Covid policy
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Since the government released their living with covid strategy in February 2022, we like most hire companies have reverted back to our standard cancellation policy. If you cannot make your trip due to any illness it is something you would need to talk to your travel insurance about. The Post Office does single trip travel insurance with covid cover for two people from £20 - you can buy it here.
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Is there a mileage limit?
No. We have a fair usage policy, we just ask that the length of your booking is appropriate for the mileage that you intend doing.
The only rule we have regarding mileage is that you book a minimum of 7 nights if you intend to do the NC500, the total round trip from our place and back is around a minimum of 1100 miles.
That said, we would never charge extra for mileage.
Is there an age limit?
Our insurers will allow us to cover drivers aged over 21 and up to 70, there is an increased security deposit for drivers under 25.
Is insurance included?
All of our prices include insurance for 1 driver, a second driver can be included for £5 per night.
Do I have to pay when I book?
To reserve your dates we need a payment of 30% of the hire cost or £100 (whichever is greater) the remaining 70% is due 30 days before you are due to collect your camper.
Is there a security deposit?
Yes, this is a stipulation of our insurance provider.
The standard deposit for drivers over 25 is £500, if any driver is aged 23-24 the deposit is £750 and for drivers aged 21-22 the deposit is £1000.
Our insurers might ask us to increase the deposit in some cases if there is adverse driving history.
The deposit is equal to the cost of the insurance excess, this means that if you have an accident and an insurance claim is made, our insurers will claim your deposit towards the cost of the claim, exactly like the excess on your own vehicle.
If the vehicle is returned with minor damage, we will deduct the cost of repair from your deposit and refund the remaining amount.
We always seek the most cost effective repairs.
Deposits are held on your card 48 hours before you collect the vehicle and we aim to have them released within 24 hours of you returning the vehicle.
For insurance reasons the deposit has to come from the bank account of the main driver.
It is rare that we claim deposits and our objective is to act as fairly as possible.
What time is collection and return?
Collection is after 4pm and return is before 11am, these times are strict as quite often our vehicles are going straight back out the same day as they return.
However, if the vehicle that you have been allocated is not booked out the night before or the night after your trip we are happy for you to collect early or return late. This is not something we can promise until a week or so before your hire is due to commence.
Are Dinky campers pet friendly?
Yes, all dogs love a campervan adventure.
We often get asked whether we allow more than 1 dog. We don’t have a strict limit but please remember our campers are Dinky, there is not a great amount of floor space when the bed is out, so with this in mind we leave it up to you to make the decision.
For people who don’t have pets please be assured that our campers are thoroughly cleaned between each hire.
I have never driven a van before, will I be able to drive a Dinky camper?
Our objective when we started was to use vehicles that were more car like to drive than van like so people who only have experience of driving cars would be comfortable driving our vehicles.
Our campers fit that bill very well, the drivers seating position is slightly higher than a car but not as high as a normal van.
Size wise they are very similar to a family car.
On collection we will go through all of the vehicle controls with you and get you set up for your adventure.
Once you have been driving one of our campers for an hour or so you will forget that your bedroom is behind you.
I have never used a campervan before, what do I need to know?
On collection we will give you a full guided tour of your camper, there will be plenty of time for questions.
We designed our campers to be easy to use for people who have not used a camper before, we wanted them to have everything you need but not be over complicated at the same time.
Can I hire a camper if I have points on my licence?
Our insurers will allow drivers with up to 6 point for minor offences, a minor offence usually incurs 3 points so 2 minor offences are okay but it is advised to get in touch with us before booking if you have more than 3, sometimes our insurers will ask for an increased deposit for adverse driving history.
If you have 6 points for a single offence this would not usually be classed as a minor offence and the chances of our insurers agreeing to cover you are slim but you are welcome to get in touch with us and we can make some enquiries.
I have made claims against my motor insurance, can you still cover me?
Our insurers will cover you as long as you have had no more than 1 “at fault” accident in the last 3 years.
Does my occupation matter?
Our insurers have some occupations that they will not cover, these include
Professional entertainment
Professional sportsperson
Gaming industry
Press
Non UK military personnel (British military personnel is fine)
If you are unsure if your occupation falls in to one of these categories please get in touch and we will ask our insurers on your behalf.
Do Dinky campers need an electric hook up on a campsite?
No, most of our campers do routes like the NC500 rather than spending days in the same place so we designed our campers to be self sufficient, the power comes from a leisure battery which is charged up by a solar panel on the roof or from the engine when driving.
This means our campers do not have 3 pin plug sockets like at home but they do have USB socket for charging devices.
Do I need to book campsites?
That depends on you, some of our customers like to arrange campsites, and at busy times it can be a good idea.
Others like to find nice spots along their route and park up for the night on their own, maybe using a campsite every second or third night.
Does a Dinky camper have a toilet?
No, some people have brought along a porta potti for their trip, others just plan ahead using public toilets, campsites, pubs or restaurants.
How much stuff should I bring?
Remember our campers are Dinky, saying that there is some storage space.
You should only bring what you are going to use, we see many people returning who have only used half the things they brought with them, you don’t want to spend a week moving things around that you wish you would have left at home.
There is a wardrobe cupboard, this will hold around 2 holdalls of clothes.
There is a cupboard under the bed which will hold another holdall, good for shoes and out door gear.
There are various other cubby holes for bits and bobs.
There is kitchen cupboard space for food.
Is there anything specific I should bring with me?
The only thing you really need to bring with you is your bedding, some people like to brings a sleeping bag, others prefer a duvet, whatever you prefer.
What is included?
2 large plates
2 small plates
2 bowls
2 cups
2 plastic glasses
2 knives
2 forks
2 spoons
2 teaspoons
sharp knife
egg flipper
large wooden spoon
potato peeler
tin opener
cheese grater
bottle opener/corkscrew
measuring jug
kettle
tea towel
dish cloth
washing up liquid
cooking oil spray
salt
pepper
1 large pan
1 small pan
frying pan
colander
stove top toaster
small chopping board
small dust pan and brush.
What about gas?
The only thing in our campers that uses gas is the hob, we make sure that there is enough gas for your trip and we do not charge extra for this.
Are Dinky campers cold in winter?
No, our campers have diesel night heaters, they are very efficient. Even in the depths of winter with snow on the ground they have the camper warm in about 20-30 minutes.
Do you sell Dinky campers?
Yes, usually over the winter when we replace our campers for newer models, keep an eye on our Facebook page or drop us a message.
What ID do I need?
Driving licence
1 item from this list:
Gas bill/statement
Electric bill/Statement
Water bill/statement
Landline telephone bill/statement
Broadband bill/statement
Bank Statement
Credit card bill/statement
Mortgage statement
Polling card
HMRC self-assessment/tax credit
Council Tax Bill
TV licence (must include issue date)
Plus 1 item from this list:
Loan/finance/credit agreement/statement
Council tax bill/statement
Bank statement
Savings account statement
Credit card statement
Mortgage statement
Gas bill/statement
Electric bill/statement
Water bill/statement
TV licence
Landline telephone bill/statement
Broadband bill/statement
Student Loan
Shotgun Licence
Payslip
Mobile Phone Bill
Pension Letters
Loan Statement
Property deed
The address on the 2 items must match the address on your drivers licence, all bills provided must be dated within the last 90 days.
We understand that some people are not responsible for utility bills at their home, whilst these are stipulations of our insurers we can usually convince them to be flexible but it can take bit of effort.
We have never had anybody refused for insurance as long as they can provide some items.
Bills do not have to be in paper form, screenshots from online accounts are fine as long as they show your address, the date and the company it is from.
If you want to book but don’t think you can provide the items required please get in touch and we will always work something out.
A couple of weeks before you are due to collect your camper we will email you our online check in, this will ask for everything we require for our insurers, if you have paid for an extra driver it is important that both drivers complete the online check in. If the online check in is not completed then we cannot insure you, this means we cannot release the vehicle.
FAQs
