Q. How old are your hire
vehicles?
A. We aim to keep all the
vehicles in our hire fleet, both caravans and motorhomes, as new as possible. We
would expect all vehicles to be under 30 months old.
Q. Do you hire all year round?
A. Yes. We are able to offer a
full range of vehicles throughout the year.
A. All our caravans and
motorhomes are covered by comprehensive motoring insurance covering the UK and
Europe. It does not cover your personal items and we would strongly recommend
you consider personal travel insurance to protect yourself fully against loss or
damage to your own belongings.
For more details of damage
deposits and the insurance excess which will apply to hires please see
damage deposit as detailed
below.
Q. What is
the damage deposit and do we have to take out additional collision damage waiver
(CDW) insurance?
A. The damage deposit,
sometimes called a security deposit, is the sum you deposit with us over and
above the hire charge. For motorhomes it is £250.00 (£500.00 for drivers 21 - 24
years) and for caravans it is £150.00.
This deposit is fully returnable provided the vehicle is returned clean,
undamaged and on time. In the event of damage to the vehicle or an insurance
claim from a third party, the cost of the damage/claim will be deducted from
this deposit before it is refunded to you. In the event that the damage repair
costs exceed the deposit paid then an additional sum will be payable by the
Hirer up to the level of the insurance excess. This insurance excess is
currently £500.00 for motorhomes and £300.00 for caravans. For accidental damage this sum is
your maximum liability and any additional costs will be covered by Tilshead
Caravans or our
insurance company.
Some hire companies have a
high insurance excess, for example £750 - £1500, and then charge you for
collision damage waiver insurance (on top of the hire charge) to reduce this
excess to a lower figure such as £250 - £500. Because our damage deposit and
insurance excess are already set at the lower levels, you do not need to take
out additional collision damage waiver insurance.
Q. I want to travel to Europe. Is this allowed and are there extra costs?
A. You are able to take our
caravans and motorhomes to most European countries and we provide full
comprehensive insurance cover for our vehicle. There is an additional
cost of £60.00 per week for continental Europe hires or £30.00 per week for
hires travelling to Ireland in order to offset the cost of covering this extra
insurance risk.
For motorhomes we also provide
European breakdown & recovery services
along with many items required by law in some European
countries. These include a
Continental 2 pin Mains Lead Adapter,
small first aid kit, spare bulb kit, additional reflective
warning triangle and headlamp beam deflectors.
For caravans we have
historically always provided breakdown and recovery services for the caravan
and towcar. However with effect from 14 January 2005 the Financial Services
Authority (FSA) undertook regulation of all contract of insurance products (this
includes breakdown and recovery services) and as a consequence of the regulatory
requirements we have now ceased to offer any insurance products, including
personal travel insurance and breakdown & recovery services. This FSA
regulation means that by law we are unable to offer you any advice, information
or assistance whatsoever on any insurance products.
As we cannot now offer
breakdown and recovery services it is now the responsibility of the caravan
hirer to arrange full comprehensive breakdown and recovery services to cover the
towcar and our caravan, including relay and emergency repatriation of the
vehicles cover, if you are wishing to travel outside the UK. Please be aware
that we shall require full written confirmation of this policy prior to
collection of the caravan and that this cannot be omitted under any
circumstances.
Q.
Do I have to collect and return my hire vehicle on a particular day of the week?
A.
No. Vehicles can usually be
collected and returned Monday - Saturday.
Sunday and Bank Holiday
collections or returns may be possible, depending on the circumstances and
vehicle availability.
Q. What are your usual collection and drop-off times for hire vehicles? What
happens if I am late?
A. Vehicles are usually
collected at 4.00pm on the first day of the hire. It may be the case that your
vehicle will be ready before this time in which case you would be welcome to
collect it early at no additional cost, subject to agreeing an approximate time
with us in advance! If this would be of benefit we recommend you contact us a
few days prior to the start of your hire and we can advise the situation. Please
do not arrive at 10.00am and expect your vehicle to be ready without checking
with us first!
Vehicles are usually booked to
be returned by 12.00 Noon, as this then gives us the four hours to clean and
prepare the vehicle for the next customer. You are welcome to return vehicles
earlier than planned if you wish to do so but we regret we are unlikely to be
able to offer a refund for unused days unless we can book them out to another
client.
We appreciate that accidents
can happen and unforeseen situations can make you late, but we would ask all
clients to please allow plenty of time when collecting and returning
vehicles. In the event that you return your vehicle late then you risk ruining
the next hirer's holiday! We do not have penalties which we charge by the hour
for late vehicles like some hire companies, but we do reserve the right to levy
fair additional charges, especially if we have to compensate the next hirer for
missing a ferry for example!
Q. Do you offer delivery &
collection services for your
motorhomes and caravans?
A. Whilst many of our clients
collect their hire vehicle from our site near Salisbury on the
Hampshire/Wiltshire border, we can deliver all of our caravans and motorhomes
throughout the UK if required.
Delivery rates are generally
based on the mileage travelled from our site near Salisbury. Motorhomes are
generally not as cost effective to deliver to any particular location than
caravans as we have to take another car and driver to bring home the person
delivering your motorhome. We regret this but feel that for reasons of our
staff's welfare we do not usually consider it is acceptable to expect members of
our delivery team to attempt to travel home by other methods.
Delivery and collection of
caravans to and from events throughout the UK is very common. All delivery and
collection services involve full siting and set-up of your vehicle so that it is
ready for your immediate use. Hirers do not need to be on site when we deliver
or collect, provided suitable siting instructions and key handover arrangements
can be made.
For more details of
our delivery and/or collection services please
visit our
Delivery & Collection page.
Q.
Must I book a vehicle for a week at a time or can I specify the length of hire I
want?
A. You can book any of our
vehicles for as long or as short a time as you wish. For example, if you want to
have ten days hire, then we will just charge you for ten days. All hire rates
are charged pro-rata on our usual weekly rates.
However, we do have a
minimum hire charge at various times of the year, so please just contact us
if you have particular requirements and we can advise how we may assist.
A. Whilst we do not have
minimum hire periods, we do have minimum hire charges at some
times of the year. Generally these are :
|
|
Caravans |
Motorhomes |
| Hires
during High Season |
Seven days |
Seven days |
| Hires
during Mid Season |
Five days |
Five days |
| Hires
during Low Season |
Four days |
Three days |
|
|
|
|
Hires
travelling outside the UK |
Seven days |
Seven days |
|
Event hires
(e.g. British Grand Prix) |
Five days |
Five days |
These minimum hire charges are
most definitely NOT 'set in stone' but are a general guide. If you have
specific requirements then please just contact us and we can chat through how we
may assist you. For example, if you want a motorhome for four days in August,
and we happen to have such a space between existing hires then we would be able
to assist at a four day rate with no difficulty.
A. The following equipment is
supplied in every vehicle :-
|
All our
motorhomes feature: |
-
Refrigerator with freezer compartment
-
3/4 Burner Hob with Grill and Oven
-
Space Heater (mains and/or gas
fired)
-
Water Heater (mains and/or gas
fired)
-
Integral fresh and waste Water Tanks
-
12 volt and 230 volt Mains facility
-
Roof Mounted Boosted TV Aerial
-
Double Glazed Windows
(excluding cab)
-
Cutlery, Crockery & Cookware
-
Washroom with Basin, Shower and Cassette flush Toilet
|
-
Levelling Blocks
-
Camping Gas and Toilet Chemicals
-
Fire Extinguisher
-
Hazard Warning Triangle
-
UK Campsite Guide
-
Power Steering
-
Economic Diesel Engines
-
Seat Belts front & rear
(as appropriate)
-
Breakdown & Recovery Services
|
|
All our
caravans feature: |
-
Refrigerator with freezer compartment
- Space Heater (mains
&/or gas
fired)
-
Water Heater (mains &/or gas
fired)
-
Roof Mounted Boosted TV Aerial
-
12 volt and 230 volt Mains facilities
-
Opening Double Glazed Windows
-
Window Flyscreens and Blinds
-
Washroom with Basin, Shower and Cassette flush Toilet
|
-
'Aquaroll' Fresh Water Container
-
Waste Water Container & Pipe
- Spare Wheel
- Caravan Battery & Charging
Unit
- Rear matching Number Plate
- Camping Gas & Toilet Chemicals
- Smoke Alarm & Fire
Extinguisher
- Cutlery, Crockery & Cookware
- UK Campsite Guide
|
|
All our
caravans and motorhomes are equipped with: |
|
Per Person: |
|
Knife |
Mug / Cup |
Wine Glass |
|
Fork |
Tea Plate |
Egg Cup |
|
Dessert Spoon |
Dinner Plate |
Beaker |
|
Teaspoon |
Cereal Bowl |
|
| |
|
|
|
Per Vehicle: |
|
Corkscrew |
Ladle |
Scissors |
|
Tin/Bottle Opener |
Potato Peeler |
Tea Tray |
|
Carving Knife |
2/3 Saucepans |
Dustpan & Brush |
|
Kitchen Knife |
Frying Pan |
Pegs |
|
Slice |
Kettle |
Coathangers |
|
Slotted Spoon |
Teapot |
Washing-up Bowl |
|
Wooden Spoon |
Breadboard |
Dish Drainer |
|
Serving Spoon |
Jug/Mixing Bowl |
Waste Bucket |
|
Masher |
|
|
|
25 metre 240V Mains
Lead |
UK 3 pin
Mains Lead Adapter |
|
2 x 6 Kg (Propane)
or 7 Kg (Butane) Gas Cylinders |
Chemical Toilet Fluids |
|
Fire Extinguisher |
Caravan 12V Battery and Battery Charger |
|
Washing-up Cloth & Pan Cleaner |
UK Campsite Guide |
| |
|
|
Additional Items
for Caravans: |
|
|
Waste Water Container &
'Y' Pipe Waste Hose |
Wheel Levelling Block |
|
40 litre Rolling
Water Container & Submersible Fresh Water
Pump |
Spare Wheel and Wheelnut Brace |
|
Wheel Clamp, Front
Hitchlock & Rear Stabilising Leg Padlock |
|
| |
|
|
Additional Items
for Motorhomes |
|
|
Motorhome Levelling
Blocks |
Spare Wheel, Jack and Wheelnut Brace |
|
|
You
only need to bring bedding (duvets, sleeping bags, etc. as appropriate), items
such as towels, tea-towels, washing up & cleaning items, toilet paper and your
personal belongings.
A. All our caravans and
motorhomes are fully self-contained in that all appliances (such as hob, grill,
oven, hot water, heating) will operate from the camping gas we supply, whilst
the onboard 12V leisure battery supplies the power to operate lighting, water
pumps and so on.
However, all our vehicles have
at least one domestic style 3-pin 230V electric socket which may be used to
power your own 230V appliances, such as a mobile 'phone charger, radio/CD
player, small hairdryer or similar. These sockets can only be used if the
vehicle is connected to a 230V mains
electricity supply such as on a campsite (this is known as a
'mains hook-up'), or connected to a generator providing 230V.
If you wish to take and use
your own 230V appliances and you are not going to have access to
mains hook-up at your campsite location(s) then you will need to use a
generator.
Generators or campsite mains
hook-up are also especially useful for caravan hires to
maintain charge in the
caravan 12V battery (motorhome batteries are
of course charging whilst the vehicle engine is
running).
For more details on our
generators for hire please see our
Additional Items & Services page.
A. Whilst none of our vehicles
are equipped with televisions as standard,
all our vehicles are fitted with boosted omni-directional roof-mounted TV
aerials in case you wish to use a television during your hire.
We can offer a range of
additional items including TV's and TV/Video units (which will run from the 12V
batteries on board our vehicles) if required. Please just visit our
Additional Items & Services page
for details.
A.
All of our motorhomes sleeping three or more persons have forward facing seats fitted with three point lap and
diagonal belt seatbelts. These seatbelts
can be used to secure most child seats but we would of course recommend you
visit us prior to your hire, if practical, to ensure you are happy with the
fixing of your child seat.
Q.
Are there any speed limit or lane
restrictions for caravans and motorhomes in the UK?
A. Motorhomes
UK speed limits for the majority of motorhomes are the same as for cars.
Larger motorhomes, such as our 6 Berth Coachbuilt model, have reduced speed
limits as shown below. There are generally no motorway lane restrictions for
motorhomes unless towing a trailer.
Caravans
UK speed limits for ALL towing vehicles are NOT the same as for
cars. Please see the chart below for details.
When towing any trailer or caravan, vehicles are NOT allowed to
use the outside lane of a three or four lane motorway.
Generally the relevant UK speed limits are
:-
| |
BUILT-UP AREAS |
SINGLE CARRIAGE-
WAY |
DUAL CARRIAGE-
WAY |
MOTORWAYS |
|
|
|
TYPE OF VEHICLE |
MPH |
MPH |
MPH |
MPH |
|
CARS
|
30 |
60 |
70 |
70 |
CARS TOWING
CARAVANS
OR TRAILERS |
30 |
50 |
60 |
60 |
MOTORHOMES
in general |
30 |
60 |
70 |
70 |
MOTORHOMES
with unladen weight
exceeding 3050kg |
30 |
50 |
60 |
70 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. In each of our vehicles we
provide a current year camping, caravan and motorhome UK campsite guide for use
during your hire.
If you wish to look through
such a guide prior to your hire then we can sell you a new copy at the
prevailing retail price plus P&P
or you may be able to request a copy from a local newsagent or library. The
guide we use is the 'Cades Guide' (www.cades.co.uk)
but there are a number of European and UK guides available on the market.
A. We have no objection to
family pets in our motorhomes or caravans. We do however ask hirers to be
responsible for their pets and to ensure that they are provided with their own
beds/blankets as necessary. Please remember that some vehicles have more floor
space suitable for pet areas than others, so bear this in mind when deciding on
the vehicle you require.
A. There are no age
restrictions for hiring caravans. If towing our caravans then you must have a
suitable driving licence and have been driving for at least one year.
For motorhomes, all
drivers must be over 21 and
under 72 years of age at commencement of hire. All drivers must have a suitable
driving licence and have been driving for at least one year. If drivers are outside these age
limits, have good driving records and are of good health then we can refer to
our insurance company who will decide if the driver is acceptable to them. There
is very rarely any additional cost but the
damage deposit may be increased
in these circumstances.
Please see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire
for full details.
For more
details on UK licences, please visit the website of the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) at
www.dvla.gov.uk
or contact us
A. Motorhomes
International licence holders
Provided you meet our usual
eligibility criteria (see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
then a full international licence is usually acceptable, although we do
recommend that you check with us and your licence issuer.
UK full licence holders
obtained before 01 January 1997
Provided you meet our usual
eligibility criteria (see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
then your full UK licence with the usual entitlement of categories B and C1 will enable
you to drive any of our motorhomes.
UK full licence holders
obtained since 01 January 1997
Provided you meet our usual
eligibility criteria (see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
then your full UK licence with the usual entitlement of category B allows you to
drive any car/motorhome up to a maximum authorised mass (MAM)
of 3500kg. This will allow you to drive the majority of our motorhomes with the
exception of our
6 Berth Coachbuilt.
Our 6 Berth Coachbuilt
motorhomes have a MAM of 3750 - 3800kg. Whilst this does offer a reasonable payload and
helps to prevent users from inadvertently overloading the vehicle, this weight
restriction means that to drive these motorhomes you will need to gain a C1
category of your licence. For all licences obtained since 01 January 1997 this
means you will have to take an additional driving test.
A. Caravans
International licence holders
Provided you meet our usual
eligibility criteria (see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
then a full international licence is usually acceptable, although we do
recommend that you check with us and your licence issuer.
UK full licence holders
obtained before 01 January 1997
Provided you meet our usual
eligibility criteria (see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
then you only need a full UK licence with the necessary categories of B
and B+E as this is valid for a vehicle and towed caravan combination with a
maximum authorised mass (MAM) of up to 8.25 tonnes. (Average car and our caravan
combination may be around 3.0 tonnes).
UK full licence holders
obtained since 01 January 1997
Provided you meet our usual
eligibility criteria (see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
then your full UK licence allows you to tow one of our caravans under the
category B entitlement of your licence providing the maximum authorised mass (MAM)
of the caravan does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle AND the
combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes MAM.
For example, an average family
saloon car (e.g. Ford Mondeo) may have an unladen weight around 1400kg and a MAM of
around 1850kg. If this was towing one of our larger caravans
which had a MAM of 1350kg, then this would be well within the limits of your
licence restrictions.
If you wished to tow a caravan
with a much larger tow vehicle, for instance a 4 wheel drive towcar with a MAM
of 2600kg then you will need to pass an additional driving test to gain the B+E
category entitlement on your licence. This then entitles you to tow a trailer or
caravan over 750kg MAM (as all our caravan are) with a tow vehicle weighing up
to 3.5 tonnes MAM.
For more
details on UK licences, please visit the website of the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) at
www.dvla.gov.uk
or contact us.
Q.
Do your motorhomes
run on petrol or diesel fuel and how many miles per gallon can I expect?
A. All our motorhomes run on
diesel fuel. Miles per gallon will vary according to driving style and
conditions but we would expect around 25 - 30 mpg from motorhomes with engine
sizes of up to 2.3TurboDiesel and 20 - 25 mpg from motorhomes with 2.5TD and
larger engines.
A. Regrettably at present all
our motorhomes have manual gearboxes.
A. Provided that all drivers
meet our usual eligibility criteria (as per our
Terms & Conditions of Hire)
and we can inspect original driving licences on collection of the vehicle we
have no objection to there being a number of drivers for the motorhome during
your hire. There is no additional cost to you for extra drivers.
A. Unusually for hire
vehicles, many of our Coachbuilt motorhomes are fitted with towbars and twin
towing electrics.
If you wish to hire a
motorhome and anticipate towing please advise us prior to booking in
order we may assess the suitability of the trailer and motorhome combination and
allocate you a suitable vehicle accordingly. We shall need details of the
length, width and weight of the trailer at the time of booking in order we may
inform our insurance company, along with details of the categories on your
driving licence in order we may ensure you are entitled to drive/tow such a
vehicle.
Please be aware that the
trailer will only be covered for third party risks by the motorhome's motor insurance.
Any damage to the trailer will not be covered by our insurance and should be
insured by the trailer's owner accordingly.
A. Unlike some smaller hire
firms which may only have a few vehicles, we have a large fleet of
caravans and motorhomes available for hire throughout the year plus any sales
vehicles on site. This means we nearly always have a number of each type of
vehicle, which gives us a great deal of flexibility. In the event of the hirer
previous to you returning the vehicle in a condition unsuitable for your hire we
will endeavour to replace it with a similar vehicle, or a different model with
your approval.
Q.
Can I leave my car with you
during my motorhome hire. Is there a charge for this?
A.
You are welcome to leave your car with us for the duration of your hire. There
is no charge for this service and clients vehicles will be stored in our fenced
and locked yard in view of our closed circuit TV cameras along with our hire
fleet.
Please be aware that we need
to retain the keys to any vehicles left with us in case of emergency. All
vehicles are left at owners risk and we can accept no responsibility for any
damage or loss unless caused by the negligence of our employees.
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We are happy to collect
clients from, or setdown clients at, local trains stations or from any major
airport as required.
For rail passengers we suggest
using Salisbury station or Grateley station, both on the railway mainline out of
London Waterloo. Pickups and setdowns from these stations are free of charge.
If clients are flying into the
UK then we can meet you at Arrivals at most airports. Please contact us for
details as costs will vary depending on the airport, time of arrival and number
of passengers to be carried.
A. If you cancel your hire
then we shall endeavour to re-let the vehicle to another client.
If we are able to do so, then
you will get a full refund of monies paid less a small administration
charge, currently £30.00+VAT.
If we
are unable to do so, the Hirer will be liable to pay the
administration charge plus costs on a scale proportionate to the
length of time before the hire commences, as set out below :-
|
Exceeding 56 days from hire date |
|
40% of deposit |
|
Between 55 days and 42 days
|
|
60% of deposit |
|
Between 41 days and 28 days |
|
Loss of deposit |
|
Less than 28 days from hire date |
|
Loss of Hire charges |
You would get a
full refund for any delivery/collection charges paid if we have
not incurred any costs in this respect. We may be able to offer a
credit note to offset against a future hire, depending on the
circumstances.
Hirers are advised to obtain their own insurance cover to
safeguard against such losses.
Please see our
Terms & Conditions of Hire
Q.
Do I have to pay the full hire charge on booking?
A. A deposit of £250.00 for
motorhomes or £150.00 for caravans is required on booking to reserve a vehicle
for you. This deposit then acts as the
damage deposit
during the hire
and is fully refundable within ten days of the end of the hire provided the
vehicle is returned clean, undamaged and on time.
The vehicle hire charge
itself, along with any charges for delivery/collection, extra items and so on,
is payable 28 days prior to the commencement of hire and we would usually send a
reminder prior to this date. We can accept payment by most credit/debit cards,
cheque and bank transfer.
Q. Do you offer discounts for
long term hires?
A. We can usually offer
discounts for hires in excess of 21 days.
If you are hiring for 22 - 42
days then we would usually expect to offer a 10% discount on our usual hire
rates. If your hire is for a period in excess of six weeks then additional
discounts will be tailored to your hire according to your requirements.
Please just
contact us if you
need more details or a quotation.
Q. Is my towcar suitable to
tow your caravans?
Please also see the FAQ section on
towbars and stabilisers
shown below.
A. There are many factors to
consider when matching towcar and caravan, but one of the most important is the
weights of the vehicles. As a general rule of thumb it is recommended that the
laden weight of the caravan should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the
towcar.
For example, an average family
saloon car (e.g. Ford Mondeo) may have an unladen weight around 1400kg. If this was
towing one of our larger which was loaded to 95% of
the caravan's maximum technically permissible laden mass (MTPLM) of 1250kg, giving a laden mass of 1187kg,
then the caravan would be 84% of the towcar kerbweight which should be a nice
towing match (even with such a heavy caravan loading!).
Other factors such as the
towcar engine size, the weight of items loaded into the caravan, the type of
towbar fitted, how well the caravan weight is distributed and even how far and
where you
are travelling will all make a difference to the safety of your car and caravan
combination.
Overall, we consider that a
common sense approach is the key to determining which caravans are suitable for
your towcar. Please remember that the day you arrive to collect your caravan is
not the best day to realise that it is not up to the job! For safety reasons
we will not allow
caravans to leave the site if the towcar is clearly not suitable.
If you would like us to advise
please just contact us and we would be delighted to offer assistance in any way
we can - even if this is to deliver and collect the caravan so you do not have
to tow it!
Please also see the FAQ section on
towbars and stabilisers
shown below.
Q.
What kind of towbar do I
need to hire your caravans? Do you fit stabilisers?
A.
Your towcar will need to have a 50mm 'extended neck' towball with either
single or double 7-pin electric sockets or a 13-pin electric socket.
Stabilisers are additional
equipment to attach towcar and caravan in a manner designed to damp out excess
movement by the caravan, such as pitching or swaying. All our caravans would
usually be equipped with an integral stabiliser which clamps onto the towball on
your towcar. These stabilisers are fitted as standard equipment on all our
caravans by the caravan manufacturers.
Although no special fittings
or clamps are required to be fitted to your car, there is a specific style of
towball to fit these many of these stabilisers and your towcar will need to meet
these requirements in order to tow our caravans.
For more details please click on the link below
to view the product brochure sheet produced by the stabiliser manufacturer.
www.Al-Ko.co.uk :
Correct Use
of Towballs with AKS stabilisers
This file on Alko-Kober's website can be read online or
printed using the free Microsoft Word Viewer. If you do not have this software
installed on your system, you may download it from Microsoft's website.
If
your towcar is a 4 x 4 model
If your towcar is a 4 x 4 style model with a spare
wheel located on the rear door we recommend you ensure there is sufficient
clearance for the stabiliser handle to lift, as shown on the
Al-Ko information sheet.
If your towcar has:
Swan-neck style and
Detachable style towballs
Al-Ko stabilisers will usually fit these
towballs without any amendment or adjustment necessary. However, we recommend
you read the
Al-Ko information sheet to check the clearances between towball and vehicle.
If your towcar has:
Bolt-on style towballs
If you use a standard ‘bolt-on’ type towball, you will need to
replace it with the special Al-Ko ‘extended neck’ towball. As the
stabiliser clamps fully around the towball, using the standard style
towball is unacceptable as the stabiliser clamp cannot locate correctly and this
could lead to the caravan becoming detached during travel.
|

An example diagram of how the stabiliser
fits onto the towball.
Note the minimum height of 60mm from base of towball neck to
the centre of the ball. It is this requirement that can only be met by
detachable, swan-neck or extended-neck towbars. |

Example: Alko stabiliser |
|

Example: extended-neck towball kit
showing spacer and bolts |
Should you have an older style
bolt-on towball then we can supply the 'extended neck' version to you if
required. We can also supply spacers and towball bolts if needed. Please just
contact us for details and prices.
Please note: The
checking and fitting of replacement towballs and spacers can only be undertaken
by appointment and this may not be possible at the time of caravan collection.
We apologise
for any inconvenience caused by the need to meet these towball specifications,
but we do feel that as the stabilisers are fitted by the caravan manufacturer
and designed and built by the chassis manufacturer, they are raising the safety
standards of our caravan fleet and as such are to be welcomed.
Finally, please
be aware :-
Although we agree that a well matched car and caravan
combination can benefit from the use of a stabiliser, the use of a stabiliser
will not in itself make an unsafe or badly loaded towing combination safe
!
Q. Do you supply a rear number plate for caravans?
A.
A rear number plate
for the caravan to match the towcar is included free of charge for all caravan
hires. This number plate is usually supplied by us, although some clients will
have a number plate from previous hires or other sources.
With effect from 1st January 2003, new legislation introduced by
the Department of Transport came into force regarding the supply of vehicle
number plates. By law, number plate suppliers need to be registered with DVLA
(Driver & Vehicle Licencing Agency) and are now unable to supply number plates
unless specific criteria are met and full details kept of every number plate
issued. To supply number plates without meeting these criteria and keeping these
records is now a criminal offence.
If you are hiring a caravan and require a rear number
plate for the caravan, and the following documentation is not provided when the
vehicle is collected, we will, by law, be unable to supply a new number
plate.
You will need : Proof of Individual’s Identity
Current Photocard Driving Licence
OR
Bank/Building Society statement or recent utility bill
with one of the following :-
Current paper driving licence
Passport
Credit/Debit card with photograph
Travel Pass card with photograph
UK Armed Forces identity card
Foreign National identity card
You will need : Proof of Entitlement to the registration plate
(the purchaser of the
number plate does not have to be the registered keeper)
Vehicle Registration Document V5
OR
one of the documents below :
Vehicle Licence renewal V11
Certificate of Entitlement to a mark V750
Cherished transfer retention document V778
Certificate of Vehicle Registration V379
Vehicle Export Certificate
Authorisation slip from DVLA local office with DVLA stamp
Letter of Authority from Fleet Operators on company headed
paper with full contact details – must note V5 document reference number
Copy of schedule of vehicles supplied by a hire/leasing
company under the hire contract agreement together with a letter of authority on
company headed notepaper – must note V5 document reference number
If hirers already have a rectangular number plate to match the towcar; for
example from a previous hire where we supplied the number plate to you at the
end of that hire; then we shall be happy to fit this to the caravan. However
please be aware that this may involve the drilling of fixing holes in the number
plate itself.
Q.
I am going to a specific event. Can you site a caravan there ready for me?
A. We can deliver all of our caravans
throughout the UK and siting caravans at specific sporting events, exhibitions,
shows, seminars, camping grounds and campsites is very common for us.
Delivery rates are generally
based on the mileage travelled from our site near Salisbury. All
delivery and
collection services involve full siting and set-up of your vehicle so that it is
ready for your immediate use. Hirers do not need to be on site when we deliver
or collect, provided suitable siting instructions and key handover arrangements
can be made. All you need to do if ensure that there is a space reserved for
your caravan and inform us accordingly!
If you would like a quotation
for our delivery and/or collection services please just
contact us and we shall
be happy to advise the costs involved.
Q. Do
you sell caravans and motorhomes?
A. Yes. We are proud
to be an authorised dealer of Abbey Caravans & Sprite Caravans and can demonstrate a range of new
caravans to you. Please see our
New Caravans page.
If you are looking for a pre-owned caravan or
motorhome then we usually have a range of vehicles to offer. Please see our
Caravan Sales &
Motorhome Sales pages for more details and sales lists.
A. We strive to provide the best possible caravans and
motorhomes for hire and aim to keep our hire fleet as new as possible.
In order to do so we have a rolling replacement system for all caravans and motorhomes on our fleet.
Most vehicles are available for purchase throughout the year at a
discounted price and this is especially true from October -
March.
If you are interested in the idea of purchasing
a vehicle from us please visit
our Caravan Sales &
Motorhome Sales pages for more details and sales lists.
Q. I really enjoyed my hire - If I now buy the vehicle from you, will I get a discount?
A. We are usually able to
offer a 'try before you buy' discount.
If you hire from us and then
decide to purchase a vehicle from us (it does not have to be the one you hired),
we can usually offer a discount of up to the first week's hire charge you have
paid, on the price of the sales vehicle. If this may be of interest please just
contact us or see our
Try before you Buy
page for more details.
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Tilshead Caravans. All rights reserved.
Revised: 05-09-09.
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