Renting a Campervan Peer-to-Peer: The Full Checklist

Why rent a converted campervan between private owners

A converted van sits between a car and a motorhome: compact enough for daily roads, equipped enough for a weekend off-grid. Renting one from a private owner usually means a more personal handover, flexible dates and a vehicle that is genuinely lived-in rather than fresh from a depot.

It also means more responsibility on both sides. There is no front desk, so the handover, the paperwork and the condition report are what protect you. This guide walks renters through what to inspect, and owners through what to prepare before putting a van online.

On V2Wheels, a van falls under the compact motorhome and converted van (up to 3.5 t) category. Owners can already publish their listing for free; booking for motorised vehicles opens soon, once the renter can declare their insurance cover in the app. Until then, use the listing stage to get everything ready.

Licence B and the 3.5-tonne payload trap

Most converted vans are deliberately built to stay at or under 3.5 t gross weight so they can be driven on a standard category B licence. In the V2Wheels app you declare your licences in your profile, and eligibility for each category is computed from what you declare. For a van up to 3.5 t, category B is the one that applies under French rules. Swiss rules are planned but not yet in place in the app.

The real catch is not the licence but the payload. A van rated at 3.5 t can sit close to that limit once you add water, gas, gear, luggage and passengers. Overloading is an offence, and it changes braking and handling. Before you book, ask the owner for the available payload and plan your water and kit accordingly.

A quick note on honesty: V2Wheels does not provide insurance and has no insurance partner. For motorised categories the renter declares the civil-liability cover required for that category in the app; that declaration is what will unlock bookings for vans when it goes live.

The living cell: gas, water and electrics

The habitation cell is where a van rental succeeds or fails. Run through it methodically with the owner before you sign anything.

• Gas: locate the bottle, check it is secured and that you know how much is left. Test the hob and any gas heater, and confirm how to shut the gas off.
• Water: find the fresh-water tank, the pump switch and the grey-water drain. Fill a little and run the taps to confirm pressure and that nothing leaks.
• Electrics: identify the leisure battery, the charging source and the control panel. Check lights, the fridge and any sockets, and ask how long the battery lasts without a hook-up.
• Doors and locks: test the sliding door, rear doors and any pop-top roof, plus every lock.

Don't skip the driving basics either: tyres (wear and pressure, including when loaded), brakes, lights and indicators, documents on board, and any leaks or warning lights.

Mileage, dates and the handover report

Mileage terms vary from one owner to the next, so read the listing and agree in writing through the in-app messaging whether distance is capped or included. The same goes for where and when you collect and return the van.

The photo handover is central. On V2Wheels you photograph the vehicle in the app at departure and at return, with guided angles, and both parties sign. The rental starts at the second signature on departure and closes at the second signature on return. Note any existing scratch, dent or stain before you leave, and shoot the same angles on the way back.

Before the first photo, each side accepts or refuses analysis of the pictures by AI. If either refuses, no photo is sent to the AI and the V2Wheels team reviews the images itself before any decision on the deposit or the payout. A short low-speed test drive together and a quick video of the cell working are sensible extra habits.

Booking works as a request: the owner accepts or declines. Today every listing follows the Moderate cancellation policy — full refund up to 5 days before departure, half up to 24 hours before.

Deposit, payment and dispute handling

Each listing shows its own deposit amount, set by category. In France the default for a campervan or van is €1,500, held as a bank pre-authorisation — the sum is blocked on the card, not charged. It is placed within the 12 hours before departure and released 48 hours after return if there is no claim. Because a pre-authorisation only holds for a few days, a rental with a deposit lasts three days maximum.

Payment goes through Stripe and the amount is held by the platform, then paid to the owner after the rental if no dispute is open. If there is damage, you open a claim in the app up to 48 hours after the planned end; the deposit then stays blocked until the V2Wheels team decides. A retention never exceeds the deposit. For anything else, support@v2wheels.com — but an email alone does not freeze a deposit.

Owners: what to prepare before you list

Listing a van is free: add photos, a description, your daily price and your unavailable dates, then accept or decline each request. A few things make the difference between a listing that reassures and one that worries renters.

• Be honest about the payload and state the gross weight so renters know they are fine on a category B licence.
• Document the cell clearly: explain the gas, water and electrics, and leave a short written guide on board.
• Photograph every existing defect and keep the van clean — it sets the baseline for the return report.
• Service the basics: tyre pressures under load, brakes, lights, and valid documents in the glovebox.
• Set a fair daily price using the in-app price indicator, and once you want to receive money, complete your Stripe payout registration; each rental is then paid by transfer.

When booking for vans opens, these are the listings that will convert first. If you want to rent a van for a weekend away, or put your own on the market, download the V2Wheels app and get your profile and listing ready now.