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Why you should rent an RV at an RV park before you Buy

You’ve been bitten by the RV bug, but you are reluctant to pull the trigger and buy an RV. Or you are thinking of selling your home and going full-time. These are momentous decisions with lots of important smaller decisions along the way. For instance, what size RV should you buy? New or Used? Trailer or C-class? And so many more. Then you will need to learn how to live in an RV park or boondock.  Like anything in life it is always best to try before you buy. There are two primary ways that you can try the RV Life before you buy.

Rent from a rental company

Sounds simple. If you google RV Rentals there are plenty of companies that will rent you an RV. Most people use this for the occasional camping trip with the family. Recently, my friends from California piled their five kids into a rental RV and drove to Texas for a wedding and then toured around before returning the RV. They made all the classic mistakes (and some that I somehow avoided, like spilling the black tank…)  

In the end they loved RVing and look forward to it again. Now that they rented, they feel ready to buy.

They used Cruise America, which is a good company. There are plenty of other companies too.

Rent an RV at An RV Park

Woodland Oaks RV Estates in San Antonio has 10 RV units available for rent. These can be rented for a single night or weekend, or they can be rented for months at a time.

If you are visiting San Antonio and don’t want to be in a hotel, you can stay in a very nice rental RV unit, which is only 15 minutes from Downtown. You’ll get the feeling of the country with the access to the city, all without having to purchase an RV and deal with that whole pesky maintenance part. If you live in the San Antonio area and you are contemplating buying an RV, this is a great affordable way to get a feel for the lifestyle.

For those considering full-time RV life, remember, when you buy an RV the major difference is that you are responsible for absolutely everything. When the A/C goes out, it is up to you to fix it or purchase a new one. That black tank is backing up, then you will need to call someone to drain it for you. Flat tire? Better have roadside assistance or you’ll need to pay for it all yourself. And on and on.

Of course there are a ton of benefits to owning your own RV. I own my RV. However, I do wish that I had rented first. That way I would have been more knowledgeable about my own needs and wants for this lifestyle. Personally, I believe that I purchased an RV that was slightly too big for me. Of course I love my RV and have been traveling for many months now. After first living in the RV for a couple days, I realized I didn’t need it quite this big.

Boy, would it have been helpful to have rented first!