How to Rent Out Your RV & Earn Up to $1,400 a Week

How to rent out your RV (and how much you can really earn)

Every campground has a version of this conversation. Someone mentions their trailer only got out twice last summer. Someone else jokes that it’s the most expensive guest room in the neighbourhood. And then somebody mentions, almost in passing, that they rented theirs out this season and it covered their insurance, their storage and the gas for the trip they were currently on.

That last comment tends to quiet the fire ring for a moment.

Renting out your RV is more common than you might think. Thousands of owners across Canada and the U.S. now rent theirs through RVezy, the marketplace we’ve partnered with for member rentals. Travel trailers there typically rent for $600 to $800 a week, and motorhomes often bring in more than $1,500 a week. So it’s worth taking a proper look at how it actually works, what it pays, and what happens if there are any issues on a rental trip.

Is renting out your RV worth it?

Most owners who try it start with one week. A single August booking on a travel trailer, at around $700, covers storage for the year, or the insurance, or the fuel for your own fall trip. Then the RV is back in the driveway and you have a real answer instead of a guess.

Listing costs nothing, and the RVezy platform only takes its fee when a booking actually happens, so a first rental commits you to nothing further. Some owners stop there, but most find themselves adding weeks: at six a season, the same trailer brings in up to $4,200, and at that point the RV is more or less paying you to own it. How far to take it is entirely up to you and your schedule.

You also stay in control of how your RV gets rented on the platform. You set the price, you block off the weeks you want the RV yourself, and you can decline any request that doesn’t fit your criteria. Your July long weekend at the lake is never at risk.

How much RV rental income can you expect?

RV rental income depends on what you own, where you live, and how often you’re willing to hand over the keys. The rule of thumb on RVezy: travel trailers rent for $600 to $800 a week, motorhomes for over $1,500. Busy hosts in peak season earn up to $1,400 a week, though most owners land somewhere more modest, renting a handful of weeks around their own trips.

One option worth a hard look, especially for trailer owners, is delivery. Many hosts charge extra to tow the trailer to a nearby campground, set it up, and collect it when the trip ends. Nobody tows your RV but you, and families without a truck will gladly pay for the service.

For a lot of owners this is the arrangement that finally makes them comfortable with the whole idea. Payouts arrive by direct deposit starting 24 hours after each trip begins, so you’re not waiting until the season’s end to see the money.

What insurance do I need to rent out my RV?

Fair question, and for most owners it’s the one that decides things. The short answer: the platform provides it, and you don’t need to change your own policy to list.

Every RVezy rental includes up to $1 million in liability protection and up to $150,000 in physical damage coverage for collision, fire, theft, and vandalism. The coverage comes through insurers including Liberty Mutual and, in B.C., ICBC. Every trip also includes 24/7 roadside assistance, so if a guest breaks down at midnight, that call goes to RVezy, not to you. Guests also put down a security deposit.

Your personal RV insurance still covers your own trips, with the rental coverage taking over the moment a guest’s trip starts. If something does go wrong, an in-house claims team walks you through the process and helps ensure everything is properly taken care of.

Who will be driving my RV?

Nobody rents your RV sight unseen. Every guest has to pass an ID verification before they can book, and you can message back and forth with them before accepting anything. If a request doesn’t sit right, you simply decline it.

On pickup day, you meet the guest in person, hand over the keys, and give them the same walkthrough you’d give a friend or family member borrowing it: here’s the awning, here’s the water pump, here’s the thing the furnace does when it’s cold.

You’ll know exactly who has your RV and where they’re headed. Guests have left over 150,000 reviews on the platform, with a 4.7 average rating, so you can also see how other owners’ rentals have gone.

How to rent out your RV in 4 steps

1. Create your listing. Photograph the RV on a sunny day, inside and out, and describe what makes it special. Things like the solar panels, the bunks, the awning you upgraded last year or any amenities you’d like to include can be mentioned. Listing is free.
2. Set your price and calendar. Use the weekly figures above as a starting point, or check the platform for similar RV’s in your area. Then you just block off every date you want the RV for yourself in the owner calendar.
3. Review booking requests. Chat with guests, ask questions, and accept only the bookings you’re comfortable with.
4. Do the handover. Meet the guest, do the walkthrough, and get paid by direct deposit starting 24 hours after the trip begins.

Most owners can have a listing live in an afternoon.

Not keen on apps? Put your kids to work

Here’s a tip that comes up again and again with longtime owners, make it a family operation.

Your adult kids or grandkids grew up with phones in their hands. Managing a listing is second nature to them, and it takes minutes a week. Answering messages, updating the calendar, AND checking payouts in the app can all be done from a mobile phone. You handle what you know best, which is keeping the rig in shape and doing the walkthrough. They handle the screen.

Plenty of families split the proceeds as a thank-you, and more than a few kids have discovered the rental income covers the family’s own camping trips. It also keeps the RV in the family and in use, instead of sitting under a tarp while everyone’s calendars fill up.

A few things experienced hosts have figured out

The best-reviewed rigs are stocked like a cottage. Fresh linens, basic kitchen gear, and a printed “how everything works” sheet earn better reviews than any upgrade money can buy.

Fast replies win bookings, since quick responses push a listing higher in search. Another good job for the kids.

First rentals go smoothest when they’re short trips with guests you’ve already messaged back and forth with. After one of those, you’ll know exactly how you feel about doing it again.

And the paperwork is simpler than it sounds. Rental income is taxable, but cleaning, maintenance, and supplies for rentals are generally deductible. Your accountant will know the details.

Worth a look before another season goes by

Nobody is suggesting you turn your RV into a business. You know your unit, your season, and your comfort level better than anyone. But you also know exactly how many weeks the rig sat last year, and now you know what those weeks are going for. The rest is arithmetic, and you can check it against your own numbers in a few minutes.

See what your RV could earn on RVezy →

Explorer RV Club has partnered with RVezy, North America’s #1 RV rental marketplace, to help members get more from their RVs. Listing is free and takes about an afternoon.