It’s important to understand renter interests, how renters can search for RVs, and the different ways they can book an RV. 

How Renters Find you on RVshare

Driving renters to rvshare.com is the number one priority for the Marketing team at RVshare. There are multiple ways renters can find RVshare, but the most common is through an internet search.

Google ad example

Once they have landed on RVshare they will search on the marketplace to find your RV. The renter can filter their search using the dates, location, towing vehicle (if applicable), and other criteria that help narrow down the RV perfect for their trip.

How a Renter Books

While on a search results page, the renter can refine their search with filters and can click on the RVs that interest them most. RVshare’s role is to match each renter with the RV that best fits their needs. The higher your listing ranks on the search results page, the easier it is for renters to find you.

Once a renter finds an RV they would like to book, they can contact you three ways:

  • Contact Owner – Renters can ask questions to make sure your RV is an excellent fit for them and their trip.
  • Request to Book – Renters can send you a Booking Request, which gives you 24 hours to review and communicate back and forth with the renter. The recommendation is to respond to 100% of booking requests within 1 hour as your calendar will be blocked while the request is pending.
  • Instant Book  – With Instant Book, a renter can book, pay, and get instant confirmation that their trip has been reserved. Learn more about Instant Book

The best thing you can do to avoid cancellations is to make sure your calendar is up to date. Learn more about your Availability Calendar. Also, if a renter contacts you with a message, answer as quickly as possible. The faster you answer, the more likely you are to secure a booking.

Request to Book – What renters see on the RV listing details page
Instant Book – what renters see on RV listing details page

RVshare Renter Fast Facts

Understanding who might rent from you will help you to anticipate potential questions, and understand what kind of content will be helpful for potential renters.

About half of the time, renters know where they are going before they rent the RV. 

Tip – For the renters who don’t know where they are going, add delivery to popular locations (see Delivery) to help teach renters about the popular destinations in your area. Delivery not only shows you are open to helping them get set up and save time, but it helps educate new RVers about where other renters are going in the area.

Depending on the season, approximately one-third of RVshare renters are new to RVs and consider themselves more of a beginner. RV rentals are fantastic because they open the option to be able to rent an RV to people who could never do it before.

Tip – Make sure you add content to your listing description that you think would be helpful for the renter to understand. What content would you add for someone who had never rented an RV before? What information might they need to know? You can include this information in your listing description. (Learn more about quality listings)

Great news. Most renters tell RVshare they would consider taking an RV trip one to three times a year.

Tip – This means, if you got a renter once and offered them a great guest experience, there is a good chance you would be able to get them to come back and rent again. Create a guest experience that stands out, and will have your renters coming back.

The Two Most Important Deciding Factors

RVshare renters tell us the most important factors when renting are:

FactorTip
Price – How much a trip will cost is at the forefront of the renter’s mind when they book an RV. Make sure you don’t charge renters with fees later and offer your optional fees up front (learn more about rates).  Renters expect a hotel-like experience when they rent an RV. This means you should never charge for things that should be included. Be sure to offer the basic travel industry standards when it comes to the experience and how you promote your RV. Always include in your rental: cooking utensils, linens – towels and sheets, initial bathroom supplies like toilet paper, and travel shampoo/conditioner.
Sleeping arrangements – When you set up the details for your listing, make sure you explain in detail the sleeping arrangements for your RV. All RVs are configured differently, so be sure to explain all the different sleeping options you have. You can show this by photographing the areas, and describing each of the sleeping options in detail. For example, if the kitchen table converts into a bed option at night, be sure to show the sleeping version and the kitchen table version in your photographs. 

Good luck renting!