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Outdoorsy is a peer-to-peer online RV rental marketplace. Recreational vehicle owners post information and photos of their rigs, and potential RV renters use the site to find available vehicles or trailers in their area. Outdoorsy is a safe environment for RV owners to earn extra money and an easy way for travelers to try the RV lifestyle.
Outdoorsy is an RV rental network with motorhomes, travel trailers, camper vans, and fifth wheels available for rent.
Outdoorsy Review
Outdoorsy provides easy access to RV rentals, whether you want to rent an RV or you’re looking to earn some cash by renting out your rig. The peer-to-peer marketplace is a conduit connecting RV owners with those who want to experience the RV lifestyle without buying a vehicle. Outdoorsy features Class A, B and C recreational vehicles, other types of motorhomes and camper-trailers. The company offers RV insurance through Liberty Mutual and 24-hour-a-day customer service every day.
Pros
Choose from all types of RVs, depending on your location
Insured by a top insurance company
Easy to toggle option selections for both renters and owners
Cons
You must trust a stranger, although there are background checks
Rent Any RV on Outdoorsy
Turn to Outdoorsy for a broad selection of RVs from owners who have passed a background check. The site offers all three RV classes, van and truck campers, stationary and vintage trailers, travel trailers, pop-ups, fifth wheels and many other smaller options that work for any camping trip you choose. Find a rental on Outdoorsy by searching the location and dates you want to travel to discover RVs available near you. Occasionally, an RV owner offers to deliver the vehicle or trailer to you and set it up. RV rental payments made on Outdoorsy’s website are secure.
Location
Amenities / Entertainment
Rules and Ratings
By major city
Air conditioning
Pet-friendly
RV rentals near me
TV and DVD player
1 to 5-star rated
RV rentals by country
Wi-Fi
Burning Man friendly
ZIP code
Inside shower
Parties allowed
Popular destinations
Disability accessible
Smoking allowed
Outdoorsy RV Rentals: 3 Ways to Search
How to List Your RV Rental on Outdoorsy
To rent out your RV on Outdoorsy, enter your address and describe your RV accurately and in detail. Edit the post for spelling and grammatical errors. Mention all your RV rental’s amenities and how many people it can comfortably sleep. Set up a cancellation policy and upload photos, including the kitchen, all living areas and front driver seats. Other terms owners set include:
RV rules: Decide whether renters can have pets in the vehicle or trailer and if you want restrictions on parties and smoking
Basic rental rates: How much will you charge for daily, weekly or monthly rent? It’s best to offer a discount to those renting the RV for extended periods. Outdoorsy recommends 25% off weekly rentals and 35% off your monthly rate, but you get the last word on how much you charge. Include the minimum number of days your RV can be rented.
Mileage charges: Outdoorsy recommends including 100 miles of travel a day in the rental rate with a per-mile fee for additional travel.
Generator charges: Most RV landlords allow for four hours a day of generator use, then $3 per hour for any overage. Carefully check and record the generator gauge before renters leave with your RV.
RV rental deposit: Set a high enough deposit to pay for repairs if your RV gets damaged, but keep it low enough to avoid scaring off potential renters.
If you don’t have an Outdoorsy account, set one up when you complete the rental listing. Renters must pass a background check, and you have 24 hours to respond to rental requests.
Canceling an Outdoorsy RV Rental
Renters who want to cancel their rental plans may pay a fee, depending on the cancellation policy. A flexible cancellation policy provides a full refund as long as you cancel five days before the booking date and a 75% refund afterward. A moderate cancellation policy allows a 75% refund up to seven days before the booking date with a 50% refund anytime after. A strict policy refunds 50% up to two weeks before the booking date but gives no refund anytime after that.
Outdoorsy RV Rental Insurance
Outdoorsy partners with Liberty Mutual to provide coverage for RVs damaged by accidents, vandalism, fire, power surges, earthquakes, fallen trees, windstorms, hailstorms or hitting an animal while driving. The insurance also covers a stolen RV. Other benefits include:
Interior damage protection
Windshield damage repair
Trip cancellation coverage
Driver verification checks
24/7 roadside assistance
24/7 live customer support
Aviva Insurance covers motorized RVs for rent across Canada and trailer units rented in Quebec and Ontario. CGU Insurance covers Australian RVs.
Outdoorsy RV Rental Costs
If you rent an RV from Outdoorsy, you pay the fees agreed upon with the owner when you sign up for the rental plus a service charge based on the total rental amount. Service fee minimums are $10 to $15, depending on the type of RV you rent. Taxes are separate from these costs.
RV owners get paid after Outdoorsy deducts its fees from the renter’s payment. Renters pay a deposit when they finalize a booking or the full amount if they plan to travel within 14 days. RV owners receive 75% to 80% of the total reservation cost and any add-on charges, and the company keeps 20% to 25% of the payment. Outdoorsy releases rental fees 24 hours after the renter takes possession of the vehicle, but the money may not post to the owner’s checking account for three to five business days. Claims against security deposits incur a 2.95% charge.
Outdoorsy RV Rental Complaints
Consumers who reviewed Outdoorsy on the Better Business Bureau website give the RV rental company a stellar 5 out of 5 stars. The BBB ranks Outdoorsy with a B- because the company did not respond to two consumer complaints directly through the bureau.
TheRVNomad rates Outdoorsy with 4.5 out of 5 stars, noting owners can decline a renter in some cases and RV owners receive 80% of the rental fees. The reviewer also notes daily costs for renters are reasonable. KOA has only positive things to say about Outdoorsy, and the company gets a 4.6 out of 5-star rating from Trustpilot with reviews posted from all over the U.S.
Outdoorsy RV Rentals Q&A
What are the ways I can search for an RV to rent on Outdoorsy?
You can filter and search for an RV rental on Outdoorsy using many parameters, including kitchen specifics, rules, amenities, ratings and any keywords you choose.
How much can I expect to pay for a security deposit on an Outdoorsy RV rental?
RV rental security deposits typically run from $100 to $500 and are refundable based on your rental contract.
Does Outdoorsy offer any payment plans for renting an RV?
You can pay for an RV rental on Outdoorsy over time using Affirm, but you pay more in total due to the interest. Compare your credit card terms to the Affirm financing deal available on Outdoorsy when you decide to rent an RV.
How do RV owners and renters communicate on Outdoorsy?
Renters and owners chat via the Outdoorsy app or website. They can also choose to have the messages forwarded to a texting service on their phone.
Do renters meet the owners who list their RV rentals on Outdoorsy?
Renters meet RV owners at the time the RV is turned over to them. The owner explains how everything works on the RV to the renters. The two typically meet again when the renter returns the RV at the end of their trip.
Do I need an RV license to drive Outdoorsy rentals?
There is not exclusive RV driver’s license. Look for a Class C motorhome or possibly a Class B if you’re new to driving an RV.
Conclusion
Outdoorsy is an easy-to-use service for renting an RV or for creating some cash flow for RV owners. Renters can find the RV they need for their trip and have all the details of the equipment and payments at their fingertips. With more than 50,000 RV owners renting their RVs on Outdoorsy, you can find an RV to rent just about anywhere, and Outdoorsy simplifies renting out an RV for owners.
I rented an RV and the 12v electrical didn’t work. The owner was aware as we called him and he came out to the RV 2 hours after it was delivered. It was Thanksgiving and we were parked at a family cabin, so I decided to let it go. At the end of the rental, the owner inspected the RV, gave it a clean report and left. Several hours later I get a message from Outdoorsy that the owner had filed a claim blaming me for the electrical issues. I refuse to accept the additional fees. I guess I’ll see how this goes. Huge lesson learned. Document everything and don’t trust someone because they seem friendly or nice. I let my guard down and now I’m potentially out $800 for an issue that existed when the RV was delivered.
Ashley C.
Birmingham, AL
August 18 2023 12:12PM
Owners Beware. Make sure you secure the maximum deposit because the insurance coverage is crap and leaves you wishing the guests would have just burned it to the ground instead of leaving you with thousands of dollars of uncovered damage.
One client overflowed the grey tanks and broke the awning, another deployed the emergency window and now the entire panel of windows on the slide out needs to be replaced.
V K.
Wenatchee, WA
June 26 2023 3:56AM
As a renter the experience was a nightmare. It was eye bleedingly expensive. RV was listed as new so expectations were high. Vehicle was delivered filthy and un-equipped. Took two days to realise the plumbing was blocked explaining why the grey water tank always read 2/3 full.
Two key issues: 1. The owner is actually a host, like in AirBnB. No knowledge of the vehicle. No real interest. Highly suspect. 2. Outdoorsy has ZERO customer service. A week to get a reply to an email. Empty replies, unsure of what to advise their clients. Avoid at all costs, this is a draining experience and the risk of being scammed are astronomically high.
Frank D.
Phoenix, AZ
March 12 2023 5:20AM
Outdoorsy claims that your RV is protected but it's not. We had renters do extensive interior damage and refused to pay.
Outdoorsy said that they didn't take interior insurance and although Outdoorsy sided with us they made us go to arbitration and knew that in their contract it states because we are Canadian that it's optional.
The renters decided that they weren't going to arbitration and Outdoorsy basically didn't have our backs. We have been fighting with Outdoorsy now for 6 months. We are out thousands of dollars for damage and lost income because Outdoorsy didn't follow through on what the contract states.
The deposit that the renters give was also just given back to the renters. That was our insurance that we should have gotten to help with some of the damage. This company is messed up and completely shady practices.
Outdoorsy even stated in an email to us that the insurance is to protect their guests. What Outdoorsy needs to remember is that without their owners then they don't have a company.
Joanne M.
LaSalle, SELECT A STATE
February 01 2023 2:42PM
If you love your van, do not use Outdoorsy. It is a horrible service, as I have had a couple of bad experiences with renters who are never vetted, do not know how to operate the vehicle and have brought it back with damages.
The insurance they provide has minimal coverage, read the fine print. This is not worth it, I will never use it again.
Joseph A.
Baltimore, SELECT A STATE
June 07 2022 9:15PM
I would not use this service. We tried to and the owner was very responsive. But after payment he ghosted us. Had to get the company involved and it’s like pulling teeth. We still don’t know if we have the RV because the owner is now being sketchy.
I think they get cancellation fees if we cancel so maybe they are that I don’t know, all I know is that we are being treated poorly and don’t have any rights. Although we will be calling the credit card company to let them know.
Bryan J.
Chicago, IL
February 05 2022 1:23AM
Do not rent a vehicle from Outdoorsy. You are only a pawn in a large $$$$ grab by unresponsive Outdoorsy. I rented a Van, the owner sent me Venmo Requests for unauthorized fees to my direct cell # and filed a claim for interior "damage" against my deposit. The owner is clearly a scammer and part of their business is ABNB.
Outdoorsy CS will tell you blah blah blah the customer is the is in their best interest. Stay away from this company at all costs.
Steve N.
San Francisco, CA
July 28 2021 1:36PM
RENTERS BEWARE!!! I am an experienced camper and rented one through Outdoorsy for my extended family to use when they visited. However the first camper I tried to rent because it said it was available suddenly became unavailable.
The owner said he had another one coming that was brand new and of course cost more to rent. I went ahead and reserved it not knowing what a piece of crap the camper would be.
Then things broke on it. I was charged almost all of my $500 deposit to replace items that should have been covered under a warranty. Outdoorsy has done nothing but give me the run around even though I have emailed and called multiple times.
They also have no way on their site for me to remove my credit card info so I’ll be calling them to take that off immediately. This company does nothing to protect the renter even though they force you to buy insurance. I’ll never rent through them again.
April G.
Omaha, SELECT A STATE
July 19 2021 9:57PM
Recently rented an RV through Outdoorsy.com and found it to be the biggest SCAM company ever! Better hope you don’t have to file a claim as YOU will be left paying the bill regardless of being forced to purchase insurance upfront!
Conveniently, the deductible is MORE than the cost of the claim!! No repairs allowed – just FULL REPLACEMENT COST charged to us in the amount of $2331 for a $200 part! BIGGEST SCAM COMPANY ON THE PLANET!!!
Cindy M.
Myrtle Beach, SC
July 14 2021 11:08PM
Do not go here. So far, the only thing Outdoorsy has done well is take my credit card and personal private data necessary to use the credit card.
They can't get my drivers license loaded, they want to use facial recognition to prove it's me. It won't work if you've changed your haircut, gotten glasses, gotten a tan, had a laser skin peel, fixed your teeth. But after you try and do it a few times, you call them.
They make you do it a few more times while they are on the phone.. "Well honey maybe you didn't do it right, it's a new thing called 'technology'". It's too late to cancel, so they tell you to send them a few photos of yourself to prove it's you.
Experts recommend you not send photos of yourself to strangers, but Outdoorsy doesn't think it's weird. Obviously I'm not going to use them again, and I feel terribly exposed and unsafe.
