Any ideas please - caravan hire

As some of you know I recently bought a nice little 2-berth Swift Challenger caravan, quite old but like new inside. I put an advert in the local paper advertising it out for hire, and I can't believe the response I am having!!!! One woman wants to have it for the whole month of July in their back garden whilst the builders are in, so I told her I would charge £600 for the month? I had to pluck a figure out of the air, but I thought at £150 a week? Someone else wants it for 2 week-ends June and July, so I told them £100 for the week-end?

Any ideas of what I should charge, coz I know nothing about caravans and you just don't see them for hire? Also, I'm wondering if any of you have got any ideas as to what I could ask for a deposit coz they could just drive off with it never to be seen again!!! I am going to say they've got to put it on their own car insurance though, I can't be doing with insuring it to hire out coz it just wouldn't be viable. It stands me in at £1800 so I do need some reassurance that it won't disappear! I can't think what to do myself, so I thought I'd ask you for some ideas on this please?

Blimey Aitch, so sorry mate, I haven't got a clue. However, when you're rich and famous from your caravan hire company, I'll come and see you and filch some lunch

LMAO Vicki!!!!! Mind you Sir Alan Sugar started with £200 didn't he and look where he got!!!! It can happen!!!

There doesn't seem to be any competition around either, and that's what's worrying me!!!!! I must think of something to make sure it's returned back here after each hire, and short of making them give me £1800 quid to hire it I don't know what else to do!!!! Better get that thinking cap out then........ mmmmmmmmmmm

Yes, that lunch date, how long's it been 2 years?????? We'll get there one day!!!!

Gorden and I have just been thinking what about if you look on some caravan sites and see what sort of deposits they ask for in case of damage as thats what you will need it for.
I would also ask for some form of identity ie; address etc.,so if it doesn't come back you know where they live although I suppose if people really wanted to they could give false information.But maybe a Drivers license utility bill or passport then they should all have the same information on them.
Looks like you will make your money back very quick next thing you will be buying a site.

Thanks for putting your heads together with Gordon for me Lynn That's what I was thinking, if I got them to show me a utility bill, then that would cover their address, and I would also check that out on the electoral roll (wherever that is!! )A driving licence or passport would be good wouldn't it, take the numbers and details of those.

I've only found one site which hires out caravans but they're nearly all motorhomes and they would actually take my caravan on board and advertise for me and get me the clients, for a fee of course!

Does the £150 a week sound about right to you? Also I think £100 for a week-end is about right? I think I'd better get some paperwork on the go ready for getting inundated, as I sound like a fumbling fool when people are ringing me up coz I wasn't quite ready for this!

There's definitely a market for this, you can't hire a caravan anywhere, only the big motorhomes, and really wondering why though? We used to hire out our horse trailers without any problems, so why not caravans then? I may be the first on this. Maybe I ought to get on that Dragon's Den programme and ask them for some cash up front to open up my caravan hire park!!!!!

What about asking them to leave their passport or driving licence with you? Mind you, if someone asked me to do that, I'd refuse, so maybe it's not such a good idea after all.
Baz suggested fitting it with a tracker...... or get a large deposit. Also ask to see their driving licence and get the registration of their vehicle.
How about contacting a caravanning society of some kind, see what they say?

Great minds Vicki, but I was thinking more along the lines of leaving me their Credit Card?????!!!!!! Would you do that????!!!!!!

Yes, car registration is a good one I hadn't even thought of that, and don't I have to get a registration plate of their car to go on the back of the caravan each time too? They'll have to pay for that though, I'm not forking out!!!

Funnilly enough, I've got a chap living across the road who used to run his house as a caravan accessory shop! I will pop in and have a chat with him tomorrow maybe?

Thanks for trying to help me out on this one though.

Credit card might be a good idea, if you had the means to get to the funds within, like hotels do. Not sure how you would do it though.
Try and talk to other "flat cappers" (you know you and Dave are these now, don't you ) and see what they do

How about taking their credit card details off the card and giving them the card back. At the end of the day, you can always buy a new caravan online with those details.
I'd also get passport details and drivers license details. At the end of the day, if you have all of that info, you can always go to the police if they scarper.
We may rent it off you if any more gun shots are heard in our neighbourhood, like last night.

Gunshots????????? Blimey Jackie, what's been going on up your neck of the woods then?? Have you posted up????