Our Caravan Hire Range

We aim to keep all the vehicles in our hire fleet as new as possible. We would usually expect the vast majority of our vehicles to be a maximum of 48 months old.

Yes. We are able to offer a full range of vehicles throughout the year. Because we hire the latest versions with thermostatic heating and great insulation, they are warm and comfortable whatever the weather.

All our caravans include a comprehensive range of equipment.

Caravan equipment includes:

• 25 metre 230V mains cable for campsite hook-up
• UK 3-pin mains lead adapter
• 2 x 6kg propane gas cylinders, one full and one part-full
• Gas auto-changeover
• Waste container, Y-pipe and waste hose
• Rolling fresh water container, handle and fill pipe
• Submersible fresh water filler pipe
• 12V leisure battery
• Roof-mounted solar panel
• Caravan leveller block
• Chemical toilet fluid
• Entrance door step
• Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm
• Entrance door mat
• Spare wheel and wheelnut brace
• 13-pin towing electrics parking plug
• Fire extinguisher
• Al-Ko Secure wheel lock or wheel clamp
• Hitchlock and safety ball

These security devices must be fitted when the caravan is not being towed for insurance purposes.

Interior equipment includes:

• Refrigerator with freezer compartment
• Oven, 3 or 4 burner gas hob and grill
• Microwave, where a 230V supply is available
• Thermostatic heating system
• Water heater
• Roof-mounted boosted TV aerial
• 12V sockets
• USB sockets
• 230V domestic sockets when connected to mains electricity
• Opening double-glazed windows
• Window flyscreens and blinds
• Washroom with basin, shower and cassette-flush toilet
• Cutlery, crockery and cookware

Per person, we supply a knife, fork, dessert spoon, teaspoon, mug or cup, wine glass, tea plate, beaker, dinner plate and cereal bowl.

The caravan also includes items such as a corkscrew, ladle, scissors, tin and bottle opener, wooden spoon, pegs and washing line, bread knife, saucepans, coathangers, vegetable knife, frying pan, dustpan and brush, kitchen knife, kettle, cutting board, potato peeler, serving utensils, colander and other kitchen essentials.

You only need to bring bedding such as duvets or sleeping bags, towels, tea towels, toilet paper and your personal belongings.

All our caravans are covered by comprehensive insurance for travel within the UK.

This does not cover your personal belongings, so we strongly recommend considering personal travel insurance to protect against loss or damage to your own possessions.

The damage deposit, sometimes called a security deposit, is the sum deposited with us over and above the hire charge. For all touring caravans this is £250.

The deposit is fully refundable provided the vehicle is returned clean, undamaged and on time. If damage occurs, the cost of repair may be deducted from this deposit before the balance is refunded.

For accidental damage, the deposit represents your maximum liability and additional costs will be covered by Tilshead Caravans or our insurer.

Because our damage deposit and insurance excess are already set at a relatively low level, you do not need to purchase additional collision damage waiver insurance.

Unfortunately, we are unable to allow hire caravans to leave the United Kingdom.

No. Vehicles can usually be collected and returned Monday to Friday.

We do not offer collections on weekends or Bank Holidays. Return may be possible on a Saturday before 12 noon.

Vehicles are usually collected at 4.00pm on the first day of hire. Your vehicle may sometimes be ready earlier, in which case you are welcome to collect it at no additional cost by prior arrangement.

If an earlier collection would be useful, we recommend contacting us a few days before the start of your hire.

Vehicles are normally due back by 12 noon. This gives us sufficient time to clean and prepare them for the next customer.

You are welcome to return the caravan earlier, although we are unlikely to be able to offer a refund for unused days unless the vehicle can be hired to another customer.

We appreciate that unforeseen circumstances can cause delays, but we ask hirers to allow plenty of time when returning vehicles. We reserve the right to make a fair additional hire charge for late returns.

Yes. Whilst many clients collect their caravan from our site near Salisbury on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border, we can deliver caravans throughout the UK if required.

Delivery rates are generally based on the mileage travelled from our site near Salisbury.

Delivery and collection to events throughout the UK is very common. Our service includes full siting and set-up of the caravan so that it is ready for immediate use.

You do not need to be present when we deliver or collect, provided suitable siting instructions and key handover arrangements have been agreed.

No. You can book any of our vehicles for as long or as short a period as you require.

For example, if you need ten days' hire, we will charge for ten days. Hire rates are calculated pro-rata from our usual weekly rates rather than applying a premium for shorter periods.

We do have minimum hire charges at certain times of year, so please contact us if you have specific requirements.

Whilst we do not have fixed minimum hire periods, minimum hire charges generally apply at certain times of year:

• High Season: seven days
• Mid Season: five days
• Low Season: four days
• Event hires: generally five to seven days

These are intended as a general guide rather than inflexible rules. If you have specific requirements, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss how we can help.

Our caravans are largely self-contained. Appliances such as the hob, grill, oven, fridge, hot water and heating can operate from the gas supplied, whilst the onboard 12V leisure battery powers lighting, water pumps and other systems.

The main exception is the microwave, which requires a 230V electricity supply.

Caravans also include domestic-style 230V sockets for appliances such as phone chargers or small hairdryers. These sockets only operate when the caravan is connected to a campsite mains hook-up or suitable generator.

If you will not have access to mains hook-up and wish to use 230V appliances, you will need a suitable generator.

Televisions are not fitted as standard, although all our caravans have boosted directional roof-mounted TV aerials if you wish to use a television during your hire.

We can also offer additional items including TV and TV/DVD units which can run from the caravan's 12V supply.

Yes. Speed limits for vehicles towing a caravan are different from the normal limits for cars.

Vehicles towing a trailer or caravan must not use the outside lane of a three or four-lane motorway.

Generally, the relevant UK limits for private cars towing caravans or trailers are:

• Built-up areas: 30mph
• Single carriageway: 50mph
• Dual carriageway: 60mph
• Motorway: 60mph

Yes. We have no objection to family pets being taken in our rental caravans.

We ask hirers to be responsible for their pets and provide suitable beds or blankets to protect the caravan furnishings.

Some caravans provide more floor space for pets than others, so this is worth considering when choosing your vehicle. We also ask that pets are not left unattended inside our caravans.

There are no age restrictions where the caravan is delivered by us.

If you will be towing the caravan, you must hold a suitable driving licence and have been driving for at least one year.

Drivers must normally be over 21 and under 69 years of age at the start of the hire. Drivers outside these age limits may sometimes be accepted subject to approval from our insurer.

Please see our Caravan Hire Terms & Conditions for full details.

International licence holders:

Provided you meet our usual eligibility criteria, a full international licence is normally acceptable, although we recommend checking with us and your licence issuer.

UK full licence holders:

Provided you meet our normal eligibility criteria, you need a full UK licence with the appropriate B or B+E entitlement to tow one of our caravans with a suitable tow vehicle.

If you cancel your hire, we will endeavour to re-let the vehicle to another customer.

If we are able to do so, you will receive a refund of monies paid less an administration charge, currently £50 + VAT.

If we are unable to re-let the caravan, the hirer will be liable for the administration charge plus cancellation costs on the following basis:

• More than 28 days before the hire date: loss of deposit
• Less than 28 days before the hire date: loss of hire charges

Delivery and collection charges would normally be refunded if we have not incurred costs in connection with them.

Depending on the circumstances, we may also be able to offer a credit note towards a future hire.

Hirers are advised to consider their own insurance cover against cancellation losses.

No. A deposit of £250 for caravans is required when booking to reserve your vehicle.

This deposit then acts as the damage deposit during your hire and is fully refundable within ten days of the end of the hire, provided the caravan is returned clean, undamaged and on time.

The hire charge itself, together with any delivery, collection or additional item charges, is payable 28 days before the start of the hire.

We accept Visa, Mastercard and bank transfer.

We can usually offer discounts for hires in excess of 21 days.

If you would like to hire a caravan for 22 days or more, please contact us and we will aim to tailor a discount according to your requirements.

A rear number plate matching the tow car is included free of charge for caravan hires.

UK law requires registered number plate suppliers to verify both the identity of the person obtaining the plate and their entitlement to the registration number.

If we are supplying a new number plate, you will therefore need to provide suitable proof of identity and proof of entitlement to the registration.

Examples of acceptable identification include a current photocard driving licence, passport and certain other official photographic documents.

Proof of entitlement would normally be the vehicle's V5 registration document or another suitable DVLA-issued document.

If you already have a suitable rectangular number plate matching your tow vehicle, such as one supplied during a previous hire, we will be happy to fit this to the caravan.

Yes. We can deliver caravans throughout the UK and regularly site vehicles at sporting events, exhibitions, shows, seminars, camping grounds and campsites.

Delivery charges are generally based on mileage from our site near Salisbury.

Our delivery service includes full siting and set-up so that the caravan is ready for immediate use.

You do not need to be present during delivery or collection, provided appropriate siting instructions and key handover arrangements have been agreed.

You simply need to ensure that a suitable space has been reserved for the caravan.

No. Descriptions such as 15ft or 18ft are used as a guide to the approximate interior length of the caravan and to help compare the size of different models.

The overall length of our caravans may be up to 26ft. If you have limited space and need the exact dimensions of a particular model, please contact us before booking.

Yes. We specialise in the sale of quality used caravans, with a regularly changing selection of well-maintained pre-owned models.

Our stock includes a variety of layouts and specifications to suit different requirements and budgets. Please see our Used Caravans pages for current availability and full sales listings.

We strive to provide the best possible caravans for hire and aim to keep our fleet as new as possible.

To achieve this, we operate a rolling replacement programme across the hire fleet. Many of our vehicles are available for purchase throughout the year, particularly between October and March.

If you are interested in purchasing a caravan from us, please see our Caravan Sales pages for current availability.

There are several factors to consider when matching a tow car and caravan, with vehicle weights being one of the most important.

Legally, the caravan's maximum possible weight, known as its MTPLM, must not exceed the maximum towing limit specified by the tow car manufacturer.

Other considerations include engine size, the weight loaded into the caravan, the type of towbar and hitch, weight distribution and the type and distance of your journey.

For safety reasons, we will not allow a caravan to leave our site if we believe the tow vehicle is unsuitable.

If you are unsure, please contact us before your hire. We can assist with tow car and caravan matching or arrange delivery and collection so that you do not have to tow the caravan yourself.

Your tow car needs a 50mm extended-neck towball with either single or double 7-pin electrical sockets, or a 13-pin electrical socket.

Our caravans would normally be fitted with an integral stabiliser which clamps onto the towball. These are fitted as standard by the caravan manufacturer and help reduce excess caravan movement such as pitching and swaying.

Swan-neck and detachable towballs will generally accept Al-Ko stabilisers without modification.

If you have a standard bolt-on towball, it may need to be replaced with an Al-Ko extended-neck version so that the stabiliser can clamp around the towball correctly.

If your tow vehicle is a 4x4 with a spare wheel mounted on the rear door, please ensure there is sufficient clearance for the stabiliser handle.

Any checks or fitting of replacement towballs and spacers should be arranged in advance and may not be possible at the time of caravan collection.

Please remember that a stabiliser does not make an unsafe or badly loaded tow car and caravan combination safe.

Choose the caravan you would like to hire, select your preferred dates and any optional accessories, then complete the booking form.

You can pay your deposit by bank transfer or by Visa or Mastercard.

No. For security reasons, please do not send credit card, debit card or banking details through the website or by email.

Card payments can be made securely by telephone.

All bookings are subject to availability. Where appropriate, we will provisionally reserve your chosen caravan while your booking and deposit are being processed.

Yes. Optional accessories can be added to your caravan hire. Simply let us know what you require when completing your booking.

You can read our full Caravan Hire Terms & Conditions before making your booking.