Verified Strong and reasonably reliable RAV4 with excellent customer service
I hired a Toyota RAV4 5-door and camping gear for a total of 10 days during a self-drive holiday around Uganda. The customer service was excellent and impeccable. I arranged the hire over WhatsApp (+256 704 538374), where all my queries were answered. The car was delivered to my guest house in Entebbe 15 minutes early (!) by a guide / driver. He got us to read and sign the terms of hire, and check around the car. He returned to the guest house at the end to pick it up. The car itself was robust and sufficient for our needs. It handled the bumpy roads of Uganda very well. The 4-wheel drive helped us out when we got stuck in mud in a game park! The rear seats could be folded down and we used this to store our tent, mattresses, and luggage with ease. We had a few minor issues with the vehicle during the hire. These were discussed with Sulaiman, the hire company frontman, on return, but I thought it prudent to note them here so you get an idea of car reliability: – The rear view mirror socket was loose and the mirror rarely stayed in one place – The front lights both worked, and were sufficient for car visibility in the dark, but did not illuminate the road ahead comfortably – The windows at times would not roll up/down. This tended to self-resolve with time – One of the windscreen wipers kept coming off every 10-15 minutes during use. We had to attach it using tape – We checked the water, steering fluid, brake fluid, and oil on hire: these were fine. During a refuel at a Total station, a mechanic checked the gearbox fluid and showed us that it was low. It needed refilling, costing 29,000 Shillings. Except for the above minor issues, the car was safe and satisfying to drive. I would not recommend hiring camping gear from this company. We were given a tent, two mattresses, a gas stove, two fold-away chairs, a fold-away table, and a box with cups, cutlery, pans, and plates in it. We were assured that the tent was for two, but when we first used it, we could hardly fit one of us inside! The mattresses only just fit in the tent lengthways and had considerable overlap on each other. The setup had clearly not been thought through or tested by YDU. As a result, we changed our plans to stay in guest houses throughout our travels, so I cannot comment on the stove, table, chairs, or cooking equipment. Needlesstosay, this is car hire company, so expect a decent car but not necessarily the best in camping equipment.