Note from Chuck Woodbury, editor
The peer-to-peer RV rental concept surfaced a few years ago. The idea is that someone who wants to rent an RV may prefer to do it from a private party rather than a RV rental company like Cruise America or El Monte RV. The private party gets paid, which can provide significant income from an RV that may otherwise just be sitting in a driveway. It’s much like AirBnB, where a traveler rents a room or even an entire home from a private party rather than stay in a hotel.
Figuring this would be a big deal one day, we approached the three companies in the industry about partnering with us. The idea was that we’d make our audience aware of its service in return for its financial support. We talked with representatives from three companies — RVshare.com, Outdoorsy.com, and Campanda.com. We liked Campanda. Its CEO and COO drove five hours from Boston to my campsite in Pennsylvania to meet with me. I was impressed. Last week, I asked my long-time friend Bob Zagami to explain a bit about the company. He filed this story:
By Bob Zagami
Special to RVtravel.com
Rent out my apartment or house? Are you crazy? That was the reaction of many when AirBnB launched in August, 2008. Nine years later it generates $2.5 billion a year in revenue and is valued at $31 billion. The company changed the face of renting rooms and homes forever. Why did it work, and what does it have to do with RVing?
It worked because younger people are less materialistic than past generations. They want to control their own destiny, eliminate debt, travel and enjoy life. Many of the places they want to visit, and many of the things they want to do, require some type of housing other than where they live. That’s why AirBnB was so successful.
When peer-to-peer RV rentals first appeared, the reaction was similar to when AirBnB debuted. Rent my RV to a stranger? Rent somebody else’s RV? It was a novel thought and a little scary at first to some owners.
Fast forward to 2018. These days several companies occupy the space, as noted above. RV owners who use their RVs only part time are intrigued by the idea of generating extra income from their motorhomes, vans or towable RVs that are sitting most of the year in their driveways. When you think about it, it makes sense.
Campanda came into the U.S. market as the largest RV rental marketplace in the world, operating in 42 countries.
“Supporting RV owners to safely and confidently rent out their RVs has taught us many things over the years,” said Niklas Kubasek, COO at Campanda. “Most importantly it has taught us that providing peace of mind through comprehensive insurance, roadside assistance and exceptional customer support is what matters to RV owners.”
The Campanda model allows RV owners to approve who rents their RV, which removes most of the uncertainty of renting to a stranger. It’s free for an RV owner to list: Campanda only makes money if the RV owner makes money.
Campanda protects RV owners with a comprehensive and collision insurance policy with liability up to $1 million. If there’s a claim, an owner will incur no out-of-pocket expense. The same is true for the roadside assistance program — no towing fees. Campanda picks up the tab.
Here are some reasons why the peer-to-peer RV rental idea is gaining popularity.
•Current owners have an opportunity to generate revenue from their RV investment when they are not using it. It is not unusual for renters to earn $2,000 to $4,000 a month for a few rentals. Many times the revenue covers or exceeds their monthly payment and other expenses.
•Prospects who urgently want to buy an RV can use their rental income to help them buy an RV immediately instead of waiting until they’ve saved enough to buy.
•RV owners can use the rental income to pay off their current RV and get a newer and perhaps larger RV.
“We have already seen couples start their own personal rental fleets for an easy way to earn income with a stay-at-home spouse handling all the details,” said Kubasek. “Once renters see how easy the peer-to-peer rental is they often buy a second RV just to rent it. The exact business model has happened with AirBnB where investors buy other properties and use them exclusively for rental purposes.”
Evidence indicates the peer-to-peer RV rental business model will grow more popular in the years ahead. Learn more at Campanda.com or by calling (800) 207-6361. Tell them RV Travel sent you.
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