How to create an eye-catching listing 

Creating an eye-catching listing will attract renters, earning you more money. Spend some time following best practices to ensure your RV listing is set up for maximum bookings. 

Why does building an effective listing matter?

Two main reasons: 

  1. Renters are more likely to click on listings that have beautiful photos and a nice Title with detailed information they can review to see if your RV will be a good fit for their trip. 
  2. When a renter is looking for an RV, the most relevant RVs are at the top of the search results just like a search engine.

When it comes to selecting an RV, most potential renters will not scroll beyond the first page of the search results. RVshare displays the best possible RV matches to renters. Certain aspects of your listing can actually increase your ranking in search results, which equals more eyeballs on your RV, and ultimately more bookings. 

Learn more about how Sort Ranking is determined.

What part of my listing should I be looking at? 

You can edit your listing at any time in your Dashboard. These are the elements of the listing that not only attract renters but provide them with all the information they need to book your RV: 

  1. Location and Delivery 
  2. RV Details
  3. Amenities
  4. Description and Title
  5. Photos
  6. Rates and Add Ons
  7. Rules and Policies
  8. Calendar 

Location and Delivery 

First in your Dashboard is Location and Delivery. 

Location is where you input the physical location of your RV so when a renter searches for an RV near them or where they plan to adventure, your RV will show up in the search results. 

Delivery is a feature that allows you to charge a renter when you deliver your RV to them – whether by the mile or based on a destination you specify.

Fun fact: towables that offer Delivery get a significantly larger number of bookings than those that don’t. Renters really love the seamless experience that comes with having the RV delivered and set up so they can start enjoying their vacation right away. Delivering takes time out of your day so price it accordingly.

RV Details

RV Details displays critical information about your RV on your listing details page. Making sure you’ve accurately included the year, make, model, length, slideout measurements, and other important automotive features of your RV will tell the renter whether they can operate or tow your RV, what size campsite it will fit in, and if it comes with everything they’re looking for. 

For towables, it’s very important to accurately include the weights of your trailer so a renter can determine 1. If they need to have it delivered or 2. If their car is able to handle the weight.

Amenities

Next in your Dashboard is Amenities, which is where you’ll be able to let renters know what comes with your RV. Renters are able to search by the different features of the RV so make sure and fill those out with everything your RV includes.

Description

This section includes more than just the Description of the RV. It’s also where you get to name the Title of your RV, which displays on your Listing Detail Page. The Title should include the best part of your RV and what will catch a renter’s attention. Here’s a quick formula for creating an eye-catching title: [RV Type – What Makes It Great]. So for example “Mercedes Benz Sprinter – Off Grid Paradise”.

Three things your Description should definitely include are: 

  1. What’s included in your RV- Examples include;  a stocked kitchen, linens for the beds, a grill, and even camping chairs. 
  2. Sleeping arrangements and bed sizes- Renters want to know how the beds are oriented and the approximate sizes, so they can envision who will sleep where. 
  3. Upgrades and add-ons- If you offer anything extra that a renter could add on to their experience, list that out here. Examples include; kayaks, bicycles, and propane. 

Next, there’s another opportunity to show off your expertise by including your Top 5 Destinations for your RV. Think of the top 5 places near you RVers may go or your favorite hidden gems. This can help renters who may be just browsing turn into bookers. 

Lastly, Cleanliness helps give renters confidence in securing a rental. Include your standard cleaning practices, as well as let the renter know anything above and beyond that you do to take care that the RV is extra  clean.

Photos

Photos may be the single-most important thing to spend time on when setting up your listing. Here are some tips for taking quality photos and attracting renters to your listing:

1. Upload at least 20 photos. Renters will be of all levels of experience and RVs have different bed set-ups and orientations. Is there a second door? Where is the primary bedroom? Will I be sleeping on the dinner table? These are things renters do not want to be surprised by when they see your RV. Take pictures of the inside and outside of the RV so the renter can start to imagine how this will work for their trip. 

Pro Tip: Include captions on each picture to help the renter visualize where that is inside or outside the RV. 

Pro Tip: Upload the floor plan of your RV so people can see the layout.

2. Clean your RV first- Before snapping any pictures, make sure your RV is in tip-top shape. This will maximize your efforts and show renters you keep your RV clean. Spend some time staging your RV so a renter can imagine themselves using it. Pretend the renter is picking up the RV today and what that first impression should be. 

3. Lighting- It may seem obvious but making sure your pictures have good lighting will really show off your RV. Don’t take pictures directly into the sun. Similarly, make sure there’s good natural light and it’s not dark outside. Morning and afternoon tend to be the best time to snap good photos. You can also get a ring light to lighten up the darker areas. 

4. Composition- Think about what you’re trying to capture. Center the objects so it’s clear to the renter what you’re displaying. Try to keep your camera straight and avoid taking pictures at angles. Also, make sure your pictures are clear and not blurry. 

Pro Tip: Download the App. It makes it easy for you to take and upload photos from your Smartphone. 


3. Edit your photos- You can edit photos directly from your phone or there are plenty of free apps you can download to your phone or computer to adjust the lighting, crop or scale the pictures. These apps VSCO, Lightroom, or Afterlight can help you create a consistent look by using filters. If needed, leverage the tools to brighten and edit photos but be sure they are still an accurate representation of your RV.

Rates and Add-Ons

Another critical component of your listing is your rates. A good starting point for setting your rates is searching RVshare for some similar years, makes, and models in your area. If you want to offer a discount for longer stays such as a week or month, you have the ability to determine what percentage off you want to provide. 

In the unlikely event, any damage occurs on your RV, set your damage deposit so you can use those funds to repair anything small that might need attention. 

This is also where you will add any add-ons. Here are some suggestions: 

  • Generator hours
  • Mileage limits 
  • Cleaning fees
  • Pets fees
  • Dumping fees

You can research RVs in your area to make sure you’re staying competitive. Set a maximum of 3 add-on fees but do make sure you’re charging for your time and effort. 

Rule and Policies

You have full control over the rules and policies of your RV business. It is very important that you make your Rules and Policies known to each renter. It is also a good idea to have reminders of all Rules and Policies posted in your RV. 

  1. Cancellation policy – Recommended to be set to Flexible so in case something comes up, the renter is able to get their money back for a trip they didn’t get to take. Things come up, so being flexible creates a great renter experience. 
  2. Payment terms – Allow your renters to make multiple payments so they can pay for the RV trip over time instead of paying 100% upfront. 
  3. Pick up and drop off times – This depends on your schedule so choose select windows that will work for you the majority of the time. It is also ideal to be flexible when possible. 
  4. Pet policies – Renters are always looking for the ability to bring their furry friends with them on a trip. On the other hand, there are plenty of people who are also allergic to furry friends so keep that in mind.

The Pre Booking Message is a feature that allows you to vet renters who submit a booking request. What are the critical things you need to understand from a renter to accept their bookings? This can include things such as towing capacity, where they plan on camping, and RV experience. Include them here as you should accept 100% of booking requests. 

Booking settings allow you to define how much time you need in between rentals and to get ready for a new booking. Be conservative to start and as you learn, adjust these settings at any time.

  • Preparation time – The time it takes for you to turn around your RV for the next renter
  • Instant Book –  Allows renters to automatically book your RV 
  • Under the Booking Settings tab, you can include preparation time you’ll need in between rentals as well as if you’ll allow a renter to Instant Book your RV or if you’re more comfortable reviewing each request within a 24-hour period before it expires. 

And lastly, the Owner Rental Agreement is uploaded and can be turned on if you’d like that as the contract between you and the renter. This would cover anything that’s not in the RVshare Terms of Service and creates your own agreement.

Calendar

Always keep your calendar availability updated. If you’re taking your RV out for a trip, make sure and block the date in advance so it won’t show up in search results. If you just need to take a break and don’t want to get bookings, block off some time so you can take care of that. Nothing is more frustrating than a renter narrowing down their search to the perfect RV, only to find out it’s booked elsewhere or otherwise unavailable.

 It’s so important to make sure your availability is always accurate so update your calendar on a weekly basis based on your usage. 

That’s it! Now you’re on your way to getting more bookings by attracting renters with your beautiful listing.

Note: Restrictions on RV Substitutions. When a listing is published, the RV in the listing is  connected to that listing permanently. RV details and listings must not be swapped out or substituted for another RV. The replacement of an RV on an existing listing is both misleading and  against RVshare policy. In order to accurately advertise your RV to renters, any time a new RV is added to an account, it must be set up as a new listing. Reviews and insurance, among other important details on the listing, do not transfer to another RV and relate to each uniquely identified RV.