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If you’ve thought about planning a cross-country road trip but shuddered at the thought of all the time spent driving to your end destination and then back to where you began, we have good news. You can rent an RV one way! While it may require an additional fee, and your options may be more limited, it’s worth it to spend more time exploring and less time driving. Let’s learn more about what companies allow you to rent an RV one way!
Pro Tip: If you’re looking to rent an RV, be sure to read What the Cheapest Way to Rent an RV for a Month before you make your reservation!
Why Do People Rent RVs?
Many people rent an RV instead of buying one because they don’t want to be saddled with another monthly payment. They’d rather spend a few thousand dollars on a rental than deal with the hassle of maintenance, insurance, and repairs. RV ownership isn’t easy. It’s time-consuming and expensive.
RV rentals are easy to find and give you the freedom to explore. Instead of spending a week in a hotel or Airbnb in one location, you can spend a week in an RV and travel to multiple cities, national parks, and attractions. What you might spend on fuel can be saved on food. You don’t have to eat out as often since you have a kitchen and can cook your own meals. Depending on where you go, what type of RV you rent, and how long you rent it for, your vacation could be the same cost or cheaper.
Can You Rent An RV One Way?
Sometimes, travelers want to take a one-way road trip. Maybe they only have two weeks off work. Instead of spending one week driving to a destination and one week coming back, they can enjoy two weeks of adventures, drop off the RV, and fly back home. One-way RV rentals can open the door to more possibilities for vacationers.
Not every RV rental company will offer one-way options. However, most mainline businesses like Cruise America and Outdoorsy will allow this type of travel. If you want to rent an RV one way, these are your best options. But we’ll discuss this more in a few minutes.
What Are the Pros Of Renting An RV One Way?
As we mentioned, renting an RV one way opens up more possibilities for vacationers. For example, let’s say you want to take the kids on a road trip during spring break. If you road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway in California, you can take your time and spend more hours exploring if you rent the RV in San Francisco and drop it off in Los Angeles.
Or, if you’re on the East Coast, maybe you want to rent an RV in Gatlinburg and travel through the Smokies and into Shenandoah National Park. You’ll be able to enjoy more hikes, picnics, and cultural experiences if you can drop off the RV near Williamsport, Maryland instead of having to drive back to Gatlinburg.
A one-way RV rental allows you to take advantage of all your vacation time. You don’t have to spend half of the days driving from and back to the same location. You can fully embrace all the opportunities at each destination and make your vacation feel longer.
What Companies Allow You To Rent An RV One Way?
We mentioned that most mainline companies offer one-way RV rentals. Cruse America, RVShare, Outdoorsy, Allstar Coaches, and El Monte RV are five of your best options. They’re reputable companies that have a variety of RVs. This means you can choose the model that best suits your needs. Let’s look briefly at each rental company.
Cruise America
Cruise America is the nation’s largest RV rental firm. Founded in 1972, Cruise America has served the U.S. and Canada for over 50 years. The company allows you to rent an RV one way, and because there are over 130 locations, you’re likely to find one where you need to depart and drop off.
There’s a one-way drop fee with this type of RV rental, but it could be worth it to save two days of driving. You can submit a one-way RV rental request online. While Cruise America used to only rent motorhomes, the company has added the adventure travel trailer to its lineup.
RVShare offers one-way rental routes. For example, you can rent an RV from Seattle to San Francisco or Miami to Key West. You’ll choose the right RV, work out the arrangements with the RV’s owner, and then pick up the one-way rental at the location of your choice. The online search tool will help you locate your one-way options.
RVShare is different from Cruise America in that this company specializes in connecting RV owners to renters. It’s more like Airbnb for RVers. So you rent from an owner and not the company itself. This marketplace also results in more options. You can find an Airstream, a toy hauler, or a luxury motorhome. Whatever type of RV you’re looking for, you can probably find it on RVShare.
Outdoorsy
Outdoorsy operates in much the same way as RVShare. Its rental marketplace connects RV owners to renters. Because of this, you’ll have to check with the RV owner to see if they’re willing to form a plan with you for a one-way rental.
Unlike Cruise America, there aren’t hundreds of locations across the country where you could return the RV. It’s a personal RV and will need to get back to the owner somehow. But, like RVShare, you have thousands of options, not just a standard fleet.
Allstar Coaches
Like Cruise America, Allstar Coaches has pick-up and drop-off locations all over the U.S. The company also has free local delivery to areas near the fleet center locations in Florida and Pennsylvania. Allstar Coaches specializes in renting luxury motorhomes.
So, this isn’t the right company if you’re looking for a towable RV. But suppose you want to travel in a Thor Aria, Newmar Ventana, or Entegra Accolade. In that case, you’ll find one-way rental options in Florida, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
El Monte RV
Finally, El Monte RV is another nationwide company with one-way RV rentals. Unlike RVShare and Outdoorsy, where you must communicate with the owner, you simply select your pick-up and drop-off locations and dates with El Monte RV.
However, one-way rental deals are limited and constantly changing. You’ll find new options weekly. El Monte RV also only rents motorhomes. So, like Allstar Coaches, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a travel trailer or fifth wheel.
Are There Additional Fees For One-Way RV Rentals?
There could be additional fees to rent an RV one way. Cruise America’s policies specify that there is a one-way rental fee. Individual owners on RVShare or Outdoorsy may require an additional fee, especially if they must pay a transport service to return the RV. Whatever company you rent the RV from, you’ll need to ask to ensure you know exactly what you’re paying for and if it’s worth it.
Things To Consider When Renting An RV One Way
Before you decide to rent an RV one way, consider a few things. First, how will you get to and from the pick-up and drop-off locations? If you’re picking up in Albuquerque and dropping off in Las Vegas, is there a shuttle service to the airport? Or will you need to get an Uber? When you arrive back in Albuquerque, how will you get home?
Luggage is another logistic. Thankfully, many RV rentals have dishes, sheets, towels, and other camping necessities. But if you have to bring more than just clothes and toiletries, how will you transport those items if you’re not picking up and dropping off the RV at the same location?
Also, read the pet policy if you plan on bringing along your furry friends. There will likely be an additional fee and a maximum weight or maximum number of pets allowed. There may also be an additional cleaning fee that’s more expensive than the standard cleaning fee.
Finally, get the right insurance. Sometimes, the company offers coverage, sometimes your automobile insurance company will cover an RV rental, and sometimes you must purchase a special policy. You certainly want to be covered in case something should happen, whether you’re booking a one-way or round-trip rental.
Is A One-Way RV Rental A Good Idea?
A one-way RV rental is an excellent idea for travelers who want to make the most of their vacation. If you’re going to take a one-week road trip through the Upper Peninsula, you don’t have to plan the return trip. You can spend the entire vacation exploring new places.
Or, if you want to plan a long road trip across the country one summer, you don’t have to allocate weeks for a return trip. You can take an entire month or more to sightsee, drop off the RV on the other side of the country, and take a quick flight back home. What a way to spend a summer!
Have you ever considered renting an RV one way?
