# Hiring out my own motorhome



## stevee4 (Oct 12, 2007)

I am considering hiring out my motorhome. I have had a look and there are several "mother" web sites that deal with the business side. Has anyone done this sort of thing? Is it worth it? What are the pitfalls and danger risks?


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
been there and done it.
unless of course you need to, then it is different.

cabby


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## 96706 (Nov 13, 2005)

Hi Cabby,

Please explain further!

I'm sure there are others like ourselves who have considered this possibility.

So your experiances would be of great help.

****


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## kandsservices (Sep 5, 2010)

There is a company not so far from us and they hire motorhome out by the week.I was having a chat about business with there MD who has just had to spend in excess of a £1000 to have a fiamma awning sorted out as the person that hired it left if wound out and the wind got hold of it during the night and smashed into the side and roof of this 2010 motorhome ask yourself how would you feel if that was your pride and joy????Thats not say how much the repair bill will be for the body work to be sorted out is it worth it.


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## barrosa (May 9, 2005)

been there done that Never again!!90% agro :roll:


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Hate to disagree, but as we haven't been able to use ours much this year due to having had 5 weeks (Mrs S's total annual leave + some) in NZ at the beginning of the year we have hired ours out and it has covered the finance for us.

Yes there has been damage - the Aussie radio presenters who hired it in May & June damaged the step (one of the stupid swing down ones that keep jamming) I now have a nice brand new slide out Omnistep courtesy of the Radio Station's accounts dept. 

If the people who hire it out for you do their job properly any problems should be little ones.

BUT I wouldn't really consider hiring out something like an "A" class - buy cheap(ish) and cheerful, as you just won't/don't get enough extra hire charges to cover the extra cost.

There is no problem if you aren't too precious about it - it is just a heap of wood, plastic and metal after all.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Hiring*

I can understand why people do (Stanner's circumstances for example).

But for us, ours gets enough hammer from our use and we look after it.

I was talking to a client of mine who hires a friend's motorhome for £250 a week. She laughed as she told me how they drove off with the awning out tearing it off. Then about how the next time they left the awning out in high winds and it got torn. And then again when they did not support it in heavy rain.

Would I?

Personally, No. But I don't have to. But If it came to it I would sell, buy something older and lest costly and then maybe.

TM


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

I don't have an awning and if I had an awning it would be removed before a hire.

I had fitted carpets and full size (alloy effect) wheel trims supplied with the van, but both sets are safely stored away at home. The beds are covered with mattress protectors.

All else is replaceable if need be from either the £1000 deposit or the insurance.

It is amazing how careful a £1000 deposit can make people be.


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## Weareoff (Aug 22, 2010)

Seems a mix of "good" and "bad" experiences here.

But with belts being tightened perhaps sharing the MH for profit is not always a bad idea. 
What about peoples' experience regarding the legal bits: insurance to sort out with your existing insurer, terms and conditions for hiring, amount of deposit to take and what legal restrictions may apply to holding deposits, mileage restrictions etc etc.Do agencies exist that organise all this for a fee? Or should you just hire to friends, and friends of friends from your local area.

Or what about offering your MH on this forum to friends/family of other MH Facts MH's who may want to go off with family/friends but want another vehicle to travel together. That way you should get an experienced, caring user who you can trust and you get some income.

Any views?


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Weareoff said:


> Seems a mix of "good" and "bad" experiences here.
> 
> But with belts being tightened perhaps sharing the MH for profit is not always a bad idea.
> What about peoples' experience regarding the legal bits: insurance to sort out with your existing insurer, terms and conditions for hiring, amount of deposit to take and what legal restrictions may apply to holding deposits, mileage restrictions etc etc.Do agencies exist that organise all this for a fee? Or should you just hire to friends, and friends of friends from your local area.
> ...


Mine is insured for me to drive - hirers are covered by "hire and reward" insurance from a specialist - it is arranged by the agency that hire it out. They take and hold the deposit (either cash or via a credit card) hand the vehicle over and check it back in and that is paid for by a % commission. The more they hire it for and the longer the hire the more they make so they have no incentive to undersell.

I was also careful to have a van that doesn't compete with their own vans - mine is auto - none of their's are, mine is 2/3berth and aimed at older hirers rather than families - their's are mainly 4/5/6 berths.

Hires this year have just about covered the finance costs, but not VED servicing, consumables etc. So I haven't made a profit but I have been able to afford to keep it - due to our NZ trip in Jan/Feb our first use this year will be next weekend.

If you aren't precious about it and accept it is just a m/home not a pet - it just makes good sense.


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## Weareoff (Aug 22, 2010)

Can you tell us which Agency organizes this? Do you deliver MH to agent or customer or do they collect?
What about extra insurance costs and weekly rental net of agents fees?
Any other information would assist us.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

I don't know if that would be frowned on as advertising - but you shouldn't have much trouble finding out if you know where to look :wink: 

We spoke to them on their stand at the Peterborugh Show last year and found out that they are local to us. 
We originally only looked to just store our m/home there, but the circumstances that meant we couldn't use the van much this year meant we decided to let them hire it out as well.
I didn't want it stood around doing nothing, as that is just the way to ruin a van and I didn't want to sell, as autos are few and far between.

The van is stored there 24/7 unless we collect it to use it and the first time this year won't be until Friday.

It will then be SORN'd until next year, when I think we have 2 bookings already. 

Weekly rental varies according to time of year/what's on/type & age of van. 

2 best bookings last year in relative terms were Glastonbury and Silverstone F1 GP.


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## Jodi1 (Mar 25, 2010)

Would you have to pay tax on the income from hiring your van?


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Jodi1 said:


> Would you have to pay tax on the income from hiring your van?


If you made a profit I guess you would, but I don't get anywhere near even covering all my costs let alone making anything.

I'm not doing it as business, just a way to defray some of the costs of owning the van for a year we haven't been able to use it much.

Next year we hope to manage to use it more and have already "blocked out" the 2 weeks that cover Easter and the first May BH as it allows us to have 11days away, but Mrs S only has to take 4 days holiday. We have also booked one of the Norfolk Line "NEC Show Specials) and hope to have a couple of weeks (at least) abroad as well.


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