Talk me out of trying to privately rent out an extra car in MT this summer.

There are ZERO car rentals available in western MT this summer in most places. I happen to have a perfectly respectable Honda Fit (haha) with 60,000 miles on it that is going in for a detail next week and then some new tires with the idea that we were going to do a private sale.

But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't rent this fucker out to people for $250/day or $1000/week or something crazy like that and then sell it at the end of the summer.

Obviously I have collision/comprehensive plus an umbrella policy. I am sure this is shady af in like 100 different ways, but I can't really put my finger on why. If this is not 100% fucking insane, where should I advertise it?

Somebody would pay $250 a day to drive a Fit?

Probably not, but there are literally zero cars available for rent. Serious, check kayak or whatever. Zilch. I have been reading that people are cancelling trips. Maybe my price is too high but I am never personally driving this thing again so should we try to make some extra $$ before we sell it later this summer?

I just found Turo. Experiences with that? Good/bad? Is there any reason we shouldn't do this? People are fucking desperate right now.

If you google "car rental by owner" there are a couple sites that look legit. I've thought about doing something like that with my travel trailer. Don't want it to get trashed though.

Edit: Yeah, Turo is one of them. If you're going to go underground, I'd think Craigslist might work. I've seen people on there renting out their tent trailers, etc.

This is probably covered in a podcast.

Genius!

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

People are fucking desperate right now.

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Can you insure it enough that these desperate people won’t leave you with a completely destroyed vehicle inside and out?

Sounds like a headache to me honestly vs. selling it.

Don't rent to a college group trip. Field trip for one of my classes involved 10 days in AZ. The backseat of the car looked like a crime scene thanks to Massive Headwound Dave. And the van had some weird dents in the roof. The point is, the big chains can deal with breakage better than an individual.

I say go for it. Exercise complete discretion in who you rent to and make some cash.


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As someone who knows first hand that you can really only do good donuts in a front wheel drive rental car in reverse when you're in a muddy cow pasture, I'd discourage you from renting your car out to strangers.

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

Obviously I have collision/comprehensive plus an umbrella policy. I am sure this is shady af in like 100 different ways, but I can't really put my finger on why. If this is not 100% fucking insane, where should I advertise it?

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Would your insurance cover it if it was being rented? Just because you "have insurance" doesn't necessarily mean that the car or you are covered in the event of loss. That said, no harm in looking into Turo, I am sure that their model addresses insurance.

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Originally Posted by Mazderati

This is probably covered in a podcast.

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Brilliant.

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Originally Posted by Cruiser

As someone who knows first hand that you can really only do good donuts in a front wheel drive rental car in reverse when you're in a muddy cow pasture, I'd discourage you from renting your car out to strangers.

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This. Also everybody knows rentals are best for catching air. They fly better.

Given Turo will rent to 15 year olds without a license, what could go wrong?

I've never rented a Honda Fit, but I would love to rent the car to review!

Previous car rental reviews:

Mazda3: one of the easiest vehicles to get airborne that I've ever driven
Grand Caravan: with traction control disabled, will do burnouts on dry pavement at whim
Jeep Liberty: can drive approximately 3 miles at 50mph with the parking brake engaged before the rear brakes fail completely. Handles square edged curbs at high speeds poorly.

Please let me know when I can stop by to rent your car!

If someone needs to rent a car and it’s a business expense they aren't paying themselves then $200 a day in a market where there are no other options just might work.

But if Dirty Mike and the boys have a soup kitchen in your little Honda the steam cleaning and stain removal fees are gonna eat into any profits.

Insurance follows the car and yours would be primary. So, I rent your car, get drunk and hit a family. Your kids didn't want a college fund anyway right?

Maybe the car renting sites have a way to insure it but seems like the risk is greater than the reward here.

Thanks for the F Shack

Love, Dirty Mike and The Boys

edit: dammit Benny

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Originally Posted by Cruiser

As someone who knows first hand that you can really only do good donuts in a front wheel drive rental car in reverse when you're in a muddy cow pasture, I'd discourage you from renting your car out to strangers.

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one foot on the brake & one foot on the gas is how them scanda hovians get the tails to hang out on front wheel drive cars

Last year I rented out a small fibre glass trillium traler to a buddy who was giving me 100$ a week for some workers to live in, I found dozens of weed contianers so they hot boxed it BIG TIME and it stunk badly but a guy wanted to buy it really bad cuz they are pretty rare so in the end i made 1300 $ more than I paid for it

BTW the FIT is a pretty good car you can even sleep in them

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

BTW the FIT is a pretty good car you can even sleep in them

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sounds like he could put it up on Turo and Airbnb then.

Seems like it would be better to take advantage of high prices in the used car market now before letting a bunch of renters run up the miles and beat on it all summer. Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered etc.

Idea is not insane and Turo works well from a logistics standpoint, if you're willing to take the risks and decreased future resale value.

Hey Rooty - Surveying in remote Alaska, I rent trucks and suburbans and ATVs and sleds from private parties as a matter of course. Even in places like Bethel and Kotz that have airport car rental [It's good business in Indian Country, as your wheels [boats etc] are a lot less likely to go missing if they belong to a local resident who knows everybody.]

I pay some in cash, but a lot of folks who rent vehicles have Square accounts and card readers. There's some fuckedup junkers, but most will crank and drive the 10 miles of local roads just fine. Never had trouble with vehicle owners, even when a truck picked up some damage one night at the Unisea in Unalaska...

At Smith, we used to have a fun rental car game called Gassey/Brakey. Hammer the brakes as hard as you can at a stop light. Keep the pedal down, now start smashing the accelerator--now let off the brakes! Good times and fun to watch the expressions of motorists around you.

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Originally Posted by The Reverend Floater

At Smith, we used to have a fun rental car game called Gassey/Brakey. Hammer the brakes as hard as you can at a stop light. Keep the pedal down, now start smashing the accelerator--now let off the brakes! Good times and fun to watch the expressions of motorists around you.

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Most modern cars seem like they don't let you brake torque them - computer controls.

Not that I've ever done that in a rental car or anything.

For me, I keep going back to Massive Headwound Dave. You do not want your car back with blood all over the back seat, doors, floor and probably the headliner. That right there is all I need to talk me out of it.

Top speed of the Fit is about 80 and it definitely sounds like it's gonna explode in that range so what's the worst thing that could happen?

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Originally Posted by Conundrum

Insurance follows the car and yours would be primary. So, I rent your car, get drunk and hit a family. Your kids didn't want a college fund anyway right?

Maybe the car renting sites have a way to insure it but seems like the risk is greater than the reward here.

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You're probably right but it seems if you give Turo 35% of the rental fee they essentially cover everything...supposedly.

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

Top speed of the Fit is about 80 and it definitely sounds like it's gonna explode in that range so what's the worst thing that could happen?

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Given a generous downhill grade and a serious fucking tailwind, I believe that limit can be easily beaten in a rental....








fact.

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Originally Posted by riser3

For me, I keep going back to Massive Headwound Dave. You do not want your car back with blood all over the back seat, doors, floor and probably the headliner. That right there is all I need to talk me out of it.

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Mr Wolf can fix it.

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Originally Posted by m2711c

Given a generous downhill grade and a serious fucking tailwind, I believe that limit can be easily beaten in a rental....








fact.

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Actually, now that I think about it, this is false. The only speeding ticket I've ever gotten in MT was in the Fit, doing 96 in a 75.

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Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Mr Wolf can fix it.

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Dave had a much better outcome than Marvin.

just here to say Fits are great little cars. absurd amount of space in there with the seats down flush.

I dunno... the potential headache associated with a fairly likely outcome (some damage/abuse) for what, a couple grand tops? Which you mostly hand over to the ins company to cover your deductible?

And that’s the gig economy, all of the risk for almost some of the reward. It’s a pretty sweet deal.....

Rented an AWD Fit on Hokkaido. Best snow car I ever drove. Too bad they never sold it outside of Japan.

Attachment 373433

I have some dirtbag friends who told me they rented a FIT Japan and slept in it for 2 weeks touring around in Hokkaido

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Originally Posted by RootSkier

Top speed of the Fit is about 80...

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Nah. Got several speeding tickets on I80 in mine, but it was also red. Peppy little thing but the gearing helped. Hit and cruised at 110 easily when I could get away with it.

I actually miss my 08 Fit 5-speed some of the time, drove one for 10 solid years. Great little car, reliable AF, easy to work on, supreme mileage for a gasser, really fun to rally and drive in the snow (with studded tires for my locale). Slept in it multiple times. Best part was using it for work sometimes, made $$ on the mileage. Fit 20 pair of skis in there easily.

Was a loud little car for sure, cheap carpet and no sound deadening material anywhere. Back-breaking non-adjustable seats for long-distance and a 1/4 mile steep uphill driveway requiring AWD in the winter is what eventually did me in.

I wouldn't rent it if it's a GD3 (07-08) as those are a niche model, 100% made in Japan, and will become more coveted by Honda ppl than the crx in due time.

RootSkier. Sent you a PM.


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Originally Posted by Mazderati

This is probably covered in a podcast.

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lulz.

Will you take a credit card that covers rentals?
I get emails all he time to rent my RV. Little do they know it is a burning man specific RV.
But they have the scoop on insurance and all kinds of shit. I would not rent out a car without making sure the insurance company is good with it or they will deny the head on collision and multimillion dollar lawsuit.

Google “Soup Kitchen”.

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Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Most modern cars seem like they don't let you brake torque them - computer controls.

Not that I've ever done that in a rental car or anything.

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Bastards!

I used Turo and Getaround a bit last summer for renting some cars. Was pretty useful from a renter's side. I generally avoided Turo though because the prices seemed way too high compared to what I could get on Getaround at the time.

(fuck Zipcar btw)