Goboony

[crowbot]

Our Ocean is now 5 years old and we’re now slightly less precious about it and also using it less than we used to. We’re planning to rent it out to make it earn its keep/maintenance, etc. We’ve recently listed it on Goboony and have a few weekend bookings for later in the spring already. Has anyone had experience with the site? Any tips or advice on renting out the van?Thx all

 

[Californication69]

Our Ocean is now 5 years old and we’re now slightly less precious about it and also using it less than we used to. We’re planning to rent it out to make it earn its keep/maintenance, etc. We’ve recently listed it on Goboony and have a few weekend bookings for later in the spring already. Has anyone had experience with the site? Any tips or advice on renting out the van?Thx all

No experience, but had the same conversation with some body today.
Thinking of taking £35k out of the pension in 4 years time and paying off the California.
Then rent out at £1k a week for at least 10 to 15 weeks a year. That’s around £10k a year for ( how ever many years, say 5, that’s £50k)
Seems a no-brainer.

 

[WelshGas]

No experience, but had the same conversation with some body today.
Thinking of taking £35k out of the pension in 4 years time and paying off the California.
Then rent out at £1k a week for at least 10 to 15 weeks a year. That’s around £10k a year for ( how ever many years, say 5, that’s £50k)
Seems a no-brainer.

Don't forget the repair costs. I'm afraid sometimes those that hire do not respect the vehicle as you would and there are the Insurance and Tax implications.

 

[Californication69]

Don't forget the repair costs. I'm afraid sometimes those that hire do not respect the vehicle as you would and there are the Insurance and Tax implications.

Very True. Would have to research how other hiring people / companies do it.
Insurance and tax: would need a friendly tax manager to discuss the items.
Something to research for the next 5 years

 

[vmaxkiddy]

Our Ocean is now 5 years old and we’re now slightly less precious about it and also using it less than we used to. We’re planning to rent it out to make it earn its keep/maintenance, etc. We’ve recently listed it on Goboony and have a few weekend bookings for later in the spring already. Has anyone had experience with the site? Any tips or advice on renting out the van?Thx all

It can be tricky with only one van. Cleaning and any repairs, especially those that affect road worthiness, can take a long time between hires.

 

[andyinluton]

No experience, but had the same conversation with some body today.
Thinking of taking £35k out of the pension in 4 years time and paying off the California.
Then rent out at £1k a week for at least 10 to 15 weeks a year. That’s around £10k a year for ( how ever many years, say 5, that’s £50k)
Seems a no-brainer.

Is that someone realising that they've got a PCP & if they want to own their van there's a £35k lump to find?

If so they would be better off renting it now whilst its new & saving the money to foot the bill in 4 years time.

Unless thats your only income, the £10k a year is taxable.

I'm not sure there's much of a market for renting a 10year old van at £1k a week?

I would also question how well the van would get looked after as a rental - a shiny new one would tend to get treated carefully, when its getting on a bit I'm not sure customers would be as careful.

 

[ArunAlec]

I’m a bit risk averse! I’ve never really thought of the California as a good choice as a hire option. As great as it is, I think it’s too good to hire out, unless you are treating it purely asa business And have no emotional attachment!
They do need a high degree of TLC, that I wouldn’t expect a ”non owner” to give.
Even fastidious owners manage to scissor the canvas, melt the washing up bowl and break the table legs.

 

[Van Diesel VW]

Sorry hiring out or even lending to family or friends is not for me, too much attachment to my Cali and too large a financial investment to risk others mistreating.

 

[Beeechke1]

I’m a bit risk averse! I’ve never really thought of the California as a good choice as a hire option. As great as it is, I think it’s too good to hire out, unless you are treating it purely asa business And have no emotional attachment!
They do need a high degree of TLC, that I wouldn’t expect a ”non owner” to give.
Even fastidious owners manage to scissor the canvas, melt the washing up bowl and break the table legs.

One very careful owner here and I can tick two out those three boxes. I can also add leaving a torch upstairs then closing the roof to hear a loud crack as part of the scissor mechanism failed. There is very definitely an error based learning curve to go through with ownership of these complex vehicles.

 

[Soton Campers]

For anyone thinking they can rent the vehicle out to cover PCP payments you had better check with your finance company. You will need THEIR permission when hiring out THEIR vehicle!

If your vehicle is on finance you don't own it, they do.

 

[crowbot]

Thanks all for the advice and cautionary tales

 

[Kemper-van]

Also don’t over-estimate how many weeks you can rent out. I’d be surprised if you get 15 full week rentals… that’s all holiday periods from start to finish, while x-mas and winter-periods are not that popular…

 

[Kevthegas]

I’m a bit risk averse! I’ve never really thought of the California as a good choice as a hire option. As great as it is, I think it’s too good to hire out, unless you are treating it purely asa business And have no emotional attachment!
They do need a high degree of TLC, that I wouldn’t expect a ”non owner” to give.
Even fastidious owners manage to scissor the canvas, melt the washing up bowl and break the table legs.

I use my 2018 Cali Ocean for work carrying tools around every day. A very good customer of mine who has a T4 Camper was keen to have a good look around it.
Within 2 minutes he had managed to separate the tambour door into 3 pieces !!
When he offered to try and put it back together I had to decline and quickly ushered him out.
I am not precious about the van but would never hire it out.

 

[Californication69]

I use my 2018 Cali Ocean for work carrying tools around every day. A very good customer of mine who has a T4 Camper was keen to have a good look around it.
Within 2 minutes he had managed to separate the tambour door into 3 pieces !!
When he offered to try and put it back together I had to decline and quickly ushered him out.
I am not precious about the van but would never hire it out.

I drove back from a job yesterday and had to give my head a wobble.
The thought of other people and their body fluids in my beautiful California almost put me off my blonde flat white and cinnamon bun.
So that head in the clouds moment has passed.
It’s good to talk to other like minded people though to get perspective.

 

[calibusje]

Everyone has their own idea about renting out their cali. Here's mine: When we had our new T6.1 in April 2022, we still had our old trusty t4 westfalia california and then I also thought about renting out via Goboony. You don't have to worry about the insurance (at least with us, maybe different with you): you take an extra day insurance that the customer pays. Do check whether your own insurer agrees with the rental (usually yes, but sometimes not or your policy will be higher). You can have it cleaned by the renters before returning it and if it is not ok you can (if you indicated this in advance) ask for a fee or: immediately charge for all your own cleaning and do it yourself. Actually it is a nobrainer as someone here said, but after having two campervans for more than half a year, and a lot of contact with goboony and with people who rent out a small campervan, I decided to sell the t4 anyway: it seemed to me to take too much time on delivery, receiving it back and checking if it’s ok and that in periods when we ourselves will be traveling. So it's going to be difficult. Also: you know your van but renters not: they will make do things fault and mat break stuff. You can earn a reasonable amount of money, but it will not be as much as you imagine (an old bus or the youngest cali: they have the highest daily prices, everything in between ... is sometimes clearly less.
At the end of the day, it’s your cali so you must decide whether you do it or not.
Greetings
Calibusje

 

[BeeBee]

Our 1st experience of Campervans was an old t2 hightop, hired from Strathpeffer vans 10 years ago. Well cared for vehicle but not an easy drive, no power steering and manual. We were extremely careful with the van and even our old black lab appreciated he had to wipe his paws before entry. I don’t believe everyone who hires is prepared to take time to fully appreciate the complexities of our new model campervans, so for me having taken literally years to persuade hubby to take the plunge to buy, it would be a definite ‘no no’

 

[Soton Campers]

Last year I had to replace four roof bellows due to carelessness. Renting out is not for the faint hearted and you need to have no emotional attachment to the vehicle.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Is that someone realising that they've got a PCP & if they want to own their van there's a £35k lump to find?

If so they would be better off renting it now whilst its new & saving the money to foot the bill in 4 years time.

Unless thats your only income, the £10k a year is taxable.

I'm not sure there's much of a market for renting a 10year old van at £1k a week?

I would also question how well the van would get looked after as a rental - a shiny new one would tend to get treated carefully, when its getting on a bit I'm not sure customers would be as careful.

In my experience the PCP contract prohibits hiring out the vehicle.

 

[WelshGas]

Last year I had to replace four roof bellows due to carelessness. Renting out is not for the faint hearted and you need to have no emotional attachment to the vehicle.

Did you do the work or a 3rd party/Dealership?

 

[Soton Campers]

Did you do the work or a 3rd party/Dealership?

This was my local dealer.

 

[WelshGas]

This was my local dealer.

You must have an excellent relationship with them.

 

[Soton Campers]

You must have an excellent relationship with them.

Yes, the team at Breeze Totton are a great bunch. They like donuts.