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 complete the required digital sign-offs after the walkthrough.
Checklists and Manuals
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.
Clear and Concise Walkthroughs
Walk your Guest through the Rental contract and make sure they are aware of the terms. Good thing now is that the required digital signature for both parties can be completed at any time after the booking is approved, right up until the trip departure.
Yes, the recently updated Outdoorsy app functionality allows you to be flexible with accomplishing your rental documents. 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.
Claims Compliant Rental Documentation
Before departure, it’s important to document the condition your RV is in prior to handing over the keys. This is done via the improved Outdoorsy key exchange process in the Outdoorsy Host app.
All Outdoorsy claims require pre- and post-trip photos, as well as signed documentation. These items must all be completed via the Outdoorsy app. The digital sign-offs in the app fulfill the prior Claims requirement for the RV Departure and Return Forms.
Using the Outdoorsy Host app as required ensures:
- Trustworthy Evidence
- Less worries for you here. The in-app camera is designed to automatically record a non-editable timestamp, date, and location for every photo, providing verifiable evidence that protects both Hosts and Guests in the event of a claim.
- Offline Resilience
- The lack of internet connectivity is not a problem anymore! We’ve specifically designed the photo capture process to be fully operational even in areas with no Wi-Fi or cellular service. Your photos and data will be saved locally, and you can upload them later when you reconnect to reliable internet.
- Better Photo Descriptions
- After you snap a photo, you have the option to tag it to reflect if it's of the exterior or interior of the RV, as well as add a custom caption or flag the image to indicate pre-existing damage. This helps you and the claims team quickly identify and categorize photos.
- Rental Documentation Flexibility
- The rental contract can be signed anytime after booking confirmation. Pre-trip photos can be captured and uploaded anytime before the trip starts. This means that your Guests do not need to wait for you to sign the rental contract or take pictures at the hand-off, and either party can upload trip photos at any time as long as they were taken in-app.
Had your photos taken outside the app?
Please note that photos are required to be taken with the in-app camera, in order to document your rental in case of an insurance claim. As of February 1st, 2026, it is now mandatory for both parties to use the app for their rental documentation and key exchange, in order to ensure a more reliable process.
To make taking photos easier for you, here’s a handy list of the pics you should snap using the in-app camera feature! This is the most reliable way to document your rental.
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
Great! Since you're ready to take your photos, please also refer to the list below in case you'd like to know more about the newly digitized key exchange requirements.
What are the new 100% Digitized Key Exchange requirements?
The list below outlines the necessary steps to ensure you have a complete record of your key exchange:
Digital Contract Signature
Both parties must sign their copy of the rental contract through their own app anytime after booking approval and before departure.
Pre-Trip Photos
Use the in-app camera to take all required photos documenting the current condition of the rental. Each photo can include a caption, a damage flag, and be designated as Interior/Exterior.
Post-Trip Sign-off
After the trip, the app will prompt both parties to sign off, acknowledging either that no damage occurred or that new photos were taken to document the damage. It will also prompt you to file an insurance claim if needed, in case of damage.
Want to know more about the newly digitized key exchange process?
To help you visualize the process, we have created a video to walk you through the digital key exchange steps from a Host's perspective.
Feel free to also visit the The Digital Key Exchange Walkthrough for Hosts article for more information on the newly improved process.