The “try before you buy” philosophy is a wise one if you’re considering RV ownership. If you’re based in California, how much will you spend to rent a motorhome?
The costs to rent an RV can be as little as $75 a night and as much as $300 per night. Factors such as the size and type of motorhome, how long you’re renting, your mileage, and even the time of year can all affect your rental costs.
In this extensive guide, I’ll break down the costs to rent an RV in Cali according to the most popular rental resources. Then I’ll delve into why the prices fluctuate like they do and discuss if cheaper is always better, so make sure you don’t miss it!
This Is How Much It Costs to Rent an RV in California
Without further ado, let’s jump right in and look at some popular rental sources online and what each charge for an RV rental in California.
Keep in mind that the prices available for each resource can and will change, so what you see here is not necessarily the price you will pay. These prices are just to illustrate cost examples.
Outdoorsy – $99 to $225 a Night
On Outdoorsy, you’ll spend at least $100 a night for a motorhome rental in the Golden State and up to $225 a night. The RV available at that price point is a 2023 Winnebago Solis 59PX.
The vehicle is 21 feet long and sleeps up to four people.
Outdoorsy shares its average prices for various trailers and RV types, but these costs aren’t exclusive to California, just an FYI. Fifth-wheels average $129 a night, pop-ups $81, camper vans $160, travel trailers $110, and motorhomes $209 per night.
RVshare – $95 to $299 a Night
If you use RVshare for your motorhome rental needs, the prices for an RV for rent in Cali aren’t all that different than what you’d see on Outdoorsy.
The most expensive motorhome for rent that I saw when browsing the site was a 2021 Class C Entegra Coach Qwest 24L. The vehicle is 25 feet long and sleeps up to five.
RVezy – $85 to $300 a Night
On RVezy, the prices for an RV rental in Cali continue to hold steady, with the lowest costs just shy of $100 a night and the higher-cost motorhomes for rent costing upwards of $300 per night.
The $300 RV listing I found is a Class A that was being promoted as a “farmhouse on wheels.” It has room for eight people, so the description is certainly apt!
The Factors That Determine RV Rental Costs in California
Although the sources I looked at in the last section all listed RVs for rent in California at about the same price, I think we can all agree that there’s a big difference between a $90-a-night motorhome and one that costs $300 a night.
Why the price variations? As I mentioned in the intro, all sorts of factors are at play. Let’s go over them now.
Vehicle Type
Are you looking for a true-blue RV to rent such as a Class A or Class C motorhome, or do you want a travel trailer? Although travel trailers and RVs aren’t the same, they often get lumped together when searching for motorhomes to rent.
Depending on what you’re looking for, your rental costs could be on the higher side or the lower side.
Vehicle Size
Whether it’s a travel trailer or a motorhome, the size of the vehicle is going to play a major role in what you’ll pay for an RV rental in California.
Smaller RVs such as Class Bs and tiny trailers like teardrops should theoretically cost less to rent than a hefty travel trailer or a Class A.
Is that the case 100 percent of the time? No, because the rental source influences pricing, as I’ll talk about shortly.
In most cases, you can expect that the larger the vehicle you’re renting, the more you’ll pay for it in your possession.
Vehicle Age
No one wants their first experience in an RV to be in an old clunker. That could be enough to turn you off from ever driving an RV again, so your ownership aspirations will be out the window.
That doesn’t mean that older vehicles won’t be available for rent. The motorhome will still be functional, but the older it is, the more prone to issues. That’s why these will be among the cheaper RVs you can rent.
A newer RV from within the last five years especially is going to fetch the highest rental price. Models from within the last 10 years will be less costly but not dirt cheap.
Included Amenities
As is the case with RV ownership, if you want luxe amenities in your rental trailer or motorhome, you will pay for them.
You can expect some amenities to come standard, such as beds, water and electrical hookups, seating, and storage. If you’re renting an RV and not a trailer, you should also expect a bathroom, even a small one.
The bathroom will include at least a toilet and a sink, but not necessarily a shower. Perhaps all you get is an outdoor shower or no shower at all.
If you don’t mind spending additional money, then you can rent an RV in California that’s tricked out with all the amenities you could ask for and then some. I’m talking a full bathroom, multiple beds (including some convertible beds), televisions and fireplaces, the works.
You’ll feel like you’re staying in a luxury hotel or Airbnb more than an RV.
Rental Source
Websites like Outdoorsy and RVezy are third parties. RV owners join the site, sometimes paying a fee to put their motorhomes up for rent.
At the end of the day, it’s up to the renter to choose the price of their motorhome rental. The third party gets a cut of the rental fees too.
Can a renter put their motorhome on a rental site for an exorbitant fee not commensurate with its cost? Sure, they can. That’s their prerogative, but it doesn’t mean anyone will agree to rent the RV at that price.
It’s sort of like how on eBay, a seller can list an item for any price they wish. People are smart and know when they’re being taken advantage of, so they ignore listings with too many zeroes.
The same goes when renting an RV!
Mileage Traveled
Mileage is another significant factor that goes into what you’ll pay to rent a motorhome, both the mileage the vehicle has already accumulated and that which it has yet to accumulate.
Older motorhomes tend to have more miles on them, but not exclusively. If you buy an RV and live in it full-time for two years, it will rack up miles incredibly fast despite its relatively young age.
Mileage on an RV is like mileage on a used car or truck. You want some miles so the vehicle is broken in, so to speak, but not so many miles that you wonder if your RV will stop working on you at any point.
The number of miles you plan to drive your rental will also influence what you’ll pay. If you stick around in California, then your costs might be less than those who drive out-of-state or cross-country with their rental.
Pickup Location
The cool thing about RV rental services is that many are willing to deliver the vehicle to you nowadays, especially if you’re already within state lines. However, this service will add to your overall RV rental cost pricing, so choose wisely.
If you forego the motorhome delivery and pick it up, then how close you are to the renter will dictate whether your pickup costs will be next to nothing or more substantial.
Time of Year
The weather in California is mild throughout the year, so the RV season never has to end. That said, the spring and summer are still the most popular times for renters to seek out a motorhome to try for a long weekend or an extended vacation.
With RV rentals in demand during these periods, a renter can easily ask for more money than usual and get it. You too will pay a premium if you’re interested in renting during the peak season.
If you wait until the autumn when summer vacation is over, you can slash prices compared to what you’d normally pay. Should you not mind renting an RV until the winter, then the costs will be the lowest they’ll be all year.
Rental Length
The last factor that’s rolled into the price of your RV rental is how long you’ll have the vehicle in your possession.
Although you might think that longer rentals would be more expensive, the opposite is true! One of the best ways to get a deal on what is otherwise a costly motorhome is to rent it out for longer.
Many rental services have built-in deals where you can save per night if you rent the RV for a week. If you keep it for two weeks, your savings will be greater still.
You can even rent a motorhome for a month or several sometimes, in which case you’re saving the most cash!
Are Cheap RV Rentals Always Better?
With the information I’ve presented, you’re in an excellent position to begin budgeting and planning for your first RV rental.
You may naturally gravitate towards cheaper rentals, but is this necessarily the smartest move? My answer is…it depends!
As the last section makes quite clear, most low-cost RV rentals on the market are priced that way on purpose. You’re getting a smaller vehicle with less storage and sleeping capacity, an older vehicle, one with fewer amenities, or an RV with a lot more mileage.
Is that always a bad thing? Well, that depends on the issue we’re talking about and how serious.
For example, foregoing amenities is, in my opinion, not a bad thing. If anything, it can be good, as you can get used to what RV life would be like without every little bell and whistle.
If you only have a moderate rental budget and your RV shopping budget would be just as moderate, then you’re not going to afford a ton of amenities anyway. There’s no sense in getting used to them only to take them away once you own an RV.
Mileage on a motorhome is not necessarily the worst thing in the world, but you have to use context clues to determine if the vehicle is a lemon. If the RV has a lot of miles and is also 20 or more years old, steer clear. It’s too old for a beginner RV to rent.
A newer motorhome from the last five or 10 years with a lot of miles might have just been driven a lot. You still want to make sure it’s in drivable condition, but the mileage isn’t such a red flag in this situation.
I also don’t think renting a small RV is so bad, especially if you’re interested in someday owning a tinier motorhome. Again, there’s no sense in getting used to having a lot of space when you don’t plan on buying a spacious RV down the road.
If you’re trying to budget your RV rental fees, you don’t always have to go with the cheapest model on the lot. You can rent your motorhome for an extended period, keeping costs low.
Conclusion
Renting an RV in California starts as low as $89 a night up to $300 a night depending on what kind of motorhome you’re looking for, its size, mileage, amenities, and how long you’ll rent.
Lower-cost options are not always better (as tempting as they may be), especially if you want a smooth first-time RV rental experience.
I would recommend researching rental costs, setting a budget that works for you, and then searching for the perfect motorhome within that budget. It’s definitely out there!