Discussion
I've got a trip coming up in the summer and the local hotel options are looking a little sparse.
I wondered if it is possible in the UK to hire a proper RV? Like the American style units which are big enough not to feel sub-standard.
Would I have to apply for some sort of additional driving license to be able to get something decent?
I wondered if it is possible in the UK to hire a proper RV? Like the American style units which are big enough not to feel sub-standard.
Would I have to apply for some sort of additional driving license to be able to get something decent?
Mad Maximus said:
Depends how big you want to go. Pretty sure under 3.5 tonnes your fine anything over you need lessons and a test. Not cheap to hire so make sure you’re wallet is nice and fat.
Looking for links and concrete advise. What lessons and what test? I would have thought I could pass any test with minimal prep being a competent experienced driver. I genuinely don't think I've ever seen an American sized RV on the road in the UK.
Quite a few lurking at events but I can only assume they're helicoptered from place to place.
https://www.championrv.co.uk/fleet/ That one seems to infer that they transport it for you.
I will guess that there are operations that will hire you one to stay in, and rather fewer that'll let you drash around in one.
Quite a few lurking at events but I can only assume they're helicoptered from place to place.
https://www.championrv.co.uk/fleet/ That one seems to infer that they transport it for you.
I will guess that there are operations that will hire you one to stay in, and rather fewer that'll let you drash around in one.
Edited by bloomen on Wednesday 6th March 20:03
ingenieur said:
I
I wondered if it is possible in the UK to hire a proper RV? Like the American style units which are big enough not to feel sub-standard.
Can you give some examples of size that you consider big enough?I wondered if it is possible in the UK to hire a proper RV? Like the American style units which are big enough not to feel sub-standard.
Is this the kind of thing (for reference, I know you are looking to hire) - or bigger?
https://empirerv.co.uk/vehicle/winnebago-intent-31...
vaud said:
ingenieur said:
I
I wondered if it is possible in the UK to hire a proper RV? Like the American style units which are big enough not to feel sub-standard.
Can you give some examples of size that you consider big enough?I wondered if it is possible in the UK to hire a proper RV? Like the American style units which are big enough not to feel sub-standard.
Is this the kind of thing (for reference, I know you are looking to hire) - or bigger?
https://empirerv.co.uk/vehicle/winnebago-intent-31...
The boss at an old company had one, used to bring it in and dump it in the car park for weeks, it would sit across 3 rows in the car park i.e. 3 cars end to end with gaps between them.
According to Google a typical motorhome <3.5 tonne need a class B on your licence, class C1 is needed up to 7.5 tonnes and over that is a class C licence.
How many of you are going? I recently went on a little trip around Kent and the south coast and we had a Spaceship Rentals motorhome. It was fine for 3 people and could be driven on a standard licence - was built around a Fiat Ducato chassis. You can get bigger ones on the same type of van chassis that push into the C1 category (presumably due to weight) which might fit the bill.
Before we hired from Spaceship we were looking at vehicles on Goboony, there's a lot of availability there but everything we saw had a minimum rental duration longer than our trip. That said, I had a quick look and something like this may be of interest:
https://www.goboony.co.uk/campers/united-kingdom/e...
Otherwise there are smaller (and cheaper!) variants like this:
https://www.goboony.co.uk/campers/united-kingdom/e...
HTH
[edit: I haven't specified a location so these are from all over the place, best to put your location in and see if anything's nearby]
[edit 2]: I just noticed the Winnebago isn't self-drive, so you might be limited to the smaller options.
Before we hired from Spaceship we were looking at vehicles on Goboony, there's a lot of availability there but everything we saw had a minimum rental duration longer than our trip. That said, I had a quick look and something like this may be of interest:
https://www.goboony.co.uk/campers/united-kingdom/e...
Otherwise there are smaller (and cheaper!) variants like this:
https://www.goboony.co.uk/campers/united-kingdom/e...
HTH
[edit: I haven't specified a location so these are from all over the place, best to put your location in and see if anything's nearby]
[edit 2]: I just noticed the Winnebago isn't self-drive, so you might be limited to the smaller options.
Edited by Second Best on Wednesday 6th March 21:09
Edited by Second Best on Wednesday 6th March 21:16
vaud said:
One issue in the UK might be how many sites can accept a larger RV.
To be honest, in my grand experience of three campsites, the set pitch size was quite generous and you'd easily get the smaller of the two examples I posted above in them. A Winnebago would probably need two back-to-back pitches or, as we did for the other two nights, an open field where they're a lot more relaxed with space.All of the campsite owners we came across were really friendly and quite happy to accommodate us - e.g. one of them lent us some fishing rods, another one let us stay until 3pm the next day for free as they were quiet and we weren't using any electricity.
Going somewhere like Le Mans or a festival would be a bit trickier as they're a lot more stringent on their rules, but when I did Le Mans a few years back, there was a massive motorhome in the pitch opposite us, so it's doable.
I owned an American RV and drove it on UK roads and in Europe. Mine was 36ft in length and, from memory, approx 8.5 tons. I'll come back with some more information when I have time.
I've never hired one but I know they can be hired. You'll just have to do your own research about hiring.
NB They are not 'helicoptered' in to venues as someone suggested and you can find campsites that can accommodate them. Facilities for big RV's are nothing like they are in the USA of course!
I've never hired one but I know they can be hired. You'll just have to do your own research about hiring.
NB They are not 'helicoptered' in to venues as someone suggested and you can find campsites that can accommodate them. Facilities for big RV's are nothing like they are in the USA of course!
Edited by CharlieAlphaMike on Wednesday 6th March 22:10
I have a 2007 Fleetwood Revolution it’s a 40 foot pusher so basically two axle coach size but wider.
In terms of driving they are more difficult than an equivalent size of truck due to the fact that the full-size ones are right on the limit of width regs, and the fact that they almost universally have small mirrors with the typical American zoom lenses in. They also usually have more restricted vision than a truck to the sides as the windows are cack.
My wife got her C license about as young is allowed (horses) so had plenty of experience. She was fine but even being used to larger horse lorries it took her some getting used to.
I drove around on L-Plates for a year or two during Covid before I went straight to my C+E.
I’ve done lots of miles with big trailers since I was young so used to bigger stuff but still needed a 4 day course to prepare for the test, 3 day if you just stick to rigids with a C.
I passed fine but if you’ve not driven a proper large vehicle before then don’t bet you will do it first time on the bare minimum.
Also worth noting that I only use mine for Race Tracks and very specific venues that can handle them as hardly any campsites will take them. Europe is supposed to be a little better but large RVs are a pain in the arse to get down smaller roads or even entrances and take a fair amount of planning vs even a bigger Euro motorhome where you can just rock up and expect to get in most places and find an obvious route around any restrictions. To give you an example even going into Oulton park there’s only one route I can use and it’s 20 miles longer than the one you’d take in a car.
In terms of renting one I don’t know anywhere that lets you drive them yourself (as they tend to be owner/lender type arrangements) but I would try Empire RV or Signature RV.
Worth doing a bit of research on companies, particularly travelling to Europe, as some have been known to rebrand after being caught supplementing their income through import/export………….
If you can find a place that hires I’d recommend going for a 35ish footer like a Fleetwood Bounder as with enough pullouts they have a similar amount of usable space to a 40+ pusher and are a bit more wieldy, with the main downside being they’re usually petrol engines so pretty thirsty. Not such an issue for a one off trip but bear in mind my one is pretty thrifty at 9mpg and about 800 quid (service stations without researching local places where it’ll fit) for 900 miles.
Also check the AC works they’re f
king misery in the summer and I often see at least one of the RV companies running around the paddock with portable units every time it gets warm.
ETA - top tip from first hand experience, if it’s been raining and you’re thinking about parking it on evenly remotely wet ground, don’t!
In terms of driving they are more difficult than an equivalent size of truck due to the fact that the full-size ones are right on the limit of width regs, and the fact that they almost universally have small mirrors with the typical American zoom lenses in. They also usually have more restricted vision than a truck to the sides as the windows are cack.
My wife got her C license about as young is allowed (horses) so had plenty of experience. She was fine but even being used to larger horse lorries it took her some getting used to.
I drove around on L-Plates for a year or two during Covid before I went straight to my C+E.
I’ve done lots of miles with big trailers since I was young so used to bigger stuff but still needed a 4 day course to prepare for the test, 3 day if you just stick to rigids with a C.
I passed fine but if you’ve not driven a proper large vehicle before then don’t bet you will do it first time on the bare minimum.
Also worth noting that I only use mine for Race Tracks and very specific venues that can handle them as hardly any campsites will take them. Europe is supposed to be a little better but large RVs are a pain in the arse to get down smaller roads or even entrances and take a fair amount of planning vs even a bigger Euro motorhome where you can just rock up and expect to get in most places and find an obvious route around any restrictions. To give you an example even going into Oulton park there’s only one route I can use and it’s 20 miles longer than the one you’d take in a car.
In terms of renting one I don’t know anywhere that lets you drive them yourself (as they tend to be owner/lender type arrangements) but I would try Empire RV or Signature RV.
Worth doing a bit of research on companies, particularly travelling to Europe, as some have been known to rebrand after being caught supplementing their income through import/export………….
If you can find a place that hires I’d recommend going for a 35ish footer like a Fleetwood Bounder as with enough pullouts they have a similar amount of usable space to a 40+ pusher and are a bit more wieldy, with the main downside being they’re usually petrol engines so pretty thirsty. Not such an issue for a one off trip but bear in mind my one is pretty thrifty at 9mpg and about 800 quid (service stations without researching local places where it’ll fit) for 900 miles.
Also check the AC works they’re f
king misery in the summer and I often see at least one of the RV companies running around the paddock with portable units every time it gets warm.ETA - top tip from first hand experience, if it’s been raining and you’re thinking about parking it on evenly remotely wet ground, don’t!
Edited by The Wookie on Wednesday 6th March 22:08
Thanks for all the advice. I think the main obstacle here is going to be getting my C1 entitlement back on my license. So my better choices are either to get a smaller one or look further afield for suitable hotels. I've seen there is a lot of bureaucracy involved in getting all the various medicals so it's probably something you would set aside a large amount of time to complete, there is some doubt whether or not it could all be done by this summer.
ingenieur said:
Thanks for all the advice. I think the main obstacle here is going to be getting my C1 entitlement back on my license. So my better choices are either to get a smaller one or look further afield for suitable hotels. I've seen there is a lot of bureaucracy involved in getting all the various medicals so it's probably something you would set aside a large amount of time to complete, there is some doubt whether or not it could all be done by this summer.
No probs, if you do bother then despite everything I've said they are great fun to drive and personally I found getting my C+E license a really rewarding experience. In fact when I have the time I occasionally help my mate who does vehicle logistics with a bit of double manning for fun!Having our RV is one of the best things I've ever done for racing and it genuinely is one of the highlights of our weekend. They are great once they're setup and are a proper home away from home, but it is worth respecting the added effort and planning needed vs a Euro motorhome. It must be fabulous in the US where most places are designed for them.
Personally if I were you I'd be looking at whether there's a smaller 5th wheel motorhome/pickup truck combo you could rent that falls within your license restrictions, then you have the added bonus of being able to get around when you reach your destination.
My local track is only around 5 miles away so I think for track days I would drive there and sleep in my house. Have been caught out before though driving to a track which was far away, breaking the car on the circuit and having to get recovered by the AA from the pits. Not the end of the world but end up getting into bed at 2am. RV project looks to be a job for another time but from what you're saying it does sound like fun as I suspected it would be before posting here.
It's not the same for track days, but because of spectator traffic on the meetings I race at, I don't even go back home for my local track which is about 20 mins away! I love staying in it.
A couple of things to bear in mind that you might not think of if you are considering buying one:
They're great value compared to a Euro motorhome to buy but are more like running a modern classic car with frequent minor gripes. Occasional bigger gripes are also more like truck costs too. There are a few good value specialists around though, we use 'RV Dave' near Wolverhampton who is great and also has a lot of middle size RVs that he often sells for customers.
Electrics are the most common gripe as they're about as well wired as a typical US house then modified for 240 volt by importers with varying degrees of professionalism. You can usually tell how well it's been done by how well the UK plugs have been integrated.
Be careful with maintenance and repair of LPG fridges, there are failure modes that result in fire.
Even the newer ones aren't that well waterproofed and they survive better inside if you can find indoor storage, another cost.
You can't take your poo for a walk like you can with most Euro motorhomes and there aren't many coach drops around in the UK, so helps to know you have somewhere convenient to drop the black tank. Also don't wear nice shoes when you do it
A couple of things to bear in mind that you might not think of if you are considering buying one:
They're great value compared to a Euro motorhome to buy but are more like running a modern classic car with frequent minor gripes. Occasional bigger gripes are also more like truck costs too. There are a few good value specialists around though, we use 'RV Dave' near Wolverhampton who is great and also has a lot of middle size RVs that he often sells for customers.
Electrics are the most common gripe as they're about as well wired as a typical US house then modified for 240 volt by importers with varying degrees of professionalism. You can usually tell how well it's been done by how well the UK plugs have been integrated.
Be careful with maintenance and repair of LPG fridges, there are failure modes that result in fire.
Even the newer ones aren't that well waterproofed and they survive better inside if you can find indoor storage, another cost.
You can't take your poo for a walk like you can with most Euro motorhomes and there aren't many coach drops around in the UK, so helps to know you have somewhere convenient to drop the black tank. Also don't wear nice shoes when you do it
I said I'd reply when I had more time but 'wookie' has already given you a lot of info and I echo what has been said. I will add that I think it's very unlikely that you'll find a hire company that will allow you to drive their RV. I'm sure they'll only deliver to where you want to be and collect after you've finished.
As I recall, my RV was classed by DVLA as a PLG and although I have C1, D1, C1E and D1E licence, I'm sure the selling dealer (I bought mine new) told me it could be driven on a 'normal' B car licence, despite it weighing of over 8 Tons. You'll have to check this for yourself though.
Personally, I never had a problem finding suitable campsites. In fact, campsites were on the whole, extremely accommodating, often allowing me to take 2 pitches whilst only charging me for 1 pitch. I never had a problem on the road either. Sticking to good A roads is advisable of course but I've driven through small towns and villages in rural France, Spain and Italy without any issues (apart from some open-mouthed looks from the locals). Good forward planning is the secret and trying to hustle one of these things down a narrow country is best avoided.
In case you don't know, 'A' Class RV's are built on a bus/coach chassis. You then have 'C' Class RV's which are based on a truck chassis with 'B' Class being built using a van (more common in the UK and Europe). I think it might be possible to hire and drive a C Class which will give you all the amenities of an A Class but in a slightly smaller package.
And Winnebago is a manufacturer of RV's. in the same way that Ford, VW etc make vehicles. There are a lot of other manufacturers out there including Damon, Fleetwood, Four Winds, Monaco etc. Width restrictions in the UK and Europe are an issue though which limits the choice.
Finally, there is an American RV Owners Club in the UK. They might be able to help with where to hire and with other advice so take a look: https://www.rvoc.co.uk/index.html
Good luck.
As I recall, my RV was classed by DVLA as a PLG and although I have C1, D1, C1E and D1E licence, I'm sure the selling dealer (I bought mine new) told me it could be driven on a 'normal' B car licence, despite it weighing of over 8 Tons. You'll have to check this for yourself though.
Personally, I never had a problem finding suitable campsites. In fact, campsites were on the whole, extremely accommodating, often allowing me to take 2 pitches whilst only charging me for 1 pitch. I never had a problem on the road either. Sticking to good A roads is advisable of course but I've driven through small towns and villages in rural France, Spain and Italy without any issues (apart from some open-mouthed looks from the locals). Good forward planning is the secret and trying to hustle one of these things down a narrow country is best avoided.
In case you don't know, 'A' Class RV's are built on a bus/coach chassis. You then have 'C' Class RV's which are based on a truck chassis with 'B' Class being built using a van (more common in the UK and Europe). I think it might be possible to hire and drive a C Class which will give you all the amenities of an A Class but in a slightly smaller package.
And Winnebago is a manufacturer of RV's. in the same way that Ford, VW etc make vehicles. There are a lot of other manufacturers out there including Damon, Fleetwood, Four Winds, Monaco etc. Width restrictions in the UK and Europe are an issue though which limits the choice.
Finally, there is an American RV Owners Club in the UK. They might be able to help with where to hire and with other advice so take a look: https://www.rvoc.co.uk/index.html
Good luck.
Edited by CharlieAlphaMike on Friday 8th March 09:56
My parents upgraded to an Four Winds American RV and hated it. It was difficult to drive due to the width and overhangs and they were both capable drivers. Theirs didn't have roll out sections. Once they had arrived at their destination it was fine. Whole pages of the atlas could be ripped out as being impossible to visit. I'd expect it to be perfectly fine in America.
They eventually sold it to someone who just wanted it for race track accomodation who was very happy with it - as generally the roads to and from racetracks are big enough to accomodate artics.
Happy with the size of my 7m long motorhome based on Ducato platform. 6 berth - although generally its just two of us.
They eventually sold it to someone who just wanted it for race track accomodation who was very happy with it - as generally the roads to and from racetracks are big enough to accomodate artics.
Happy with the size of my 7m long motorhome based on Ducato platform. 6 berth - although generally its just two of us.
Edited by andrewcliffe on Friday 8th March 10:11
CharlieAlphaMike said:
As I recall, my RV was classed by DVLA as a PLG and although I have C1, D1, C1E and D1E licence, I'm sure the selling dealer (I bought mine new) told me it could be driven on a 'normal' B car licence, despite it weighing of over 8 Tons. You'll have to check this for yourself though.
Yeah grey area on that one that might have been cleared up.As far as I know license are now categorised as weight only but I cant say it with authority.
Personally I wouldn’t (and didn’t) risk it, the last thing you need is to have a prang and end up arguing the toss with the police and your insurance company.
Things like motorway speed limits seem to be a bit clearer as they’re defined by vehicle category rather than weight, theoretically as a Motorhome then 70mph and outside lane are legal. Again, don’t much fancy it myself but YMMV
I'm somewhat stuck between the two camps.
I owned and lived in a European (Concorde) A-Class for 2-3yrs her in the UK and spent time touring Europe also. It was plated at 7t and required my C1 license which I had Grandfathered. The van itself was based upon a 906.5 Mercedes Sprinter and was just shy of 9m long (with a huge rear overhang). I had spent a lot of time in LWB & XLWB panel vans before this, so easy enough to pick up, but still a big step-up in terms of managing its length and don't think I could go straight off the street and pass a C1 without the previous large-ish vehicle experience.
I never truly had a problem with it in terms of getting on most sites, but it tended to involve a bit of negotiation with campsite owners, some overhanging of the rear behind the pitch and raised eyebrows. It didn't have the complexity of a black tank, like most America RVs have and some super luxury European Liners do, so that was easy enough but it was at the limits of what I would suggest is easy enough to trog around in without having to get majorly hung up on route-planning to avoid low bridges (it was 3.5m high, so just about fine) or weight restrictions. I'm in the position at the moment of owning a 6m panel van conversion; the versatility of which I'm loving, but with a growing family, I'm leaning on going large again. But I'd probably stop short of 9m and 7.5t for both the reasons mentioned above as well as not needing to go for the C license, test, theory test, medical etc.
In terms of hiring a van, I'd be surprised if it was easy to hire an American RV or anything beyond 7m and 3.5t GVW. There are owners around the country who will hire out their vans directly but few companies; certainly no nationwide chains but manufacturers (Bailey, I think), JustGo, TravelCentre(?) down in Bristol are the ones which spring to mind.
I owned and lived in a European (Concorde) A-Class for 2-3yrs her in the UK and spent time touring Europe also. It was plated at 7t and required my C1 license which I had Grandfathered. The van itself was based upon a 906.5 Mercedes Sprinter and was just shy of 9m long (with a huge rear overhang). I had spent a lot of time in LWB & XLWB panel vans before this, so easy enough to pick up, but still a big step-up in terms of managing its length and don't think I could go straight off the street and pass a C1 without the previous large-ish vehicle experience.
I never truly had a problem with it in terms of getting on most sites, but it tended to involve a bit of negotiation with campsite owners, some overhanging of the rear behind the pitch and raised eyebrows. It didn't have the complexity of a black tank, like most America RVs have and some super luxury European Liners do, so that was easy enough but it was at the limits of what I would suggest is easy enough to trog around in without having to get majorly hung up on route-planning to avoid low bridges (it was 3.5m high, so just about fine) or weight restrictions. I'm in the position at the moment of owning a 6m panel van conversion; the versatility of which I'm loving, but with a growing family, I'm leaning on going large again. But I'd probably stop short of 9m and 7.5t for both the reasons mentioned above as well as not needing to go for the C license, test, theory test, medical etc.
In terms of hiring a van, I'd be surprised if it was easy to hire an American RV or anything beyond 7m and 3.5t GVW. There are owners around the country who will hire out their vans directly but few companies; certainly no nationwide chains but manufacturers (Bailey, I think), JustGo, TravelCentre(?) down in Bristol are the ones which spring to mind.
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