Here's the formal bit. Sorry it has to be a bit wordy but rest assured that really we'll be as friendly and helpful to you as possible. Our aim is for you to have a relaxing and fun holiday in your Rainbow Camper Van! 

Terms and Conditions of Hire 

1.       Rental Contract. Your contract is with Rainbow Camper Hire, Skiddaw Grove, Vicarage Hill, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5QB. Proprietor: Andrew Matthews. The hire agreement forms part of these terms and conditions. 

2.       Drivers. Our tariff includes insurance for one driver. Extra drivers can be added for additional fee, please contact us for details. All drivers must be between 25 and 70 years old and have held a full UK drivers licence for at least 2 years. Any driving endorsements or history of accidents/claims in the last 5 years must be specified at the time of booking. Our insurer may require an extra fee for some endorsements but many will be allowable at no extra cost. It is a condition of the insurance that all drivers must present both the paper and laminated photo card parts of their driving licences on collection of the vehicle. Failure to do so means you cannot drive the vehicle and the cost of the rental will be forfeit.  

3.       Booking. The hirer and all drivers must sign to accept our Terms & Conditions prior to confirmation of booking. A non-returnable deposit of £100 is payable on booking and the balance of the hire charge must be paid 6 weeks prior to the start of the hire. If booking within 6 weeks of the hire period, the full amount is due immediately. Payment can be made by cheque payable to “Rainbow Camper Hire” or by credit/debit card over the phone. 

4.       Availability. If, due to unforseen circumstances such as an accident, the Rainbow Camper of your choice becomes unavailable, we will endeavour to provide a suitable substitute from our fleet. If a substitute is unavailable or unsuitable our liability will extend to a maximum of a full refund of the hire charges.We will not compensate for any other costs incurred but will offer a future hire at a discounted rate as apology for your inconvenience. 

5.       Cancellation Policy. In the unfortunate event that you have to cancel your booking the following charges will apply:More than 6 weeks prior to commencement of the hire – loss of deposit only Between 6 weeks and 3 weeks prior – loss of 50% of the total hire charge.21 days notice or less – loss of the entire hire charge. In all cases we will endeavour to rehire the vehicle and if successful we will refund all payments except the deposit. It may be possible to re-apply the deposit to a future booking. We strongly advise that you take out appropriate travel/holiday insurance to cover  any cancellation. 

6.       Collection.Your camper van can normally be collected between 3pm-7pm on the hire start day. Please allow up to an hour on arrival so that we can show you how everything works on your particular van. If you haven't driven one of these classic Volkswagens before don't worry, we'll give you a short accompanied familiarisation drive and make sure you're happy before you start your holiday. As stated in the “drivers” section above please ensure you present both parts of your driving licence and another form of I.D. with your name and address on as we need to copy these for our insurer. Your vehicle will be ready in a clean and roadworthy state, with a full tank of unleaded petrol. Any minor scratches or other defects will be recorded on the vehicle condition form and should be agreed by you. You are welcome to leave your own car with us in our car park or garage nearby but we regret this must be at your own risk. 

7.       Return. The vehicle must be returned in the same clean, roadworthy state with a full tank of unleaded petrol. Any defects or damage must be reported to us. The vehicle must be returned before 11am on the final day of hire. Please respect the person hiring the camper next and allow us sufficient time to service the van between hires by adhering to these times. It may be possible to arrange different collection and return times by prior agreement. Please ask. 

8.       Security/damage deposit. At the time of collection a security/damage deposit of £500 must be paid. This will be returned to you in full after the rental provided the camper is returned on time, undamaged, with a complete inventory and full tank of petrol and with a satisfactory clean interior and equipment.- Deductions will be made honestly and fairly for making good any damage to the vehicle and equipment that has occurred during your hire of the camper. - A cleaning charge of £100 will be deducted if the interior of the camper and its equipment (including cooker and utensils) are not clean on return.  -A late return charge of £100 per day or part thereof will be levied in addition to compensation for the next hire customer should the start of their rental period be delayed.-Please note that our insurance does not cover damage to tyres or the vehicle windows or theft of equipment or personal effects from the vehicle and these costs are the responsibility of the hirer. -The insurance excess of £500 must be met by the hirer in the event of any claim. 

9.       Insurance Conditions. Each vehicle is insured with comprehensive cover subject to the following conditions:- Drivers must be between 25 and 70 years old and have at least 2 years driving experience of a manual vehicle. I.D. must be presented at point of hire and each driver must sign the insurance and hire documents.- Up to 2 endorsments for certain speeding penalties may be accepted without further insurance premium. All licence endorsements must be notified at time of booking so that we can check our insurers will cover you. Any incurred between booking and the commencement of hire must be notified immediately as this may affect your permission to drive. Any endorsements not notified to us will render the insurance void, the vehicle will not be hired to you and the hire charge will not be refunded.- The insurance covers the U.K. only and the vehicle may not be taken outside this area- The vehicle may not be used by the hirer for the carriage of goods or for hire or reward.- The vehicle may only carry up to the designated number of passengers (varies according to each camper – please check) and must not be overloaded.- The vehicle must be driven in a careful and safe manner, respecting the age of the vehicle and its lack of modern safety systems.- Seat belts are fitted and must be used.- Extreme care must be taken when using cooking and heating equipment to prevent fire or heat damage. -Damage to tyres, windows or internal equipment are not insured and will be charged to the hirer.- The policy excess is £500 and is the responsibility of the hirer.- In the event of an accident take details of any persons and vehicles involved. Do not admit any liability. Contact us as soon as possible. Complete a report form on return to Keswick.- The vehicle must only be used within the law. Any fines or fixed penalties incurred are the responsibility of the hirer and the details of the hirer will be passed to the police or other legal authority if requested. 

10.   Care of the vehicle. The Volkswagen Camper is a classic vehicle. Ours are up to 40 years old and should be driven with this in mind. Part of the attraction is the change of pace a Rainbow Camper imposes -  acceleration comes eventually and top speed should be regarded as 60mph! It may be tempting to exceed this given a downhill run and a following wind but please - don't. The engines will be reliable and go on and on provided they are not over stretched or over heated. We are now used to modern cars with huge service intervals but these old vans benefit from a daily check on the oil level and fan belt, please. In the event of the red oil warning light illuminating on the dashboard STOP immediately and seek assistance as damage may occur. 

11.   Breakdown. In the event of a vehicle breakdown the hirer is permitted to spend up to £50 on minor parts or repairs and this will be reimbursed provided a receipt is presented. RAC breakdown assitance is provided as part of the hire and a card is carried on each camper. Please only use this if absolutely necessary as we are charged for every call out. Please contact us for advice if any problem cannot be rectified right away. We will refund the cost of any day's hire lost though breakdown provided the vehicle has been driven and cared for properly as above. 

12.   Other conditions.  - Please respect that all our vehicles are fully no smoking including in any awning provided by us.- Pets are not allowed in the vehicles except by special agreement. Please ask.- Please ensure adequate ventilation when using cooking or heating equipment both for your safety and to preserve the condition of the camper interiors. Thank you. 

13.   Data Protection. Any personal information you give to us will be kept confidential and will only be used by ourselves and our insurers in connection with your hire of a camper. We ask for your consent to keep you informed of Rainbow Campers news, events, stories and special offers but we will never disclose your details to others.If you submit any stories or pictures sent to us for future Rainbow Campers Stories you grant us permission to use such stories and pictures freely on our website and any other publications. 

14.   Variation Rainbow Camper Hire reserve the right to vary tariffs, conditions and specifications at any time prior to confirmation of acceptance of any booking.   

 

Self-Drive Classic VW Camper Van Hire in The English Lake District, Scotland and The Yorkshire Dales

Tel: 017687 80413

(10am - 10pm)