Have you ever rented an RV?
I admit on the one hand I have always been fascinated by RVs. They can be big and spacious. A kitchen, bathroom, beds you can take with you wherever you want to travel.
On the other hand, I’ve also felt intimidated by the idea of renting an RV. RV rentals can be large. What are they like to drive? How do I hook up an RV to water and electricity? Where does the human waste go? For as many reasons as I had to try it I had just as many reason why I was hesitant to try.
That’s all changed now. This past summer was supposed to be the summer I got out there and did even more camping with my boys. We had planned for camping staycations in New Jersey. Early in the winter, I had booked a cabin reservation for Stokes State Forest and a lean-to reservation in Belleplain State Forest.
The pandemic changed all that. New Jersey State Parks were initially closed. Then they reopened, but still were closed to cabin or lean to rentals. Our reservations were cancelled and I was so disappointed.
A few weeks ago I got an email introducing me to RVshare. They wanted to work together to show families how incredible and easy renting an RV could be.
My need to get out and travel safely has forced me to rethink my concerns about RV camping and RV rentals. Better yet, when I talked to Steve, from RVshare, about sponsoring an article about staycations with RV rentals in New Jersey, he really opened my eyes to how to get started with renting an RV.
What does my family think about RV Rentals?
I started to talk to my family about renting an RV for a New Jersey staycation. Because I had been hesitant to try it we had never discussed it. They were wildly enthusiastic about the idea. Turns out my husband has always wanted to drive an RV rental on a family trip.
My 15 year old son has a dream of us visiting different National Parks in an RV rental.
My 12 year old thinks traveling in an RV rental is a faster way to get to a far away destination. As he puts it one parent can sleep while another one drives.
Getting Started with RV Rentals
With my family all on board I knew renting an RV was something I needed to learn more about. After all, I’m still a bit scared to drive something so big.
Did you know you can rent an RV trailer?
You can! What surprised me most in my conversation with Steve is learning that you can RV trailer rentals are available anywhere across the United States with RVshare.
Not only can you rent RV trailers with RVshare, but you can arrange for your RV trailer rental to be delivered to your campsite.
WAIT!! Hold up!
You can rent an RV trailer to be delivered to nearly any campsite or campground across the United States. I can not think of a more perfect way to experience RV camping as a beginner.
Let’s take a look at the benefits of renting an RV trailer to be delivered.
5 Benefits of having an RV trailer rental delivered
- No trying to drive an RV if you’re a beginner.
- The RV rental owner manages driving and fitting the trailer into your campsite.
- The RV trailer owner usually takes care of any connecting or disconnecting of water, sewer, and electric hook ups at your RV resort.
- Some RV trailers have water tanks and generators that don’t require connecting to other sources, meaning you can camp at nearly any campsite.
- No sewage clean up. RV rental owners usually take care of that.
5 More reasons to rent an RV trailer
Baby Steps
I love the idea of renting an RV trailer. It’s like taking baby steps to renting a full size RV. My family and I can experience an RV trailer for a weekend and see how we enjoy it.
After a few nights we’ll know did we have enough space or would we need a bigger RV rental next time? Did we run through all the water in one night or did we have plenty of water? Was the kitchen big enough to cook for a family of 5? Did our golden retriever enjoy it or did he bark the whole time?
More Camping Options
One thing I noticed about New Jersey campgrounds, and I suppose all campgrounds, as I started to explore camping with kids is that while most allow RVs not all have water or electric hookups. Having an RV rental that doesn’t need those things really opens up the number of campsites available to your and your family.
Go anywhere more easily
Lets say you want to travel coast to coast but are concerned about driving an RV, yet you want the flexibility and convenience an RV rental can give you and the benefits that come from staying at RV resorts. Consider driving coast to coast in your regular family car and having different RV rentals delivered to your campsites along the way.
Create a plan for where you want to go and where you want to camp. Then use the RVshare website to find RV trailers, in the area, that you can rent and have delivered to your campsite or that you can pick up directly from the owner.
A traveling classroom
If you can go anywhere then anywhere can be your classroom. There may never be a time again when our kids are doing so much learning outside of a school building. Use that to your advantage.
No one says virtual learning has to be done from home. Now is the time! Take your virtual classroom on the road!
As you drive the kids can check in with their teachers for virtual assignments, Google Meets, and Zoom sessions. But when you’re at that campground, historical site, or touristy destination, get out there and do some REAL in person, touch it, see it, learning.
Safety, time, convenience
When you rent an RV trailer that RV is yours throughout the rental. There’s no one coming in and out of your RV besides your family. There’s no standing in line to check in. You won’t hear kids running down the hotel hallways.
Renting an RV is like having your own cabin or lodge on wheels. The only people coming in and our are members of your own family. You can have as little or as much with the outside world as you want. You are in control!
Ready for an RV Rental?
Now that I’ve got you ready for an RV rental either for a staycation in New Jersey or a destination further away there are a few more things for you to consider.
7 Things to look for when making an RV trailer rental reservation
Size – How big is the RV trailer? How big will you need it to be? How many beds do you need? Are there space limitations at the campsite where you want to camp?
Delivery Fee – Some RV trailer owners will deliver your RV rental for no fee, some do charge a delivery fee, and for some it depends on the mileage they have to go. The fees are usually clearly listed on the RVshare site. If you don’t see it, just message the owner.
Electricity – What is the source of electricity? Does the RV rental have a generator? What safety tips do you need to know about using the generator? If a generator is not available will the RV rental owner show you how to connect to the electric source?
Water – What will you have to do for water? Does the RV rental have a water tank? How much water does it hold? If no water tank is available will the owner show you how to connect to the water source?
Deposits/Fees – Does the RV rental owner require a deposit with your RV rental? Are there any additional fees? If you don’t see anything listed, just ask.
RV Rental Prices – What does it cost to rent an RV trailer? Are cheap RV rentals available near you or the campsite? RV rental rates can vary greatly. When searching for prices for RV rentals I found rates anywhere from under $100 a night to a few hundred a night. Compare your options. The highest rental cost doesn’t always mean the best RV rental for your family.
Proximity to your campsite, what ifs – How far is the RV rental owner to your campsite? Will you have a way to contact them if there’s a problem. While you always hope for the best sometimes things happen. You want to know that you can reach the RV owner in an emergency and that they won’t be too far from you should you need their assistance.
Now let’s find some locations for a great camping staycation in New Jersey.
RV Campgrounds in New Jersey
Since New Jersey’s list of restricted states is still pretty long your best bet for RV rentals is to stay in New Jersey. Make it a staycation with an RV rental in New Jersey.
Here’s a few New Jersey RV campgrounds our readers recommend.
- Timberline Lake Camping Resort in New Gretna, New Jersey
- Beachcomber Camping Resort in Cape May, New Jersey
- Hospitality Creek Campground in Williamstown, New Jersey
- Wading Pines Camping Resort in Chatsworth, New Jersey
For more campground suggestions visitor our Guide to New Jersey campgrounds.
Our Top Picks for RV Trailer Rentals in New Jersey
Now we haven’t stayed in any of these RV trailer rentals, yet. But while searching the RVshare site these trailers certainly had us drooling. They are at the top of our list for our New Jersey staycations with an RV rental.
I started my RV rental search by looking for ones that can sleep at least 5 and are located in New Jersey. From there I narrowed it down to almost every kind of towable RV trailers. Additionally, I opted to ONLY be shown RV rental trailers that could be delivered and would allow pets like our golden retriever and had a toilet and a shower. That resulted in 20 trailers being shown. Here are our favorites. It was important to me to see the inside of the trailers and the sleeping arrangements. So while there may be better and more spacious options to rent, I couldn’t see that from the pictures that some RV rental owners provided.
- 2017 Forest River RV Sierra 377FLIK
- 2019 Palomino Puma 32fbis
- 2019 Heartland Pioneer BH 280
- 2016 Keystone RV Cougar X-Lite 28DBI
- 2018 Coleman 274 bhs
- 2016 Bullet premier 34bhpr
With our list of RV campgrounds in New Jersey and our picks for best RV trailer rentals in New Jersey all that’s left is to make your reservation.
Where do you want to go?
Where should we go?
If you would like to hear from other RVshare campers about RV camping please visit their articles below.
- All you need to know about using RVshare from a First Time Renter
- First Time RVshare Getaway For a Family of Four – A Renter’s Experience
- Even RV Renters Should Be Clear on Their Water Filtration Choices
- Frequently Asked Questions From Renters About Renting with RVshare
- RV Trip Planner: The Best RV Route Travel Planner!
- The Ultimate Guide to Stationary and Delivery RV Rentals