Are you looking to rent an RV? But you fear a few weeks or months will not extinguish your passion for adventure and you can’t afford to buy one? Or are you setting to a new place and want to ease your life with an easy home.
Here’s good news for you. You can secure a long-term RV lease and rent an RV for a year.
Whether you are an RV owner looking for an RV renter to make some cash out of it, or are unsure if renting your rig is a good decision, this is just the right place for you.
Here, I will walk you through everything you need to know as a renter or an owner in the world of RVs. This article focuses on the question; Can you rent an RV for a year? And I have made sure it helps both, the owners and the renters.
So, let’s get started!
Owners’ Guide to Renting their RV
Renting your RV for a long time can be a tough decision for you, but doing so can be a very rewarding experience. According to the RVIA, more than 8.9 million households own an RV, and this figure only continues to rise.
Pros to Renting Your RV
Renting an RV can be quite rewarding for owners in the following aspects:
● It Makes You Money
If your RV sits idle in the backyard or driveway costing you in vehicle taxes, storage fees, and depreciation. Why not try to make a little extra money while you’re not using it?
Making money is a big incentive for RV owners. Undoubtedly, it’s a solid business opportunity which is booming nowadays.
● Feasible Purchase
If you don’t own an RV yet, renting it could be a way to rationalize the expenses when you purchase, such as storage, maintenance, etc. RVs can be costly, and renting it can be a great way to subsidize your ownership cost. This can pay off your debt, and more.
Cons to Renting Your RV
Unfortunately, renting your RV may also have some downsides. These include:
● Damage Risks and Anxiety
Renting their RV can be quite tough for emotional owners. Many can’t help but think of worst-case scenarios. Although, thinking rationally may be a solution to this, but everyone can’t curb the anxiety.
For instance, you know the ins and outs of RV as an owner, and you have your checklist ready to review before transit and setup. However, renters who are novice campers don’t have this experience. Thus, they may cause damage to your rig.
By far, the potential damage to your RV is a great downside to renting it out. However, RV sharing sites offer both owners and renters an insurance policy in case any worst-case scenario occurs.
● Moving Your Belongings Out of the Camper
You’ll need to take out all your personal belongings from the camper each time you let someone rent it. This can be energy-consuming and time-consuming, especially if you live in your RV full-time and choose to rent it out. However, if you use your RV for seasonal vacations, you won’t have to spend much energy and time on this.
● Safety Considerations
For renting your RV, you’ll probably have to invest in a few upgrades to ensure the safety of your renters. This is important if your RV is a few years old. However, a maintained rig will attract more renters because it offers peace of mind.
A few investments important for this case include replacing the tires, purchasing a fire extinguisher and smoke detectors, checking brakes, brake lights, and suspension.
Tips for Renting Out Your RV
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Use popular and trusted marketplaces that guarantee protection
- Ensure that standard insurance covers your RV
- Consider getting an insurance policy of your own
- Set a competitive rate to charge renters
- Offer some extra amenities to attract renters
- Consider vetting your renters
Is Renting Your RV Worth It?
The answer to this question is an absolute yes. Through renting your RV you can cover RV payments, meet cool renters, and introduce people to the new RV lifestyle.
Renters’ Guide to Renting an RV
Finding an RV rental for a year can be more of a challenge than renting it for a few days or weeks. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. Here’s what you need to know about renting an RV for a year.
Pros to Renting an RV
RV rental has many benefits if we consider renting vs. buying especially if you plan to use it occasionally. Moreover, RV rental also offers many advantages while choosing between camping and other forms of travel.
Here’s why renting an RV for a year may be advantageous for some people:
- RV rental offers transport and accommodation at once making it a more feasible, cheap, and reliable option
- It allows you to try out RV life and gives you a better sense of what you need if you consider to purchasing an RV later
- Renting for a year is cheaper than renting for a few days or weeks
- Various varieties available in terms of RV models, interior, and floorplans
- RV rentals are easy to find locally
- RV rental offers open road flexibility
- You don’t have to worry about packing and unpacking when visiting a new place
Cons to Renting an RV
Renting an RV is not without any downsides. If you are weighing your options on whether to rent an RV or not, you need to consider some of the cons of RV travel.
- Renting costs more than buying over time
- Your vacation will not exclude house chores
- RV is less spacious than a home that means more clutter
- You’ll require special RV parking spaces
- RV travel may entail more restrictions than flexibility, driving and parking restrictions abound
- You will have to deal with sewage
How to Find an RV Rental For a Year
Now that we’ve talked about the pros and cons of renting an RV, let’s get down to the nitty gritty—how do you now find an RV rental for a year?
Dealerships and traditional RV rental agencies don’t offer long-term RV rentals usually, some places like the peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace at RVshare do! The vehicles are managed by private owners, who may set their own rules about how long they want to rent their RVs out, including long rental periods.
Every owner will not offer their RV for months or a year at a time, but many will. However, you can always reach out to the owners directly to ask if they’d be willing to entertain your needs.
Cost of Renting an RV for a Year
Many people find themselves concerned with the cost of RV rental, let alone one that’s going to last for months. After all, when you see RVs for rent for about $200 or more per night, it’s easy for the figures to quickly stack up.
However, here’s good news! When the rig will be rented for a longer time, less work has to be done by owners. Thus, many people will offer incentivized cost, giving renters a discounted rate when they book for months.
That’s not to say, of course, that it’s not going to be expensive; getting hold of a long-term accommodation is an expensive venture in almost every context, and renting an RV for a long time will be comparable to paying rent for a house.
You may get rates between about $500-$1,800 per month, depending on what type of RV have you rented.
Consequently, here are a few things to figure in determining the RV renting cost:
- The cost per night the rental company charges
- How many miles your trip will take
- There’s a relatively small charge associated with the rent if RV has a generator
- If the RV includes daily life items, there will be a few associated with the rent
Tips for Renters Renting an RV
Renting an RV is a rewarding experience. RV travel combines excitement and convenience like no other means can. To make your RV rental a success, here are a few top tips you should know ahead of time to prepare yourself for the ultimate RV rental experience.
- Book well in advance as there’s more RV rentals’ demand than supply
- Negotiate rental rates and make sure your payment is secure
- Never compromise on the quality and reliability of RV
- Choose the best size and type of RV to compliment your needs
- Make sure to read your rental contract when renting
- Insure your rental RV
- Beware of hidden charges when renting from dealerships and rental companies
- When renting for a year, you can get a lower rent rate
Helpful apps while RVing
The following are some apps that offer much convenience while RVing.
- FreeRoam
- Gasbuddy
- RV Checklist
- Free Zone WiFi
- Coverage
The Bottom Line
Buying an RV can cost you much money and effort. Hence, renting a rig can be a great way to subsidize the ownership cost of RV. Undoubtedly, you can earn a lot by renting out your RV when you get it listed on different RV rental platforms
Any form of travel and accommodation can be a significant undertaking, but RV has its own considerations. Although some of the downsides might seem daunting, RV rental is still a wonderful way to substitute the other options. Thus, renting a rig for a year can be a great way to try it out, though it is important to consider all the downsides parallel with the upsides.
