How to Save Money on Your RV Rental
The Strategies That Actually Move the Needle
Everyone wants to save money on RV rental. Most of the "tips" you'll find online are either obvious (book early!) or useless (negotiate with the owner! — yeah, good luck with that on a platform that sets the prices). Here are the strategies that genuinely reduce your total trip cost, ranked by impact.
1. Time Your Trip for Shoulder Season
This is the #1 money-saving strategy and it's not close. Renting in September instead of July can save $100+/night — on a 7-night trip, that's $700+ before you've changed anything else. See the timing guide for region-by-region specifics.
2. Right-Size Your Vehicle
Renting a 32-foot Class C when a 24-footer would work costs you in three ways: higher nightly rental rate ($50–100/night more), worse fuel economy (7 MPG vs 12 MPG), and fewer campground options (larger sites cost more).
A family of four does not need a 35-foot motorhome. A couple does not need a Class C. Challenge your assumptions about space — you'll spend most of your time outside the RV anyway.
Impact: $200–800 per week in rental + fuel savings.
3. Get Your Own Insurance
Platform-offered insurance is almost always overpriced. The markup is significant because insurance is a revenue center for rental platforms, not a cost center.
Options that beat platform insurance:
- Roamly: RV-specific rental insurance. A $0 deductible policy at $15–25/day often beats a platform policy with a $1,500 deductible at $30–40/day.
- Your auto insurance: Some comprehensive policies extend to rental vehicles including RVs. Call your agent and ask specifically about motorhome rentals.
- Credit card benefits: Unlikely to cover RVs, but worth checking. Some premium cards (Amex Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve) have broader rental vehicle coverage than standard cards.
- USAA, Progressive, Good Sam: All offer short-term RV insurance policies.
Impact: $100–200 per week.
4. Cook Most of Your Meals
You have a kitchen. Use it. Restaurant meals for a family of four average $60–100. A campfire dinner costs $15–25. Over a week, cooking 80% of your meals instead of eating out saves $300–500.
The RV grocery strategy: Stock up at a regular grocery store before departure (Costco or Walmart for staples). Buy fresh items at local stores along the route. Use the RV's refrigerator and freezer — they're real appliances, not coolers.
Easy RV meals that work: One-pot pastas, tacos, grilled anything, sandwiches, breakfast burritos, campfire foil packets. You don't need to be a chef. You need a cutting board, one good knife, and a willingness to keep it simple.
Impact: $300–700 per week for a family.
5. Mix Campground Types
Not every night needs to be at a $60/night full-hookup private campground. Mix in:
- State park campgrounds: $15–30/night with electric hookups and beautiful settings.
- National forest campgrounds: $5–15/night, basic but scenic.
- Walmart parking lots: Free. Yes, most Walmarts allow overnight RV parking. It's not glamorous, but it's free and convenient for a transit night between destinations.
- Harvest Hosts: $99/year membership, then free overnight stays at wineries, farms, and breweries.
- BLM land / dispersed camping: Free. No hookups, no services, but stunning locations in the western US.
A week mixing 3 nights at a campground ($40/night = $120), 2 nights at state parks ($20/night = $40), and 2 nights free camping = $160 total. Versus 7 nights at a private campground = $280–420. That's $120–260 saved.
Impact: $100–250 per week.
6. Manage Generator and Propane Usage
Generator fuel costs $3–5/hour. If you're running the generator 6 hours/day for air conditioning while boondocking, that's $18–30/day just in fuel. Propane for cooking, water heating, and the furnace is another $20–40/week.
Reduce generator needs:
- Camp in shade when possible
- Use campground electric hookups (already paid for in your site fee)
- Run the generator in targeted bursts — cool down the RV, then shut off
- Open windows in the evening instead of running AC
- LED lights draw almost no power — leave the generator off for lighting
Reduce propane needs:
- Use electric when you have hookups (electric water heater, electric heat)
- Cook outside on a campfire or portable grill when possible
- Take shorter showers (less hot water = less propane)
Impact: $50–150 per week.
7. Manage Mileage Carefully
Many rentals include a mileage allowance (typically 100–150 miles/day). Overages are charged at $0.25–0.50/mile. On a road trip covering 1,500 miles in a week, that's within most allowances. But a 2,500-mile week could cost $250–500 in overage fees.
Plan your route to stay within your mileage budget. If you have 100 miles/day for 7 days (700 miles total), plan a loop trip rather than a long point-to-point drive. Or negotiate unlimited mileage before booking — some owners will add it for $50–100 flat.
Impact: $0–500 per week (depends entirely on your route).
8. Book Direct When Possible
P2P platforms charge service fees of 15–25% on top of the owner's rate. If you find a listing you like and the owner also rents directly (through their own website or Craigslist), booking direct eliminates that fee.
The tradeoff: You lose platform protections — dispute resolution, payment escrow, and insurance facilitation. Only go direct with an owner you've verified and when you have separate insurance.
Impact: $100–300 per week on a $1,000+ rental.
9. Bring Your Own Gear
Rental add-ons are marked up significantly:
| Item | Rental Cost | Buy-Your-Own Cost | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedding/linens kit | $50–100 | $30 at Walmart (keep forever) | $20–70 |
| Kitchen kit | $50–75 | $25 at Walmart (keep forever) | $25–50 |
| Camping chairs | $10–15/each | $15/each at Walmart (keep forever) | Net zero first trip, saves every future trip |
| Generator hours | $3–5/hour | Camp on hookups | $50–150/week |
| Bike rack | $50–100/trip | $0 if you don't need bikes | $50–100 |
Bringing your own bedding, towels, kitchen basics, and camping chairs saves $50–200 per trip and you keep the gear for next time.
Impact: $50–200 per trip.
10. Negotiate — But Know When It Works
Negotiation works with independent owners and small fleet operations. It rarely works with large platforms or major fleet companies (Cruise America sets prices algorithmically).
When negotiation works:
- Last-minute bookings (owner would rather rent at a discount than sit empty)
- Extended rentals (2+ weeks — offer a lower weekly rate for the longer commitment)
- Off-season bookings
- Repeat customers
When it doesn't:
- Peak season (they'll fill the slot at full price)
- Platform bookings (the platform sets the fee structure)
- Short rentals (1–3 days — not enough margin for the owner to discount)
Owners would rather rent at a discount than have the RV sit empty.
Direct booking: Some P2P owners also rent directly outside the platforms. This eliminates the 15–25% platform service fee for both sides. The tradeoff is losing platform protections (dispute resolution, payment escrow, insurance facilitation). Only do this with an owner you've verified and trust, and make sure you have separate insurance.
The Compound Effect
None of these strategies individually is a game-changer. But combined, they stack significantly:
| Strategy | Typical Savings (7-day trip) |
|---|---|
| Shoulder season vs peak | $500–$1,000 |
| Right-size vehicle | $200–$500 |
| Own insurance | $100–$200 |
| Bring own gear | $100–$200 |
| Cook most meals | $500–$1,000 |
| Mix in free camping | $100–$150 |
| Manage generator/propane | $50–$100 |
| Negotiate/early booking | $100–$300 |
| Total potential savings | $1,650–$3,450 |
On a $3,000 peak-season trip, these strategies can bring you down to $1,200–$1,500 for a comparable experience. That's the difference between "RVing is expensive" and "RVing is the best travel deal available."
The people who say RV travel is expensive are usually comparing peak-season, full-service, maximum-convenience RVing to budget airline travel. Apples to oranges. RVing done thoughtfully is one of the most affordable ways to travel, especially for families.