NEW OWNER FAQs (December 2024)
Thanks for your interest in joining the Quirky family, hiring out a vehicle through our platform. Here are answers to the most common questions…
How do you select your campervans? What are the requirements?
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 whether it’s a fit for us have a look at our blog on quirkifying your campervan.
Note: we only list vans and buses. We are unable to list coach-built motorhomes, caravans (towables) and converted cars/people movers.
As a minimum, it will need:
And where applicable (only):
We appreciate that’s a fair bit of upfront effort and cost so…
Is it worth it? How many bookings will I get?
This is a difficult one and depends on the features and functionality of your campervan, the quality of your photos, your location and you! We aim to book a minimum of 70 days for every campervan in the first 12 months and this will increase anywhere up to 150 days in subsequent years. Your responsiveness and personal usage can greatly impact on your overall income, but good photos are the top factor!
You could expect to ‘take home’ between $10k and $35k per year (the top end of that would be for a very popular, high spec van that wasn’t booked our by its owner from October to March). Even at the lower end, our owners find that this more than covers the costs of the TSL, rego, insurance, CoF, repairs and maintenance, with sufficient funds left for the upgrades they’ve always fancied doing, a few personal trips or just paying off the van!
Unlike other agencies we want to ensure we maintain occupancy for all the campervans listed with us so you can be confident it will be worth your while. We are currently looking for owners all over New Zealand but over time may choose not to add new vehicles in locations where there are already enough owners, unless they are outstanding.
Factors that influence your income
In terms of functionality, customers like:
Location also plays a major role. Undoubtably Auckland and Christchurch are the most popular pick-up and drop-off points, but your van will do fine if you are close(ish) to an airport and/or you are able to bring your van to a convenient location for pick-up (usually for an additional cost).
But don’t overlook what our customers cherish about us… quirkiness! Our most popular vans are those that have a beautiful, coherent style with thoughtful details and real character/individuality. You would be amazed at how far people are willing to go for their dream van!
What do you charge for this service?
We offer an all-inclusive price to the customer and therefore we need to deduct an amount to cover the service provided by Quirky Campers NZ (website, marketing, transaction costs etc.) and also the insurance for your vehicle while it is hired out. Unlike other campervan hire companies who offer basic and premium insurance options to the customer, we build in premium insurance to give you peace of mind.
The total deduction from the amount the customer pays is 33% and you get the rest. We know that sounds a lot but read on!
There’s now really only one other peer-to-peer campervan rental platform in New Zealand – Camplify – who bought out Share-A-Camper and Mighway in recent years. There are fundamental differences to the way we calculate the amount paid out to van owners so it’s virtually impossible to compare like-for-like. But when you dig a little deeper into the calculations like we have there’s not that much difference in the amount paid to an owner for each trip. And we believe we offer our owners much better support and most importantly… more bookings! Evidence suggests at least twice as many bookings!
In a nutshell, Quirky Campers NZ:
How does insurance work?
We advise that you continue any personal use cover you have in place and Quirky Campers NZ will provide premium cover (as standard) for your camper while hired out to guests. This means any accidental damage to inside and out plus all non-fixed personal effects belonging to the owner are fully covered (unlike other peer-to-peer campervan companies). We build this cost into the advertised rental fee so that we can offer an all-inclusive price to customers. Note: our insurance does not cover loss of income as a result of your vehicle being unavailable for booking(s) due to damage.
Are customers careful?
Our customers are lovely and generally very careful. We provide guidance to them on many aspects of campervan hire to minimise damage/loss and issue GPS trackers to all van owners (you just pay for - or carry out - the installation but we pay for the unit and ongoing subscription). The primary purpose is to help track down the vehicle if it stolen or to alert us in the event of an accident. But we do also monitor driver behaviour and follow up with them if there are repeated alerts for excess speeding or harsh braking and/or a van enters a zone with unsealed roads (all of which could be damaging your vehicle or increase the risk of an accident). Ultimately, the GPS units encourage good driving which is beneficial for everyone!
What happens if my campervan gets damaged whilst on hire?
Vehicles do get bumped from time to time but it is relatively rare. However, should such an event occur – beyond general wear and tear - the repair costs are covered. Customers pay a security deposit to cover minor damage and for anything more serious this bond would also contribute to the insurance excess in the event of a claim.
The only exception to our fleet insurance policy is glass… chipped or cracked windscreens. So, we have the following policy in place:
The idea with this approach is to encourage hirers to act promptly and address a chip - with no cost to them - before it could become a crack and need a windscreen replacement which they would then need to contribute to. And in the case of a replacement, it shares the costs across all parties which seems fair.
Needless to say, we expect any chips or cracks that occur during your own van use to be covered under your own personal policy :)
What do you need from me?
You are responsible for the following:
Do customers pay for Road User Charges (RUC)?
Yes. We calculate the RUCs applicable to each hire once the guest(s) have returned the vehicle, charge the customer and then pass it on to you as part of your payout. We do this at the rate set by the New Zealand Transport Agency – there is no mark up or processing charge.
Do you offer a management service?
No, sorry. All van owners (or friend/family member) need to look after their own vans at their location, managing the preparation of the van and handovers to hiring customers. We don’t offer an ongoing management service for this.
Will you need to see my camper in the flesh?
Ideally yes as it's a great opportunity to meet you, talk through what is involved and get a real feel for your camper so we can do an even better job of selling it to our customers. However, where this is not feasible, we can okay it based on the photos.
What extras do I need to provide?
We provide a list of recommended basics to provide (pantry items, cleaning supplies, first aid kit, fire extinguisher or fire blanket etc.) and as a minimum we ask you to provide bedding and towels as optional extras - anything else is up to you so get creative! Popular items include awning tents, bike racks, stand-up paddleboards and fishing rods… and these are commission-free.
Can I name the vehicle anything I like?
Within reason! The name must be unique on our system to avoid any confusion. So if there is already a Steve, then it is not possible to list your vehicle as Steve.
Secondly, we are a bit picky so here are a few general rules we ask you try to keep in mind:
Can I continue to use my own van as much as I want?
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 between October and March.
How can I do the handovers if I work full time?
Many of our owners have ‘trained up’ a family member or friend to do their handovers and pay them a small fee. Alternatively, you could specify the handovers to only be on days – or times of the day – when you are available for instance Saturdays and Sundays only or weekdays after 5pm. However, these sorts of restriction will impact your income.
How and when will I get paid?
We aim to process all pay-outs within 7 days of the trip end.
Do I need to be GST registered or create a limited company?
For GST the answer is not unless you are turning over more than the GST threshold (currently $60k).
For the limited company it will depend on your situation but in most cases, it will make sense to just register as a sole trader (Self Employed) or declare the additional income as part of your tax return. Please consult an accountant on this matter and/or guidance from the IRD.
Can I rent out my campervan to friends and family for free?
If you want to use the Quirky Campers booking system to offer your campervan to family and friends, then we can set up (a) unique discount code(s). At minimum the amount paid would need cover the insurance ($50/day) with no payment to you… alternatively you can set a discount rate to cover both the insurance cost and provide you some income. Using either approach has the benefit of collecting all the right information about the driver(s), sending out emails confirming the booking and reminding them what to bring etc. and blocks the dates on your calendar. It also creates some formality which can be useful if there are any issues! Note: with either approach, the excess/deductible in the event of damage is $3000 rather than the standard $1500 for regular full-paying customers.
For paid customer bookings which you have sourced yourself, you are welcome to use our booking system for a reduced deduction of 25% (as opposed to 33%).
Can I list my vehicle with other agencies?
Ultimately, we are keen for Quirky Camper owners to list exclusively with us to avoid any conflict, mistakes and double bookings, but we can be flexible up front... especially so you can honour existing bookings. So, in the short-term we are happy to dual list but ask that you work with us to list your vehicle at the same “fully loaded” price to the customer. If you have any concerns about dual- or exclusive listing with Quirky Campers NZ – please reach out to us for a chat.
I've got more questions - where can I find help and advice?
Drop us a line! The team at Quirky have converted their own campervans and are very happy to share their knowledge and experience with you.
