“My family had an RV when I was young, starting in the early 1970s,” owner James Pitman tells us. “As a family, we took it all over the western US. Those memories built family bonds that lasted the rest of our lives.” This is one reason Pitman bought an RV for his family. It’s also one of the reasons he rents it out. “I hope my RV gives renters a carefree way to build great memories with their family and friends.”
Another reason James decided to go the rental route? “We chose to rent to offset costs of ownership, not necessarily to make a profit,” he explains. “I did know that we could rent it when I researched buying ours but hadn’t taken a deep look at Outdoorsy until months later.” When he did look into it, he jumped right on the option, which seemed just perfect for his needs.
“I picked Outdoorsy because the website UI was the easiest to deal with,” James recalls. “It was also easier for renters to deal with. The insurance offered to owners along with the driver background check are great features too.”
Pitman got his first rental about a month after listing on Outdoorsy. “ We’ve made approximately $14,500 from October 2017 through October 2021,” he shares. “That’s with zero rentals starting in 2020 through May 2021 due to COVID. We kept the RV at our home during that time.”
In that time, the Pitman family has also met some cool renters. “Most of the people we rent to are families that want a different type of vacation,” says James. “We get other types of rentals too for visiting family or [going to] festival-type events.
“We recently rented to a couple that was going off to get married. They spent their honeymoon in our RV and really enjoyed it. It was a great memory they will always have. Thankfully, they had a great time with our RV and didn’t have any problems.”
Clearly, James has had a blast renting his rig. His advice for newbies? “Make sure you are clear about why you are renting it out,” he explains, “and know that renting can be a very time-consuming job.”
Would he recommend others take on renting through Outdoorsy at all? “Yes, I would!” James exclaims. “Customer service is always there and available, plus it’s a far better use for an RV that otherwise spends most of its time being stored. That’s not very efficient.”
All About James
Favorite morning beverage: “Tea.”
Favorite campsite meal: “S’mores, cereal, cheese/crackers.”
Best game to play on the road or at your campsite: “‘Where are the kids? I hope they can find their way back to the campsite while they are out on their bikes.’”
Favorite season: “Summer, always.”
Last photo you took: “At our membership-only campground.”
If you could travel anywhere in an RV, where would you go? “Hawaii, but I understand the roads are flooded from about January through December.”
