We are looking for beautiful, unique, handmade conversions. Naturally this means that each one will be different; but just being different isn't quite enough. To be a Quirky Campervan it needs to be well thought-through, beautiful and finished to a high standard. If you have a conversion and are not sure if it fits the bill, have a look at our blog on Quirkifying your Campervan.
As a minimum, your campervan will need to meet the DVLA's internal features list for motor caravans. It is recommended but not required to change the body type on the V5 log book with DVLA from panel van to motor caravan.
Since 2019, the DVLA have been refusing many self build conversions. This is not a problem if your conversion meets the list of internal features required by the DVLA. The insurance company we use has stated categorically that they have no issue covering Quirky Campers listed campervans irrespective of the V5 classification (even if the reclassification of body type has been refused).
Here are some special features you may want to consider in your conversion to attract more bookings:
Unlike other agencies we want to ensure we maintain occupancy for all the vans listed with us so you can be confident it will be worth your while.
We used to advise that certain geographical areas were more popular than others. However since the pandemic and the explosion in the whole vanlife world we are now saying 'everywhere is great!' Proximity to large population centres always helps, as are connections to major transport links (motorways, train stations, international airports).
Most customers want to pick up near home and drive to their destination, so remote locations tend to be less popular. That being said, demand in the summer outstrips supply by more than 100% so customers just find ways to get to wherever you are.
This bit is very important to get right and make sure you and the customer are properly covered. There are two options that we can advise:
We have arranged a group discount on a comprehensive package including:
The package cost around £1500 per year (a bit more for vehicles over £20k or within certain postcodes such as in London). You just need to say you are listing with us get the Quirky Campers package. There is also the option to pay this monthly.
We also have a deal with a ‘pay as you go’ insurer. This currently costs £19 per day and can be bought on the day. It is less flexible (you'll need to charge for late return etc) and it only covers the hirers, so you will also need your own insurance! It also does not include breakdown cover, public liability or legal.
Almost all campervans listed with us are better off with the annual option but the pay as you go policy is a way to get started with no outlay and no risk. The annual option can still be purchased at any time.
You are responsible for the following:
No. Firstly the name must be unique on our system. This is because it is effectively the vehicle ID and used to identify the vehicle on the website and booking system. If there is already a Susan then it is not possible to list your vehicle as Susan.
To check if your campervan name is already taken click here.
Secondly, we are also a bit picky, so here are a few general rules we ask you try to keep in mind:
In an ideal world yes. However, we can okay it based on the photos you send us.
Before your first customer you will need to send us a copy of your GasSafe certificate from the last 12 months (if applicable) and a copy (or photo) of a valid Weighbridge readout showing the unladen weight of the vehicle. For more information on these two issues please read our blog on Gas Safe and Weight limits.
Vehicles do get bumped from time to time but it is rare - our customers are lovely and generally very careful. However, should such an event occur, the insurance will cover any damage to the vehicle. In addition, the customers pays a £500 security deposit when making a booking, and they are responsible up to a maximum excess of £1,000 (this is higher for certain drivers). This means that the £500 security deposit plus an additional £500 can be claimed to cover your insurance excess in the worst case scenario.
If a customer brings the campervan back late they may be asked to pay an hourly fee which we use to refund the subsequent customers if their pick-up is delayed. Where possible we will be flexible to ensure customer satisfaction.
Yes. We put no limit on owner use although we have to make it clear that your income will be greatly affected by how much you use it, particularly for peak season weekends. You can advertise your vehicle on your own website or social media but we don't allow you list with other agencies. See 'Can I list with other agencies?' below.
This is a difficult one and depends on your campervan, quality of your photos, your location and you. We aim to book a minimum of 70 nights for every campervan in the first 12 months, this will increase to 90 or more in subsequent years. Your responsiveness and usage can greatly impact on your overall income but good photos are the top factor!
Most owners ‘take home’ between £4,000 and £12,000 per year depending on the camper and your usage (the top end of that would be for a very popular vehicle that wasn’t booked in summer by its owner). Our owners find that this covers all the costs of insurance, MOT, tax, repairs and maintenance, with some left over for the upgrades you’ve always fancied doing or a very special trip or three!
For a better idea of what your campervan might earn download our Income Estimator. Please bare in mind this just a rough estimate and does not constitute financial advice!
See our seasonal pricing structure here.
As a minimum we ask you to provide bedding and a child seat (if appropriate) as an optional extra - anything else is up to you. We do not take a cut of the extras (only a 2.5% payment processing fee) so feel free to use your creativity to meet customers’ needs and bring in some additional income.
Many of our owners have ‘trained up’ a family member or friend to do their handovers and paid them a small fee. Alternatively, you could specify the handovers to only be on days you are available for instance Saturdays and Sundays.
There is no upfront fee and no annual cost. We take a 21% commission on the booking fee, this includes payment process fees and VAT.
There is no commission on any add-ons, mileage, delivery charges or security deposit claims but there is a 2.5% payment processing fee so you get 97.5% of any of these.
No. Unless you are turning over more than the VAT threshold (currently £85k) there is no advantage to being VAT registered
For the LTD it will depend on your situation but in most cases it will make sense to just register as a sole trader (Self Employed)
We will transfer to you the balance of any completed bookings fortnightly into your account. The balance is credited with your cut plus any extras.
Yes (well nearly). You can use the Quirky Campers booking system to offer your campervan to family and friends and reduce the booking price to £1. This satisfies a requirement for traceable payment by the insurers, collects all the right information from them and their drivers, send out emails confirming the booking and reminding them what to bring etc and blocks the dates on your calendar. For paying customers which you have sourced yourself, we encourage you to use our booking system, discount to £1 and then arrange payment directly.
You can have a tracker fitted but must tell the customer before the booking, and you must delete any data associated with the customers trip once the customer returns the campervan.
No. There are several reasons for this, firstly we tried this with a few owners but quickly found that because we provide excellent customer support, customers from other agencies will contact us with problems they are having. We also had too many occasion where owners made mistakes and double booked and we ended up having to cancel our customers which is damaging to our reputation. Another reason is that when you go live we invest in marketing your van in your location so we want to know we have a chance at getting this back.
Typically campervans on Quirky get double the bookings to any other agency.
Blogs: We also have some information about buying and converting on our blog (with more to come) which is here: Quirky Campers Blog
Email and phone: If all that doesn't cover it then give us a bell or drop us an email. Most of the team have converted their own campervans and between us we have a wealth of knowledge which we are very happy to share.
Further Reading: Over the next 7 weeks we are going to send you emails about the following:
(Click the headings if you want to read them now)
If you have any queries about any of the above, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
