How to Rent an RV for Vacation & 7 Things You Should Know

Can you rent an RV for vacation? The answer is yes – but there are a few things you should know first!

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about renting an RV.

This includes the best RV rental companies, how to find the perfect RV rental for you, average RV rental costs, where to stay, and extra tips on making the most of your RV trip. We’ll also cover some basic RV rental requirements.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

• Click Here to Browse RV Rentals Now!
• Why Rent An RV?
• Where to Find the Perfect RV Rental
• How Much Does it Cost to Rent an RV?
• What are the Requirements to Rent an RV?
• How to Choose Which Type of RV to Rent
• How to Rent An RV in 3 Simple Steps
• Where to Stay in Your RV Vacation Rental
• 11 Tips When Renting An RV
• FAQs

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Click Here to Browse RV Rentals Now!

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Why Rent An RV?

Renting a camper is one of the most beautiful ways to experience an area. Whether you’re going on a solo trip to try out #vanlife or you’re bringing your family somewhere, it’s the perfect way to vacation.

Not to mention RV rentals cost less than most hotels and resorts! You’re able to experience an incredible vacation for far less than you otherwise might be able to.

Related Reading: How to Find Cheap RV Rentals

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 Find the Perfect RV Rental

There are many RV rental companies to choose from. They all fall under three main categories: 

• Peer-to-Peer RV Rentals: RV owners can rent their RV to anyone through sites like Outdoorsy or RVshare. It’s like the Airbnb, but with RVs! This is our favorite RV rental experience because it gives you the widest range of options for the best price, plus they offer up to $1M in insurance and free roadside assistance.
• RV Rental Company: You can also rent RVs from rental companies like Cruise America or El Monte RV. We don’t recommend this method because most traditional camper rental companies are more expensive and tend to have worse customer service.
• RV Dealerships: Some of your local RV dealers may also have a rental option. We don’t have any experience with this, but would still go for a peer-to-peer rental over dealerships because of our experience.

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.

How Much Does it Cost to Rent an RV?

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:

RV Type	Average Rental Prices
Class A	$175 to $275 per night
Class B	$100 to $200 per night
Class C	$150 to $200 per night
Travel Trailer	$50 to $125 per night
Fifth Wheel	$100 to $200 per night
Pop Up Camper	$50 to $100 per night
Toy Hauler	$100 to $200 per night
Campervan	$100 to $175 per night

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

What are the Requirements to Rent an RV?

While renting a recreational vehicle is super easy, there are some basic requirements you need to be aware of!

1. You must be at least 25 years old to rent an RV. Unfortunately, due to the nature of big expensive campers, insurance companies require you to be at least 25 years old to rent and drive an RV.
2. You do NOT need a special license to drive a camper! Despite being larger vehicles on the road, campers don’t require a special license to drive. Which is great news for you!

How to Choose Which Type of RV to Rent

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

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 motorhome rentals are best if you want luxury and plenty of space to live. However, they’re also the most expensive and have the lowest MPG of any camper.

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 motorhomes 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!

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 couple and don’t mind close quarters, camper van rentals can be a great way to save money and have stress-free driving!

They are also the perfect RV rental for a cross country trip!

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.

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!

Related Reading: What is a Fifth Wheel?

Truck Camper

Truck campers are campers that sit in the bed of a pickup truck! It’s 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!

How to Rent An RV in 3 Simple Steps

Now that you know about the different types of campers, how much a rental costs, and where to rent one, it’s time to rent your RV! The 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 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:

• Mileage Costs: While some rentals come with unlimited mileage, others charge for each mile over the allotted amount.
• Details, Amenities & Rules: Because these RVs are for rent by owners, each of them has different rules (such as pet-friendly, festival-friendly, and if smoking is allowed). You can also see what amenities the camper has, like air conditioning, heat, electrical hookups, etc.
• Generator Charges: If you plan on using the generator (if you’re going boondocking, for example), some rentals only allow a certain number of hours of use, then charge per hour over the allowed time.
• Ratings & Reviews: Possibly the most important thing to look at, you can see real customer’s reviews at the bottom of the page.

3. Book Your RV!

Once you’ve found a rig you like, booking is easy—just choose your pick up and insurance coverage on the right-hand side, then click the green Request to Book button.

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 camper. In most cases, you’ll have to pay a 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 Your RV Vacation Rental

Not sure where to go on your RV adventure? We got your back! Here are some great places to stay, with the 10 best rentals you can get in those areas!

Great RV Vacation Destinations

11 Tips When Renting An RV

Alright, now you’ve got your rental and you’re ready for your family vacation!

Here are 7 tips for first timers to help you save money and have the best experience possible when renting an RV:

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 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.)

8. Questions to Ask The Rental Company

Speaking of questions, here are a few you should ask the company you’re renting the camper from before you pay:

• How does the insurance policy work?
• If you have a Pet are they allowed in the RV?
• How does Roadside Assistance work? Is there 24/7 roadside assistance?
• Will I get charged for mileage?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• What are the RV rental company charges?

9. Get This App to Find RV Dump Stations

A common issue when RVing is having full black water (sewer) and gray water (sink/shower) tank while you’re on the road. To avoid a full tank situation and save you gas mileage, use Sanidumps to find dump stations along your route!

10. Call the RV Campground Ahead of Time

Sometimes RV campgrounds will only allow RVs newer than a certain year, or their sites only accomodate RVs under a certain length (anything over 31′ will start limiting where you can stay). Call ahead to book your site and determine if they can accomodate your rig!

11. Don’t Forget These RV Essentials!

Most renters will supply you with RV toilet paper, paper towels, dishware, and silverware. But you’re usually on your own for things like towels, water, and food.

Some other items you might want are fire starters and fire wood (usually you can pick it up there), smores ingredients, sun screen, bug spray, and clothes for multiple occasions (even if you’re RVing somewhere warm, it can get very cold at night!). An extra blanket or two can’t hurt, either.

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:

That’s all for what you need to know about renting your first RV! Ready for RV travel? Click here to browse RV rentals now.