Hilda – 4 berth Chausson Welcome

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Lesson learned. My wife and I found Jacquelyn's camper during a last minute search as a previous booking with GB had fallen through a few days prior to our departure. Almost immediately after starting the initial handover, we noticed signs from the advertisers that made us feel 'off' (more to follow) but as we had no other choice, we continued. Phone signal at Jacquelyn's address is poor (not their fault) so the app process took an age to complete. I would have expected them to use their WIFI to help the process but that's neither here nor there now. Inspecting the exterior of the vehicle, we had to show and remind the advertisers damage to the paint work of the bonnet and NSF bumper - damage which they insisted wasn't there as they had been recently repaired/repainted. The AdBlue had been topped up prior to our arrival - this was obvious because of the mess left behind (crystallised Adblue) on the following places: passenger interior trim passenger dashboard trim passenger interior windscreen passenger door card passenger footwell external body panels around Adblue filler The advertisers were shown this mess, and attempted to clean but only the exterior panels. We cleaned the rest of the mess during our booking, kept the interior clean and tidy (not easy when you have a big malting dog!) and gave the motorhome a thorough vacuum and clean the day before the handover - the advertisers found no issue with the cleanliness on return handover. The gas cylinder was not checked by the advertisers prior to our arrival and had to be changed during handover. Inspection of the remaining parts of the exterior of the motorhome was thorough and showed nothing untoward - only age related marks and repairs to panels etc. Moving to the interior, the advertisers opened the motorhome door for us which then stayed open for the remainder. After we had completed the handover, the advertisers promptly left to go elsewhere and kindly let us load up on their driveway. When we had finished loading, we shut the motorhome door and immediately noticed the interior handle was loose and cracked in the middle (more fool us for not checking) and informed the advertisers. The advertisers immediately responded (with words to the effect of) it was not broken before the handover or noticed during, insinuating that it must have been us. We told the advertisers that we would brace the handle with a temporary repair using tools which we always take with us (having been a mechanic for a number of years), sent them a photo of the temp repair (which they were happy with) and continued. Almost immediately, we noticed issues with the vehicle and motorhome: Steering alignment was incorrect meaning the vehicle pulled to the left Intermittent speed limiter faults - perfectly timed when driving through 20mph zones Coolant wasn't checked by the advertisers and had to be topped up Screenwash wasn't checked and had to be filled one day into booking The oil filler cap seal was obviously worn and leaking - this was covered with a black latex glove instead of being repaired. NS and OS brake light bulbs had to be replaced (luckily we had our tools to do this as the advertisers do not provide any), as upon closer inspection, one terminal on each bulb had been completely worn down leading to arcing between the bulb and bulb holder terminals. This was obvious by the burned contact in the bulb holder. I suspect this fault may have present for some time as it failed the MOT in 2023 and 2024 for faulty brake lights. (Conjecture I know, however given the issues experienced, wouldn't surprise me). Faulty motorhome windows meant they wouldn't stay open and the large window above the front seats was near impossible to close and was not used again after. The bracket for this actually became unattached whilst driving as the captive nut, had somehow become uncaptive. Faulty leisure batteries meant the heater couldn't be used unless hooked up to mains power - fortunately this wasn't much of an issue as it was not particularly cold. Several faulty internal lights including the main living area and kitchen. Rear cupboard doors poorly aligned Large rear external storage area smelled badly of damp. Bathroom towel rail was loose. Nevertheless, making do, we continued our holiday and had a lovely time. The North and North West of Wales are beautiful - very similar to parts of NW Scotland and definitely recommended. Upon return handover, Jacquelyn had to be reminded to use the GB app for which she was not prepared. Again, this took a while due to the poor phone signal. Jacquelyn was shown the temporary repair to the motorhome door handle. We removed the bracing, settled the claim for excess mileage (25 miles) and finished the handover. At no point did Jacqulyn mention she intended to claim until 3 days later when GB notified us. Jacquelyn uploaded a repair invoice for the dispute, claiming for unnecessary extra work. According to a repairer they chose, the entire motorhome door had to be removed, central locking tested etc at 2.5hrs labour - to remove 2x screws and replace a handle. Almost 2 months later, GB mediated the dispute and sided with us, stating: "The Owner can claim for extra miles but not for interior damage....The Owner has not provided sufficient evidence to support the claim for the interior damage and therefore, this will be removed from the claim". Now, it wasn't all doom and gloom; the motorhome itself had some really good features: -Good sized fridge and freezer which worked perfectly -Plenty of space in the kitchen and living area -Comfortable electrically operated bed - this is a great space saving feature -Plenty of storage space throughout, including the interior and exterior -Hardy ground sheets for the awning -Comfortable folding chairs -Pilot seats -hose, hookup cable, levelling blocks provided. The only downside to this model is the motorhome door being on the right, opening out into 'traffic' if parked in a lay by. Maybe we got unlucky with this booking (we travelled the NC500 via GB and did not experience anything like this), but in the end, the advertisers were found to be in the wrong. Hopefully they will think twice before trying this nonsense again. May 2026

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Thanks for a great week in Hilda. Van is well equipped and drives really easily. Handover was brilliant, thanks for fitting in with our plans. Would highly recommend. April 2026

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Great vehicle, really easy going owners January 2026

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Our weekend with Hilda the Campervan was fantastic. Driving her was a pleasure, and the van felt so spacious. The bed was enormous and extremely comfortable. Both the pick-up and drop-off went seamlessly. We had an adventure around the south coast which was great at Hilda is homed in Littlehampton. November 2025

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Hilda is fantastically kitted out with everything you need for your trip. Perhaps the most surprising feature is the bed - it's more comfortable than any hotel bed I have slept on! Jacaquelyn and Mike are lovely people, and the handover and instructions were perfect - thank you. September 2025

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We had a fantastic family holiday in Hilda. Mike gave us an extensive handover before we headed out. Hilda had everything we needed and the drop down double bed is honestly one of the most comfortable beds I’ve slept in. Couldn’t rate this van highly enough. Big thanks to Mike and Jax. August 2025

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Fantastic long weekend in Hilda. The Motorhome is excellent. Everything the two of us and the two dogs needed. Shame about Storm Bert being the uninvited extra guest for the weekend but the van gave us the comfort we needed to ride it out! Mike and Jaqueline were excellent hosts. Wouldn’t hesitate recommending. December 2024

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We have our own Adria motorhome but we're looking to change to a Chausson. Friends recommended hiring one first. The communication with Jacquelyn and her husband was quick and efficient. We changed our date slightly but they were able to do this. They were also very accommodating with collection and return arrangements. Their son kindly and patiently took us through the handover and was most helpful. The van has written instructions and tips. It was very clean and tidy. It's more than equipped with everything. It's their own van completely ready to hit the road. Plenty of pots and pans, utensils, linen, towels, pillows, cushions, dishwash liquid, extra blankets; you want for nothing. Even some games. A highlight was the super comfy and spacious 160cm drop down bed. The attention to detail in equipping the van is very special. Being an automatic Ford it's really comfortable to drive. Sadly we only had 2 nights away. But after a friendly chat on our return we went straight to a dealership and found our own Chausson of our dreams. So it was well worth hiring. Thanks so much all 3 of you. Everything started and ended so well. November 2024

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We had the best time in the motorhome. The handover was thorough and the motor home had everything you could possibly need and felt like a luxury option for a festival. We would 100% recommend . Thank you so much for a seamless stay. September 2024

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Great motorhome, perfect for what was required. All well explained before we departed. Definitely recommend! July 2024