Where to rent an RV: The best RV rental services in the US

There was never a need to use an RV rental service when I was a child, the family always owned a motorhome. That meant an annual cleanup, load up, and go. This sort of travel is highly appealing to the person not overly involved in the details. As, when your car is like a small living room, there’s nothing too bad about being stuck in it when you’re camping or driving. Bringing back these memories as an adult, however, brings to mind all of the work that went along with upkeeping the motorhome, the impossibility of keeping it parked in a city, and all other sorts of logistical nightmares that come along with the RV using process. Now, using one of the best RV rental services makes more sense.

The best RV rental services at a glance

To get you started on your path, here is a quick overview of the best RV rental sites in the US, sorted by your most common needs:

• Overall best: Rent from for the best overall RV rental experience.
• Best premium RV rental: Rent from  for the best premium RV rental experience.
• One-way RV service: Rent from  for a chance at a low cost one-way rental.
• Best for budget finds: Rent from for your best chance to find a budget rental.
• Best for Las Vegas: Rent from  if you want to start (or end) your RVing adventure in Vegas.
• Best for Phoenix: Rent from  to take advantage of special relocation services in the Phoenix area.
• Best for Denver: Rent from  to get RVs from a locally-owned business that can provide off-road trailers.
• Best for Alaska: Rent from  for one of the lowest-hassle ways to explore our biggest state.
• Best for Florida: Rent from for a great selection of RV rental in the Sunshine State.

Outdoorsy

Best overall RV rental service

One of the most popular RV rental services is Outdoorsy, which gets billed as a sort of “AirBnB for RVs.” This is due to their peer-to-peer style rental agreements and easy sign up for users. Finding an RV for you on Outdoorsy is very similar to how you would approach finding a hotel or even an Uber. You enter a location, the dates for your trip, filter by needed and desired amenities, and tap to a grand listing of available RVs to rent. Both pet friendly and (the much harder to find) wheelchair accessible RVs are searchable. All rented RVs come with 24/7 unlimited roadside assistance within the US and Canada, provided by Outdoorsy.

Throughout our time using the service, we felt confident in the reviews presented — negative reviews were features just as prominently as positive ones — and had an easy enough time finding things that met our needs in most locations. We do say most here, as this is a peer-to-peer matching service. Some places will have less options available and others will have a ton but still have low availability during popular seasons. If you already have a start date and location in mind, go ahead and check out the website now via the button below. Getting ahead of the game and seeing availability early can only assure you that you get what you want for your travels.

Moterra

Best premium RV rental service

If you’re wanting to dip your toes in before coming face to face with the realities of van life, the folks at Moterra (a clever juxtaposition of ‘motel’ and ‘terra’) would like to have a word with you. They offer a premium itinerary-based excursion experience, bonus solar-generated power, standardized amenities, luxurious Mercedes-Benz car tech, and even the option of having a toilet with your van. Go by yourself, with a few friends (or furry friends), or your spouse across US destinations including the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. The main downfall of this ‘rental hub’ rental style is that you cannot choose your own locale down to the region with a Moterra Campervan, but the ones provided are so diverse few renters will feel limited.

El Monte RV

Best for one-way trips

If you want a traditional RV rental service that will let you go one way, check out El Monte RV, which also works with the Road Bear and Mighty Campers RV fleets as well. While El Monte will admit that the offers are somewhat limited, they typically have a great one-way rate when the service is available for the points that you are wanting to travel on. They won’t necessarily have what you, but they’re a great place to start with. Furthermore, there’s so much to like about what is offered from El Monte RVs. The sizes vary quite a bit, up to the point where they offer temporary housing if you so need it. And you’ll certainly feel at home, considering they have the best pet plan out of any RV rental company we’ve seen — your pets can come free, you only need to have the RV as clean as it was when you pick it up at the time of drop-off.

RVshare

Best for budget finds

In many ways, RVshare is similar in execution to Outdoorsy, a condition that is easily attributable to its peer-to-peer nature. What we do notice is that, in some locales, we are able to find more low-cost rentals from RVshare than from Outdoorsy. In our assessment, rentals under $60 per night were much more common on RVshare than Outdoorsy. We also found that RVshare had less extra fees than Outdoorsy , though this varied highly from RV owner to RV owner. As with all things in life, you’re best off doing your own due diligence before purchasing.

When searching for your RV to rent, you’ll find that RVshare has one of the best price-based filtration systems available. For example, you can search by how much generator power is included in your stay and a histogram (bar graph) accompanies the price restriction slider, giving you a great idea of how good of a deal you’re getting. We do wish, however, there were more toggleable amenities provided in the filtration options, with wheelchair accessibility being one of the biggest things that we were unable to find.

Escape Campervans

Best for Las Vegas

If you’re wishing to rent an RV for Las Vegas, Nevada, you aren’t alone. It is one of the most popular destination for RV renters in the United States. This region is best served by Escape Campervans, which has a travel hub in Las Vegas, as well as the surrounding destinations of Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City among others. You can even book a one-way trip, starting at one hub and ending at another. Or, stay in the City of Sin and explore the best places in Las Vegas.

Escape Campervans offers a fleet of RVs from very reliable car manufacturers, with their models being modified Ford F-T350, Ford E150, Ford Transit Connect, and Jeep Sahara JL 4 Door models. Each rental is hand-painted with a unique design, certain to create conversation with the passerby as you make your way into the weird, somewhat wild world of Las Vegas.

Cruise America

Best for Phoenix

Cruise America is an RV rental chain with locations all over the US (and a few in Canada). They offer drivable, Class C motorhomes that are maintained by an in-house crew. With affordable pricing, consistent service levels, and decent amenities, you’ll enjoy your travels. If you visit their site, you’ll also find special offers and deals. For example, at the time of this writing you can get free miles in some locales and buy-three-nights-get-a-fourth-free deals in others.

But why is this service so great for Phoenix, Arizona — and incredibly popular location for RV rentals — in particular? For one, they work closely with the region. Secondly, they offer relocation assistance for people moving in and out of Phoenix at bargain-bin rates ($9/night in, $39/night out). While this isn’t necessarily the most popular usage of an RV rental, it can be an extreme help if you’re going through the absolute nightmare that is moving or just want a one-way trip out of town. So, whether you’re moving to, or escaping from, this Southwestern paradise, check out Cruise America and see if they can be of assistance for your travels.

B&B RV

Best for Denver

If you want to go to a place like Denver, which has the rare combination of city, mountains, and a (sometimes) frigid weather, it helps to have an RV that is maintained for the weather conditions present there. While B&B RV won’t go so far as to put snow chains on the RV rental, they do repairs and maintenance right in Denver, meaning the brunt of winterizing the RV shouldn’t be completely on you. Knowing the needs of the region well, B&B RV also offers things like an off-road travel trailer rental. Remember, however, that B&B RV is a smaller, locally-owned business. They have a few recommended destinations outside of the general Denver area, but these are limited. You can travel into Canada with their fleet, but you’ll also be expected to return the vehicle to them.

Great Alaskan Holidays

Best for Alaska

It should go without saying that Alaska stands out as unique from all other US destinations. The state also happens to be one of the most popular RVing destinations. Unfortunately, the weird disconnect from the lower 48 can make travel to the state by RV a real pain. That’s why you should consider renting an RV directly from an Alaskan company like Great Alaskan holidays. The amenities are high and we’ve found that the linens, gear, and other essentials provided by the company far outpace most of the competition. Nothing about RVing in Alaska is necessarily easy, but Great Alaskan Holidays puts pride in making the experience better.

While a lot of you will be planning activities like Alaskan salmon fishing, we’re sure there are plenty of you with fantasies of surviving Alaska’s frigid winter in your rental RV. While you technically can do that with Great Alaskan Holidays, we should warn you that it won’t necessarily be easy and the company only allows it by certain special requests only. So, go ahead and contact them now if your plan is to the largest state in the coldest months of the year.

RVezy

Best for Florida

While RVezy is a nationwide service, its dominance in Florida cannot be overstated. Nearly anywhere along the panhandle, coast, the Keys, and some interior regions, possible rentals exist. This is not destination tourism that will get you stuck in Miami and Orlando, but rather a way to enjoy the state in all of its beauty from swamp to near-abandoned coast. At the same time, the company understands the needs of the typical tourist, offering a filterable ‘Airport pickup’ option with availability throughout the state as well. With affordable pricing, you can avoid having to rent a car or motel and save a ton of money with your home on wheels in Florida. We do wish there were more filterable options, like some peer-to-peer RV rental services provide, but the great levels of coverage in Florida just about can’t be beat.

How we chose these RV rental services

Picking the best RV rental services is not easy as every renter has different needs, desired travel locations, and tolerance for peer-to-peer services. As a result, we divided our attention between common needs, common locations, and robust services that could accommodate the largest amounts of user needs. When possible and logical, vehicle diversity was also covered. The following characteristics dominated our line of thinking again and again.

Rental type

In the current RV rental landscape, two types of rental companies reign supreme: Traditional rental services and peer-to-peer services.

Presently, peer-to-peer services are often at the top of the best RV rental services due to wide variety of RVs you can rent — including Class A, Class B, and Class C RVs, which covers small roadsters with overhead beds to long motorhomes — and the ability to rent from just about anywhere in the US. The main downside of these services is that you’re dealing with individuals just as much as you are the company.

A fine alternative is the traditional rental service. Think of these like you would think of renting a cruise or motel. There may be less models to choose from and locations to head out from, but you can expect a more even level of quality and amenities with your purchase. Itineraries and additional travel help may be available.

Delivery availability

Some services will deliver the RV to a location of your choice. This can reduce your overall RV driving time and help you avoid uncomfortable, lengthy interstate travel with an RV if your target destination is more than a few miles from its source location. If you need extra convenience and flexibility when it comes to departure location (or what the RV to stay relatively stationary during your usage) check to see if this option is available.

Pet friendliness

Most companies are relatively straightforward about their pet policy, with many RV rental groups allowing for a pet or two to join you at a one-time cost of between $120 and $200. If you’re using a peer-to-peer service, there may or may not be a filter for pet friendliness. Don’t ever assume you are allowed to bring a pet with you on your trip and, in the absence of a clearly stated pet admission or prohibition, assume the latter.

Wheelchair friendliness

One of the more frustrating parts of the rental RV world is difficulty in figuring out accessibility for yourself or loved ones, especially those that may have mobility issues. For each company listed, we’ve searched for wheelchair accessibility and other accessibility features. For many traditional rental companies, the best course of action will be to call the company and discuss your situation directly with the your assistant. Whenever wheelchair and other accessibility issues were a filterable option for peer-to-peer services, we have listed it as such for your convenience.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular RV rental app?

Based on currently available data, Outdoorsy ranks as the top most popular RV rental app. It also happens to be one of our favorite picks for the massive flexibility and wide availability of rentals it provides through its peer-to-peer matching service.

How lucrative is renting out your RV?

While this guide has focused on the renter’s side of RV rental services, you’ll invariably have noticed the peer-to-peer services (think AirBnB, but with RVs) on this list. Renting out your RV can be lucrative, but it all depends on the popularity of your locale. The most popular US cities for RV rentals are Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Denver, though you’ll also have a lot of luck in Florida and Alaska. It is certainly possible to make $1,000 in a single month renting out your RV.

How much does it cost to rent an RV and drive across the US?

How much it costs to rent an RV and drive across the US depends on several factors, including the size of the RV, how many amenities are provided, if you’re bringing pets, and even what season you are going on the trip. Depending on your definition of “drive across the US” the trip can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. One-way trips that cover the width of the US, such as from Nashville to Sacramento, may be difficult to book and could very easily become prohibitively expensive. Instead of getting an estimate from a third party, act now to contact your intended service directly and ask for a quote. Don’t wait until the last moment. Most RV rental services are quite friendly and know your travel plans have unique features.