If you’re renting an RV there’s a pretty good chance that it won’t be your dream RV. But most longtime RVers will agree that it’s a great way for you to test the waters and see if the lifestyle is good for you.
Renting an RV can also be a great way to see what size and style RV is right for you and your traveling companion(s). More on that here.
Have you ever rented an RV? If so, have you done so more than once or just one time? After you vote, please leave a comment telling us why you rented one and about your experience. If you’ve never rented one, would you like to?
While I was in the Navy I rented a pop-up. It was my first time camping with my family. It was well used, and the door would pop open when we go on the bed. I had to tie the dog’s leash to the handle to keep it closed. But it created a desire to do more camping. I also rented an A-Liner as an extra bedroom during a big family gathering. I wanted to see how comfortable it was. I learned a lot, and am enjoying my TT very much.
I rented 2 different tent/popup trailers in the mid 60’s, before puchasing a used one in the late 60’s.
Before I spent money on an RV i would rent one or two in order to see what I liked and did not like. This helped me in getting the RV I liked the first time instead of the 2nd or more. I would reccomend this to anyone who is considering a RV purchase for the first time or when changing types of RVs like going from a TT to a motorhome.
I rented a Mini-Winnie back in the mid-80s. The rental place (Cruise America) was across the street from my job. It was in Marin County, CA. I think it was basically just a three day ‘adventure’. It rained the entire time and the bed area above the cab soaked up a bunch of water on the bottom of the mattress. Obviously major leaking going on. But we still had a good time. It didn’t ‘dampen’ my enthusiasm for RVing but when I bought my first RV it was not a Mini-Winnie with the windowed overhead bunk!
Twice. First time, in ’73, some friends and I rented a Winnebago, drove down to Mexico. Second time, I rented a pop up and took my 7 yo (at the time) daughter for her first camping trip.
If I were going to purchase a motorhome I would before making a major investment.
We rented two RVs and borrowed a third from a friend in 2021/2022. We were deciding if we could handle going full time and what kind of amenities we would want. Much cheaper than buying the wrong RV or buying one and deciding the lifestyle is not for you.
Never RV’d before? Thinking about going full time,? Rent one for 2-4 weeks first to see if you can really stand being in such a small space all the time. My neighbor went out and bought one found he really couldn’t stand it his wife hated it even more they took a bath on selling the slightly used RV.
Several years ago when we were between Rv’s I rented a Class C to take my daughter and 2 friends to 6 Flags in Dallas. A 7 hour trip. Never take 3 13 year old girls on a 5 day trip in a RV! 😂
A couple years ago while working out West (and living in the East), Mt wife joined me in California and we rented a MH from Cruise America. We traveled the PCH from San Francisco to Southern Oregon and back over 10 days. It was a great experience! We saw places we would love to see again with our own RV and with more time. We also learned that we will not take our own RV on much of the PCH. Save that for someone else’s 😉. Maybe one day we will rent again. Maybe Hawaii 🤔
in September 2018, we rented an RV from “Just GO” in Great Brittan. Spent 30 days traveling all around England and Scotland. Had the time of our lives. It didn’t take me too long to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road, but MANY roads are VERY narrow. We plan to do it again in the near future, and would highly recommend it.
In 1973 I rented a popup camper from a private party and took my family to CO on vacation. I pulled it with my new Chevy Luv.
My brother-in-law actually rented the RV when he, his son and 2 friends flew to Iowa from Santa Barbara, CA to ride RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) in 2001. My husband also rode his bike and I drove the RV (also called the “sag wagon”), accompanied by our 10-year-old niece. It was great fun! RAGBRAI starts in a town on the Missouri River and goes to a town on the Mississippi River with different routes each year.
We are full-time in the US, Canada and Mexico. We rented a small class C in Johannesburg, South Africa for 2 months to see South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. What an adventure!
I’ve rented several through the Outdoorsy app and had them delivered and set up for me, so all I had to do was show up at the campsite. It was a relatively easy way to try out several different types and models before we bought our own fifth wheel.
Before jumping in at the deep end of going full time, we rented 3 different RVs. A Class A Gas model, A Class A DP and a Super C…thinking safety but I couldn’t get past the industrial feel. The DP Class A won. The rental experience helped us figure out what we wanted, needed, and what we could do without. I highly recommend doing this before making this major life change.
Our first two trips to Alaska we rented a Class C for a couple of weeks. Once I purchased our first diesel pusher, a 2002 Monaco Windsor, that coach took us to Alaska three more times to spend the entire summer with my family. I am hoping to make one more trip with our now 2006 Dynasty to spend the entire summer with my family once again.
Six weeks in New Zealand in the South Island in a class C trip of a lifetime. Bought a class C diesel when we got back !!
We rented a couple of times to see if we really wanted to become RV owners. The first was for a weekend. The second time was for a week. Those two experiences helped us decide that the RV lifestyle was something we wanted to embrace. That was almost ten years ago. Now I’m trying to get my wife to expand our world and try full timing. She is not quite ready to make that commitment yet, but at least now I have got her talking about it.
I have never rented one, but I did rent mine ONCE last summer through a reputable RV rental company that I would prefer not to name.
What a disaster! After thoroughly review all operations with the family AND leaving detailed notes they managed to mangle my basement cargo door, stretch my awnings by not angling them during a rain, and of course leaving me a “poop mountain” to deal with! Three months later I was able to replace the basement door. A nice family to be sure, but zero interest in how to operate an RV as they were looking for a beach vacation. If you EVER think you would like to make a few bucks by renting your RV when not using it, JUST DON’T! IMHO.
Renting an RV is how we got started 21 years ago. Took a two week trip and loved it. Now on RV #5. Even full timed for 7 years.
1975 – 16 people in a Cruise-Air for a weekend at the boat races. Fun, but…Oh, Boy!
Rented in Alaska, It was worth it. I recall the company was called ABC Rentals.
If you consider boats to be RVs, then yes. House boat weeks on Lake Powel, Lake Mead, The Shuswap in BC, and a 4 cabin 4 head, 4 couples yacht in the BVIs for 12 nights. These were all rentals in advance of a motorhome lives and were the catalyst to our understanding of compact living, now 20 years later we love our class A.
About 35 years ago we wanted to go camping with friends for Thanksgiving in San Felipe, Mexico. They all had motorhomes and were staying at a campground that did not allow tents. So, in order to camp with them, we rented a 1970 Shasta Compact trailer that was maybe 12 feet long and towed it with my Jeep Cherokee with windsurfers loaded on the top. It was so much fun and comfortable that I told my husband we have to get one of these. We finally got a trailer 25 years later. I cooked my turkey and entire Thanksgiving dinner in that tiny little kitchen. Great memories!
It can be a great way to travel, internationally. We rented a caravan for two weeks in New Zealand. No regrets and was a catalyst to buying an RV in the US years later.
We flew to Anchorage and rented a motor home twice. The only reason was the time factor. I own an Arctic Fox 27T, and, yes, I would love to drive from Southern California to Alaska!
We rented twice before buying. The first time was from an individual through some third-party service. The second time was from a dealership.
Before buying we rented two Fifth-Wheels through Air B&B. Both were sited on their owner’s property.
42 years ago! Company I worked for in Silicon Valley started sabbaticals. 3 months off every 6 yrs. Still can’t believe I did this. (Note: not a camper, parents weren’t either. We only took a 2 week trip to Denver, by car, to visit family every year. I learned to love traveling from that experience). My then husband, 18 month old son (now 44) and me set out driving (I drove too!) north from San Jose, Ca to Vancouver Island, then across Canada all the way to Quebec City then down through the US. What an amazing experience. And no issues with the 24 ft Class C we had rented. When I met my now husband, he had a RV (and tickets to INDY500!). 27 yrs later & 250K miles, still love RVing.
Flew into Anchorage,AK and rented the MH for a month with my mother, to see where my father had spent 9 months (winter included) during WWII helping citizen’s build the Al-Can Hwy!
We flew to Alaska and rented a motorhome. Great trip and beat driving ours up the Al-Can.
We rented two travel trailers before buying our first trailer, to see what features we liked or didn’t like. Much later, we rented two Class Cs for a trip through the Southwest with friends and family. Although the rentals weren’t nearly as nice as our own fifth wheels, they were perfectly fine for our 2 week trip and we had a great time. None of us had owned a motorhome, so it was a fun to try a drivable RV for a change.
My wife and I rented a Palomino pop-up camper when our girls were toddlers to gauge whether resuming at that time was a possibility. She was working at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL and rented the trailer from MWR on base.
We eventually bought a trailer but would’ve rented again.
In 1974 my dad had a Shasta Roadrunner (Class C) and took my sister and me for a few short camping trips when I was a kid. I fell in love with that camper and decided that I would have one when I grew up. Fast forward to 2015 when my sister and mom and I took a camping trip and rented a Class C. OMG it took two of us to drive it! I was in the passenger’s seat looking in the side mirror to let my sis know it was ok to change lanes.We didn’t get in any accidents, but I’m not sure we didn’t cause some! I didn’t even attempt driving it. We loved spending the week in the camper instead of in a tent, but driving the beast was too much for me to even consider. I’m so glad to have had the experience to know that I don’t want to drive anything that big. And it was the smallest that the rental company offered!! I most heartily recommend renting the type of camper that you think you might want before buying one!