FAQs
Your questions answered.
About the Van
We provide all the camping and kitchen equipment you could need for your trip. We have selected kit that is both beautiful and functional. Combined with the impressive specification of the California Ocean 6.1, and our generous Welcome Pack, this makes for a luxuriously comfortable camping holiday. We also offer a range of optional extras on request. Here is just a sample of selected items – please ask us if there is anything you would expect, as there is not room here to detail the entire inventory, which is provided when you book. And don’t worry – the van has ample storage space for all your additional kit and personal items!
- Fully stocked kitchen (kettle, pans, utensils, cutlery, glassware, Falcon enamelware plates, bowls, mugs, Aeropress coffee press – and more!)
- First aid kit
- Insulated water bottles
- Insulated travel mugs
- Washing up and cleaning equipment
- Picnic table & chairs
- Picnic blanket & bag
- Lantern and head torch
- USB charging cables (mini; multi-adaptor and USB C cables)
- Welcome Pack
As above, the van is fully equipped in terms of camping and kitchen equipment, as well as all its in-built features – and our complimentary Welcome Pack.
We recommend you take as little as possible! It removes a lot of stress when you travel light – and whilst storage in the van is more than adequate, you don’t want to bring more than you need.
We request that you bring soft bags/holdalls. These are easy to store in the van, and trolley cases and harder-shell items can damage the van interior. We can provide complimentary holdalls at handover if this is easier. You can leave your luggage with us safely, until your return.
Aside from your clothing, toiletries and essential personal items, we find that the following items are useful:
- Waterproofs
- Decent outdoor shoes – hiking boots / trail shoes
- Warm clothes
- Indoor slippers, to feel even more cosy in the van!
- Bedding and towels (although we offer these as an optional extra if you prefer to travel light)
- Toys and books if you’re travelling with young children
- Children’s car seats – we also have child seats available to hire.
- Food and drinks– there is plenty of fridge and cupboard storage, and we offer a cool bag too. Of course, part of the holiday fun is eating out, or finding shops that offer delicious local produce!
The van is 4-berth, and this is most realistic for 2 adults and 2 children (and Volkswagen advertise it as such). As long as you meet the weight restrictions (see below!) we don’t mind if you are a group of four friends. In this case, we definitely recommend travelling light, and maybe considering our drive-away awning for some extra storage / living space.
The loft bed with fully sprung mattress in the roof has a panoramic window for fantastic views wherever you choose to camp. The cosy downstairs double with comfort sleeping mattress is created by re-configuring the passenger bench in the lounge area.
Please note that climbing into the loft bed requires a little agility. There is a weight limit of 150kg for the loft bed; we politely ask you to respect this for your own safety (and that of any travelling companions in the lower bed!).
If you are travelling with children, they will love the loft bed! But do please note it is the full responsibility of the hirer to ensure their safety – and we don’t recommend very young children sleeping alone in the loft bed. A child safety net is included. Again, if you think more space is required, you can hire the drive away awning.
Absolutely, children will find a holiday in the van a thrilling adventure – just like the adults! The freedom of the outdoors (and the comforting connectivity of wifi and smartphone charging points). The California Ocean 6.1 has been designed with the needs of families in mind and has exceptionally high safety standards, just like any contemporary car. There are 3-point front-facing seat belts and ISOFIX points for the latest in child car seat safety (ISOFIX in rear passenger seats only). We offer ISOFIX compatible child car seats (Groups 0+ and 1) as an optional extra.
Please note – it is the hirer’s responsibility to ensure all car seats are correctly fitted in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines and current safety advice.
A child-safety net is available for the roof bed, although we don’t recommend the roof bed for infants or very young children, unless an adult will be with them at all times.
The van has a fantastic heater – we have tested it in the Scottish Highlands in mid-November and snow: we had to turn it down! The heater runs off the leisure batteries and you only need to turn the engine on to recharge those.
The loft bed is cooler than the downstairs, due to the walls being fabric, but the heat will still rise up. If your hire period is in winter, we offer an optional extra roof topper.
Sorry, no dogs (or other pets) can holiday in the van!
Yes 100%! Please leave at least 10m of clean oxygen between our gorgeous van and your cigarette/e-cigarette/pipe.
Extra charges will apply if we have to undertake additional cleaning to remove the smell of smoke. See Terms & Conditions for more details.
Yes! For a Christmas, birthday or anniversary present with a difference, a gift voucher will delight those who enjoy travel and adventure.
Available for any amount over £50, vouchers are valid for 24 months and can be used for any hire duration, anywhere in the UK or mainland Europe.
If you like, we can organise a voucher specific to a time period and hire duration, we can even provide an itinerary and any optional extras you wish. Or, pay a set amount and we will indicate this on the voucher for the recipient, giving them a little extra for a trip they arrange themselves.
Contact us to request a voucher (or to find out more) – we can post it to you, or directly to the gift recipient. E-vouchers can also be mailed in the case of last minute pressies!
Collecting & Returning the Van
Van collection is at our home in Wooler, north Northumberland, unless you have requested a meet and greet at Berwick Railway Station, Edinburgh, or Newcastle airport (see Extras). We operate a contactless handover and endeavour to keep handover time to a minimum. We will send you via email a simple, electronic quick-start operations manual prior to your trip, to ensure you feel confident about how to operate the van features. We will also go over the various systems with you when you collect the van. We normally allow about 40 minutes for handover, but we’re trying to keep things briefer due to COVID.
Normally, van collection is at 15:30. We always endeavour to make collection and return flexible, depending on any other bookings we may have. Please contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail.
This is also to our home in Wooler, unless you have booked a railway/airport meet and greet (see Extras). Return of the van on the last day of your hire is requested to be no later than 11:00 – as above, we aim to be flexible depending on our other bookings, please contact us to discuss. We undertake a full deep clean of interior and exterior prior to every hire, however we do request that you dispose of any rubbish responsibly and return the van with the interior surfaces and floor clean. Please don’t wash the exterior, or take it through a car wash! We will do all that.
Please return the van with a full tank of fuel.
If you have booked the optional extra of a Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station or Newcastle airport pick up/return, we will bring the van to you, and handover will take place at the railway station or airport. Detailed meeting points will be arranged prior to your trip. Please allow some extra time in your travel schedule to collect the van, as handover can take up to 90 minutes (but we are minimising this due to COVID). Similarly, allow extra time before your train or flight when returning the van to us at the railway station/airport. This is so you have time to unpack the van and hand it back to us – without missing your connections. We’d suggest having at least an hour set aside for this to be on the safe side.
Where should I go?
You can hire the van for UK breaks. Please remember to check the latest government travel guidance before you plan your trip. We do not have a mileage limit, but we advise you to plan your routes – the van is ideally equipped with 21st century sat nav so you can check your journey times and make sure you can reach your campsite in a relaxed manner, and by nightfall.
If you are spending some – or all – of your time in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, there are lots of campsites to choose from, whether you’d like a simple, away from it all haven, or a few more facilities to enhance your trip. Prices vary according to site and season.
There are two campsites in Wooler, so if you are arriving late, it can be nice to stay local, enjoy a relaxing dinner either in town, or in the van and set off in the daytime, to wherever you plan to travel. You might want to find a campsite local to us when you return the van, so you don’t have to rush on the last day of your hire to get the van to us on time (not a very relaxing way to end your holiday!)
We have a list of campsites and much more in our Inspiration section, so you can start dream about and planning your holiday.
And if you have selected our meet and greet optional extra, we will let you know of campsites local to your van collection/return location.
To add value to your camping experience we are members of The Camping and Caravanning Club Privilege Scheme, which entitles you to up to 30% off Club Sites and 15% off Camping in The Forest Sites. (More details below).
We always advise you to book ahead where possible, and to check with the site to confirm what facilities they have open, especially due to possible COVID restrictions.
One of the benefits of the California Ocean 6.1 is that you don’t need to book a full-service pitch with a mains hook-up – the van has two leisure batteries which will more than cover your energy needs – and are recharged simply by starting the engine. There is also an ample 42 litre water tank for washing up and filling the kettle / cooking.
If you are going to be on site for a while, or if you are going to be using the plug socket, we recommend hooking up on a mains pitch, which costs a few extra pounds per night.
We are stringent in preparing the van for every hire – and it is a brand new van with everything in full working order! However, if anything does go wrong, please contact us straight away (07887 556 089) and we will do our best to help resolve it as soon as possible.
If you cannot get something to work, your first port of call is our electronic operational guide to the van. There is also a full vehicle manual in the passenger glove box. If it’s a mechanical problem, we may need to call for the breakdown service, so your trip can continue.
We detail the full protocol for breakdowns and incidents both in the documentation we send you prior to your booking, and we provide a hard copy in the front passenger glove box. Please also refer to the full Terms and Conditions of your booking.
We are happy to answer any queries! Please drop us an email or telephone us (07887 556 089) to discuss. Or use our contact form.
There is a lot of information on our Inspiration page, about where to stay locally, things to see and do, and more.
The following websites are very useful:
To add value to your camping experience, we are members of The Camping and Caravanning Club (CCC) Privilege Scheme, which entitles you to up to 30% off Club Sites and 15% off Camping in The Forest sites.
In your hire unit you will find a copy of the CCC Privilege Guide, which lists all participating sites, helping you to choose the perfect location throughout your entire journey. You can also find details of their sites on the Club website.
When you’ve selected the Club Site you’d like to stay on, all you have to do is show them the Privilege key fob on arrival to claim your discount. The key fob is found on the campervan keyring.
To guarantee your CCC pitch, it’s best to book by calling the CCC service centre on 024 7647 5426 (or for Camping in the Forest sites call 024 7647 3008). Let the advisor know you’re booking under the Privilege Scheme. A minimal deposit will be taken and the due balance discounted accordingly when you present the Privilege key fob on arrival at the site. You can also make a non-member booking on the CCC website.
How to Guides
The ‘popaloo’ is an eco-friendly portable toilet, available as an optional extra. It is a very sturdy flat-pack box, assembled to create the toilet, with a proper loo seat. A biodegradable powder bag fits inside the toilet box. Used bags can be easily sealed and then disposed of in household rubbish. There is no need for chemicals and no mess. The large tent also packs flat and both popaloo and tent can be stored in the rear of the van when not in use. For more information, visit https://www.popaloo.co.uk.