Considering Listing my Travel Trailer for Rent - Company Reviews

Hey All!

I've read a lot about listing your own rv for rent when you are not using it. There are several companies out there doing this now and wondered if anyone has experience or feedback on them. I have a 28" travel trailer that sleeps 6. The companies I am considering are Outdoorsy and RV Share. There was one more, but I can't recall its name any more. It's very hard to find comparisons out there between these companies.

Thoughts? Experience?

Samantha

I'll just wish you the best of luck on a truly bad idea.

I'll say the same as John -- good luck. Be sure you check into commercial insurance required, how the scheduling works (can you REALLY get it when you want it?), and be aware of how much additional wear and tear will accumulate on your trailer. Also, who pays for maintenance/insurance/cleanup after rental returns (does it cover you and the rig?), how much do YOU actually receive of the rental fee, will you pay extra for storage, etc.?

Lots of details aren't immediately obvious, but you need to be aware of all of these details, else you could really lose money in addition to having your trailer damaged by renters (many of them don't care how much damage they do, many more are just ignorant of how to treat an RV).

Good luck.

Usually when this topic comes up the question is about a motorhome, with a travel trailer the issues are somewhat different.  One thing to consider is will the potential renters have a tow vehicle properly set up to pull the trailer, at 28 ft. I assume a weight distribution hitch is either required or highly recommended, setting up a weight distributing hitch on a new vehicle is a bit of a chore the first time around.  Would you do this, would they, what sort of liability would you assume if you were to set it up, ...

Now I too think this is not a good idea, and the only way I would consider something like this is if I were to have a nearby popular tourist spot, and if I were to take the RV there and set it up for the customer.  Even then there are lots of concerns.

How much are you charging. I dont want to take my coach to Burning Man, so I was thinking of renting one for the festival.

While I appreciate the "thoughts" thus far...and I know, I did ask...what I was really looking for were comments from anyone who has considered this and had some feedback on reputable companies. I think the best response that really got me to thinking was Isaac's/ The logistics for a travel trailer just to add up. Yes, we do live near a resort area, but anyone coming here, really would just go ahead and get a hotel room on or near the beach. I appreciate all of the cautions, etc.

Muskoka...I wasn't looking to rent it individually, but through a company. I have had several individuals inquire about using it for festivals and I have already totally crossed that one off the list.

Thanks all,

Samantha

Short version.  A friend of mine rented his 5th wheel.  Came back with so much damage that the insurance company totaled it.  The couple didn't have a clue how to do anything.  Annihilated the outside with driving into and backing into anything possible.  Ditto with the interior damage --- roof vents, water damage from the shower and sink.  And they weren't even trying to destroy it.  Just ignorance.  Bottom line --- good luck.

Did a Google search and found this information:

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.outdoorsy.co

Wow, I am amazed by the number of negative owner reviews in just the last month

If you live in a tourist area, you may want to consider dropping off and picking up the trailer.  Taking a potential novice or improperly equipped renter out of the equation may help with the responses.  I imagine most people (self included) consider their RV to be personal space and cringe at the thought of how strangers would use and abuse their RV.  Another option would be an RV built like the rental bikes in cities...like tanks.

After reading the reviews I cannot imagine anyone risking it unless their RV is not  very nice to begin with.

keymastr said:

After reading the reviews I cannot imagine anyone risking it unless their RV is not  very nice to begin with.

Click to expand...

The place is a disaster. Horrible company to deal with.

I don't think it is the company that is the issue, it is the inherent problem with the taking someone off the street and handing them "the keys" to an RV regardless of if it is a motorhome or a towable.  There is a big step between driving a pickup truck pulling a  lawn mower trailer and a 30 ft camping trailer, or an SUV vs a Class A (or even class C) motorhome.  Add to this tight maneuvering in campgrounds, often long hours on the road, and dents, dings, scrapes, etc are likely to happen. When it is your own RV that drags bottom pulling into a steep driveway you cringe, get out and assess the damage, tell yourself its not that bad and move on, however if a renter returns an RV with the slightest scrape one naturally gravitates towards making an insurance claim and realizing all profit from the rental and then some was instantly wiped out thanks to a few seconds of poor driving choices out of potentially hundreds of miles of travel.

Then of course there are all the complexities of RV systems, even for an experienced RV owner, orientation to a new RV should take hours, not minutes.  With renters they does not usually have that sort of RV background, so one is forced into the choice between the 15 minute orientation, which will still likely be information overload or requiring a 2 day orientation course for a weekend RV rental.  The result  is the guy showing up at the campground dump station in a cruise america coach asking the next guy in line how to hook up a sewer hose.

Wow doesn't soud like a good idea.

I teach writing, and the two most recent positive reviews sound like they were written by the same person.  The tone was just slightly off and reminded me of stuff from a brochure, at least to my eyes, plus they sounded a little too good to be true.  In addition, it is very strange to have reviews that are either rated extremely high or extremely low.   

I am not sure there is a lot of room for middle of the road reviews here, as chances are the RV will come back fine, or missing a mirror, bumper, etc.  There is  little gray area for the carpets were dirty, but not stained...