Tired of seeing your van sitting idle in your driveway while you go to work every day? In need of extra income to supplement your life or another income stream to add to your savings?
Maybe your circumstances have changed, life got in the way, and you don’t take as many road trips right now or you’re staying home and saving up for the next big adventure.
Luke and his wife take a break from van life after having a baby. Their van, left lonely parked on their land.
Whatever the reason your rig is unused or underused, renting out your van is made easy thanks to Outdoorsy’s platform and unique owner policies!
A smart, simple, small business in which YOU keep control of the deposits and of the prices? A business that could earn you $50,000 annually off one van?
Yes, please! With 3 levels of insurance, reliable customer support, and free listing, there are so many reasons to rent out your van,
1) The Money…. Obviously
Of course, the best reason to rent out your campervan is to receive income.
You understand your van is an asset. It may be the biggest asset you have right now, or even the only one. Maybe you borrowed money to buy it and have built up debt. If you’re not living full-time in your rig, and you don’t rely on it for day-to-day commuting, you should definitely consider renting it out. Supplemental income is always a welcome sight to any budget.
And what is the point of having your home on wheels sit outside on your driveway when it could be making you money?
As with all assets, the value of your rig depreciates daily. Renting your van out through Outdoorsy gives you the opportunity to diversify your income.
You decide your daily rental rates and the security deposit renters pay for your rig. From there, Outdoorsy’s algorithm does all the work by bringing the renters to you. You can collect that deposit before the renter collects your rig!
Some people pay premiums to keep their van in secure storage between uses. That’s understandable if it is open to theft. But once your van is fully insured with the right policy for your circumstances, renting it out is a no-brainer. Get enough interest in your profile and it might be reserved so much you won’t need to pay to store it anymore, AND it might even pay off its cost/financing + give you profit. Win-win!
In exchange for promoting your rig, Outdoorsy keeps 20% of your first booking, meaning 80% goes straight to you. To cover their ongoing fees, renters are charged a service fee of between 5% and 20% of the booking subtotal for the rest of the trips. This total fluctuates according to a number of factors, length of trip, mileage, time of year, availability, and the type of insurance on offer. Think of this as your marketing and overhead fees paid to Outdoorsy (only after you make money, otherwise it’s free) for doing a lot of the heavy lifting and bringing you customers.
2) Vans Are Made to Be Driven
Vehicles are at their best when driven regularly. But our situations change too. If you find your van gets less time on the road these days, or that you regularly have long periods of no use at all, why leave it to gather cobwebs or worse, rust, when the engine could be ticking over daily? Don’t get us wrong, we’re not advocating daily drives cross country here or turning the campervans tires to treads, but regular short journeys keep any internal combustion engine happy and humming.
Having someone drive your rig when you are not can be helpful in many ways. It encourages preventative measures such as tire pressure checks and ensures the vehicle gets regular oil maintenance which may, in turn, increase the engine's efficiency.
Under Outdoorsy’s Insurance conditions, you also agree to inspect your van for safety every 90 days which may not happen ordinarily. This can even mean spotting a potential mechanical problem before it turns into a costly expense!
3) Making Friends, Making Money
With your owner profile listed for free on the Outdoorsy website, you can add all kinds of supplemental information to attract renters. Appealing to a broader range of browsers is easy, just tailor your van advert to include lots of photographs of the living quarters.
That way renters know exactly what to expect when they choose you. Extra information about the nearby attractions like national parks, areas of interest and museums and cultural aspects to your state or region will attract more interest.
As will adding finer details like local transport links, distance from nearest major airport, and directions to the best campgrounds.
We even see owners detailing amazing routes and itineraries for their renters to help them have the best vacation imaginable. Talk about adding value!
Outdoorsy makes networking easy too. Advertise your campervan for rent with outdoor seats, gas barbecue and two kayaks, who do you think will show up to rent it? That’s right, van lovers who like to kayak!
You can leave reviews for each other as renter and owner, follow up for testimonials and stay in touch. Maybe the renters' friends might like to try van rental when they see the aspirational photos on Instagram. We find so many referrals happen organically this way!
Meeting people and making friends with the very same interests as me while making money quickly and easily? Thanks Outdoorsy!
4) Because it’s easy!
Since you spend so much time travelling and living in your van, you know a campervan is basically a hotel room on wheels.
A vacation in a van is easy, adventurous, and mostly stress free, with all the facilities you need to have a great time onboard.
With Outdoorsy, making money from your van is as easy as a camping trip. You remain in charge of the daily rental cost (also known as your revenue) and you can choose to add extras like airport pickup, campsite delivery, black tank emptying for a fee. In most cases, the renter will come straight to your home or a meeting point to pick up the home on wheels.
Own camping accessories you usually tote with the van? Why not include them as extras too. You can increase your average rental revenue with kayaks, bikes, trailers, and tents!
Everything needed to run a rental side hustle is included on Outdoorsy, from legal 1099 forms to W9s, to make your experience as an owner easy and straightforward. There is also tons of helpful advice and camaraderie in Outdoorsy’s owner community forum as well as in their owners handbook, help articles, and blog. Depending on your state, they can even collect and remit the necessary taxes for you!
After listing your vehicle, all you have to do is sit back and watch the renters come in and the bank balance grow with every booking. After each booking you just have to fill out a checklist, clean your vehicle, and inspect to make sure there were no damages. Can’t get much easier than that!
5) The Perfect Gig for the Gig Economy!
Passive income is the goal for a lot of us, allowing more time to travel, relax and explore our hobbies. But passive income usually involves a large initial outlay like buying a house to rent out, or a huge amount of your time, like researching and writing a book. You already have the van, now just put it to work. If you don’t own a van, why not consider our financing strategy with Outdoorsy?
For whatever reason your van lies idle for three weeks of the month, it's time to think about putting it to better use.
With Outdoorsy you can build your profile and watch the bookings roll in. Any alternative source of income is a good one, and Outdoorsy requires little to no outlay to begin. There are so many people looking to rent affordable vans, and with this new service, they have finally bridged the gap between renters and owners. Whether you work a full-time job or rely on a couple of hustles here and there, making money by renting out your van is a great way to add another income stream.
If that’s not enough, you could even potentially save up for another van. Some owners have an entire fleet of vans and have turned this into their full-time business!
6) Pay for your Upgrades
When your van is sought after by renters, and your feedback is consistent, you might notice a surge in new bookings and a lot of interest. This is because Outdoorsy users trust each other and in each other’s reviews. Get a few great testimonials on your page, get known as ‘the go-to guy or gal for van rental’, have more and more options available for rental equipment and you are all set for a profitable future as a small business owner.
All business owners will tell you to invest in yourself to secure your future, and van rental is no different. Invest in additional add ons, upgrade your onboard facilities, do whatever you can to improve your van and make it more appealing and more rentable. Fancy a bigger solar panel capable of more days off grid? Upgrade. How about an induction hob, a couple of new batteries or a gas barbecue? Why not include some specialist equipment for rent like electric bikes, kayaks, or stand-up paddle boards? People will happily pay for more inclusive packages when they are on holidays.
Don’t forget, every single upgrade you make will improve your road trips too, when the rig is not being rented. Bonus!
7) Flexible Freedom
One of the highlights of renting out your van is the freedom it allows. Thanks to the secure payment system, renters can safely and instantly book dates to suit them, and you can block off dates when the van will be in use by you. There are no sacrifices being made as you decide how and when your customers rent, and how and when you get to road trip too!
Having the freedom to ‘up sticks and go’ is inbuilt with us travellers, and with Outdoorsy you retain the right to design your life. Travel as you usually do, or travel less, rent more and the van will pay for itself AND upgrade your gear. We understand your rig is more than just a van, it’s your escape, your freedom machine, and your mobile home. Outdoorsy’s renters understand and respect that too. Plus, you’re covered by insurance in the rare case that anything does go wrong. You have nothing to lose, especially not your opportunities to hit the road!
8) Reliable Customer Service, 24 Hour Support
The all-inclusive renter insurance sounds great, but what happens when things go wrong?
A renter crashes your rig, a stone smashes a windscreen, or a piece of external equipment is lost or damaged? What about a flat tyre, a puncture, an unfortunate accident?
photo credit @daysgained
For instances like these, Outdoorsy includes free roadside assistance with all of their packages. Their claims team will manage the incident as part of the concierge claims service. Your security deposit will help with minor damage, messy renters, or overage in mileage, but for everything else, the claims service is there for you.
The security deposit is an extra amount that the renter deposits (on top of the rental fee) which they get refunded after the trip. This amount can, however, be claimed by you if the circumstances mentioned above were to be true.
Did we mention you’re not responsible for any deductibles in an insurance claim? Rest assured; Outdoorsy’s insurance partner, Roamly, has got you covered as an owner!
Contact Outdoors’s customer services over live chat, on the telephone or via email, and there are many other resources on their website to help clear up your questions. Join the busy owner's forum or take advantage of their free listing coach who will help polish up your profile and make your rental more profitable. Whatever you need, Outdoorsy is available for you!
9) Van Life Rental Insurance that Covers Every Eventuality!
Outdoorsy provides bespoke insurance policies that cover every insurance eventuality. As van users themselves, they only offer the best possible packages (with the lowest possible premiums) written specifically with you and your recreational vehicle in mind.
Outdoorsy understands the trials and tribulations involved with renting a van AND being a van owner who rents, and they set out to broker the best deal possible to cover your needs.
Most campervan insurers won't touch rentals, or else they will quote an astronomical premium to render the idea pointless. Not Outdoorsy. Not only do they offer three levels of insurance to suit every need and insurance quotes up to $1 million, they also provide expert customer service, a helpful owners forum, and comprehensive advice pages.
Get Started...
So, if the thought of being your own boss, starting a small business, and commanding an extra paycheck is something you like the sound of, get your campervan listed on Outdoorsy.
If making more money without much trying from an asset you already own sounds like your kind of magic, read on, and check out exactly how easy it can be in the next lesson: