Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by PH »

trogg wrote:Cost of hire/rent, this is going to be my biggest drawback, campervans are not cheap, I'll be looking at £40-£75 a day with a minimum hire of 3 days, and these figures may change by the time I've got all my costs in.

I love the idea, even more so if you could bring it in at the lower end of that estimate, but even without looking into it I suspect it's unlikely. I've looked into motorhome hire before and even between two it's worked out a lot cheaper to hire a large car/van and stay in B&Bs/hotels.
Good luck
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by reohn2 »

trogg wrote:
reohn2 wrote:I cant help with the marketing other than what's been posted already,but if compact camervans are what you are looking for these people are very well regarded in the industry:- http://www.nuventure.co.uk


very nice 8) but I'm looking at doing my own conversions, In this case it would be a long seat which would become a bed at night leaving room for a bike or the seat would become a pull-out bed for a couple to sleep in.

I'd check out YouTube for camper conversions,there's some quite innovative ideas on there.But if you're thinking of a hire business your campervan(s) will need to be tip top condition and approved especially for gas and electrics,even then because it's home conversion the insurance would be sky high I should think.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
User avatar
trogg
Posts: 145
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 7:52pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by trogg »

PH wrote:I love the idea, even more so if you could bring it in at the lower end of that estimate, but even without looking into it I suspect it's unlikely. I've looked into motorhome hire before and even between two it's worked out a lot cheaper to hire a large car/van and stay in B&Bs/hotels.
Good luck


I understand what you're saying, It would work out a lot cheaper per person if I were to rent out a 4 birth camper but it would still work out at £20-£30 per person per day, and my target customer would be someone like me, I hate Hotels and love camping, the thought of going out for a cycle and coming back to comfortable camper is my idea of a holiday.... I might be the only one who thinks like this though :D which is why I'm asking the question..... and getting plenty of answers, thanks :wink:

I've looked into hiring a motorhome myself for a family holiday, my wife is a teacher so we have to go away in peak season, the price almost £2000 for 2 weeks... and it was the same for a canal boat, when I enquired the canal boats were all fully booked and the mororhome company had 2 left, and I was trying to book in May for that summer.

So my target customer is someone who would rather spend £2000 on a motorhome holiday rather than going to the south of France......
boing boing
User avatar
trogg
Posts: 145
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 7:52pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by trogg »

reohn2 wrote:I'd check out YouTube for camper conversions,there's some quite innovative ideas on there.But if you're thinking of a hire business your campervan(s) will need to be tip top condition and approved especially for gas and electrics,even then because it's home conversion the insurance would be sky high I should think.


Have had a good look on YouTube, there's some very nice conversions on there.... and some not so nice lol, I think I could do a very reasonable conversion.
On the electrical and gas side of things I will need them tested and certified to say they are safe, most of the LPG equipment you can buy is for camping outside use only, my hob will be designed to use it a mobile home and will automatically cut out if the flame was to blow out, the 3 way fridge will have to have a flue to outside and can only be used on 12 volt while the camper is moving, the room sealed heater will be gas and again will have a flue to outside, the gas bottle along with all the gas appliances will have a 'drop out' below them in case of a leak.

I've tried to think of everything but I've got another 12 months to get things ironed out, costing things and making sure what I do is legal etc is the easy part , knowing who my customers are isn't
boing boing
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Who knows, maybe supply will create demand, has happened often in the past

I might prefer to spend GBP 2 000 to buy a vehicle outright, an old VW bus maybe

'Bretonbikes' is a member here, his posts and website are interesting, they describe how the business developed
He reviews cycles too
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
User avatar
trogg
Posts: 145
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 7:52pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by trogg »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Who knows, maybe supply will create demand, has happened often in the past

I might prefer to spend GBP 2 000 to buy a vehicle outright, an old VW bus maybe

'Bretonbikes' is a member here, his posts and website are interesting, they describe how the business developed
He reviews cycles too


Did you miss a zero out ? lol looked at the old VW bus as as possibility, but there are a lot of companies renting them out and they are very expensive to buy, and looking at various forums they break down often, no good to me but extremely popular, even the T5 and T6, have a massive following and I haven't ruled out perhaps converting them.
boing boing
Cyril Haearn
Posts: 15215
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by Cyril Haearn »

No, I meant 2 000 but I haven't looked seriously :? Might have to be 20+ years old
I know new ones are very expensive
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
ChrisF
Posts: 665
Joined: 22 Mar 2014, 7:34pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by ChrisF »

trogg wrote:
PH wrote:my target customer would be someone like me, I hate Hotels and love camping, the thought of going out for a cycle and coming back to comfortable camper is my idea of a holiday.... I might be the only one who thinks like this though :D

I'm that target customer and I'm currently converting my own campervan for that purpose. Not planning to hire it out because that would involve lots of extra rules / insurance etc.
To start with (and to get an idea of what I wanted) I hired a new VW California in Spain last November. It cost about £80 a day. I had my bike on a rack on the back. The lifestyle was great but I found the van too small for a week, even for just me. Having to make and unmake the bed (from the seats) every day was a real chore (and I even cracked a rib doing it!). And I wasn't happy having the bike on a rack.
So I decided something bigger was needed, and ended up buying a slightly-used Peugeot Boxer to convert. It's getting near being finished now, and has a nice storage area for my bike under the bed. It'll have cost me around 20k, although I could have done it cheaper with an older base van, and buying an old caravan for all the camper bits (heater, cooker, fridge etc). That 20k doesn't include my time, of course, which you need to factor in if it's going to be a business.
A new VW California is getting on for 60k; you can buy older campervans but they wouldn't be reliable enough for a rental business.
There's plenty of websites devoted to converting campervans, have a look for more ideas. http://forum-sbmcc.co.uk/ https://www.diymotorhome.co.uk/community/
Chris F, Cornwall
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by simonhill »

To answer half your question, I think using a campervan as a mobile base for cycling is a great idea. Then again, I have had a variety of VWs since 1981. I think they give more scope than simple point to point touring, which by its nature is linear. With a camper based in one place you can take circular rides in all directions over a few days and explore a wide area.

Having said that I have no idea if your business plans are sound. Converting yourself will be cheaper, but you have ensure quality and robustness. Also all the safety regs, as mentioned before. When I insure my van, they always want to know if it is a professional conversion.

Cost will be a key factor and location, also as said. I feel a near London based location would help as it is more likely to appeal to overseas visitors.

Plenty of people do hire and there does seem to be a gap in the market for smaller vans, but I'm not sure it's particularly cyclists you should be aiming for. Nonetheless a good quality rack on the back would make them cyclist friendly.

In NZ I met people who had bought very rudimentary conversion. Basically a bed in the back of a panel van. Portable cooker (for use outside) to avoid gas regs and a few other bits, eg table 2 chairs, etc.These appealed to budget travellers who bought in the south and sold in the north, as they were much cheaper than renting. Not saying this is what you want to do, but seemed to work there.

Finally, I suppose there is one question to ask. Why are there very few small campers for rent, apart from the old VeeDub ones. Is it a gap in the market, or because there is no market. You could contact some of the big rental companies and ask for a small van then when they say no, ask why.

Good luck and keep us informed
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by PH »

This site might be of interest to you, lots of home conversions being hired out, some not so new or IMO that well fitted out, the price is still more than I'd be prepared to pay, but not as high as those hiring newer motorhomes
https://www.quirkycampers.co.uk/campervans/
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by Cunobelin »

The other competition is from people like me!!!!!!!

I already have a car that I use extensively, for this type of holiday I just bung some camping equipment on the back.
User avatar
Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by Cunobelin »

With regards to the market - I am unsure. I have seen quite a few smaller ones for hire in Iceland
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by thirdcrank »

I see that in much the same way that there are agencies managing the rental of holiday accommodation - for a fee - there's at least one that seems to offer a similar service for motorhome rental.

https://www.goboony.co.uk/
millimole
Posts: 909
Joined: 18 Feb 2007, 5:41pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by millimole »

I'm mildly positive about your general idea, although I think you need to consider newer vans for reliability and marketing.
Consider your target customers - yes, cyclists, but where from?
I can't see there being a huge market among uk riders (maybe pre/post Audax rides) , nor from mainland European riders - but, I do see a big potential from other continents, particularly if you could pair up with someone who could rent out a bike to go with the van.
As far as marketing this idea goes - have you considered approaching a business school to see if they'd like to set a student onto looking at your potential market (size & scope)? They used to be desperate for student projects and this sounds ideal.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly using hovercraft full of eels.
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider
Ant...
Posts: 81
Joined: 26 Jan 2018, 4:35pm
Location: Denbighshire

Re: Thinking of starting a micro campervan rental business

Post by Ant... »

I've used these guys a couple of times Down under, they are also here now. http://www.wickedcampers.co.uk/ We even got a 5% discount for rocking up naked.
Post Reply