loving your work.....I may well have to look into this too.... double bubble £300 for the wedding and then another bung on top, after all youre already there anyway!!
No no , your safe Im up north in the artic Harrogate / Leeds area.. if you don't mind ill PM you as don't wanna hijack this thread anymore than I have already...
long story but I've just had a hired crossover for a long weekend,the lady whose van it was is living on her nerves .by the like of people hiring to go locally and then ringing from Cornwall to inform her that the engine was toast and how were they going to spend the rest of there holiday
The top condition van I had , horn didn't work indicators wouldn't stay on slider wouldn't open from the inside reversing lights not working etc etc
I would forget the bay van hire idea. They are problematic and would need constant maintenance and expense and few clients out there would find them easy to drive around on holiday. As owners we are constantly working on them to keep them going. The water cooled Brazilian T2's may be worth a look but they are incredibly expensive. Near me is a chap who has 2 T25 autosleeper trident vans he hires out successfully. They are in my view a better option and they have good steering and suspension and the trident high top is very popular. Or go more modern with the T4 which are a big leap forward from the much older T2 and T25 and may stand up better to the abuse from hirers.
To go against the grain slightly, they don't all need constant love and attention in order to make it to the end of the road without failing. You just have to buy right and be willing to do stuff when it is needed. Would I do it though? Not a chance.
You mentioned the Mazda Bongo, which I think would be a good choice for a holiday hire but would not be good for special occasions like weddings.
If you take the time to look through the forum mechanical section you would get a pretty good idea of the multitude of issues we have with Bay vans. So you can appreciate why we are putting you off and suggesting T4 or T5 for the holiday hires. Wedding vehicles are usually something special and would need to be immaculate and always kept in pristine condition. A neighbour has a chauffeur business and has a Merc for his business clients and a Rolls Royce for weddings.
I know someone who does wedding hire,it seems to pay quiet well ,he does the driving otherwise your back to hiring,also if the passengers have alcohol drinks in the back you need a licence
you dont need a Personal licence if the booze hasnt been charged for IE its their own or like I do with our wedding business you give it them for free. Its just like a mate coming to your house and you givin them a beer....
There is a disconnect between the dream and reality of Bay ownership, the drive to buy a Bay was from Mrs FB, though on our first trip out the reality set-in, with Mrs FB sitting in a cold bus as we headed to the south cost on a cold May morning, she stated “Its like being in a van”, I pointed out it was a bus not van, whilst thinking what have we done with our hard earned cash. Living with a bay even for a short time is not like a modern vehicle and most defiantly not the dream most people will have, you have to grow to love them. We holiday let a house and though I say it may self, its in real good shape, though you would not believe the complaints…………. Classics include: Its too quiet………. (Its in a rural location) Its too hot with the log burner on………….(this was an angry call from a client, the answer being stop throwing logs on and open a door!) The beds are too small ……….(king size beds) No plastic plates ………….(dinner ware is not the best, though is Demby) Hot water too hot There is snow on the drive……..(in February …..another angry client!) The list could go on and on…………. People are unbelievable picky, I would suggest a Bay in less than 120% condition would generate complaints, so grow a thick skin and get lots of insurance cover. Oh and don't hire back to Back LOL
Yeah I think that is the answer, 6 vans! I'm up here but after 9 years still haven't been round Scotland, although travelled to Morocco! So hopefully at some point I shall get to see Scotland properly myself. Yeah, I think most of the rentals seem to average around £500 a week, dependant on van. A bit more in peak season/less in low. I'm not a fan of porta-potti's but perhaps it would be a better option to include them, and fit solar panels, so people can go off-grid for part of the time. I just don't want to empty them! Having made the mistake myself of parking my old hymer anywhere en-route to Morocco, I retched when I finally had to empty it after 6 days! Betsy-Bay looks fantastic, so does the website. What a great idea, well done.
What a hire place in Norfolk did was to arrange the whole trip, researched and pre-booked campsites with no more than 30-40 miles max between, 2 or 3 days at each site. Campers didn't get driven much and stayed on nice sites where the hire CO had a relationship with the owners and kept an eye out.
Great Idea @zedders I might arrange my Mrs shopping trip, 2 hours in poundland, 1 hour in Matalan, 1 hour in Tesco, then 5 mins in Marks and Sparks
Tbh...I wouldn't worry about a porta potty...there is little enough space in a T2 and public loos are plentiful enough...we carried a spade & loo roll for emergencies, but never needs to use them. P.