Q: How Do I Rent an RV? |
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A: The easiest way to rent an RV is through a national rental company like CruiseAmerica or through a local dealer.
But, watch this video first to learn more about RV travel. James Ashurst from GORVing.com details of RV rental, purchase and travel!
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Recreational vehicle travel is an excellent way to immerse yourself in the scenery. RV travel is part of the Vacation Ecosystem. Below is a transcript from the video above.
ETG:
Yes, we are hitting the open road and doing it in a very conventional way. That's why James Ashurst is here. I want to get this right, the RV Industry Association, did I get it right?
James Ashurst:
That is correct.
ETG:
All right, very good. Because there is an association... because this is a really welcoming and large diverse community of people. Isn't it?
James Ashurst:
It is, yeah. We represent not only the RV manufacturers but also the component suppliers who build all the ovens, refrigerators, toilets and the bedding and all the comforts of home that you would find in today's RVs.
ETG:
Are you seeing an increased, or uptick in interest in RVing based on this pandemic?
James Ashurst:
We really are. It's been sort of a slow return, but over the course of the last month in talking with dealers across the country, they're saying that they're looking at record sales for the month. And in talking with the manufacturers who are building these units, some of them are going to six-day weeks to meet the demand that dealers have for product on their lots because the consumer interest has been just that strong.
ETG:
I don't know if I could drive one of those things. You got to help me out with this, Jay. I'm a good driver and all but that's kind of a boat.
James Ashurst:
I think that certainly people have some fears about entering the marketplace. But what we find is, and what we say a lot of times is if you can drive a U-Haul to move, you can drive an RV. And while the large diesel pushers and Class As and Class Cs, which are so prevalent in the market really are fantastic products and are really strong sellers, 85% of the market is actually a towable product. And-
ETG:
Really?
James Ashurst:
... a lot of them are extraordinarily lightweight, these days can be pulled with a small SUV, a Subaru Ascent or a standard SUV or pickup. Again, there are barriers to entry but once the consumer goes and sits down and talks with the dealer or walks the lot and learns more about the product, we find that those barriers tend to fall down pretty quickly.
ETG:
Well, that's going to lead me to the next question is, okay, maybe we're not going to pull the trigger on purchasing one today. Can we rent an RV and start that way?
James Ashurst:
Absolutely. The rental market is very, very strong right now. We've been doing weekly calls with various people across the industry to just sort of assess the marketplace right now.
ETG:
What is it that first timers, even with a rental or a purchase, what do they communicate the most back to you?
James Ashurst:
I think what we hear so often is that this was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be, and that what we find is that there's a lot of social sharing. It's interesting because campgrounds have become sort of America's little small towns in a way. And again, obviously social distancing is very important right now and we're not advocating that people intermingle in large groups.
ETG:
Sure.
James Ashurst:
But I think what people find is that folks are so friendly in campgrounds. Your kids jump on their bikes, they take off riding and it's sort of this quintessential Mayberry, regardless of where you are in the country, you would never open up your hotel door to a stranger and say, "Hey, have you seen what the bathroom in this thing looks like?" But in normal times, RVers constantly go up to one another and ask, "Hey, is that the new model from this?" And people just welcome you inside, people share beers and share food and it really is an incredible community in campgrounds for RVers.
ETG:
What would you recommend on a first time rental? Say, "We're going to go do this, we're going to try this." What do you suggest?
James Ashurst:
I think the best thing to do is to talk to whoever that rental partner is, whether or not it's one of the large national chains, like Cruise America or El Monte RV, or your local dealership that provides rental units, some of which are from those national chains and those are the folks that are their franchisees. It's really hard to say one product over the other because every family is different and every traveler is different. I think it really is just providing that the company, what it is that you... sort of what your family situation looks like and what your needs are, and they'll work to put you in the best product.
ETG:
As you're saying that's a great point because instantly I think someone would learn as we have doing this research and certainly you being there, but I mean, that there actually most likely is a product that will fit your specific needs for that specific trip.
James Ashurst:
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And again, RV dealerships across the country, they're used to this, this is what they do every day. They know the questions that you're going to come with, they know the concerns that you're going to have. The rental market, obviously, there's a lot of first timers and a lot of people who rent then move on to buy later on in the process as they become more comfortable with things. A great resource for people that might be interested, we work with the dealer community or whatever and maintain gorving.com. It's a website, it has a lot of resources and it answers a lot of questions that people who are considering an RV might ask. Again, that would be another area that I would strongly consider. If people were interested in learning more, gorving.com is a great resource for people who have questions.
ETG:
Couldn't have said it better myself. James, thank you for doing this. Did we miss anything today?
James Ashurst:
No. Again, it's been an exciting time and we're a part of the travel industry and we're hopeful that as we move forward or whatever, that all aspects of travel are going to continue to see things improve. And again, that's what we hope because getting out and experiencing things and whatever really is healthy for everyone.
ETG:
Well, great. Thank you my friend, always good to see you.
James Ashurst:
Thanks for having us.
ETG:
Yes, we are hitting the open road and doing it in a very conventional way. That's why James Ashurst is here. I want to get this right, the RV Industry Association, did I get it right?
James Ashurst:
That is correct.
ETG:
All right, very good. Because there is an association... because this is a really welcoming and large diverse community of people. Isn't it?
James Ashurst:
It is, yeah. We represent not only the RV manufacturers but also the component suppliers who build all the ovens, refrigerators, toilets and the bedding and all the comforts of home that you would find in today's RVs.
ETG:
Are you seeing an increased, or uptick in interest in RVing based on this pandemic?
James Ashurst:
We really are. It's been sort of a slow return, but over the course of the last month in talking with dealers across the country, they're saying that they're looking at record sales for the month. And in talking with the manufacturers who are building these units, some of them are going to six-day weeks to meet the demand that dealers have for product on their lots because the consumer interest has been just that strong.
ETG:
I don't know if I could drive one of those things. You got to help me out with this, Jay. I'm a good driver and all but that's kind of a boat.
James Ashurst:
I think that certainly people have some fears about entering the marketplace. But what we find is, and what we say a lot of times is if you can drive a U-Haul to move, you can drive an RV. And while the large diesel pushers and Class As and Class Cs, which are so prevalent in the market really are fantastic products and are really strong sellers, 85% of the market is actually a towable product. And-
ETG:
Really?
James Ashurst:
... a lot of them are extraordinarily lightweight, these days can be pulled with a small SUV, a Subaru Ascent or a standard SUV or pickup. Again, there are barriers to entry but once the consumer goes and sits down and talks with the dealer or walks the lot and learns more about the product, we find that those barriers tend to fall down pretty quickly.
ETG:
Well, that's going to lead me to the next question is, okay, maybe we're not going to pull the trigger on purchasing one today. Can we rent an RV and start that way?
James Ashurst:
Absolutely. The rental market is very, very strong right now. We've been doing weekly calls with various people across the industry to just sort of assess the marketplace right now.
ETG:
What is it that first timers, even with a rental or a purchase, what do they communicate the most back to you?
James Ashurst:
I think what we hear so often is that this was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be, and that what we find is that there's a lot of social sharing. It's interesting because campgrounds have become sort of America's little small towns in a way. And again, obviously social distancing is very important right now and we're not advocating that people intermingle in large groups.
ETG:
Sure.
James Ashurst:
But I think what people find is that folks are so friendly in campgrounds. Your kids jump on their bikes, they take off riding and it's sort of this quintessential Mayberry, regardless of where you are in the country, you would never open up your hotel door to a stranger and say, "Hey, have you seen what the bathroom in this thing looks like?" But in normal times, RVers constantly go up to one another and ask, "Hey, is that the new model from this?" And people just welcome you inside, people share beers and share food and it really is an incredible community in campgrounds for RVers.
ETG:
What would you recommend on a first time rental? Say, "We're going to go do this, we're going to try this." What do you suggest?
James Ashurst:
I think the best thing to do is to talk to whoever that rental partner is, whether or not it's one of the large national chains, like Cruise America or El Monte RV, or your local dealership that provides rental units, some of which are from those national chains and those are the folks that are their franchisees. It's really hard to say one product over the other because every family is different and every traveler is different. I think it really is just providing that the company, what it is that you... sort of what your family situation looks like and what your needs are, and they'll work to put you in the best product.
ETG:
As you're saying that's a great point because instantly I think someone would learn as we have doing this research and certainly you being there, but I mean, that there actually most likely is a product that will fit your specific needs for that specific trip.
James Ashurst:
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. And again, RV dealerships across the country, they're used to this, this is what they do every day. They know the questions that you're going to come with, they know the concerns that you're going to have. The rental market, obviously, there's a lot of first timers and a lot of people who rent then move on to buy later on in the process as they become more comfortable with things. A great resource for people that might be interested, we work with the dealer community or whatever and maintain gorving.com. It's a website, it has a lot of resources and it answers a lot of questions that people who are considering an RV might ask. Again, that would be another area that I would strongly consider. If people were interested in learning more, gorving.com is a great resource for people who have questions.
ETG:
Couldn't have said it better myself. James, thank you for doing this. Did we miss anything today?
James Ashurst:
No. Again, it's been an exciting time and we're a part of the travel industry and we're hopeful that as we move forward or whatever, that all aspects of travel are going to continue to see things improve. And again, that's what we hope because getting out and experiencing things and whatever really is healthy for everyone.
ETG:
Well, great. Thank you my friend, always good to see you.
James Ashurst:
Thanks for having us.
