How To Rent Out Your RV With Outdoorsy
Owning an RV is the sure-fire ticket to discovering the great outdoors. Whether you prefer to head out into the wild with an overlanding-style RV or prefer hooking up your triple slideout RV to a 50-amp service at a luxury campsite, this type of lifestyle brings a host of adventure and builds memories that can last a lifetime.
Still, it’s very likely your RV will have some downtime, especially when silly things like work and other life commitments get in the way. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of RVs in the US (18 million to be precise) sit idle 350 days a year. That’s why the crew at Outdoorsy have created a platform which connects RV owners with clients seeking short-term rentals. It’s an extremely flexible service, permitting renters the opportunity to rent directly from the owner, or having the RV dropped off to the location of their choosing like an airport or campground. Local rentals are also handy for families who always wanted to stay at that snazzy new campground on the outskirts of town but don’t hold the keys to a suitable RV. It also puts money in the pockets of RV owners, which can be used to pay down the principle of their loan.
Rather than opening oneself to a world of liability when privately renting an RV, Outdoorsy takes care of some important details – the most important of which is insurance. Partnering with a service called Roamly, both the RV owner and RV renter are covered with episodic insurance should an incident occur during the rental period. As the first RV-focused insurtech, Roamly also uniquely provides personal lines of insurance which explicitly allow RV owners to rent out their rig on peer-to-peer marketplaces like Outdoorsy.
This is not a small consideration. Many owners and renters find themselves holding a dirty end of the stick in these situations, since a lot of traditional insurance companies fail to make allowances for peer-to-peer rentals. In fact, most providers do not allow RV owners to rent their machines when they’re not using them without an expensive, commercial insurance policy. This could lead to an unfortunate scenario in which the company could deny a claim even when the owner is using their own vehicle if they discover a history of rental activity.
In other words, the act of renting one’s RV last year could leave an owner empty-handed during an incident in which they were at the wheel. That won’t happen with Roamly.
Getting Started
Getting started with Outdoorsy couldn’t be easier. Renters begin by creating a listing which ideally includes good photos of the rig and a complete description of the RV and its amenities. Be sure to mention all the important features such as its sleeping capacity, cooking facilities, and fitted technology. After the crew at Outdoorsy reviews and accepts your listing, the website deploys a convenient dashboard in which one can manage all aspects of the booking request before meeting your renter and handing over the keys.
Trying to rent solo without backing from a service like Outdoorsy would be difficult. This platform puts your RV in front of potential customers who are actively searching for an RV getaway, providing maximum exposure. The site permits renters to refine their search criteria, meaning they can easily find the perfect RV – yours. From the owner’s perspective, money from the transaction will be deposited in their bank account within 24 hours of a returned rental.
Of course, it’ll save everyone a world of heartache if the RV owner makes an effort to properly service and maintain their rig. Before listing the unit on Outdoorsy, give it a once-over to declare a clean bill of health. This can head off problems before they start; for example, if you find and replace dried-out weather stripping on the living room slide prior to the rental, it could save frantic phone calls about water leaks and a ruined vacation. The same goes for the health of items like the waste water tanks and propane cylinders, two objects in which – to borrow a hackneyed old phrase – an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure. Make sure to stay in your lane when it comes to these types of inspections and take your RV to a professional mechanic for examinations of items like suspension parts or tires if deep knowledge of those details is out of your wheelhouse.
Outdoorsy also recommends that RV owners give their renters a walk-through of the vehicle before sending them on their journey. A quick once-over of the major controls is a must, making sure the renter is comfortable with handling such a machine –especially if it’s their first time doing so. Make the height of the RV abundantly clear and instill in the renter that it is their responsibility to check the clearance heights of highway bridges or canopies at gas stations. Giving a thorough tutorial on how to properly drain and flush the waste water tanks is also a smart move, lest the renter return the unit with a cistern full of unmentionables. If the person renting your RV claims to know all this stuff, ask them to bear with you and walk through the procedures anyways. We can all learn something new from time to time.
Circling back to the question of insurance, in markets where Roamly’s proprietary line of coverage is live, they also offer a Rent & Save discount which provides significant savings for RV owners who rent their vehicle on Outdoorsy. Getting a quote from Roamly is free and easy with their team of US-based agents available to help with questions a customer may have on RV coverage.
It’s always good to get services from people who are actually interested in what they’re selling, which is why the Outdoorsy crew is made up of people who immerse themselves into the RV life. The team maintains an active blog on their website, featuring adventure content discussing topics such as the best national parks to visit and the most popular public lands for RVing. This makes the tag team of Roamly and Outdoorsy a great resource for vacationers planning all aspects of an RV rental – and your home for making the most out of your own RV’s downtime.
Sponsored by Outdoorsy
