How Old To Rent An RV? (Minimum Age)

‍Getting an RV for your next road trip is the ultimate way to travel, but the minimum age required to operate a recreational vehicle can often be unclear.

When we typically see RV travelers on the road, they are commonly older people and perhaps even in their retirement years. Although traveling in an RV is particularly common among older folks, that by no means implies that this kind of traveling is not for the younger generation.

Most states and rental agencies will rent to you once you reach a minimum age of at least 21 years of age. However, some rental agencies require you to be 25 years old. If you are renting an RV in this age group, you will find that your rental costs may be higher.

When it comes to traveling around the United States, there is really no better way to do it than to get inside of an RV and hit the open road. With a country with as much stunning scenery and landscapes as ours, RV travel is as popular now as it ever has been in the past. In recent years, we have even seen a huge boost in RV travel among the younger generation with ‘van life’ culture presenting a lot of appeal to people who want to stay on the road permanently. However, renting an RV is not as easy for young people - especially if you are under the age of 25. This can be quite upsetting for people out there who do not meet the minimum age requirement but still want to hit the road in an RV. It is also important to recognize that states and agencies that do allow RV rentals for young people often require that they pay additional charges, which can make this mode of transport more expensive and less accessible for some. To help you understand this further we are going to take a closer look at how old you need to be to rent an RV in more detail.

After extensively researching RV rentals, I have been able to gather enough information to determine the minimum age that is required to rent a recreational vehicle. My research has taught me that the age required to rent an RV can vary depending on the guidelines of each agency.

‍How to Rent an RV

If you want to rent an RV, you are going to have to approach it in the same way that you would any other vehicle. Before you commit to any agency, you should first understand the responsibility of renting an RV.

Experts have found that drivers that are in the age group of 20-24 are considerably more likely to get into an accident when on the road. This can put the RV rental agency at a lot of risk of losing their investment due to serious repairs and legal costs that need to be handled when you get into an accident - as well as the potential injury or loss of life of one of their customers.

With that being said, rental agencies do not want to make RV travel exclusively for ‘older’ people. They simply want to take extra precautions to secure their investment and your safety by making their rental process a bit more complicated than it usually is. If you are able to comply with their rules and regulations, you will find that there are plenty of agencies that will rent RVs to you if you are under the age of 25 - and in many cases, even as young as 21. Let’s take a closer look at the process of renting an RV and what kind of requirements you can expect to have to adhere to.

Drivers License

If you want to rent an RV, you are going to need to have a valid driver's license. There is no exception to this requirement - it will be essential to comply with no matter your age group.

Many people often wonder whether they need a special kind of license to operate a recreational vehicle, as RVs are considerably larger and more dynamic than your average car. For the most part, you will find that renting or driving an RV does not require you to have a special license. Your Class C should be just fine!

However, this can vary depending on the type of RV that you want to rent. If you are looking to rent a standard, mid-sized RV, then a Class C license is going to suffice. On the other hand, if you want to rent a considerably larger RV, they may require that you present a specialized license.

Insurance

When you rent an RV from an agency, there will generally be insurance that is attached to your vehicle. However, you always want to confirm this to ensure that you are covered before you commit to a rental.

This is a part of your rental agreement that you will want to be thorough with, which means that you should read the fine print so that you do not fall into an unpleasant legal situation. With that being said, a lot of RV insurance coverage only protects damage that you may cause to another individual or their property - it may not necessarily cover you or the RV that you are renting.

Some rental agencies provide insurance options that offer increased coverage, however, if they don’t - it would be wise to opt for additional coverage from a third-party insurance provider.

Credit Card

You will also need to have a credit card if you want to rent an RV. Credit cards have become a standard for renting pretty much any vehicle these days, as they provide the agency with a sense of security for their vehicle.

If something were to happen to the RV, the rental agency would be able to remove the deposit directly out of your credit card - instead of a debit card that may not have funds. With that being said, some RV rental agencies will accept debit cards at times, but this is much less common.

Finding a Rental Agency

If you are living in the United States, then you will find that there are a ton of different RV rental agencies around and you will likely have one within your local area.

The best way to find a good agency is to simply check your local listings to see what is closest to you. As you do this, you want to confirm that the rental agency you are considering is going to be credible and reliable. While browsing your options, always read customer reviews to see what other people have said about the business.

In addition, you should also have a close read over their rental agreement and guidelines. If the rental agency ticks all the boxes, then you should see what their minimum age requirement is. More often than not, virtually every agency will rent out to you if you are 25, however, many will also do so if you are 21.

If you meet the age requirement for the RV rental, you should check to see how this will affect your rental agreement. Some agencies may require that you comply with the following:

• Additional fees
• Higher insurance costs
• Less coverage

The fact that you have to deal with extra costs as a young driver can be frustrating for a lot of people out there. However, if you are willing to put up with the hurdles of renting an RV at this age, you will find that you have nothing but the open road ahead of you.

RV Rental Agencies for 21-25-Year-Olds

Not every rental agency out there is going to rent an RV out to you if you are within this age group. Some companies require that you are at least 25 years old. But certain agencies will be more than willing to do business with you if you are at least 21.

We saw a huge boom in RV travel in recent years due to the pandemic. So many young wanderlust travelers lost the ability to head overseas for their vacations abroad, which is why many of them decided to make the most of things by getting behind the wheel of an RV for their next trip.

We have compiled a list of some of the best RV companies in the industry, which rent out to 21 to 25-year-olds. If you have got some of these options in your area, we would recommend checking out the terms, conditions, and prices of each agency so that you can pick the one that best suits your preferences and your budget.

• Lost Campers - 21 and up.
• Escape Campervans - 21 and up.
• Cruise America - 21 and up.
• El Monte - 21/25 and up (location dependent)
• RV Share - 25 and up.

We have found that these are the most flexible and reliable RV rental agencies for young drivers out there. Before you commit to any service, you should always thoroughly look into their policies - especially about young drivers.

The age requirement for RV rental agencies can also vary at times depending on where they are located. To ensure that the location you are considering is in alignment with your specific age, we would advise giving them a call to confirm this beforehand. While on the phone, ask the representative as many questions as possible about the agreement and how your age will affect the rental guidelines.

If you are traveling with a group and someone in your party is 25 or older, the best way to get around the age requirement is to simply have them be the one that signs off on the rental agreement. That way you can rent your RV without hassles or additional fees.