Trailblazer Camper Hire

About Us

Trailblazer Camper Hire offered VW camper van hire from two bases, one in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and the other in Plymouth, Devon. Its website put the idea in three words: Travel. Explore. Enjoy.

The campers were new VW T6 vans, described as sleek and fitted with all the mod cons needed for a fun and relaxing trip. They were compact enough to take almost anywhere to see the beautiful sights the UK has to offer, and each one slept up to four, so friends and family could come along. As the website said, there is no better way to see the UK.

Pets were welcome, and the nightly rates included insurance, mileage and roadside assistance, with no hidden charges. Hirers could leave their own car in free, secure parking on site while they were away.

Hiring worked in three steps: a booking request to talk through travel plans, campers and packages; collection, with a driving licence check, an inventory and a signed rental contract; then the trip itself, with the camper returned on the agreed day and time.

St Wulfram's Church in Grantham, Lincolnshire

St Wulfram's Church, Grantham. The website's own photographs of the campers were not archived.

Services

More details:

The Campers

Adventurer, Grantham
Freedom, Grantham
Explorer, Grantham
Quest, Plymouth
Escape (automatic), Plymouth

Who it suited

Friends and families, up to four people
Travellers bringing their pets
Road trips around the UK

VW T6 Features

VW 2 litre diesel engine
Cruise control
Parking sensors
Radio and CD player
5/6 seater
Fully functional kitchen unit
Gas hob and matching sink with cold water tap
Fridge
On-board gas and water
Insulated elevating roof with an upper bed for two
Rear double bed for two
Interior storage cupboards
Fold-away table
Mains and 12v electrics
LED interior lighting
CO2 monitor and fire extinguisher
Leisure battery
Front swivelling passenger seat with large storage area

Included as Standard

Vehicle familiarisation tour before departure
Comprehensive UK insurance for one driver
UK roadside assistance
2,500 miles
Gas bottle
Electric hook-up cable
First aid kit
Window curtains
Tea and coffee facilities
Fresh water filling hose
Free car parking during the hire

Optional Extras

Additional driver
Driveaway awning, with a sleeping pod on request
PortaPotti
Camping table
Camping bed
Cycle rack
Camping chairs
Sleeping bags
Kitchen essentials: pots, pans and utensils
Breakfast basket with jams, cereal and a full English

Good to Know

A valid UK driving licence was all that was needed
Drivers aged 25 to 65 with a clean licence held for over two years paid nothing extra
Younger or older drivers, or those with six or more points, could still hire for a small additional fee
Campers left with a full tank and came back filled to the same level
Overnight stays had to be on a registered UK campsite
No smoking or vaping in the campers

Gallery

The website's own photographs of the campers were not archived. These openly licensed photographs show the country around the Grantham and Plymouth bases.

Farmland near Belton, north-east of Grantham, with hawthorn in flower

Woolsthorpe Manor, south of Grantham, where Isaac Newton was born

Royal William Yard in Plymouth, seen from the water

The Dewerstone rocks in the Plym valley on Dartmoor

Photos: Chris Gunns (the B3212 on Dartmoor), J.Hannan-Briggs (St Wulfram's Church), Julian Dowse (Belvoir Castle), Martin Dawes (Woolsthorpe Manor), Lewis Clarke (Royal William Yard) and John Walton (Sheepstor Ford), CC BY-SA 2.0, geograph.org.uk

Photos: Nilfanion, Wikimedia Commons (Burrator Reservoir, CC BY-SA 4.0; Plymouth Hoe at sunset, Cadover Bridge and Dewerstone rocks, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Photos: Acabashi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (farmland near Belton) and Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Belton House, cropped), Wikimedia Commons

Where will the VW take you?

The insurance meant every night of a hire had to be spent on a registered campsite, so planning a trip started with where to stay. Browse campsites in Lincolnshire for a first night near Grantham, read The Camping Fire for camping news from South Devon, and compare family camping gear from Lexrope with the camping gear at The Expert Camper before setting off.

What to do near the two bases

Belton House

A country house built in the 1680s, with formal gardens and a large wooded park, just north-east of Grantham and cared for by the National Trust.

Plymouth Hoe

The open space above Plymouth Sound, where Smeaton's Tower, the upper part of the old Eddystone lighthouse, was rebuilt in 1884.

Dartmoor

The national park's moorland, tors and reservoirs begin a short drive north-east of Plympton, with Cadover Bridge crossing the River Plym on its southern edge.