FAQs

At Happy hire we are committed to making life as easy as possible for our customers to book online with confidence, knowing they are making the right choice of hire van. We recommend hiring the smallest possible vehicle to do the job, not only is this saving you money on the hire – it will also reduce fuel spend and lower the risk of inadvertent damage to the vehicle, which keeps everyone smiling. Below is our jargon busting guide to choosing the right hire van in Tonbridge & Redhill

All vans above our CDV category are larger than the average car so we recommend taking one of our CDW options wherever possible – even the most experienced van driver makes mistakes – just look around when you’re in traffic, nearly every van has had at least one scrape!

CDV (Car derived van)
Mostly Peugeot Partners on our fleet, they come with two full size seats and a third which is a little smaller. They all come with AC to keep you cool in the summer months and Bluetooth connectivity to keep you focused on the road. Only 1.85m (6’) high, they can be parked in most car parks around the country.  Normally used for transporting tools or odd household items these vans have typical load dimensions of: 1.5m L x 1.5m W x 1.2m H

SWB (Short Wheelbase Van)
These vans are perfect all rounders, three full size seats including the driver, Minimum 2.4m load length at floor height. We stock mainly Renault trafic but have a smattering of vans from other manufacturers in this category. We recommend this size for small removals and clearances. The minimum loading dimensions for this type are 2.5m L by 1.2m W by 1.3m high. These vans can sometimes be over 2m (6’6” High) so some care needs to be taken with underground car parks and height restrictions, we always place a sticker in the window to advise of the vans height.

MWB (Medium Wheelbase Van)
These are the most popular category at our Redhill office, We normally stock Peugeot Boxer L2H2. They have a higher roof than the SWB which means you can stand up in the back, Three full size seats, Satnav, cruise control, Bluetooth and AC for your comfort. Minimum 3m load length at the floor level they will accept 3 x Euro Pallet, these vans are the largest that fit in a normal car parking space. They are easy enough for a modestly proficient driver to use around town yet big enough to move the well packed contents of a flat or small house including an upright fridge freezer. At 2.7m high care needs to be taken of height restrictions and overhanging signs or trees. Since these are larger than a 4x4 car we recommend serious consideration is given to our CDW offerings.

LWB & XLWB (Long & Extra Long Wheelbase)
These hire vans have 3.5 or 4m minimum load length at floor height and are stretched versions of our MWB above, they come with all the same equipment just with added length!  A very popular size capable of moving entire households, useful if you only want to make one trip. The added length means the average driver may experience issues with parking , although they do come with parking sensors to assist – you may wish to consider our CDW offerings. Minimum load dimensions are as follows: 3.6m L (4m for LWBX) x 1.4m Width between arches x 1.9m High

Luton Maxi Loader
These great rental vans have giant boxes on the back, typical removal vans basically. Big double doors at the back allow access to the largest load space you can drive with a standard car licence. No need for a tail lift because you can walk straight into these low floored vans with all your furniture. Additional space for lighter items above the cab means you can get complete moves done simply and without fuss. These vans are wider than the standard luton tail lift we offer to maximise the internal dimensions which are as follows: 4m L x 1.4m W(Between wheel arches) x 2.4m High

Luton Tail Lift
The backbone of our large selection of great rental vans, these vans have a load area that starts at about waist height and so come with a 500kg tail lift to assist getting the goods to that height, additional space for lightweight items above the cab give a capacity of x cubic metres and around 1.5t payload. The load area is rectangular with no intrusions from wheel arches. At 3.2m high care needs to be taken regarding height restrictions and a more cautious approach to driving is recommended given the size and weight of the vehicle especially when fully laden. We advise that assistance is sought from passengers when trying to reverse these vans and that thought is given to our damage waivers prior to hiring.

We aim to keep all our customers as happy as possible throughout the van hire process from booking to key drop. Making great efforts to simplify and explain in honest terms all the factors that need to be considered, we hope to make every hire a happy one.

One of the most important aspects of hiring a vehicle from either our Redhill or Tonbridge offices is the insurance excess. This is the amount you will be liable for in the event of damage or claim on our insurance policy. Self-drive insurance is viewed as very high risk by underwriters and is eye wateringly expensive to have and keep hold of. 

Our standard excess is £1000, which might seem high but is generally lower than the standard offering from the multinational companies.
We offer two excess reduction products, because nobody wants to pay out any more than they have to.

Standard CDW

Costs £15 per day, up to a maximum of 10 days and lowers your liability to £500*
Super CDW Costs £25 per day, lowers your liability to £250* and covers windscreen and tyre damage charges.

* Except in cases of negligence, examples of which include but are not limited to - overhead damage (damage above windscreen height) theft where keys have been left in the vehicle, incorrect fuelling and consequential damage from overloading.

Yes - All our available vehicles are shown on our online booking system at the lowest rates we can offer, keep an eye out for our voucher codes for additional online only discounts and offers.

Once you’ve selected your vehicle and hire dates and times – relax! Your hire van is reserved for you. We don’t work like some of our competitors who free sell hires but may not have the vehicle in stock at the location when you arrive to collect.

Before your hire: We will send you an email confirming your booking and the documents you will need to bring to the office on the day of collection. These will include Driving licence, DVLA share code from https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and another form of proof of address i.e. utility bill or official letter. (This can be shown in electronic format – no need to print).

On arrival: Welcome to our office! Our friendly staff will now explain the hire agreement and take a deposit before showing you round your vehicle before photographing it and pointing out the various features & controls and any pre existing damage. No more scraps of paper with lines and crosses vaguely marked, we use a leading software provider to image and document all our hire vehicles. 

For your convenience we have hand sanitising gel and wipes and where possible complementary sweets or drinks available to start your journey in the best possible frame of mind. 

Returning your vehicle: Our helpful staff will explain our key drop arrangements including the latest possible out of hours drop off times. Feel free to photograph or video your hire vehicle when you drop it off – We will do the same to ensure the vehicle is returned in the same condition as it was taken. If you’ve entered an email address on the hire agreement you will receive a copy of our post rental inspection.

For 24 hour breakdown assistance please call 0800 107 5867

We tend to keep an eye on our emails, even when the office is shut  - drop us a note at hello@happyhire.co.uk and we should be able to give advice.

If you have been involved in an accident please follow the guidelines below:

Do not admit liability

Take as many pictures as you can

Call United incident support on xxxx and they will help and advise you 

Get as much information from the third party as possible, always check their phone number by ringing it if given.
Report the incident without delay to one of our offices and we will give you an accident report form to fill in.

Cancellation and alteration fees:

Bookings cancelled more than 72 hours prior to start of hire - £5 cancellation fee

Bookings cancelled between 72 hours and 48 hours prior to start of hire 50% of  booking value is refundable

Bookings cancelled within 48 hours of hire start or no shows are non refundable

Date & Time alterations are permitted free of charge up to 72 hours prior to hire start. After this time the booking must be cancelled and rebooked.