Anyone here renting out their RV? Looking to swap experiences

[pathfinderrachuy]

Anyone here renting out their RV? Looking to swap experiences


Hey all,


I’ve been renting out my travel trailer for a while now and wanted to compare notes with others who are doing the same. It’s been a good way to offset costs, but definitely comes with a learning curve.


A few things I’ve run into:

• Most guests prefer delivery instead of towing it themselves.
• Summer weekends are easy to book, but filling weekdays takes more work.
• The biggest challenge has been paperwork — the standard platform contracts (Outdoorsy/RVshare) leave a lot of gray areas. After a couple of rough handoffs, I put together my own supplemental rules agreement that covers pets, dump fees, generator use, late returns, etc. It’s been my best CYA tool and has saved me more than once.

Curious — for those of you renting your RVs:

• What’s been your biggest headache?
• Do you stick to one platform or list on multiple?
• Have you found delivery or tow-it-yourself works better in your area?

Always appreciate learning from other owners.


Looking forward to hearing how others are handling it.

 

[Domo]

Would never do it.

 

[Gr8bawana]

What could possibly go wrong?!

 

[jymbee]

Looking forward to hearing how others are handling it.

No way would I ever consider renting a personal RV.

 

[JudyJB]

All you have to do is to watch the amateurs backing into ditches and trees in campground, spinning out on the freeway because they are going too fast or don't know how to steer, and several dozen other things we have seen people doing to cause damage to their own vehicles. No way would the vast majority of us allow strangers to use our RVs, no matter how much money they paid us.

Most of us don't even let our grown kids drive or borrow our RVs!!

 

[DutchmenSport]

Never rented my own out, but did rent one for my wife's uncle when a family gathering was planned over an extended week-end at a State Park.

We rented a smaller travel trailer for the Uncle and it was NICE having it delivered directly to the camp site, set up and then the uncle and aunt just stepped in and it was ready to go ... except for bedding, clothes, and food.

When the event was over, they waited for the company to pick it back up and tow it away. They hung around to ensure no extra charges or mishaps occurred, especially since we paid for the whole ordeal.

This freed us up from having to tow it ourselves, considering we had our own fifth wheel, and it helped them, considering they did not have a vehicle capable of towing. Every one was happy.

I think, having both options available, (tow yourself or have the company tow it for you) is the better way to go. However, if it is your camper, you are running a business, and as always, running your own business always demands your time. When YOU want to go camping, you might not be able to, because you are setting someone else up.

If you are not interested in having time off to yourself, then providing delivery is something you should definitely offer. Not everyone has an adequate tow vehicle.

 

[RayIN]

Renting out your RV, humm. Most RV owners say sleeping in your own bed vs sleeping in motel beds is hands-down the winner.
When you get your RV back home, you actually have a motel bed in your RV, along with the chance of bedbugs.
I'd sell my RV before renting it out to make ends meet.

 

[winona1]

Want the story of my friend letting another borrow his truck and trailer? Truck came back okay, but insurance totaled the trailer.

 

[uchu]

Renting my motorhome?....Let me think for a fraction of second......Nope.

 

[Derby6]

I can see the business aspect of the venture (RV/Trailer renting) -- But to rent out my personal unit to turn a buck--NO WAY.

 

[Professor David]

I have wondered how those companies that rent all those class Cs make out financially. We saw tons of those in Yellowstone this summer. They must be making a profit? I would image some of those units are pretty trashed upon return.

 

[bigbAZ]

 

[Derby6]

I have wondered how those companies that rent all those class Cs make out financially. We saw tons of those in Yellowstone this summer. They must be making a profit? I would image some of those units are pretty trashed upon return.

I think they do well here in Alaska. Get them at dealer wholesale cost, probably around 80k. Rent them for 3 summers at around $300 a day. I’d estimate low end at 25-30K annually. Then sell them still in pretty good shape at retail cost for around 50K.

 

[Isaac-1]

I can maybe see doing this with a second RV I had bought cheap, or in place of selling an RV when it came time to upgrade as a side hustle, if I were to live near a popular camping destination and could provide delivery and pickup service. Letting a stranger drive my personal motorhome, no way, letting a close friend or out of town relative stay in it while they are in the local area maybe. Though I have offered to let my brother in law who recently bought a used diesel pusher borrow our cheap TOAD car, under the theory that it is getting close to the end of its useful life anyway.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Remember, Cruise America has special models built. No accordian shades with strings to break, just plain old curtains. No awnings to get left out and ripped off or blown away, no steps to fail and stick out and get ripped off or deployed onto a curb, and a whole bunch more................

There is a thing called "pride in ownership" that someone renting does not have. That used to be an issue with airplanes. Lease back rental units got horribly abused. I knew a guy with a Cessna 172 on a leaseback to a local FBO. He stopped by the airport EVERY day on the way home from work and cleaned the trash out of the airplane, inflated the tires if they needed it, checked and added oil if it was low, and cleaned the bugs off from the days flying, before they got baked in place by the sun.

Charles

 

[ernieekberg]

I’m broke, but not that broke

 

[whiteva]

NOPE, not the airplane, boats, truck, tractor or ZTR mower. Now the kids or wife,,,, maybe!

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

I don’t even want relatives to stay in ours when they visit.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I read the article that went with the video. The renter signed a contract that clearly specified the rv was not to be taken to burning man. He lied when asked where he was going. Now he's being sued.
Even with the rv being insured the owner still has to go through the hassle of dealing with the ins company and getting the rv repaired.
I would NEVER rent out our rv the same way I would NEVER rent out our house as an Airbnb.

 

[Trivet]

Good grief. The OP asked for other people's experiences renting out their RV, and made it clear he's been doing it for a while and plans to continue doing it, and would like to have a discussion with other people who do it.

He did not ask whether anyone else would do it, or whether it's a good idea, or what might happen if he does it. He's already doing it and he knows, and has even had some experiences that made him tighten up his contract. "I would never do it" doesn't address his request at all.