Version 1.2 — 24 August 2026
UK Edition. (The European travel addendum at the end is INACTIVE until European cover is switched on. Hires under this edition are United Kingdom mainland only.)
Parties
This agreement is between Vanz Adventures Ltd ("we", "us"), The Paddocks, Batemans Lane, Wythall, Birmingham B47 6NG, and the person named below as the lead hirer ("you"). It covers the vehicle, hire period and charges set out in the Booking Schedule, which together with the signed condition reports forms the whole agreement.
1. What your hire includes
1.1 The vehicle described in the Booking Schedule, with comprehensive self-drive hire insurance, UK roadside breakdown cover, and unlimited mileage.
1.2 A full tank of fuel, a full fresh-water tank, gas for the hob and heating, and the equipment listed on the collection condition report.
1.3 One all-in price. There are no extra charges at collection or return unless this agreement says so (see Schedule of Charges).
2. Hire period, collection and return
2.1 The hire runs from 3:00 pm on the start date to 10:00 am on the return date shown in the Booking Schedule. Keys are handed over face to face (or via our secure drop box by prior arrangement) and a walk-around inspection is completed with you present at both collection and return.
2.2 If you return the vehicle late without an agreed extension, you will be charged £25 for each started hour, up to one full daily rate per day, and you will be liable for our losses where a following hire is disrupted. The insurance on the vehicle ends when the hire period ends: driving after the agreed return time without an agreed extension is uninsured and a criminal offence, so ring us — extensions are usually simple to arrange (clause 10).
3. Who may drive — eligibility and referencing
3.1 Only drivers named in the Booking Schedule may drive. Every driver must:
- be aged 25 to 79;
- have held a full UK, EU, Australian or New Zealand licence for at least 2 years (other licences: see 3.4);
- have no more than one fault claim or outstanding incident/claim in the last 5 years;
- meet the convictions criteria in 3.5;
- complete the declaration in clause 14.
3.2 Before collection, every driver must provide: a copy of their photocard licence (showing their current address), a DVLA licence check code (UK licences), and two proofs of address from separate sources dated within 90 days of the hire end date (an annual council tax bill is accepted within its billing year). The name and address on each document must match the licence; any mismatch requires insurer referral. Documents are uploaded through your secure booking page — never by email.
3.3 Drivers aged under 25 are not covered as standard. In limited cases we can refer a 21–24 year old to the insurer; where accepted, a higher excess applies and will be confirmed in writing before your balance is due.
3.4 Non-UK licences: EU licence holders under 70 who live in the UK are accepted as standard subject to the same referencing, plus a passport copy and written confirmation of any claims or convictions in the last 5 years. USA, Canadian and South African licence holders can be covered with recent UK driving experience (an additional excess of £2,000 or £3,500 applies depending on experience; under 14 days' UK experience in the last 2 years cannot be covered). Other licences require insurer referral. Use gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence to check basic entitlement.
3.5 Convictions: up to two minor convictions of 3 points each are accepted as standard, as is a single 6-point-or-higher minor conviction more than 3 years old. More than two minors, or a single 6-point minor within the last 3 years, carries an additional £500 excess. Drink, drug and disqualification-related convictions (codes DR, DG, DD, IN) and other major convictions are referable or declined depending on age of conviction — tell us and we will check with the insurer before you pay anything beyond the deposit. Convictions over 5 years old are disregarded.
3.6 Medical conditions notifiable to the DVLA must have been notified; provided the DVLA/your doctor has imposed no restrictions you are covered as standard.
3.7 If referencing cannot be completed for any driver before collection, that driver may not drive. If it cannot be completed for the lead hirer, we may cancel the hire and the cancellation terms in clause 6 apply as if you had cancelled on that date.
4. Payments
4.1 Booking deposit: 25% of the hire price (minimum £150), paid when you book. Your dates are only reserved once it is paid.
4.2 Balance: due 4 weeks (28 days) before collection. Bookings made within 28 days of collection are payable in full at booking.
4.3 Security deposit: £750, taken as a cleared card payment from the lead driver's own card before collection (bank transfer from the lead driver's own account is also accepted). Cash and third-party payments are not accepted — the insurer requires the deposit to be cleared and traceable to the lead driver. It is refunded in full to the same card/account within 5 working days of a clean return, less only amounts properly chargeable under this agreement.
4.4 Cards accepted: Visa and Mastercard (debit or credit). American Express and prepaid cards are not accepted. Cash is never accepted for any payment — all hire payments must be made by debit or credit card. This is a condition of our insurance, not a preference.
5. Insurance excess and what you are liable for
5.1 The insurance excess is £750 per incident (glass claims: £500). Where an additional excess applies to a driver under clauses 3.3–3.5 we will confirm the total in writing before collection. The excess is the most you pay per insured incident that is not your fault to recover, subject to 5.2.
5.2 The excess does not cap your liability where the loss is not covered by the policy: driving in breach of this agreement or the policy terms, prohibited use (clause 7), overhead/underside damage caused by misjudging the vehicle's size, interior damage, wrong fuel, lost keys, and theft where the vehicle was left unlocked, the keys were left in or on it, or the keys were not kept secure, are chargeable at cost — theft in those circumstances is not covered by the insurance at all.
5.3 You must report any accident, damage or theft to us within 24 hours, take photographs where safe, obtain third-party details, and never admit liability at the scene.
6. Cancellation and changes
6.1 If you cancel:
| Notice before collection day | You receive back |
|---|---|
| Within 48 hours of booking (and 28+ days before collection) | Everything you have paid |
| 60 days or more | Everything you have paid |
| 28–59 days | Everything except the booking deposit |
| 14–27 days | 50% of the total hire price |
| 7–13 days | 25% of the total hire price |
| Under 7 days, or no-show | Nothing |
6.2 Re-hire promise: if we manage to re-hire any of your cancelled dates, we will refund you what we recover for those dates, even where the table above says otherwise.
6.3 Free date change: once per booking, up to 28 days before collection, you may move your dates to any available dates in the following 12 months at no charge (any difference in price for the new dates applies).
6.4 The security deposit is never at risk under this clause — it is only ever taken shortly before collection and is refunded per 4.3.
6.5 If we cancel (vehicle accident, mechanical failure or similar) we will offer you a comparable vehicle where we can, or a full refund of everything you have paid, including the booking deposit.
7. Using the vehicle
7.1 Territory: United Kingdom mainland only (including Isle of Wight; excluding Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and all travel outside the UK) unless the European Travel Addendum has been activated in writing for your hire.
7.2 You must not, and must ensure no driver does: carry passengers for payment or sub-hire the vehicle; use it for racing, rallies, pacemaking, off-road driving or towing (unless we agree towing in writing — and note any trailer is not covered by our insurance); overload it beyond its plated weights or seat more people than it has belts; smoke or vape in it; drive it under the influence of drink or drugs; tamper with or disable the vehicle's security devices or tracker; or take it outside the permitted territory. When the vehicle is left unattended it must be locked with the keys kept secure on your person or in your accommodation.
7.3 Dogs travel free. Please keep them off the beds and give the van a quick sweep-through before you bring it back.
7.4 You are responsible for all road tolls, congestion, ULEZ/Clean Air Zone charges, parking and traffic penalties incurred during your hire. Where lawful we will transfer liability for penalties directly to you as the hirer; where we must pay first, the amount is passed on at cost with no administration fee.
7.5 Mind the height and length shown on the dashboard sticker: barriers, petrol station canopies and sat-nav shortcuts are the most common causes of chargeable damage (clause 5.2).
8. Fuel, water and the toilet
8.1 The vehicle leaves with a full fuel tank and must come back full. Any shortfall is charged at the pump price we pay to refill — no mark-up, no admin fee.
8.2 Fresh and waste water: please empty the grey-water tank at your last campsite where possible.
8.3 Toilet (KNAUS and any vehicle with a Thetford cassette): the toilet cassette must be emptied and rinsed at a proper disposal point before return. If it comes back unemptied, a £50 charge applies.
9. Condition of the vehicle
9.1 The signed collection and return condition reports (including photographs) form part of this agreement and are the record we both rely on. Check the collection report carefully before signing — anything not noted is taken as good.
9.2 Return the vehicle in the state you collected it: swept through, kit stowed, reasonably clean. Cleaning materially beyond a normal turnaround is chargeable at cost.
10. Extensions and early returns
10.1 Extensions are subject to availability and insurer cover — ring us before your return time and we will confirm the additional charge in writing. Never extend by simply keeping the vehicle (see 2.2).
10.2 Early returns do not attract a refund of unused nights, though we will always refund what we recover if we re-hire the freed dates (6.2 applies in spirit).
11. Breakdown
UK roadside breakdown cover is included. The pack in the vehicle gives the number to call. Do not arrange your own repairs or recovery without our agreement except where necessary for safety.
12. Your information
We hold your documents securely and only as the insurer and law require: licence and proof-of-address images are deleted after verification plus a safety window, while the verification record, DVLA check outcome, this signed agreement and payment records are retained for the statutory period. Documents are only ever collected through the secure booking page. Full details: our Privacy Policy.
13. General
13.1 Nothing in this agreement affects your statutory consumer rights. 13.2 If any clause is found unenforceable the rest stand. 13.3 This agreement is governed by the law of England and Wales.
14. Driver declaration — required for insurance
Each driver declares, as a condition of cover, that:
- the licence details provided are accurate and the licence is valid and current;
- they have no motor claims or motor accidents in the last 5 years, and no motoring convictions or prosecutions pending, other than those declared in the table below;
- any medical condition notifiable to the DVLA has been notified and no driving restriction has been imposed;
- they have never been refused motor insurance, had special terms imposed, or had a motor policy cancelled or declined by an insurer;
- they are not engaged in professional gambling, professional sport or entertainment, hawking or general dealing, street or market trading, or modelling (an insurer eligibility condition — tell us if this applies and we will check cover);
- the address on their licence and proofs of address is their current home address.
Declared claims / convictions (last 5 years) — write NONE if none:
| Driver | Date | Claim or conviction code | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
A false or incomplete declaration may invalidate the insurance, in which case you are liable for all loss and damage in full.
Signatures
| Lead hirer | For Vanz Adventures Ltd | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | ||
| Signature | ||
| Date |
Additional drivers sign the declaration at collection.
Schedule of Charges (summary)
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Fuel shortfall | At pump cost, no mark-up |
| Toilet cassette returned unemptied | £50 |
| Late return (no agreed extension) | £25 per started hour, capped at one daily rate per day |
| Smoking / vaping in the vehicle | £100 |
| Cleaning materially beyond a normal turnaround | At cost |
| Traffic/parking penalties | Passed on at cost, no admin fee |
| Lost keys, wrong fuel, interior damage, overhead/underside damage | At cost (not capped by the excess) |
| Insurance excess (per incident) | £750 (glass £500); driver-specific additions confirmed in writing |
European Travel Addendum — INACTIVE
Not available until European cover is activated. When active, the following replaces clause 7.1 for hires we approve in writing:
Travel is permitted to the countries listed in the policy's territorial limits. Before departure we will issue a VE103 vehicle-on-hire certificate (legally required to take a hired vehicle abroad) and confirm insurer cover for your dates. You are responsible for meeting local road law: Crit'Air/low-emission stickers, reflective jackets, headlamp adaptation and any items required by the countries you visit (gov.uk/driving-abroad). Non-UK residents may drive abroad only where the insurer has confirmed cover. European breakdown cover must be confirmed before departure and may carry an additional charge.