Everything to Know About Renting An RV: What to Bring, FAQs & More

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Why Rent An RV?

Renting an RV or campervan is one of the best ways to experience a location without being restricted to a particular area! If you don't like the RV campground you're staying at, you can always move elsewhere.

Plus, the cost to rent an RV is much cheaper when compared to most hotels and resorts. You're able to experience an incredible vacation for far less than you otherwise might be able to.

Depending on the RV you rent, you can get a full kitchen equipped with a fridge, stove, oven, and more (unlike hotel rooms which only have a microwave).

Finally, RV camping puts you more in nature, with a lot more to do. You can go hiking, kayaking, sight-seeing, fishing, and so much more! Try doing that in a city!

Where to Rent A Camper

There are several ways to rent a recreational vehicle. 

Keep in mind that most of these options can also deliver and even set up the RV for you at whatever campground or location you're staying at! More on that in the "how to rent an RV" section.

RV Rental Costs

We recently did a study with Outdoorsy on how much it costs to rent an RV across tens of thousands of rentals in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Here are the average RV rental prices we found:

Of course, rental rates vary based on location, model, time of year & more. And if you're using a rental company like Cruising America, costs will also be different. Click here to browse rentals and see more accurate pricing.

How to Choose Which Type of RV to Rent

If you didn't already know this, there are nearly a dozen different types of RVs. Let's break them down!

Here's a quick navigation if you want to jump to the one you're interested in:

Class A

Class A motor homes are the biggest kind of RV next to fifth wheels. They have the most interior space and storage, with a giant windshield in the cab.

Class A's are best if you want luxury and plenty of space to move around. However, they are also the most expensive and have the lowest MPG of all RV types.

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Class C

Class C motor homes are also fairly big, with a few smaller options as well. You can tell these by the sleeping area over the cab.

Class C's are great all-around RVs. They have plenty of sleeping area and decent living space. You really can't go wrong with them—they're a classic!

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Class B / Camper Vans

Class B's and Camper Vans are the smallest types of motor home. (Don't ask me why they didn't go in ABC order.) If you're comfortable driving a van, these are pretty much equivalent.

If you're going on a solo vacation or as a duo and don't mind close quarters, camper van rentals can be a great way to save money and give you stress-free driving!

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Travel Trailer

Travel trailer rentals are sort of a mixed bag. You can have everything from tiny pop up campers to massive 42' trailers and toy haulers (which have space inside for a "toy" like a quad or dirt bike). These types of RVs must be towed!

Many RV owners offer a delivery service for towable RVs, since the average person doesn't have an adequate tow vehicle. If you'd rather just drive to your campground and have the camper set up for you, these are a great option!

There are also multiple variations of travel trailers, such as pop up camper rentals, teardrop trailers, and toy haulers.

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Fifth Wheel

Fifth wheels (aka "5th wheels") are also massive. They offer the most luxurious living spaces of all the types of RVs, often with fireplaces and two-tiered bedrooms.

If you just want a big, luxury RV rental and don't mind paying extra for it, go with a fifth wheel. They're awesome, just not that fun to drive!

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Truck Camper

Truck campers are trucks with campers attached to the truck bed! Every bit as awesome (and as small) as it sounds.

If you want to save EVEN MORE money, and potentially go off-roading, a truck camper rental is the way to go!

Return to Types

How to Rent An RV in 3 Simple Steps

Now that you know about the different types of RVs, what an RV rental costs, and where to rent one, it's time to rent your RV! The RV rental process is simple.

1. Go to A Rental Site

If you want to save money and hassle on your RV trip, book online. 

Head to Outdoorsy (or whichever RV rental company you decided to go with) and enter the date range and rental location you're staying at, then hit "search".

2. Browse The RVs Using Search Filters

Outdoorsy lets you search by RV type, cost, amenities, particular keywords, whether it's pet-friendly or not, and more! Just enter the search filters you'd like to search by and the results will automatically update.

I recommend searching for RVs with a 5-star rating. That way you know the RV owner cares about giving you a good experience and has proved themselves.

Click on a result to see pictures and learn more information about it, such as:

3. Book Your RV!

Once you've found an RV you like, booking is easy—just click the green Request Booking button on the right-hand side.

You won't be charged yet. The rental is held for 10 minutes, so you're on a timer to complete the purchase or else you might lose it to another renter.

Note that some rentals allow Instant Booking, which means you can book the RV online instantly without getting approval from the owner.

From here, you're taken to a page that asks if you want any of the renter's add-on's (such as additional time to return the rental or extra items like portable grills). 

Then you'll need to enter your payment details. You may also need to put down rental deposits to reserve the RV. In most cases, you'll have to pay a $100 to $500 refundable security deposit between two weeks and two days before your RV trip.

You can also choose to add Damage Protection on the next page (in case of damage to the vehicle on the interior, this is NOT part of the included road insurance).

Once you choose a protection package and click Next, your rental is booked (or requested)! Soon, you'll be road tripping it up.

I told you the rental process is simple! 

Where to Stay In An RV

Not sure where to take your RV vacation? We got your back! Here are some great places to stay, with the 10 best rentals you can get!

7 Tips When Renting An RV

Alright, now you've got your rental and you're ready for an RV adventure!

Here are 7 tips to help you save money & have the best trip possible:

1. Book Online to Save Money

As we shared above, booking online can save you money on your trip. 

But you can also save money on any activities you want to do and even restaurants by booking online! Many attractions have deals online to compete with the other attractions, whereas if you wait and go in-person, you'll end up paying more.

I recommend booking on Viator to get good deals and find unique activities.

Another great way to save money is with a browser extension called Honey. You just install it in your browser and it saves you money on hundreds of sites!

2. Book Everything In Advance

RV campgrounds and RV resorts book up fast, especially in peak season. If you want to ensure you get a good spot at an RV park, be sure to book in advance.

Again, this goes for activities and even restaurants as well. For example, if you go to Yellowstone National Park, most of the campsites and restaurants are booked almost a year in advance!

Of course, this isn't always the case. Less popular areas are perfect for more spontaneous RV adventures.

If you want help finding campgrounds and booking them online, check out RoverPass. They work with RV resorts to make booking easier and more affordable.

And if you book a long-term RV rental (say for a month or more), you can also save money that way!

3. Plan Your Trip With The RV Trip Wizard

This may sound obvious, but planning your route is important if you want to have the best road trips possible! How else will you know where to stay and what activities to try on your way to the destination?

For example, on your way to Las Vegas you can check out the Rocky Mountains and Route 66! They're both amazing RV routes and something everyone should see at least once in their life.

You can use the RV Trip Wizard to plan everything, including campgrounds, activities, re-fueling and more!

4. Use These RV Checklists

There are a lot of things you'll probably want to have with you on your RV vacation. Food, clothes, beach gear, hiking gear, towels... you get the idea.

Not to mention, if you're driving the RV yourself and need to set it up and take it down, you'll want a checklist for things to do before moving (like lowering the antenna so it doesn't get taken off under a low bridge).

Luckily, The Fun Times made a complete list of RV checklists for every occasion.

5. Drive Slower Than Usual

Remember that RVs are much larger (and heavier) than regular cars. This means they take much longer to stop, and you can't really stop on a dime.

The last thing you want is to rear-end someone in a big, expensive RV. So always go at or 5 below the speed limit. I like to do 60-65 on highways, when possible.

6. If You're Flying In, Consider a Rental Car

The only downside to RVing (if you're getting there by air travel) is that you won't have a vehicle to get around in—unless you unhook everything, which is a pain.

To get around this, consider getting a rental car as well. You can find them for as little as $10-$30 per day, and it's great to have a way to get groceries or go to local destinations.

You can find options anywhere with RentalCars.com. (And don't be afraid to get something nice—you are on vacation, after all!

7. Ask The RV Owner These Questions

Whenever you're renting an RV, you should always ask the following questions:

• Does the RV come with GPS?
• Does the rental offer linens, plates, silverware, pillows, etc.?
• How much does it cost, on average, to fill the tanks (gas & propane)?
• If you're getting a big rig, ask for tips on how/where to fill the tank.
• How many miles per gallon can you expect?
• Will the number of people in your group feel cramped in this RV?
• Does the rig have an air conditioner? (Outdoorsy will tell you if they do or not.)

And that brings us to the end of our tips!

FAQs

We've been asked a lot of questions about RVing. Here are the most common (just click the question to see the answer drop down):

That's all for what you need to know about renting an RV! Ready to go on your RV adventure? Click here to get an RV rental now.