Motorhome ExchangeIf you are lucky enough to own a RV, motorhome or campervan, one option you have is to swap a motorhome with someone else.Glen Swatman and her husband Steve have been travelling all over the world for about thirteen years and still going strong. One method they have tried and done successfully is travel in a motorhome and swapped motorhomes with other people. In her blog she has given many hints and tips for this kind of travel - including . Boondocking. Here is her article about an Australian Motorhome exchange Australia motorhome exchangeAfter a couple of years traveling Europe in Charlie we were ready for a change and decided to try and do a motorhome exchange.
Motorhome exchanges are a wonderful idea, not only do you get to use a motorhome suitable for the country you are visiting but you will no doubt make friends with the people you are exchanging with and be offered maps, books and guidance to plan your trip. We have done three exchanges "down under" and enjoyed 16 months in Australia and 6 months in New Zealand this way. Today there is a great exchange section on the UK motorhome web site where you can place and read exchange adverts. You will get more replies by keeping your request as open as possible in terms of date, duration etc. You can always modify things nearer the time but it seems better to have options that you can turn down rather than no offers at all. The exchange needn't be simultaneous and is probably better if not, enabling you to check your motorhome in and out and also to help out with any problems whilst it is in use. Leave copies of vehicle papers, insurance and instruction books in the motorhome. In addition we did a simple list on usage of appliances then duplicated it and cut out the appropriate slips to stick in the relevant places. We had no written contract in the belief it would be difficult to word and probably be hard and expensive to enforce with people from abroad. A letter of understanding as to the agreed deal was what we ended up with. Finally if you don't feel comfortable enough to trust the people you are exchanging with then maybe you shouldn't be doing it. In the worst scenario we figured that any major costs would probably be covered by insurance and smaller bills could be off set against the costs we would have otherwise incurred in either renting or buying then selling a motorhome abroad. We exchanged on the basis that the owner was responsible for tax, MOT (or the country equivalent) fully comprehensive insurance, and repairs due to wear and tear (including tyres). The borrower would pay for ongoing servicing plus any damage they caused. No mileage restriction would apply. It may be an idea to initially take a sum of money as a bond. We removed our clothing and personal possessions from the motorhome but made everything else available and left a grocery starter pack and cleaning materials. The easiest thing, space permitting, is probably to empty your vehicle in order to give it a thorough clean and then replace everything together so that the borrower can see what you have and where it goes. When you are borrowing their motorhome they may not have some of the things you like to have. Before dashing out to buy them it's worth mentioning it to the owners. On our first swap they didn't use their motorhome in cold weather but when we asked about heating they came up with a fan heater and hot water bottle. We actually spent very little buying items that weren't initially offered. If you can allow yourselves time it's worth spending a couple of days together initially to familiarise yourselves with the vehicle and do a test run. If you are offered a vehicle which is older and/or of lower specification than yours you may want to offset the disparity by using theirs for a longer period of time. InsuranceBeware of paying or accepting money as most insurance policies are invalidated if the vehicle is rented out. Make sure they have the correct category of driving licence for the weight of your vehicle. Prior to the exchange we asked for a letter from their broker to show any claims made on their insurance policy plus a copy of their driving licence. If they are planning to drive outside the UK they will also need an international licence and your written permission to take the vehicle overseas. Other important informationTry to get a floor plan of the vehicle and photographs of both the motorhome and owners. Ask plenty of questions about their vehicle and don't make any assumptions. i.e.Whereas most European motorhomes have central heating an Australian one would be more likely to have air conditioning. Instead of double-glazing they would have fly screens etc.
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