So You Want to Rent an RV

If you’ve always dreamed of renting an RV and hitting the open road, we’ve got some important info to share! Whether you want to take the RV around your home state or on a cross-country trip, you’ll need to make sure you’re adequately insured. Here’s some food for thought:

1. Call Your Insurance Agent
Talk to your insurance company to find out whether you'll be covered while driving the RV. Your regular policy might not cover it, but you may be able to get a short-term insurance policy from your agent.
RV policies are a little different than regular policies, in that they cover more:
   •   Extra coverage for personal belongings that you keep in your RV, such as clothing, jewelry, outdoor gear, laptops, other electronics, etc.
   •   Extra liability coverage to protect against accidents or injuries that happen around your RV when you park it at a campsite. Without this coverage, you may be responsible to pay if someone is injured around your RV.
   •   Hotel and other lodging/travel expenses if your RV is damaged while you're traveling and you need a place to stay or a way to get to your destination.

2. Take a Safety Course
Driving an RV is not the same as driving the family minivan. Generally, the rental company will offer training classes — take advantage of these! You may only need a standard U.S. driver's license to operate one, but it's important to know how to park and back up a large vehicle, as well as learning how to use the water, electric and septic systems.

3. Thoroughly inspect your RV
When you pick up the keys, give your RV a good inspection. Look for damage to the entire interior and exterior and make notes/snap pictures of any problems. Check that the RV has a spare tire as well as fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, properly working air conditioning and all manuals. Get the emergency numbers for the rental agency, and go over the company's policy about accidents or breakdowns so you're familiar with what to do in an emergency.

Your RV will be home (sweet home) for a few weeks -- or more! So make sure you feel comfortable operating it, and be sure your insurance agent is on speed dial before hitting the road!

Sources: Trusted Choice, RV Insurance | The Guardian, U.S. Road Trips Car Hire Essentials

Photo credit: Linus Henning, RV.