Motorhome Rental Advice

[MilesandSmiles]

I'm writing a guide for first timers about how to rent an RV. I'd like to include some SHORT funny stories about renting, and some quotes with advice from experienced RVrs. Have anything you wish you'd known (or were glad you did)?

If I decide to use a quote from you I'll contact you personally for permission. Plus I'll send you a free copy of the book once it's finished!

[NC_Roamer]

We rented a Cruise America class C in 1995 for a road trip from North Carolina to Ontario and back. I wanted the trip to be more than amusement parks so we visited a lot of nature areas and museums. Our ten year old daughter was getting a bit tired of museums, though. On the return I pulled I into one in Pennsylvania. When exiting the RV she stopped abruptly at the bottom of the steps upon seeing that we were at the Watch and Clock Museum. I heard a huge sigh and then a muttered, "You have GOT to be kidding me!"

[MilesandSmiles]

petendoll wrote:
Years ago we rented a Class C motorhome to see if we would like it. We used Bates International RV rentals. Our experience was very good. We rented one in Missoula, MT. We were met at the airport with the RV. They took us to the WalMart parking lot to go over everything. We did a damage inspection and were told how all the systems worked. He took all the time we needed to feel comfident would knew how to handle each system. The unit we rented had only 3500 miles on it.

We had 100 free miles per day for a total of seven days. I don't recall the exact cost per day for the rental but it was somewhere around $125 per day, as I recall. We traveled to Glacier NP and back. It was a wonderful experience. We arrived back at Walmart with 5 miles remaining on our free mileage. They met us there. Looked things over. We had stopped and washed it and did a thorough cleaning inside. If you want your deposit back you had better do this. After the inspection he drove us back to the airport and we were off. That trip convinced us we needed a motorhome. So anyone thinking about a motorhome or travel trailer should try a rental first. It will answer all your questions about RVing by the time you get back.

Thanks! That's a great story. And I'd never encountered Bates International. I'll look into it. That alone is worth a free ebook!

[petendoll]

Years ago we rented a Class C motorhome to see if we would like it. We used Bates International RV rentals. Our experience was very good. We rented one in Missoula, MT. We were met at the airport with the RV. They took us to the WalMart parking lot to go over everything. We did a damage inspection and were told how all the systems worked. He took all the time we needed to feel comfident would knew how to handle each system. The unit we rented had only 3500 miles on it.

We had 100 free miles per day for a total of seven days. I don't recall the exact cost per day for the rental but it was somewhere around $125 per day, as I recall. We traveled to Glacier NP and back. It was a wonderful experience. We arrived back at Walmart with 5 miles remaining on our free mileage. They met us there. Looked things over. We had stopped and washed it and did a thorough cleaning inside. If you want your deposit back you had better do this. After the inspection he drove us back to the airport and we were off. That trip convinced us we needed a motorhome. So anyone thinking about a motorhome or travel trailer should try a rental first. It will answer all your questions about RVing by the time you get back.

[IAMICHABOD]

gbopp wrote:
QUESTION: What's the difference between a rental RV and an ATV?

ANSWER: The rental RV can go anywhere.

0:B0

:R

[path1]

(On the lighter side)

1)Don't use M/H rental for a Halloween party when visiting family. If you do a really "good" job, you might get in trouble when you return it.

So "good" in fact they called the cops thinking it was a murder scene.

2) Every seat should have a seat belt in your motorhome. The toilet does not and there's a good reason.

Should the driver need to stop quick while you're on it, Well just don't "go" on the "go".

[Gonzo42]

Local rental co. here has very bad reputation on yelp. Its a consignment rental business for privately owned RV's.

Complaints about huge damage to RV's, no payment on rental to owner, plus cutomers complain about poor condition of RV's. Much more, but these are the main ones.

If one wants to rent, do a thorough inspection before taking it out. Be aware you are probably responsible for all insurances. If possible do a test drive. Be sure you know how to operate every single thing before going. Nothing like having a huge problem due to only not knowing how to work it.

[gbopp]

QUESTION: What's the difference between a rental RV and an ATV?

ANSWER: The rental RV can go anywhere.

0:B0

[Johno02]

You should be able to get more than enough material just reading the threads on this forum. Looking forward to my copy!