Rent a Westy out on AirBNB?

[dixoncj]

Not my primary, daily driver Westy, mind you. I live in Charleston. Lots of tourists and good camping nearby and no hills to stress an engine. Wondering if it makes sense to buy a decent used one and rent it - specifying it's not to be driven more than 100 miles in any direction. Stupid idea?
This is what got me to thinking about it.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/689858

[Madeouttaglass]

I wouldn't. I have a vacation rental property. Unlike almost all of the others in my area I spend an extra $2000 per year on the proper insurance. You always have your neck stuck out to some degree when you have strangers use your property. Having them use a vehicle is an even larger risk. I once looked into renting out Goldwings in my touristy area. I used to buy them and go through them so I did have a few nice ones to use. The liability costs made it not worth while at all. For the possible money made my time would be better spent flipping burgers.
_________________
My 1987 Syncro Westy build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=575358&highlight=

[dobryan]

AFAIK the biggest hurdle, besides dealing with the renters, is insurance. I remember a thread a while back from someone who wanted to have a business renting Westies to vacationers and he couldn't get any insurance company to touch him... YMMV.

Related thread(s)..

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=541911&highlight=rent
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[MarkWard]

I thought about it too. I don't think it is a stupid idea, but not sure how you would get insurance or inforce the 100 mile radius. The deck is stacked against the small guy.
_________________
☮️

[Tobias Duncan]

You will have to see if they will let you do that first. I doubt their insurance is set up for it.
You would probably have better luck on one of those rent your car sites.

I absolutely love airbnb. I never stay in a hotel if there is a nice room available.
I also hosted a bunch last year. Made some extra cash and met the most wonderful people.

[vanagonjr]

I've thought about a small camper rental company - but not Vanagons - too old, too much work to get into prime rental shape. Also, I feel you need a "spare" unit so if something happens to someone's camper, it can re-placed quickly.

Looking at reviews of places that rented Vanagons, went like this. "Great awesome experience!" or "Broke down, had to grab a hotel until the owner could get the van, we had to rent a car, ruined our vacation! Never Again!"

Personally, I think 100 mile radius is way too small, but maybe it works for your area. I can cover 100 miles is less than 2 hours, perhaps that would have many staying at a hotel and day tripping instead.

There was a place renting small pick-ups with small campers on them and Priuses (They were new at the time) in California. I think in the right location, where you can pick up people at the airport (less they are renting a car to get to you where they can rent another vehicle), and there is a defined reasonable amount of area of interest, but not so far that you cannot reach them in 4 to 6 hours in case of a breakdown could be good. A climate that has tourists all year is a plus. Maybe as a retirement job, I might pursue this, but probably too much capital up front and I can't imagine the insurance costs for less than 6 months I could rent in the NoEast would work. Still, it has some appeal to me.
_________________
John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798

[lloydy]

I'd be more willing to rent it out for people to sleep in on my drive. Don't think i'd want complete strangers driving it around..
_________________
16" syncro multivan pop top AHU TDI
“Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life.”

[Tobias Duncan]

I think there are peer to peer rv rental sites already.

[furrylittleotter]

Southern heat, mosquitoes and aging Westphalias do not sound like a great business plan to me.

If you want a business involving a Vanagon I'd get a hightop and make it into an Ice Cream/Cold Drink/Hot Dog Truck.

I'd bet you'd have a line around the block.

Neil2

[IdahoDoug]

I know someone who rents a fleet of a dozen Westys, and it's not for the faint of heart. As noted above, I think you'd have a hard time making any money at all with a single van if everything went perfectly. You'd have to charge quite a bit of money just to cover the insurance and the wear and tear per mile which realistically you'd have to consider an expense. And a Westy might be perhaps the hardest vehicle on the planet to make money with. It's antique so parts are pricey. It's antique so things are going to break. Compared to other antique cars, it has multiple systems to break - water, cooking, storage, camping equipment, etc.

So you should either price it so high you are assured of making money, or consider it an act of love and accept that you will be losing money.

Personally, I could not handle the stress of worrying that a random renter might ignore a blinking light so they could get to that tourist stop they want to see and ruin the engine, or not notice their child scratching his name in the cabinet while they drive along. Or they forget to latch the top down and drive off and the roof slams up, or they cook fish in it and it reeks for a year, etc. I couldn't do it - too many possibilities and none of them helpful.
_________________
1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[dixoncj]

Great points from everyone.
We just started using AirBNB for our downstairs apt this week and already have inquiries.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2364173
We use VRBO too, but airBNB is way more flexible and thus the camper thinking. I've even thought about buying a hidden little piece of property near me (and the beach) and putting an airstream on it via AirBNB.
I think I will NOT bother with renting a Westy on AirBNB tho - per all the points brought up. We deal with the sweltering heat like with a homemade setup this if camping in hot weather. But I don't think it'd be a good idea to set up rental campers that way...
http://www.busstuff.net/Pages/ac.aspx

[joetiger]

[dixoncj]

I'm becoming fully convinced that I should never do anything to my van without first consulting TheOracle, I mean, TheSamba. So many great interventions have happened on here to potentially ruinous decisions.

[nacradriver]

You may want to drop these folks a note to see what they had to overcome...

http://happycampershawaii.us/

http://www.hanahou.com/pages/Magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=1247&MagazineID=77
_________________
Güdrun -1989 Westfalia - 2013 - 2018
Petra - 1985 Vanagon - 1985 to 1991
Zisa - 1974 VW Van "Bus" - 1974 to 1985

[kbeefy]

Thers a member here that rents his Vanagon out here on Oahu, as well as the guys linked above.

When I'm on the Big Island I see their rigs quite often, usually at one beach park or another. I have friends coming over this week to rent from them for a while. I think they get $100-150 a night.


We've been doing AirBnB for about 6 months, it's doing an excellent job of reducing our exorbitant rent down to almost nothing.
_________________
86 syncro CHC, NorthWesty subbie 2.5, decoupler, locker, custom interior, 225/75r16 Duratrack's on CLK's, Toyo cabin heater, ARB fridge, 300w Zamp Solar, Gowesty bumpers/skid/rails, Fiama awning

'86 Syncro Westy. Stock for now.

2000 F350 7.3 CC LB 11' Northland Cabover

2006 Subbie OBXT

2002 Tacoma DoubleCab 4x4

1969 Mustang Basket Case 351c/FMX/9

http://kbeefy.blogspot.com/

[yiucycle]

I seem airbnb where the westy owner just rent out their van for sleeping/cooking only at their backyard/driveway. Maybe a good $ make option without worry about insurance/maintaince, etc..
_________________
1980 2.8LV6 Fiero ASI/Riviera Vanagon
"there is no point in being embarrassed of all the stupid shit i done and will continue to do"

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[chojinchef]

Good friend of ours does AirBNB in Stowe Vt. He does quite well with it, and given that he is a Chef, he has more offers for reciprocation in just about every major city in eastern half of states.

Too many pitfalls with Westy rentals. Think about what you have gone through, X10, and during the vacation you saved up for a whole year to take.
_________________
Its a mistress; an expensive, whiney, needy bitch of a mistress. She is a chunky, dirty girl with bad skin, little motivation and yet she always makes me smile. She sure has been around before shacking up with me. She has a direct line to my wallet, plays with my emotions, is consistantly jovial yet with a sarcastic and sardonic side, is consistant in her inconsistancy, and every once in a while gives me a great ride and a fantastic memory.

[dubbified]

I wanted to take up the westys in Hawaii.. forget a hotel..

something like a hundred bux a day.. not a problem for me whatsoever.

Most people get a rental car.. and a hotel..

I go on vacation NOT to stay in a normal dwelling, and gain the experience.

Staying in a hotel is nice.. for a night or two.. but I prefer the outdoors.

[BetaVan]

I thought about this a while back too. I went ahead and listed the van, and had a few inquiries right off the bat. Ended up taking the ad down because I didn't want anybody else driving my van, having maintenance issues, and/or having something go wrong. Plus, the insurance protocol wasn't very clear for vehicles on AirBnB.

Would be nice to make money on a van that seems to enjoy eating dollar bills though
_________________
84 Westfalia
Vanistan 2.2 Powerplant
WBXhaust + External Oilcooler

[dixoncj]