10 Really Good Reasons You Should Rent an RV for Vacation
Have you ever rented or traveled in an RV? I just bought my first RV and I’m hooked! In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 reasons to rent an RV for vacation.
1. It’s an affordable way to travel.
There are of course costs associated with renting an RV, but it can actually be much cheaper than other travel methods. If you take a trip in your car, you will need to pay for hotels and eat out for every meal. If you fly somewhere, you will need to rent a car, get a hotel, and eat out. With an RV rental, you have your transportation and lodging taken care of all in one. Bonus, you won’t have to eat out for every meal.
2. You have your home with you wherever you go.
One of the major benefits of traveling in an RV is that you have all kinds of amenities immediately available to you, even as you travel. Perhaps the most obvious and convenient amenity is a bathroom. This means you no longer have to find a rest area and stop every time someone has to use the bathroom. Additionally, if you go for a strenuous hike or spend a whole day exploring a museum when you get back to the RV afterward you can immediately shower, eat a meal, or just relax on the couch for a bit without having to drive anywhere or set up a camp kitchen.
3. You can access some amazing off-grid areas.
Traveling in an RV also makes it much easier to boondock or dry camp, since you have all the amenities you need in the vehicle. This ability opens tons of doors in terms of available places to stay beyond just established campgrounds and hotels. Best of all, it’s usually free! Boondocking is allowed on most Bureau of Land Management and National Forest land, as well as certain other public lands. You can usually stay 14 or 21 days in one place for free. That is more than enough time for a typical vacation.
4. You can prepare your own food.
Most rental RVs come equipped with refrigerators, small freezers, propane cooktops, food storage areas, and occasionally microwaves and ovens. That conveniently allows you to stock up on food at a grocery store and then prepare your own meals. Which ties back into #1 on this list since it’s much more affordable to prepare your own food than to eat out for every meal. It’s also more convenient since you don’t have to spend time searching out nearby restaurants. Plus, you can cook healthy food while meeting any dietary restrictions that your group may have.
5. It’s less work than tent camping.
Frankly, tent camping can be a lot of work. You have to set up and take down your tent and other camp furniture, inflate and deflate airbeds, and pack up the whole car every time you want to move. You also don’t have a bathroom, kitchen facilities, or a real bed at your disposal. While tent camping can certainly be fun in some situations, RVing is more practical for longer vacations. Especially trips where you will be moving around a lot, and for those who appreciate creature comforts. I much prefer glamping in an RV.
6. You can rent an RV that’s perfectly suited for your needs.
You can rent a different type of RV for each trip that perfectly suits the type of vacation. For instance, you can rent a big Class A RV with all the amenities for a family reunion trip to the lake. You can rent a 4×4 van conversion to go climbing with your buddies. Sites like Outdoorsy.com offer peer-to-peer rentals where you can choose from all kinds of unique rigs. Cruise America offers more typical manufactured RV rentals.
7. Many destinations have designated RV parking spaces.
It can be intimidating to drive to areas where you’ve never been before, especially in a big rig. Luckily, many popular destinations like national and state parks and tourist attractions have designated RV parking spaces to make it easy for you. Most destinations will also have RV requirements on their websites if there are any vehicle length limits. Many offer shuttle services if they do have restrictions or limited parking. So, you can access almost anywhere you want to go, even in an RV.
8. RVs allow you to be flexible with your plans.
When you are tent camping or staying in a hotel, you are fairly locked into your plans once you make your reservations. However, with an RV, you have the freedom to boondock anywhere that it’s legal. That makes it super easy to change your plans on a dime if necessary. There is no need to rush around packing up a campsite or a hotel room if you decide to change your plans since your whole house is already with you. On our road trip when we wanted to add on a new destination or attraction we were able to easily make it happen in the RV.
9. You can visit friends or family on the road without imposing on them.
If you rent an RV for a vacation, you can easily stop by and visit friends and family for a couple of days without imposing on them. You simply park your RV in the driveway or on the street nearby. You can spend the day together and then sleep in your RV. That way everyone can enjoy some privacy and have their own space. Your hosts will not have to scramble to put together sleeping arrangements for everyone in your traveling party.
10. An RV is comfortable in nearly any weather conditions.
If you’ve ever been tent camping in the rain, you know it’s not much fun. In an RV rental, your vacation won’t be ruined by lousy weather. Although it’s not ideal to have to stay inside the RV for long periods of time when you’d rather be out exploring, you will at least stay dry and comfortable and you can cozy up for a movie night. Plus, you won’t have to sprint to the campground bathroom in a downpour or worry about your tent flooding.
Conversely, you can also stay comfortable in the heat since many RVs are equipped with air conditioners. They keep the space significantly cooler than the outdoors even when it’s quite warm. With a tent, the shade is your only respite.
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So, are you convinced? What do you think is the best reason to rent an RV for your vacation?
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