2021 Mercedes Sprinter camper van
The short answer
Renting it about 7 nights a month could bring in roughly $13,245 a year after platform fees, cleaning and upkeep. Over three years that’s close to a tie with selling it today, so the real question is how much you still use it yourself.
Where to list it
Outdoorsy
Big audience for camper vans, with a protection plan built in.
- You keep per night
- $206 of $275
- Commission
- 20–25%
RVshare
Another big US audience. Calendar sync keeps both in step.
- You keep per night
- $206 of $275
- Commission
- About 25%
Your own booking site
Only for repeat renters you find yourself. You’d need your own rental insurance, which is hard to get for campers.
- You keep per night
- About $267
- Card fees
- About 3%
What it could earn in a year
| Scenario | Bookings | Platform fee | Cleaning and upkeep | Extra wear | You keep | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low4 nights a month | $13,200 | −$3,300 | −$2,360 | −$1,700 | $5,840 | 7% |
| Base7 nights a month | $23,100 | −$5,775 | −$4,080 | −$3,000 | $10,245 | 13% |
| High10 nights a month | $33,000 | −$8,250 | −$5,800 | −$4,300 | $14,650 | 19% |
At $275 a night, 25% commission, $60 per turnover, 3-night average trip. “Extra wear” is the resale value lost to rental miles. Yield is what you keep divided by what the van is worth today.
Keep it or sell it?
What you’d have after three years, counting cash, the van’s value, and insurance and registration while you own it.
Close call. Keeping it idle costs you about $34.5K over three years compared with selling. Renting it 7 nights a month wins back about $30.7K of that. If you still love those weekends away, keep it and rent it. If you don’t use it much anymore, selling is the simpler win, and we’d tell you that.
Before you list
- Call your insurer and lender. Platform protection covers trips, but tell your own insurer, and check your loan allows rentals.
- Block your own weekends first. Then set a 2-night minimum and a 150-mile daily limit with a per-mile charge over it.
- Get great photos. Bed made, kitchen set, one shot at golden hour. Photos are what renters judge first.
- Write down the handoff. A checklist for keys, propane, water, dump and return keeps reviews high.
Questions for your accountant
- How is rental income from a personal vehicle taxed for me?
- Which costs can I deduct, and how do I split personal and rental use?
- Does renting change how depreciation works when I sell?
We’re not tax advisors. These are starting points for a conversation with yours.
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See what my asset could earn →Sample uses made-up figures for illustration. Estimates, not forecasts or financial advice.