Best RV Rental Companies: RVShare vs Outdoorsy vs Cruise America & More
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Ever dreamed of hitting the road with your partner or family to see as many majestic U.S. sites as you can? Are pricey hotel and restaurant costs holding you back? The answer is simple — and much more affordable: rent an RV.
Whether you’re looking to rent an RV for your next vacation or want to earn money renting out the RV you own, we’ve got all the info you need.
Did You Know…
RV stands for recreational vehicle. And according to the Washington Post 1 million Americans live in RVs.
Types Of RV Rental Companies
If you decide to rent an RV from a company rather than from an individual RV owner, you have a few options:
- Peer-to-peer RV rental platforms that rent private owners’ RVs for them (like HomeAway or VRBO vacation home rental sites).
- Corporate RV rental companies that rent their own inventory of RVs (similar to rental car companies like Avis).
- RV rental marketplace sites that consolidate corporate rental companies into their own searchable platform (and offer some benefits outside of the individual companies).
What Type Of RV Is Right For Me?
If you don’t know much about the different types of RVs on the road, we’re here to break down the details and pros and cons of each. Before you choose the type of RV you want to rent, however, you’ll want to ask yourself a few critical questions:
- What size RV will you feel safe driving?
- How much living space will you need?
- Will you be spending a lot of time in the RV during the day or just using it at night to sleep?
- Do you want a separate car to visit nearby attractions (and to make parking less of a hassle)?
Motorhome RV
Motorhomes are RVs that you drive yourself and include class A, B and C varieties. Class As are higher up when driving, while Class B and C motorhomes have more of a truck build. Keep in mind, when renting a motorhome, you can only tow certain types of vehicles 4-wheels-down behind an RV.
Class A
Class A motorhomes are typically the largest, ranging up to 45 feet long.
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Class B
Often referred to as camper vans, Class B RVs are typically built on a standard full-sized van chassis and feature a raised roof for walking room.
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Class C
Class C motorhomes are a fantastic option for families or larger groups that need to vacation on a more limited budget. They’re mid-sized RVs (larger than Class Bs) that range from 20 to 33 feet and are built on top of a truck or van chassis.
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Towable RVs
Towable RVs can be a more budget-friendly option, but some limit you with the type of automobile you’re using to tow.
Travel Trailers
Travel trailers are large, towable containers filled with living spaces and most of the amenities you’ll need. They sit on top of a standard trailer frame, and you can tow them with any SUV, truck or van that’s rated to handle the weight capacity. Travel trailer sizes vary widely.
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5th Wheels
5th wheels are very similar to travel trailers except with how you connect the rig to your vehicle. They feature a gooseneck connector that extends over the back of an open or flat-bed towing truck, which makes them more stable and far less challenging to maneuver.
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Folding And Tent Campers
Folding camping trailers are among the smallest towable RVs and lack basic necessities, like toilets and kitchen facilities, but they’re easy to maneuver.
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Other Rental Details To Consider
Below are some other factors to consider with any RV rental:
- How much are RV rental prices?
- How does the insurance policy work?
- How does roadside assistance work?
- Is mileage included?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- Are pets allowed in the RV?
Best RV Rental Companies
We’ve chosen our top picks based on company reputation, RV types available, insurance and roadside assistance features, pricing and more. We’ve also included details and pros and cons specific to RV owners for the top peer-to-peer companies, Outdoorsy and RVshare.
Outdoorsy Review
#1
Outdoorsy is our pick for the best RV rental site. This peer-to-peer rental platform gives you a surprising number and variety of RV options to choose from, even if you live in a smaller city. RV owners set their own rates, cancellation policies and whether your mileage is included, so you can find some great deals — especially on higher-end luxury RVs.
A huge perk is Outdoorsy’s $1 million liability insurance coverage that protects renters and owners. Outdoorsy also does DMV background checks on renters, so owners can feel more secure about handing over their rig to strangers. Outdoorsy gets amazing customer ratings from both owners and renters.
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Pricing
Outdoorsy’s RV rental prices vary widely, depending on owner-set rates, location and time of year. However, rates are generally very competitive, particularly compared to fleet companies.
Average rental prices:
- Class A: $200 to $300 per night
- Class B: $150 to $225 per night
- Class C: $200 to $250 per night
- Travel Trailer: $75 to $125 per night
- Fifth Wheel: $100 to $150 per night
- Pop Up Trailer: $50 to $75 per night
- Get a quote now
RVshare Review
#2
RVshare, another peer-to-peer rental platform, gives you access to a wide variety of RVs and price ranges — with a few notable differences. RVshare tops Out0doorsy with its free roadside assistance program but falls a bit short with other perks.
RVshare’s included insurance benefits don’t match Outdoorsy’s (although you have an option to upgrade liability coverage to $1 million for an added fee). While RVshare has tons of rentals available, they’re not as numerous as what you’ll find on Outdoorsy, particularly in less populated areas.
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Pricing
Like Outdoorsy, RVshare’s rental prices vary widely, depending on owner-set rates, location and time of year. However, rates are generally very competitive, particularly compared to fleet companies.
Average rental prices:
- Class A: $200 to $300 per night
- Class B: $150 to $225 per night
- Class C: $200 to $250 per night
- Travel Trailer: $75 to $125 per night
- Fifth Wheel: $100 to $150 per night
- Pop Up Trailer: $50 to $75 per night
- Get a quote now
Cruise America Review
#3
Cruise America rounds out our top three picks as one of the best RV rental companies. Unlike Outdoorsy and RVshare, Cruise America is a corporate company with its own fleet of RVs and 133 rental locations across the U.S. and Canada.
The benefit of going with Cruise America is that you get a very clean RV that’s highly maintained mechanically. However, there are several downsides compared to our top two picks.
First, they only rent Class C motorhomes nationally with no mileage included (35¢ per mile fee) and a generator charge of $3.50 per hour. They also charge you extra for basic necessities like bedding and kitchenware, and there are no TVs in any of their RVs.
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Pricing
Cruise America’s prices fluctuate by season, location, and availability much the way airline prices differ.
Average pricing (mid-size market during Feb. with mileage charges included):
- Standard Class C: $115 per night
- Large Class C: $125 per night
- Get a quote now
Optional fees:
- $60 per person for bedding and bath towels
- $110 per vehicle for basic kitchenware
RV Rental Company Comparison Table
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Other Top RV Rental Companies
El Monte RV Review
El Monte RV is another company that rents their own fleet of RVs, but they have very limited rental locations, primarily in the western U.S. Their fleet includes Class A and Class C motorhomes and 5th Wheels.
While El Monte offers a better variety of RVs than Cruise America, this company doesn’t include any RV insurance — a huge downside, in our opinion. There are, however, a few benefits of going with El Monte over Cruise America.
Like Cruise America, you incur a mileage fee with all rentals (ranging from 32¢ to 39¢ per mile) and added fees for linens and kitchenware, but El Monte gives you free generator use. You also have the option to rent one-way, but, unlike Cruise America, El Monte offers airport transfers from some of their rental locations.
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Pricing
El Monte RV’s prices fluctuate by season, location and availability.
Average prices:
- Class A: $200 per day
- Class C: $100-$175 per day
- Starter Kit: $39.95
- Get a quote
Optional fees:
- Prepaid Mileage Packages: $29 per 100 miles (save on regular rates of 32¢-39¢ per mile)
- $50 per person for bedding and bath towels
- $125 per vehicle for basic kitchenware
USA RV Rentals Review
USA RV Rentals is an online marketplace that consolidates corporate RV rental options from companies around the U.S. You can choose from 100 locations around the U.S., mainly in large metropolitan areas. Companies include Cruise America, El Monte RV, Road Bear, Sunshine, Britz and more.
There are benefits and downsides to using this type of marketplace. It gives you a central platform to compare different companies’ pricing and availability in major markets. On the other hand, you don’t know the reputation of each company and the quality of their RVs.
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Pricing
Pricing and fees vary widely based on the RV rental company you go with but generally syncs with current market pricing. Get a quote.
Can You Make Money Renting Your RV?
Is renting out your RV worth it? A majority of RV owners that list their rigs with Outdoorsy and RVshare say “yes” — particularly if you don’t use your RV for long periods of time during the year.
RVshare says their owners earn between $5,000 and $30,000 a year in extra income. Outdoorsy claims owners can make up to $3,200 a month by listing with them.
Check out the video below that highlights RVshare owners and the benefits they’ve enjoyed from listing their RV. Also, read our Outdoorsy and RVshare reviews to learn more about what these companies offer owners.
Is A Vacation Home A Better Fit?
If you decide that an RV rental isn’t the best fit for you and your family, you can also save money over staying in a hotel by renting a vacation home or villa. Be sure to read our reviews of the best vacation rental websites, which include favorite sites like VRBO, HomeAway, Airbnb and more.
What great excursions are you planning to take with an RV rental?