Have Sippy Will Travel

Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.

An RV sounds like the perfect option for an upcoming trip, but then the big question appears. Is it better to rent an RV for the trip or purchase one? Consider both options carefully before making any decision as either one could be the right answer, depending on your travel plans, your financial situation, and more.

Buying Means More Vacations Later

Of course, the biggest pro to buying an RV now is that it’s available anytime you want to take a trip. Decide to just take off for the weekend? There’s no need to check with a rental agency to see if there’s an RV available. Visiting a Forest River RV dealer today means it’s possible to purchase an RV that can be used for just about any vacation you want to take.

Renting Can Help Save Money

Although it can be expensive to rent an RV for a week or longer, the fees are still less than the cost of an RV. If money is a concern, it might be better to rent an RV for this trip. If you don’t end up liking RV traveling, there’s no worry about trying to sell an RV in the future and there’s no money wasted from having to sell for less than the purchase price.

Buying Allows Customized Additions

Those who purchase an RV have the chance to customize it, so it meets their needs. New RVs come with plenty of potential upgrades as well as options for the interior and exterior. Look through all of the options carefully to choose the right ones when buying an RV and purchase it ahead of time just in case anything needs to be ordered.

Renting Means No Searching for Storage

A downside to buying an RV could be storing it between vacations. Renting an RV means there’s no need to worry about where it’s stored. Those who don’t have room at home or cannot park an RV at home because of an HOA might prefer renting the RV just to save on storage costs. Consider the space available for storage, the costs associated with storage, and how easy it will be to store between vacations.

Buying Can Enable an Extended Trip

Heading out on the open road can be exhilarating, especially when there’s no need for hard plans and no hotel rooms to worry about so the plans can change on a whim. If the RV is rented, however, there may be limitations to how long it can be gone. The rental agency may require it being returned on time to avoid late fees and because others may want to rent it. When you buy an RV, you don’t have this concern and can extend the trip if you want to.

Renting Gives the Chance to Test the Waters

A big advantage of renting over buying an RV is simply the chance to try it out. With a rental, it’s possible to use the RV for just a short time to see if living in an RV while traveling is fun, to get used to driving an RV, and to see if any downsides may mean you don’t want to purchase an RV for future trips.

If you’re planning a trip and you’d like to take an RV, you’re going to need to consider whether it’s better to purchase an RV or rent one. Use the pros and cons here to think about which option is right for your upcoming vacation.