Before you book
Confirm the van's MAM weight is under 3,500kg if you don't hold a C1 licence. Verify the layout sleeps everyone going (named bed, not "sleeps 4" marketing). Read the cancellation policy — particularly whether you lose the deposit on weather-related cancellations. Check whether pets are allowed if you're bringing one. Confirm the daily mileage allowance covers your route (most are 150–200/day, easy to exceed on a Highland trip).
Cross-check that the pickup location and time work with your travel plans — Sunday handovers are rare, late-evening handovers rarer still. Ask whether the owner offers an iCal sync or only manual confirmation of dates.
Two weeks out
Photo-scan your driving licence (front + back) and email it to the owner if they've asked. Order any specialist gear that needs to ship: levelling chocks, a 25m water hose, a CEE-to-13A adapter, a chemical-toilet starter pack. Buy travel insurance if your trip involves any non-refundable activities (sites, ferries) — motorhome hire isn't usually covered by standard travel cover.
Plan your overnight stops if you're travelling in peak weeks. Caravan & Motorhome Club, Camping & Caravanning Club and Brit Stops sites all book up for August and bank-holiday weekends. Aires and CL5 sites are first-come; have a backup pinned in case the first choice is full.
Handover walkaround (exterior)
Walk a slow lap of the van with the owner. Check: every tyre (sidewall cracks, tread, pressure on a placard inside the cab door), wiper blades both sides, windscreen for chips, all running lights and brake lights working, indicators, every habitation door and locker shuts and locks, awning rolls out and back without binding, the bike rack mounts and locks if you're using one.
Document every existing scratch or dent with the owner's damage sheet AND your own phone photos. Date-stamped phone photos are the strongest evidence at handback. Pay particular attention to the rear corners (parking damage), the roof edge (low branches and barriers), and the side step (kerb damage).
Handover walkaround (interior)
Confirm the gas bottle is on and shows in-date. Light the hob, oven, and grill if fitted. Run the hot water — should be warm within 5 minutes on gas or 30 on mains. Check the fridge is cooling and switch it to 12V to confirm the cab feed works while driving. Test the leisure battery voltage on the control panel (should read >12.4V resting). Test the toilet flush and confirm the cassette is empty.
Check the water pump: turn it on with the fresh tank full and run a tap until water flows cleanly. Confirm waste tank empty. Inventory the supplied bedding, towels, cooking pans, crockery — note any gaps on the inventory sheet before you sign.
Packing list
Personal: clothes, waterproofs (UK), toiletries, prescription meds, walking shoes, swimwear and a quick-dry towel. Tech: phone chargers, USB-C cab cable, a power bank, headphones for the passenger. Driving: paper road atlas, sunglasses, a phone holder for the cab.
Site gear: levelling blocks and a small spirit level, a 25m yellow water hose, a 25m hookup cable (most vans include this — confirm), a CEE-to-13A adapter, a torch, a small folding mat for the step. Kitchen: dishwashing tablets won't fit a van — use squeezy washing-up liquid. Bring tea towels, a small chopping board if the van has only one, and a corkscrew (every renter forgets the corkscrew).
What should I check before driving off?
Confirm the gas is shut for transit, the fridge is on 12V (not gas — most modern vans won't allow gas at speed anyway), the awning is locked, all roof vents are closed and locked, the step is retracted, and the habitation door is locked. Walk a final lap. Drive 100 metres, stop, and check that no locker has burst open.
What do I do if something breaks on the road?
Every HireMyMotorhome booking includes 24/7 breakdown cover — phone the recovery number on the documents pack before you do anything else. For habitation issues (fridge, hob, water heater), call the owner first; most breakdowns of those systems aren't covered by roadside recovery but the owner can usually talk you through a fix or arrange a replacement part.