Caravan Hire - Terms & Conditions

 

It may assist you to read this in conjunction with our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

 

Terminology

‘The Company’ refers to Tilshead Caravans Ltd. ‘The Hirer’ refers to the person responsible for booking the caravan where Tilshead Caravans are delivering and collecting the caravan, or to the towcar driver where the caravan is being self-towed.

 

Eligibility & Licences (not applicable to caravans Tilshead Caravans deliver & collect)

The Hirer must usually be over 21 and under 69 years of age, of good health, and have held a full driving licence valid to tow the vehicle (usually B or B+E classes required depending on caravan and towcar) to be hired for at least one year.

Hirers MUST advise us of licence endorsements at the time of booking in order we may arrange insurance cover but persons with serious or extensive convictions within the past five years (at the time of vehicle collection) may not be permitted to drive the vehicle. Drivers who have been involved in more than two accidents in the past three years should also advise us at the time of booking. If you are in any doubt please contact us.

 

Vehicle Collection & Return 

The hire period normally commences at 4.00pm daily excluding Sundays and Bank Holidays and terminates on the agreed day for return at noon for Hirers returning to our site, or at 10.00am where we are collecting the vehicle. Earlier collection times and weekend collection may be arranged depending upon availability.

All hire vehicles are based at our Sales and Hire Centres at Lopcombe, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 1BS. Click Here for a map and directions.

 

Documentation
(not applicable to caravans Tilshead Caravans deliver & collect)

A current and valid driving licence MUST be shown by all potential drivers/towers of the vehicle upon collection. The licence must be in date (photocard licences need to be renewed every ten years) and show your current residential address. You will need to provide the following documentation at the time of vehicle collection:

  • Driving Licence
  • DVLA driving licence check code (see www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence)
  • Towcar insurance certificate
  • Towcar V5 registration document
  • Utility bill or similar as proof of residential address
  • Breakdown & Recovery services policy if travelling to Northern Ireland or Scottish Islands

 

Visitors from abroad are advised to obtain an International Driving Licence. 

 

Payment 

A deposit of £250.00 is payable on reservation. This acts as a reservation deposit initially and then acts as the damage deposit during the hire. This sum is fully refundable at the end of the hire provided the vehicle is returned clean, undamaged and on time.

The hire, delivery and any optional items charges are payable 28 days prior to commencement of hire. Payment of both deposit and final balance may be paid by Visa, Mastercard, cheque drawn on a UK bank or bank transfer.

In the event any amount is not paid when due, the Company reserves the right to treat this as a cancellation of the hire by the customer, in which case our usual cancellation policy will apply.

 

Insurance

The hire vehicle is comprehensively insured by the Company. The Hirer is responsible for the first £250.00 of the insurance excess/repair costs. In the event of any accidental damage, including loss of or damage to equipment, tyres, mirrors, roof lights or windows, howsoever caused, during the period of hire, the cost of repair will be deducted from the booking/damage deposit paid upon reservation.

For self-tow caravans, it is your responsibility, as Hirer, to inform your own insurance company that you intend to use your car for towing as the third party risk in respect of the caravan must, by law, be covered by the Insurance Company of the vehicle that will be towing the caravan. A current Certificate of Insurance for your towcar must be produced at the time of caravan collection.  

The Hirer’s personal property is not covered by the Company’s Insurance.

 

Deposit Refunds 

Deposits are refunded in full provided that the vehicle is returned clean, undamaged and on time. Unemptied toilets will be charged at £30 for emptying. Toilet Cassette Compartment Cleaning will be charged at £50 for scenarios where the toilet has been allowed to overflow. 

Refunds are paid after cleaning and inspection of the returned vehicle but within ten days of termination of the hire. Refunds would usually be made using the method by which the deposit was first paid by the Hirer.

 

No Smoking laws

It is an offence for the Hirer to smoke, or allow anyone to smoke, in any of our hire vehicles and the signs displayed in each vehicle make this clear. The Company has an obligation to all clients to maintain the vehicles smoke-free and therefore, should the Hirer return a vehicle in which smoking has occurred this will result in the loss of all the deposit paid to cover the costs of taking the vehicle out of service for fumigation or cleaning.

 

Breakdowns & Accidents 

Every effort is made to ensure that the hire vehicle is satisfactory for the purpose of hire and in a safe and roadworthy condition when it leaves Company premises.

The Hirer is responsible for notifying to the Company any fault as soon as it becomes apparent in order that the Company may make reasonable efforts to perform its obligations under the hire contract. The Company will only accept liability for reasonable expenses occurred by the hirer where these conditions are complied with. In these circumstances instructions for the necessary repair or the purchase of replacement faulty parts at a cost not exceeding £50 may be given by the Hirer who will be reimbursed after presentation of receipted invoices. Approval from the Company must be obtained in respect of repairs or replacements in excess of £50.

The Company can accept no liability for accommodation charges, replacement vehicle costs or other claims arising from breakdown, accident or other causes.

All accidents should be reported immediately by telephone to (01980) 863636. A completed Accident Report Form must be produced at the termination of the hire.

 

Rear Number Plates
(not applicable to caravans Tilshead Caravans deliver & collect)

A rear number plate for the caravan to match the towcar is included free of charge for all caravan hires if required. Current legislation requires specific documentation, such as driving licence and tow-vehicle registration document, to be produced by the Hirer in order for us to supply a number plate to you. It is therefore essential that caravan hirers read our Number Plates Information Sheet and bring appropriate documentation at the time of collecting the caravan.

 

Suitability of Towcar
(not applicable to caravans Tilshead Caravans deliver & collect)

The Hirer must advise us of the details of the towcar to be used at the time of booking. The Company is able to offer advice as to the legality of the towcar towing the caravan based on the information provided to us but responsibility for towing the caravan rests with the Hirer. In the event that the towcar is unable to legally tow the caravan for any reason (including inoperative towing electrics/lights) or if the Hirer does not have the required driving licence entitlements to tow the towcar/caravan combination then the Company will not release the caravan to the Hirer. In these circumstances the Company reserves the right to treat this as a cancellation of the hire by the customer, in which case our usual cancellation policy will apply

 

Limitations, Liabilities and Cancellations 

The Hirer shall not :-

1. Tow/drive or allow the vehicle to be towed/driven at a speed in excess of the legal limit.

2. Allow the vehicle to be removed from the United Kingdom

3. Allow the vehicle to be towed/driven by any other person except authorised members of his own party who possess a current, valid driving licence and who are eligible to tow/drive.

4. Lend or hire the vehicle to a third party.

5. Create a lien on the vehicle for repairs or for any other reason.

 

 The Company reserves the right to :-

1. Make reasonable changes to the rates and conditions of hire at any time up to the point of written acceptance by the hirer.

2. Substitute another vehicle or cancel the hire in the event of :- 
       a)  A vehicle being returned damaged resulting in its unsuitability for hire. 
       b)  The late return by a previous hirer.

3. Refuse a hire to any individual who is reasonably considered unsuitable to undertake the hire. In such circumstances the intended Hirer shall be entitled to request a refund of monies paid, which will not be unreasonably withheld by the Company.

 

Our policy of continuous fleet improvement means that vehicle specifications and designs may vary. The vehicle features and layouts shown in our brochure(s) and on our website(s) are provided as an example only.

 

Hirer Cancellations 

Should the Hirer cancel the booking, the Company will endeavour to re-let the vehicle and, if successful, the amount paid will be refunded less an administration charge of £50+VAT. If the Company is unable to do so, the Hirer will be responsible for the sum already paid on a scale proportionate to the length of time before the hire commences, as set out below :-

Exceeding 28 days from hire date

Loss of deposit

Less than 28 days from hire date

Loss of Hire charges

Hirers are strongly advised to obtain their own insurance cover to safeguard against such losses.

 

Event Hires

We are able to offer vehicle delivery and collection services. Please just contact us for details and prices.

When vehicles are reserved and the Company arranges to deliver the vehicle to a particular site or event at an additional cost to the Hirer, this is deemed to be two separate contracts. In the event that, prior to delivery, the Hirer wishes to cancel the delivery services or the event is cancelled by the organisers then no delivery charges will be levied by the Company. The vehicle booked will remain exclusively allocated to the Hirer unless cancelled in writing by the Hirer. In this event our usual cancellation policy will apply.