You hear the fun camping stories of your neighbors, family, and friends. You dream of the trips your family can take in your own RV. You’ve researched online, looking at all of the makes, models, and floor plans available. You may have even attended an RV show…possibly many?…in search of your family’s perfect rig.
But the thing is….buying an RV is a BIG DECISION.
My husband and I spent YEARS hemming and hawing before purchasing our travel trailer. We planned weekend getaways around RV shows in Hershey and Harrisburg, PA, attended special events and open houses at dealerships, and watched videos online. But for all of our time and research, we still had SO many questions…
Fifth wheel or travel trailer? Slides or not? Bedroom or Murphy bed? Bunkhouse or pull-out sofa? What is towing capacity vs payload, and are we sure we’re even looking at models our truck can pull? I think I need an oven….why do so many campers not come with ovens? Will I use an oven?
And our biggest concern:
Will we like the RV life? Are we sure we’ll use it enough to warrant the purchase?
It took one last tent camping season that began with a mid-May wake-up to temperatures below freezing and ended with a sweltering late August outing for us to finally take the plunge. Three years, two cross-country adventures taken, nine National Parks visited, and over 30 nights a year spent in our camper later, the only question we ask now is…
Why didn’t we buy an RV sooner?!
If you can relate to the questions above or have even more, (we sure did!), an RV rental for your next family vacation may be just the ticket to getting answers to your questions through first-hand experience.
There are SO many benefits to renting an RV for your next trip:
Safety
Renting an RV will come with a brief training on using the rig, as well as assurance that the vehicle you are towing with can handle the max load/payload of the camper. You can feel free to ask any additional questions before you hit the road and know that they’ll be answered by an expert in the RV field.
Saving Money
Renting an RV can cost as little as $100 per day – far less than the average nightly hotel stay. In an RV, you can also plan on eating in as many meals as suits your family. Our family typically eats out very little while traveling with our camper, preferring to cook healthy meals on our camp stove. The more money we save on eating out, the more experiences we can enjoy, like zip lining through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, white water rafting on the Colorado River, or taking a sunset UTV tour through Moab, Utah.
Endless Destination Options
Whether you’re interested in a vacation to the beach, the mountains, a National Park you’ve been dreaming of exploring, an amusement park, or a quiet fishing retreat, there is always a campground to be found.
Real-Life RV Experience
If you’re like us, you’ll forget a little bit of that brief training, and you’ll also realize that that’s okay. You’ll find how quickly a Google search will remind you whether to run the hot water heater on electric or propane, and why, and the support of the dealership you’ve rented from is just a phone call away as well. You’ll live the RV life – campfires, s’mores, enjoying the great outdoors, and possibly even forging friendships with neighbors at your campground. You’ll even get a real-life chance to flush the black and grey tanks (psst…it’s actually no big deal).
Learning What Features Matter to You
Renting before you buy will also allow you to make a mental checklist of the features of the RV you love, as well as what you’d like to change. Maybe you’ll find you love the layout, but wish you had an outdoor kitchen. Maybe you’ll realize you need more, or less, space. Or maybe you’ll fall in love, and vacation in the rig of your dreams. Whatever happens, you’ll have an experience far more profound than a walk-through could ever give you, and that experience will be priceless in making a buying decision.
Sticking your foot in the waters of RV life with an RV Rental before you buy, just might be the experience you need before taking the whole plunge. So what are you waiting for? Contact your local RV dealership and ask about their rental program. I hope to meet you at the campground!