How Much Does It Cost To Rent An RV For 3 Months?
RV Rental Rates (For 3 Months) In 2022
Many RV owners will offer a discount for a longer-term rental (since it reduces their cost of advertisement, cleaning in between rentals and loss of profit when not rented out). When it comes to average daily rates, they differ based on the type of RV, as well as its age, condition and location.
Contents
Below are the average daily ranges per type of RV:
| RV Type | Average Rental Prices |
| Class A | $175-$275/night |
| Class B | $100-$200/night |
| Class C | $150-$200/night |
| Travel Trailer | $50-$125/night |
| Fifth Wheel | $60-$150/night |
| Pop-Up Camper | $50-$100/night |
| Toy Hauler | $100-$200/night |
| Campervan | $75-$150/night |
(Source: www.thewanderingrv.com)
Translating this to a monthly average cost, you can really compare the savings:
While the monthly rates depend greatly on the RV owner, the location and the duration of the rental, the monthly rate ranges anywhere from $1,750-$8,000.
Many sites act as a middle-man between RV owners and potential renters; one of them is outdoorsy.com. The average down deposit is $500, although that can be higher depending on risk factors, such as pets or bad credit/driving record.
However, renting an RV for several months has become a trend for several reasons: “
- Renting saves you time, money and headache.
- Owning an RV comes with a lot of maintenance, renting doesn’t.
- You don’t have to make a large investment to stay in an RV.
- You don’t have to find a place to store your RV when you’re not using it.
- You don’t have to pay ownership taxes.
- You can try different types of RVs to see which one you like best!
- You can test the RV lifestyle by renting first to see if it’s right for you.
- It can be used as temporary housing when you’re in-between moves.
- It beats tent camping!”
(Source: www.thewanderingrv.com)
Class A Monthly RV Rental
The average rental is about $191-$350/night with the monthly discount, so about $5,700-$10,500/month, with a $1,500 deposit. There is also a sanitizing/prep fee of about $250.
Class B Monthly RV Rental
The average rental is about $80-$1,000/night with the monthly discount, so about $2,400-$30,000/month, with a $1,500-$3,000 deposit. There is also a sanitizing/prep fee of about $250.
Class C Monthly RV Rental
The average rental is about $130-$246/night with the monthly discount, so about $3,900-$/7,380month, with a $3,000 deposit. There is also a sanitizing/prep fee of about $250.
Overall, there is a HUGE variation in cost and added fees per owner due to the differences in age of RV, the condition of the unit and the owner’s level of risk aversion.
Is It Better To Rent An RV Monthly Or Long-Term?
You can rent an RV per day, on a weekly basis, monthly or longer than that. When renting from a private party (even through marketplaces like Outdoorsy), the person renting out the RV lists the terms they want to offer their RV at and the person renting out the unit decides whether they are willing to enter into a contract based on those terms.
Some RV owners have a high down deposit because of past negative experiences and damage to their unit, some RV owners offer a lucrative discount for long-term renters, while others don’t care about it and rather have short-term rentals.
The benefits of a responsible paying long-term renter are: minimal turn-over of unit, guaranteed income, lower risk (once you know the person who has the RV is familiar with the unit and uses it properly) and no cleaning costs until the unit is returned.
Because of this, there are many RV owners who don’t use their RV personally, but merely have a rental unit generating income.
Others block off certain dates where they use the unit, or they try to minimize any extended damage to the unit by allowing only short-term rentals so they can inspect and perform any damage control in between rentals.
For people who plan to rent out an RV for more than 3 months, it might be financially more lucrative to purchase a used unit and then resell it or rent it out once they are done using it. With the monthly rates from $1,700-$8,000+, it just doesn’t make sense to rent an RV long-term (for 6+months).
The cheapest unit to rent is a pop-up camper because they require some set-up and they are not well-insulated and do not offer the amenities and comfort of a travel trailer. Again, there are many affordable used pop-up campers that one can purchase if planning to rent for more than 3 months.
Weekly RV rentals are available and a good price-point between pricy daily rates and pricy monthly rates. Most people vacation for 1-2 weeks, so if they have to pay a daily rate rather than getting a weekly discount, it does add up.
Weekly rates are often about 5-10% of the average daily rate, but it depends on the RV owner’s offer and desire to market the unit as a weekly rental.
Is It Worth It To Rent An RV?
Below are some real customer testimonies and shared experiences of renting out an RV for an extended amount of time:
Francis B. rented a 2021 Winnebago in Tennessee and loved it: “Andrew was great to work with! He showed us all of the features of the RV. It was clean, fully functional and appropriately stocked.
We had a lot of fun on our first RV experience and plan to do more of it.”
(Source: www.outdoorsy.com)
Scott C. rented a 2018 Forest River Class A: “My family and I rented from Juan and had a wonderful RV experience in South Florida. He was courteous, kind, knowledgeable and attentive. The RV is in great shape, clean well-maintained and very drivable.”
(Source: www.outdoorsy.com)
When is the best time to rent an RV? “When it comes to choosing the best time to rent an RV, it pays to check out the prices on offer during the Shoulder Season. This period falls just before and just after the high season for RV rental (typically the end of spring and the beginning of fall) and offers a combination of desirable prices and weather.” (Source: www.jurnii.com.)
What Do You Need To Know About Renting An RV?
Many people wonder if it is more economical to rent an RV than to own one. This largely depends on the use and the duration of use of an RV. Purchasing a new RV leads to immediate depreciation of at least 20 percent. Renting avoids that loss. Furthermore, if you only use an RV a couple times in the summer, renting might also be a better option so that you don’t have to pay for winterization, storage, insurance etc. for a unit you do not use.
Keep in mind: to turn a depreciating asset from a liability into an investment, one can rent the RV out and recoup some of the cost of ownership.
Here are some things NOT TO DO as a first-time RV renter (make sure you learn from the mistakes of others):
- DO NOT rent out the biggest RV you can find
- DO NOT try to save time by skipping the pre-trip inspection and instruction
- DO NOT pack as much stuff as you can fit into the RV
- DO NOT ignore your surroundings. Always do a walk-around the RV before taking off to make sure the sewer hose, water hose and the electrical cord are not still attached to the pedestal.
- DO NOT make enemies of your campsite neighbors. Be respectful and courteous.
- DO NOT pack your itinerary to the brim. Try to follow the 3-3-3 rule: no more than 300 miles a day, don’t arrive later than 3 PM and stay at least 3 days at one spot, if possible. Take in the surroundings and enjoy the journey.
And here are a few things TO DO as a first-time RV renter:
- DO get insurance (or make sure your carrier covers you and any damage on the trip)
- DO read the contract and the fine print
- DO clear up any questions about added fees, costs etc. to avoid costly surprises
- DO a practice drive in a familiar area that is wide enough to get a feel for the RV, especially with taking wide turns etc.
- DO keep the speed limit at 65 (or whatever the tire rating is for the RV) to avoid tire blowouts
- DO download helpful apps, such as RV Life Trip Wizard, Campendium or Togo RV.
Mandatory Rental Fees, Taxes, And Insurance
Mandatory rental fees include the per-day-cost, the security deposit and the cleaning fee. Some might include a delivery fee, a per-mile fee or a pet fee.
Taxes are not included in the price and vary by state. Some states require a transactional tax.
Insurance is often mandated by the RV owner to protect their property from damage and themselves from liability, should anything happen to anyone with the use of the RV. Many marketplace apps, such as Outdoorsy offer an insurance package that covers the RV owner from liability claims (with up to $1 million in coverage) and the RV renter from damage claims against the RV that goes beyond regular wear and tear during use.
How To Rent An RV
Rvshare.com does a good job explaining the step-by-step process of renting an RV with them:
Step 1: Go to the Website homepage. In our example, it is: https://rvshare.com/
Step 2: Enter the city, the dates and the RV type you would like to rent. Hit the “Search” button to see the available listings in your area.
Step 3: You can narrow down your search by “driveable RV” or “pull-behind”
Step 4: Once you figure out what RV you’d like to book, make reservations. The Website spells out all the details regarding payment, refunds during cancellation period etc.
Step 5: The Website includes a travel guide to help you plan your trip and the company offers protection for both the RV owner, as well as the renter. There is also customer support by phone and chat for any questions you might have.
Some places where you can rent an RV include:
https://www.cruiseamerica.com/rv-rentals
https://www.rvezy.com/rv-rental
https://www.thedrive.com/rentals/rv
There are also local RV dealerships and rental places that offer RV rentals on used units.
These are some places where you can grab some deals on RV rentals:
Private party local ads (on online marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace or local RV interest groups) can be a great way to snag a deal while supporting someone local rather than a giant corporation.
Outdoorsy.com is also currently the #1 online place to list and rent your RV and offers a discount for first-time users.
FAQs
Is it cheaper to rent an RV or stay in a hotel?
This truly depends on the choices of location, travel distance and choice of trailer. With the rising fuel prices, it can be quite expensive to use an RV to travel someplace and to stay there when you add up the fuel cost, food cost, the RV rental cost and the cost of a RV park with full hookups (to make the experience comparable to a hotel stay). However, to compare apples to apples, you do need to consider airfare/car rental, and dining out as part of the cost when staying in a hotel.
Otherwise, a hotel stay can cost anywhere between $60-500/night, depending on venue and location, while a nightly RV rental can cost between $100-450/night, depending on choice of RV, its location and its age/condition.
What is the smallest RV you can rent?
The smallest RVs you can rent are micro-trailers, pop-up trailers and tear-drop trailers, as well as some Class B and C.
Can you rent an RV with unlimited miles?
When you rent directly from RV owners on online marketplaces, such as outdoorsy.com, you can in fact, rent an RV with unlimited miles, since the RV owners provide an insurance coverage with up to $1 million.
How much does it cost to rent an RV cross country?
This will fluctuate between $2,500-3,000 (not including the price of fuel).
How much does it cost to rent an RV campsite?
This depends largely on state and location: the more desirable tourist areas are (of course) more expensive than “the road less traveled”. You can budget anywhere from $35 (in state parks and Corps of Engineers parks) to $150/night in resort-style parks with full hookups in large cities or beach areas.