Looking for Cheap rental campervan LA-Nashville

[Mickebas]

Hi,

We are two people from Sweden who are making a roadtrip from LA to Nashville this July-August. Does anyone out there know about someone who rents campervans that can be picked up in LA and droped off in the Nashville area?

Thankful for any help on this!

regards,
Micke and Hanna

[glc]

Welcome!

What you folks call a "campervan" is not common here at all - and when you do find them, they are generally not available for cross-country. You may have to get a so-called "compact RV" which is about 20 feet long, and is a cabover rig on a truck chassis. The 2 major rental companies here are Cruise America and El Monte, and El Monte doesn't have compacts.

[AZBuck]

Välkomnande! Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You can rent something like a campervan (a Class C motorhome) in Los Angeles, and you can (probably) leave it in Nashville, but neither of those two capabilities comes what I would call cheap. Keep in mind several things: You are asking for a 'home-on-wheels' not a compact sedan. You are asking to leave it 2000 miles from its 'home' (It does have to get back somehow.) And you are dealing with a very limited market with very few suppliers, so not much competition. All of those factors will drive up the price. Remember that RVing (as it's called in the US) is about lifestyle, not saving money. With a realistic expectation of what this is all going to entail, two of the biggest national renters of such vehicles in the US are Cruise America and El Monte RV. So have a look at their websites, but be sitting down and/or have a good shot of aquavit handy.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

The scarcety of campervans has been a source of frustration for me, on each trip. They are so handy, manouvrable and economical. But alas!

One alternative you may like to check out is Adventures on Wheels. They do have similar small campers, and they are more suited to cross country travel. But I think there is still a one way drop fee.

Lifey

[Mickebas]

Welcome!

What you folks call a "campervan" is not common here at all - and when you do find them, they are generally not available for cross-country. You may have to get a so-called "compact RV" which is about 20 feet long, and is a cabover rig on a truck chassis. The 2 major rental companies here are Cruise America and El Monte, and El Monte doesn't have compacts.

Thank you for the information! The Compact RV at Cruise America looks nice. I will look in to it and see what it would cost.
We found a company called www.lostcampersusa.com, and their "campervans" seemed great for our purpose, but as you said, no drop-off!

[Mickebas]

Välkomnande! Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

You can rent something like a campervan (a Class C motorhome) in Los Angeles, and you can (probably) leave it in Nashville, but neither of those two capabilities comes what I would call cheap. Keep in mind several things: You are asking for a 'home-on-wheels' not a compact sedan. You are asking to leave it 2000 miles from its 'home' (It does have to get back somehow.) And you are dealing with a very limited market with very few suppliers, so not much competition. All of those factors will drive up the price. Remember that RVing (as it's called in the US) is about lifestyle, not saving money. With a realistic expectation of what this is all going to entail, two of the biggest national renters of such vehicles in the US are Cruise America and El Monte RV. So have a look at their websites, but be sitting down and/or have a good shot of aquavit handy.

AZBuck

Ok, sorry, I meant "not to expensive". "Cheap" didn't sound right.. Since it's a vacation (not a move, or a change of lifestyle just yet) we do have a budget that is somewhere around $2000 for the rental of a vehicle, we'll see what we can get. Thanks for your answer, and cheers!

[Southwest Dave]

Some larger RV companies like Cruise America sometimes do one way specials if they want there fleet moving or if the bookings are a little slow. This normally happens more out of the peak season but you never know. CA have a main depot in Phoenix where they have vehicles that need delivering elsewhere, maybe getting there from LA is an option. Keep an eye on there 'Hot deals' page and see if anything comes up.

Other than a really special deal, any kind of Campervan/RV for two people will generally cost more than a car and Motels by the time you have added all the additional costs. [Campground fees, higher fuel consumption, higher rental fees, bedding/Kitchen Kits and so on]. It's a great Lifestyle choice for those that enjoy camping though !