Kirstie
I want to be helpful to the people thinking of hiring Cyril so I am just going to list the pros, middles and cons!
Pros
Very good communication both the day before the hire and throughout. We had an issue during the hire, and Warren was very helpful with ways of trying to get it sorted.
Very easy collection, Warren was going to be at work, but gave me clear instructions on how to collect Cyril and there were no issues.
Bed was comfortable, although if you are taller than 6 foot you may struggle a bit with the length.
We stayed in Cyril from Friday to Monday, and with only 10 mins charge per day, the leisure battery lasted the whole time with no issues.
Was very 'retro' so if that is what you are looking for you are in for a treat! It was really fun.
Lots of videos on Youtube detailing how to set up and work certain parts of the van.
We went to a festival in Cyril, and obviously, being England, it rained and was very windy. I was SO happy that we had decided to hire Cyril, we were nice and cosy. I felt very sorry for those in tents!
The hob and grill worked well, we managed to cook a fry up in it which we were very happy with!
It was really fun to drive, been a while since I drove a vehicle with a choke!
Lots of storage places for a small van!
Fridge worked very well, kept everything very cold. It was a bit grubby in there but did not stop how well it worked.
There are some essentials on board, tea bags etc. We didn't use any of it, but really lovely that it is there in case people get caught short.
Cons
The listing says luxury, it probably was when it was newer but definitely not now! Although still much more luxurious than a tent!!
The problem I mentioned above was we could not get the water to work, Warren was really helpful, but unfortunately it still meant my partner had to suck on the water tap until the water came through which he wasn't thrilled with doing! The water did come through eventually but was only really a dribble so it was hard to shower.
The shower room is tiny, so if you are a bigger person you will struggle. I was ok but there are some who may not be. That said, it was still lovely to have access to a shower!
Some of the Youtube videos are quite confusing, especially the one to make the bed as Warren tried to do it while holding the camera so you don't get to see a lot of the process but I worked it out!
There were some parts of the van which were nice and clean but some that weren't.
The blinds didn't work great, I think they must be the original ones and they were falling apart a bit so I was reluctant to touch them in case they broke completely!
The brakes are not good at all, you have to really press down on them to come to a stop.
There are some bits which are broken/missing, which given the age is completely expected, but I guess if it was my van I would fix or replace them. It may go against the retro vibe though, which Warren may be keen to keep.
All in all, we would definitely use Cyril again! We had a great weekend!