« We use the app to lend our van to friends. Very handy for managing the sharing (calendar, cost tracking, etc.)! »
Gabin
Google Play
Your van sleeps more than it drives? Share it with trusted people. Co-oto organizes bookings, splits costs and locates the vehicle. A tool built for van owners who want to share the costs with others instead of carrying them alone.
What to share with Co-oto?
Share a campervan with trusted people
€35,000 to sleep in a garage
Waking up by the ocean. Coffee on a mountain pass. An unplanned detour to a village you'd never heard of. That's the promise of a campervan, and exactly why you bought one.
Except that most of the time, reality is different: the van is parked outside your place. For three weeks now. And it will probably stay there until the next holiday, two months away. Meanwhile, insurance keeps running, the parking spot costs money, and the loan payments continue.
A campervan starts from around €25,000 used and can exceed €100,000 for high-end models. Even used, a well-maintained converted van costs between €25,000 and €40,000.
What you pay every year, even without driving
A campervan generates fixed costs that don't change. Whether you go out for three weekends or three months, these costs remain the same.
| Item | Annual range |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive insurance | €300 – €700 |
| Parking | €0 – €1,200 |
| Maintenance, roadworthiness test | €250 – €600 |
| Total fixed costs (excl. depreciation) | ~€550 – €2,500 |
| Depreciation | €1,500 – €2,500 |
| Total with depreciation | ~€2,050 – €5,000 |
For an owner who uses their van 20 days per year, that's between €100 and €250 per day of road trip, in fixed costs alone.
Shared between three people, the cost drops to €35-85 per day. The equation changes completely.
- Free for drivers
- No commission
- No device to install
- Between people you know, not strangers
Why share rather than own alone
Because an underused van costs money for nothing.
Most van owners use theirs between 20 and 40 days per year. The rest of the time, over 300 days, the vehicle waits. Insurance, depreciation, parking: the costs keep running.
Sharing with one or two trusted people lets you split those costs without renting to strangers: everyone reimburses their share, nobody earns an income from it. No platform, no commission, no wear from renters you don't know.
Because buying together costs less than buying alone.
If two friends or family members are each considering buying a van, why not buy one together? The savings run into tens of thousands, and with 52 weeks in a year, everyone has plenty of time to travel.
Because a shared vehicle means one less vehicle.
Fewer resources to manufacture, less space to park, less overall maintenance. For those who care about their footprint, this argument matters as much as the rest.
That's where Co-oto comes in.
With the app, you manage all the sharing from your phone: bookings via a shared calendar, automatic splitting of fixed and variable costs, van location between uses. Everyone knows what they owe, when the vehicle is free and where to pick it up, no spreadsheet, no WhatsApp group.
A typical weekend with Co-oto
THU
Thursday evening
You open the app and check the shared calendar: the van is free this weekend. Your co-user returned it on Tuesday. You book from Friday to Sunday in seconds.
FRI
Friday morning
You check where the van is parked: the last position was logged by the previous user. It's a ten-minute walk away. You pick it up, check the tank is full (as agreed), and head off for a road trip.
SAT
Saturday
You drive, stop wherever you like, sleep by the coast or in a forest. You fill up once and log the expense in the app.
SUN
Sunday evening
You return the van and mark its position in the app. The next user will know exactly where to find it.
END
End of month
The app calculates each person's share of fixed costs: insurance, maintenance, depreciation. You reset the tally once reimbursement is done, and start fresh.
Do the math
Here's a concrete example based on typical costs.
Vehicle: used campervan at €30,000
Users: 3 people, ~20 days each per year
| Item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Parking | €300 |
| Comprehensive insurance | €500 |
| Maintenance, roadworthiness test | €400 |
| Depreciation (€30,000 over 12 years, resale ~€10,000) | €1,670 |
| Total fixed costs | €2,870 |
| Per person (~3) | ~€957/year |
| Per day of use | ~€48 |
Each user then covers their own variable costs (fuel, tolls, campsite fees).
Comparison with rental
Renting a similar campervan costs on average €80 to €150 per day depending on the season, or €1,600 to €3,000 for 20 days.
Simulate your own sharing
Adjust the parameters below to estimate your savings.
3
Total annual cost
€2,870
Per person / year
€957
Per day of use
€48
Savings vs rental
€1,043
Estimated costs: depreciation over 12 years (resale ~33%), insurance €500, parking €300, maintenance €400. Rental compared at ~€100/day.
What about insurance?
This is often the first question, and rightly so. Insuring a shared van isn't a standard case, but it's not an exception either.
The general rule: a vehicle insurance policy covers the vehicle, not just its owner. Other drivers can be authorized, as long as they're declared to the insurer. Conditions vary: some add no extra cost, others apply a modest surcharge.
What we recommend: before starting a sharing arrangement, contact your insurer. Explain that it's regular sharing between trusted people (family or friends) not commercial rental. Ask about the conditions for adding drivers and any impact on your premium. In most cases, a solution exists. Read our insurance guides
For a campervan worth around €30,000 to €50,000, expect between €300 and €700 per year in comprehensive insurance. This cost, shared between two or three users, becomes very reasonable.
What Co-oto does
Shared calendar
Each user sees who has booked the van and when. No more scrolling through WhatsApp threads.
Automatic fixed cost splitting
Enter your annual costs (insurance, maintenance, depreciation) and the app calculates each person's share automatically.
Variable expense tracking
Fuel, tolls, campsite fees: each user logs what they spend during their trip. Photo of receipt, amount, category.
Location
The last user marks where they parked the van. The next person knows exactly where to find it.
Checklist before you start
- 1
Insurance
Contact your insurer to verify coverage for additional drivers. Additional drivers must typically be declared on the policy.
- 2
Usage rules
Agree on expected condition upon return: fuel level (full? half?), interior cleanliness, water management if equipped.
- 3
Cost splitting
Equal shares or proportional to use? Who advances the annual costs? Define this before starting to avoid arguments later.
- 4
Equipment inventory
Folding table, chairs, stove, bedding, power cables: list what stays in the van and what condition each person should leave it in.
- 5
Written agreement
A simple one-page document outlining the sharing rules protects everyone.
Frequently asked questions
What if we all want to go at the same time?
With two or three users and 52 weeks in the year, overlaps are rare. Co-oto's shared calendar lets everyone see availability and book in advance.
Can you sleep anywhere in a van?
Rules vary by country and municipality. Generally, parking a van is allowed wherever a car can park. However, "camping" (setting up table, chairs, awning) may be restricted in certain areas. Check local regulations and use dedicated apps like Park4Night to find authorized spots.
Do we need a written contract?
It's not legally required, but strongly recommended. A simple document outlining the sharing rules, cost splitting and responsibilities prevents misunderstandings. And if someone wants to leave the arrangement, having a written record simplifies things.
They already share their van
« Co-oto is the only app I could find that is specifically designed for private share vehicles (as opposed to carpooling or commercial car sharing). I live in an ecovillage in a small town in Australia, and one of my neighbours and I have decided to share an EV. Your app has been super helpful in terms of booking the car and tracking our kilometres and expenses. Thank you! »
Kath
Australia · by email
« Honestly the best car sharing app. We use it daily as a couple and it makes organizing ourselves really easy. It fully deserves its 5 stars. »
Stef
Google Play
Ready to share your van?
Download Co-oto and start organizing your sharing. Calendar, costs, location: everything you need for your van to serve several people, hassle-free.
Download the app for free
