One of the best ways to expand your business as an Outdoorsy owner is by offering delivery options to help more people more easily get into RVing. Even if you’re renting out your rig to people who are familiar with the RVing lifestyle, offering delivery can provide a healthy amount of convenience, cost savings, and peace of mind for you and your renters.
In this post, we’ll unpack the benefits of offering delivery for your RV(s) — what it is, why you should consider it, and how to offer RV delivery to your renters.
By the end, we hope you’ll see as we do that RV delivery is a worthwhile offering for any owner on the Outdoorsy platform.
What is RV Delivery?
RV delivery on Outdoorsy happens when an owner delivers their RV to the renter at their campsite, driveway, the airport, or really anywhere else — within the radius set by the owner — where the renter wants the rig dropped off.
RV delivery can either be for a stationary rental — meaning your RV stays in one spot during the whole rental period — or a mobile rental — meaning your renter drives the rig after you drop it off to them.
Stationary RV delivery can also include RV setup for an additional fee. This is a solid option for renters who might be new to RVing because they can have peace of mind knowing that everything will be ready when they arrive at camp.
For stationary rentals, you as the owner will have peace of mind knowing exactly where your RV will be located during the whole rental period. Offering to set up your RV for your renter can also give you the chance to spend more time with your renter to show them all the ins and outs of your rig.
How does insurance work for RV delivery?
You shouldn’t expect your personal RV or auto insurance to cover you when delivering your rig to a renter because most carriers will consider that a business use and deny coverage. That’s why it’s important to have your renter purchase Outdoorsy’s insurance. Our industry-leading insurance is designed to provide coverage of up to $1 million in an RV rental situation.
If your RV will not be moved after you deliver it, ask your renter to purchase Outdoorsy’s stationary delivery insurance as this will save them money while still providing ample coverage. If you deliver your RV the day the rental begins, you’ll be all covered. If, on the other hand, you deliver your RV the night before your renter wants to begin their rental period, you’ll need to ask your renter to extend their rental period by one day so you’ll be covered by Outdoorsy’s insurance when you drop off your RV.
When you pick up your RV, the rental period is over so your personal coverage should cover your trip home. Please note that if your personal carrier denies coverage during your return home, notify us immediately at claims@outdoorsy.com.
Why offer delivery for your RV?
Deciding whether or not to offer delivery for your RV is a personal decision that can depend on where your RV is located, your comfort level, and your available time for deliveries.
If you do decide to offer delivery, remember that you are in the driver’s seat in terms of how much you’ll charge for it, how far you’re willing to go, and what sort of events/campsites you’re willing to deliver to.
Here are some of the main benefits of offering delivery for your RV(s):
- Business expansion — There are many potential customers out there who might love the idea of RV camping, but not the idea of RV driving. Offering delivery opens your door to these new customers.
- Customer service — Some of our best stories and most glowing reviews come from renters who’ve just had an owner pull up to camp with a ready-to-roll rig. By offering delivery and setup to your customers, you create the chance for these magical moments where you help inspire new people to the RVing lifestyle.
- Increased earnings — You can charge either a flat fee or a per-mile fee for delivery and pick-up. You can also charge add-on fees for your time and expertise during the setup portion of the delivery. All of this adds up to more income for your RV rental business.
- Cost savings — When you offer delivery and pick up to/from a single spot, your renter can opt for Outdoorsy’s stationary delivery insurance. Because your RV is only being moved by you during the trip, this passes significant insurance savings onto your renter.
- Peace of mind — When your renter wants a stationary delivery, you’ll know where your RV is the whole time and you won’t have to worry about what might happen to it over the road.
- Easier to rent out larger rigs — Fifth wheel RVs, for example, make excellent RV rentals because they can sleep a large number of people, they offer luxury amenities like multiple TVs and washer/dryers, they can haul extra “toys” like motorcycles, and much more.
But, fifth-wheels can generally only be towed by a heavy-duty truck, putting them out of reach for most renters with regular tow vehicles.
By offering delivery for your large fifth-wheel, you could open it up to people who want to rent it but don’t have the tow vehicle or the expertise to haul it.
How can I offer RV delivery to my renters?
From your listing dashboard, simply navigate to Listings > Vehicle > Pricing and then scroll down to your delivery settings. Check out this short video to see this in action:
Here are some important other things to remember about RV Delivery:
- For Outdoorsy’s insurance to cover the RV drop-off, you’ll want to deliver your rig the same day that your rental begins. If you plan to drop it off the night before the rental period begins, you’ll need to have your renter extend the rental period by a day so your delivery is covered.
- When you pick up your RV, the rental period is over so most personal carriers will then cover that portion of the trip. Check out this article for more info on stationary delivery insurance.
- If you are delivering to a campsite, the renter will need to have a site reserved in their name. You should not put your name on the reservation for them.
How to market RV delivery for your RV(s)
Offering RV delivery for your Outdoorsy rental(s) is more than just a convenience for your renters — it’s a valuable marketing tool in your belt. Here’s why:
- Special events like NASCAR races, concerts, and festivals — Attendees to large events regularly want RVs and rarely want to drive them or set them up. By offering delivery and marketing to events in your area, you could reach a new category of renter that you wouldn’t otherwise be connecting with.
- Connect with first-time RVers — Folks who’ve never RV’d before but really want to are prime candidates for the RV delivery add-on. By marketing your RV delivery to new RVers, you could be the spark that inspires a lifetime of outdoor adventuring for your renters.
- Insurance savings — It saves a large amount of insurance premium when your RV isn’t being moved by your renter. That savings is passed to your renter via the lower stationary insurance costs.
- Convenience factor — Even seasoned RV renters love the idea of rolling into a campsite with a ready-to-camp-in camper all set up on a site.
RV delivery is a valuable add-on that can help you expand your RV rental business. Not only is it a terrific convenience for renters, but it’s also a way for you to expand your business to new customers. We offer you total flexibility in terms of how far you’re willing to deliver your RV and how much you want to charge for the service. Given these benefits, we think RV delivery is something that every Outdoorsy owner should consider offering.
