A First-Time RV Rental Experience as a Solo Traveler

I tend to do things a bit backward.  For example, when I first began my RV obsession,  people said, “You should have an RV rental experience first so you have an idea of what to expect and figure out what you like.” 

Of course, I didn’t take this advice and instead purchased 3 towable rigs over the next 3 years and traveled full-time all over the country; an RPod 189, Imagine XLS 22RBE, and finally, a GD Solitude 2930RL fifth wheel. It was a thrilling experience, with my rescue pup, Dotty, and me logging thousands of miles and memories.

When I hit the full-timer wall, and the roof blew off my fifth wheel in Iowa as I crossed the country, I traded my life on the road for a brick-and-mortar and sold my rig and truck.

However, my thirst for adventure and travel didn’t diminish. So, I finally decided to take that original advice and looked into renting an RV for the first time.

Renting with Outdoorsy

I began my search with a specific rig in mind: Class C. I had flipped my truck into an adorable Kia Soul, which meant that towing was out of the question. And I was curious about what it would be like to have a driveable instead. 

My Mission

To camp out on the beach at Port Aransas over Memorial Day weekend with Dotty. We did this over New Year’s three years before with our R-Pod. It was such a magical experience: waking up to the sunrise over the Gulf water, literally yards away from the surf, and completely unplugged from the world.

I pulled up the Outdoorsy app and found it very intuitive and easy to use.  All I had to do was select my filters, which were dog-friendly, under 35 ft in length, queen bed (Dotty is a bed hog), and a generator with unlimited hours for boondocking.  

I found a few great selections in my radius around the Austin area. I chose one and reached out to the owner with my questions.

Rachel was super quick to respond and answer to my satisfaction. I then booked the “Phoenix,” selected my dates, and, once confirmed, selected my insurance preferences and agreed to the deposit. (Although my reservation had a flexible cancellation policy, they charge a deposit on pickup for $500 to cover any incidentals and then release it 7 days after the rental is returned.)

The only other thing I needed to do was upload pictures of my driver’s license to verify myself beforehand. Easy-peasy.

The most challenging part was making the list of all the items I needed to pack for our 3-night trip: food, towels, battery chargers, water, books, tents, chairs, grill, Dotty’s food, and the perfect beach book.

Picking Up the Rig

I arranged a pickup with Rachel for Saturday morning, hoping to eliminate some of the Austin holiday traffic. I arrived at her address, and she had the rig parked with the slides open and the generator running, so it was nice and cool. (This is Texas, and it was nearly 90 degrees out.)

Rachel first reviewed the paperwork with me, including the insurance papers she had printed. Then, we did a full tour of the 2014 Itasca Cambria (33 ft). Rachel was very thorough and patient, covering every feature and room and answering all my questions. For insurance purposes, we took pictures of the interior and exterior to document the state of the rig at the beginning of the rental.

As a former RVer, I felt a bit more confident in renting someone else’s rig. However, I was still anxious about how a driveable would be different.  Would I clear gas stations? Would it have enough power to accelerate quickly in traffic? How responsive would braking be?

Once we covered everything, she had a checklist of “breaking camp” and “making camp.” We began to break camp, securing all the items inside, turning on the engine (with the emergency brake on), bringing the three slides in, and lifting the hydraulic jacks.

Test Drive

We then took a test drive around her neighborhood so that I could get a feel for the width of the rig, the way it cornered turns (easier on the right than left), braking, and accelerating.  

After this, I felt much more comfortable and realized it was similar to driving a large U-Haul truck. The backup camera was very helpful, and the side mirrors were large and easy to see on either side. 

Taking Off!

We returned to her house, and I loaded my belongings into the rig. Then, Dotty and I got secured and took off for the beach. I use RV Life GPS, as I can plug in my rig’s exact specs so that I’m not accidentally taken on a route that doesn’t support RV-sized vehicles.  

For instance, you can get to Port Aransas Beach by ferry.  However, it’s not a large ferry, and I wasn’t sure about the size and weight limitations. Instead, I was routed through Corpus Christi over a bridge to Mustang Island.

It was a four-hour drive, and traffic wasn’t too bad. The longer I drove, the more comfortable I was in a bigger rig again. I definitely had to be aware of drivers around me, but I had no issues merging in and out of traffic or lanes. I had a full water tank because we’d be boondocking, so I felt some sway and stayed around 65mph the whole way to be safe.

Arriving at the Beach

Once on the island, I took Highway 361 for about 17 miles until I reached the beach access road with two gas stations at a light. You can drive your RV and camp at Port Aransas Beach from mile marker 0-62; however, you must purchase a $12 permit to stay up to 3 nights.

You can get this parking permit at any gas station or store in Port Aransas, and I chose to get mine while refilling my gas tank. The rig was 10′ 7″ high and easily fit under the canopy at the pump.

We pulled onto the beach. Because it was the holiday weekend, it was very crowded. It took a few miles to find a suitable parking spot at around marker 23. I cut the engine, stepped outside, and we were ready to soak in the sun and sand!

A Few Beach Camping Tips

The last time Dotty and I camped was during winter, and it actually got cold enough at night to use our propane heater.  During the day, we were fine without A/C (we didn’t have a generator), and our double batteries kept the charge for 3 days, so we could pull the slide in without a problem.

Summer beach camping is different. It is very hot, muggy, and windy. Part of why I filled up the gas tank was so that we could use the generator to keep the A/C on and keep us cooler. Purists might balk at this, but honestly, the Gulf was so loud, and with all the noise, honking, and music, you really couldn’t hear it, so I wasn’t worried about ruining anyone’s beach experience.

Also, running the generator and A/C at night helped drown out the noise of all the beach carts, trucks, and cars drag-racing on the beach until the wee hours (and fireworks). While this may not sound ideal to some, it’s something to consider when you beach camp on a holiday weekend. If you prefer a quieter, more peaceful experience, try it during the week or on a non-holiday weekend.

Dealing with the Wind

Did I say it’s windy? Do not even try to use your awning for a reprieve from the sun; you’ll lose it before it’s fully extended. If you bring a larger tent, you must have heavy sandbags and secure it well. Every morning, the city services would come by to dump the trash cans, and they would tow a trailer piled high with the remnants of broken and wind-beaten tents.

Dealing with the Sun

I picked up a pop-up beach tent (Here’s a similar one on Amazon.), which is perfect for a solo traveler! I brought sandbags to secure it, and I could sit inside and read all day without getting direct sun exposure. A game changer for fair-skinned folks like me!

Know Your Bathroom Options

If you decide to camp in your car or rent a rig without a head, port-a-potties and large trash cans are spaced out along the beach.

Dealing with the Sand

Finally, to keep the sand out of the rig as much as possible, I had a plastic mat in front of the doorway and towels and beach blankets galore that I would shake out consistently to try and minimize what I brought in. I also used a hand-held vacuum, a small broom & dustpan and wiped the floors with wet towels to help. All of this helped to clean off my chairs, tent, sandbags, and other items before stowing them away.

Returning the Rig

At the end of our weekend, I followed Rachel’s “breaking camp” instructions, and before long, we were back on the road North to Austin.

Once back, I pulled the rig back to the same spot, and Rachel and I went through the outside and inside together, taking pictures if needed (it wasn’t necessary).

I unloaded my gear back into my Kia, gave her the keys, and that was that! 

Wrap-Up: RV Rental Experience as a Solo Traveler

I was surprised at how easy it was to do the rental through Outdoorsy. The app would send me reminders and tips, and if I needed anything, I could reach out to Rachel or Outdoorsy support.

I really liked the driveable! It was fun to have Dotty next to me in the passenger seat. I also loved that I could pull over safely anywhere and then just hop into the back to use the restroom or grab some water or a bite to eat before pulling out again.

I thought this might help me stave off my obsession, but it only ignited it further. For my next rental? I’ll try a Class A and see how I like it.

Thanks to Outdoorsy, Dotty and I had a great holiday weekend, and we both smiled the whole way back home.