Before booking
- Confirm the number of belted travel seats and usable beds.
- Check the overall height, length and gearbox.
- Ask what is included and what requires an extra charge.
- Read the insurance, mileage and deposit terms.
Try it in the real world
Hire before you buy
Test the layout, size and features you think you need before committing to your own van.
Get started →Try it before you commit
A campervan can look perfect in a listing and feel completely different once it is packed, parked and slept in. Hiring one first lets you test the choices that are difficult to judge from photographs: the amount of space, the roof and bed, the gearbox, storage and how everyone gets on with the daily routine.
Your test brief
What should you hire?
Five quick choices will give you a practical search brief. You do not need to complete the full CamperDNA profile first.
We found your recent CamperDNA profile.
We have used the relevant answers below. Check them and change anything you want to test.
Your search brief
Look for a hire van with:
Your test trip
What to check while you have it
Keep a note on your phone. The small frustrations are often more useful than the exciting bits.
On collection
- Get a proper demonstration of the roof, bed and controls.
- Photograph the van and any existing damage.
- Check how the fridge, water, heating and leisure electrics work.
- Ask what to do if something stops working.
Driving and parking
- Try a supermarket car park and a normal parking space.
- Notice visibility, turning space and reversing.
- See how it feels on a faster road and in traffic.
- Check whether the cab remains comfortable on a longer journey.
Living in it
- Cook a normal meal rather than relying on a pub every night.
- Make every bed and pack it away each morning.
- See where bags, shoes, bedding and outdoor kit actually go.
- Notice which features you use and which you ignore.
Find a van to hire
Good places to start your search
Use your test brief to look for a van close to what you might eventually buy. Check each individual listing carefully because layouts and equipment vary.
Goboony
A broad peer-to-peer marketplace with campervans and motorhomes across the UK.
Search Goboony →Camplify
A large UK hire platform with locally owned campervans, insurance and roadside assistance included.
Search Camplify →CamperDNA has not inspected individual hire vehicles or owners, so complete your own checks before booking.
Before you return it
Turn the trip into a better buying decision
Ask what felt too small, what felt unnecessarily large and which features you used every day. Note anything that became annoying to set up or pack away. Those answers are more valuable than trying to recreate the hired van exactly.