The journey is over. You park your camper in your garage. The next camping trip comes only in half a year, and until then, it gathers dust in a dark corner. However, a much more efficient option is to rent out your camper when it would be otherwise standing around unused.

You can use the money you have earned to pay for repairs and finance your next trip. Furthermore, existing resources, like the above-mentioned unused camper, are put to good use. This way, people can experience camping who cannot afford or do not want to own one. Likewise, people interested in camping can first try out a rented vehicle before buying their own.

Renting your camper thus offers many advantages for all parties involved, which is why there is a real boom in this market. However, we do not only want to arouse your interest but explain in detail below what you should consider when renting, how you best proceed, and what things are necessary for this.

Ways to rent out your camper

There are many ways to draw attention to your camper. You can place ads in (local) newspapers and camping magazines or offer it up for rent online on portals like eBay classifieds. However, this approach has its downsides because you have to take care of insurance, and the overview of the booking calendar for potential renters is subpar.

Another possibility would be a dedicated homepage with a calendar function, which would solve the latter problem. Here, however, other disadvantages arise. Firstly, you have to take care of additional insurance. Secondly, the website must be available and reach enough people. Thereby it becomes rather tricky to make it public beyond the circle of acquaintances.

Use rental portals to rent out your camper

The easiest and quickest way to rent is to use rental portals like Yescapa. There are many advantages:

The presentation of your vehicle with a short description and pictures leads to many prospective customers.
Yescapa takes care of the booking and marketing.
You only have to take care of your booking requests, the maintenance of the booking calendar, and the updating of crucial documents, for example, MOT.
You have helpful customer service, sample contracts, and prefabricated handover protocols at your disposal.

Therefore, this way is the easiest and best choice.

Despite all the advantages, you should be aware that you have to arrange enough time when renting out your camper. In addition to the tasks above, contacting the renters (getting to know them, handing over or taking back the vehicle) and the subsequent cleaning of the camper and camping equipment are also part of the process.

Calculate costs and rental prices for your camper

First, you should determine the costs you want to cover with the rental. It can be the purchase and running costs of your camper or, additionally, the refinancing of your vacation and travel costs.

The running costs include taxes, insurance, maintenance, and repairs or expenses for tire changes. You should set the final cost point higher since continuous use also results in more wear and tear, and damage to the vehicle is unavoidable.

The second step is to count the number of days your motorhome, caravan, or camping van sits unused in the corner. It will give you an overview of the period in which you will have to earn the calculated amount of money. The daily rate in the rental is then the quotient of costs to be covered and available days.

For example: With a cost calculation of 5000€ per year and a period of 10 weeks, in which the camper would be gathering dust in the garage, you would have to calculate a daily rate of 70-75€. If your costs are higher because you also want to finance the fuel for your next trip, you must either increase the daily rate or extend the period.

Necessary insurances when renting out a camper

If you use a rental portal, the provider takes care of the insurance. Yescapa has designed individual insurance solutions for each country - in Germany with Allianz. If you offer your camper through this portal, in case of damage, you and the person who rents your vehicle are covered by partial and comprehensive insurance and a Europe-wide 24h breakdown cover.

Furthermore: The wear and tear of the vehicle and resulting costs are not part of the insurance. You should include these in your daily rate.

By the way, you can find great pitches with our app if you want to spend a night in the camper before renting it out.

Is your camper suitable for rental?
Vehicle type and the right equipment

Do you wonder if your "second home" is suitable for rental at all?

The different providers proceed differently here. Some rental portals specialize in one type of vehicle, while others have no restrictions. You can easily read the guidelines on their websites. At Yescapa, for example, various types of camping vehicles can be offered for rent - from caravans to vans to fully integrated motorhomes.

You only have to convince potential renters of your camping vehicle. You can do that with the right equipment. It should be complete and well thought out so that your renters can start their vacation immediately and lack nothing. You should provide them with furniture, tableware, a stove, detergent, and tools.

With small details like a cozy decoration and practical things like a picnic blanket, a clothesline, and a few board games, you will be overwhelmed by booking requests. The better your camper's amenities, the more likely you stand out from the crowd and wow potential renters. The renters usually bring their bedding and towels.

Conclusion: What you have to consider when renting a camper privately

Renting out your "second home" to other camping fans is a great and relatively effortless way to refinance your costs. But you have to be able to give your beloved camper into other hands. If your heart is bleeding and the worries are too big, you might want to start renting to acquaintances and confidants first.

By the way: You have to report any income to your tax office. Whether you need a trade license depends on many things - not least on the region where you live. If you are not sure whether it applies to you or not, ask professionals for advice.

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