cruise america rv locations

RV Rental & Sales Locations

Ready to go? Find the Cruise America rental or sales center. Available in the lower 48 states, Alaska & Canada.

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Having problems finding a location? Contact us 24/7 at 1-800-671-8042 .

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Discover North America

RV Trip Across America

Discover ohio.

Ohio is a great state to pick up a Cruise America RV rental and explore. Ohio home to one of the newest National Parks. Cities like Cincinnati, Akron, and Cleveland have unique cultural qualities about them that one simply has to experience. There are many museums, marketplaces, nature reserves, and beautiful lakefront beaches to visit in Cleveland, Ohio. The friendliness of people in Akron and the conservative attitudes of residents in Cincinnati both take time to absorb. Renting a motorhome from Cruise America in Ohio will give you that home base convenience and comfort as you travel and make new connections along the way. We recommend the following destinations to maximize your RV rental experience. Cuyahoga Valley National Park - This young National Park is the premier destination for anyone touring Ohio in an RV. The park is located between Akron and Cleveland. Backpackers can explore the regional falls, historic railroad, primitive camping sites, and the numerous trails. The park features over 125 miles of trails to track. In addition, there are always expert speakers, live music events, and photo opportunities. National parks offer the tranquility and soothing sounds of nature to prepare you for the city adventures ahead. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo - This zoo features one of the largest primate exhibits in North America. On Monkey Island, free-range Colobus monkeys roam unimpeded in a natural environment (free of cages and walls). The African Savannah exhibit has all the exotic elephants, giraffes, tigers, and lions, that make a zoo worthwhile. This is a popular extension of your scenic National Park trip with all the fauna in action around you. Your motorhome rental will save you money on expensive tourist trap prices when you stock the fridge with cold cuts, chips, and beverages. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - This is a go-to destination for that unique mix of music and interactive art. Here, they currently are featuring a Pinball Wizard exhibit where the visitors get to play pinball while listening to the iconic hit. That’s something to write home about. Other live music and events are once in a lifetime experiences to be part of your favorite groups. When you rent an RV in Ohio, you can skip the Rock-Star-priced hotels and find a serene spot to unwind at the end of each day. Crawford-Auto Aviation Museum - If you are interested in antique automobiles, this museum was made just for you. They have the largest collection of antique vehicles that are over 100 years old. The oldest vehicle is the 1895 Panhard et Levassor, the youngest a DARPA robotic vehicle named “DEXTER.” Your unique Cruise America RV rental will give you that same type of auto museum experience as seeing some of these iconic vehicles. Greater Cleveland Aquarium - After you have hit the terrestrial zoo and mixed things up with a little entertainment, there is nothing more alluring than taking a virtual dive in the deep blue sea. This newly constructed $33 million-dollar aquarium features eight breathtaking exhibits that are sure to satisfy your hunger for surf after walking up and down the turf all week. When you make your entrance in a motorhome rental, you won’t be pressured to rush through the exhibits to get back to the hotel in time. The Flats - When you are in the mood for more music and excitement, The Flats has you covered. This is the party spot where you will be welcomed into clubs featuring live music, comedy, and drag shows. Get a taste for the regional artisanal microbrews with some hipster gourmet tacos around the corner. This region is also famous for its water taxis that let you cross the river in style. Your RV will be faithfully waiting for your return to rest off those sea legs. Little Italy - When you are still too far away from Chicago to experience some extraordinary pizza, the local Italian neighborhoods of this region are sure to put a smile on your face and fill up your belly. Known for its Old-World pizzerias, cafes, and operatic trattorias, Little Italy has the cultural arts and dining experiences you need to finish off your trip. You will be as close to Italy as possible without the flocks of alley cats and noisy Vespa’s to worry about. There are dozens of other wonderful destinations in this same small radius. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The world awaits you when you rent an RV from Cruise America. If renting isn't your style, check out a used RV for sale . You may find the motorhome of your dreams!

129 Cruise America Locations Across the United States

Cruise America has been in the RV rental business for 45 years, they are the largest RV rental company in North America. Cruise America has locations in most states. With all this experience they have figured out exactly what travelers need and want. All their rentals include insurance, no more lengthy discussions at the rental counter about what insurance is best for you. All motorhomes have a 110 point inspection before they are sent out for the next customer and there is a 24-hour service line in case you run into trouble. 

• The Large RV sleeps up to 7 people. 
• The Standard RV sleeps up to 5 people.
• The Compact RV sleeps up to 3 people.
• The Truck Camper sleeps up to 3 people.

When in our quote program, you can identify Cruise America RV’s by their pictures below.

Compact, 19’

Standard, 25’

Flagstaff, Arizona. Sounds Good Mobile, 4409 N US Highway 89AFlagstaff, Arizona 86004.

Phoenix (Goodyear). ArizonaStorage Experts, 3970 S Estrella Pkwy Goodyear, Arizona 85338.

Tucson, ArizonaRincon. Rentals Inc, 3101 E Prince Tucson, Arizona 85716.

San Francisco (Newark), California. Cruise America, 5623 John Muir DriveNewark, California 94560.

Bakersfield, California. Friendly Moving Center, 3980 Saco Road #C, Bakersfield, California 93308.

Burbank (Tujunga), California. Bonner Equipment Rental, 6935 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga, California 91042.

Costa Mesa, California. ABC Rent A Car, 2624 Newport Blvd, Costa Mesa, California 92627.

Fallbrook, California. Quality Clutch & Transmission, 1236 E Mission Road, Fallbrook, California 92028.

Fillmore, California. Fillmore Building Supply, 437 Main Street, Fillmore, California 93015.

Fresno (Clovis), California. Clovis Truck Rental, 707 Jefferson Avenue, Clovis, California 93612.

Los Angeles (Downey), California. XPress Auto Rentals, 8460 Telegraph Rd, Downey, California 90240.

Oceanside, California. Warner`s Truck Rental, 2372A Industry Street, Oceanside, California 92054.

Rancho Cucamonga, California. Cruisin Along LLC, 13670 Victoria St, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91739.

Riverside, California. Crest RV, 2822 Main Street, Riverside, California 92501.

Riverside (Norco), California. Double R Rentals, 584 6th Street, Norco, California 92860.

Sacramento (North), California. Pastor Auto Care Inc., 7920 Old Auburn Road, Citrus Heights, California 95610.

Sacramento (South), California. Laguna Tire & Wheel, 2220 Kausen Drive, Elk Grove, California 95758.

San Clemente, California. The Shipping Outlet, 63 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente, California 92672.

San Diego (Poway), California. T.K.O. International Inc., 13056 Poway Rd., Poway, California 92064.

San Diego (Spring Valley), California. RV Rent LLC, 8637 Troy Street, Spring Valley, California 91977.

Sacramento (South), California. Laguna Tire & Wheel. 2220 Kausen Drive, Elk Grove, California 95758.

San Jose, California. Alum Rock Self Storage, 2487 Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose, California 95116.

San Luis Obispo, California. Nipomo Self Storage, 542 Lindon Lane, Nipomo, California 93444.

San Mateo, California. Condon Lumber, 1899 S Norfolk St., San Mateo, California 94403.

San Pablo, California. McCarty Bike and RV, 3131 San Pablo Dam Road, San Pablo, California 94803.

Santa Rosa, California. Smith`s Rent A Car, 3160 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa, California 95407.

Denver (Littleton), Colorado. Titan RV Trailer Inc. 5630 Kelly Ct, Littleton, Colorado 80125.

Connecticut

New Haven, Connecticut. Aamity Car & Truck Repair III LLC, 129 Whalley Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06511.

Bradenton, Florida. Gravely of Bradenton, 5732 15 St East, Bradenton, Florida 34203.

Delray Beach, Florida. Delray Automotive & Marine, 13400 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, Florida 33484.

Fort Myers, Florida. Anytime Rentals and Sales, 7011 Alico Rd, Fort Myers, Florida 33912.

Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Corporate Coaches Inc, 4500 South State Rd 7, Ft Lauderdale, Florida 33314.

Gainesville, Florida. Chuck Bush Auto Repair Inc., 1011 SE 2nd Ave, Gainesville, Florida 32601.

Hudson, Florida. Rentalex of Pasco, 11031 State Road 52, Hudson, Florida 34669.

Jacksonville, Florida. Tubel`s Tire & Service, 5500 Jammes Rd, Jacksonville, Florida 32244.

Miami (North), Florida. Bueres Auto Service, Inc., 8201 N. Miami Ave., Miami, Florida 33150.

Miami (South), Florida. Alecs Truck, Trailer, & RV, 17110 S Dixie Hwy, Miami, Florida 33157.

North Port, Florida. American RV Technology INC., 11155 S Tamiami Tr, North Port, Florida 34287.

Orlando (Oviedo), Florida. Oviedo Boat & RV Storage, 174 E Mitchell Hammock Rd, Oviedo, Florida 32765.

Pensacola, Florida. Champion Rent All & Building Supply, 4346 Hwy 90, Pace, Florida 32571.

Tampa, Florida. RV Rentals Of Tampa Bay Inc, 3210 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, Florida 33603.

Atlanta (North), Georgia. Gwinnett Rental & Truck Repair, 3446 Buford Hwy, Duluth, Georgia 30096.

Atlanta (West), Georgia. Super Deals RV, 931 Carrollton Hwy, Temple, Georgia 30179.

Chicago (Gurnee), Illinois. Wenzels Automotive Service, 1101 Sheridan Rd, Winthrop Harbor, Illinois 60096.

Chicago (Lakemoor), Illinois. State Road Auto Repair LLC, 907 W Il Rte 120, Lakemoor, Illinois 60051.

Chicago (Naperville), Illinois. A & G Rental, 10S241 Schoger Drive, Naperville, Illinois 60564.

Chicago (O`Hare Area), Illinois, The Truck Shop Inc, 2732 Mannheim Rd, Franklin Park, Illinois 60131.

Rockford, Illinois. North Park Rental Services Inc., 9624 N 2nd Street, Machesney Park, Illinois 61115.

St. Louis (Roxana), Illinois. Three Rivers RV, 4615 Hedge Road, Roxana, Illinois 62024.

Schererville, Indiana. Julie`s Auto Sales, 612 Indianapolis Blvd., Schererville, Indiana 46375.

South Bend, Indiana. Techworks Inc, 2500 S Nappanee Street, Elkhart, Indiana 46517.

Germantown, Maryland. Arrow Inc., 19590 Frederick Rd, Germantown, Maryland 20876.

Massachusetts

Boston (Tyngsboro), Massachusetts. Forrest Marine & RV LLC, 426 Middlesex Rd, Tyngsboro, Massachusetts 01879.

Boston (Waltham), Massachusetts. Fuller Motor Inc, 215 Lexington St, Waltham, Massachusetts 02452.

Boston (Worcester), Massachusetts. MetroWest Auto Sales, 156 SW Cutoff, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604.

Westland, Michigan. Modern Classics Inc, 1118 S Newburgh Rd., Westland, Michigan 48186.

Bozeman, Montana. Cruisin Montana LLC, 80675 -B Gallatin Rd, Bozeman, Montana 59718.

Missoula, Montana. Sport Land Inc., 12787 US Highway 93 S, Lolo, Montana 59847.

Morris County (Lake Hiawatha), New Jersey. Rowmat Inc., 141 N. Beverwyck Rd., Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey 07034.

Newark (Cliffwood), New Jersey. Commercial Vehicle Leasing, 379 County Rd, Cliffwood, New Jersey 07721.

Trenton (Mt Laurel), New Jersey. Johnson`s Mt Laurel Auto Service Inc, 2969 Marne Highway, Mt Laurel, New Jersey 08054.

Islip (Bayshore), New York. BBQ World, 1490 Sunrise Hwy, Bayshore, New York 11706.

Middle Island (Bayshore), New York. Middle Island Equipment Corp, 141 Middle Country Rd, Middle Island, New York 11953.

Newburgh, New York. Magyar Service Center, 5469 Route 9W, Newburgh, New York 12550.

Poughkeepsie, New York. M & M Truck Rental, 24 Violet Avenue, Poughkeepsie, New York 12601.

Rochester, New York. Porcelli Properties, LLC, 912 State Rt 104, Ontario, New York 14519.

North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina. Olive Chapel West Associates LLC, 5412 US Hwy 70 W, Durham, North Carolina 27705.

Columbus (Hilliard), Ohio. Lee`s RV & Boat Storage, 3790 Scioto Darby Rd, Hilliard, Ohio 43026.

Pennsylvania

Harrisburg (Carlisle), Pennsylvania. Capitol Rentals & Sales, 1122 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013.

Philadelphia (Limerick), Pennsylvania. Kellys Worldclass Automotive, 444 W Ridge Pike, Limerick, Pennsylvania 19468.

Philadelphia (South), Pennsylvania. Williamson`s RV Care, 1110 Township Line Road, Chester, Pennsylvania 19013.

Rhode Island

South carolina, south dakota.

Memphis (Lakeland), Tennessee. Interstate Rental Store, 12043 Highway 64, Eads, Tennessee 38028.

Nashville, Tennessee. B & C Rentals, 201 Donelson Pike, Nashville, Tennessee 37214.

Dallas, Texas. Love Field Auto Inc, 8558 Denton Dr, Dallas, Texas 75235.

Dallas (Bedford), Texas. JD Garage, 201 Bedford Rd, Bedford, Texas 76022.

Dallas (Carrollton), Texas, North Dallas RV Inc, 2630 North I-35E, Carrollton, Texas 75007.

Dallas (Cedar Hill), Texas. Complete Auto Repair Inc, 1188 N US-67 North, Cedar Hill, Texas 75104.

Houston (Kingwood), Texas. Eastex Rentals, 22532 Loop 494, Kingwood, Texas 77339.

Houston (West), Texas. West End Auto Works, 13505 Alief Clodine Road, Houston, Texas 77082.

Puyallup, Washington. Puyallup RV & Service Cntr, 8823 Canyon Rd. E., Puyallup, Washington 98373.

Use our price comparison tool at the top of this page to browse and compare prices on RV’s and motorhomes in the United States. For one-way RV Rental options, choose your ideal pick-up and drop-off locations from the drop-down menus. Once you start the price comparison tool you will have the option of live chatting with one of our sales specialists or you can call 1-877-778-9569. To receive the cheapest rate, book as soon as possible.

Happy rv-ing.

Odometer Dave

Making every mile count: Reviews & How-To's for RVing & Roadtripping

Home » Blog » How to rent an RV from Cruise America

How to rent an RV from Cruise America

MT asked how I wanted to celebrate my birthday. Without thinking, I said, “I’d love to rent an RV and drive to the Grand Canyon.”

Two hours later, we had reserved an RV through Cruise America .

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

Table of contents

Pros & cons of renting an rv from cruise america, visit your cruise america rental location and bring a tape measure, wait, what about gas, save money by bringing your own stuff, how to save on campground fees, start thinking slow, learn as much as possible about your rv, take a video of the walkaround and ask lots of questions, take a breath and start driving, pack up and hit the road, stay at a nearby campground and call ahead.

There are two main reasons we chose a Cruise America rental RV:

• They’re everywhere . That meant we could rent an RV from the Chicago-area location less than half an hour from our house.
• Value for the price . We didn’t know it beforehand, but our rental period (9/26 – 10/11/19) just happened to be when Cruise America was offering discount rates.

There are 126 Cruise America locations across the US and Canada. Because of that, we figured we’d be in good shape if we had trouble with our rig or needed to swap with another one while on the road. Fortunately, that was never an issue.

After we made our reservation, Cruise America’s generous cancellation policy allowed us to do some additional research. We quickly discovered they’re the least expensive option for renting an RV, even at Cruise America’s normal rates.

However, Cruise America rigs are also the most bare-boned. So if you’re looking for luxury, you’ll have to go with an RV dealer. You could also check out Outdoorsy or RVshare to rent an RV directly from a private owner.

Which RV model to rent?

We considered the 20-foot Compact model , but they appeared to cost the same or more than the Standard model. And the Large 30-foot model was just too much rig for us.

UPDATE August 2021 : Cruise America has added another model to its rental lineup, the 21-foot Compact Plus . It has the same 7.5-foot width as the Compact model, but is just a bit roomier. The Compact Plus is currently available at only a few locations as they roll out this unit.

Remember, it’s not just the people or pets. Everyone’s stuff is also along for the ride, so choosing the right size for your family’s comfort and needs is crucial.

In the end, we chose to rent the 25-foot Standard model . It was perfect for the two of us and our dog, Nola. Cruise America says the Standard can sleep 5, which is also the number of seatbelts. However, I wouldn’t want to test that on a 2-week trip unless everyone gets along really well.

To help you decide, we recommend that you visit your Cruise America rental location in advance. Bring a tape measure . Walking through the different rental RVs beforehand allows you to take measurements, notes, photos, and video. These will help you choose the right model for you, and also plan for your trip . Two weeks before our trip, we called our rental location, The Truck Shop near O’Hare Airport, and asked if there was a good day to visit when it wouldn’t be too busy. When we arrived, there was only one Standard model on the lot, and it was waiting for repair parts.

That rig was in rough shape! We were told that it was three years old and that Cruise America only keeps rigs in their fleet for about three years before they’re sold or refurbished. I don’t know how many miles that rig had on its odometer, but it had been well used. Even so, we decided we could live with a rental unit like this for two weeks, provided that everything was in working order.

Incidentally, we asked whether we could improve our chance of getting a newer model, such as picking up on a certain day or bribing someone. (No, we didn’t bribe anyone.) We never got a clear answer on this, but we did choose a Thursday pickup. We also arrived early, which may have helped us get a Cruise America RV that only had 21,680 miles on it and was manufactured a mere 6 months earlier. Everything was super clean and nothing was broken. Whew!

OK, what does it cost to rent an RV?

Cruise America’s RV rental rates fluctuate by season and location. Here’s what we paid:

• $75/night for 14 nights
• The normal rate is $.35/mile
• $10/night for the Zero Deductible Plan

If you think about it, that’s about what you’d pay for most hotels/motels on a driving trip. But with an RV, you don’t have to unpack every time you stop for the night.

Cruise America doesn’t advertise the mpg ratings of their rigs, probably because they don’t want to scare anyone. We kept a trip log and found that we averaged 7-9 miles per gallon . Why so low?

• RVs are not aerodynamic.
• 40 gallons of water = 333.6 lbs
• 55 gallons of gasoline = 343.75 lbs
• Plus the contents of the 24.5 gallon sewage and grey water tanks
• Cruise America only offers gas RVs, and they get worse mileage than Diesel RVs.
• The Ford V8 and V10 chassis are designed to pull a lot of weight, with little concern for efficiency.

Ultimately, we spent around $1,100 on gas alone. Your mileage will, of course, vary.

Cruise America offers two provisioning kits that include things like kitchen supplies, sheets, and towels. We didn’t use these because we were able to pack our RV at home. However, they could be useful if you have to fly somewhere to pick up your RV.

Finally, there are campground fees . These vary quite a bit from place to place. We paid as little as $10 and as much as $55. Price is a factor of location—whether it’s a federal, state, or private campground—as well as the type of hookup, full or partial. A “full hookup” includes Electricity, City Water, and Sewage.

On our trip, we dumped the black tank (sewage) and grey water tank (sinks and shower) every 2-3 days. I’m sure we could have gone longer than that, but we were trying to shed weight whenever possible.

With that in mind, we could have saved some money by choosing “partial hookup” campsites that didn’t include sewer hookups. That’s because most campgrounds have a dump station at the entrance/exit. Partial sites with electricity and city water are great if you need to run the air conditioning, or if you want to take a shower.

Choosing where to camp is a subject for another post, but we recommend visiting KOA , Good Sam , and especially RV Parky . KOA offers a Cruise America discount .

You’ve reserved your rental RV, now what?

Start planning your journey. This will help you make decisions about packing and other logistics. If you’re planning to visit a major destination such as the Grand Canyon, make your campground reservations as soon as possible . And be sure to allow plenty of travel days to reach that destination.

Traveling in an RV is slower than in a car. Period. Everything just takes longer. Go ahead and plot your journey in Google Maps. Then, for every 3 hours of estimated travel time, add another hour to allow for “RV Time.” There are a lot of factors that go into this:

• On interstates, you’ll want to join the trucks in the right lane and travel about 5 miles under the limit. Sure, you can go 75-85 miles per hour, but it’ll be miserable for everyone and your gas mileage will suffer greatly.
• If it’s windy, you’ll have to slow down and you’ll get tired faster.
• You’re on vacation, right? You’ll want to stop and see stuff along the way.
• Stopping to get gas always seems to take at least half an hour.
• You’ll eventually discover that driving on slower/smaller highways is a lot more fun!

We figured out that driving roughly 250 miles per day was a good target. Keep in mind, though, that MT never drove, only I did. You may be able to cover more distance per day with a second driver.

This could also be an entire post, but there are some great resources on the Cruise America site to get you started. I recommend watching all their videos now , and then watching them again just before your trip.

Be sure to also install the Cruise America app and download the videos in the app. As of this writing, the app itself isn’t terribly useful, except for those orientation and troubleshooting videos. You may find yourself without good cell service on your trip, so download those videos in advance in case you need to reference them.

Of course, here’s the answer to your biggest question: How to Dump the Tanks of your Cruise America Rental RV .

There’s also a Renter Assistance Guide that you can download as a PDF in a variety of languages. This guide will also be provided in your RV and it’s handy when you’re trying to figure out how the refrigerator operates.

Pick up your RV

You’ll need to call 3-5 days in advance to schedule a pick-up time for your RV. Arrive early and allow plenty of time. You’ll have to watch the Orientation Video again and sign a lot of paperwork. So that you can focus, we recommend that you not bring pets or small children along.

You’ll then be walked out to your RV, which may be wet and gleaming from the truck wash. Our technician had the engine running and the air conditioning going at full blast. He walked us around the RV, noted any existing damage, and quickly explained how things worked.

On the second day of our trip, we discovered some damage that hadn’t been noticed during the walkaround. However, we reviewed the video that MT shot and sent screenshots to Cruise America to prove that we hadn’t caused the damage.

After about an hour of orientation, you’ll drive off the lot and into traffic! Go slow, take your time, and don’t be embarrassed if you have to pull over to take a breath. If you’ve never driven a moving truck or other large vehicle, you’ll need time to adjust to turning corners and to learning how tall and wide you are. As the orientation video says (in an Australian accent), “You’ve got a second story to think about.”

We drove back home so we could pack, and planned a route through Chicago that would keep us on wider thoroughfares as much as possible. When we reached the narrow streets of our neighborhood, I just kept reminding myself of all the UPS trucks and garbage trucks and moving trucks that traverse these avenues on a daily basis.

A tip I learned for staying centered in a lane is to keep scanning the side-view mirrors . Because of the height of the truck, your tendency will be to stay too far away from vehicles on the right side of your RV. You’ll learn to trust that you have more room than you think .

Cruise America does not provide back-up cameras , but we didn’t find this to be much of an issue. You’re going to be backing up less than 1% of the time, and you will always have assistance from a family member or campground host. Also, many campgrounds offer pull-through sites.

A great place to start is with our post about 5 Things to Pack for your Cruise America Rental RV . Make a list in advance of everything you think you’ll need or want on your trip. Then go through that list and note the items you could live without. If you leave those extra items at home, you can save both weight and storage space.

Also be sure to watch Ep 6: Organizing Tips for Your Rental RV . MT shows you all the little real-world organizing tips she developed on our first trip. Hint: cubbies and bins!

Our only remaining piece of advice is to aim for a nearby campground to stay at on your first night . We didn’t hit the road until around 6:30pm, which meant driving through Chicago rush-hour traffic. We finally reached our target campground in Iowa at around 11pm, so it would have been smarter to choose a campground closer to home.

Luckily, we’d called ahead to reserve a spot, and explained it was our first-ever RV trip . The Rock Island KOA gave us a great pull-through site that was easy to locate in the dark. We only used the fresh water and electric hookups because we knew we’d hit the road early the next day.

I slept well that first night, despite fighting a cold. Pro tip: pack some cough medicine .

Thanks for reading! And be sure to check out our related articles and videos below:

• 5 Things To Pack For Your Cruise America Rental RV
• How to Dump the Tanks of your Cruise America Rental RV
• Organizing Tips for Your Rental RV

*NOTE: We have no connection with Cruise America or any other company mentioned in this article. We’re just happy customers.

Questions about our rental experience? Scroll down and leave a comment.

Published by Dave

I'm an actor and violinist based in Chicago. We rented an RV for a trip to the Grand Canyon, and now my wife and I are working to hit the road in our own RV. Join us to learn what we learn along the way! View all posts by Dave

Really interesting!!!

I didn’t realize until I read this, that maybe what’s missing in my life is an RV road trip…! This is a great post: all the questions that popped in my head were answered (and very honestly!) and you immediately take what can be very overwhelming and make it very manageable/reasonable. And it’s truly about the journey – and enjoying what opens up in front of you… Looking forward to more pictures and more stories, advice and encouragement to embark on this one-of-a-kind adventure.

Thanks, David! I have at least 4 more posts planned to cover other aspects of the journey. Driving a small apartment across the country really does change how you look at things. 🙂 Happy New Year, and hope to see you soon!!!

Very informative (and a little daunting). Drove a similar size rental RV w/friends for a fishing trip but didn’t sleep in the vehicle. This has also been on my wish list so I look forward to future posts. Thank you.

Thanks, Paul! My family camped and fished when I was a kid, and we later had a boat on Prince William Sound in Alaska, but I always enviously watched the RVs driving down the highway!

Hope Cruise America uses your story in their promo. Alice

I saw a comment from “David F.” and thought to myself, “Hey, when did I leave a comment?” Turns out, I hadn’t.

Love this! Thanks!

Thanks Jan!!!

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Cruise America is a Great Way to RV

Not everybody wants to be an avid RVer . While full-timers, weekend warriors and part-timers all have their place in the RV world, some folks just want to RV here and there. They may have an annual summer vacation or get the RVing bug once a twice a year and that’s about it. For these types of RVers purchasing a motorhome that could cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars just doesn’t make sense. You don’t have to buy an RV to get on the road, you can just rent !

The RV industry is loaded with rental joints across the country, but one of the most reliable ways to rent an RV is to use Cruise America. Let’s get to know Cruise America including what services they offer, where you can find a Cruise America location and some of the great tips and tricks they provide. You’ll be ready to rent or buy an RV from Cruise America in no time. 

What You Need to Know About Cruise America

Cruise America’s bread and butter are found in its RV rental services. Cruise America is not loaded down with rental options but for rookie RVers, this may work for their advantage. Trying to decide between a Class C, fifth wheel or diesel pusher may be a little over the head for those not too acquainted with RV types but Cruise America makes selection much easier. 

There are four rental options at Cruise America known as compact, standard, intermediate and large. The compact model is 19’ in length and can sleep three people, the standard model is 25’ and can sleep five people, the intermediate is 28’ and can sleep six while the large model can sleep seven and is 30’ in length. Despite the differences in sizes all models are Class C cover style motorhomes and are manufactured by Ford. Engines range from V8 to V10. 

With this simple selection process, you can determine what type of RV you need to rent by looking at size and amount of people you need to sleep. You can find further details about the RVs on CruiseAmerica.com 

Renting an RV from Cruise America 

The easiest way to rent from Cruise America is to visit one of their 116 locations found across the United States and Canada. You can also visit CruiseAmerica.com to get started on the rental process. Use the box found at the upper left of Cruise America’s Homepage. Enter in the city and state where you would like to pick up your RV as well as start and end dates to get a price estimate for your rental. Prices for rentals can fluctuate depending on where you’re renting, what time of the year you’re renting and how fast you need the RV. The earlier you book your rental the cheaper it will be according to the website. 

Buying an RV from Cruise America 

While rentals may be the largest part of Cruise America’s business they do purchases as well. Heck, you could rent an RV, fall in love with it and decide that same model. Click the BUY button found at the top part of CruiseAmerica.com to see what type of inventory they have in stock and get an idea of what type of prices you’re looking at. In some cases, you can buy the exact RV you’ve rented from Cruise America on a trip if you fall in love with it. What other rental company out there let consumers do that?

Other Services by Cruise America 

Cruise America is a great way to get a great rental but their website also provides other resources for RVers such as a Vacation Ideas page that includes travel planning, unique RV uses, destinations, outdoor activity guide and event planning. Try these tips and ideas even if you aren’t renting from Cruise America. Renting an RV is the start of an adventure that could turn into a lifetime of exploring the great outdoors with family and friends. Services like Cruise America make it easy to find out if you love RVing and take advantage before you invest in your own rig.

Cruise America provides a simple, no-frills rental service that is easy to for rookie RVers to get accustomed to. Try out Cruise America if you’re looking to rent an RV from a reputable, trustworthy and easy-going business.

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Travel Tips

Cruise america rv rental tips [video included].

Cruise America RV Rental is very well established, with a history that dates back nearly 50 years. In this post and video I will share a number of tips, tricks and expectations when renting a Cruise America RV. BTW, everything contained within this post is related to their standard size unit.

Cruise America RV has three C-Class options (small, standard and large), which are all essentially the same, except for the space and ability to accommodate more people. Cruise America also has a pickup truck with a camper in the bed as an additional option for customers.

Cruise America is headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, however they have over a hundred locations around the U.S. as well as operations in Canada.

Checkout Process

The check out process is quite straight forward, similar to renting a car, with the exception of a tour and explanation of how to operate the unit, which is quite easy. Cruise America has made RV’ing very simple for the newbie. If you ever have any issues, they have a hotline you can call with any questions.

At first you may find driving such a large vehicle intimidating, but you will quickly get used to it, at least I did.

RV Interior

This is what you can expect from the interior of the standard size Cruise America RV. [ Click the following link for a downloadable RV Rental Packing List . ]

• There is a 3 burner stove and good size refrigerator and freezer, both work really well, but one tip is to make sure you hear the door(s) click to insure they are properly closed so they don’t fly open while driving.
• Speaking of which, be sure to go through the RV and make sure everything is batten down before driving.
• You’ll find plenty of storage, both inside the unit, as well as down below in the rear of the RV.
• The mattress is not the highest quality, and because it is lined with vinyl, you may tend to sweat at night. To prevent this, bring an extra blanket to create a barrier between the sheets.
• There is plenty of lighting on board, just make sure to shut them off when not in use if you’re not connected to shore power. The lights are one of the only things that run off of the batteries.
• There are plenty of outlets, some have USB charging integrated. Unfortunately, the outlets don’t work unless you are plugged into shore power, or, the generator is running. They don’t work with the vehicle running, which is a real shame when you are driving for hours and can’t charge anything. If you want to charge a phone (or equivalent) bring a cigarette lighter adapter with USB. Or, you could also plug in a small inverter.
• The dining area can be folded down for extra sleeping accommodations. Standard RV sleeps 4-5 in three different areas.

Suggestions & Information

• Highly recommend bringing a small broom and dust pan so you can sweep the unit out once in a while, because you will track in dirt and debris.
• Beware that the space between the door and cab of the RV is narrow, so when opening and entering the vehicle, take care not to bang your knee or shin. While in a hurry I pinched myself in between the door and cab on more than one occasion.
• When taking a shower, be sure to give the water heater about 10 minutes to warm up before jumping in. If you are boon docking, but sure to use the water sparingly by wetting yourself down, then soap/shampoo, then turn back on to rinse.
• The control panel shows the various levels of water, take capacity, etc. For example, the first button shows LPG, which is the propane level. The next one is the battery level, the 3rd level is fresh water, the next one is black water or sewer, and the last one is the grey water tank, which is from the sinks and shower.
• At a campground hooking up or unhooking is quick and easy, just a few things to do, such as hooking up to water and power. Some campgrounds have sewer at your spot, others have a station near the exit.
• All you have to do is take the large black (sometimes grey) hose from its storage area and hook it up to the sewer. You want to make sure to pull the black handle first, which is the black or toilet water. Next, to clean out the hose, pull the grey handle, which is water from the sinks and shower.
• You can fill up the fresh water tank on the passenger side of the RV.
• Make sure the valves are closed, stow the hoses and you’re on your way. While it may look intimidating, or even disgusting, it’s actually quite easy.

Cruise America RV Rental Final Thoughts

• While the Cruise America RV rental units lack the luxury of some other rental companies, they are good for the first-timer as they are designed with simplicity in mind.
• If you’ve never been RV’ing before, this is the perfect time to do it as most couples and families are looking for vacation options closer to home due to the pandemic.

If you’d like to get some road trip ideas, have a look at part one of our Cruise America RV Southwest Road Trip .

If you have any questions about a Cruise America RV rental, leave a comment below. Until next time, we’ll see ya on the road…

Mike Shubic

Tags: Cruise America , Cruise America RV , Cruise America RV Rental , RV Rental Tips

16 Comments

I am thinking about retiring to the RV life for a few years. You state you have a list of suggested items to have when renting for the first time. I see broom, dust pan, but not a more comprehensive list. Do you have one?

Hi Kathy, “broom and dust pan” is all you got our of the post and video? There is a lot more info. I also included a downloadable PDF checklist.

I think Kathy was looking for the downloadable list. The YouTube video suggests the link was in the video or below in the description. I couldn’t find the PDF there so followed the only link to your site. I did find the PDF after browsing around a few times under the “Interior” section. Thanks for preparing the video and PDF.

Thank you! This is exactly the RV rental information I needed to feel at ease. Great video too.

So glad you found it helpful. Thanks for stopping by.

Great post and video. My wife and I have been thinking about renting one and found your information to be helpful. Thank you, Michael

Thanks for stopping by. Glad to be of help.

Fantastic article and video, really helpful. Thank you so much for publishing. Best, Thomas

Thank you so much, glad you found it helpful.

Fantastic tips and video for RV’ing. My family and I are planning a trip this summer and found your information very useful.

So glad.Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

It was a great tip when you said to bring brooms, because it’s most likely that you’ll be bringing in dust to the RV. My son and I are planning to camp soon, and we’re both very excited about it. Thank you for your helpful tips, we’ll keep them in mind while we try to find the best RV rentals near our area.

Hey Luke, glad to be of help. Thanks for stopping by. All the best, Mike

Such helpful info, thank you for sharing. Great job on the video too BTW.

Thanks so much for sharing my video. Cheers, Mike

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