Taking over your motorhome in Canada – all the info

At long last the time has come and your Canada trip begins with taking over your motorhome in Canada. The day you take it over is often a bit exhausting, as so many new things are happening and there is quite a lot to bear in mind. To give you an idea of what the take-over day is like and help you plan the first days of your trip, we walk you through the handover and briefing at the motorhome rental company in this article.

Shuttle service to the airport hotel

In Canada it is not permitted to rent a motorhome on the day you arrive by plane. The rental and therefore the handover of a motorhome in Canada can take place no earlier than the day after you arrive.

Many airport hotels offer a shuttle service from the airport to the hotel. You can use this to get to your hotel after you arrive so you don’t have to organise your own transfer.

It is also worth considering exploring your arrival city without a motorhome to start with and staying a few more nights in a hotel. On our trip we landed in Vancouver and picked up our motorhome the very next day. Before we set off on our round trip, we stayed for two nights on a campground in Vancouver. We found this very practical, as it lets you settle into the motorhome and, if something doesn’t work, the rental company is not far away.

Transfer to the rental station

Some motorhome rental companies offer a transfer service from the airport hotel. What is included varies a lot between companies. Some offer the shuttle service only for early bookers, others only for rental periods of 14 days or more. Especially if you book your motorhome through a comparison portal, pay attention to the included services in the rental conditions. You can get an overview of the services of the different motorhome rental companies at Camperdays.

In most cases where a transfer to the rental station is offered, you will be collected from your hotel in the morning after breakfast at an agreed time. The driver from the motorhome company then picks up all travellers from the airport hotels and takes you to the rental station. If the time slot for the transfer and taking over the motorhome is only later in the day, you can consider booking an earlier take-over option. With some rental companies this service is called Early Bird. We recommend you take over your motorhome in Canada in the course of the morning if possible, so you get more out of the day and can, for example, still go shopping.

If the motorhome company does not offer a transfer to the station, you will need to order a taxi or Uber.

At the rental station: filling in the rental agreement

When you arrive at the rental station, you will already see various motorhomes on the premises. Our first thought is always which one of them is going to be ours. The excitement builds. You’ll be off soon!

But your first stop is not the vehicles; you go into the office first to deal with the paperwork. A member of staff will go through the rental agreement with you. All drivers are entered in the rental agreement, for example. You should therefore have both your national and your international driving licence with you (we only had our national driving licence with us). If you have booked any extra equipment (e.g. camping chair or satnav), this is also recorded.

The member of staff will also tell you which routes and roads you are not allowed to drive on or for which routes an additional fee would apply. This is often the case if you want to drive to the far north (Yukon).

Before taking over your motorhome in Canada you have to leave a deposit. For this, the deposit amount is usually reserved on your credit card or actually charged. Bear in mind that this reduces the available limit on your credit card! By taking out additional insurance, you can reduce the excess to 0.

We have found that staff are also happy to give information on the nearest place to do your shopping or to recommend a nearby petrol station where you can fill up the motorhome at the end of your trip.

Taking over your motorhome in Canada

Enough of the formalities – almost, at least – now you finally get to see your rented motorhome. Before you can set off, a member of staff will explain the vehicle to you. You will be given an introduction to the motorhome’s equipment and shown how things like the fridge, the cooker and the heating work.

The member of staff will also explain how the toilet and dumping (emptying the greywater) work. Staff often speak German, so you can ask any questions you still have. If there is anything you still don’t understand, just ask again. You will set off later feeling much more confident.

In addition to the briefing, the member of staff will walk around the vehicle with you to check for any damage. In other words, a condition report of the motorhome is made. Every issue, such as a scratch in the paintwork or a stone chip in the windscreen, should be noted in the handover report. If you notice defects or other peculiarities after taking over the vehicle, it does no harm to take a photo of them. That way you can, if necessary, prove later that this was already the condition at the time of handover.

Checking the equipment when taking over your motorhome in Canada

Once the formalities are sorted and you have received the briefing for the vehicle, you can stow your luggage. If you are finishing your Canada road trip in the same place, it is worth considering unpacking your luggage and leaving your empty suitcase with the rental company. This lets you save space in the vehicle. Alternatively, you can travel with a holdall. This is not as rigid as a suitcase and is easier to stow in the vehicle.

Before you head to the first supermarket with your motorhome, we have one more tip for you. Take a look at all the cooking and household utensils already in the motorhome. It has happened to us several times that we were standing in the supermarket and were not sure whether we had, for example, a washing-up brush in the motorhome or not.

Especially if this is your first camping trip, the day you take over your motorhome in Canada can be tiring and exciting. So if possible, take your time and have everything explained to you calmly. You will definitely also discover that many things are self-explanatory. And if they are not, you can always ask your neighbour on a campground for advice. It is a great way to start a conversation and swap travel tips. Do write to us in the comments if we’ve missed a question!