Dont want to share the rv with relatives!!

[ironrat]

You have your self setup for major problems, you know that so what is the real problem? Your husband is willing to foot the cost a couple times before you go, so take that money and put it towards a decent used RV and don't loan it out!!

 

[Wendy]

If it's your husband's family, then, sorry, but you're pretty much out of luck. Pretty much everyone here has said that it's not a good thing to do, sharing an RV with family, especially with one family member footing the bill for all the expenses. But if the DH is ok with it, then that's the way it goes. Maybe one last try to have the RV "owned" by one family member with the rest of the family having "rental" rights but it doesn't sound like that's gonna fly. I wish you luck.

 

[keymastr]

I get it now. This is a bit of nostalgia on your husbands part and that's OK. He may be less nostalgic after he sees what they break on their trip that he will have to pay for but it's only money, right? Hope you at least get to have your trip work out and your husband can remember the good times shared there with his family.

 

[buchanan]

here is the part I just don't get?  quote:They are not interested in financially contributing
what self respecting person would think they have a right to use this motorhome without contributing to its upkeep and better yet WHY would you let them?

 

[rjf7g]

Registration, insurance, property tax. Who will be responsible for these?

My thoughts exactly - sharing a camper is like sharing a soft serve ice cream cone on a hot day...it won't last long and it will be messy.

 

[M1894]

Don't tag or insure the unit until you are ready to depart. If one of the relatives insist on using it tell them that they will need to tag and insure it before putting it on the road. You will probably be the first to use it!

( Remember, the registered owner will be responsible for tickets for parking and such, as well as being responsible for allowing any driver with out proper license endorsements to drive. Fines can get pretty heavy in many states.) in some cases the more drivers listed with the insurance company can raise insurance costs, especially if their driving record isn't real clean.



Lee

 

[Mr Bojangles]

Very interesting situation...............
Please let us know what you do (what happens).
In other words:
Report back, I'm subscribing to this post. I love the complexities we humans can get our selves into, and how we escape.
Good Luck!

OR not!

 

[BoomerD]

RUN..do not walk...away from this deal as fast as you can.

It sounds like you already know it's not going to end well for you...you and your husband are going to get stuck with all the costs while his family reaps the benefits of your work and money.

Detailing it after they use it may well be the least of your financial woes. Accidents, tickets, damage to the inside of the coach, etc...all things for which you could get stuck with the costs.

Maybe you can hope that lightning strikes the coach and burns it to the ground before you spend a dime? (or a tornado if you're in that area?)

 

[blw2]

Don't tag or insure the unit until you are ready to depart. If one of the relatives insist on using it tell them that they will need to tag and insure it before putting it on the road. You will probably be the first to use it!

( Remember, the registered owner will be responsible for tickets for parking and such, as well as being responsible for allowing any driver with out proper license endorsements to drive. Fines can get pretty heavy in many states.) in some cases the more drivers listed with the insurance company can raise insurance costs, especially if their driving record isn't real clean.
Lee

Things makes me think about something else....
I used to do a good bit of flying GA.  In the small airplane world it is very common for friends to chip in together to buy an airplane and share it. Groups of 2, 3, 4, and even more folks
Often folks aren't even friends, they may not even know each other.....
What is always done is they form some sort of corporation
so the airplane is owned by that corporation, and they make rules or bylaws....they all agree on things such as
monies required to chip in for each use (maybe so much a mile or so much a day for the RV application).... an amount to cover operation, tags, taxes, insurance, etc.... and a fund for future maintenance.  There may also be a clause in the bylaws on how additional money might be assesed in the even of some unexpected failure....
They also agree on a schedule, or some other way to ferret out who can use it when, or a way to check to see if it's available....
....So the weekend of July 26th is Jim's weekend, but he's not using it so Mary can use it and trade her August 2nd time slot with Jim....

I still wouldn't be interested in doing this with an RV personally, but it strikes me that this would be perhaps the "right way" to do this if one was so inclined....

 

[mikef]

Best idea I've seen yet, Brad. FWIW, I wouldn't even consider getting involved.

 

[Dog Folks]

My brother in law asked him yesterday if it was ready yet because they wanted to start taking it to their rodeos. My heart sank, but my dear husband said that if we had to detail it again after they use it then so be it. He is willing to pay the price to keep the peace. They are not interested in financially contributing.

Keep the family peace or not, I can't believe the audacity of these folks asking when the camper will be ready and your hubby is allowing it!

Please stand up to these folks. If family peace means letting someone take a ridiculous amount of advatage over me, I think not. 

 

[Dance Chick]

In all walks of life, whether by family or not, we are treated the way we allow people to treat us. There are users everywhere, and they seem to sleep well at night. To allow this scenario is asking for many sleepless nights for the OP.

 

[inscop]

You need to sit your husband down in front of the computer and have him read the overwhelming list of RUN! DON'T WALK posts.  Would you believe, I had an in-law ask if they could take our (brand new) RV from California to Florida? Well, sure.  Want me to pay for the gas too?  It only took like half a second to spit out a big, fat NO!

Your husband is dreaming if he thinks this is going to work out well.  If I were him, and I wanted an RV, then I would BUY ONE.  Let the leeches have this one and see how long it lasts.

(You need to put your foot down!)

 

[Chip D]

You know I've been watching this thread for a few days, and must admit it is pretty funny. I mean think of it.  What kind of a thinking person would spend the money to get GrandPa's ancient RV licensed and insured, and then clean out the rat dropping that had accumulated for lo these many years instead of taking it to the junk yard where it needs to assume room temperature?  Who on earth would spend the money to detail and fire up an RV that hasn't seen pavement in many years, and then would let the "Clampetts" take the thing to a rodeo of all places.  And then not only that, they would put up with redetailing the thing again after the "Clampetts" have trashed it. Please don't tell me that the "Clampetts" also assume they will foot the bill for a new satellite dish with 250 channels and premium ones at that?
But I can't but help but thinking that this whole thing is a setup.  So I think it's fake!!

Chip

 

[buchanan]

You know I've been watching this thread for a few days, and must admit it is pretty funny. I mean think of it.  What kind of a thinking person would spend the money to get GrandPa's ancient RV licensed and insured, and then clean out the rat dropping that had accumulated for lo these many years instead of taking it to the junk yard where it needs to assume room temperature?  Who on earth would spend the money to detail and fire up an RV that hasn't seen pavement in many years, and then would let the "Clampetts" take the thing to a rodeo of all places.  And then not only that, they would put up with redetailing the thing again after the "Clampetts" have trashed it. Please don't tell me that the "Clampetts" also assume they will foot the bill for a new satellite dish with 250 channels and premium ones at that?
But I can't but help but thinking that this whole thing is a setup.  So I think it's fake!!

Chip

well not sure its fake but the OP,s husband aint the brightest bulb on the tree the way she,s explaining things  here

 

[Dog Folks]

You know I've been watching this thread for a few days, and must admit it is pretty funny. I mean think of it.  What kind of a thinking person would spend the money to get GrandPa's ancient RV licensed and insured, and then clean out the rat dropping that had accumulated for lo these many years instead of taking it to the junk yard where it needs to assume room temperature?  Who on earth would spend the money to detail and fire up an RV that hasn't seen pavement in many years, and then would let the "Clampetts" take the thing to a rodeo of all places.  And then not only that, they would put up with redetailing the thing again after the "Clampetts" have trashed it. Please don't tell me that the "Clampetts" also assume they will foot the bill for a new satellite dish with 250 channels and premium ones at that?
But I can't but help but thinking that this whole thing is a setup.  So I think it's fake!!

Chip

It could very well be fake, or an internet troll now that you mention it. 

The situation sure does stretch believability to the very maximum.

 

[BigDfromTN]

My thoughts exactly - sharing a camper is like sharing a soft serve ice cream cone on a hot day...it won't last long and it will be messy.

I like this comment.  I may use it again one day!!!

As for who would expect to use the MH.....    The same ones that live in Grand Pa's old house and don't take care of it.  IM GUESSING here but they likely don't pay rent there either.

OP,  Sorry you are in this situation.  There does not appear to be a good answer for you at this time.  MAYBE your DH will enjoy the use of a MH enough that when he gets tired of keeping that one up for his brother you two can get your own and care for it as it should be.

Best of luck!  Your going to need it.

 

[DearMissMermaid]

Your story sounds like the great beginning of a hilarious movie full of disasters and family dysfunction.

I am unclear why with so many "shareholders" it can't be sold and the proceeds split up. Selling it on Ebay auction might be viable because then anyone in the family could bid on it too and the final person be it family or an outsider, is able to own it outright. At that the final owner can refuse to loan it out by saying simply "Sorry, but I am not in the rental RV business."

Have you ever noticed that people with fabulous credit ratings never ask to borrow money from you? It's always the people with a sad tale and bad credit that ask for personal loans...

There are just too many shareholders for this to work right. Any which way you do the accounting and maintenance, it is going to be loads of work resulting in possibly a rare few happy people and probably the majority very unhappy. This is why time share vacation units charge a huge maintenance fee.

In an RV the accounting can get super complex as you figure out the difference between family (A) using it 7 nights and 5,000 miles  with 20 hours generator, versus family (B) using it closer to home 10 weekends (20 nights) 2 hour generator and 400 miles. If family (C) finally gets to use it for their annual vacation and the tire blows out the first day... everyone is going to be pointing fingers about who gets to buy the new tire.

To possibly attempt to make it work, you'd have to run it like a rental business, charging per day, per mile and per hour on the generator, to each family that used it,  with all that money thrown into a fund where all the maintenance and repairs are then deducted back out. But if the fund runs out of money, you have a big fight to get folks to contribute, if it accumulates an excess of funds, then others fight to divvy that up. If Family (A) returns it pristine and family (B) leaves hot chocolate stains all over the upholstery and pees on the bed, who pays for that? You almost need to hire a separate manager to handle the whole mess and even they would probably quit...

Sometimes you have to just walk away and say "Too much stress!"

One other critical thing is notifying the insurance company of the plethora of drivers and users involved.

 

[COMer]

I like Miss Mermaid's description of what might, and probably would, happen.  Many bad scenarios and few if any good ones.  Certainly hard to pick any positive thoughts from all the comments that have been given.  Sounds like you are trying to do the right thing and avoid conflict before it is too late.  Seems like this is that point.

 

[ArdraF]

Whoever wants to use it should pay for the detailing.  Brother-in-law should pay if he wants to use it first.  Why should you be the one to clean up their mess?  Simple answer is, you shouldn't.  And I wouldn't.

But, seriously, I'm afraid your husband is living in a dream world in which he ideally keeps the peace by doing everything his controlling and irresponsible family says.  He will not be keeping the peace in this scenario but instead creating hard feelings and chaos.  It could end up with a lot of people not speaking to one another.

By the way, I hope you'll keep us up-to-date on what happens so others can learn from your experience.

ArdraF