Have you ever thought about hiring out your own campervan?
Of course, we all know that campervans can be expensive to run, coupled with the fact they’re sometimes only used for a few weeks a year, but have you ever thought about hiring out your campervan to make some money back?
Maybe you’ve been thinking about purchasing your own dream van, but aren’t sure whether it’s worth the investment for the amount of use you’ll get out of it?
Or perhaps you have ambitious visions of setting up your own campervan rental business, potentially one van at a time?
Is there enough demand?
Good news! Aspirations to hire out your van are well within reach, with the demand for UK campervan rentals being at an all-time high according to a survey by the Camping & Caravanning Club. They reported an increase in UK bookings this year, up by 33% when compared with the Easter weekend in 2019. It means you’ll have no problem finding lots of holiday-makers who are eager to rent your home-on-wheels!
The results of the survey indicate that the travel challenges brought about by the pandemic have had a lasting effect, encouraging many people to stay closer to home this year.
It seems that the staycation trend is here to stay, and as ‘slow’ and ‘local’ travellers ourselves, we’re all for it, especially if it means less fuel-guzzling airplanes will be damaging the environment.
Renting out your campervan to make your money back
We understand that choosing to buy a campervan is a huge financial decision, but we’re here to happily remind you that it’s not only the outgoings that you have to consider!
Renting out your camper is a great way to help cover your annual maintenance costs such as MOTs and general servicing costs. And with a bit of time and effort one could even create a profitable business plan, as some new van owners plan for a return on their initial investment.
But is it worth the effort? At Love Campers we definitely think it’s worth a try – it’s such a booming business idea for our current times. We’re seeing more business-savvy clients coming to us for their van builds than ever before, with plans to rent out their vans when they’re not using them.
Which rental campervan platforms to use for hiring out your campervan?
Renting your campervan out via a van rental marketplace is an incredibly easy way to monetize your vehicle.
Specialist websites include Quirky Campers, Camplify, GoBoony or the Europe-wide platform Indie Campers. The advantage of using one of these existing websites is that the marketing, customer service and insurance costs often make up part of the service they offer.
Campervan magazine Own The Outdoors has written up a very useful article that lists all the service fees associated with each platform, so you can make an informed choice. The guide also goes into detail about different self-drive hire insurance costs too. Be sure to give it a thorough read, if you’re thinking of taking the plunge!
Check out these booming businesses!
At Love Campers, we’re delighted to have seen an increase in van rental businesses coming to us for renovations on their fleets. (We used to rent vans ourselves but since our van builds are now in such high-demand, we have made the move to solely working on high quality, handcrafted campervans to sell directly to our clients.)
In early 2022, we helped out the wonderful Dorset based Shore Campers, as they wanted to give their newest rental camper vans an eco-conscious transformation. We fitted them with handbuilt wooden interiors, each carefully converted to create a cosy, cabin-esque feel. Some were fitted out with our classic tounge & groove wooden furniture and a few were fitted with a brighter natural finish, in poplar ply.
The gallery above shows a few photos of the conversions we did for Shore Campers. If you fancy a holiday around the beautiful south coast near Dorset and you’re interested in renting a nippy micro camper with a stunning interior, built by our skilled craftspeople in the Love Campers workshop, then check out their website to book!
We’ve also converted a beautiful electric van for Brighton based Wild Drives, which is available to rent later in the year via Quirky Campers. The camper has a 205-mile range, and you can charge it from 0%-80% in 40 minutes. It has a scenic pop-up roof, 5 seats, two double beds, a fridge, a toilet, and an induction hob powered by solar. What’s more, Wild Drives will cover the cost of charging the vehicle while you use it.
We recently spoke to Wild Drives business owner Lewis about how he set up the business – check out the interview here.
We’ll get you started with your rental campervan business plans!
We’d love to help more burgeoning businesses to spread the campervan love, especially to those who may not be able to afford a finished van of their own. We can source a vehicle for you and fit it out with a luxurious conversion using the highest quality materials.
Our van conversions will always include a fully equipped kitchen, luxury upholstery and wooden furniture built by skilled carpenters. They can also feature solar panels to make an off-grid and eco-conscious holiday experience.
All of our campers are designed and hand-built by us, to a precision level, and some of the designs feature our own rock & roll folding bed design. Depending on the size of the vehicle they could contain a fixed position or slat bed. Some of the family van designs even feature bunk beds!
“Ready to Drive” or “Build to Order” – it’s up to you!
The beauty of the Love Campers approach is that you will have the option to either buy a “ready to drive” camper, built by us and fitted out with extras we know come in handy, or you’ll be able to customise your van to your own taste and exact requirements.
If you go for the premium ‘build to order’ service you will be able to choose the colour scheme, fabrics and wood finish at every step of the way. You can also decide if you want any extras in your van, such as a portaloo, heating, or even extra windows.
Get in contact with us today if we’ve convinced you that hiring out your campervan is a cracking idea!
Check out some of our other blog posts:
- Sea Swimming for Mental Health – What’s it all about
- Van Life Tales with surfer Spike Kane
- 6 Wood Finishes for your Campervan
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