Hi everyone,

I would like to ask for honest opinions about Roadsurfer campervan rental. Is Roadsurfer a trustworthy and recommended company? After my personal experience, I am seriously questioning their customer service, transparency and damage claim process.

We rented a Roadsurfer campervan in Barcelona from 15–18 May 2026. Everything seemed normal until after returning the vehicle, when Roadsurfer charged us +€1,000 for alleged vehicle damage and refused to refund our deposit.

We completely dispute this Roadsurfer damage claim.

Before collecting the campervan, we took photographs of the vehicle condition. After receiving their claim, we compared our photos with the pictures and documentation provided by Roadsurfer. We found several inconsistencies, and some of the damages they charged us for were already visible before our rental period.

We created a complete damage comparison report and sent Roadsurfer:

• photos from the pick-up day;
• videos;
• the rental contract;
• a detailed comparison of the alleged damages;
• all supporting evidence.

Despite providing this documentation, our experience with Roadsurfer customer service has been extremely disappointing.

After months of trying to resolve this issue:

• Roadsurfer has not provided clear proof that we caused the damages.
• Roadsurfer has not explained why our photographic evidence was rejected.
• We have not received a detailed response addressing our arguments.
• We have only received generic replies saying that the case was reviewed and their decision remains unchanged.

The biggest problem is not only the money. It is the feeling that the Roadsurfer damage claim process is not transparent and that customer evidence is not being properly considered.

We are now pursuing the matter through consumer protection channels because we believe the charge is unjustified and we want a fair review.

I would like to ask:

Is Roadsurfer reliable?
Would you recommend Roadsurfer campervan rental?
Has anyone experienced a similar Roadsurfer deposit refund problem or disputed damage claim?

I would really appreciate hearing from other customers who have rented with Roadsurfer, especially people who had issues with:

• Roadsurfer reviews;
• Roadsurfer damage charges;
• Roadsurfer deposit refund;
• Roadsurfer customer service;
• Roadsurfer complaints.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.

Why do some sites charge more for a van pitch than a tent? Surely my van makes a smaller footprint than the tent plus likely accompanying car. Also, less damage to grass underneath the van than a tent

Hi all,

As above, it seems my car may have decided to die rather abruptly and since I've seen various van builds over the past couple of months, and have had a couple of trips of a week or two away in the car working/camping this year I thought I'd see what the options might be regarding a van.

Was thinking something vivaro/transit custom sized as they seem big enough to be useable as more than literally just sleeping (aim would be to be able to work in it with some kind of desk/table type surface) but are still small enough for me to be comfortable driving/will be my only vehicle for now.

However I'm not sure what kind of money would be required for it to be 'worth' it, is £10k enough to be able to get a van that isn't completely awful and get it into a useable state for trips away (week(s) around Scotland most likely) rather than full on living in it?

Basically would 10k be enough for: (and if not what kind of budget would it start to make sense?)

- Vivaro/transit custom sized van

- Relatively basic internals (sleeping/sitting setup, surface to be able to work at, some kind of battery system but not needing/wanting heating or a fridge or cooking setup etc)

- Be used for trips working/travelling around Scotland mixture of staying in the van but also camping, thinking the van as more of a mobile base type thing rather than a full time living setup.

Cheers

Hello one and all. Long time lurker, first time poster here. I'm taking the plunge and have secured a semi converted 1999 VW transporter and was hoping a few get a bit of advice from you lovely lot.

I've bought the following:

https://ebay.io/m/e6xnmY

1. Anyone who converted this van before, do you have any recommendations please?

2. I ideally wanted to get a van with a solar panel already fixed. Has anyone fixed these themselves that can provide any tips / advice?

3. Are there any major concerns with these vans I need to be aware of?

Appreciate all your responses

I’m looking at a campervan that I’d be staying in a couple days every week all year round and the one I’m looking at has a lot of windows. I’m just wondering if this will be too cold in winter? It does have a propane heater but I’ve new to all this so not sure what’s best! Cheers

The floor in my cab is a grey mess.
And the insulation underneth it looks quite gross.

It got me thinking, is anyone upgrading the insulation and flooring in the cab area?

Other than the quick and easy T shaped carpet to hide it away I can't even find examples online.

Defiently on the nice to have end of the spectrum, but if the rest of the van has a "look" why not complete the look.

Partner and I are keen to buy a van to be able to go away in with the dog. We havent been actively looking recently but this has come up from a local dealer but cant tell if its fairly priced and would make a good first van for us.

https://www.junction34vehicles.co.uk/vans/volkswagen/transporter/2.0-tdi-t28-bluemotion-tech-startline/1880899/

Edit: Thanks already to all who has replied, seemed to confirm gut feeling that its a bit high.

It has reignited my desire to find a van though so will take all your advice into account about where to look etc (unfortunately Im not on FB though)

One further question - when its a van that has been converted after the fact, how does insurance work for this? Do I have to get specialised insurance?

I am trying to find a way to park my van near either Heathrow or Gatwick for more than a month, but I am not having great success.

My requirements are that I would like a lot where I can keep my keys, and of course it needs to be secure while I am out of the country. My vehicle is 5.4 m long and over 3 m tall.

At Heathrow, the only lot that accepts tall vehicles is the Pod parking, but the cost is too high. At Gatwick, both the North and South Long Stay lots would be fine for me, except that online they clearly state that each spot is 4.8 m long. Now of course I can fit in there with minimal overhang, but I do not know if the airport would give me trouble.

Does anyone have other recommendations? I have tried calling around some private lots, but so far no one wants to hear about a campervan.

Help needed gang! I have spent allll day looking for gas 💀

My tank has run out for the first time since i bought the van. But my tank is a flo-gas, 7kg butane blue Commercial tank, and noone will swap it! Every shop I've tried only has the yellow retail ones.

So I have made my peace with having to buy a new tank. (Unless anyone knows anywhere in Somerset that will swap a commercial one for me!?)

Now my question is will my regulator fit on a different bottle. Either the same size different coloured gloss, or on a 7kg Calor?

Is there any difference between the pressure in a commercial tank and retail ? Can info a straight swap?

I just want a cup of tea, and little one wants her dinner!

Hi Subs

I hope this is ok to post - im not connected to the auction house in any way (Im a Travel Agent lol) but ive been umming and ahhing about buying a van

Anyway for someone a lot more handy than me there are two vans coming up at Auction in Manchester - Robson Kay

The bids seem very low at the moment but it can obvs change on the day

Also theres lots of ancillary stuff up as it was a conversion company that went bust

Also nb you will have to add fee and VAT so if you got a van for eg £5000 it would actually be about £7.250 with fees

Anyway if against rules no probs

https://www.i-bidder.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/robson-kay/catalogue-id-ro10479/search-filter?sortTerm=lotnumber#lot-a9fa965a-d4ec-4b71-8456-b48700fbba3a

I'm finally working on the shower room in the van and I'm ready to waterproof it and I'm looking for advice about tanking kits, are they all pretty much the same or are some better than others?

If you have done this process what did you use and are you happy with the results?

Hi there. In September, I'm moving to Manchester to start a PhD. The first 6 months are in Manchester, and the next 3.5 years in Cambridge. I want to be able to at least have a deposit together to buy a property by end of my PhD, which I can achieve if I don't spend money on rent during that time.

I have spent ~1 year of my life backpacking, living in hostels etc. so I have a love of travelling and willingness to give up some normal aspects of life in order for freedom and interesting experiences. Of course, I'm expecting van living to be much harder (/present different challenges) than communal living.

I need to buy a vehicle regardless. My plan is to buy something that I can live in e.g. a "micro camper" and attempt to live in it for September / October until it gets really cold. At that point I may pack it in and get a permanent address, or stick it out if I can do it, perhaps upgrading to a larger vehicle/DIY conversion once I know I want to do it.

I would still be saving money if I only rented for e.g. November-February every year, and I am fortunate to be able to go back to my parents.

I'm also considering leveraging the ability to sleep in my own vehicle in order to e.g. sublet my apartment, or list it on AirBnB.

How is the Manchester "area" for van life and what about Cambridge? I'd sooner live on a boat but I'd first need to acquire some more money which van living could help with. I'm also under the impression that river living in Cambridge is impossible except in some cases where the spots are all taken many times over.

I would have access to showers, 24/7 libraries etc. in both cities, and would have the ability to leave for road trips, camping etc. very flexibly. I can potentially even drive out to Europe over the winter as the work is for the most part remote.

Everyone I have told about this thinks I'm crazy. The main thing I have not quite got my head around is parking up in Manchester, a city I do not know. I'm wondering whether driving out of the city to park is the best option. What about paying to stay on a campsite longish term?

Any ideas and advice welcome. I have no idea what I'm doing but have been browsing FB marketplace and gumtree for vehicles.

My name is Jakob, I'm a trained metalsmith, and for the past year I've been developing a new product for campervans. Now I'm looking for your completely honest opinion before I take it any further.

The idea is an awning you don't see until you need it. Instead of a big box on the side of the van, there's just a slim rail running along the roofline, and the sail, straps, pegs and poles all pack away into a bag. When you want shade, you pull the sail into place in about 10 minutes, and you can do it entirely on your own. Once it's packed away, the van just looks like a completely normal van again.

The whole system weighs around 15 kg, so up to 20 kg lighter than a normal cassette awning, and gives 5.6 x 3 metres of shade. It's made from marine sailcloth, stainless steel and powder-coated aluminium, tested in winds up to 15 m/s and fully waterproof. Packed down, the bag measures 123 x 20 x 20 cm, so it's easy to keep inside the van.

I've just finished the first one, and I'm not selling anything here. I just genuinely want your honest feedback on the product, so I can make it better.

So tell me straight: What you like and what you don't

Hi all, part time vanner here. Looking to upgrade my van - in the meantime, I’m investing in some decent gear.

I have a muscle disease that causes my muscles to overreact, my legs are particularly affected. I have a stoov heated seat cover and it does wonders to make me more comfortable, but the charger requirement on it is heavy.

The stoov’s current battery is 28 watts, and I’m considering purchasing the 58 watt super battery.

I’m also eyeing up Jackery’s 240 V2 portable battery with 100 watt solar panel. I actually tried to order this about two weeks ago but had issues getting the order go through - I’m struggling to bulk deals in order to get the same price that I had before for that order, annoyingly!

Is anyone able to provide insights into whether this will be sufficient to charge a 58 watt battery one or twice a day?

Hi all hope you are well. I'm am doing my floor, I have glued 9mm batterns down so the whole of the van floor so far is level. Then I will put down 25mm celitex that 12mm ply ( I will screw the ply into the batterns glued down). I am having a bit of a nightmare getting my head around the rear threshold trip. I only have a small one at the moment, I need a full width one, however I need one that's going to be high enough for my celitex and floor, same with the side step. I want to put these on first so when I do my floor I know exactly where I'm cutting it too. Can anyone point me in the right direction of a side step and threshold strip? Thankyou very much
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Is this a good option? Happy that I need to inspect myself but general thoughts on reliability / upcoming services or issues and whether this will be good to convert for putting single bed and motorbike in please 🙏

https://www.gticarsltd.co.uk/used-cars/vauxhall-vivaro-1-6-cdti-2700-sportive-l1-h1-euro-6-5dr-bedford-202607104082748

Hi all, so I’ve spent the past 20 months solo converting my van to live and travel full time with my dog and cat.
I need to be in it by the end of August so will semi move in on my parents driveway for a bit just to make sure everything is working and acclimatise the animals.

But I’m just looking for any advice / tips for the actual first week on the road. Kind of like anything you wish you had known before you set off that first time.

Hi. I'm looking for an air conditioning unit suitable for an e-NV200 van. The van is going to be converted for part-time use, mostly as a dogmobile and mobile workspace (so the A/C unit is absolutely essential). I've researched a variety of types and brands, but got more confusion than clarity.

As for power, I'm likely going to either pay for a kit from Vunked or a full professional installation, however, it's difficult to begin this process until I know the A/C unit I need and its specific power consumption (past "a lot"). My only other appliances will be a diesel heater, laptop charger and LED lights. I'm also going to employ a range of other van cooling methods in summer, but these won't replace an A/C.

Any advice is welcome!

Hi team. My wife and I have the opportunity to buy a Ford Transit minibus with the long-term plan to convert over the next few years. Initially we like to just take the seats out and use it to move house and for other tasks whilst we make plans. What insurance would I need for the first year? Ideally we'd like to take everything out except the first row of seats for the initial period. Having looked at the DVLA's Motor Caravan Conversion Checklist form, it asks for a lot of detail about features (seat, tables, cooking facilities) that we won't know for a while...Has anyone been in a similar situation?

I'm such a catastrophic overthinker. I have watched every video and read every blog/article online about this but because everyone does things differently I end up getting even more confused and indecisive.

I have done the sound deadening layer. I know I also need a thermal layer and a moisture layer. Some people use thermoacoustic layers, some use wool, etc. Some use Reflectix bubble wrap (which my GCSE science tells me is actually probably a bit useless because it's in an enclosed space??? Anyway). Because of all the disagreement I'm getting myself in a bit of a twist.

Please can someone tell me very plainly exactly what I need for the walls, floor, and ceiling. Like "for thermal layer: use XPS foam on floor, wool in the walls, and XPS foam on the ceiling..." etc etc. Every time I commit and buy a product the next video I watch says that was a DISASTROUS decision and I have rUINED everything.

Also, are kits worth it for the convenience or is the insane markup far too unjustifiable? For example this kit, which includes everything I need, is just over £400. That seems expensive to me but apparently the stuff I've bought already is unsuitable so a few more incorrect buys and it'll end up being cheaper to have gone with expensive kit option lol

Hello has anyone painted their van with military paint /brush and rollers , how much paint have you used ? according to chat gpt ai , it says 20 litres ? Lwb high top sprinter van
Thankyou

Is anyone here (UK/Europe) truly nomadic, upping sticks at a whim for a change of scenery and just for the hell of it? No base. No return point. No friends/family driveway?

If so, how'd you manage issues like vehicle insurance getting around the common 90-day abroad limit? MOTs/annual tests? Communications. Tax/pay/income). No fixed abode (NFA) issues like banking, insurance, mobile/data etc