Renting out your camper van: is it worth it?

The short answer: it depends on your van, your season and your rules

A camper or converted van sits idle for most of the year — one industry estimate puts the average parked time at around ten months. Renting it out between private owners can turn some of that downtime into income, but there is no single magic figure. What you earn depends on four things: the type and condition of your vehicle, how many days you actually let it, the time of year, and the price you set.

Published figures vary enormously, from roughly €3,000 a year for about five weeks of rental to much higher numbers for well-equipped vehicles let for many weeks. These come from different platforms and assumptions, so treat them as a spread, not a promise. The honest takeaway: a tidy, in-demand van let across the summer can cover a meaningful part of its running costs; a tired vehicle let a handful of weekends will not make you rich.

What you can realistically charge per day

Daily prices reported by French sources give a useful starting range:

Vehicle type	Low season	High season
Converted van (van aménagé)	~€70–120/day	up to ~€150/day
Profilé camper	~€80–150/day	up to ~€200/day

Condition matters as much as type: an older, high-mileage converted van sits near the bottom of the range, while a recent, low-mileage, high-comfort vehicle can command more than €200 a day. Age, equipment, cleanliness and your photos all move the needle.

On V2Wheels you set your own base price per day. The app shows a price indicator that situates your listing against comparable ones, and it adjusts the daily price automatically within a −5% to +15% band depending on demand — handy for leaning into peak weeks without micromanaging every booking.

Seasonality: where the money really is

Camper demand is strongly seasonal. School holidays, long weekends and the summer stretch are when bookings cluster and prices firm up; the shoulder and winter months are quieter and cheaper. That is why the same vehicle can look very profitable or barely worth it depending on how many of its let days fall in high season.

Two practical consequences:

• Protect your own holidays. If you want the van in August, block those dates — but know you are blocking your most lucrative window.
• Count real let days, not calendar availability. Estimates of roughly five to fifteen weeks a year are common; your mileage will vary with your region and vehicle.

Costs, wear and tax you should budget for

Gross income is not take-home. One French guide estimates fixed ownership costs of roughly €2,500–4,500 a year for an average profilé — insurance, servicing, the contrôle technique and winter storage — which on gross revenue of about €5,000–8,000 leaves a net figure well below the headline.

Factor in:

• Maintenance and wear: more kilometres and more users mean tyres, brakes, the habitation cell and fittings age faster. That said, several sources note a vehicle driven regularly often deteriorates less than one left standing — provided renters treat it well.
• Cleaning and turnaround time between each rental.
• Tax: in France, rental income for a private owner generally falls under the BIC regime, often the micro-BIC option. Check your situation — rules and thresholds change and depend on your other income.

In Switzerland, tax and declaration rules differ and are set at federal and cantonal level; confirm them with cantonal guidance before you start. V2Wheels is live in France today, with French-speaking Switzerland planned.

Insurance: the point you must settle first

This is non-negotiable. V2Wheels does not provide insurance and has no insurance partner. Before you ever hand over the keys, speak to your own insurer to confirm whether — and how — your vehicle is covered when driven by someone else, and what a dedicated solution would cost. Do not assume your standard policy extends to a paying renter.

For motorised categories, including campers and vans, the renter will also need to declare their own liability cover in the app. That declaration — and the licence eligibility calculation — is arriving soon, which is why van bookings are not open on V2Wheels yet. You can already publish your listing for free today so it is ready when they are; just don't expect reservations to go through before that feature lands.

How to limit the risks and set your own rules

You stay in control of each rental. On V2Wheels every booking is a request you accept or refuse, you message the renter directly before agreeing, and the payment is held by the platform and paid to you after the rental. Each listing also shows its deposit, taken as a card hold (blocked, not charged) — the French default for a camper or van is €1,500. Note that a rental with a deposit lasts three days at most, because a card hold only lasts a few days.

To protect your vehicle:

• Do a guided photo check-in and check-out in the app, with both parties signing — the rental starts and ends at those signatures.
• Take a short joint test drive at low speed and note any existing marks before departure.
• Check tyres, brakes, lights, the gas/water/electrics cell, doors and locks, and tyre pressure under load.
• State clear house rules up front: mileage expectations, no smoking, pets, and how you want the van returned.

For a figure tailored to your vehicle and the number of days you plan to let it, use the V2Wheels revenue estimator rather than generic ranges — then publish your listing and get it ready in the app.