renting out your RV? Success stories? Issues?

hertfordnc wrote:
Yeah, that's my other consideration.

The problem is I want to keep all three. My wife loves her hybrid but the Excursion gets 8 mpg towing and I do all the driving.

The GMC is cool for short trips but the MPG there is not great and you really need a TOAD for serious travel.

I think the SPrinter conversion will be the best of all worlds but I'll have to convince her.

Total we only have about $25K in all three so i can afford to make a few mistakes.

If i had $10-20K a year coming in could pay for off site storage and keep all my toys.

Also, I am just now retired with two teen boys. Travel is what we are about and this would be a way to support it on a fixed income.

The items in bold suggest not doing it with these units. Expect hard use and abuse on something you love. If you want to get into this business, go buy a cheap unit you care nothing for and keep it good enough to be functional.

valhalla360 wrote:


The items in bold suggest not doing it with these units. Expect hard use and abuse on something you love. If you want to get into this business, go buy a cheap unit you care nothing for and keep it good enough to be functional.

The hybrid is 14 years old, we paid $4K (right before the covid wave hit) It's got some wear and tear and a bit more will not lower its value.

The GMC was given to me after the owner paid to have it restored and upgraded then he got sick and parked it. I took it out of mothballs and got it all working right but I have very little investment.

Also, i think someone who would risk their vacation to a 50 year old vehicle might be a little more careful.

The van conversion is a work in progress but sprinters are hard to kill just driving it. - (very easy to kill by deferred maintenance)

Who is going to want to rent a 14 year old hybrid trailer or a nearly 50 year old motor home? Hint, it will be people who want to pay very little money. Realistic rental rates run around 1% to 2% per week of the rig’s value. That means you might get a couple of hundred before your costs of insurance, maintenance repairs etc.
50 year old RVs are fragile, and fixing them will require hunting down parts and expertise that no longer exists everywhere. When the inevitable breakdown occurs how do you plan on getting it repaired? It’s not like every shop has the ability or interest in working on something so old.

wapiticountry wrote:
Who is going to want to rent a 14 year old hybrid trailer or a nearly 50 year old motor home? Hint, it will be people who want to pay very little money. Realistic rental rates run around 1% to 2% per week of the rig’s value. That means you might get a couple of hundred before your costs of insurance, maintenance repairs etc.
50 year old RVs are fragile, and fixing them will require hunting down parts and expertise that no longer exists everywhere. When the inevitable breakdown occurs how do you plan on getting it repaired? It’s not like every shop has the ability or interest in working on something so old.

Actually, that is a key to the plan. The rent to value ratio is much higher on something with a few miles.

A newish $20,000 hybrid rents for $150/night, (.75% of value) Outdoorsey says mine is worth $90/night so that's closer to 1.5% value) But with mine a new scratch or a dent does not significantly reduce its appeal.

As for the 50 year old GMC, it's easier to get parts for than a 15 year old class-A

Dave,

If you were to let the GMC go out on a rental, you have the distinct problem of getting someone to service it if it has a problem on the road. So, if the rental agreement stated a (for example) 200 mile radius, so it would be affordable for you to do an do the repair or get it up on a hook to bring it home, then that might be rational. Otherwise, I would not put the 50yo coach out with a lessee that does not understand that the vehicle is a relic and requires thinking to operate safely.
For liability reasons, if you have any break or handling mods, I would never let it out on lease.
Good luck
Matt

thats what the repair shop said, with there proof I won my law suit.

Matt_Colie wrote:
Dave,

If you were to let the GMC go out on a rental, you have the distinct problem of getting someone to service it if it has a problem on the road. So, if the rental agreement stated a (for example) 200 mile radius,
Matt

Matt, how are you doing? I am retired as of yesterday.

200 miles is exactly the number i had in mind, for exactly that reason.

I'm also thinking about renting it as a temporary spare room for family gatherings, where the renter or myself would just drive it and park it.

Apparently you feel you have covered all the bases. Personally, I don’t see a market for renting old RVs with mileage restrictions or for use as a substitute for a hotel room during a family gathering. To me the potential downsides far outweigh any upside. Good luck

I think in general, most people who are successful at this use the RV as a rental only. They don't have any personal attachment to the RV other than as a money maker. If it gets ruined, it isn't a sentimental loss.

I also think that renting out a 50 year old RV is a mistake. Having a motorhome a year older, I can say that things crop up far more often than the average person wants to deal with. Even if you limit it to 200 miles and personally do repairs, the average renter is NOT going to want to deal with all that in the middle of THEIR vacation. They want an RV that will do what they need without any issues. They don't want things to stop working and have to call you in to fix it.

Also, with such an old motorhome, many renters will be less careful than with a newer unit. As you point out "a new scratch or a dent does not significantly reduce its appeal". Guess what? Renters think that too. So they will not be as careful about avoiding damage as they would with a newer more pristine unit. And they will fight harder not to pay for that damage because they don't think a dent on a 50 year old motorhome is a big deal.

If you decide to rent any of your rigs, I recommend a VERY well written rental agreement, really good insurance, and a good amount of cash set aside for repairs.

wapiticountry wrote:
Apparently you feel you have covered all the bases. Personally, I don’t see a market for renting old RVs with mileage restrictions or for use as a substitute for a hotel room during a family gathering. To me the potential downsides far outweigh any upside. Good luck

I often test ideas by subjecting them to criticism (i have very thick skin)

SO far no comments from anyone who has done it.

I live within 200 miles of DC, the Outerbanks, and the Eastern Shore.

But you might be right, that's why we research