Here we have Outdoorsy, one of the best examples of what is known as a “Peer To Peer” rental website for RV’s, Motor-homes, Campers and trailers in the United States, Canada and Australia. It’s a community of recreational vehicle owners who come together and share their passion for outdoor living with the world. They can earn money by renting their mobile homes to travelers, looking for new adventures without having to spend fortunes on new vehicles, keeping their machines active, when they would otherwise be parked up or in storage, whilst earning some much needed cash to assist with the upkeep.
The 50,000 strong membership is made up of seasoned RV users, who are ready and willing to share their experiences and offer advice to those wishing to give outdoor living a try. All registered owners will have passed a background check, which is mandatory and there is a wide variety of vehicles available for all manner of trips.
Finding vehicles near to your location, or the location you wish to start from is easy and customers can choose whether to pick up or have the RV or Camper delivered to the required spot. You can also include vehicle attributes in your search, such as:
- Air Conditioning
- TV
- WiFi
- Inside toilet/shower
- Star Rating
- Pets Allowed
- Permission to use at Festivals!
- Smoking Permitted inside the RV
And more……
Let’s look at the options for Owners and Users on Outdoorsy:
LISTING your RV is very straightforward. Just create an account and then begin filling in the listing form. Be sure to include everything about the vehicle, with lots of great photos. Inform the customers of all the amenities and show off the RV, Camper or Trailer set up and in situ if you can. For example, give info on the kitchen and seating arrangements and most importantly the sleeping capacity.
But BE CAREFUL not to overdo it. Users are not happy if they’ve booked a 4 birth, if it realistically only sleeps 2! Customer reviews will be crucial to repeat business.
RULES are also important. If you don’t want your pride and joy to be used at festivals, then make sure you tick or untick that box where applicable. The same goes for pets of course.
CHARGES
Outdoorsy will help with choosing your rental charges and deposit demands if you are unsure how to pitch your pride and joy. You can offer incentives for long term rentals per week, per month or longer. You want to maximise your money, but don’t scare people off either. Things to consider are:
- Potential repairs for damage caused
- Wear and Tear
- Collection of the vehicle if necessary, due to any unforeseen circumstances.
A Cancellation policy can be set up on a few different levels:
Flexible – full refund within 5 days, 75% thereafter
Moderate – 75% refund within 7 days, 50% thereafter
Strict – 50% refund within 2 weeks, nothing thereafter
Outdoorsy have partnered up with the following Insurance companies:
Liberty Mutual – USA
Aviva – Canada
CGU Insurance – Australia
Three household names in the business, giving excellent cover for accidents, natural disasters, theft, trip cancellation, 24 hour roadside assisistance.
Rental Fees
If you are an Outdoorsy customer, you pay the RV fees agreed with the vehicle owner , plus Outdoorsy’s admin charge, plus taxes. A deposit must be paid at the time of booking, with the balance to be completely at least 14 days before the rental begins.
If you are the Outdoorsy member and RV owner, you will get around 75% of the total fees at the point of full payment, with the remainder being released 24 hours after the rental has officially begun.
A company called “Affirm” offers decent terms if you want to pay for your rental over time. It will always cost more of course, but it’s worth a look before using your regular plastic. You might save a bit.
Testimonials are always vital and there are plenty of positive reviews for prospective renters to read through, via:
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Trustpilot
- RV Nomads
- KOA
It’s pretty impressive reading, I must say!!
