What to expect when booking your RV Rental

Renting an RV

So if you’re new to the RV world it can appear a little daunting given the multitude of options. To help with this we have listed below common topics covering RV rental and making a booking through USA RV Rentals.

Making an RV Rental Booking

USA RV Rentals offers a range of RVs, motorhomes and campervans to select from. Our service is objective and unbiased with no priority or favor given to one RV rental provider over another. Our goal is simply to allow travellers compare and find the best deal on the vehicle that meets their requirements.

Enter your pick-up and drop-off dates and locations and our booking system will search the databases of our partners with depots in the chosen locations and return a list of available vehicles. By default these vehicles are listed by rental price lowest to highest to make it easy to compare what each operator offers.

What are these Rental Codes?

Individual RV rentals are assigned a rental code. This code is a unique identifier for a specific motorhome. Should you decide on renting a particular RV, the rental code lets our agents know which RV rental you are looking at, e.g., 04-A32S.

RV vehicle classifications

Recreational vehicles are categorized into body style and size of RV, motorhome or campervan. Here’s a summary of the different RV classes:

• Class A RV rentals: Bus-style motorhomes. These are the largest RVs available, e.g. Class A 30-32ft (U). Those looking for a large luxury RV rental will rent a class A.
• Class B RV rentals: Van-style campervans. These are the smallest RVs available and provide the easiest manoeuvrability and best fuel economy. Class B RV rentals typically have basic features and less storage space, e.g., Class B 21ft (K).
• Class C RV rentals: “Cab-over” motorhomes. These RV rentals provide an additional bed over the motorhome’s cab area to increase sleeping capacity. Class C RV rentals are most popular because they are a mid-range RV that offers the best of both worlds, e.g., Class C 26-28ft (P).

RV Amenities & Specifications

USA RV Rentals offers RVs with a wide spectrum of features. From economy campervan rentals to top of the range luxury RVs.

Many of these RVs will have at least one television and DVD player. TVs are usually not operable while the vehicle is driving. Since televisions are the most desired amenity, please check you are booking a motorhome that includes a TV by using the More Details button to see a complete list of vehicle features and fittings.

RV rental vehicles come equipped with varying features such as in-motion satellite, stereo/entertainment systems, queen beds in master bedrooms, high-end cabinetry and counter tops, leather furniture, outside showers, automatic awnings, steps, and slide-outs, cruise control, air-conditioning, rear-view monitoring systems, diesel fuel, and much more. Features unique to each RV rental will be clearly displayed on the individual RV details page.

Sleeping Capacities & Seatbelts

Each RV rental has a recommended sleeping accommodation capacity, i.e., the number of people that can sleep in the motorhome. In most RVs there will be convertible beds as well as standard beds. For example, a dinette usually serves as a kitchen table by day and converts to a bed at night.

The number of people traveling in the RV should not exceed the number of seat belts in the RV as most states require this by law. The number of seat belts may differ from the number of people an RV will sleep. A depot may refuse a rental should more people than the RV seats arrive at pick-up.

Understanding Your RV

Since many travellers may be unfamiliar with motorhomes, further education can be helpful to understand the basics of operating an RV, help gain confidence and maximise your RV rental vacation to its fullest. The following websites offer tips and suggestions to Rvving. A full orientation of your rental vehicle will be provided on collection.

• Using Your RV – tips from https://www.rvtravel.com/category/new-rvers/
• RV Camping - https://www.rvtravel.com/category/camping-parks/
• Dump Station Tips - https://www.rvdumps.com/tips/

Minimum Rental Periods

All RV rentals have a minimum rental period of at least three nights. This does vary greatly depending on the time of year. If you are renting an RV during a major event or at a popular time of year (summer months in particular), minimum rental periods will increase. Specials and discounts will often have a required minimum rental period. Some optional items will only be available with a minimum rental period.

Depot Closures

The depots of our RV rental partners are closed on all major US holidays. This means that you will not be able to pick-up or drop-off your RV rental on these dates. These closures are often unique to individual depots, so closure dates may include days outside of major US holidays.

Winterization

In the colder months and climates, each RV rental must be “winterized” from, approximately, November to April in order to prevent freezing.

This means the water will be drained from the freshwater tank, hot water heater, and both waste tanks. Once the motorhome has been winterized, no water can be put into the freshwater tank and the RV rental cannot be hooked-up to the city water supply. No water will be available in the RV rental. The toilet can still be used if windshield washer antifreeze is poured down to rinse.

You may choose to de-winterize the motorhome once you have travelled to a warmer climate. In this case, the RV rental must be re-winterized upon return to the depot.

Mileage

Most RV rentals will not include miles. Miles can be selected and added when making your reservation.

Mileage options vary depending on your RV rental selection and RV provider. These options may come in the form of adding more miles per night, mileage packages, or unlimited mileage options. These are probably the most important option packages to consider for inclusion and need to included when making your booking.

Should you exceed the included or pre-paid mileage, there will be a per excess mile charge upon return to the depot.

You will find additional mileage options specific to your RV rental in the Mileage Options under Step 2 – Review Quote and Request Additional Options section when making your booking.

Fuel Economy (Gas Mileage)

We often get questions regarding what kind of fuel economy our RV rentals will get. This largely depends on weight of the motorhome (including people, water, equipment, etc.), driving habits, and road conditions.

Simply put, the less work the engine must do, the better gas mileage you will get. The average for a gasoline powered RV will range from 5-9 mpg. Diesels will generally get 8-14 mpg.

Here are some tips to save on fuel costs:

• Regularly check the tire pressure.
• Where possible limit the use of air conditioning.
• Try to bring only what you’ll need to keep the weight of the vehicle down.
• Plan your route ahead of time to find the shortest distance and avoid getting lost.
• Empty waste tanks when you leave a campground and do not fill up the water tanks until you stop for the night.

Generators

Electric Generators are powered by gasoline, diesel, or propane, and will create 120v electricity in the motorhome (the same as in North American homes). They are useful when there is no access to an electrical hook-up. While some appliances, i.e., stove, refrigerator, furnace can run on propane and battery, other appliances such as microwaves, coffee maker, toaster, etc will require 120v.

Generator usage is similar to mileage usage in that some RV rentals will include a certain amount of hours, i.e. 5 hours included per night. Others will include unlimited generator use or offer pre-paid generator hours.

Some motorhomes are not equipped with a generator, so if this option is important, please ensure you are renting an RV that is equipped with a generator by checking the RV details or, where available, book a Generator package listed under the Living Equipment Options.

Should you exceed the included or pre-paid generator hours, there will be a charge upon return to the depot.

Rental Rates

RV rental rates are charged similarly to that of a hotel or airline and vary depending upon the time of year. Rates increase during the peak traveling season and decrease during the low season. Special events, such as Burning Man and Nascar, will see a localized increase in rental rates as well. Rates are generally charged by the night, so picking up in the afternoon of day 1 is charged as a full day.

One Way Rentals

A “one-way RV rental” is when a customer chooses to pick-up an RV from one location and drop-off the vehicle off at another.

For instance, you may decide to pick your RV up at a Los Angeles depot and at the end of your vacation drop the RV off at a pre-selected Dallas depot.

One-way RV rentals are available across most depots in the US. RV rental companies typically change a one-way fee. These fees are charged based on the distance between locations, the greater the distance the higher the fee. Where a company needs to relocate a vehicle foe operational purposes often special deals are available where the one-way fee is waived.

Though we offer a range of one-way rental options, a one-way booking may not always be possible between the pick-up and drop-off locations you have selected. Availability and locations will vary between RV providers.

Year-Round Discounts

Throughout the year, USA RV Rentals will offer temporary discounts and specials that are incorporated into our booing system. For those booking for longer periods of time, daily rates are often cheaper depending upon location.

Price Match Guarantee

Should you find a lower rate available for the same dates, cities, rental provider and RV model, USA RV Rentals guarantees to price match. Please contact our Reservations team within 24 hours of the reservation. Once the lower rate is verified, USA RV Rentals will, at our discretion, either match the lower rate or cancel the reservation without a cancellation fee. The price match does not apply to special events, e.g., Burning Man, Nascar.

Payment

• USA RV Rentals accepts Visa and Mastercard.
• A deposit is required when making your booking. The deposit required will depend upon how far ahead you are making your booking. The majority of the payment will need to be made 6 or 8 weeks prior to pick-up depending upon your chosen rental provider.
• The transaction on your credit card statement will appear as DRIVENOW.
• A non-refundable surcharge of 3.25% applies to all card transactions processed by DriveNow.
• A credit or debit card is required at pickup to cover a refundable bond for potential vehicle damage
• Where a booking is made “On Request” it is subject to confirmation by your chosen provider.

Fees

USA RV Rentals is a free booking service offered to travellers. We do not charge booking or administration fees. However in the event of a cancellation we are obliged to pass on any charges raised by your chosen RV provider. Any other fee associated with your booking will be clearly displayed prior to you making your booking. No one likes hidden fees, so we want to ensure there are no surprises when you pick your RV.

Other Options

You will find a variety of optional items to choose from depending on your RV rental selection, e.g., lawn chairs, barbeques, GPS, child seats, convenience and kitchen kits, etc. These items will either be priced as a one-time cost for the entire rental period or per night. Availability is not always guaranteed as quantities are limited at each depot.

Kits

Kits are our most popular optional item as they usually contain any kitchen or linen accessories you will need in your vehicle. Depending upon the kit these will be based on per passenger or per vehicle.

Insurance

USA RV Rentals offers optional insurance on RV rentals and includes insurance in the rental rate on select RV rentals. The cost for extra coverage is generally low and reduces your refundable security deposit significantly. To find details on optional insurance look under the Choose Your Accident Excess Liability / Bond option sub-section of Step 2 – Review Quote and Request Additional Options section.

Other Supplemental Items

Additional supplemental items include such things as Mexico or Northern travel, pet fees, all-inclusive packages, and towing (if applicable).

Preparation Fee

Often times, a preparation fee will be required. This covers orientation of your RV rental (60-90 minutes) and some additional items that may include:

• First tank of propane
• First supply of toilet chemicals
• Outside cleaning of motorhome
• 1 pack of toilet paper
• Maps

Our partners offer several “pet-friendly” motorhomes. A pet fee or deposit may be required in order to bring your pet along for the ride. If bringing your pet is important, please check the RV details or contact USA RV Rentals for more information.