Taking a trip in an RV is all the rage these days. National Parks are seeing unprecedented numbers of visitors taking an interest in their sights and campgrounds. With so many options available, how does a person decide on the best RV choice for them? Let’s take a look at some of the main reasons people look to rent or buy RVs for their traveling adventures. Whatever you decide, the trip will change your life.

Benefits Of Renting

Try Before You Buy

Never been camping before? Then renting an RV several times would probably be your best bet. You could try different models and types to get a feel for what you like. Maybe you won’t like camping at all. If that’s the case, renting just saved you thousands of dollars. Or perhaps you loved it, but you aren’t sure what type of RV is right for you.

Hit & Miss Camping

How often do you plan to camp? Be realistic when you ask yourself this question. If you plan on vacationing only a week or two a year or only over summer weekends, renting is probably the best option.

Cost Factor

Campers of all shapes and sizes come with a hefty price tag. Running a basic internet search for a brand new pop-up camper was shocking. The cost was over $20,000. Our current rig is a 2005 Gulf Stream Endura Class C motorhome. We did not buy it brand new, but we purchased it from the original owner. The price tag in 2005 was a whopping $125,000. Even if you buy a used RV, the cost and time of maintenance can be astronomical. Not to mention having to pay yearly for license plates and insurance.

Storage

We live on a farm with a huge tool shed for storage. We’re lucky. Many people do not have the kind of space needed to store an RV. Some folks even have restrictions in their neighborhoods about parking RVs in their yard and driveway. With renting, you do not need to store the RV. That’s a definite bonus!

Benefits Of Buying

Weekend Warriors

Do you camp or vacation multiple weeks a year? Do you plan to spend an extended period of time (winter or summer) traveling or in one spot? Will camping each weekend during nice weather be something you plan to do? Do you work from home and have the ability to travel throughout the year? These are the types of questions to ask yourself when thinking of buying an RV. In addition to your RV costs, you will more than likely stay at campgrounds that cost. Make sure to consider those additional expenses.

Packed & Ready

One of the biggest downsides of vacationing is getting ready to go. The packing. Ugh. If your family is like mine, I’m generally in charge of ALL the packing. That’s the beauty of owning an RV. You are always packed and ready to go. And the biggest benefit? Everything in the camper is your own stuff. Not someone else’s. Your clothes. Your bedding. Your cookware. Your furniture. It’s fabulous! I am a bit of a germaphobe, but with the current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s nice to be surrounded by your own things. Another bonus of owning an RV is you can go at the drop of a hat. When renting, you are stuck camping when you can book your rental.

Personalize It

Hands down, the best reason to own an RV is the ability to personalize it. Pinterest is full of DIYers remodeling RVs to their own specifications. My husband and I are no different. We completely gutted our Class C motorhome. That has given us the freedom to do whatever we want to the rig and make it our own. We have gone wild with renovations – basically new EVERYTHING. We are even installing solar for boondocking. However, just to be able to add your own mattress, bedding, and furniture makes your RV genuinely feel like home sweet home.

Camping is an adventure, but so is life. Go have an amazing adventure!