RV Or Camper Van Rental

I had an RV trailer for a number of years and my brother has a sweet camper van, but in all honesty, save the money, don't fuss with it and camp out the back of your pickup.   But if you really want the RV experience, and considering the price of the rentals, you might look into buying a used pop up trailer or camper unit for the back of your pickup.  So many people buy RVs and don't end up using them much, there is a glut on the market for used ones.

Pros of RV - you always have your own bathroom that can also be a con if things go wrong. Cons of RV is that it is a big noisy rattling machine on the inside. That can get on your nerves for long hauls on the highway.  Particularly the rental ones. Also very easy to clip things like trees and parked cars when making turns in the RV if you aren't used to driving big things. Not all rental RV's come with a generator which is really important if you are going to need AC to sleep. If you don't need the space, bathroom or sleeping AC I would go with the van. Much more flexible to get around in and generally I nicer ride  on the road where you will be spending a lot of time. 

Yeah, skip the RV if you don't need the living space for multiple people and find a converted Van rental company. 

I would guess that with current demand for RV's and such, even if you decided it was worth the exorbitant cost, you probably couldn't book one at this point.

Camper Van, Beethoven.

We rented one of these vans for a music festie in Oregon a few years back...

https://www.escapecampervans.com/campervans/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui4yuL41PGs&t=1s

It was pretty fun but somewhat costly. The best aspect was the kitchen area out of the back of the van. Sleeping was subpar, particularly in the tent on the top of the van. Inconvenient to get up and down and the van would shift with the slightest movement.

I've also rented RV's from Outdoorsy.com and preferred that much more. There is quite a bit of inventory out there and you can find/negotiate good deals.

they make terlits for backpacking, your mileage may vary

If you rent a VW camper van, be sure to grill the owner on their engine maintenance habits before booking.

....or else when they tell you the day before your rental begins that the engine died and they don't have a replacement vehicle, you'll end up with a Jeep and a tiny tent.... if you're lucky.

Actual story from DNB Hawaii.

2 hard rules for driving a VW.

1. leave early

2. bring tools

Nurse Jules was the Zone's go to RV guru, but he seems to have dropped off the map.

We rented one of these vans for a music festie in Oregon a few years back...

https://www.escapecampervans.com/campervans/ <<<

They've subverted the stealth factor of vans with their colorful exterior paint jobs.  I've been really wanting to convert a high profile van over the pandemic ... been into watching design / builds on YouTube regularly.  Might have to find a new place to live a lower elevation & it'd be great to scout out a new place ... as well as dial in a suitable elevation (if I can get away with anything above sea level).   I'd be super conscious of any exterior implements that would be a "give away".   I wouldn't keep a bike or any other carriers / ladders on the exterior ... and might even go so far as to paint a faded fake business logo on the exterior that might divert attention from being a conversion van and also dissuade prying eyes ... like pest control service. 

Last summer a neighbor had a friend who parked in her driveway with a fully decked out extended Sprinter with a shower .... he had actually rented this van somewhere in Oregon, but not sure where.  So, I'm sure they exist.

When touring with 7 Walkers Bill Kruetzmann's Black Mercedes conversion van looked pretty sweet. 

I think his came with a driver.