Renting My Truck Camper

[moonlitsouls]

Hey guys so im wondering , do any of you rent out your TC? Ive been living full time in my camper for the last 7 months or so, its been really fun but im looking into other options as far as off grid living, tiny homes, cabins and some land upstate ect....

So with that, i decided id like to rent my camper out to people who want to experience this lifestyle for themselves. There a few different online platforms i can use, but im a bit concerned about people driving it around. Its really difficult to drive and it takes some getting used to.

Do you think there would be a market for people who want to rent a camper like this at a specified location and not necessarily move it ? For example, client wants to go camping, they book themselves a campsite for the week, i transport the camper to the campsite for them to use, they dont drive anywhere, they use it , when they're done i pick it up. Maybe they want to see how it feels to live in sucha vehicle, maybe they want something different and unique. Or is it unrealistic to expect that someone who rents a vehicle on wheels is not going to want to use the wheels ? lol

As far as liablity and insurance goes, there is a lot to consider. What do you guys think?

[Supercharged111]

The mere title of this has me contemplating buying a camper expressly to rent to see how profitable it could be. Sure one won't make you rich, but if you committed to multiple at what point could a guy make a living? Using the online apps to find renters and hold them accountable should alleviate most of the pain

[Grit_dog]

And if it’s your residence now (you’re full timing in it) you’d need another residence?
We don’t know enough about your living situation geographically or practically to say, but I envision you’re working “in the city” NYC and have the camper parked somewhere nearby for weekday accommodations.

Maybe I/we are all off base here, but my feeling is that you have many considerations to weigh to decide if this can be a profitable or even viable side hustle.

Also the idea about plopping it on a piece of off grid land and renting, seems different than a normal vrbo and I believe it will seem “strange” to most potential renters. And a little Deliverance-esque to me.

Don’t forget dumping and water too, and several times a week if you have newbs in a TC. Pretty hard to accomplish when your 3-4 hours away and camper is set up “off the truck.” You’d have to have running water and at least a hillbilly septic at a minimum for off grid rentals.

[Grit_dog]

That’s 3-4 hours away, IE a 6-8 hour drive every time someone is done renting it, to clean, change bedding, fix stuff etc. And generally most rentals will be for the weekend or through the weekend so that will be an after work exercise during the week virtually every time.
Possibly more effort than the first plan of delivering it to random locations. (Which would require a second driver and vehicle to bring you back.) Or you could drop it off the truck each time which = more time spent each time.
And you’re putting personal “mods” in it like the diesel heater which will not be conducive to renting to the general public. Like renting out an old hot rod vs a new Toyota. You’d have to have the right person who knew what they were doing or risk further damage and issues.

Renting it with the truck turn key, imo is a non starter all around. Way too risky. You can’t screen clients enough to know whether they can drive something they’ve presumably never driven before. (And more insurance requirements than necessary if it’s effectively a portable cabin with no vehicle involved in the rental).

[toedtoes]

If you plan on using it between rentings, consider potential snags.

Say you rent it out the week before you're off. When you arrive, you find out the renters left some food inside and mice got into everything. Now you will be spending your time off cleaning the camper.

Or the renter breaks the faucet. Now you're spending your time off fixing things.

For me, that was always a big "yuck factor" - I didn't want to risk having to work through my days off because someone else messed things up.

[moonlitsouls]

SoonDockin wrote:
If its on the ground and well supported, then that's probably good. Personally I would not rent mine, but I understand why it might be ok for others. If the camper was on a vehicle, any number of things can go wrong, low limbs, giant potholes or humped railroad tracks taken at speed.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

thanks a lot, i think renting it while im in the city for work could work out really well, and then i can use it was my own personal escape when im off. its all falling into place. But finding the right piece of land is really difficult , especially when you're 3-4 hours away and the pictures are never really good

[SoonDockin]

If its on the ground and well supported, then that's probably good. Personally I would not rent mine, but I understand why it might be ok for others. If the camper was on a vehicle, any number of things can go wrong, low limbs, giant potholes or humped railroad tracks taken at speed.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[moonlitsouls]

The more i think about it , the camper by itself without the truck , in a more private setting tucked away in the woods may actually be even more desirable to rent than at a campsite , and i would feel more comfortable renting the camper off the truck on my own land , so maybe my reservation is more about the truck than the camper itself.

[moonlitsouls]

Bedlam wrote:
Maybe use the camper on your property till you get a permanent structure?

Yes i think that will end up working out perfectly , use the camper on my land while i save up to build. Its going to be great

[Bedlam]

Maybe use the camper on your property till you get a permanent structure?

[moonlitsouls]

Thanks a lot for all the feedback guys , very interesting replies. There is a lot to consider, but after sleeping on it a couple nights i think maybe renting a truck camper without actually wanting people to drive your truck is not really ideal for prospective renters. Maybe if i had a bare bones RV i didnt care about much and just looked at it as a business , but i do really like my camper and ive put a lot of work into the upgrades. I have shifted my focus now to buying some land and building an off grid cabin so i think i may sell the camper and the truck. Its been 6 months and deff an interesting ride , we'll see what happens

[Kayteg1]

I observe that TC are more popular in hunting or fishing areas.
I don't see them many in CA or NV at all.
On last trip to Yellowstone I was observing the trend and roughly there was 1 TC for 500 Sprinter conversions on the road.

[mkirsch]

The only market I can see for this is someone wanting to try out a truck camper, but the only place I can see this market being significant enough to make it worth the effort is where truck campers are common. That is NOT New York State.

[toedtoes]

moonlitsouls wrote:
Or is it unrealistic to expect that someone who rents a vehicle on wheels is not going to want to use the wheels ? lol

moonlitsouls wrote:
I think i can still cater to some people who wont mind not being able to take the truck on the road.

The OP appears to be considering leaving the TC on the truck for the rental - just not giving them the truck keys.

[rjstractor]

moonlitsouls wrote:
Do you think there would be a market for people who want to rent a camper like this at a specified location and not necessarily move it ? For example, client wants to go camping, they book themselves a campsite for the week, i transport the camper to the campsite for them to use, they dont drive anywhere, they use it , when they're done i pick it up. Maybe they want to see how it feels to live in sucha vehicle, maybe they want something different and unique. Or is it unrealistic to expect that someone who rents a vehicle on wheels is not going to want to use the wheels ? lol

I read your post carefully (not everyone does that, it's obvious from many of the replies), and from what I read you are proposing is dropping off and setting up the camper for a client, and then picking it up at the end of the rental. There are many people who do that with travel trailers, and I imagine one could be successful at that. I don't think it would work nearly as well with a TC. Why? A renter would have no interest in the advantages of a TC (the ability to tow a trailer and/or go off road) and only be left with the disadvantages (a tiny amount of living space for the cost of the RV). The biggest, most expensive TC has less living space than even a smaller travel trailer, but costs more, making it necessary to rent for more $$. If a renter is just wanting a parked RV to camp in, why would they want to rent a relatively tiny TC instead of a 30' travel trailer for the same rental fee?

[Buzzcut1]

Crabs, lice, bed bugs, body fluid stains on the mattress, party substance residue, Nope not in my camper