Is it worth hiring out my campervan?

# Vanlife culture has been on the rise in the UK for some years now, with many owners now renting out their homes on wheels to other holidaymakers. But if you’re new to this venture, we know what you’re thinking: ‘is it worth hiring out my campervan?’

Short answer, yes. This smart side hustle can end up funding the campervan purchase, its conversion costs and then some! That said, there are some important factors to weigh up before you start sharing your pride and joy with hirers. Below, we explain the benefits and considerations of hiring out your campervan so that you can be confident in your decision.

Is it worth hiring out my campervan?

Yes, it’s worth hiring out your campervan if you want to earn some extra income. With daily hire rates commonly ranging from £90-£125 in the high season, you can make hundreds of pounds per week hiring out your campervan, which can cover your owner costs like insurance, maintenance and conversions/upgrades. Even if you hire out your vehicle only a few times a year, it’s extra income you wouldn’t otherwise have!

But of course hiring out your campervan isn’t something to do on a whim. You’ll need to think about things like breakdown cover and insurance cover, plus come to terms with the fact that strangers will be using your vehicle.

You might be concerned about depreciation too if your campervan is out on the road a lot (although campervans and motorhomes don’t depreciate anywhere near as quickly as cars – see ourmotorhome depreciation guide for more info).

Benefits of hiring out your campervan

Extra income

Everyone likes a bit of extra money in their pocket, and hiring out your campervan is an easy way to do it. You could make up to £10,000 a year hiring out your van if you do it regularly enough, which can easily cover your annual campervan costs as well as help earn back the cost of the campervan.

The timing is perfect

As above, campervanning in the UK has been growing in popularity for years. Staycations, i.e. holidaying in the UK rather than going abroad, have also become more popular in recent years. And with the rising cost of living tightening the budgets of many people, affordable UK-based holidays are on a lot of wish lists. All this makes it a great time to be hiring out your campervan.

Cover costs like insurance and storage

The annual cost of having a campervan includes insurance as a must and winter storage. Campervan andmotorhome insurance costs will be £220-£400 a year, whilemotorhome storage is £250-£500. Make these costs back in just a few weeks’ worth of hire charges - or forgo the need for (and expense of) storage entirely by hiring out your van all year round.

Upgrade your vehicle

Who doesn’t want the latest shiny new model of campervan, or to convert a vintage VW to their dream vehicle? Hiring out your campervan means you can save up for a newer model or add your must-haves to your existing vehicle.

Make up for depreciation

Campervans don’t depreciate as fast as cars, but it’s still nice to be able to offset that cost.

Get the most out of your campervan

If you’re not using your campervan every week of the year, it’ll just be gathering dust in your driveway or the nearest storage facility. By hiring it out instead, you can share your love of campervanning with other holidaymakers and be happy knowing your van is accommodating more adventures!

Things to consider before hiring out your campervan

Fewer opportunities to use your campervan

This might seem like a big disadvantage at first – what if you want to use your van for an extended period of time or a weekend once a month, but you’re worried someone will want to hire it then?

This is easily solved by choosing a sharing platform like Camplify, where you can block out any period of time you want so that potential hirers can only opt for the dates you want. OurHow do I close my availability? guide explains the process.

You’ll need to be comfortable sharing your campervan

Let’s face it – some of us don’t even want family members or close friends sharing our van. So how will it work with people you don’t know?

Good news: there’s no obligation to accept a hire on Camplify, as you can chat to the potential hirer before they make a booking. All our hirers are fully vetted, meaning they go through licence and ID checks to give you peace of mind; and a hirer can only pay their deposit once you’ve decided that you’re happy with their plans.

As the owner of the van, you have complete control over the booking: if you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to approve it. See ourQuestions to ask a potential hirer for some ideas.

The business side of hiring out your campervan

You’ll need to keep on top of queries from hirers, keep your van in top condition, and make time for full handovers at the start of any hire where you show the hirer how everything works in the van. This might seem a little daunting, especially if you’ve never done it before.

But Camplify makes the business side of things very easy by providing lots of guidance and support to help you become a “vantrepeneur”, letting you become an expert in no time.

Check out our extensive guide onhow to hire out your campervan, or browse through our dozens ofFAQ guides and articles for campervan owners, fromgas certificates and habitation checks tocleaning recommendations. You can also submit a support ticket if you need help, or call us on 0330 808 1811.

Insurance

You’ll need comprehensive hire insurance if you’re planning to rent out your campervan, to cover damages or accidents, theft, and cooking and heating risks. There are also insurance considerations if your hirer istaking your van to Europe or the Republic of Ireland.

Make things easy and use Camplify’s flexible insurance: we’ve partnered with the UK’s leading insurers to make sure you’re fully covered while your van’s on hire.

Safety, security and repairs

Your campervan should be in immaculate condition for hirers, which might mean you will need to pay upfront for any repairs, upgrades or additions to the van. Similarly, you’ll need proper security measures against theft and break-ins, such as alarms or window locks.

You should also have an annual habitation check of your campervan, to examine the vehicle and its gas, water, electric and mechanical systems, and ensure that items like fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide alarms are in place and working.

All these measures are good practice to have in place anyway, so don’t need to be a “con” against hiring out your campervan. In fact, it’s better to hire out your van so you can offset all these costs!

Hire out your campervan on Camplify

Hiring out your campervan is a great way to cover its annual costs, bring in extra income and spread a love of adventure. And Camplify will make this process as simple as possible:

• It's free to list your campervan

• If you don’t have all-risk insurance, we can provide you with it when you sign up.

• We give your campervan 24/7 RAC breakdown cover

• We provide you with tips and step-by-step guides on how to improve your service and your motorhome to get more and more bookings.

The sooner you set up your listing, the sooner it will start to receive visits and bookings. See how much you could earn if you hire out your motorhome with our**free income calculator**.

If you still have questions, want to discuss your income potential with an expert or get more information on how to list your motorhome, call us on ☎ 0330 808 1811 or visit www.camplify.co.uk. We’ll be happy to help you with anything you need!