Condé Nast: How To Rent A RV

Above, a RV rental lot in the San Fernando Valley. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I have never rented a RV, but my parents rented a 16' travel trailer back in 1975 and we took it to Mesa Verde National Park. So that's the extent of my "experience" in RV rentals.

However, since many people are now looking towards buying a RV or renting one, Condé Nast Traveler has an article how to rent a RV.

They begin it with:

The possibility of renting an RV this summer trip was never in Teena Garbus’s plans. But the mother of two from Tampa, Florida, says that, after the coronavirus pandemic caused her to cancel roughly nine trips this year—including three cruises, jaunts to Disney World, Las Vegas, and New York City for Mother’s Day—the idea of an RV vacation with her family is looking better than ever. 

“Having our own private space where we can can control what comes in and out [as] we do at home is the driving force,” says Garbus, who hopes to drive to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a week’s vacation with her gang. On the itinerary? “Hitting a bunch of parks along the way.” 

Hardly alone, Garbus is one in a tidal wave of travelers destined to try out RV vacationing for the first time this summer. According to peer-to-peer rental operator RVshare, bookings have more than doubled from this time last year, signifying a renewed confidence by travelers to hit the road. Cruise America—North America’s largest RV rental operator, with more than 120 outposts across the U.S. and Canada—also reports that domestic business is soaring, with first-time RV renters in particular causing phones to ring off the hook. And they have a lot of questions.

“Our normal call [to the reservations line] averages about five minutes,” says Michael Smalley, Cruise America's executive vice president. “Now we’re up to 10 or 12 minutes a call. It’s indicative of first-timers, they just need a little more hand holding.” 

To be sure, knowing how to rent an RV takes a tad more research than a rental car—but it’s less intimidating than most people think. To get you started, read on for everything a first-timer should know when considering an RV rental, and you'll be hitting the road in no time.

To "read on", go here.