Edith – 1971 VW bay window camper van (LHD)

Edith is a left-hand drive 1971 Volkswagen T2 Westfalia Campervan. Having spent most of her life as a cool West Coast surf chick, she crossed The Pond in 2012 and has since travelled all over the UK. She joined our family in 2019 and is a cosy family camper. Edith has a Rock ‘n’ Roll double bed and a pop-top roof which provides headroom and if you need it, an additional bed suitable for two children up to about 14 years old or one adult under 6ft.

She had a full engine refurb in 2019 and so is reliable, runs like a dream and will happily cruise on the motorway at 60mph, but she’s an old van and the steering and braking is in keeping with an air-cooled 1930s technology engine. Edith prefers a relaxed pace of life as befits a camper of her vintage but you’ll soon get into the rhythm of a slower drive and enjoy the many waves, smiles and and “gnarly” hand wiggles that’ll come your way!
Note: given her Californian upbringing, she’s left-hand drive, but it’s quick and easy to get used to.

Inside, the kitchen is equipped with a fridge, sink and twin gas hob, and the necessary crockery, cutlery, pans and kitchen equipment to enable you to cook up a camp feast (and to wash up after!). The table seats 2 adults and one or two small children. The cabin has two internal lights and a heater for those chillier nights, as well as two 3-pin (UK) plus sockets when hooked up to external supply (camping hook-up cable provided). When off-grid she runs on a leisure battery setup which charges when you drive. The interior curtains can be supplemented with blackout/thermal blinds.

On the road, you’ll have a CD/radio and three rear seat belts (one lapbelt and two three-point seat belts) so she can accommodate up to two child car seats (seat belt compatible, no ISOFIX).

We will show you round the van on pickup and run through everything you need to know about driving Edith. Her cruising speed is 60 mph and although she has a new engine, her gears and brakes make for a different drive than with modern cars. You'll get used to her quickly and find it easy to allow lots of time for braking and gear changing. Do allow plenty of time for your journey. There's a weekly mileage allowance of 750 miles and above that we charge 40p per mile. Drop off times can be a little bit flexible when agreed in advance, but more than a couple of hours later will cost a full day’s rental.

You need to provide your own bedding, sheets, pillows, towels and tea towels.
We have some additional items for hire: family picnic table and benches (£20), drive-away awning for extra living/sleeping space (£50), sun awning (£30), and car seats suitable for 3 to 9 year olds (£25 each).

Requirements of rental due to insurance restrictions: You must:
- be aged 23 -75
- have held your licence for at least 2 years
- hold an UK or EU licence
- have less than six points on your licence from two or fewer convictions
- bring the licence and two forms of proof of address to pickup and allow me to photograph them.