Hiring out our Hymer? (1 Viewer)

[Jac Sprat]

Due to an exciting turn of expected family events we have decided to hang around for the autumn months and we are tentatively considering finding a responsible person / couple / family who'd like to use our van for three / four months (mid august to mid December )
Would you do this?
What are the pitfalls?
Would their insurance cover all potential damage?
Would greatly value any thoughts on this. (LHD Hymer b654 legend 25. 2006 )

 

[colyboy]

DON,T DO IT!!

Colyboy

 

[RitaG]

I wouldn't do it. Whoever uses it may not be as careful with it as you.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jac Sprat]

@colyboy ?

 

[Jac Sprat]

We could hold a deposit that would go towards repairs beyond what their insurance covers?

 

[Kingham]

Personally I wouldn't do it and have previously turned down good money offers from colleagues wanting to use my motorhome for holidays.

However, if you are not so hung up on the thought of someone else using your pride and joy, then why not explore the option and make some money out of your van being idle for a few months.

I can't help with the insurance/damage aspect, but would imagine a deposit or bond type of set up would be advisable against interior damage that wouldn't normally be covered by insurance.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jac Sprat]

No I am not hung up on it being mine and mine only actually and I generally embrace the general concept of sharing and always have done but I recognise this is not a common attitude.
I myself am clumsy heavy handed heavy footed accident prone and have never managed to wreak damage in a van that couldn't be repaired (hired a Hymer for a long weekend before buying)
Our little nest egg is shrinking fast and soon the maintenance and running costs will force us to sell so this idea is to also buy us more time in it. Partner has Parkinson's so time is limited anyway. Carpe diem is the name of the game more than ever for us.
Do you have any ball park idea of what I could decently charge?

 

[Jac Sprat]

With respect this isn't helpful!

DON,T DO IT!!

Colyboy

Explain please?

 

[PP Bear]

If you ask our advice you'll get an almost 100% reply to not do it.

The list is too long to write it out again, search for earlier threads and read the woes that people have suffered, you'll find all the answers there.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[EyUp]

Id think about if I had an older MoHo I wasn't 'attached' to. Not at the moment though.

If they took out insurance themselves wouldnt it be far too costly as it would need to be specific to the MoHo? Would it not be cheaper to put them on your policy ( they pay the diff ) and also hold a 1k deposit for anything they may break.

 

[Ninovan]

I may be wrong, but I don't think there can be more than one insurance policy operating on one vehicle at any one time.

 

[buttons]

With respect this isn't helpful!

Explain please?

Perhaps colyboy is talking from a naturist bums on seats point of view...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[peterc10]

Your standard insurance will not cover the vehicle if it is hired and nor will there's. If there is a problem you could both end up breaking the law. Them for driving without insurance and you for aiding and abetting them. And, if an accident occurs your insurance will not pay out if they find out.

IF you are going to do it, then you must get proper insurance sorted out and tell your insurer what you are doing. You may well find that the insurance costs will wipe out any likely profit, but you will not know until you ask.

 

[EyUp]

I may be wrong, but I don't think there can be more than one insurance policy operating on one vehicle at any one time.

That rings a bell. But you could pop someone on your own insurance as named driver ?

 

[funflair]

Starting mid August you might have missed a lot of potential customers, I wouldn't do it but if it suits you and helps you out why not (oh that is your question)

Martin

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[shawn&emma]

After running a campsite for nearly years five years and seeing how hire vans are treated my answer would be a definite no.
You'll find there's even threads on here mentioning where members has lent their van to a family member/friend and been very disappointed with how it was used/returned.

 

[jongood]

I agree with some of the sentiment and don't even lend our MH to family

But on our trip to NZ we rented through share a camper

https://www.shareacamper.com/

This is not a swap method but a peer to peer rental company - a bit like airbnb but for your mh.

We rented off a kiwi couple and share a camper covered the insurance, I know they re not over here but they are in Germany. might this be an avenue worth pursuing?

Jon

 

[BwB]

I think my insurance says something about "not for hire or reward" so a whole new insurance policy may be needed during the period you are hiring it. It's not something I'd be keen on doing myself for all the above reasons. Understand the attraction, but the agro might not be worth it.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[sallylillian]

With respect this isn't helpful!

Explain please?

Explanation maybe to condense a whole series of points into a simple unequivocal statement to avoid repetition and wasted effort?

 

[Shrimp]

Personally?
No!

 

[Jac Sprat]

I was hoping people could help me think through the pros and cons.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jaws]

If you are set on it then my first port of call would be to approach a couple of insurance companies an find out what the score is.
No harm in asking to get an idea of costs ..

 

[Jac Sprat]

Thanks I'm not set on it yet but considering the option. The going rate is £3000 a month which I found on a motorhome rental uk site . We would go less than that but take a hefty deposit instead .

 

[jongood]

We paid about that but for a much older coachbuilt although NZ is expensive.

I do think Insurance is the biggie, if you solve that one the rest is easy enough. IMHO

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[peterc10]

Thanks I'm not set on it yet but considering the option. The going rate is £3000 a month which I found on a motorhome rental uk site . We would go less than that but take a hefty deposit instead .

I suspect that rate will be a for a new model, not one 10 years old.

But you seem to think that insurance is just about getting a hefty deposit to cover any damage. It isn't, and that will be the least of your problems. It is about being legally covered for at least 3rd party claims.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

I knew a chap who ran a MH hire business and the insurance company did a policy that effectively each customer paid for 'hire and reward' cover for the length of hire.
The deposit was a thousand pounds and it amazed me how often he had to refuse its return due to the bumps and scrapes they were returned with. Then the body repairs took weeks to do and he lost hiring opportunities.
To me it's a little like renting your house by the week as the hirer has no long term interest in your long term future with the added problem that they are mobile and possibly won't return it.
If you have a property, I would have thought long time tenants with a recommended agent would give a better return to enable you both to full time for as long as you need.

 

[funflair]

Will you be on the end of the phone to offer support, "I have plugged my play station in but it won't work" "I can't get any water out of the taps" "the fridge isn't very cold" etc etc.

Yes there is the obvious damage bit but if it's only a "thing" to you that's not a big problem.

I guess at the end of the day it's down to how lucky you are, Jon has said he hired somebody's van in NZ but I bet he didn't need his hand holding and he would treat it with the same respect he shows his own van.

When we have hired bikes they have always gone back better than when we picked them up.

Martin

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jac Sprat]

Has anyone ever insured a other person to drive theirs? What did it cost to add them to your policy ?

 

[MillieMoocher]

The insurance aspect of paying for any damage is just that - if you get it sorted out, it will/should pay forbthe costbof repairs.

But it doesn't compensate for all of the aggro associated with getting the van fixed - parts availability, being off the road potentially for some time, having to get it to and from repairers and so on.

Other damage which you could get fixed out of the deposit could be equally frustrating for you to try and sort out.

But plenty of people do it either as a business or side line so there must be some up sides if you can detach yourself emotionally from the van. I couldn't make that emotional detachment as I know what getting the MH cost me in terms of commitment to working over many years and what it means to me today.

Edit - quick look on eBay came back with this item, which might help with pricing . Item number 302157263640

 

[Jac Sprat]

Thanks yes we would have to make a snap decision on the people.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}