RV Curious? What You Need to Know Before Renting an RV

Get some pointers on how to rent an RV, with tips on where to look and how to research

a couple sitting at a picnic table near an RV

Renting an RV gives you a chance to test it out before making the purchase. A Class A motor home, seen here, can create a luxurious home away from home for RVers.

RVShare

Heather Mundt,

Updated June 30, 2025

AARP

Published May 03, 2024

/ Updated June 30, 2025

Albuquerque, New Mexico, couple Debbie and Max Kush had never considered RVing until a group of friends invited them on a camping trip in fall 2022. As a retired military officer, Max, 72, could rent an RV for the trip from the Kirtland Air Force Base for under $200.

The available units were well-maintained, he says, but they showed some wear. Debbie noticed bloodstains on the couch, for instance, probably from hunters who often rent the travel trailers. And the bed was little more than a thin mattress on plywood.

“It was a bit used, to put it mildly,” says Debbie, 67, of their Forest River R-POD, a travel trailer model known for its compact, lightweight design. “But my husband was hooked. So, two months later, we sold our Cadillac Escalade and bought a Class C RV.”

Twenty-nine percent of boomers and 67 percent of Gen Xers plan to road trip or vacation in an RV in 2025, according to RVshare’s 2025 travel trend report. RVshare, considered the largest RV rental site in the United States with more than 100,000 listings, also finds that nearly two-thirds of travelers would consider renting an RV for a future trip – a particularly relevant benefit amid today’s economic uncertainties.

In fact, 44 percent of U.S. travelers are opting for destinations closer to home because of rising costs, according to U.S. travel statistics for 2025 from SavvyNomad, a U.S. business that offers legal and logistical support to Americans living abroad. The most popular mode of travel? Road trips.

“When budgets are tight, people sometimes assume travel is off the table,” says Carolin Fuller, director of consumer marketing at Campspot, an online reservation platform for booking private campgrounds in North America. But modern camping and RV options offer affordable solutions.

“With average rates at $60 per night this summer, it’s possible to stay somewhere beautiful and come home feeling like you actually unplugged, reset and got away without breaking the bank,” Fuller says.

Renting an RV is also ideal because travelers can test out which models fit their travel style.

“There is an RV for every type of buyer,” says Roger Dunbar, chief marketing officer for RV Trader, an online classifieds site for buying and selling new and used recreational vehicles. “[Renting is] a low-risk way to learn what you like before making a purchase.”

Here are five tips to help start your RV adventures:

1. Know the nomenclature

Understand the RV types and their features, including size, amenities and fuel efficiency, says Maddi Bourgerie, senior director of communications for RVshare and an RV travel expert.

There are two general classes, according to RVshare: motor homes, which feature their own engine and driving chassis, ranging from Classes A to C; and towable trailers, powered by a separate tow vehicle.

The drivable classes — A, B and C motor homes —differ by size and amenities.

“Class A is the largest and most bus-like, Class B is a compact van, and Class C is a mid-size option that often includes an overhead bunk, which is great for families,” Dunbar says.

grandparents helping young daughter learn to ride a bike with a travel trailer in the background

A travel trailer, like the one here, hitches to the back of a large truck.

Go Rving

The first step in narrowing down options is by the size of your group, according to RVshare. Class A motor homes, or “rolling homes,” are the largest option and sleep up to eight. They feature large living spaces and luxury amenities.

Class B, or camper vans, drive like a van, Bourgerie says, and are ideal for off-road adventuring but not likely to include a bathroom (for one to four people). Class C feels the most similar to driving a truck, RVshare says, and offers the perfect blend of affordability, comfort (for four to six people) and practicality.

The towable classes offer numerous options such as pop-ups, which feature canvas sides that need to be physically unfolded before using but are easy to tow. These classes also have travel trailers that hitch to the back of a large truck, and fifth wheels, according to RVshare.

2. Do your research

Most first-time RVers don’t know what they don’t know before that first trip, says Monika Geraci, spokesperson for Go RVing, the consumer-marketing program for North America’s RV industry. Go RVing has a “First-timers Tool Kit,” that Geraci describes as a one-stop shop for new RVers to get the information they need before heading out on their first adventure. Most RV companies offer an array of first-timers’ tips, including RV Trader’s “Tips for Planning an RV Trip” and RVshare’s “The Ultimate Guide to RVing for Beginners.”

Researching also means understanding potential costs, Bourgerie says, including RV rental fees and other travel costs, such as gas, food, tolls, campground expenses, and overage or dumping fees. You should also confirm if a campground allows RVs (and up to what size), as well as good routes for driving through cities. And be sure to check with your state’s motor vehicle department for information on which RV types require special licenses.

3. Plan ahead

Dunbar suggests choosing a route and reserving your campgrounds early, especially during peak season. Then get your digital devices ready, from creating road-trip playlists or downloading useful planning tools. For example, the Roadtrippers app can help RVers build an itinerary, navigate, estimate gas costs, find fun stops along a route and more.

RVshare suggests other multifeatured apps, including Allstays, which allows users to search and book campsites, and check for dump sites and rest areas; and TripIt, a planning app that generates an itinerary from booking-confirmation emails.

RVshare’s data also indicates that three-quarters of American travelers are using artificial intelligence (AI) planning tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude to help save money and planning time.

“AI tools are helping travelers of all ages spend less time planning and more time doing by mapping routes, discovering attractions of interest and personalizing trip details,” Geraci says. “And it’s not just younger generations that are hopping on this trend: Older adults [25 percent of Gen X and 10 percent of boomers] are also exploring how AI can simplify the process and increase confidence, with tutorials and how-tos before and while hitting the road.”

Finally, RVshare advises newbies to download apps that help them find campsites from the road if necessary. Hipcamp, for instance, connects users to private campsites. RVers who want to boondock, or camp for free on land without amenities or hookups, can find them on Campendium (plus private and public campgrounds). Or pay for a subscription to Harvest Hosts to find free sites at wineries, farms, even driveways and museums.

4. Go easy

Rookies are often too ambitious on their first trip, Geraci says. Instead, drive less than three hours the first day, allowing plenty of time and daylight to set up camp without having to rush, she says. Even better, Geraci suggests picking a campsite within 30 miles of home to get comfortable driving or towing an RV. That also gives you the option to run home or to a local store for anything you may have forgotten, she says.

You can even skip driving altogether, Bourgerie says, by renting an RV that’s delivered directly to the campground, the choice for 44 percent of RVshare’s bookings in 2025. First-timers can pick a larger RV with multiple beds (or multiple units), she says, perfect for multigenerational trips and the perfect way to dip a toe into RVing.

5. Choose a reputable booking platform

Help guarantee a high-quality rental and secure transaction process by using a booking platform, Bourgerie says. In addition to RVshare, she says, there are numerous others, such as Indie Campers, with a fleet of more than 7,000 motor homes throughout Europe, North America and Oceania; and El Monte RV, which rents more than 1,500 deluxe, late-model motor homes.

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Heather Mundt is a freelance writer based in Longmont, Colorado, who writes about outdoor and family travel. She is the author of Colorado Family Outdoor Adventure.

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