Motorhome Hire for Beginners: The Complete First-Timer's Guide

Who can hire and drive?

To hire one of our motorhomes you'll need a full driving licence held for a reasonable period, and to fall within our insured age range. A standard car licence (category B) covers our 3.5-tonne Roller Team Zefiro 675 — you do not need a special C1 licence.

• Bring your physical licence (and a DVLA check code if asked) to collection.
• We'll need a second form of ID and proof of address.
• Additional drivers can be added — just let us know in advance so we can include them on the insurance.

Booking and your deposit

Once you've chosen your dates and booked online, a refundable security deposit is held against any damage. It's returned in full after the motorhome comes back in good order. Your hire price is all-in — it includes insurance, breakdown cover and your mileage allowance, so there are no surprises.

Collection and handover — what to expect

Allow around 45 minutes to an hour for collection at our base near Leamington Spa. We'll give you a relaxed, thorough walk-through covering:

• Starting up, driving controls and the reversing camera
• Gas, electric hook-up, water and the heating/hot water
• The kitchen, fridge/freezer and how to use the hob and oven
• The washroom — toilet and shower — and how to empty waste
• Making up the beds and stowing everything safely for travel

You'll also get video guides to take with you, so a reminder is always a tap away on your phone.

Driving a motorhome (it's easier than you think)

Our Zefiro 675 is built on an automatic Ford Transit — no clutch, no gear-changing, just drive. If you can drive a car, you can drive this. A few things to keep in mind:

• Size: it's about 7.4m long and just over 3m tall. Note the height for car parks, barriers and low bridges.
• Visibility: big mirrors and a reversing camera make manoeuvring straightforward — take it slow and use a spotter when reversing.
• Speed limits: on single carriageways the limit for our motorhome is 50mph and on dual carriageways 60mph — but there's no rush, enjoy the journey.
• Roundabouts and corners: take them wide and steady; the rear follows a tighter line than a car.

Arriving on site and setting up

Most campsites give you a pitch with an electric hook-up (EHU). Setting up takes minutes:

• Level up using the ramps so the fridge works properly and you sleep flat.
• Plug in the hook-up cable for mains power, heating and hot water.
• Connect fresh water or fill the onboard tank, and you're ready.
• Pop the kettle on — pitch to a cup of tea in about ten minutes.

Living on board — water, gas, heating

Everything runs simply. Gas powers the hob and a backup for heating and hot water; electric handles the rest when you're hooked up. The heating keeps you toasty even in spring and autumn, there's hot water for the shower and washing up, and the fridge/freezer keeps food and drinks cold throughout your trip.

The bit everyone asks about: emptying waste

It's much less daunting than it sounds, and you only do it occasionally.

• Grey water (from the sink and shower) empties at a campsite drain point — just open the valve.
• The toilet cassette slides out from an outside hatch and empties at the site's chemical disposal point (CDP). Rinse, add fresh toilet fluid, slide it back.

We'll show you exactly how at handover — after the first time, it's a two-minute job.

Safety and etiquette

• The motorhome has a carbon monoxide and smoke alarm — never use the hob to heat the living space.
• Turn the gas off at the bottle when driving and overnight.
• Be a good neighbour: keep noise down after 10pm and respect site speed limits.
• Lock up and keep valuables out of sight, just as you would a car.

Coming home

Bring the motorhome back with the waste emptied and a full tank of fuel, give the inside a quick tidy, and that's it. Once we've checked it over, your deposit is returned. Most people are already planning trip number two before they've unpacked.