About Southampton Campers

After an idea to go on a camping trip with the children one Easter Bank Holiday, we searched for a campervan to hire to help us realise our dream.

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HOW IT ALL BEGAN?

Our UK readers will already know that the chances of it raining over the Easter Bank Holiday is considerably high, and we didn't fancy a cold miserable tent or messing about putting it up, so what to do? After searching the internet for inspiration we found the ideal solution….hire a campervan!

​This would give us the opportunity to roam around a bit and if we wanted to stop somewhere different for the night we could. Excellent, we had found our accommodation, now to secure one! After looking at the vintage VW's and as beautiful as they are, we felt that they just were not practical for modern life. Most had mileage restrictions and some couldn't be taken out of the county.

We then turned our attention to VW T6 Transporter conversions, much more modern. With these, we found a confusing array of different types. Some didn't have windows all the way around so it looked a bit gloomy inside, others had very little storage space because the freshwater, wastewater and gas cylinder ate into a lot of the cupboard space.

The biggest issue I had with these conversions was safety. These vehicles had been cut, chopped, drilled and screwed by various different companies and sometimes by the owners themselves. Some of the rock-n-roll beds were not crash-tested, others didn't have Isofix. Gas safety certificates were missing. This all made me feel uneasy for the safety of my children.

The VW California Ocean, the perfect choice

What to do now? If only a recognised vehicle manufacturer made a ready-to-go campervan? It's a small selection of two! Only two manufacturers do this; VW with their California range and Mercedes with the Marco Polo.

Of course, it HAD to be the VW! The search begins for a VW California Hire service. We got lucky and managed to rent one before they all got booked up.

The VW California was just a dream. Modern, practical, a pleasure to drive and easy to park with its compact size, reversing camera and parking sensors. All the features you need and expert like craftsmanship and quality that you would expect from a proper vehicle manufacturer like VW. The biggest thing? Safety. I knew that everything would be just perfectly safe for my children.

An image showcasing a range of campervans for hire in Southampton.

Sharing the secret

I was surprised that I had never heard of the VW California brand, it felt like I had stumbled across a secret club, and they had all the best toys and were keeping it to themselves.

I set up Southampton Campers to give everyone the chance to hire a VW campervan and experience the beautiful and amazing VW California for themselves.

A family enjoying a holiday in a Southampton rented campervan.

OUR CAMPERVAN HOLIDAY MISSION

We want to bring to our customers the joys that a campervanning holiday provides. Stripped back holidays away from technology and giving you and your family the chance to reconnect over a simple board game or perhaps just looking at the views together. We love the simplicity of it all and the excitement and adventure of not having to have a completely packaged holiday.

Fancy a few nights in a different spot, no problem with our campervanning club membership and Brit stops directory you can pretty much head off in any direction and find a suitable place to stay, no rushing, no agenda. Just simple.

We are really passionate about the design and craftsmanship that goes into the design and build of a VW California. It's just a relaxing place to be. 30 years of production has taught VW a thing or two and the campervan is full of clever features that will just put a smile on your face. Simply Clever.

We believe in our product

We are really keen members of the VW California Owners Club and actively participate in learning and answering questions from the wonderful online community that can be found there. We can also be found at the Romsey show, New Forest show and others, promoting the campervan lifestyle and giving like-minded people the opportunity to see the VW California in the flesh.

We offer you simple and transparent pricing with no ridiculous fees like charging you extra for a fridge or deck chairs! If you ask us for a campervan hire quote then the price on the quote is the price you pay, no hidden charges….ever. We change our vehicles regularly so that you can always be assured of the very latest models from the VW California range.

T6.1 CALIFORNIA OCEAN Grand California 600
A couple enjoying the sun, next to their campervan.
A two tone VW California campervan in a field.

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We try to get away ourselves in our California as much as possible, with two kids and a dog I can speak from personal experience about how the Campervan can fit your needs. What works and what doesn't. We are always happy to share our stories without customers and love hearing about your adventures. We are keen festival go'ers too and regularly visit the Netley Music Festival and Camp Bestival is also looking to become a yearly event for us.

We look forward to helping you with your campervan adventure.
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