Oct 24, 2007
An autumn oddity: cheap RV rentals for drivers who will bring them from place to place
Each fall, RV rental companies need to move vehicles from "summer" pickup locations to "winter" rental spots. Rather than incurring the cost of shipping the vehicles around the country, the companies rent them to customers willing to do the driving -- and offer remarkably good prices for their cooperative efforts.
Through December 15, El Monte RV (tel. 888/337- 2214; www.elmonterv.com) is renting RVs at half price for the first seven days on certain itineraries, including trips from Vancouver to Los Angeles, from San Francisco to Las Vegas, and from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, or Dallas. The company throws in 500 or more miles free with the deal, and of course the usual one-way drop-off charge -- normally $300 and up -- is waived. Rates vary depending on RV model, but with the half-price reduction, customers can expect to pay around the same as for an SUV rental.
Cruise America (tel. 800/371-8042; www.cruiseamerica.com), another RV renter, arguably offers an even better relocation promotion. Through the early fall, it offered RV rentals at $24 per for drivers picking up vehicles at various spots throughout the country and dropping them off in the Phoenix area. Unfortunately, that promotion is all but sold out now. But the company has announced a new one-way deal for later in the fall. After refurbishing vehicles in Arizona, Cruise America needs drivers to bring them to various locations -- including Denver, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and the San Francisco Bay area -- and again is offering rates of $24 per day, provided drivers don't surpass the time and mileage constraints. (You're allowed nine days and 3,000 miles if heading from Phoenix to Orlando, for example.) The offer is good for RVs picked up after November 5. Be warned that taxes and fees are extra, and hefty charges can be the result of going above the allotted miles and time frame.
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Through December 15, El Monte RV (tel. 888/337- 2214; www.elmonterv.com) is renting RVs at half price for the first seven days on certain itineraries, including trips from Vancouver to Los Angeles, from San Francisco to Las Vegas, and from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, or Dallas. The company throws in 500 or more miles free with the deal, and of course the usual one-way drop-off charge -- normally $300 and up -- is waived. Rates vary depending on RV model, but with the half-price reduction, customers can expect to pay around the same as for an SUV rental.
Cruise America (tel. 800/371-8042; www.cruiseamerica.com), another RV renter, arguably offers an even better relocation promotion. Through the early fall, it offered RV rentals at $24 per for drivers picking up vehicles at various spots throughout the country and dropping them off in the Phoenix area. Unfortunately, that promotion is all but sold out now. But the company has announced a new one-way deal for later in the fall. After refurbishing vehicles in Arizona, Cruise America needs drivers to bring them to various locations -- including Denver, Orlando, Salt Lake City, and the San Francisco Bay area -- and again is offering rates of $24 per day, provided drivers don't surpass the time and mileage constraints. (You're allowed nine days and 3,000 miles if heading from Phoenix to Orlando, for example.) The offer is good for RVs picked up after November 5. Be warned that taxes and fees are extra, and hefty charges can be the result of going above the allotted miles and time frame.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: american west, roadtrip, rv
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
