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How to create or publish or your announcements? ...
How to manage or set up
your user account ? ...
How to exchange your vehicle
or book your stay? ...
Simultaneous, delayed, reciprocal or not...
What exchanges are possible?
What are the elements to be validated to exchange or the proposed guarantees? ...
Who are SwapTheRoad members
or how are they certified? ...
Why is it important or
why does it allow you to travel more? ...
What are they for, why are they
important or how to acquire them? ...
Between trust and peace of mind: all you need on SwapTheRoad services!
So that other members of the community have a maximum of information at their disposal, we advise you to detail your vehicle precisely in the “description” section of your announcement.
Carefully choose the title of your vehicle and fill in all the proposed criteria (number of possible passenger(s), number and type of bedding, technical characteristics…).
Finally, respect the rules of diffusion so that your announcement is not refused.
You can add pictures to your announcement either at the time of its creation (step 4) or later directly in your member space.
Advice :
As the main image, choose a photo representing a 3/4 front exterior view.
Also make sure to add one photo per space (kitchen area, dining/living area, sleeping area, bathroom, driving position…) and photos of the exterior (front, back).
You must locate your ad where your vehicle is at the time of the exchange.
In case of difficulty, we invite you to check the format of your photo.
Photos must be in GIF, BMP, PNG or JPEG format.
All you have to do is go to your member area under “My vehicles” and click on “Add a vehicle”.
Your vehicle ad remains online for an unlimited time.
If after you have submitted your ad, you have received an email refusing our services, we invite you to read the reasons for this refusal and to modify your publication.
Here are the main reasons for refusal:
– Double listing
– It is forbidden to post the same ad more than once
– Vehicle not accepted
This refusal means that the vehicle you offer for exchange is not one of the vehicles authorized on SwapTheRoad. Members of our community must own a recreational vehicle (vehicle + bed).
Your ad is visible from the moment it has been validated by our teams. You must therefore first press the “Publish” button to make the request… Of course, you will receive an e-mail as soon as it is online.
Personal or professional contact details (e-mail, telephone, address…) are not allowed in the ads. SwapTheRoad provides free of charge to its members a secure internal messaging system allowing them to easily get in touch with other members of the community.
As soon as you register, you can post your ad, communicate with other members and even make exchanges for free!
If you want additional guarantees, we invite you to choose our Premium plan (Learn more about the Premium plan).
Like many people, you may be planning a road trip over the next few months or years, and you may be interested in a temporary vehicle swap… Don’t wait, publish your vehicle now!
Why should you do so? Here are the reasons:
To sum up: because publishing your vehicle allows you to officially join our community, gain access to our discussion group, contact other members directly, and thus ultimately make exchanges (reciprocal and non-reciprocal)!
To check whether your advert is online and visible on our platform, simply go to your Member Area, heading “My vehicles”… Three statuses are possible for your vehicle: “draft”, ” waiting” or “published”.
Each vehicle has its own availability calendar. This makes it easier а all community members to search for available vehicles, and to find an exchange more quickly when searching…
But it also facilitates communication between members, since it’s possible to indicate the nature of the exchanges desired: reciprocal, non-reciprocal or both!
By default, each new vehicle published is assigned an availability for 6 months, for any type of exchange. But to modify and/or add availability to your vehicle, all you have to do is go to your Member Area, under ” my vehicles “, and click on the calendar corresponding to your vehicle!
As an example, and depending of course on your individual obligations, here’s what a typical year might look like, broken down into several availability periods:
Of course, it’s not always easy to plan ahead for several months or for the next vacation. But without it, you run the risk of missing out on future exchange opportunities… But why? Well, quite simply because vehicle availability is one of the main criteria used in searches!
In any case, there’s one thing you should bear in mind: informing us of your vehicle’s availability does not imply any commitment on your part… As always, YOU are the sole decision-maker when it comes to lending out your “home on wheels” 😉
If you’re selling your vehicle and will soon be buying a new one: simply adjust your vehicle’s availability accordingly… Once you have your new vehicle, all you have to do is modify your ad (photos and characteristics) and update the availability!
If you’re selling your vehicle with no intention of buying a new one, then you’ll need to apply to have your vehicle deleted…
By default, your username is the email address you used to register on the SwapTheRoad site.
You can reset your password in the “Login” section, by clicking on “Forgot password”. You will then receive a reset link and you will be able to log in to your member area again!
You can customize your profile and more specifically your nickname in your member area.
In your member space, you can access all your exchanges: those already made, those in progress or those to come!
You can know all the elements relating to your subscription & its invoicing in your member space.
To obtain an invoice, simply send us a request by email:
Just click on the SwapTheRoad logo at the top left of your Member Area.
First of all, you can enter a destination of your choice in the search bar on the SwapTheRoad home page.
In addition, the “Community” button located on the top right-hand side of this same home page allows you to access all the search criteria.
Are you interested in a vehicle? Perfect!
To contact the owner, simply click on the “send a message” button: you will then access our secure internal messaging system!
Once the terms of exchange validated with another member of the community, use the “booking” button on the vehicle profile you wish to borrow: you will then be able to send a request directly to its owner!
As long as an exchange has not been validated by the owner of a vehicle, members are free to refuse a reservation request.
Otherwise, the reservation must be cancelled.
You’ve found the right vehicle for your needs and you’ve contacted the owner to arrange a trade-in… Perfect, now it’s time to make your trade-in request!
You have just received an email informing you that another member has sent you an exchange request… Go to your Member Area !
If you wish to cancel a reservation, you must follow the procedure corresponding to your situation:
To know more about the cancellation conditions
All members of the SwapTheRoad community can perform reciprocal, non-reciprocal, simultaneous or time-deferred exchanges!
Reciprocal exchange corresponds to two owners who wish to exchange their recreational vehicles with each other. They can do so either on the same dates (simultaneously) or over a different period (deferred).
The non-reciprocal exchange corresponds to two owners who do not wish to exchange their recreational vehicles with each other. One is interested in the other’s vehicle, but it is not reciprocal!
It is particularly in this case that RoadPoints are useful: they allow one member to borrow another’s vehicle without necessarily having to lend his own in return!
A so-called simultaneous exchange corresponds to a reciprocal exchange that takes place at the same time.
Very extensive, difficult to be in two places at the same time … Very often, in reality, the members agree on the organization and proceed in the way that suits them best :
The deferred exchange is generally what is done and what is recommended:
The first of SwapTheRoad’s guarantees lies in the nature of its members… Indeed: 100% of them are owners, and this is the cement of our value system!
In addition :
Learn more about Our Guarantees
First of all, an essential prerequisite: each member must make sure that he can lend his vehicle to a foreign third party driver! To do this, simply check the clauses of your insurance contract and adjust them if necessary.
Then, as a borrower, you can choose the vehicle of a certified member, which provides an additional level of security… Because in addition to the verification of his identity, the certified member must provide our services with the documents related to his vehicle: registration certificate and insurance certificate.
This being the case, we advise you to discuss with the lender before handing over the keys, and to check the existence & terms of the contract, as well as the validity of the insurance certificate.
To benefit from our complementary insurance, you must of course have published your vehicle…
You can then subscribe via the “services” section of your Member Area.
When you wish to offer your vehicle for loan, you must first validate certain information with your insurance company:
Learn more about Our Guarantees
The borrower will carry out with the lender the inventory of fixtures on the return of the vehicle to the lender, using the same document as that used for the inventory of fixtures of departure.
Thus, they will be able to mention together all the damages noted.
In the same way, they will sign the inventory of interior mobile equipment together after completing it.
These 3 documents must be sent to SwapTheRoad:
It is advisable that the parties keep a copy or a photo. The lender will then arrange for an estimate to be drawn up. The lender will notify the borrower and, by mutual agreement, the borrower will pay for the repairs using all or part of the security deposit that SwapTheRoad will have managed and kept.
Whatever the nature and extent of the accident, it is important to warn the lender as soon as possible, to report the circumstances and consequences of the loss in question!
If the borrower of the vehicle is the victim of an accident alone (without an identified third party) and he can continue his trip, he will have to mention all the damages found when he returns the vehicle to the lender.
They will make together and sign the inventory of fixtures for the return of the vehicle. This document must be sent to SwapTheRoad, together with the inventory of fixtures at departure:
✉️ contact@swaptheroad.com
A precision
In general, good practices are :
Of course, if the damages are greater than the amount of the deductible charged to the lender by its insurance company, the borrower will pay up to the amount of the deductible managed and retained by SwapTheRoad.
The borrower must imperatively contact the lender, and fill out an amicable report specifying the circumstances and damages of the incident.
He will also have to refer to the instructions of the lender concerning the procedure to be carried out with his insurance company.
In general, good practices are :
Of course, if the damages are greater than the amount of the deductible charged to the lender by its insurance company, the borrower will pay up to the amount of the deductible managed and retained by SwapTheRoad.
Regardless of the nature and extent of the breakdown, it is important to notify the lender as soon as possible, to report the circumstances and consequences of the breakdown in question!
The borrower will then have to refer to the lender’s instructions and apply the procedure desired by the lender’s insurance company .
In general, good practices are :
To provide borrowers with an additional guarantee, each member can be certified!
All you need to do is provide 4 documents:
This service is free of charge and has a double benefit:
The security deposit (or insurance deposit) allows you to protect yourself, beyond material damage (broken dishes, etc.), from fines that may be committed when lending a vehicle.
The security deposit (or insurance deposit) as well as the insurance deductible serve to compensate for possible damages.
The insurance deductible covers damage for which insurance has been requested, while the security deposit allows you to protect yourself against damage for which the insurance would not intervene (e.g. damage below the amount of the deductible, dirty seats, broken dishes, etc.).
It is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to provide conventional maintenance. This includes the overhaul, oil change and mechanical maintenance provided by the manufacturer, but also repairs that may occur due to normal wear and tear of the interior equipment (refrigerator, heating, etc.).
It is up to the owner of the vehicle to insure it in order to offer it for exchange.
The borrower must on his side verify that he benefits, as a “foreign third party driver”, from the same guarantees as the owner himself .
In addition, he can subscribe to the complementary insurance offered by SwapTheRoad if he wishes to be guaranteed optimal coverage.
Learn more about Our Assurance Complementary Insurance
SwapTheRoad was co-constructed BY, WITH and FOR recreational vehicle owners. Some of them had already exchanged their vehicles in the past, and contributed their experience. Others shared their ideas and enthusiasm, to make SwapTheRoad the trusted third party for their future exchanges.
SwapTheRoad is reserved exclusively for recreational vehicle owners, because trust is the key to traveling through the exchange . “We will take care of your vehicle because we know that you will take care of ours in return!”
To use SwapTheRoad’s services and make exchanges, all you need to do is own a recreational or adventure vehicle and offer it for exchange by publishing it on the site.
Every SwapTheRoad member can become a “certified” member.
All you need to do is provide our services with 4 documents:
This service is free of charge and has a double benefit:
Of course, our certification service will make sure that all documents are regularly updated (particularly the insurance certificate).
That’s one of the advantages of certification!
Becoming a “certified” member is a free service with a double benefit
That’s one of the advantages of certification!
Becoming a “certified” member is a free service with a double benefit
It’s an opportunity to grow our community and multiply the chances to travel!
Any member of the community can sponsor one or more of their friends.
Each member has a referral code that can be consulted directly from the home page of their Member Area.
They can share it freely with their friends, and even sponsor other travelers directly by entering their e-mail address directly in their Member Area!
The sponsor receives 100 RoadPoints each time he/she sponsors another traveler. The referral receives an additional 200 RoadPoints when he/she joins the community!
We reward the loyalty of our members with an annual bonus of 500 RP!
Thanks to RoadPoints, you’re no longer limited in your travels: reciprocal exchanges are no longer your only option!
The RoadPoints system makes it easier for you to organize your exchanges: you can make both reciprocal and non-reciprocal exchanges…
So you can lend your vehicle to other members and then borrow theirs in return. But you can also lend your vehicle in exchange for RoadPoints, which you can then use to travel to another destination, more in line with your desires!
Each member of the SwapTheRoad community receives the same number of RoadPoints upon registration.
They are distributed as follows:
– 30% are allocated and conditioned to the completion of the “member profile”, i.e. 600 RP.
– 70% are allocated at the time of registration of the first vehicle, i.e. 1400 RP
Each member can therefore easily dispose of 2000 RoadPoints as soon as he or she registers… Enough to go away for several days!
RoadPoints work in simple terms:
In both cases, the amount of RoadPoints transferred to the borrower corresponds to the RoadPoints allocated to the loaned vehicle, multiplied by the number of days it will have traveled in the country.
Example:
– Sophie has valued her vehicle at 150 RoadPoints/day.
– She lends it to Sam for a 3-week road trip (21 days).
– At the end of this exchange, 3150 RoadPoints will be automatically transferred from Sam’s account to Sophie’s.
Please note: the default value of a vehicle (whatever the vehicle) is 100 RP/day, but members are free to change this value at any time, depending on their vehicle, equipment and geographical location.
When creating your ad, you are invited to value your vehicle by determining a number of RoadPoints per day (RP/day): this is simply the number of RoadPoints that the future borrower of your vehicle will have to give you to travel in it…
The default value of a vehicle (whatever the type of vehicle and its real monetary value) is 100 RP/day, but you are of course free to modify this value at any time, depending on your vehicle, its equipment and its geographical location.
To change a vehicle’s default value (100 RP/day), simply go to your Member Area, under ” my vehicles “, and modify the characteristics of the vehicle in question.
You can modify this value at any time, depending on the evolution of your vehicle’s equipment and/or its geographical location: the greater the number of vehicles in a geographical area, the greater your chances of lending your vehicle and earning RoadPoints will be conditioned by its daily value…
To check the balance of your RoadPoints account, simply go to the home page of your Member Area.
There are several ways to earn RoadPoints :
– by lending your vehicle of course (number of days of travel multiplied by the price of the vehicle in RP/day)
– by adding vehicles: 700 RP / additional vehicle
– by bringing a testimony to the community: 50 RP / testimony / year
– by sponsoring new members: 100 RP for the sponsor / 200 RP for the godchild in case of subscription of the latter
– by remaining loyal: 500 RP/year
You can also buy RoadPoints, if you borrow more than you lend, or if you’re a few days short of finalizing the organization of your road trip…
Absolutely not, there’s no deadline for using your RoadPoints! The only condition for retaining the use of your RoadPoints is to remain loyal to the SwapTheRoad community.
A non-reciprocal exchange is when you want to borrow another member’s vehicle, but he doesn’t want to borrow yours in return…
In this case, you can simply give him RoadPoints based on the RP/day price of his vehicle and the length of your trip!
Example:
– You live in France and want to borrow a vehicle in the USA
– You’ve exchanged with another member from New York whose vehicle is available for your next vacation, but he already knows France well and has no plans to return.
– If your trip lasts 14 days and his vehicle is valued at 100 RP / day, your “RoadPoints account” will be debited with 1,400 RP, and his will be credited with the same amount.
Please note: non-reciprocal exchange clearly increases your chances of traveling, but although there is no direct reciprocity at the time, the “borrowing” member will inevitably make a loan at another time to another member of the community…
The non-reciprocal exchange allows you to borrow a vehicle in exchange for the payment of RoadPoints.
The number of RoadPoints corresponding to the stay will be debited as soon as the reservation is validated by the Lender!
If you do not have enough RoadPoints, you can buy them directly via your Member Area.
A reciprocal exchange is when you want to borrow another SwapTheRoad community member’s vehicle, and they want to borrow yours in return…
This exchange can take place in two different ways:
Of course, it’s more common (and highly recommended) to opt for a deferred exchange. Clearly, this is the best way to welcome your host and ensure clear, direct communication when handing over the vehicle keys!
By the way, deferred reciprocal exchange logically allows two members located in two different hemispheres to travel at ideal times…
Whatever the type of exchange, RoadPoints are calculated on the basis of the value of the vehicle concerned: this guarantees fairness in reciprocity!
There are two possible scenarios:
The reciprocal exchange allows two members to exchange their vehicle with each other: it is the founding principle of the recreational vehicle exchange which allows everyone to travel for free!
In order to keep it fair, it was previously important that each member had an equivalent length of stay… Now, RoadPoints allow for more flexibility and regulate any differences 😊
First of all, to be validated a reciprocal exchange must be done in three steps:
It is important to know that there is no transaction of RoadPoints between members, except if a difference is noted between the exchange requests made by the members themselves. This difference can be explained by a difference in the value of their vehicles (in RP/day), by a variation in the duration of their stays, or even by both… Whatever the case may be, the difference in RoadPoints for the reciprocal exchange will of course be taken into account by SwapTheRoad, once the exchange is concluded!!
Two types of formula are available: ESSENTIAL or PREMIUM.
Either one allows you to make any kind of exchange, and in unlimited quantity!
A simple Internet user and visitor of the SwapTheRoad website can :
BUT ESPECIALLY: from the moment you publish your vehicle, you automatically become an Essential member… This means you can contact other members, make reciprocal & non-reciprocal exchanges, and travel for free or almost free!
The recreational vehicle exchange was born out of a need to travel further, differently and more cheaply. So we’re giving our members free access to this new way of travelling!
Here are the services & features available to all members who have published their vehicle:
To communicate within our community and easily organize all the details of an exchange!
To be systematically informed when a new vehicle is published in a country you wish to visit!
To keep the vehicles you’re interested in just a click away!
To ensure that your vehicle’s posting is given priority, and to be authenticated in the eyes of other members!
To travel for free as soon as your vehicle is published in our community!
To enjoy a few extra days of travel at an unbeatable price!
The exchange of recreational vehicles is above all based on trust. That’s why SwapTheRoad community members can become “certified” members at any time!
This free service validates the member’s identity and verifies the vehicle offered for exchange. Our teams will validate that the vehicle belongs to the member, and that it is covered by an insurance policy.
What’s more, certified vehicles appear at the top of search results… All the more reason to promote your vehicle within the community!
To get your vehicle certified, simply submit the following 4 documents via the Member Area:
A member may want to secure the loan of his vehicle… That’s why SwapTheRoad offers to manage a security deposit on behalf of the owner!
This service is available to all for 30€/exchange, and complements the owner’s insurance contract, providing a financial guarantee in the event of an incident (interior or exterior damage, accident, breakdown…).
The various levels of security deposits available enable you to include a deposit and cover the insurance excess in the event of an at-fault accident.
To be able to offer a vehicle for exchange, each member must be covered by an insurance policy, and must undertake to provide the borrower with the corresponding cover for the entire duration of the loan.
To guarantee its members optimum coverage when they travel on exchange, SwapTheRoad has chosen to work with a benchmark in vehicle insurance!
The PREMIUM subscription allows you to benefit from additional guarantees during exchanges:
This service is accessible to all from the Member Area, in the ” services ” section. It complements the owner’s insurance contract and provides a financial guarantee in the event of an incident (interior or exterior damage, accident, breakdown, etc.).
The price of this service is 30€/ exchange for an Essential member.
This service is included in the Premium formula.
Absolutely! The “alert zones” feature enables our members to identify several different geographical zones, and to be automatically informed each time a new vehicle is published in one of these zones.
It’s also possible to buy RoadPoints, a section of your Member Area is there for that!
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