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?
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!
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.
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.
We flew to Alaska and rented a motorhome. Great trip and beat driving ours up the Al-Can.
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!
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.
Before buying we rented two Fifth-Wheels through Air B&B. Both were sited on their owner’s property.
We rented twice before buying. The first time was from an individual through some third-party service. The second time was from a dealership.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Rented in Alaska, It was worth it. I recall the company was called ABC Rentals.
1975 – 16 people in a Cruise-Air for a weekend at the boat races. Fun, but…Oh, Boy!
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.
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.
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.
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 !!
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.
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.