Turning Our Camper into an Airbnb: What We’ve Learned About Making Money from Our Homestead
What do you already have that could help your homestead bring in a little extra income?
That’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves here at Hummingbird Acres. We’re working on making this farm work for us, and one of the things that has been going well is something we already had sitting on the property: a camper.
We have three campers here, and we turned one of them into an Airbnb. Now, between guests, I’m changing sheets, swapping towels, checking supplies, and learning what makes a camper stay easier for everyone involved.
It has been profitable for us, and we wish we’d started sooner. But there have definitely been things to figure out along the way.
If you’ve been wondering about renting out a camper on your homestead, I want to share what our experience has actually looked like. There’s the fun part of welcoming people to the farm, and then there’s the laundry, the questions, and the maintenance that make those visits possible.
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Start by Looking at What You Already Have
When we started thinking about bringing in more income, our camper gave us something concrete to try. We already owned it. We already had it here. And our property offered more than a place to sleep.
Guests could enjoy the views, walk our trails, explore the gardens, and come see the animals within the farm rules we provide.
Those things are part of our everyday life, but they can make a visit special for someone else.
That has been a helpful reminder as we work toward making our homestead a profitable business. Something familiar to us might be exactly what someone else is looking for when they want a little time away.
We also have a campsite listed on Airbnb, but it hasn’t rented very often. The camper has been doing better for us. We’re learning from what guests actually book and building our plans around that experience.
Providing Linens Made Hosting Easier
One of our first lessons was about bedding.
When we first listed the camper, we didn’t provide linens. We explained that in the listing and included the bed sizes so guests would know what to bring.
Then we started getting messages from people who arrived without them.
They hadn’t noticed that part of the description, and suddenly we were trying to help them find something to use. Even though the information was there, the arrangement wasn’t working very well for us or our guests.
So we changed it.
Now we provide linens for all three beds: the full-size bed and the two twin bunks. Guests have sheets and comforters ready for them, and we keep extra blankets available too.
It gives us more laundry, but it also removes a problem that kept coming up. Sometimes making the stay more convenient for guests makes the hosting side easier too.
Two Sets of Everything Help with Quick Turnovers
We allow one-night stays during the week, which means there are times when we need to get the camper ready again within a short window.
At first, washing and drying all the sheets and towels before the next arrival was stressful. We needed everything clean, dry, and back in place, and there wasn’t always much time to spare.
Buying a second set of linens made a big difference.
Now we can take one set off and put a clean set on. The laundry still needs to get done, but the next guest’s arrival isn’t waiting on the dryer.
I also color coordinate our sets. Blue sheets go with tan towels and a purple hand towel. The other set has blue towels and a gray hand towel.
Is that necessary? Probably not. But I like keeping things organized, and it helps me know what belongs together when I’m resetting the space.
If your days are already full of family responsibilities and farm chores, a small system like that can take one more decision off your plate.
Our Camper Turnover Starts with a Walk-Through
Before I start cleaning, I go through the camper and see how everything looks.
I check the beds, bathroom, refrigerator doors, and the rest of the space for anything that needs attention. Sometimes that first look tells me something about the guest’s stay.
During the turnover in this video, I noticed that the guest had pulled out two extra blankets. That made me think about whether we needed clearer heater instructions. Later, I discovered that the propane tank was empty, which gave me another issue to follow up on.
Those little observations matter. Getting ready for the next guest includes checking that things work, along with making the space look clean.
After that initial walk-through, I change the bedding and towels, wipe down surfaces, and check the kitchen and bathroom. I sweep and mop as needed and make sure supplies are ready.
The camper is a small space, which makes it manageable to reset. In our experience, most of the one-night stays haven’t left much mess. That has made those bookings easier to handle than we might have expected.
Put Important Guest Instructions Where People Will See Them
Early on, I made a guidebook for the camper.
It included a welcome letter, information about our family and homestead, ground rules, what was included, what guests needed to bring, and some local favorites.
It also had RV tips. Staying in a camper can be different from staying in a house, especially when the heat and hot water use propane.
I thought having everything together would answer most questions. But we still kept getting asked the same things, including where guests should put their trash.
So I took the most important pages, printed and laminated them, and put them on the refrigerator.
That helped a lot.
Now guests have a central place to find the information they’re most likely to need. As new questions come up, I can update those pages.
I still like having the guidebook, especially for information about the farm and the area. But putting the everyday instructions somewhere visible has meant fewer repeat questions.
Small Conveniences Help Guests Settle In
We provide a single-cup coffee maker and a water kettle because those are things we appreciate when we camp.
We also keep silverware, dishes, pots, and pans available. Some guests make dinner while they’re here, and some don’t. Either way, having those basics gives them options.
Another simple change was labeling the light switches. They weren’t clearly labeled before, and someone unfamiliar with the camper wouldn’t necessarily know what each one controlled.
It’s easy to forget how much you know about a space you use all the time. Guests are figuring it out for the first time, sometimes after traveling and arriving in the evening.
The easier we can make that first little bit of their stay, the better.
Wi-Fi Was Another Lesson in Guest Expectations
When we first started, we didn’t offer Wi-Fi. We said that in the listing, but one guest was still disappointed when she arrived and asked about it.
At the time, we hadn’t found a reliable way to get the signal from our house out to the camper.
We eventually found an arrangement that worked for us: an extender from the house to the barn, then another extender from the barn to the camper. Once we had Wi-Fi available, I updated the listing.
Our experience with both Wi-Fi and linens taught us that guests can miss details, even when we’ve written them down.
That doesn’t mean every request is something we can accommodate. It does mean recurring surprises are useful information. They help us see where we can improve the stay or make an important detail easier to notice.
Camper Maintenance Is Part of the Work
Cleaning is only one part of running a camper Airbnb.
There are also systems to maintain, supplies to check, and repairs to plan. For us, that includes propane, water, and the camper’s waste tank.
The turnover in the video brought a propane issue back to our attention. One part of our two-tank setup had a problem, and the remaining tank had run empty. That affected the guest’s access to heat and hot water and showed us something we needed to address.
A propane leak needs qualified repair before the affected system is used. That part of our experience belongs on the repair list, rather than becoming a shortcut someone else copies.
The broader lesson for us is that guest comfort depends on the systems behind the scenes. We need to check those systems along with the towels, sheets, and kitchen supplies.
We also periodically clean the black tank and replace the water filter as part of our upkeep. Those jobs aren’t the prettiest part of hosting, but they’re part of keeping the camper ready for visitors.
Our Camper Airbnb Has a Seasonal Limit
One of the downsides for us is that we can’t keep this camper rental open all year.
When freezing weather arrives, maintaining water in the camper becomes much more difficult. We plan to pause rentals around November and reopen around March, with the actual timing depending on the weather.
That gives us a clear end to the rental season and a window for winter work.
As we think about income from the camper, we also have to think about the months it won’t be available. A successful stretch of bookings doesn’t remove that seasonal limit.
For our situation, the benefits have outweighed the drawbacks. But that calendar is part of how we plan, and it’s one of the practical differences between our camper stay and a year-round rental.
The Farm Is Part of What Guests Come For
We offer a fire pit, camp chairs, and an outdoor kitchen. Guests can use the fire pit when conditions and fire restrictions allow.
But one of my favorite things we can offer is simply the view.
Guests are welcome to take personal photos, walk the trails, explore the gardens, and visit the animals according to our rules. Commercial photography has a separate arrangement.
We want people to enjoy being here and get a little taste of life at Hummingbird Acres.
That’s also where our longer-term plans are heading. We’d love to make this a place people want to visit again, maybe even a place that becomes part of a family tradition.
What We’re Planning Next
Because the first camper has been doing well, we want to fix up another camper on the property and offer that one too.
That camper needs a new toilet, a new sofa, and work on its air conditioning. Our plan is to make those upgrades during the winter so we can work toward listing it in the spring.
We’re also continuing to communicate with guests through the Airbnb app and promote the stay on our Facebook and Instagram pages, along with sharing it locally.
There’s still plenty to learn. But starting with one camper has given us a chance to understand the work, improve our routines, and see how people respond before expanding.
Questions About Our Camper Airbnb
Do you provide bedding and towels?
Yes. We started without bedding, but guests often missed that detail in the listing. Providing linens has made things easier, and keeping two sets helps us manage turnovers.
Do you allow one-night stays?
We allow them during the week and generally don’t offer them on weekends. So far, most of those short stays have been fairly easy to clean up after.
What helped reduce guest questions?
Putting the important instructions on the refrigerator helped more than relying on the guidebook alone. We also labeled switches and keep updating our information as questions come up.
Is the camper available all year?
No. We close for winter because of freezing temperatures. Our planned season runs roughly from March into November, depending on the weather.
Has renting out the camper been worthwhile?
For us, yes. We’ve found it profitable and wish we’d started sooner. We haven’t shared a detailed breakdown of revenue and expenses in this video, so this is our experience rather than an earnings projection for another property.
Could Something You Already Own Be Your Starting Point?
Turning our camper into an Airbnb has given us another way to help this homestead earn income. It has also given us a reason to make our guest experience better, one small change at a time.
Extra sheets. Clearer instructions. A working Wi-Fi connection. A closer look at what needs maintenance.
Those are the everyday pieces behind the bigger goal of welcoming people to Hummingbird Acres.
If you’re thinking about a camper rental, what questions do you have? Leave them in the comments. We’d love to share more of what we’re learning.
And if you’d like to see the process, watch our camper Airbnb turnover and hosting lessons on YouTube.