Last week, we reported on the thriving RV industry and the fact that so many Americans are opting for the open road as their vacation of choice that dealers are having trouble keeping up with demand. While that piece had myriad options for purchasing your very own apartment on wheels, we understand that a great many of us might like to experience the joys of #RVLife without such a permanent (or expensive) commitment.
Enter RVshare, a nationwide rental platform that connects RV owners with prospective RV renters (that’d be you) to realize dreams of the open road. Much as it pains your correspondent to use such a cliché and hacky analogy, the answer to the question you’re no doubt asking yourself is yes — it is very much like Airbnb for RVs.
As noted in the aforementioned piece, RVshare’s business is currently a-boomin’ — COVID-19 hath wrought chaos on many a summer travel plan, and as Americans look for alternatives, taking to the highways and byways in a decked-out RV offers several unique benefits. Herewith, our top six reasons to consider renting one for your next vacation:
1. Traditional Travel Is Still … Problematic
While airlines and hotels have instituted various mitigative measures, the bottom line is that close indoor proximity to other people, widely agreed upon as the greatest risk factor in terms of COVID-19 transmission, is largely unavoidable in both cases. This isn’t to say that taking a flight or staying in a hotel is inherently unsafe, but merely that there are risks involved in either case that for many people are worth considering.
An RV, on the other hand, essentially functions as a bubble on wheels — from both a travel and lodging perspective, the only people you and your travel companions will be closely interacting with for the most part are, well, each other. Net result: less stress, which is sort of the whole point of a vacation in the first place, no?
2. RV Rental Is Cost Effective
While purchasing your own mobile domain outright can prove a significant (and in some cases, downright outlandish) investment, renting an RV is surprisingly economical, especially when compared with traditional travel costs. RVshare has options that sleep five for as low as $99 per night, just slightly more than the current average cost of one hotel room in the United States, according to Statista. Tack on the cost of airline tickets, checked bags, etc. (not to mention the fact that the aforementioned average hotel room is likely not ideal for five people), and you’re making out like a bandit.
3. Options, Options, Options
The world of RVs is incredibly broad, with models boasting a wide range of amenities and creature comforts. RVshare has more than 100,000 listed vehicles across the country, ensuring that no matter the size of your group or destination preferences, you’re covered. Want to take a towable teardrop to check out the Grand Canyon? No problem. An expandable 24-footer through the Sequoias? They’ve got you. A 37-foot behemoth that sleeps 11 through South Carolina’s Congaree swamp forests? Step right this way.
4. The Great Outdoors Are Open For Business
Speaking of the above destinations, it bears noting that as of this writing, more than two thirds of the National Parks System’s 419 “units” are open and accepting visitors. Boundless nature, after all, is pretty much the perfect place to social distance, and the ol’ US of A has it in spades. So while that trip overseas is off the table for the moment, consider this the perfect opportunity to cross some of America’s more beautiful vistas off your bucket list.
Your pals here at InsideHook compiled a handy dossier a while back on the quintessential experience in all 59 of our national parks, as well as a list of dos and don’ts according to park employees. Just remember to call before you haul, and never forget that as the captain of your RV, you are the master of your own destiny. Tired of the view? Changing it is as simple as jumping back behind the wheel.
5. Pets Can Come With
RVshare offers plentiful pet-friendly options, which means that no pooch need be left behind while you explore the great American frontier.
6. Makes for a Helluva Remote Office
Not for nothing, but if you count yourself among the roughly 40% of Americans currently working remotely (and have a mobile hotspot as part of your cellular plan), you could do a lot worse in terms of your WFH setup than an RV. Just saying, the Great Smoky Mountains make for a pretty sweet Zoom call background …
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