VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
RV check-in and check-out: the inspection guide
Nailing the handover and return of a rental motorhome: timestamped photos, what to test, fuel and tank levels, cassette rules and how to protect your deposit.
Most motorhome rental disputes are born at the two ends of the trip: handover and return. Twenty minutes of method at each end is enough to protect your deposit — often €1,000 to €2,500, and more in the United States. Here is the drill.
At handover: photograph, test, get it in writing
Walk around the vehicle with the owner or agent and photograph everything, timestamps on: all four sides, the roof if accessible (tree scratches are common), the windscreen, the wheels, the body corners — where 90% of damage happens. Inside: furniture, seats, worktops. Insist that every defect is recorded in writing on the contract, even a "minor" scratch: verbal acknowledgments are worthless. Then test in real conditions: fridge actually cooling, heater actually blowing, water pump, hob, awning, entry step. Ten minutes of testing beats discovering a fault 250 miles later.
During the demo: film it
The owner shows you the grey-water drain, the toilet cassette, the gas bottle swap, the 230 V hook-up? Film the demonstration on your phone. Nobody remembers everything, and the video will save you on night three at a deserted rest area.
At return: hand it back as agreed
Reread the contract the night before: most require the toilet cassette emptied, grey water drained, interior clean and fuel at the starting level — usually full-to-full, sometimes gas bottles included. "Cleaning not done" or "full cassette" penalties run €100 to €200 each. Arrive early, retake the same photo series, and get a check-out report signed stating "no new damage" if that's the case. For unattended returns (key box), timestamped photos are your only evidence: make them thorough.
If damage did occur
Declare it proactively, photos attached: the deductible applies per incident, and transparency avoids late-declaration surcharges. Check before departure exactly what your contract covers — our deposit and insurance guide details deductibles and waivers. And to forget nothing on day one, follow the full departure checklist.