Let’s face it. As much as we enjoy an RV, they are not used all the time. So, the van, travel trailer, fifth-wheel, or motorhome just sits there most of the time, while you and I have to pay for them. So, instead of paying storage fees, or having the RV sit under trees in our yards, some people have come up with ways of making income off of them. Shockingly, it is also relatively easy to do so too!

RV sales have been strong through lockdown

During the global COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of recent months, many people have taken to the RV culture to enjoy vacations. Instead of dealing with crowded airports, bus stations, or hotels, people have felt more comfortable traveling with their RV because they can control the cleanliness of it, and still be outdoors and socially distanced from people. Since there are a lot of these new and used vehicles being sold, there are also many people discovering that they have to park or store their van, trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome for long periods of time. So, it makes sense that a few people decide to make some money back by turning to rental or sharing programs to take advantage of the parked machines.

According to our friends at Loveyourrv.com, 

“Of course, renting out personal property isn’t for everyone. There have been plenty of horror stories about home-sharing or room rentals gone bad. Trepidation over the idea is natural, however, working through reputable websites and using a solid vetting process, can eliminate the fear of handing over the keys.”

Obstacles to renting your RV

Trying to coordinate renting your RV on your own can be a bit overwhelming. So, some services have sprung up to help with the process. Instead of having to worry about insurance coverage for your rig, and vetting the renting driver on your own, these services have taken years of recreational vehicle experience to nail down the important things, and relieve the headache from the person that wants to rent their van, trailer, or motorhome. 

Services that take the headache out of renting your RV

Eliminating a lot of headache for those that want to rent their RV is the purpose of organizations like Outdoorsy and RVShare. There are many other services, of course. But the mindset is the same. They do a lot of the vetting so that the owner does not actually have to deal with the renter directly for every single little thing. And, if you are going to rent through them, they have statistics to back up claims that users have made tens of thousands of dollars doing so. Of course, that depends on the type of recreational vehicle, the length of the availability, etc.

If you swing over to the Outdoorsy website, you will find that they offer $1 million insurance covering both renter and owner, a DMV check on all drivers, 24/7 RV rental roadside assistance, and a dedicated customer support team. That is all very re-assuring. And let us admit it, peace of mind is important. 

For RVShare, their offering is very similar. According to their website, 

“RVshare securely handles and deposits all payments directly to your bank account

Rentals with activated RVshare Rental Insurance are provided best-in-class coverage

We verify every renter so you always know who you’re renting to

We’re here to help, whether that’s 24/7 Roadside Assistance or our readily available customer support team”

Be mindful, more RV usage means more wear

Renting out your RV may be a simple as calling a service like the ones above, or others that are out there. But, let us not be naive. The more usage your RV gets, the more wear it will experience. So, be mindful of the condition of your rig. You want to be able to enjoy it when your own vacation time comes up and not be worrying about repairing it. Regardless, RV rentals are opportunities for people to make some money if they feel comfortable with the idea. They are also an opportunity for more people to experience the great outdoors in the safety of a controlled and socially distanced environment. The timing might just be right for this kind of financial move.