Just about to sell my T5.1 camper, but before I do just wondering if anyone has experience of renting theirs out, and what is the reality  We are just about to relocate to Plymouth which seems ideal as a pick up location for the Surrey lot.  Is it just an endless stress as you see your van slowly get worn out and depreciate or do you suddenly find you have covered the cost of your van in 2 years?

From the little I know there are a few sites where for a fee you can advertise your van and away you go.  Insurance, damage deposits, contracts, exclusions are the first things which spring to mind.   Or is there a company who cover all this for you in a package?

Was considering it myself found this company campto

https://www.camptoo.co.uk

Is it just an endless stress as you see your van slowly get worn out and depreciate or do you suddenly find you have covered the cost of your van in 2 years?

Yes, this is a correct statement.

Renting is a business, it needs maintenance and planning and detachment from the object. If you love your van you will hate anything that breaks whilst on hire, factor in the cost of replacement and damage and punters anger and you’ll be worried 98% of the time it’s out. The other 2% will be online buying tyres, brake shoes, bulbs, linen and commercial AA coverage.

It will come back damaged.

Endless stress I imagine but no real world experience. People are always very respectful of hire cars on holiday aren’t they?

How do you feel about people that won’t feel like they have got any value out of the rental unless they do something that obviously devalues/depreciates the van?  Because that will happen.

A pal of mine did this and found it pretty stressful. Customers phoned him at all hours of the day and night to ask him things like ‘can you come to Orkney and top up the screen wash’.

i know of an associate of a friend  who did it successfully with his personal van. worked quite well for him on that scale.

a couple years later he decides to make a business of it , and buys 2 new vans.

first hire at the start of the summer the dude reverses it into a low pole , then drives off – rips the back off the van. Lost his whole summer of rentals.

I think hes still at it , but has found it didnt upscale as well as he thought from the odd hire here and there on his personal van.

A friend of mine rents his out on air BnB but it stays on his drive!!!

My aunt and uncle have a fleet of caravans and campers, they would rather rent one off someone else than take one of the fleet vans away on holiday lest they get attached to it.

Customers phoned him at all hours of the day and night to ask him things like ‘can you come to Orkney and top up the screen wash’.

🙂

Friend of mine did it as a business with a fleet.

It was a massive ballache. Worst he had was someone fill up the water tank with petrol, then phone him to ask what to do.

Air bnb sounds like a great idea, you could have it permanently at a campsite nearby. No one actually enjoys driving those things anyway.

Oh dear…i thought of doing this.  Above posts pretty much nailed it.  Looks good return on paper but back to back rentals and disrespectful clients what could possible go wrong…..i d avoid.

Not got a motorhome, but a caravan and I can’t think of anything worse than renting it out. I mean, I’d think twice before I’d lend it to a friend!

My dad borrowed my big gas BBQ for a party at the weekend and the first thing he did was put the cast-iron cooking rails through the dishwasher and then wonder why all of the meat stuck to them all weekend. And this was something simple, borrowed by someone who (usually) is quite practical about such things.

When I think about all of the little things on a caravan that need to be done “just so” in order to make it work properly, I cringe at the thought of a random muppet attempting the same. Factor in the higher value of a motorhome and…well, nope.

I thought the same with our t5 California. A couple of friends of friends have asked if they could rent it.

The amount of damage my wife can do to it either forgetting how things unfold/ fold/ pullout/ push in after having it a good few yrs and paying for half of it I dread to think of the damage someone could do in a week if they didn’t “understand” it or have a share in it!

Did loan our old t4 out to some friends who were going to buy it. They didn’t and it came back ok but with lots of dog hairs….

Could I just ask why you think Plymouth is a good spot for the Surrey massive. If they’re flying in then you’ll be expected to drop it off at airport. You got parking for their car if they are driving?