Traveling by RV is one of the best ways to take a vacation on a budget. Forget rental cars and hotel rooms — with an RV, you’ve got all the accommodations you need in one all-inclusive package. But before you leave, there’s no harm in making sure you get the best possible price.
To land the cheapest RV rental, you’ll want to shop around and get quotes from multiple dealerships or owners. Be prepared to skip over luxury models with all the bells and whistles in favor of something more austere.
The good news is that you can take the trip of your dreams and still stick to your budget. All it takes is a little research and some planning ahead of time. Before you know it, you’ll be out on the open road with friends and family and plenty of extra money in your wallet to spend when you arrive at your final destination. Read on to learn more about how to rent an RV for cheap.
Looking For a Cheap RV Rental With Unlimited Miles?
If you’ve never rented an RV before, be aware that most rental services will charge you a per-mile fee, meaning the farther you and your group travel, the more you will have to pay at the end of the trip. For that reason, it’s important not to focus exclusively on the base daily rate when you’re calculating how much you will ultimately have to spend on your vacation.
For some travelers, the whole purpose of renting an RV is to take a nice long road trip and enjoy the ride along the way. In that case, it can be a huge money saver to find a dealership or rental company that offers an unlimited mileage plan, or at least the lowest possible mileage fee you can find. But not every RV renter has the same goal in mind.
If you’re traveling to a music festival or other large gathering, for example, it will almost always be cheaper to rent an RV near the city you’re visiting rather than renting a camper where you live and driving it to your destination.
When looking for a cheap RV rental, be sure to call and reserve your vehicle as much ahead of time as you can, though. During festival weekends and other high-impact events, RV rental companies typically book out months in advance. The more time you can give yourself to plan out your vacation, the more money you will likely end up saving.
How To Find the Cheapest RV Rentals Near Me
When you’re looking for cheap RVs for rent, again, it’s in your best interest to start early and shop around. The further out you start planning, the wider the range of RVs that will be available for you to rent. Think about your goals for the trip and who you will be traveling with. What are your priorities?
Maybe you really don’t mind taking a break from watching TV and can skip the flatscreen but would really like a roomy kitchen table to gather around at night while enjoying dinner. Or maybe you can live with a more outdated RV model as long as it has a private bedroom to separate the parents from the kids.
Whatever the case may be, realize that the cheapest RV rentals often come when you’re willing to compromise. Some truths are universal: The smaller the RV, the more likely it is to be better on fuel consumption. The newer the model, the more you can expect to pay to rent it for the week. The more demand a rental company has during a certain week or weekend, the less supply of RVs you can expect to find.
After considering all these options and making a wish list for your desired RV camper, call around to rental companies in your area to see what they can offer you.
And don’t always feel like you have to settle for the company with the cheapest price — many times, rental places will come down on their rates if you mention a cheaper quote from a competitor (it doesn’t hurt to ask!). Be sure to ask about any hidden fees and costs so you can get a true estimate of how much the rental will set you back. When you put down a deposit, you’ll want to know exactly how much you’re planning on spending for your RV rental.
Who Has The Most Affordable RV Rentals?
Finding a cheap RV for rent takes some legwork. The rental company with the most affordable RV rentals will obviously vary from city to city, but checking online to get a range of pricing is a good place to start. In many cases, larger companies or peer-to-peer rental services are able to pass along savings to their customers, but fair pricing can be found at almost any reputable business in your area.
Reading some online reviews is a great way to do some initial research, but remember that each RV rental customer is different. Because pricing varies by season, RV model, and company, it’s important to call around to get quotes specific to your needs.
And don’t discount word-of-mouth referrals from people you already know — friends and family members are a great place to start when you’re trying to figure out where to rent RVs for cheap, especially if you can compare the rates they paid with what you’re being quoted.
If you’ve exhausted your options with traditional rental companies without getting the cost savings you desire, be sure to check out peer-to-peer rental sites, where RV owners rent out their vehicles directly to people looking to rent them.
Many owners are looking to make extra cash and are willing to go low on price if you’re not renting during the holidays or a high-impact weekend. For both traditional rental companies and peer-to-peer rentals, it might make sense in some cases to expand your search radius and start looking in nearby cities as well. It could be that driving an hour up the road to an out-of-the-way rental company could end up saving you hundreds on the overall rental cost.