Curious about renting an RV for a family road trip? I wondered, and worried, what our RVshare rental experience would be like as I planned our national park adventure in Glacier and Yellowstone. Here’s what I discovered.
At a Glance:
- RVshare lets you browse RV listings by location, travel dates and amenities, then book directly from private owners who typically provide a walkthrough before your trip.
- Most of the RV rentals we researched cost between $100 and $300+ per day. Our trip budget included additional expenses such as campground fees and fuel.
- Size matters when renting an RV. Class A motorhomes offer the most space and luxury, Class B camper vans are easier to drive and park and Class C RVs provide a comfortable middle ground that many families prefer for road trips.
RVshare Exclusive SheBuysTravel Offer:
$100 on RV rentals of $800 or more with code SHEBUYSTRAVEL100. Exp. 1/10/27.
Exclusions – Promo codes apply to the rental price only – this does not include taxes, fees, upgrades or insurance.
Renting with RVshare: What’s it Really Like?
Dreaming about exploring America’s national parks without constantly changing hotels and packing and unpacking suitcases? Renting an RV makes it possible to travel with your own kitchen, beds and bathroom wherever the road leads. My outdoorsy family of four put that idea to the test on a national park adventure through Yellowstone and Glacier using a rental from RVshare. The trip gave us front-row seats to geysers, glaciers and star-filled skies, with all the comforts of home.
RVing isn’t for everyone, but for families craving unplugged time together, it can be one of the most memorable ways to explore the country. Here’s what to know before renting an RV for your next family vacation.
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Rent Direct from RV Owners
RVshare is like the Airbnb of RVs. Renters select vehicles from RV owners who list their RV for rental to earn extra money when they aren’t using it.
How RVshare Works
- Find an RV.
We began by browsing RVshare’s huge inventory to find the best fit for our family trip. Site filters made it easy to search by size, location and features.
- Contact the owner to arrange your trip.
When you pick up your RV, the owner will give you a tour and a demo on how it works and then it’s all yours. The owner we chose delivered the RV to our hotel.
- Return the RV.
The owner will provide a list of drop-off expectations, such as returning it with the gas tank full and the waste tank empty.
The Cost of Renting an RVshare Motorhome
The motorhomes we researched on RVshare ranged from $100 a day to $300 or more. When planning your budget, you should also consider campground fees, gas and other expenses. Overall, this is more affordable than renting a car, booking hotel nights and eating out. Money-saving benefits include:
- Your transportation and accommodations are all-in-one.
- You can store food and cook your own meals.
- Campgrounds are much cheaper than most vacation rentals or hotels.
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RVshare Provides Worry-Free RV Rentals
I reviewed a number of RV rental companies before choosing RVshare. One of the things I like best about RVshare is the company’s Worry-Free Rental Guarantee. When you book and pay on RVshare, this guarantee protects your payment, security deposit and more in case anything goes wrong. Some key features include:
- Dedicated support team via phone, email and chat
- Rental replacement – in case the RV was misrepresented
- Re-booking assistance
- Security deposit protection
- Credit card protection
- 24-hour roadside assistance
You can also purchase RV insurance through RVshare.
Using the RVshare Platform
Using the system at RVshare.com is super easy. We started by reviewing RVshare’s How To Rent article and gathering important trip information, such as:
- Type of RV we wanted
- Number of travelers
- Number of miles we planned to travel
- Round-trip or one-way rental
- Travel dates
Selecting an RV Class
There are three main classes for self-drive motorhomes.
- Class A RVs are the extra-large, tour bus-style models. Note: Class A RVs over 26,000 pounds may require a special driver’s license in some states. Check before you rent!
- Class B models are sleeper or camper vans.
- Class C models come in a variety of sizes between the other two classes.
- Towing RVs or travel trailers may also be an option but this requires you to rent or own a vehicle strong enough to do the job. (Read these tips for towing a trailer if you choose one of those RVs.)
We decided that a Class C RV would fit our needs and planned our road trip to start and end in Salt Lake City, Utah. We were flying in from Boston so we looked at RV rentals close to the airport.
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Comparing Features and Add-ons
When you rent an RV, you’ll want to consider which features matter most. Some RV owners provide more add-ons than others. Some charge for these extras; others don’t. You can use the RVshare platform to compare.
Here’s what we considered before making our final choice:
- Rental rates
- Communication with the RV owner
- Miles allowance
- Vehicle fuel efficiency
- At least three beds (one for mom and dad and one for each teen).
- Included generator hours for heating and cooling
- Outdoor table and chairs
- Charcoal or gas grill
- Extendable living space (also known as bump-outs)
- Awning
- Linens included
- Fully equipped kitchen
- Appliances like a microwave and coffee maker
Our RVshare Experience
Pickup
After considering all of the above and communicating with a number of private owners, we chose a Mercedes-Benz Class C motorhome. The RV was exactly as represented in the listing. It was clean and ready to go. The RV owner, Adrian, was extremely helpful and went out of his way to meet our needs. He even delivered the RV to our hotel.
Even though my husband has some RVing experience, Adrian took ample time to explain everything we needed to know about operating his motorhome. We reviewed his owner’s manual and signed off on the final details of our agreement. Adrian also provided us with his cell phone number so that we could call or text with any questions.
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On the Road
My husband did most of the driving and found this RV easy to drive and maneuver. The diesel engine helped save money on gas too. Since we were visiting National Parks during high season, we appreciated that this RV could fit in regular parking spaces in a pinch.
Having camp chairs and a table made it easy to stop for lunch and enjoy nature when picnic tables were not available. Having our own bathroom meant we didn’t need to cater to four different schedules wondering where we’d find the next rest stop. This also helped us avoid significantly long bathroom lines in the National Parks.
RV Living at National Park Campsites
The RVshare site offers some great suggestions for finding RV rental sites at some of the country’s top destinations. Since we were visiting National Parks during the high season, we booked our campground sites months in advance.
When choosing a campground, you’ll want to decide what creature comforts are important. Things to consider when researching a campground:
- Availability of RV hookups – water, electric and sewage. We wanted access to all three; not all campgrounds offer that.
- Number of public bathrooms and showers
- Laundry facilities
- Camp store and/or on-site restaurant
- Firewood onsite
- Outdoor grill
- Picnic tables
- Swimming pool, lake or beach access
Since our RV owner provided excellent instructions (also in writing), we had no issues setting up or breaking down the motorhome at each campground.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Begin your trip in a location with a large grocery or warehouse store and stock up on everything you need before you hit the road. Prices at these stores are far lower than local markets along the way. That said, save some money for special treats and local specialties.
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Is Renting an RV Through RVshare Worth It?
I can’t say enough good things about our experience. I researched several RV rental companies and found that RVshare’s value and services were the best choice for us. My husband agrees. Renting an RV provided a unique opportunity to spend quality time together as a family. We hope to rent another RV sometime soon.
Let RVshare Do the Driving
If you love the idea of camping, but don’t love the idea of driving a big RV, do what fellow SheBuysTravel writer Breeze Leonard did: Book an RVshare rental from an owner who will drive it to the campground and set it up for you. It’s the key to “a super easy, stress-free start” to an RV vacation, she says. Plus, “traveling with kids means we need room to spread out. Having a comfortable space to call our own really made our RV trip a great vacation.”
Is RVshare Right for Your Family?
RVing is not for everyone. It’s probably a great choice if you:
- Enjoy your freedom – Taking a road trip in a motorhome gives you the freedom to drive wherever you want and stay practically anywhere.
- Know that tent camping is not your thing – Having a shelter from the elements and climate control was key for our family.
- Want to unplug as a family – While most RV parks have WiFi, we focused on connecting as a family without our devices.
- Dislike unpacking and repacking – The luxury of being able to unpack once gave us more time to enjoy our trip rather than unpacking and repacking at every stop.
- Are not a fan of public toilets – Having our own bathroom was key. Restroom lines in some places were outrageously long.
- Want some access to your gadgets – While the focus was to be unplugged, having access to our devices came in handy on long driving days. Our RV provided plenty of outlets.
- Enjoy meeting new people – RV travel offers ample opportunities to meet other travelers. Kids from around the world play together and fellow campers sit around campfires and chat.
The bottom line for my family: The benefits of RVing far outweigh any inconveniences (no maid service, shared showers, etc.)
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RVshare Rental FAQ
RVshare guarantees, including security-deposit protection and access to 24/7 customer support, provide priceless peace of mind for first-time renters.
We chose a mid-sized Class C motorhome for our trip. Other available RVshare rentals include large Class A motorhomes with spacious interiors and smaller, easier to drive Class B camper vans.
RV rental prices vary, depending on several factors, including size and features. The models we explored ranged from about $100 to $300 per day. Additional trip costs include campground reservations, fuel, mileage overages, generator usage and optional insurance coverage.
2 responses
RV Share Horrible Experience
Worst RV Rental Experience Ever
The RV rental was disgusting. Not RV Share fault. But what is their fault is sick and wrong. Were forced to buy 5 tires to get home and the owner wouldn’t pay for them, roadside assistance couldn’t anyone to help us. We had to find it ourselves. We were stuck on the side of the road an entire day. RV Share wouldn’t help us get our money back. They ignore you and wont respond for weeks. There are many more details but bottom line. There are other services to use and I would never use them again. Horrible Horrible experience…
We are sorry to hear about your experience. According to our partners at RVshare, their roadside assistance has since been improved, and they are working to eliminate situations like these in the future.