What makes a successful key exchange?

Details, details, details. Often during the rental pick up, your guest is excited to get underway and won’t remember everything you’ve told them. Make sure you are clear and concise when going through the walkthrough, and make sure they review and sign off on everything in the guest Return form.

Additionally, it’s helpful to have checklists, labels and shorthand manuals for the most common things your guest is going to use—this way they are not calling you in the middle of the trip (or worse, trying to guess how to operate something and potentially causing damage). Many hosts will send over links to video walkthroughs prior to a guest’s departure date; this helps as a future reference for the guest as well as letting them familiarize themselves with your vehicle’s particular quirks.

Walk your guest through the Rental contract and make sure they sign. (As an example, if you don’t want them using the awning, make sure they are aware of that and that any damage is their responsibility). The clearer you are in your walk through and key exchange, the less confusion or chance for misunderstanding there is for the guest and you further down the road.

Before departure it’s important to document the condition your RV is in prior to handing over the keys. All Outdoorsy claims require pre-trip photos, a signed RV Departure and Return Form, and your 90-day inspection should an accident happen on the road. Here’s a handy list of the pics you should snap! You can do this on the Outdoorsy Pro app during the key exchange or you can upload them to your host account.

Photos needed

Exterior:

• Front of RV
• Back of RV
• Both sides
• Roof
• Undercarriage
• Any pre-existing damage
• Tires

Interior:

• Dashboard
• Tank Levels
• Odometer
• Each room or space
• Floors
• Beds

Forms needed

• Outdoorsy’s Pre-Arrival Checklist
• Outdoorsy’s RV Departure Form
• Outdoorsy’s RV Return Form