in places where you cannot connect to electricity. By the way, ask if the camper has a converter . If not, make sure you have a 12V charger, e.g. for a laptop.

Will the camper have a bike rack?

If you are looking for a camper that will have a bicycle rack, ask how many bicycles it can fit and whether any bicycle can fit into the camper's trunk .

What else to ask before renting a camper?

Ask what documents exactly (apart from the driving license) you need to have with you in the event of a border control, police check, road collision or breakdown.

What is the car's fuel consumption? This will allow you to plan your holiday budget more precisely and plan your camper route . Obviously, the larger the camper, the greater the fuel consumption. If you are renting a camper over 3.5 tons, ask about additional costs related to traveling in Poland and abroad. Also ask whether the rental company imposes a kilometer limit on the renter and whether there is a fee for each additional kilometer.

Can you take a dog with you in the camper ? Most rental companies allow you to take your pet with you on vacation, but ask if there are any additional fees, e.g. for cleaning.

"Your first camper trip" guide

All the advice in this article comes from our guide " Your first camper trip " available in PDF format in our online store. In addition to information on what to ask at the rental company before your first trip with a camper, the e-book contains advice on how to plan a trip with a camper, where to sleep, what to do in the camper after going to a campsite or other place, as well as checklists to help you pack into the camper . You will also learn to plan your trip using the example route, and if you are looking for ready-made solutions, you can always add e-books with ready-made camper routes to your basket.

We have prepared a discount code especially for you, thanks to which you can buy the guide PLN 20 cheaper (enter PORADNIK20 in the basket). Try adding other e-books to your cart and see how the price of the entire cart goes down!