How to Find the Best RV Rental Near Me
According to the RV Rental Association, Class C motor homes and travel trailers are the most popular types of RV rentals. Conventional trailers take about 52% of rental fleets, and Class C’s account for about 34%. If you have never traveled in an RV for vacation, you may want to consider renting one for a road trip.
Traveling in a home on wheels is a great way to see the country with all the comforts of home. If you are wondering how to find an RV rental near me, read this RV renter guide for some great first-timer tips.
First Timer Tips
RV rentals are a wonderful way of “getting your feet wet” without the expense of purchasing. It is easy to search by state to find out about renting an RV near you. There are a few things you will need to know to successfully choose the right RV for your first trip.
You also may want to read reviews written by prior renters of the vehicle you select. This will give you an idea about the condition of the RV and whether or not there were any problems with the rental.
Book in Advance
This applies to both the RV unit you want to rent and the campsite you want to stay at. Rental RVs have a higher demand than supply, so you may need to make arrangements months in advance. This is especially true during high travel times such as holidays, school vacation breaks, and the summer.
Depending on your destination, campgrounds book up months to more than a year in advance. Their popular times are the same as RV rentals so you need to plan accordingly.
Select the Type of RV to Rent
If you are unfamiliar with RV types, this is the first important decision of your rental. RV’s come in a wide range of styles and sizes. Your decision will be based on what size of rig you are comfortable operating, the number of people in your group (sleeping capacity of the RV), and how many “luxury” items you want onboard. Here is a quick glimpse at the types of RVs available:
- Travel Trailer — Variety of sizes from tiny with no bathroom to large with living, kitchen, dining, bathroom, and bedroom areas
- Fifth Wheel — requires a special fifth-wheel hitch in the bed of a heavy-duty pickup truck, spacious and same living space areas as a large trailer, steps lead to a raised master bedroom area
- Class B Motor Home — resembles a van conversion and usually has a wet bath, meaning the entire bathroom gets wet when you shower
- Class C Motor Home — built on a truck chassis with sleeping over the driving cab, they have separate dining, kitchen, and bathroom
- Class A Motor Home — has a living area, dinette, kitchen, bath with shower, separate master bedroom, and many also have a half-bath
Many of the Fifth Wheels, Class C, and Class A motorhomes have slides that make the living area more spacious.
One consideration is the maneuverability of the unit you are renting. When towing a trailer or fifth wheel you leave the RV at the campsite and take your vehicle on your daytime excursions. If you are driving a motor home, you will need to disconnect your unit from any hookups and drive the entire RV everywhere you go or rent a car when you arrive at your destination.
Renters Tip
Just because the unit says it can sleep a specific number of people, does not mean those arrangements are comfortable or convenient. Often beds are made by opening up a folding couch, collapsing down a dinette set, or climbing up above the driver and passenger seats. Tour the RV before you rent so you know what you are getting.
Budget Sufficiently
When renting an RV you must consider more than just the cost of the unit. You will need supplies for your RV. Items such as kitchenware, linens, propane, grills, paper goods, and generators will likely be available at an extra cost, or you will need to provide your own.
RV rental insurance is a must-have. Make sure you have coverage for the area you will be driving through and that it covers the renter, the RV, and the RV owner. You will want to make sure you have both collision and comprehensive. Motor home windshields are large and open game for cracks if a semi-truck happens to throw a stone into it.
You may want to consider purchasing supplemental roadside assistance coverage. This can be especially beneficial if you get a flat tire or have any other type of incident. RVs require larger tow-trucks, jacks, and more if you have a problem.
You need to plan for gasoline expenses (RVs average about 6 mpg), campground fees, shopping for food and other supplies, and any sightseeing adventures. If you are driving a motor home you may want to consider renting a car once you reach your destination for use on excursions away from the campsite.
When renting that you will need to provide a rental deposit to secure the rental, plus a security deposit. The security deposit is refundable upon your return as long as there is no damage to the RV during your trip.
Keep in mind when you receive a quote for the cost of renting an RV that the price may not include an additional per-mile fee. For this reason, it is a good idea to have in mind the number of miles you will be traveling with the RV so you can figure the mileage rate into your total cost.
Type of Campsite
You may be surprised to learn that there are more than 17,382 high-quality RV parks available in the United States and Canada. There are a wide variety of campsites available from rural (no hook-ups) to full-hookup (water/sewer/electricity).
If this is your first time renting an RV you may want to go the easy route and stay at a location that offers hookups. These are available in full or partial.
If you get a campsite with a partial hookup, you will have fresh water and electrical at the site but will need to drive to the dump station to empty your grey water and black water tanks. Greywater (from sinks and shower) is what fills up the quickest. Depending on the number of people and usage, it will need emptying about every 2–3 days.
A full hookup means you have water, sewer, and electrical on your site. That prevents you from having to move the RV when you need to dump grey water or black tanks. The owner of the RV will show you the steps to handle this task.
Boondocking, also called dry camping, means you are camping in a location with no hookups. This requires you to be ultra-conservative with your water usage. Power will need to be through the use of a generator.
One thing about vacationing in an RV and staying at a campground is fellow RVers are friendly and helpful. One of the key aspects of spending time in an RV is the opportunity to come together with others, spark up unique conversations with strangers, and learn new ideas.
Secure Your Items
When you are traveling down the road items inside your RV will shift and move. To prevent breakage and messes you must make sure all items are secure. Countertops and tables need to be clear of all items.
Check to make sure all cabinets and drawers are latched and that the refrigerator is locked. The last thing you want to do is spend part of your vacation cleaning ketchup and mustard off the ceiling and milk off the floor because they fell from the refrigerator and popped open.
Outdoorsy RV Rental Near Me
Renting an RV through outdoorsy is simple. Outdoorsy connects people wanting to rent a rig with local motor home, campervan, and RV owners. Using the tips above, you can take the following steps to get you on the road:
- Search the RVs available near you and save the one you like for when you are ready to rent
- Send the RV owner a booking request
- Pick up the RV or request delivery to your home
- Exchange keys with the owner
- Do a walk-thru with the owner of RV operations
- Hit the road
- Return the RV to its owner
By renting from Outdoorsy you will save up to 60% over other types of vacations. You will be able to rent the perfect unit for the number of people and the distance you want to travel. The RV owners you rent from can answer all your questions so you get on the road in confidence.
Rent and Write
When you are searching for the answer to how to find an RV rental near me, you can get online support from TravellBuzz. They can answer all your questions and get you on the right road to renting an RV.
Once you have taken your trip, you may want to take the opportunity to share your ideas, knowledge, and perspective on RV travel with an audience of more than 170 million. Medium provides you with an opportunity to be heard.
You are also welcome to become a member of Medium for only $5 per month or $50 per year. Membership provides you with unlimited access to our entire library. We have no paywalls, no story limits, and no ads.
Rent your RV and while relaxing at your campsite, read up on all the great information available at Medium. Join today!
