Make money from your RV

There are more and more ways to earn a few quid from your caravan

Let’s face it, new recreational vehicles ain’t always cheap. Unless you’re shopping at the budget, imported end of the market, forking out for a well-equipped, decent quality camper, caravan or motorhome will usually set you back at least $30,000, and you can easily double or triple that…

Then there are the cost of accessories, fuel, maintenance and the general expenses of touring around, including overnight fees.

However, being a part of the RV lifestyle doesn’t always have to be a drain on your bank account, with an increasing number of ways to actually make money, rather than always spend it.

Here are five, RV money-spinning opportunties…

Rent it

The RV market is not immune to the ever-growing online ‘sharing’ community that’s changing the way we do things.

First there was the option of letting guests camp out in your backyard through accommodation sharing websites like Airbnb. But now there are dedicated online communities like the Apollo-backed Camplify that provides a platform for RV owners to rent out their van or camper to holiday makers.

While it’s early days, with around 1500 RVs listed, the site has huge potential and promises a steady income for some, with Camplify suggesting possible earnings of between $280 to $2100 per week depending on type of RV (the website takes a five per cent cut on each booking),

Owners can set their own rental terms, with some choosing to tow the caravan to and from the campsite, with safeguards like insurance and a vetting process for renters.

Like taxi ‘online disruptor’ Uber, there are also signs that some canny operators are creating Camplify 'businesses', offering a fleet of two or more campers (often cheaper new models like Black Series or Jayco) to generate a bigger income.

Work from it

Running a business from your RV is another increasingly popular option. The options vary, from setting up your van with a mobile workstation, to taking your tools with you on the road so you can spruik your skills and services from town to town.

Another incentive is the ability to ‘write off’ some of your travel expenses on your taxable income if the RV is used primarily for business.

Purpose-built or converted caravans used for coffee, catering or even hairdressing are another trendy option, travelling to events, shows or premises as required. Or you can always join the hordes of grey nomads working their way around the country, undertaking seasonal jobs from fruit picking to managing a caravan park to stretch their travel dollars further…

Live with it

The social media boom has resulted in a rise in ‘amateur’ travel blogs that attract a big enough audience to entice advertising support. Increasingly common are family entrepreneurs like TripInAVan, a young family doing the Big Lap that have the benefit of corporate supporters including Mazda and Jurgens Caravans.

There are also opportunities for ‘brand ambassadors’ to promote a particular caravan or product, as long as you’re willing to be somewhat flexible with your travel plans.

Restore it

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you’d have noticed that vintage vans are all the rage right now, to the point where a number of businesses are now trading solely on the retro craze…

However, if you’re handy on the tools, or just got plenty of time and patience, there’s nothing stopping you from digging up a tired, old caravan and refurbishing it to the point where you can sell it for a decent profit.

The trick will be sourcing a suitably priced ‘golden oldie’ to start with, with most of the ‘barn finds’ already finding their way into collectors’ hands as demand and values have increased.

However, if you do manage to secure for a song that classic Viscount sitting under your neighbour’s carport, it could prove a tidy earner once returned to its former glory – but only if you don’t then fall in love with it and decide to keep it!

Upsell it

If all else fails, it’s comforting to know that most recreational vehicles hold their value much better than other modes of transport, including cars, that often depreciate faster than a sinking stone.

While the days might be over where you could picked up a new Jayco, travelled around Australia for a year or two and sold it for more than you paid for it, it’s still a relatively cheap mode of holiday accommodation in the long run, even if you do drop a few thousand dollars on the ‘trade-in’ after returning home…

Make money from your RV

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