Finding RV insurance that allows short-term rental (for AirBnB)

[old RV guy]

This is an interesting topic, I have never heard of anyone doing that. I can't imagine ever trusting some stranger to live in my RV. RV's have enough ongoing maintenance issues for the person who owns and takes care of them without the added factor of someone I don't know tearing it up because, hey, it doesn't belong to them.

Larry Summers said, "No one in history ever washed a rent car". That brings to mind the jet ski rental guy up at Lake Texoma, he won't rent two jet skis to a family with two or more boys over 16 yrs. of age. He'll rent them one but he said "Idiot parents + two boys + two jet ski's = 911.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Larry Summers said, "No one in history ever washed a rent car". That brings to mind the jet ski rental guy up at Lake Texoma, he won't rent two jet skis to a family with two or more boys over 16 yrs. of age. He'll rent them one but he said "Idiot parents + two boys + two jet ski's = 911.

A wise man, indeed. I was 16 once, and while I was pretty responsible at that age I was, well, 16. And if you add one 16 year + two 16 year olds it = 4.

 

[Hvactech]

Sounds like you need business insurance...

+1 ! OP is setting up a commercial enterprise no matter how many ways it's explained. Not only do you need commercial liability & comprehensive but add in another 1 million minimum personal liability policy to protect yourself. Plus sooner or later the tax person is going to find your operation & throw in that expense. Overhead is eating up profit so unless it's rented out very often at a big rate then why ? I bet most that do these private rentals just don't carry the right insurance etc but one day it could bite them in the rear.
P

 

[Isaac-1]

I agree, sooner or later you will either run into someone that makes their living off suing people, or some one will trip and fall and sue you when they see the size of their medical bills.

Potential near worst case scenario, someone trips and misses a step getting out of the RV, lands of the ground breaking their neck, and they are paralyzed for life and require $500,000+ per year 24x7 medical care.

 

[CharlesinGA]

If you do this, I would build a small porch with steps (meeting all codes) where one would walk up the steps onto the porch and then enter the RV. Disable the RV steps retracted to get them out of the way. Steps are one of the biggest wear items, from the standpoint of weight and stress on them. I use wooden steps in my shop at my trailer to preserve my RV steps for traveling.

Beyond that, do you have the site set up with a sewer line so you can hook up and leave the gray valve open? and monitor for the black tank to be dumped? I assume you have a power pedestal adjacent to the RV. Are you going to allow the use of propane appliances? or disable them?

I would never want to rent out my RV for others to use. I have a difficult enough time trying to be careful and not cause damage to it simply opening and closing doors, screens, windows, SHADES, etc (we all know how delicate RV shades are) and disable the awning so someone could not inadvertently deploy it.

I have my RV to travel in my own "hotel room" and I really don't want someplace that others have been using.

Charles

 

[Ex-Calif]

So anyway... one of those "gaps in the market" that's just tricky to find coverage for... but I'd be surprised if there's not some way to accomplish it

Not to be rude but I don't think there is a gap in the market.

Several RV parks around me have RV spots and a few stationary cabins.

I think the opinion here is that if you get a stationary Park Model with no wheels you can likely cover it with an umbrella policy or maybe a property liability insurance - like a house.

However if it has wheels it assuredly needs vehicle insurance. What you don't like is that commercial insurance to do what you want is expensive.

RVshare knows that. That's why they allow the "small guy" the ability to access their insurance for 25% of your rental fee.

Insurance companies are not dumb. They slice up the data, look at the risk and sell coverage that completely mitigates their risk and makes them a 20-30% profit.

I just did a search on RVShare - in Florida for the RV type I was considering there were like 1800 listings. You think if 1800 guys could privateer this thing they wouldn't be doing so? Sorry but you aren't the first guy that's tried to do this.

Welcome to America - LOL...

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

This is an interesting topic, I have never heard of anyone doing that. I can't imagine ever trusting some stranger to live in my RV. RV's have enough ongoing maintenance issues for the person who owns and takes care of them without the added factor of someone I don't know tearing it up because, hey, it doesn't belong to them.

More than a few people do so - the companies I cited above are in the business of facilitating that. The price of the rental is intended to be enough to compensate for the risk, but that's a judgement call by the owner. I wouldn't rent my personal RV, but I also don't jump out of airplanes or trade sex for moneys, even though I know others do those things. It's all about risk vs reward, whether the reward is monetary or pleasure.

 

[Ex-Calif]

but I also don't jump out of airplanes or trade sex for moneys

OK, Gotta ask/ What will you trade sex for?

 

[Tulecreeper]

OK, Gotta ask/ What will you trade sex for?

I'd jump out of an airplane for sex. I mean, I've done other stupid stuff for it, so why not.

 

[WME]

What does AirBnB say? They have listings for campers

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

OK, Gotta ask/ What will you trade sex for?

LOL! It would depend on with whom and what style of sex was involved, but there would most likely be some offer that was too good to be refused.

 

[Ex-Calif]

LOL! It would depend on with whom and what style of sex was involved, but there would most likely be some offer that was too good to be refused.

"Would you have sex with me for a million bucks"
"Sure"
"How about $50?"
"What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"Well we know that. We are just trying to find a price."

 

[Tulecreeper]

"Would you have sex with me for a million bucks"
"Sure"
"How about $50?"
"What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"Well we know that. We are just trying to find a price."

Old...still funny...but old.

 

[JudyJB]

The fact that you cannot find insurance for rentals is likely because the insurance companies know that RV renters are likely to not know how to manage an RV and thus are high-risk.