The best part of renting an RV has always been hitting the open road with the people who are closest to you and enjoying a relaxing trip together. The worst part, arguably, is how much money it takes to get you there in the first place. But now, there’s a new way to rent RVs that promises to save you hundreds of dollars up front: peer to peer RV rental.
It may sound gimmicky at first, but it’s really not. If you’ve taken a trip in the past five years, chances are that you’ve used Airbnb or a similar site that helped you find an apartment or house in another city. These days, that very same model is being used to revolutionize rentals of all kinds — including RVs.
Whether you’re a prospective renter interested in finding campers for rent by owner or an owner interested in renting out your travel trailer, there’s a lot of information floating around about peer to peer RV rentals. Here’s a quick primer to help you learn more about how you can be a part of this growing new community.
Getting the Best Peer to Peer Rental Rates
When planning a vacation, everyone’s looking for the best way to cut a few corners. Renting from a peer to peer platform is an easy, painless way to do just that.
Overall, peer to peer RV rental cost less than renting from a larger RV rental company for a few reasons. One, RV owners make more money renting out their RVs than they do letting them sit in the driveway, so they’re incentivized to offer deals that are attractive to potential renters. And two, since they’re not a formal business, they don’t have the overhead or payroll costs that a nationwide RV chain does.
If you’ve rented an RV from a traditional RV rental company before, you may be used to looking for coupons or special offers with your rental, such as 100 free miles per day or one night free after booking six nights. Peer to peer RV rental deals are slightly different because each owner will have his or her own method of pricing. Thankfully, most of the peer to peer platforms have search capabilities that let you sort listings in your area by price so you can find what you’re looking for at the cheapest possible rate.
What to Know Before You Sign a Peer to Peer RV Rental Agreement
Just as you would do if you were renting from a standard RV rental company, you’ll need to read through the terms and conditions for RV rental by owner. Typically, most RV owners will ask that their renters pay a cleaning fee and some sort of mileage fee, which is standard with almost any RV rental. You may also want to ask if there are any additional charges for use of the linens and kitchenware.
It’s not the most fun thing to think about, but it’s important to also check with the RV owner and your insurance company to make sure you’ll be covered in case of an accident. Likewise, double check with a roadside assistance company like AAA to see if they’ll be able to come to your rescue if you get a flat or need a tow.
Evaluating Peer to Peer Rental Quality
You may think that quality control would be hard to come by on peer to peer platforms, but it’s actually much more transparent. With a traditional RV rental, for example, you likely wouldn’t see photos of the exact RV you’d be renting, and you certainly wouldn’t find reviews of a specific motorhome or camper. On the other hand, peer to peer RV rental reviews can help you determine whether or not you should book the exact RV you’re interested in.
While it’s easy to tell from reviews whether or not a certain RV listing is a good bet, don’t be scared off by listings without any reviews yet. Don’t forget that there’s a person on the other end of the listing that you can reach out to for more photos or to ask any questions weighing on your mind.
To find the best peer to peer RV rental group in your area, try searching for something like “peer to peer RV rental near me” rather than “rent a camper trailer near me,” which is less specific. The largest peer to peer platforms offer ways to search your city plus a 10, 25, and 50 mile radius so you can easily find listings from RV owners near you.
How Can I Rent My RV?
All this talk might have you wondering how you can get in on the action. Maybe you’ve recently bought an RV and could use some extra cash to help with the monthly payments, or maybe you have a relative who’s no longer taking advantage of the camper or motorhome parked in their backyard. Renting out your RV on a peer to peer rental site is a great way to make some extra money and help other families make happy memories of their own.
Getting started is easy enough that you can pretty much do it in one afternoon. First, you’ll need to take photos of the exterior and interior of your RV, preferably in good daylight. Don’t worry about showing its “flaws” — prospective renters can overlook some cosmetic failings, but they won’t be pleased if the RV they rented online looks significantly worse for the wear in person. Transparency is key.
From there, all it takes is setting up a profile on any of the major peer to peer RV rental sites currently online. You can even cross-post your listing on multiple sites if you’re so inclined. Before you write out your description, check out listings for similar RVs so you can see what the going rate is. You may want to include a cleaning fee for your time and effort upon the renter’s return.
That’s pretty much it! If you already own an RV, it’s an easy way to generate some extra revenue for ongoing maintenance and repairs or even your own upcoming RV trip. Plus, you’ll be giving someone else the gift of a good time.